PS3 Informer

Does MAG Need More Development Time?

The big story last year was that many highly-anticipated games were slipping their release dates and heading later into 2010. For some, this was done as a strategic measure, to avoid what they saw as an overly crowded holiday market in uncertain economic times. For others, it was a calculated move to help ensure that the final product is more polished and more marketable than a rushed game. Sony may want to consider delaying release of its massive online shooter MAG for the same reasons. Participants in the beta have noticed some glaring connectivity issues that could use additional time to iron out. Even worse, some players have complained that the graphics feel out-dated compared with Modern Warfare 2, and that the leveling system needs to be streamlined to speed the pace of character improvement.

The game, which is being developed by Zipper Interactive, has gone into public beta this week. The title is special for being the first shooter to allow 256 players online simultaneously. At least in theory. Problems immediately cropped up in the beta leading many to wonder if the game's net code is really finished. Retailers had expected the game to be released on January 29th.

According to Sony, both companies are working hard to resolve the issues. "We have seen a few connection issues today, which the team are working to resolve, so it's possible you may experience some issues connecting to games for the time being," the company posted on its European blog.

Hopefully, Sony can get the connection problems ironed out soon, otherwise one of the game's major drawing cards -- 256 player online matches -- will be absent at launch. We already predicted that MAG could be one of the most important exclusive PS3 games, but Sony and Zipper Interactive need to ensure that the game lives up to its true potential.

If you got one of these, then tell us what you think about MAG in the comments below.