Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Top Story
Warpback: What We Played in June 2017
The Warp Zoned staff paid close attention to this year’s E3 Expo, but there was also plenty of games to be played at home in between all the jaw-dropping trailers. If you want to read hear us gush some more about Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Injustice 2, and Friday the 13th: The Game, then please read on. But we played some other games last month too… (more…)
Content Crash #4: Indie Studios Versus AAA Games
Welcome everyone to the Content Crash podcast. I’m your host, Dan Hartnack, and as always, joining me is Keno Eastmond.
Today, I’d like to talk about indie studios versus AAA studios. What do indie studios bring to gaming that’s different from AAA? What defines the AAA space? And what indie studios are doing to push the industry to new levels?
Let’s go!
You can subscribe to the Content Crash podcast on YouTube or SoundCloud.
Kickstart This! Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Space Odyssey
E3 2017 has come and gone, but there was actually very few indie titles on display at the big show this year. While the Nintendo Switch is gaining traction with indie developers for its ease of use, Sony showed no love for smaller games. Only Microsoft made a case for the indie scene, surprising given the volume of paperwork small developers have to sign before any agreement is sealed for the Xbox platform.
But there is a wealth of amazing video game ideas on Kickstarter. Though some are a little rough around the edges, and could use the input of a publisher or producer to guide them to greatness. This month I’ve chosen a project that not only speaks to topics close to my heart, but one that seeks to involve its backers at a more basic level, to create a community that will be part of every step of this odyssey. And it is presented by the one and only Neil deGrasse Tyson! (more…)
Content Crash #3: Will New Games Always Cost $60?
Welcome everyone to the Content Crash podcast. I’m your host, Dan Hartnack, and with as always, Keno Eastmond.
Today’s topic… we’d like to talk about the pricing of games. The standard has forever been that a brand new AAA release comes out and it is $60. That happened way back in the 90s with Nintendo and the Super NES. And all the way to today, that number has not changed, for the most part.
But why is that? And will it ever change?
You can subscribe to the Content Crash podcast on YouTube or SoundCloud.
The A-Z of E3 2017: Warp Zoned’s Full Recap of Gaming’s Biggest Showcase
The 2017 E3 Expo was one of firsts. It was the first time that gaming’s biggest showcase was open to the public, and the first time that developers sat down for panel discussions in the E3 Coliseum.
It was also a show of firsts for us here at Warp Zoned. We premiered the first two episodes of our Content Crash podcast (Episode #1: The Eve of E3 2017 and Episode #2: The E3 2017 Recap), and asked “So Did Anyone “Win” the 2017 E3 Expo?” for the first time.
But we also got our first glimpse at how the game industry will be shaping up this Fall and into 2018. The Xbox One X is going to make everything a little prettier, but Nintendo wants to make everything a little weirder. And Sony just wants to make all our Spider-Man dreams come true. So read on for a full recap of this year’s E3 Expo, and to learn more about what we thought of this year’s biggest games-to-be. (more…)
Content Crash #2: The E3 2017 Recap
Welcome to the second episode of the Content Crash podcast. I am your host, Dan Hartnack, and I am here this time with my friend, Keno Eastmond.
We just had a huge week wrapping up, [Thursday] was the last day of E3 2017 and there was a lot to get to. We had the conferences starting all the way back on Saturday with EA, and then Microsoft Sunday, Bethesda Sunday, and then a whole bunch on Monday including Sony, the PC Gaming Show, Ubisoft, and wrap it all up with Nintendo on Tuesday. And then, you know, little things in-between.
I think it was a pretty packed show for the most part. There was a lot of things I liked. But anyway, we’re just going to get into it, and go down the line to discuss what we saw at each conference. We’ve got a lot of games… it was all about the games this year… as it should be every year…
Quick Rundown
- 2:00 – Electronic Arts
- 8:45 – Microsoft
- 26:38 – Bethesda
- 38:20 – Devolver Digital
- 40:54 – PC Gaming Show
- 51:42 – Ubisoft
- 1:00:55 – Sony
- 1:14:50 – Nintendo
- 1:20:25 – The Rest of E3
You can subscribe to the Content Crash podcast on YouTube or SoundCloud.
So Did Anyone “Win” the 2017 E3 Expo?
E3 2017 proved to be something of a musical affair, with every company trying to out-do the others in audio superiority. Microsoft had a mournful piano solo to accompany the reveal of Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Ubisoft had a drumline. EA also had a drumline. Sony kicked their Press Conference off with a bizarre melody of Indian music and light projections on a waterfall. And halfway through its show, an android introduced the trailer for Detroit: Become Human with the voice of an angel.
Usually, you can add the question, “who won E3,” to this aural bombardment. And just as often, it is a question without an answer. But what about this year? Let’s find out. (more…)
Content Crash #1: The Eve of E3 2017
What better way to start a new podcast than the eve of E3? I mean, it’s in a couple of days. I’m recording this on Thursday, and I’ll probably put this up for your consumption on Friday, but the actual convention begin on Monday. Well, the conferences start on Sunday, but Monday will be the start of the whole event. But I’m so looking forward to it. It’s… It’s something I always take the time to watch all the conferences that I can… or as many conferences as I can and this year I finally have time to watch almost all of them barring Microsoft and possibly Nintendo.
Microsoft starts on Sunday at 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, and they really have to set off this show right…
Other press conferences I’ll preview include Bethesda Softworks, the PC Gaming Show, Ubisoft, Sony, and Nintendo, as well as a brief roundup about what we can expect from the rest of the show.
You can subscribe to the Content Crash podcast on YouTube or SoundCloud.