Last week, I had some hands-on time with Zipper Interactive's SOCOM 4, the studio's first SOCOM game in four and a half years (the last entry in the franchise that the developer worked on was the 2006 PSP game SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2). This isn't the first iteration of the series on the PS3 -- Slant Six Games developed the online-only SOCOM: Confrontation, which launched in October 2008 to middling reviews.

I brought up Confrontation in a conversation with SOCOM 4 designer Ben Jones, and he was diplomatic about it -- while he didn't openly bad-mouth Slant Six's poorly received effort, he did offer a not-so-subtle jab:

You know, that's their [Slant Six's] game. I mean, we really have been focused on SOCOM 4 and doing our own thing. I think, for the franchise, SOCOM 4 is the real first SOCOM on the PS3.

Jones explained that unlike Confrontation -- which only offered online multiplayer gameplay -- SOCOM 4 is a "fully featured" game with a lengthy single-player campaign that can be played by five players cooperatively, in addition to highly customizable online multiplayer for up to 32 players. It also supports PlayStation Move and 3D. I'd say that he's got a pretty good argument, wouldn't you?

SOCOM 4 will be out on April 19th, exclusively on PS3. Check out my preview for more details.