Sony officially shuts down SOCOM and MAG’s studio

It was announced before that Sony would be closing Zipper Interactive, the Seattle-based game studio behind PS3-exclusive shooters like MAG and the SOCOM series, and now it has officially happened.

Sony confirmed the closure of the studio in a statement to Game Informer that said:

Sony Computer Entertainment can confirm the closure of Zipper Interactive, a Seattle-based internal game development studio that has been part of the global development operation of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios (SCE WWS).

The closure is a result of a normal cycle of resource re-alignment within SCE WWS. 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.

Zipper Interactive also tweeted a fairwell message saying, “After 17 years it’s time to head off into the sunset. A sincere thank you to all our fans for everything you’ve done for us. Farewell.”

It’s always a little sad when businesses and studios like this get shut down, but they did a lot while they were up and running. Zipper Interactive had about 80 employees, so I hope they are able to find work elsewhere, but I’m sure with their experience they will be fine.

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