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February - Noticed in OPSM2 Magazine that if you wanted to take part in the official Sony Network Trials you had to sign up for beta testing via their official website. Anyone who gets in on the trials will receive a free copy of SOCOM: US Navy SEALS as a 'thankyou' at the end of the trials. Wow, never knew that, so scuttled on over.
Signed up, answered a load of questions via an online form about my connection type, who I was, what ISP I used, what games I liked, how much I played games, where I played them, and so on. Then I waited. And waited. And waited...
March - Banner pops up on the official Sony website advising that signups for Network Trials have now closed. The waiting continues. The nailbiting commences.
April 1st - WHOOHOOOOO! E-mail received from Sony confirming I've been chosen to take part in the Playstation 2 Network Gaming Trials. Advised to sit back and relax and wait for another e-mail from 7th April onwards advising where I can get hold of the Network Trials gaming kit which contains:
Network Adaptor (ethernet) for PS2
Network Access Disc, plus connection instructions
SOCOM: US Navy SEALS (online gaming mode only)
SOCOM USB Headset (for voice chat during gameplay)
Ethernet straight through cable (2m)
Meantime there's a huge section added to Sony's official PS2 website all about Networking, including indepth glossaries, broadband options, a list of their partners who sell compatible products, how to set up Internet Connection Sharing, Routers, Direct Connections and so on, basically a 'Dummies Guide to Home Networking'. It's very good, takes me 6 hours and a few coffees to read it and take it all in, and results in me ordering a home network kit so that I'll be able to play my PS2 online and keep the PCs connected to the internet at the same time.
April 4th - Set up home network, go into shock when I realise how easy it is to do and get everything working first time.
April 7th - E-mail arrives from Sony advising that the Network Trial gaming kits are now available to order (£41.98 including delivery) and provide a link to take you straight to their shop. So surfed over there, registered an account with their shop, where, after a few goes because the shop is inundated with people trying to order their kits as well at the same time, I manage to place an order.
Included in the e-mail is a little paragraph advising us that we'll be able to preview code of other games, which will be mailed to our home addresses, so might be getting to practice on Hardware: Online Arena and Twisted Metal Black: Online ages before anyone else.
April 8th - Confirmation e-mail arrives advising that my order for their kit has been placed and that my order is on its way.
April 8th - Two more e-mails received, one from the Playstation Broadband Team and one from the Trial Manager, both apologising for the problems most people had ordering from the shop, and advising that the shop has now been geared up to cope with the huge response.
April 9th - Noticed that my order status at the shop for the Network Gaming trial pack has now changed from 'pending' to 'shipped'. Am currently camping out by my front door awaiting delivery.
I'll update this thread for you as the trials continue, to give you some flavour of how the trials are going, the niggles we're overcoming, but most importantly how much fun it is to blow complete strangers to pieces in SOCOM: US Navy SEALS online.
Signed up, answered a load of questions via an online form about my connection type, who I was, what ISP I used, what games I liked, how much I played games, where I played them, and so on. Then I waited. And waited. And waited...
March - Banner pops up on the official Sony website advising that signups for Network Trials have now closed. The waiting continues. The nailbiting commences.
April 1st - WHOOHOOOOO! E-mail received from Sony confirming I've been chosen to take part in the Playstation 2 Network Gaming Trials. Advised to sit back and relax and wait for another e-mail from 7th April onwards advising where I can get hold of the Network Trials gaming kit which contains:
Network Adaptor (ethernet) for PS2
Network Access Disc, plus connection instructions
SOCOM: US Navy SEALS (online gaming mode only)
SOCOM USB Headset (for voice chat during gameplay)
Ethernet straight through cable (2m)
Meantime there's a huge section added to Sony's official PS2 website all about Networking, including indepth glossaries, broadband options, a list of their partners who sell compatible products, how to set up Internet Connection Sharing, Routers, Direct Connections and so on, basically a 'Dummies Guide to Home Networking'. It's very good, takes me 6 hours and a few coffees to read it and take it all in, and results in me ordering a home network kit so that I'll be able to play my PS2 online and keep the PCs connected to the internet at the same time.
April 4th - Set up home network, go into shock when I realise how easy it is to do and get everything working first time.
April 7th - E-mail arrives from Sony advising that the Network Trial gaming kits are now available to order (£41.98 including delivery) and provide a link to take you straight to their shop. So surfed over there, registered an account with their shop, where, after a few goes because the shop is inundated with people trying to order their kits as well at the same time, I manage to place an order.
Included in the e-mail is a little paragraph advising us that we'll be able to preview code of other games, which will be mailed to our home addresses, so might be getting to practice on Hardware: Online Arena and Twisted Metal Black: Online ages before anyone else.
April 8th - Confirmation e-mail arrives advising that my order for their kit has been placed and that my order is on its way.
April 8th - Two more e-mails received, one from the Playstation Broadband Team and one from the Trial Manager, both apologising for the problems most people had ordering from the shop, and advising that the shop has now been geared up to cope with the huge response.
April 9th - Noticed that my order status at the shop for the Network Gaming trial pack has now changed from 'pending' to 'shipped'. Am currently camping out by my front door awaiting delivery.
I'll update this thread for you as the trials continue, to give you some flavour of how the trials are going, the niggles we're overcoming, but most importantly how much fun it is to blow complete strangers to pieces in SOCOM: US Navy SEALS online.
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The answer is 'maybe'. Some people have been sent other games, but we're not all gettinmg them.
FantasyMeister wrote:
> Heehee, non disclosure agreement prevents me from telling you.
You could just say 'yes' or 'no'....????
> Heehee, non disclosure agreement prevents me from telling you.
You could just say 'yes' or 'no'....????
I can add an update to my part of the online trials - I should hopefully finally be getting my adapter tomorrow. It's only been two bl**dy weeks!
Flying Pig wrote:
> Just a question - are you testing more than 1 game???
Heehee, non disclosure agreement prevents me from telling you.
Put it this way, it's very rare you'll find me playing an offline game on the PS2 nowadays and I've given up PC gaming full stop. Bear in mind we're not really testing the games themselves, we're beta testing the Sony network - the games (and other things but I'm not saying anymore) are just there to help us test it :)
> Just a question - are you testing more than 1 game???
Heehee, non disclosure agreement prevents me from telling you.
Put it this way, it's very rare you'll find me playing an offline game on the PS2 nowadays and I've given up PC gaming full stop. Bear in mind we're not really testing the games themselves, we're beta testing the Sony network - the games (and other things but I'm not saying anymore) are just there to help us test it :)
FantasyMeister wrote:
> We've been talking to Zipper Interactive (the developers) about
> amending the ranking forumulae in SOCOM 2 to be more skill-based than
> it currently is, because at present if you just sit there and play
> badly for hour after hour you'll eventually make it into the top 20.
Wow - sounds like Sony are serious about this testing lark, even getting you involved with the developers....
Just a question - are you testing more than 1 game???
> We've been talking to Zipper Interactive (the developers) about
> amending the ranking forumulae in SOCOM 2 to be more skill-based than
> it currently is, because at present if you just sit there and play
> badly for hour after hour you'll eventually make it into the top 20.
Wow - sounds like Sony are serious about this testing lark, even getting you involved with the developers....
Just a question - are you testing more than 1 game???
AliBoy wrote:
> FM how does the headset make the game play? Is it fun to use and does
> it understand voice well?
There's no problem with understanding your voice commands, unless you're playing with a load of people who don't speak English. The tricky bit is online, getting human players to do what you want them to do isn't as easy as bossing around an AI team member.
Having said that the only times you need to communicate with other humans is if you really want your team to win, so in Clan events and tournaments it's essential. The rest of the time, when you join a game at random just to kill people and improve your ranking, you can run off and do your own thing. Team wins help your ranking a little, but the more kills you get personally the higher your score goes. We've been talking to Zipper Interactive (the developers) about amending the ranking forumulae in SOCOM 2 to be more skill-based than it currently is, because at present if you just sit there and play badly for hour after hour you'll eventually make it into the top 20.
At present there's no charge for playing SOCOM online, nor is there likely to be, but you'll notice on the smallprint on the back of the game casing that the developers reserve the right to charge in the future (I suspect all free online games will include the same smallprint).
> FM how does the headset make the game play? Is it fun to use and does
> it understand voice well?
There's no problem with understanding your voice commands, unless you're playing with a load of people who don't speak English. The tricky bit is online, getting human players to do what you want them to do isn't as easy as bossing around an AI team member.
Having said that the only times you need to communicate with other humans is if you really want your team to win, so in Clan events and tournaments it's essential. The rest of the time, when you join a game at random just to kill people and improve your ranking, you can run off and do your own thing. Team wins help your ranking a little, but the more kills you get personally the higher your score goes. We've been talking to Zipper Interactive (the developers) about amending the ranking forumulae in SOCOM 2 to be more skill-based than it currently is, because at present if you just sit there and play badly for hour after hour you'll eventually make it into the top 20.
At present there's no charge for playing SOCOM online, nor is there likely to be, but you'll notice on the smallprint on the back of the game casing that the developers reserve the right to charge in the future (I suspect all free online games will include the same smallprint).
One other thing. Do you have to pay extra for the on-line gaming service? Or will we have to pay when it takes off?
Or is just like the way PC's go and you pay for the game and then pay your internet people for the on-line access.
Cheers
Or is just like the way PC's go and you pay for the game and then pay your internet people for the on-line access.
Cheers
FM how does the headset make the game play? Is it fun to use and does it understand voice well?
Claimed the game for a recent win and it looks great and from your review it sounds like a top game.
Claimed the game for a recent win and it looks great and from your review it sounds like a top game.
adrian wrote:
> Any one give a date when use mere mortals can get the kit?
It may interest you to know that Play.com have moved forward the release date of the Network Adaptor and SOCOM:Navy Seals to 30th May 2003.
Online within a month..... maybe, just maybe!?
> Any one give a date when use mere mortals can get the kit?
It may interest you to know that Play.com have moved forward the release date of the Network Adaptor and SOCOM:Navy Seals to 30th May 2003.
Online within a month..... maybe, just maybe!?
adrian wrote:
> Any one give a date when use mere mortals can get the kit?
No release date has yet been set by Sony, but they might announce something regarding the Network Adaptor in Europe at E3 in mid-May. (I'm guessing, they might not, but I'm sure both gamers and developers are waiting with baited breath to find out when the release date will be because there's so many great games out there screaming for Network Capabilities to be added to them).
> Any one give a date when use mere mortals can get the kit?
No release date has yet been set by Sony, but they might announce something regarding the Network Adaptor in Europe at E3 in mid-May. (I'm guessing, they might not, but I'm sure both gamers and developers are waiting with baited breath to find out when the release date will be because there's so many great games out there screaming for Network Capabilities to be added to them).
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