Warp Zoned Presents
Author: Mike Gutierrez
PlayStation Store ’11 for 2011′ sale going on for select PS3 titles
The PlayStation store is kicking off the new year by slicing half off the price of some of its biggest and best titles. From now until Monday January 31st, North American PSN users can choose from the following list of eleven games to grab at a discount:
* Costume Quest – $7.49 sale price; $14.99 regular price
* Deathspank Thongs of Virtue – $7.49 sale price; $14.99 regular price
* Hoard – $7.49 sale price; $14.99 regular price
* Soldner-X2: Final Prototype – $6.49 sale price; $12.99 regular price
* MotorStorm 3D Rift – $4.99 sale price; $9.99 regular price
* Peggle – $4.99 sale price; $9.99 regular price
* Space Invaders Infinity Gene – $4.99 sale price; $9.99 regular price
* Swords and Soliders – $4.99 sale price; $9.99 regular price
* Tumble – $4.99 sale price; $9.99 regular price
* Comet Crash – $4.99 sale price; $9.99 regular price
* Shatter – $3.99 sale price; $7.99 regular price
It’s a pretty nice sale, considering it has PSN exclusive hits like Shatter and Soldner-X2, as well as cutting edge stuff like MotorStorm 3D Rift for those of you with 3DTV’s. Better act fast though as you have only about a week to get on it.
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth digital series officially announced
If you were amazed by the pitch video by Kevin Tancharoen attempting to sell the idea of a new Mortal Kombat movie (see above), you’re in luck. If you weren’t, there’s something wrong with you. Today Warner Premiere officially announced they would be taking on Tancharoen as director for a digital live action mini-series exploring the background of some of MK’s most prolific characters, such as Scorpion, Johnny Cage, and Liu Kang. The original video contained more realistic back stories for fantastical characters like Scorpion and Reptile, and focused on these and other MK villains terrorizing “Deacon City.” It’s not clear if this will continue the concept or cast of the original video, but in any case you can be this project in some very passionate, capable hands.
While the first Mortal Kombat movie (and theme song) has enjoyed cult classic status, the second was seen as a major embarrassment for fans of the series. But with a killer game returning to the series roots on April 19th and a series helmed by someone with a vision like Tancharoen, 2011 could be one of the best years yet for the series.
Warner Premiere revealed that the ten-part anthology series will be available through “digital online retailers” this Spring.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Legacy
Samus NOT playable in Dead or Alive: Dimensions… um, I think…
Metroid fans, namely our Editor-In-Chief John Scalzo, got pretty excited when Samus Aran and Ridley popped up as background characters making a cameo in a Dead or Alive: Dimensions trailer. Many hoped this meant Samus would be appearing in the 3DS fighting title as a playable character. According to Eurogamer, that’s not happening.
In an abhorrently translated quote, the media outlet claims the head of Team Ninja, Yosuke Hayashi, as wanting Dimensions to be the ‘best’ version of DoA to date, and as such, “the concept of Dead or Alive as the best version of the game means Samus Aran or Metroid is something different. That’s why we are not focusing on that in terms of the concept. So talking about Samus Aran, is she playable or not? This time she’s not playable.” I hate to break it to you, Hayashia, but it sounds like playable Samus Aran would go a LONG way to making Dead or Alive: Dimensions the ‘best’ version of the game.
He does go on to confirm that the cameo from the trailer will remain. “But Samus Aran will be shown in the game. She comes to help the player. That’s the collaboration shown there [in the trailer]. But how you can unlock Samus Aran? Please find out by yourself.” So apparently Samus will be in the game as an assist character but you have to unlock her. Really? Unlock a character in the background? In any case stay tuned to Warp Zoned for more 3DS and Dead or Alive: Dimensions news.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Dead or Alive Dimensions
Killzone 3 public multiplayer beta opens February 2nd
If you’re a PS3 owner disgruntled by our last post’s news that the Crysis 2 multiplayer demo is coming only to Xbox 360 on January 25th, Warp Zoned has just completely turned your mood around. About a week later from February 2nd-14th, the Killzone 3 open beta will be available to everyone, not just premium subscribers. Of course, if you’re a shooter fan with both consoles then you’ll pretty much be in heaven for the next few weeks.
The open beta will feature the Frozen Dam map with all three game modes: Guerilla Warfare (another slick rebranding of classic Team Deathmatch), the return of Warzone, and Operations, Killzone 3’s new cinematic multiplayer mode where teams compete to accomplish a linear series of mini-objectives, interspersed with super-ill cutscenes. PlayStation Move support and Stereoscopic 3D are both included in the beta, although I’m not sure how you can beta test a game that’s already gone gold. In any case, expect to catch some of the Warp Zoned crew on PSN for the Killzone 3 open multiplayer beta from February 2nd-14th and after the game ships on February 22nd.
Posted in News, PS3
Tagged Killzone 3
Crysis 2 multiplayer demo coming next week on Xbox Live
Starting January 25th, Xbox Live Gold subscribers will be able to take part in the multiplayer demo of Crytek’s latest game, Crysis 2. The demo will feature the “Skyline” map and the modes “Team Instant Action” (re: our super accessible team deathmatch you will not get overwhelmed by!!!) and the more tactical “Crash Site.” The first mode is what you’d expect of normal team deathmatch while the latter has two teams scrambling to find and acquire alien drop pods.
The full game will come with six game modes and twelve maps, all developed by Crytek’s dedicated multiplayer team, Crytek UK. Fans following the studio will know that Crytek UK is the company’s re-branding of Free Radical, developers of Time Splitters, formed by senior members of the original team at Rare who worked on Goldeneye 64 and the first Perfect Dark. Hopefully some of that multiplayer magic will carry over into Crysis 2.
Hudson Entertainment outlines 3DS lineup, soon to be wholly acquired by Konami
We may have given Lost in Shadow a mediocre review here on Warp Zoned, but Hudson is still going strong into 2011 supporting the Nintendo 3DS.
The publisher revealed three games for the system: Deca Sports Extreme, Nikoli’s Pencil Puzzle, and Bomberman, of which the last two are tentative titles. Deca Sports Extreme features a variety of ten sports and promises to be a nice multiplayer experience with up to four players via wireless or download play. Nikoli’s Pencil Puzzle brings famous puzzle games like Sudoku in what they plan will be “the first brain training game for the Nintendo 3DS.” You probably already know what to expect from Bomberman; the press release doesn’t give many details but does claim to bring over both singleplayer and multiplayer into stunning 3D. Deca Sports Extreme is set for this summer, while the last two games are scheduled for Fall 2011. Hudson claims all of these games have been “specially developed to utilize the system to the fullest.”
Also, Hudson’s parent company, Konami, is in the middle of purchasing the remaining 46% it does not already own of the company. The transaction is reported by Andriasang to happen as a stock swap on April 1, with Konami planning to devote some of Hudson’s talent to improving their cell phone game distribution and social gaming.
Duke Nukem Forever finally arrives May 3, 2011
After many, many years in the making, Duke Nukem Forever finally has a concrete release date, and it will be launching on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 on May 3, 2011. Gearbox revealed the story to Game Informer this morning, with its president Randy Pitchford calling it “the most inconceivable, incorrigible and inspiring turn around story in the history of the video game industry – the coming of Duke Nukem Forever on May 3, 2011.”
I got a chance to play the game at PAX Prime and it certainly is something to see. The same look and feel of Duke Nukem 3D is recreated beautifully in what is probably one of the best HD re-imaginings of a series I have ever seen. Long story short: give this game a shot.
And if that doesn’t convince you, what about this excellent reveal trailer posted late last night by Gearbox Software? It’s got everything, including pixelated alien breasts (causing Duke to claim “I’d still hit it!”): (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Duke Nukem Forever
Killzone 3 including multiplayer beta vouchers for SOCOM 4
As if getting one highly anticipated PlayStation 3 shooter wasn’t enough, new copies of Killzone 3 from select retailers will also include vouchers for the multiplayer beta of SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy Seals. On the pre-order site for Killzone 3, only Best Buy, GameStop, and Amazon are listed as supporting retailers, but be sure to check for box art with the SOCOM dog tags, as pictured to the left, to know if your copy has it. The voucher will come on both standard and Helghast editions of the game, and players are encouraged to check the official SOCOM 4 site for details as soon as they pick up their copy.
2011 is looking to be the most cash-strapped year to date for PS3 owners, so it’s simultaneously nice and cruel of Sony to give us ways to check out multiple titles from one box. Killzone 3 drops on February 22, 2011, and you can expect our very own Warp Zoned review to follow shortly, as well as yours truly losing all of his free-time on his second Killzone platinum trophy.
Posted in News, PS3
Tagged Killzone 3, SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs