MAG may be massive but it is an action shooter at its core. You can run around and shoot enemies, throw grenades, and drive vehicles just like any other shooter except with MAG you’ll do it with up to 256 players. The team at Zipper was one of the pioneers of online gaming on consoles with the SOCOM franchise and they’ve used this knowledge to create a brand new server architecture to make an original game like MAG possible.

Later this Autumn MAG will offer full compatibility with the PlayStation Move! This added support means that users have another way to experience the most ambitious first-person shooter out there. Pinpoint accuracy and easy access to all of the game’s mechanics ensure that players of any type — be they hardened veterans or new recruits — can enjoy a shooting experience unlike any other.

But PlayStation Move support isn’t all we’re working on. Because our upcoming content is so important to the game and its future, we want your assistance to make sure we get it right! With that notion in mind we’re pleased to announce that, one week from today on August 24, we’re inviting existing MAG owners to take part in the all-new MAG Beta program!

What are you going to play and test, you ask? How does this hit you?

• Escalation Game Type — battle it out with all three factions at once on three never-before-seen maps
• New Weapons — each PMC has access to three new guns (9 total) for added firepower
• Clan Deploy — a highly-requested community feature that allows clan leaders to launch games with up to 128 clan members in a single match
• Updated Skill Tree — enjoy more customization than you’ve ever had before with new skills and an improved progression system
• In-game Economy System — earn “credit points” by completing objectives and killing enemies to purchase new weapons and gear
• Additional Character Slots — Create a persona for Raven, Valor and SVER on one account for maximum testing flexibility

To participate in the new MAG beta, all you have to do is download the client software from the PlayStation Store when it becomes available next week, insert your MAG disc into the PlayStation 3, sign-in to the beta client and… BOOM! You’re good to go. Reminder: You must have the MAG disc in your PS3 in order for the new beta client to work.

The year is 2025. The optimism and harmony of the 2010s were completely eradicated by 2020. A global crisis loomed. Food shortages sparked riots, currencies plummeted, fuel reserves dwindled, and oil-producing nations began to ration what remained. It is a dark future. Governments earmarked money for humanitarian efforts, overseas security, and intelligence services which, over time, found its way the coffers of a small group of Private Military Corporations (PMCs). These three private armies (Valor, Raven, and S.V.E.R.) then began to recruit aggressively. Soldiers without a country, the contractors fight wars that never happened. This is the nature of the Shadow War.

From the award-winning developer, Zipper Interactive, comes the next evolution in gaming – MAG. A first-person, online-only shooter, MAG lets you experience battles with up to 256 real people across a global battlefield. Players join one of three PMCs fighting each other in a shadow war and can either become skilled operatives or rank up to eventually command their private army to victory. Featuring unprecedented online action of a scale never before devised with player controlled strategic assets such as calling in air strikes, mortar barrages and parachute insertions; the persistent Shadow War in MAG keeps players coming back for more.

Utilizing a sophisticated ranking system and chain of command model, MAG manages the large number of players by breaking them down into squads of eight players. Players climb their way up the chain of command to take control of their 8-person squad, then 32-person platoon, and ultimately a 128-person army.

Key Features

• Unprecedented Action – For the first time ever, fight 256 real player battles in hi-def online combat for contracts around the world.
• Command Structure – Rise through the chain of command, earning the right to lead an eight-man squad, 32-man platoon, and even command a full 128-man army.
• Persistent Shadow War – Each battle victory or loss contributes to your PMCs world standing, moving them on the offensive or pulling them back to the defensive.
• Choose an army – Three distinct PMCs from which to choose from, each with their own history, personality, and style.
• Customization – Customize your character and begin to pursue a wide variety of combat specialties.