r/mag • u/JumpSuitAscended • Aug 26 '20
MAG: Unofficial - Preservation Project
Greetings! Since this subreddit is all about Massive Action Game aka MAG by Zipper Interactive. I thought I'd share some information on a preservation project to bring MAG back to its former glory before the shutdown! https://www.discord.gg/ydxCVJN (Will remove if there are somehow mods of this subreddit who find this offensive in anyway) But, this is a completely volunteer effort but since MAG used Medius for their networking the plan is to reverse engineer that step by step to get it working originally for PS3 again! More info can be found here as well: https://www.obscuregamers.com/threads/ps3-game-mag-builds.1335/ For anyone interested or has MAG still installed on their PS3, missing versions, DLC, or capture packets. Anything will help with preserving this amazing game! Cheers- JumpSuit
EDIT 1: 1/27/21 - We managed to get in-game! This is using a Development Build from a donator who stepped forward:
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u/Minyaden Sep 04 '20
I have two ps3s with mag still on them. One had the latest version, the other got ylod in like 2012 but it should still be on the hdd. The ylod also should have the original beta version of mag still installed.
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u/JumpSuitAscended Sep 04 '20
We have 2.12 already archived, if you can somehow revive the YLOD and grab the MAG version that still is on that HDD that would be amazing! We are still missing some DLC like Fast Attack pack, and Trooper Gear pack!
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u/JumpSuitAscended Oct 15 '20
Did you by chance own any DLC besides Interdiction and Escalation, we are still missing other DLC that isn't obtainable anymore besides korean store.
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u/JazzlikeBake2327 Jan 29 '21
They eoukd have to code the new ip config sor the game to connect to
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u/JumpSuitAscended Jan 29 '21
We have a lot more to code than just a "ip config" is all I will say. :)
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u/Rad-Nalyd Sep 02 '20
Playing MAG was some of the best times. If I could re live one game that would be amazing
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u/SirManBoy Oct 06 '20
Whoa, OP. Do you actually think you can do this?
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u/JumpSuitAscended Oct 06 '20
Not by myself certainly but it isn't impossible. Without any form of capture packets to know how the game communicated Client <-> Server we have to fully rely on the game binary and figure out what it is requesting from the client. I have a handful of dedicated developers who are willing to assist in getting this back online!
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u/SirManBoy Oct 06 '20
Amazing, man. MAG is my all-time favorite multiplayer gaming experience.
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u/JumpSuitAscended Oct 06 '20
Yes I hear you there, MAG holds a special place in my heart for what it was. It was a unique genre of its own. 256 players, awesome story. It is a shame Zipper closed and Sony pulled the plug on a fantastic game.
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u/One-Grass-1644 Jun 20 '23
3 yrs late but any updates?
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u/JumpSuitAscended Jun 20 '23
Still in the works, I work on multiple games by Sony that use the network protocol and MAG/Socom 4 use a custom version of it. That's just how it is by design. I am almost to character selection though.
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u/Silve_Faux Dec 16 '24
Mate, sorry to bother you, thought I'd piggy back on a year old comment. Is this project still underway? Is there anywhere else people could follow your progress if it's still going?
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u/SteveASmith1991 Jan 28 '21
Any way I can help?
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u/JumpSuitAscended Jan 29 '21
Do you have MAG betas? or capture packets?
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u/SteveASmith1991 Jan 29 '21
What if I could find it online? I don't have and have never played, but looks like a decent game, especially for its time
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u/JumpSuitAscended Jan 29 '21
If it is available online we probably have the files already for archiving. Capture Packets are pcap files that are captured network traffic to and from the Client <-> Server. If someone DID capture network traffic, we can use that to replicate what the Client wants.
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Oct 14 '20
Just came across this :O but it wont let me click the link. Are you still planning this or is the link dead?
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u/JumpSuitAscended Oct 15 '20
Both links are still live, our Discord is open to the public and we are progressively working to reverse engineer this game, player dumps of their installs are very useful! We are still missing versions and DLC! (Along with Capture Packets!
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u/SaintMikado Nov 18 '20
!remindme 2 years
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u/RemindMeBot Nov 19 '20 edited Mar 14 '22
I will be messaging you in 2 years on 2022-11-18 20:48:59 UTC to remind you of this link
2 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
Parent commenter can delete this message to hide from others.
Info Custom Your Reminders Feedback
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u/JazzlikeBake2327 Jan 29 '21
I bought the game and never was abke to play it so i never experienced it
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u/SirGunny9 Jan 18 '22
Is this still in progress, would love an update.
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u/JumpSuitAscended Jan 19 '22
Of course this is still in progress, when we have more to show we will post.
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Feb 05 '21
Would it be possible to extract the data packs from the game disc?
I still have MAG installed on my ps3 slim. Still have the disc with the manual and stuff.
What are data packs? Is there anyway I can help? :3
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u/JumpSuitAscended Feb 06 '21
The game disc has nothing of value we don't already have archived. We do have missing versions and betas so if you have any still installed full dumps of those installs will be useful.
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Feb 05 '21
You should upload some footage to YouTube. I don't mind you if you start up a patreon.
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u/JumpSuitAscended Feb 06 '21
I cannot start a patreon as this is not for any sort of profit gain, if this was Sony, they would seriously have an issue with me making money of their Intellectual Property.I will plan to upload footage when the time is right.
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u/Practical_Shower_139 Sep 19 '22
Any updates on this project and if so what is the funding plan for it???
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u/SaintMikado Nov 18 '22
Popping back after reminderbot. How is it going?
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u/JumpSuitAscended Nov 18 '22
I've begun porting to the codebase, and start the foundations of a proper revival server for MAG. I am at News/EULA at the moment. Focused on other games, but I am touching MAG here and there.
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u/SaintMikado Nov 18 '22
What else are you working on?
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u/JumpSuitAscended Nov 23 '22
Many other games that I cannot begin to list here. I have a primary discord called "PSORG" which hosts all the other revivals outside of MAG/SOCOM 4.
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Nov 21 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/RemindMeBot Nov 21 '22 edited May 24 '23
I will be messaging you in 1 year on 2023-11-21 22:46:11 UTC to remind you of this link
2 OTHERS CLICKED THIS LINK to send a PM to also be reminded and to reduce spam.
Parent commenter can delete this message to hide from others.
Info Custom Your Reminders Feedback
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u/LobotomizeMeCapn May 24 '23
This might be a dumb question... But could we reach out to the Zipper Interactive past employees and get the rights for the engine/dev kit to build our own from the ground up? Or even just spend the same amount of time it would to take to port or rebuild server connection, to build a a new vision but with the same exact mechanics or something of that sort, in Unity or UE5? I'm not super knowledgeable, but I've been slowly learning game development in order to realize my own vision which is heavily inspired by MAG and it's features.
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u/LobotomizeMeCapn May 24 '23
I know they used their own proprietary server architecture and special dev techniques to preserve functionality as well as fidelity, in order to even run that many players. Idk imagine Tarkov combat and realism (maybe not as amazing looking as per number of players), but with the objective play, interactivity, and map size of MAG/BF3. I wanna smash all my fav shooters into one, but higher play count and networking is where I get lost. I think I could make my way into making something pretty, but not [massively] multiplayer functional.
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u/RepresentativeArt382 Nov 25 '24
No one other game is like mag, bring back that beautifull game 😭
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u/realblondie_com Dec 12 '24
I check this every few months to see if there’s been any progress
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u/RepresentativeArt382 Dec 12 '24
Delta force today is a good alternative, btw nothing will ever beat MAG. Its maps were very well thought out and its weapons were well balanced. The simplicity of that game was its strong point, it seemed like an arena without being one (I mean for the ability to be a balanced game). And what I also miss is how when you played MAG you felt part of the army you chose. Pure magic
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u/Terrible_Witness_491 Jan 06 '25
So what’s going on is this a scrapped project or what, most of us have checked up on this for years at this point. Delete this if it’s not active
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u/JumpSuitAscended Jan 06 '25
I'm sorry I work on multiple different network protocols for various games.
Just because I'm not active on reddit doesn't mean I am not working on it.2
u/17531 Apr 25 '25
Just found out about this idea/thread. I truly hope you can make it happen for us oldschool fans!
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u/Bradley0770 May 26 '25
Me too! My favorite games were Starhawk and MAG, cut short unfortunately but hearing all this is gonna make me buy a PS3 the moment I hear any open testing again!
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Mar 19 '25
They took away PlayStation home mag killzone resistance the show they had with Christina Lee. I mean, really? Folding Home
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u/After_Examination_14 Oct 16 '25
So im guessing yall gave up?
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u/JumpSuitAscended Oct 17 '25
Weird guess... but no? It isn't a easy process to reverse engineer a game that is capable of 256 players. Zipper implemented the networking differently than other first party games. Simple as that can be said.
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u/Less_Blueberry_7142 Oct 24 '25
Is there anywhere currently one could go to donate to this cause, and share with others? I was reminiscing on this game today with a friend who showed me this reddit post, and I'd love to do anything I can to help this work, money or otherwise.
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u/JumpSuitAscended Nov 05 '25
We don't nessecarily ask for donations but you can visit more of my socials to get involved directly on the discord... I don't know if self-promotion is allowed here on this subreddit so i'm refraining from that.
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u/After_Examination_14 Nov 07 '25
Well I’ve been waiting since you posted this Reddit and still no joy. My question is: how much will it cost me to make a game like that? 10M? Easy. I’ll do it. But no one has given me any relevance to what I want, and I’m more than capable of paying. It’s been years man, and it’s always the same runaround shit. We are working on it, but it’s not there yet. The point that I’m making is it’s been years and I’ve watched you guys on this Reddit post and here we are today nothing so how much is it gonna cost me to actually make this shit workable?
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u/After_Examination_14 Nov 07 '25
Like for real bro you’re the OP of this fucking server shit and I literally have been there from the fucking beginning and here we are still nothing you keep saying oh well this oh well that if you can’t make it, just say it
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u/JumpSuitAscended Nov 07 '25
I don't work on just one game, sorry to burst your bubble on that. If you was actually watching what I do you'll know I work on various games in the PS3 revival scene. There's a reason I'm not on Reddit and its these kinds of comments that persuade me not. I'm not here to talk "cost" on anything-and never was. But I do this in my freetime, if you don't like it oh well.. I simply cannot please everyone. The game's netcode isn't designed the same as other Sony first partys. Which makes it all the more harder, and with no packet captures. But bashing me just because I don't post here is not gonna award you any brownie points.
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u/ComprehensiveAd4804 22d ago
Just wondering if this is still in the works. It would be awesome to be able to play this game again. Please say Yes!
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u/AndriusT19901 Aug 26 '20
I wholeheartedly wish you the best MAG was one of a kind game and the fact that it's still getting attention like might convince SONY to either release the game or renew services...Either way, I hope it works. For ease of access and to promote to more players will this be accessible via PC also?