SOCOM 4 Zipper-ed

To many fans of the SOCOM series, 2008's SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation was a disappointment. Developed by Slant Six, the shooter series' multiplayer-only PlayStation 3 debut was heavily criticized for rampant technical issues. Many wished it would return to the hands of original developer Zipper Interactive, which was busy working on the 256-player multiplayer shooter MAG at the time.

Well, wish granted. Today Sony announced via the PlayStation Europe Blog that a new SOCOM is in the works at Redmond, Washington-based Zipper. Reassuring those turned off by Confrontation that the game has been "created from the ground up," Sony also revealed the plot of the series' first single-player player campaign on the PS3.

[UPDATE] Officially named by the US PlayStation Blog later in the day, SOCOM 4 will be set in Southeast Asia after a revolution endangers a vital shipping lane similar to the Strait of Malacca. Players assume the role of the commander of a five-man squad of NATO commandos dispatched to prevent international trade from being disrupted. Their mission will only last six days, a time limit that Sony says will add urgency into the campaign.

As always, SOCOM 4 will have an extensive multiplayer component, allowing for teams of players to shoot it out in 32-player matches. Terrain types will include a hostile jungle and half-ruined cities.

Sony did not offer a launch date for SOCOM 4 but did say a teaser trailer would arrive this week.