Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: PS4
Co-founder Dan Houser will leave Rockstar Games in March
Dan Houser co-founded Rockstar Games in 1998 alongside Terry Donovan, Jamie King, and his brother Sam. Currently serving as Vice President of their Creative division, he has lent his writing talents to almost all of the publisher’s most popular and well-received games, including the Grand Theft Auto franchise, Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2, Max Payne 3, and Bully.
But after an illustrious career, Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has announced that Houser will be leaving the company in March.
This is definitely a huge blow to the creative side of Rockstar Games, which is widely believed to be hard at work on Grand Theft Auto VI. How this news will affect the sequel’s development remains to be seen, but Take-Two said the rest of the development team “remains focused on current and future projects”:
After an extended break beginning in the spring of 2019, Dan Houser, Vice President, Creative at Rockstar Games, will be leaving the company. Dan Houser’s last day will be March 11, 2020. We are extremely grateful for his contributions. Rockstar Games has built some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful game worlds, a global community of passionate fans and an incredibly talented team, which remains focused on current and future projects.
While it’s a few years old now, the most extensive look back at Houser’s career can be found in David Kushner’s excellent behind-the-scenes investigation into Rockstar Games, Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto.
Posted in News, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2
Platinum Games turns to Kickstarter to bring The Wonderful 101 Remastered to Switch, PS4, and PC
Grand Theft Auto V completely upended the video game industry when it was released in September 2013. It even managed to overshadow the first collaboration between Nintendo and Platinum Games, The Wonderful 101, which launched the same week. While GTA5 continues to smash sales records, the love for The Wonderful 101 has been kept alive thanks to a dedicated cult following that seems to grow larger every year.
And now it’s back!
After multiple rumors that a modern port was in the works, Platinum has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to bring the game to the Switch this April as The Wonderful 101 Remastered. The modest $50,000 target has already been reached, as have Stretch Goals to eventually bring the game to the PC and PS4. If the developer receives further funds from fans (which is almost a guarantee at this point), they plan to add a series of downloadable content to the game, which will be free for all players.
With the short turnaround time from campaign to release, it’s safe to say that the Switch version of The Wonderful 101 Remastered is already complete and what backers are actually doing is pre-ordering their copy of the game through Kickstarter. Fans can also pledge to receive a wide range of goodies through the campaign, including t-shirts, custom controllers, several soundtrack options, character figures, a comic, and more.
Platinum will self-publish The Wonderful 101 Remastered, though they’re also partnering with Nighthawk Interactive to distribute a Physical Version of the game to backers and through retail stores.
I expect we’re going to learn a lot more about the game as the campaign continues through the end of the month.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch
Tagged The Wonderful 101
NIS America will bring five playable demos (including one secret game) to PAX East 2020
NIS America has announced that they’re bringing five playable demos to this year’s PAX East convention… including one secret game.
The ones that we know about include a pair of compilations coming in March (Langrisser I & II and La-Mulana 1 & 2), a survival adventure set to launch this April (Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories), and the Switch debut of a popular RPG series (The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III).
But because everyone loves a secret, it’s that fifth game that’s sure to get attendees (and everyone else) excited. NIS America isn’t offering any hints as to what else they’re bringing to Boston, but it will be playable at their booth.
This year’s PAX East convention will take place from February 27th through March 1, and you can learn more about NIS America’s game lineup after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories, PAX East 2020
Chiefs help Madden NFL 20 score with a correct Super Bowl LIV prediction
EA Sports’s Super Bowl Simulation is back to its winning ways, as Madden NFL 20 was able to correctly predict the outcome of Super Bowl LIV.
“The Prediction” pegged the final score at 35–31 in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs, and while Missouri’s favorite team wasn’t able to run up that many points, they did pull off a fourth quarter comeback against the San Francisco 49ers to win 31-20. Much of the credit for the comeback has to go to Patrick Mahomes, who threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback also ran for a touchdown in the first quarter on the way to Super Bowl MVP honors (which Madden NFL 20 also predicted).
In addition to his on-field heroics, Mahomes joins Rob Gronkowski as one of only two players to win the Super Bowl in the same year they were chosen as Madden’s cover athlete. Gronkowski rumbled to victory in Super Bowl LI, after appearing on the cover of Madden NFL 17.
With the win, the overall record for the predictive powers of Madden’s Super Bowl Simulation improved to 11-6.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Madden NFL 20
Madden NFL 20’s Super Bowl LIV simulation picks the Chiefs over the 49ers
EA Sports’s famed Super Bowl Simulation has fallen on hard times lately, botching the predicted winner of both Super Bowl LIII and Super Bowl LII. Will things improve for Super Bowl LIV? Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs sure hope so.
Simulating the “Big Game” in Madden NFL 20, EA Sports is predicting that Mahomes will win the Super Bowl MVP trophy as the Chiefs squeak past the San Francisco 49ers with a 35–31 victory. And as they’ve done several times in the past, the publisher is predicting that this Super Bowl’s outcome will hinge on some last-second heroics:
In the first quarter, the 49ers come out strong, confident and ready to win, scoring the game’s opening touchdown on a 16-yard run from new running back sensation Raheem Mostert and then Robbie Gould hammers a 41-yard field goal. The Chiefs got off to their usual slow start in the first quarter, with no points on the board.
In the second quarter, the Chiefs come alive unleashing their most powerful weapon – the unstoppable Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes throws two touchdown passes to Tyreek Hill and Damien Williams to grab the lead for the Chiefs. However, the 49ers refuse to back down and score a late second quarter touchdown – with a 26-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo, to end the half with a 17-14 lead.
Mahomes and the Chiefs refuse to remain silent in the second half, with Damien Williams and Travis Kelce scoring another pair of touchdowns. George Kittle nabs a touchdown for the 49ers, keeping things close in the third quarter – proving no one is safe in this game. The Chiefs lead entering the final quarter, 28-24, but Garoppolo comes in hot throwing another touchdown pass to Raheem Mostert – bringing the score to 31-28.
Not ready to accept defeat, Mahomes drives the Chiefs down the field late in the quarter, pushing the 49ers defense back. Finding Watkins open in the end-zone, Mahomes throws an 18-yard touchdown pass to take a 35-31 lead, seconds before time is up. The Kansas City Chiefs take home the title of Super Bowl LIV champions.
Tune in to Super Bowl LIV this Sunday, February 2, to find out if Madden NFL 20 is able to put an end to the long-running franchise’s recent prediction problems.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Madden NFL 20
Dark Horse will publish The Art of The Last of Us Part II this June
Dark Horse Books will peek behind-the-scenes at one of this year’s most-anticipated games with their next artbook… Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II.
The game will make its PS4 debut on May 29, but fans will have to wait until June to dip into The Art of The Last of Us Part II. Spanning 200 pages, the book will be available as a Standard Edition ($39.99) and a limited Deluxe Edition ($89.99), though both will contain “an exhaustive collection of original art” and “intimate creator commentary” about the game’s design:
Follow Ellie’s profound and harrowing journey of vengeance through an exhaustive collection of original art and intimate creator commentary in this deluxe full-color hardcover volume: The Art of The Last of Us Part II.
Created in collaboration between Dark Horse Books and the developers at Naughty Dog, The Art of The Last of Us Part II offers extensive insights into the making of the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning The Last of Us. The Deluxe Edition also features an exclusive cover and slipcase, as well as a gallery-quality lithograph.
The Art of The Last of Us Part II will be available in bookstores on June 16.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS4
Tagged The Last of Us Part II
Descenders will catch air on the PS4 and Switch in 2020
Publisher No More Robots has announced that Descenders, RageSquid’s procedurally-generated downhill biking game, will be released for the PS4 and Switch sometime in 2020. Originally released through Early Access for the PC and Xbox One in 2018, Descenders has received more than a dozen major updates over the last two years, and was upgraded to “Version 1.0” in 2019:
Descenders is extreme downhill freeriding for the modern era, with procedurally generated worlds, and where mistakes have real consequences. Will you lead your team to glory and become the next legendary Descender?
Descenders is a fast-paced extreme downhill biking game that’s easy to pick up, but difficult to master.
In addition to Descenders’s digital debut on the PS4 and Switch, the game will also be available this year as a special Retail Edition thanks to a co-publishing agreement with Sold Out. More information about the Retail Edition will be announced at a later date.
Posted in News, PS4, Switch
Tagged Descenders
First Gameplay Trailer for MLB The Show 20 bangs the drum for David Ortiz, John Franco, Gary Sheffield, and Mariano Rivera
The snow is still thick on the ground, but Sony San Diego wants the world to start thinking about Spring.
Earlier today, the developer unveiled the first Gameplay Trailer for MLB The Show 20, which will be released exclusively for the PS4 on March 17. The short video features a quick glimpse at the new Showdown Mode, as well as a montage checking in with some of Major League Baseball’s favorite players, and an introduction to a few never-before-seen Legends (Gary Sheffield, John Franco, David Ortiz, and Mariano Rivera).
The trailer also features a steady percussive accompaniment, a “Banging Scheme” if you will, that I’m sure is just a coincidence.
Sony San Diego will reveal more details and gameplay footage from MLB The Show 20 in a series of Developer Livestreams over the next two months. You can view the schedule for the upcoming streams at the PlayStation Blog.
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged MLB The Show 20