One of the biggest, most innovative, and buzz-worthiest titles coming out for 2010 is the massively multiplayer FPS called MAG, exclusively for the PS3 -- and if you haven't heard about it, now's the time to start digging around for it. In a time when the concept of an MMO FPS is laughable (you can find articles on this very site of people who believe that the MMOFPS doesn't exist, even with titles that boast or lead players on into being one), Sony has pulled out all the stops for this monster of a title. They've spent the better half of 2009 working on the PlayStation Network, buying up servers and making online more reliable and such, just to cater to MAG's insane gameplay.

How insane are we talking? Try up to 256 players in one map insane. Yes, that's right, MAG (short for Massive Action Game) will sport a team system of up to 256 players per game, 128 players per team. The game is meant to simulate a giant strategic operation, with maps big enough to give both teams enough space that they feel it, and to allow for tactical gameplay and combat in taking out your adversaries. Now, a lot of this sounds like hype and bluster, but MAG pre-orders come with a beta code that will allow you to play the beta (though only between certain hours of the day), and beta tests have proven promising.

Any rumors or stories of the PlayStation Network being weak or unreliable have been put to bed. Even before the beta went out to the general public (for those that pre-ordered the game, of course) a select group of people (yours truly included) were allowed an even earlier closed beta test of MAG, and full games of 256 players have run perfectly smoothly. Not even in the final stages, and MAG is already offering a full giant-team experience with no lags or problems. It's insane.

In a nutshell, gameplay works like this: in a full game, there are two companies (teams). Each company is divided into four platoons, with platoons made up of four eight-man squads (if that's too confusing, then try this: 8 players to a squad, 4 squads to a platoon, 4 platoons to a company/team). Each squad has a squad leader, and members of a squad can only communicate amongst themselves and their squad leaders. Squad leaders have the ability to speak to the squad leaders of any other squad in their platoon, and platoon leaders can speak to any other platoon leaders. As far as I know, there is no company leader, but strategy would entail the platoon leaders discussing battle plans amongst themselves, who would then pass that word on to the squad leaders, who would then micro-manage or just generally lead with the various players of the squad. The game has an experience and level system much like COD: Modern Warfare and the like, and while players only begin with the ability to be squad grunts, you eventually gain the ability to be a squad leader, and later on to become a platoon leader. You also gain the ability to use and unlock different weapons as you level up, meaning that you'll have to work to be able to start picking people off with head shots and the like, which just makes for an exciting and compelling element to the combat.

There are three factions in the game, and in the beta, you're asked to choose one from the start. And once you're in it, that's your faction for life. I'm not quite sure on the differences between the factions apart from different looks and storylines, however for as far as I know, there's no difference in weapons or skills. Once you choose your faction, you simply choose your allegiance, and you make your enemies of the other two factions. Once you get into battles (normally, you're parachuted into a fight, which is just a blast), your squad leaders will give you objectives, waypoints, orders, etc. Your squad leader can also just let everyone run free and wild; and as for you, you have the choice of whether you want to follow your squad leader's orders or just go rogue and kill everyone wildly. However, the game does encourage strategic gameplay: you get experience for kills and such, but you get more experience for following your orders and completing the objectives your squad leader gives you. The game, while giving you the freedom to do as you please, was really meant to be played strategically: the funnest and most rewarding experience in MAG is when you play with a leader with a microphone and a good sense of tactics -- not just for the experience, but by the nature of the massive battles.

MAG is a PlayStation 3 exclusive and is street-dated in North America for 1/26/2010. If you pre-order it from GameStop, you get the code for the game's beta -- and you can only get it through them. I would highly advise you to pre-order a copy to get that beta. And if you don't have a PlayStation 3, now is the time to get one. A 250 GB PS3 model has been confirmed (to compete with the 250 GB 360 COD: MW2 model), priced at 399.99 USD (the same price as the former 160 GB), and is street-dated for 11/03/2009. MAG is the sort of game that makes a system worth the purchase -- and if there's any time to get excited about MAG, it's now.