Sony confirms Zipper Interactive closure

Sony confirms Zipper Interactive closure

Mon 02 Apr 2012 7:05am GMT / 3:05am EDT / 12:05am PDT
BusinessDevelopment

Decision the result of "resource realignment," MAG, SOCOM 4 and Unit 13 will continue to receive support

Sony Computer Entertainment

Sony Computer Entertainment is a Japanese videogame company specialising in a variety of areas in the...

playstation.com

Zipper Interactive

zipperint.com

Sony Computer Entertainment has confirmed the closure of SOCOM and MAG studio, Zipper Interactive.

Rumours of Zipper's closure surfaced last week, and Sony confirmed the decision in a statement issued to Game Informer.

"The closure is a result of a normal cycle of resource re-alignment within Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios," the statement reads.

"Zipper has completed all work associated with its most recent project, Unit 13 for PlayStation Vita. Zipper titles MAG, SOCOM 4 and Unit 13 will continue to be supported, including the new Daily Challenges in Unit 13."

Founded in 1995 in Seattle, Washington, Zipper Interactive employed around 80 people. Sony has not revealed how many of its employees have been moved elsewhere in the organisation, and how many have been made redundant.

2 Comments

Werner Nemetz
Loc QA Lead

Activision Blizzard Ireland

Good luck to all the people.

Loved the Socom games on ps2 and mag was also a nice tactical shooter that showed its potential when a good team played together. Still enjoy Unit 13 right now.

Posted:A year ago

#1

Terence Gage
Freelance writer

This is a shame; MAG is one of the only online shooters I've ever really gotten into, and I was hoping for a sequel one day. Even failing that, I think it's ripe to be made a free-to-play game on PSN like DC Universe Online was, which would rejuvenate the audience and give it a new lease of life. Heck, they could have even given it away for free with PS+

Socom 4 (aka Special Forces) didn't seem to do particularly well, but I think that's another casualty of a relatively niche game trying to chase a bigger audience and not really ticking the right boxes for anyone. I would have liked Zipper to get another shot, but going back to the ethos of the original games. Hey, maybe Sony could commission the dude on Kickstarter with his Takedown game and have it re-branded as a 'true' Socom sequel...

Posted:A year ago

#2

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