Warp Zoned Presents
Author: Mike Gutierrez
An in-depth look at the acting performances of Uncharted 3
Naughty Dog has made gaming history with the quality of the acting performances in the Uncharted series, but it wasn’t an easy road. The PlayStation Blog has a new feature taking a behind-the-scenes look at how Uncharted 3‘s story sequences are made and its collaborative nature. The piece details how the team began with outdated technology for the first game, but eventually moved up to the cutting edge resources they’re utilizing now. It’s an informative read with many interesting tidbits, from the fact that the heroes’ actors also perform for the grunts, and Nolan North calls the emerging standard for video game acting “the true actor experience.”
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception will land on PlayStation 3 on November 1.
Atlus launches official Catherine website, minigame unlocks exclusive content
Gamers looking to learn more of what promises to be one of the most f***ed up games of 2011 can now do so here. The official website for Catherine is up and hosts a load of information, from screenshots to detailed descriptions of the gamemplay. The site even hosts a mini-game where you can send and receive texts from Catherine herself. Telling her what she likes nets you exclusive content such as wallpapers and artwork.
Catherine begins scaring the crap out of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gamers on July 26.
“Welcome Back” Killzone style: Double XP Weekend starting… now!
I was wondering who was going to do this first. The Killzone Blog has announced in celebration of the PSN being back online, Guerilla Games is offering a Double XP Weekend for Killzone 3 starting today at 17:00 PM UK time and ending this Sunday at 10:00 AM UK time. At the end of every match the extra points will show up as “Fast Starter Bonus,” and… wait, that’s now!
Before I run off to Helghan, you should know that this is only part of the Helghast war effort to rebuild good will on PlayStation platforms. Another measure, of course, will be the offering of a free copy of Killzone: Liberation for PSP owners as part of Sony’s Welcome Back initiative. You should be able to grab that when the PlayStation Store goes back up on May 24. The blog also mentions that “there’s more” but they’ll announce it at a later date. Until then, I’ll be on the Frozen Dam snatching silenced submachine gun headshots.
PEACE.
Posted in News, PS3
Tagged ApocalyPS3 2011, Killzone 3
Modern Warfare 3, Gears of War 3 trailers to premiere during NBA playoffs
As video games become further enmeshed in pop culture, we’re seeing a lot more marketing campaigns tied to some of the biggest sporting events of the year. The NBA postseason is coming to its climax, and some of the biggest games this year are looking to capitalize on the excitement.
Modern Warfare 3 has had little info on it other than the teaser we posted last week and a sparse official website. The Facebook page promises that will end soon, advising us to tune in for the “World Premiere” during game four of the Western Conference Finals on May 23 on ESPN. This is fairly late in the year for a CoD game to debut, but hopefully the wait will be worth it.
Epic Games is also shooting for a NBA-attached reveal, as Gears of War 3‘s newest trailer debuts a couple days later on May 28 during Game 6 of the NBA playoffs on TNT. The new trailer “offers a riveting look at the epic-scale campaign.”
We’ll have to see if these trailers live up to the hype, but if one thing’s certain, it’s that Xbox 360 owners are going to have a packed holiday season this year.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
Tagged Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Gears of War 3
Netflix on video game consoles is the leading bandwidth usage in America
Independent researcher Sandvine has concluded that Netflix accounts for more downstream and overall bandwidth usage than all other sources, at 29.7 and 24.71 percent, respectively. Of all devices, video game consoles account for nearly two thirds of that figure, making Netflix usage on consoles alone accounting for 19.7% of all downstream usage. That’s bigger than the next highest usage – web pages.
The PlayStation 3 leads the pack in that figure, responsible for 30.57%. The Xbox 360 comes next, representing 24.94%, followed by PCs at 19.55%, while the Wii, with the highest install base of current gen consoles, comes in last with only 10.75%. Looks like someone may have been right about that whole closet/living room dichotomy.
One thing is for certain: game consoles are usurping cable providers. With the 3DS getting Netflix a later date and Sony’s NGP probably to do the same, expect this trend to continue in the future.
Deus Ex viral marketing: Sarif Industries testimonials
Sarif Industries has helped these people achieve better lives, and they can help you, too. In one of the creepiest viral marketing videos I’ve seen for a game, we get a little taste of the transhumanist themes of the upcoming Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution launches on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 on August 23. In the meantime, check out our exclusive interview with Game Director Jean-Francois Dugas.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny coming this year to PS3, Wii; more details at E3
With so many RPG series’ going portable, it’s great to see one coming to new home consoles. Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny, released as Rune Factory: Oceans in Japan, will be released on the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii in North America later this year. The first official details will be unveiled during E3 from June 7th to 9th.
This marks the first Rune Factory title (and Harvest Moon affiliated game, for that matter) to be released on the PlayStation 3. As it’s also coming for Wii, the game will have full PlayStation Move compatibility. In addition to three titles on the DS, Rune Factory: Frontier was released on the Wii in 2009.
I had no idea if this game was going to get an English release and I’m particularly overjoyed to see it coming. The original Rune Factory was one of my first and favorite Nintendo DS titles, so let’s hope this one doesn’t disappoint. You can check out the Japanese website, with some cool music, here. Also, be on the lookout for Harvest Moon: A Tale of Two Towns coming this summer to Nintendo DS and 3DS.
Posted in News, PS3, Wii
Tagged E3 2011, Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny
Phil Harrison joins Gakai’s Advisory Board
Having already made PlayStation literally a household name, Phil Harrison is now looking to cement the legacy of a new platform: Gakai. Harrison will be joining the cloud-based streaming game service’s Advisory Board, in order to help them to “disrupt the way games are discovered and enjoyed by players worldwide.” Also joining him will be Robin Kaminsky, former EVP at Activision who helped the juggernaut publisher broaden its portfolio with titles like Guitar Hero and Call of Duty.
“Gaikai combines an excellent technology, an innovative business model with an equally impressive team of smart people,” said Harrison. “I look forward to contributing to the advisory board and helping the company realize its vision of the future of digital entertainment through the cloud.”
If Ken Kutaragi is the father of the PlayStation, Phil Harrison is like its cool British cousin who taught it how to drive stick and talk to girls. Since leaving Sony Computer Entertainment in 2008, Harrison had a brief stint at Atari. Let’s hope he finds success in his new endeavor.
Posted in News