Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Mobile
Tetris turns 30 years old today and creator Alexey Pajitnov still plays every week
Forget Pong. Forget Pac-Man. Even forget Space Invaders. The greatest gaming obsession was undoubtedly Tetris. The game, which single-handedly invented the “falling block” puzzler, is celebrating its 30th birthday today.
On June 6, 1984, in a country that was then still known as the Soviet Union, Alexey Pajitnov completed development on the first version of Tetris. Pajitnov, who moved to the United States in 1991, said he still plays his creation a few times a week: “I never imagined Tetris was going to be this successful. But the simple, yet addicting nature of Tetris still has me playing it a few times every week. I meet fans from around the world who are also as passionate about Tetris as me, and there is no doubt in my mind Tetris will continue to expand and bring its classic appeal to new players in new ways and on new devices, whatever they may be.”
Together with Henk Roger, the two men founded The Tetris Company in 1996 and continue to license new entries in the series to this day. And with the game’s 30th anniversary upon us (which they’re calling “We All Fit Together”), they’ve got plenty of cool stuff planned for this year:
- Ubisoft’s new Tetris Ultimate lands on PS4 and Xbox One this Summer (and on the PC in the Fall).
- Electronic Arts introduced a new mode to Tetris Blitz (iOS, Android) called Retro Blitz with shapes, styles, and colors that are an homage to the original Game Boy version from 1989.
- Tetris Online is joining in the celebration with 30th Anniversary updates to the Tetris Battle game on Facebook and the all-new Tetris Battle: Fusion game, now available for download on Amazon Fire TV.
- Rasta Imposta is bringing the Tetris lifestyle to adoring fans in the form of great Tetrimino-shaped Halloween costumes, interactive costumes and accessories.
- Robe Factory is extending the Tetris lifestyle into our everyday lives from the moment we step out of bed with plush robes and slippers, and into the bathroom with great Tetris designs on shower curtains, towels and rugs. The Tetris fun will continue on great new leggings, socks, footwear and more.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to buy a birthday cake for my favorite game and blow out the candles with my screams of frustration after I don’t get that long piece I need.
Watch Dogs sets new record for launch sales of an original property
Watch Dogs has been flying off the shelves since it was released on May 27, selling more than four million copies in just one week. This marks it as the fastest-selling brand-new intellectual property at launch, and the best-selling first week game for Ubisoft. The record sales are (presumably) ongoing.
Ubisoft’s senior vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key was very pleased, saying “With such strong sales momentum and positive feedback from gamers, Watch Dogs has positioned itself as the must-have game of the moment… We’re really proud of this achievement, and are confident that the Watch Dogs brand has a promising future.”
Over one million of those who purchased the game also got ctOS Mobile, the free companion app, which allowed them to check Aiden Pearce’s Chicago at anytime right from their mobile devices. This app also allows for dual-screen gameplay.
Watch Dogs launched last week for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It will be released on the Wii U system this coming Fall.
Hit the jump for the full press release. (more…)
Kickstart This! New Home Office Edition
Hello gamers and philanthropists, and welcome to Kickstart This! New Home Office Edition, which (as the title suggests) comes direct from my brand spanking new home office. I’m surrounded by unpacked boxes of books, games, and most importantly, Legos, but like the Death Star, it is armed and fully operational. With that in mind, let us turn our aim to the spectacle that is Kickstarter, and the handful of recent video game projects that have risen above the fold in vying for your affections, attentions, and well-earned remuneration.
First up is point-and-click adventure thriller The Mystery of Oak Island, followed by side-scrolling beat ’em up Rudo Resurrection. As if that was not enough, there is also FPS action horror A New Reckoning, and monster mayhem in Kaiju-A-Gogo.
Let’s rock and load! (more…)
The Wolf Among Us Episode 4 will be released next week
It looks like things are getting downright hairy for Bigby in a new trailer for the next installment of The Wolf Among Us. Telltale Games has also confirmed they will release the fourth episode of their Fables adaptation, The Wolf Among Us: In Sheep’s Clothing, next week.
In Sheep’s Clothing will be downloadable for the PS3 through the PlayStation Store (North America only) and through PC download services on Tuesday, May 27. An Xbox 360 release is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28, and the iOS version will follow a day after that on Thursday, May 29. Telltale has promised that they will have release date information for PS3 owners in Europe very soon.
Has the Wolf met his match? Beaten and bloody, Bigby is confronted by the realization that a society built on secrets is ripe for exploitation. And that the disenfranchised of Fabletown may see his prey not as the cause of their problems, but as their solution. Constantly caught between ‘the rules’ and doing the right thing, Bigby must tread a path fraught with danger in this penultimate episode of The Wolf Among Us.
In Sheep’s Clothing will be priced at $4.99 on each platform. And as always, it can also be accessed as part of The Wolf Among Us Season Pass.
The Walking Dead Season 2: Episode 3 will be available next week
Thanks to the trailer embedded above, Telltale Games has announced the third episode of The Walking Dead Season 2, “In Harm’s Way,” will be available to download next week…
- Tuesday, May 13: PC (Steam, Telltale Store, Other Download Platforms) and PS3 (US Only)
- Wednesday, May 14: PS3 (Europe Only), Xbox 360
- Thursday, May 15: iOS App Store
As with previous episodes in the series, “In Harm’s Way” will be available download individually for $4.99 or as part of the $19.99 Season Pass. According to Telltale, release dates for “In Harm’s Way” on additional platforms (including the Vita) will be announced at a later date.
Star Wars Journeys storybooks to be released for mobile devices by Disney
Disney and Lucasfilm have decided they want to start getting kids more into Star Wars at a younger age – at least, that’s what Variety said about the first interactive storybook, Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace, that was released yesterday. The app is only available on Apple devices so far, and the current plan is that there will be one released for each Star Wars movie up until Star Wars: Episode VII comes out. The interactive storybooks are going to cost a whopping $6.99 each. Yikes.
According to Variety, “The first, Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace, is broken up into three parts, including a story mode that immerses readers into the film’s plot with custom-designed art and a unique viewing experience that enables users to swipe to reveal areas of a scene and unlock new chapters.” There will also be databases and games in each app as well, to get kids more involved in the universe of Star Wars.
Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace is available now on iTunes.
Tony Hawk’s Shred Session officially announced for mobile devices
Back in February, Activision confirmed that the virtual version of Tony Hawk would return to video games sometime this year. Now, they’ve officially confirmed that Tony Hawk’s Shred Session will be available for iOS and Android devices this Summer.
When it’s release, Shred Session will include two very different gameplay modes. “Survival” turns the Tony Hawk series into an endless skater that requires players to swipe and tap to pull off continuous tricks and combos for as long as they can. Meanwhile, “Shred Sessions” offers a more traditional Tony Hawk experience, asking players to complete classic objectives and rack up the highest score possible.
Tony Hawk, who is almost 50 years old, said that he is “stoked that Activision shares [his] vision for an original skateboarding game on mobile.” He is also looking forward to “[evolving] with new technologies” and taking Shred Session in a “whole new direction.”
Even with its smaller stature, Tony Hawk’s Shred Session will include a host of customization options including multiple pro skaters (Chris Cole, Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, Lizzie Armanto, David Gonzalez, Riley Hawk, and Tony Hawk), real skate brand apparel, and deck designs that bestow bonus points upon your tricks.
Posted in Mobile, News
Tagged Tony Hawk's Shred Session
Intake Review: The Only Time I’ll Tell You to Take Some Pills
PC and mobile gaming are crowded spaces, and they just gets moreso by the day. It’s not hard to find great games – and it’s not even hard to find cheap, great games. But what’s truly amazing is the fact that indie studio Cipher Prime consistently makes games that are both inexpensive and mind-blowingly good. Their latest creation, Intake, just shows how far they’ve come, and promises even more for the future. This intense game was released for the PC last year and is now available on the iPad as of today, and each one has its own appeal and level of addictiveness and fun. (more…)