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Sony unveils PS3-exclusive MAG

Online battles for 256 players.

Sony has unveiled MAG, an enormous action game exclusive to PS3 that boasts 256-player online battles.

The name means Massive Action Game, in case you were in any doubt, and SOCOM outfit Zipper Interactive is the studio behind it.

Lead designer Andy Beaudoin took to the E3 conference stage to fill us in, and revealed that each side will be broken down into eight-player squads led by those who had previously proven themselves.

There will be a character advancement trees to climb and you can fine-tune your soldier to fit your style. Eventually you will rank up and assume more responsibility in your throng.

The idea is to combine large-scale battles with the intimacy of squad combat.

All of this was illustrated in what appeared to be a CG trailer, which showed huge armies and multiple views of the action: commander view, top-down view - presumably depending on what role you take.

We'll hopefully have that for you soon.

MAG is due out sometime in 2009, or "beyond holiday season", as Sony boss Jack Tretton put it.