Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Etcetera
Capcom is planning a “full-scale offensive” for the Resident Evil franchise this year
Brace yourself, the Resident Evil franchise is going on a “full-scale offensive” during the back half of 2016 and into 2017. Capcom announced their battle plan during a recent Quarterly Financial Report, and it’s hard to argue with their choice of words… the publisher has already released two Resident Evil games in 2016 and will push out three more in the coming months, along with the final entry in the Milla Jovovich-starring film franchise:
| Resident Evil 0 (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One) | January 20, 2016 |
| Resident Evil 6 (PS4, Xbox One) | March 29, 2016 |
| Umbrella Corps (PC, PS4) | June 21, 2016 |
| Resident Evil 5 (PS4, Xbox One) | Summer 2016 |
| Resident Evil 4 (PS4, Xbox One) | Fall 2016 |
| Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Film) | January 27, 2017 |
And then there’s Resident Evil 7, which Capcom began teasing more than six months ago. Obviously, there’s no guarantee that Resident Evil 7 will be released (or even announced) this year, but the E3 Expo is right around the corner and 2016 is the 20th anniversary of the first Resident Evil game.
On top of all this, Capcom confirmed a few months back that a full remake of Resident Evil 2 is also in the works. The oft-requested doesn’t currently have a release date, but it’s very possible that it’s launch will also fall within the “full-scale offensive” period.
I guess the bottom line is that it’s a great time to be a Resident Evil fan.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Resident Evil, Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Umbrella Corps
See The Legend of Zelda get transformed into a Hong Kong crime drama in this fan film
Girard Tecson of Dayside Productions really loves The Legend of Zelda and Hong Kong crime dramas starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen. One day, the New York-based filmmaker began to wonder what it would look like if you combined those two things.
Tecson doesn’t have to wonder any longer, because he recently completed Chinese Legend of Zelda, a fan film that answers that very question. It’s a little goofy, but Tecson put quite a lot of work into the project, and it’s certainly fun in a Friday afternoon sort of way to see “Officer Link” take on Ganon’s underworld operation.
The filmmaker isn’t done mixing together classic video games and Hong Kong crime dramas, as he also revealed he plans to tackle Chinese Mega Man next.
Posted in Etcetera, News
Tagged The Legend of Zelda
Alicia Vikander will play Lara Croft in the next Tomb Raider movie
Angelina Jolie followed up her Oscar win for Girl, Interuppted by taking on the role of Lara Croft in 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. After attempting to restart the game-to-film franchise for a few years now, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that producers are finally ready to christen another Oscar-winning Lara Croft.
Alicia Vikander, who won Best Supporting Actress this year for her performance in The Danish Girl, will soon slip on the character’s signature accent for the untitled reboot. And like 2013’s Tomb Raider, the new film will depict a young and inexperienced Lara on her first adventure. Roar Uthaug, who recently helmed the Norwegian disaster flick The Wave, will direct Vikander for her first tomb raid.
Daisy Ridley, the previous frontrunner for the role of Lara Croft, will have to be content with her starring role in Star Wars Episode VIII, which is now filming at Pinewood Studios in England.
Posted in Etcetera, News
Tagged Tomb Raider
You’re Out! Nintendo plans to sell their majority stake in the Seattle Mariners
Back in 1992, the Seattle Mariners were in trouble. While they weren’t quite as bad as the fictional Cleveland Indians team from Major League, Seattle’s dismal performance on the field caused a similar meltdown from their ownership. Mariners owner Jeff Smulyan constantly threatened to relocate the franchise, but he relented in the middle of the season, ultimately selling the team to Nintendo. Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo’s Chairman and President, wasn’t a fan of the sport, but he made sure the team stayed in Seattle to thank the city for their years-long support of Nintendo’s North American headquarters.
Today, Nintendo decided to walk off the field by selling the majority of their stake in the Mariners to the other members of First Avenue Entertainment, the team’s minority ownership group. Famed bowtie enthusiast Howard Lincoln will be replaced as the team’s CEO by John Stanton, though Lincoln will continue to have a seat on the team’s Board of Directors.
“From the first day of our involvement nearly 24 years ago, Nintendo has had two goals for its investment in the Mariners,” said Howard Lincoln. “First, we wanted to assure the permanence of the team in this great city. And on that count, I am proud and gratified that this agreement further solidifies that goal. On the other hand, I’m equally disappointed that we have not been able to host a World Series game for our fans.”
A rather unique entity among Major League Baseball’s 32 owners, Nintendo leveraged their position as a video game producer to develop a series of games starring Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle’s Hall of Fame outfielder, in the 90s. The last game in the series, Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest, was released in 1999 and helped put developer Angel Studios on the map. You might know them better as Rockstar San Diego, the creators of Red Dead Redemption.
The sale of the Mariners likely has something to do with Nintendo’s gloomy financial outlook. But their investment in Seattle baseball will pay off handsomely. The consolemaker reportedly purchased the Mariners for $100 million back in 1992 and the team is worth $1.4 billion today.
Rumor: The Pokemon Company is holding a “secret auction” for the rights to a live-action movie
Hold on to your Pokeballs, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, The Pokemon Company is currently holding a “top-secret auction” for the rights to create a live-action film based on the beloved game series.
As of now, the bidders are said to include Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, and Legendary Entertainment, with a source saying that Legendary, which will release Warcraft this Summer, is the current frontrunner. However, Warner Bros. is also heavily involved in the competition as they released the animated Pokemon: The First Movie way back in 1999.
All three companies declined The Hollywood Reporter’s request for comment, but I’m sure we can all guess what Pikachu would have to say about this news.
Disasterpeace’s soundtrack to Hyper Light Drifter is now available to download
The haunting music of Hyper Light Drifter has captivated prospective players ever since the game’s first trailer was released way back in 2013. Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Richard “Disasterpeace” Vreeland, the maestro behind Mini Metro, Fez, and It Follows.
Yesterday, the composer released the full soundtrack to Hyper Light Drifter through his official website. You can listen to the entire album, which clocks in at just over two hours, in your browser or you can download it via Bandcamp for $5.
Hyper Light Drifter, a Zelda-like adventure in a heavily pixelated world, was released for the PC on March 31. A PS4, Vita, Wii U, and Xbox One release is planned for later this year.
Second Overwatch short features a very Batman-like Tracer/Widowmaker rooftop fight
Blizzard has released the second animated short based of their upcoming shooter Overwatch, and it should give everyone watching a Batman: The Animated Series flashback.
Fan favorite Tracer and deadly assassin Widowmaker dash through London in a rooftop fight that stands with the best the Caped Crusader had to offer in the mid 90s. Also, there’s a Robot Pope who preaches peace and love (and possibly love) between humans and machines. Be sure to check it out, you won’t be disappointed.
Blizzard plans to release two more Overwatch animated shorts before the game’s May 24 launch on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. And don’t forget the Open Beta kicks off on May 3.
Blizzard’s first animated short for Overwatch focuses on Winston the Gorilla
Excuse me… that should be Winston the Scientist. But the great thinker is also a great ape and he’s the star of “Recall,” Blizzard’s first animated short for Overwatch:
“Recall” tells the story of Winston—a genetically engineered gorilla and brilliant scientist who longs for the days of heroism to return. In this episode, we explore Winston’s thoughts and memories as he wrestles with the decision to recall the agents of Overwatch, all while the forces of Talon stage an attack on his laboratory in the abandoned Watchpoint: Gibraltar.
The short perfectly captures that Disney/Pixar vibe that Blizzard has cultivated for Overwatch all along. And could there be a better way to spend a lazy Sunday than to watch a genetically engineered gorilla fight back against a hit squad with a banana peel?
Overwatch will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on May 24. And the second animated short, which will focus on Talon operative Widowmaker, should be available sometime today.