Resistance 3 Beta Included w/ SOCOM 4 Purchase

It seems like just about every shooter released these days comes with exclusive access to something. Crackdown had the Halo 3 beta, Bulletstorm has the Gears of War 3 beta, and so on and so forth. I think you get the picture by now, it's become a staple of the genre.

SOCOM 4's Open Beta Schedule: April 6-13

I decided to keep the tradition going and post the SOCOM 4 weekly schedule a day late. Why? I dunno. I accidentally did it for the past two weeks and decided to just run with it this time. So, without further adieu, here's what you can expect to play during this week's SOCOM 4 game schedule:

PSN Download-April 5th, 2011: SOCOM 4, Red Faction, and Patriots

Quite a few goodies will be released on the PlayStation Store today, with the biggest of the bunch being the SOCOM 4 multiplayer beta. Previously only available to PlayStation Plus members and Killzone 3 owners, starting today the beta for the upcoming Zipper Interactive title will be available to download by everyone on the PlayStation Network. This will give you enough time to consider if it will be a worthy purchase come the game's release on April 19.

Walmart's SOCOM 4/Move Peripheral Bundles

Walmart is allowing aspiring SOCOM 4 soldiers to gear up with a selection of PlayStation Move peripherals, and can combine the game and a housing accessory for a starting price of $79.96. The recommended peripheral is $29.96 alone, so bundling it can save you $5.99.

SOCOM 4's Game Schedule 3/31-4/4

The game schedule for the SOCOM 4 beta has been updated (and yes, we forgot...), so here is what you can expect to play until Monday, April 4.

Also, those who bought Killzone 3 can now input their included SOCOM 4 vouchers to gain access to the beta immediately. Happy fraggin'!

Reminder: Got Killzone 3? Download the SOCOM 4 Beta Now!

Hey, all you ISA soldiers fighting the galactic fight on Helghan! Don't forget that you now have the chance to take part in the beta for Zipper Interactive's upcoming tactical shooter, SOCOM 4. All you have to do is input the code that was included in your copy of Killzone 3 onto the PlayStation Store and then...sha-zaam!!! SOCOM 4 beta access in an instant... (download speed times may vary).

So hop on the tactical battlefield, and maybe hop back to the comment section below and share your thoughts on it.

SOCOM 4's Game Mode Schedule for Rest of the Week, Modes Explained

The SOCOM 4 beta is now available to PlayStation Plus members, and the schedule of game-mode availability for this week (until 3/28) has been released. We also have a summary of what each mode offers in terms of gameplay, which should be helpful to those new to the series.

Play Schedule:

· Wednesday (3/23) – Uplink, Classic Uplink, Suppression, Classic Suppression

· Thursday (3/24) – Last Defense, Classic Last Defense, Uplink, Classic Uplink

· Friday (3/25) – Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad, Last Defense, Classic Last Defense

· Saturday (3/26) – Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom), Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad

· Sunday (3/27) – Scrum (Custom), Community Day Classic (Custom), Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom)

· Monday (3/28) – Suppression, Classic Suppression, Scrum (Custom), Community Day Classic (Custom)

Mode Description:

Suppression: The SOCOM take on team deathmatch.

Last Defense: Capture controls points, discover the enemy base and destroy it.

Uplink: Steal enemy data and deliver it to your base.

Bomb Squad: Defend your bomb technician while he disarms enemy explosives.

Sniper Alley (Custom): An 8 vs. 8 version of Classic Suppression with higher damage. Weapons are limited to sniper rifles, shotguns, smoke grenades and poison gas.

Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom): Faster movement speed and reduced damage are applied to 16 vs. 16 Last Defense with weapons restricted to only shotguns and SMGs.

Scrum (Custom): Suppression is given rule tweaks of no respawn, faster movement and higher damage, while sniper rifles, frag grenades, concussion grenades and poison gas are disallowed.

Community Day Classic (Custom): A medley featuring Classic versions of all four game types (Suppression, Last Defense, Uplink and Bomb Squad) with increased speed and weapon restrictions placed on ranged explosives. Each game type is played over 11 five-minute rounds.

PlayStation Blog

UPDATE: SOCOM 4 Beta Available to PlayStation Plus Members Today

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PlayStation Plus members, rejoice! You now have the opportunity to test out the newest SOCOM experience from the guys at Zipper Interactive, SOCOM 4. While a private beta has been running since March 15, we are now running up the ranks of who's eligible for the beta, with the PS Plus members now stepping in.

PlayStation Plus Highlights 3/22: Queue Up the SOCOM 4 Beta, Last Chance for MAG

Sony has revealed the newest bit of goodies that PlayStation Plus members will be receiving starting next week, March 22. The biggest piece of news is that PS Plus members will be able to squad up (or go lone wolf) and test out Zipper Interactive's anticipated return to their golden child, SOCOM 4. This multiplayer beta is both free and exclusive to PlayStation Plus members. Those who bough Killzone 3 and have the voucher will have to wait a bit longer.

Additionally, the MAG full game trial is now only a demo, and that comes down March 29.

Check out the other treats coming to PlayStation Plus members on the PlayStation Blog.