Warp Zoned Presents
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See space battles, Lightsaber combat, pod racing in new Disney Infinity: Star Wars videos
All week long, Game Informer has been uploading gameplay videos highlighting a different facet of this Fall’s Disney Infinity: Star Wars. The most recent video, which has been embedded above, puts the spotlight on the game’s space battles, including the famous Battle of Yavin in and around the Death Star from the end of Star Wars.
An additional trailer features the game’s brand new Toy Box Speedway mode. This Mario Kart-inspired mode takes place on Tattooine, recreating the pod racing scene from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Escept this time the pod racers include Yoda and Question Boxes are all over the course.
The final trailer focuses on an elegant weapon for a more civilized age as Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Luke Skywalker show off their Lightsaber skills.
Both of these trailers can be found after the break and don’t forget that Disney Infinity; Star Wars will launch sometime this Fall (possibly as early as August) for the PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. (more…)
Video Game Release Calendar Changelog: E3 2015 Table Setting Edition
Don’t Forget! This is just a changelog of recently announced release dates. Warp Zoned’s complete Video Game Release Calendar includes every title we could find with a 2015, 2016, 2017, or unannounced release date.
This edition of the Video Game Release Calendar Changelog is definitely focused on the pre-E3 table setting that happens every May. In addition to release dates for some of this Summer’s most-anticipated games (Lego Jurassic World on June 12, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition on June 23, and Rory McIlroy PGA Tour on July 14) we were recently treated to release dates for some of this Falls big franchise titles (Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege on October 13, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate on October 23, WWE 2K16 on October 27, and Call of Duty: Black Ops III on November 6).
Looking beyond the big names, we now know that Keiji Inafune’s Mighty No. 9 will be released on September 15 (though the 3DS and Vita versions will launch “sometime later”). But even the recent surprise announcements are focused on big names including Need For Speed and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, both of which will launch this Fall.
Finally, you can’t talk about release dates without mentioning a few delays. This time, Tom Clancy’s The Division was pushed back (to early 2016) alongside Mirror’s Edge 2 and the Ratchet & Clank remake (both will be available in Spring 2016). But Dead Island 2 got the worst delay of all, going from Spring 2015 all the way to TBA 2016.
But speaking of games that are far away, let’s end this roundup with Telltale’s Marvel Game, an untitled episodic adventure game that won’t be released until sometime in 2017. Hey, gotta get that announcement out there sometime.
Even more new release dates for this edition of the Video Game Release Calendar Changelog can be found after the break. (more…)
Pac-Man debuted in Japanese arcades 35 years ago today
Bandai Namco and Pac-Man have a lot to celebrate thanks to today’s big anniversary, but after the year he’s had, everyone’s favorite ghost-chomper isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
On May 22, 1980, exactly 35 years ago, “Puck Man” made its debut in Japanese arcades. The game and its title character would go on adopt the much better known moniker of Pac-Man a few months later because executive at Midway, its American distributor, feared that unruly teenagers would attempt to vandalize the machines. And just like that, an icon was born.
Pac-Man made the most of its simple “eat dots/avoid ghosts” gameplay model, spawning dozens of sequels, spinoffs, and successors. And its unique mazelike structure shows up again and again in games like Bomberman, The Legend of Zelda, and many others. Pac-Man has appeared on numerous “Best Games of All-Time” lists and was selected as a finalist for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s inaugural class.
“From arcades and consoles to digital and mobile, Pac-Man has remained a fixture in our gaming lives. The endless appeal of the series’ simple but masterful design after all this time is nothing short of remarkable,” said Jeferson Valadares, the General Manager at Bandai Namco America. “But more than anything else, this is an anniversary for the fans. If you treasure any fond Pac-Man memories of your own from the past 35 years, we hope you share them with someone special today and make some new ones together.”
Bandai Namco is hosting a celebration for their most famous creation today at Level 257, a Pac-Man-themed restaurant in Schaumburg, Illinois. Pac-Man’s creator, Professor Toru Iwatani, will be on hand to present the birthday cake and I’m sure “Pac Man Fever” will be playing on a continuous loop. Mobile gamers who own Pac-Man on their iOS device will also receive a free update today that adds a “classic-inspired user interface” to the game.
Aside from starring in one of the most beloved video games of all time, Pac-Man manages to keep himself busy with a variety of side projects. Earlier this year, Bud Light borrowed the game’s familiar maze to create a “Real Life Pac-Man” commercial for Super Bowl XLIX. More recently, Google also dropped Pac-Man into the real world by offering a playable Pac-Man Street View in Google Maps. And last year the mascot got the chance to duke it out with Mario, Sonic, and Mega Man in Super Smash Bros. For Wii U and 3DS, with his very own Amiibo figure scheduled for release next week.
Let’s hope there’s also some pizza at that Pac-Man anniversary celebration.
Game of Thrones: Sons of Winter will be available next week
Telltale’s video game adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones continues with the release of the fourth episode, Sons of Winter, next week. Depending upon which platform they prefer, players will be able to dig into the latest episode on the following dates:
- Tuesday, May 26: PC (Windows, Mac) and PlayStation Network (PS3, PS4)
- Wednesday, May 27: Xbox Games Store (Xbox 360, Xbox One)
- Thursday, May 28: Mobile (iOS, Android)
So what sorts of intrigue and deception will the denizens of House Forrester experience in Sons of Winter? Here’s what Telltale had to say…
In Episode 4, the fate of the scattered Forresters hangs in the balance, and no one allied with the family is safe. An unexpected meeting offers Rodrik a new opportunity to free Ironrath from its Whitehill stranglehold, but with young Ryon Forrester still held prisoner, his next moves are critical. Gared must abandon Castle Black and venture beyond the Wall in search of the mysterious North Grove, risking encounters with Wildlings and worse. In King’s Landing, the population is reeling from a recent royal death, and Mira must step carefully in an increasingly complex game of politics where secrets are traded as currency. Far away in Essos, Asher infiltrates the slave city of Meereen at the behest of Daenerys Targaryen, but will the friendship he holds dear break under the strain of a mission that raises memories best forgotten?
Unlike the typical Telltale game series, their Game of Thrones adaptation will stretch out across six episodes. So be on the lookout for Episode 5 (A Nest of Vipers) and Episode 6 (The Ice Dragon) in the coming months.
Activision cranks up the hard rock for second batch of Guitar Hero Live tracks
Last week, Activision unveiled the first 24 songs that’ll make up the final tracklist for Guitar Hero Live. The tracks covered a wide range of musical styles including blues (Gary Clark Jr.), pop (Ed Sheeran), pop punk (Fall Out Boy, Green Day, My Chemical Romance), alternative (The Killers), and even some techno (Skrillex).
But for this week’s “Tracklist Tuesday,” Activision wanted to go a little harder with ten selections from the hard rock and heavy metal acts that’ll be included on Guitar Hero Live’s soundtrack:
- Bring Me the Horizon – “Shadow Moses”
- Deftones – “Diamond Eyes”
- Killswitch Engage – “In Due Time”
- Marilyn Manson – “Disposable Teens”
- Marmozets – “Move Shake Hide”
- Mastodon – “High Road”
- Of Mice & Men – “Bones Exposed”
- Royal Blood – “Little Monster”
- Trivium – “Strife”
- Vista Chino – “Sweet Remain”
Most of these bands are unknown to me, but I think I was most surprised to learn that Marilyn Manson is still a thing. Guitar Hero Live will be released this Fall for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Wii U.
Kickstart This! CCTV Nation, Overdosed, Power Drive 2000
While my own Kickstarter campaign, The Illuminant Midnight Project, didn’t reach its funding goal, the first big crowdfunding story of 2015, Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee, zoomed past its initial funding goal of £1,000,000 in less than 24 hours, and met its “final” stretch goal a few days later, pushing Playtonic to add further stretch goals. The campaign still has a little less than a month left to run, so there is little doubt it will reach the £2,000,000 goal of free DLC for everybody. The campaign’s success has been built on months of anticipation, coupled with a sweet price point for backers. I pledged £15 to get the game on Wii U, which is insanely good value for the money.
Of course, the former Rare employees have two decades worth of nostalgia to help them succeed, whereas other developers must rely on more modest means to help them complete their gaming projects, bringing us to this week’s Kickstart This! We start with the curious augmented reality game CCTV Nation, before plunging into the depths of hell with top-down shooterOverdosed. Finally, there is stunning sci-fi racer Power Drive 2000.
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads… (more…)
Catlateral Damage will be released on Steam, Ouya next week
Have you ever wanted to become a cat? Now you can… in Catlateral Damage. The game, from developer Chris Chung, will be released for the PC (Windows, Mac, Linux) via Steam and the Android-powered Ouya microconsole on May 27.
Players will have all the freedom of their favorite feline as they embrace their cat’s uncaring nature and completely wreck the house without any sense of remorse or shame. Catlateral Damage will include a wide variety of procedurally-generated levels including an entire suburban home, a supermarket, and a museum. Knock dishes off the counter! Tear up unread magazines! Destroy priceless family heirlooms and antiquities! The choice is yours!
Act now and you can also view the brand new “Informercial” trailer for Catlateral Damage, which has been embedded above.
Posted in Mobile, News, PC
Tagged Catlateral Damage
2K has NBA 2K16, WWE 2K16, Battleborn, and a “new triple-A title” on tap for 2015
Take-Two Intereactive CEO Strauss Zelnick announced a trio of new titles during the company’s quarterly financial report yesterday. But two we already knew about and the third will remain under wraps until this year’s E3 Expo.
First, Zelnick confirmed that both of 2K’s annual franchises would receive new entries in 2015. WWE 2K16 will be released for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on October 27 while NBA 2K16 will be released for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and mobile platforms sometime in the Fall, though NBA 2K titles typically launch in early October.
The CEO also revealed the company will release a “new triple-A title” during their current fiscal year:
Throughout the coming year, we will continue to execute our proven strategy of launching a select array of the highest-quality titles, led by new annual releases of NBA 2K and WWE 2K; Battleborn, a groundbreaking new intellectual property from Gearbox Software; and a soon-to-be announced new triple-A title from 2K.
This unannounced game is likely in development at Hangar 13, Take-Two’s newest internal studio. Rumor has it that Hangar 13 is working on Mafia III, but we won’t find out for sure until next month. And we may not get to play it until early next year as Take-Two’s fiscal year officially ends on March 31, 2016.
Finally, Zelnick confirmed that Gearbox’s latest, Battleborn, will also be released during the current fiscal year. More details on the colorful (and character-ful) shooter will be revealed ahead of the E3 Expo and during the show itself.
So your big takeaway from this announcement should be that Take-Two Intereactive is going to have a big presence at the 2015 E3 Expo.
UPDATE: 2K Games has confirmed that their “new triple-A title” is actually XCOM 2, which is currently in development at Firaxis.