Ever find yourself in a situation where all of your friends are talking about the latest and greatest game, and you can't contribute to the conversation because you haven't been paying attention? Solve that problem with our Launch Primers: everything you need to know (except the spoilers) about a game that's about to be released.

MAG
PlayStation 3,
MSRP: $59.99
ESRB Rating: Teen

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What kind of game is it?

MAG's original subtitle was "Massive Action Game," and that pretty much sums it up: A first-person shooter of epic proportions where up to 256 players divided into three factions battle on the same field for ultimate supremacy.
 
Who's the developer?

Zipper Interactive. Zipper is the company behind the SOCOM games, so they know squad-based, realistic military combat. Previous SOCOM games have featured 32-player online battles, but do Zipper's multiplayer chops extend to 256?

What's the story?

The year is 2025. The nations of the world have abandoned their armies in favor of private companies. As you might expect, the three main corporate armies begin fighting among themselves for lucrative defense contracts. The three factions (Seryi Volk Executive Response/S.V.E.R. pronounced "Sever," Raven Industries, and Valor Company) are locked in a perpetual conflict called The Shadow War, shooting each other's soldiers to lower supplies, drive up prices, and ultimately force each other out of business. 

What’s The Buzz?

MAG's raison d'être is the 256 player competition -- that's  a lot of dudes running around with guns. This game will stand or fall depending  on how well it can implement the online play of that number of people. Initial previews of the game report smooth sailing, but those games were played in controlled conditions. How MAG will preform when it drops into the wild tomorrow is anyone's guess.

Another thing to look out for: MAG has an interesting command structure. How well players use that will determine whether a 256 player battle is a chaotic nightmare or feels like a "real" mission.

If everything works as planned, MAG could be the go-to PlayStation 3 online shooter.

Multiplayer/Online?

That's all there is.

What'd we say?

We received our copy of MAG the day before launch. We'll have a full review for you soon -- having just received the game, we want to make sure we put it through the proper paces, given the heavy emphasis on multiplayer. Until then, check out a couple of our previews, here and here.

See it in action: