The game MAG could have been

MAG is one of those games that’s a real selling point for a particular system. If you’re a fan of, say, Planetside or Joint Operations, you understand what a difference it makes when a battle isn’t limited to 16, or 32, or even 64 players. So you need a Playstation 3, because that’s the only system where you can play MAG, the latest best option for such larger scale battles. And, yes, it makes a difference.

On the occasion of MAG’s one year anniversary, Sony’s blog has posted a few tidbits about the game, including plans for branding:

Originally, we had planned to make MAG a part of the SOCOM universe. In fact, its first working title was “SOCOM: MAG.” As the game began to take shape, however, it became apparent that what MAG was growing into was much different than SOCOM. The gameplay design, while still somewhat-tactical, continued to become less “SOCOM-like.” The emphasis on character progression and large-scale multiplayer battles with three completely different PMCs sealed the deal, and MAG happily spun off into its own universe.

I don’t think MAG is hurting for players, but I suspect it would have been a bigger commercial success if it had tied directly into the Playstation’s SOCOM community.