Warp Zoned Presents
Author: Mike Gutierrez
Earthquake affecting Japanese game market
The recent earthquake in Japan has severely hurt the country. Not to downplay the gravity of the devastation, but the gaming market has been affected as well. New Marvel vs. Capcom 3 DLC, Yakuza: Of the End, and Motorstorm: Apocalypse have been delayed, the last two of which focus heavily on the aftermath of cities being destroyed. Disaster Report 4, the first entry of the series to hit the PlayStation 3, has been flat out cancelled. The game begins with an earthquake hitting Japan.
Nintendo has also delayed Steel Diver, their submarine simulator for the 3DS. It’s unknown if this delay will affect the game’s March 27 release in the US.
Many services have also been affected. Square Enix has temporarily shut down the servers for its MMO’s Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. PlayStation Info and Repair centers have been halted for now and PlayStation Network access may be iffy. If you’re in Japan right now, your focus should obviously be on getting safe, but we’ll keep up with the news on how these games and services fare throughout the crisis.
[Source: Andriasang]
Posted in 3DS, News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Final Fantasy XIV, Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, MotorStorm Apocalypse, Steel Diver, Yakuza: Dead Souls
Naughty Dog: Uncharted 2 train level and collapsing building will “look like child’s play”
Senior Editor Nicole Kline and I are right now at the Naughty Dog Panel, “The Making of an Announcement – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception“. We got to see part two of the 2-Player Productions and Naughty Dog collaboration detailing how Uncharted 3 came to be revealed. After the credits roll, a slight tease plays where a developer talks about how they’re taking players to new environments and situations they haven’t seen before. At the end, he proclaims the infamous train level and collapsing building segment shown at E3 will look like “child’s play” compared to what’s in the new game.
That’s a pretty bold statement considering how big those moments were in 2009. The team clearly gets across they’re under a lot of pressure in the video, so hopefully they’ll deliver when Uncharted 3 releases on the PlayStation 3 November 1, 2011.
Posted in News, PS3
Tagged PAX East 2011, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
PlayStation Network undergoing maintenance
The PlayStation Network will be under maintenance for about the next 11 hours, during which time you won’t be able to access the Store or get your Killzone 3 fix.
The maintenance started at 11 AM Eastern (8 AM Pacific) and will be completed by 8 PM Eastern (5 PM Pacific), with no reason given for what is actually being serviced. This better be worth it.
Epic Games shows us what next generation (and Washington D.C.) will look like
With CryEngine 3, id Tech 5, and what DICE has pulled off with Frostbite Engine 2.0, Epic Games is going to have some serious competition in trying to provide the best engine to developers. They’re already looking ahead, with the amazing GDC demo of their ‘Samaritan Project’ featured above. We couldn’t get footage of it when it was shown last week, but the feature gives an idea of what video games (and Washington D.C.) will look like next generation. It also has a pretty awesome design concept with a character who can change from regular human form to rock at will, during his adventures on the mean streets of our nation’s capital.
Posted in News
Record of Agarest War Zero gets a limited edition
Aksys Games announced today that Record of Agarest War Zero will get a PS3 adn Xbox 360 limited edition retail version when it ships sometime in June 2011. Available for $59.99, what most of you pay for regular editions, the package includes a 34-song soundtrack, a 48-page character data guide filled with artwork and stats of all playable characters, and a special card box that holds decks of Agarest-themed playing cards and collectible skill cards. The regular edition will retail for just $49.99.
Zero will be a prequel to last year’s Record of Agarest War. The game has a unique take on a multi-generational story, where plays can “influence their relationship with the game’s many beautiful young women.” Awesome.
Work begins on next Silent Hill film
There’s been a lot of film adaptations of video games announced in the last week or so. Like a lot. No, seriously, it’s starting to get weird. The Silent Hill franchise has now entered the fray as the team responsible for the first picture, Davis Films, has started production on the sequel, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D. This time the announcement came from our side of the entertainment world, straight from Konami.
“For over a decade, the Silent Hill franchise has been scaring players through psychological horror and the fear of the unknown,” said Shinji Hirano, President of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “It’s that proven blueprint for terror we know Samuel Hadida is capable of re-creating for the big screen. With him at the helm, we’re confident Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, will bring a new dimension of fear for fans both old and new.”
Michael J. Bassett (Solomon Kane, Deathwatch) will be directing, and Adelaide Clemens (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Vampire, Camilla Dickinson, Wasted on the Young) and Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) will be starring in the new film. No news on a box office release, but filming began on March 7 so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long.
Posted in Etcetera, News
Tagged Silent Hill: Revelation
Moon Diver coming March 29 to PSN, a part of Spring Fever
There’s no word on the Xbox Live Arcade version yet, but Moon Diver, the latest sidescrolling action game from Kouchi Yotsui of Strider fame, is coming to the PlayStation Store on March 29. There’s no price announced either, but expect the usual $15 we see for titles like this. For more information on this potentially insane game, as well as trailers and screenshots, be sure to check out our media blowout from last month.
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Moon Diver, Strider
Hard Corps: Uprising running to PSN and gunning on March 15
The wait is almost over: PlayStation users will be able to get their hands on Hard Corps: Uprising when it lands on PSN next week, March 15, for $9.99. Okay, you won’t be able to actually get your hands on it, since it’s a digital download, but we loved it, so be sure to check it out.
Especially since the $9.99 pricetag is $5 lower than what Xbox 360 owners were forced to pay back in February.
Posted in News, PS3
Tagged Hard Corps: Uprising