Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: PSP
Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection Review: The Rose Tint is (Slowly) Fading
Final Fantasy IV is probably going for a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for most ports and iterations. After debuting on the Super Nintendo, it’s been ported to the PlayStation, updated for the Game Boy Advance, remade for the Nintendo DS, and now bundled with Final Fantasy IV: The After Years alongside a new Interlude to form Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection. A tour de force in nostalgia as well as a series of fun episodes, The Complete Collection is a great item for collectors and FF fans, but not necessarily a “must-have” PSP title. (more…)
Posted in PSP, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection
Sony announces PSP Remaster series for PS3
When we made our 11 Predictions For E3 11, we speculated that Hideo Kojima would finally announce the PS3/PSP hybrid game that he’s been talking about for a while now. Instead, it looks like Sony has beat him to the punch with the announcement of the PSP Remaster series.
Initially scheduled for release in Japan, titles in the PSP Remaster series will be released for the PS3 on a Blu-ray disc packed with special features. While specific special features will be decided on a game-by-game basis, Sony expects to include new add-on content and stereoscopic 3D support in many of the PSP re-releases. The PS3 versions will also use the same save data as their PSP brethren, so it’ll be possible to start a game at home on your PS3, transfer the save to your PSP, and then pick up right where you left off on the portable. Too awesome!
The first game available in the PSP Remaster series will be Capcom’s Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, which will be released on the PS3 as Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Version. The upscaled PS3 version will include “gorgeous and vibrant” high definition graphics perfect for large-screened TVs. However, no release date has been announced.
More titles in the PSP Remaster series will be announced soon and hopefully we’ll learn more about Sony’s North American plans for the games at this year’s E3 Expo.
Warp Zoned Wish List: 11 Predictions For E3 11
The industry’s biggest showcase, the E3 Expo, is just around the corner, and gamers are already buzzing about what they’ll see. With the Wii 2 and Sony’s Next Generation Portable making their debuts this year, there’ll be no shortage of jaw-dropping reveals. But what else might happen at this year’s big show? The Warp Zoned editors have compiled 11 predictions of what we expect to happen at E3 2011. They may not all come true, but we would bet good money on most of them… (more…)
Sony tells publishers PlayStation Store to return on May 24
Gamasutra is reporting that Sony has informed publishers and developers that the PlayStation Store will reopen on May 24.
Online play and third party services like Netflix were restored on the PlayStation Network last week, but the store has remained offline. Sony plans to push out four updates in a two week span to release all of the content that publishers had planned to release before the PSN went down on April 20.
The updates will take place on May 24th, May 27th, May 31st and June 3rd. After June 3rd, the PlayStation Store’s weekly Tuesday updates will resume schedule.
PS3 and PSP owners will be able to download their “Welcome Back” gifts once the PlayStation Store resumes operations as well.
Posted in News, PS3, PSP
Tagged ApocalyPS3 2011
Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 comes to every console this holiday
When WB Games announced the title of the first Lego Harry Potter as Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, you know that a followup was inevitable. And now, on the cusp of the final movie, the publisher has officially announced Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7.
The game has been scheduled for release this holiday season, presumably alongside the Blu-ray/DVD release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. As you might expect from a Harry Potter game, it’s in development for every platform imaginable: 3DS, DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 and Sony’s Next Generation Portable (NGP).
Once again developed by TT Games, Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 will feature all the magic found in The Boy Who Lived’s last years at Hogwarts:
Based on the last three Harry Potter books and final four films, Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 takes players through Harry Potter’s heroic adventures in the Muggle and wizarding worlds. From Privet Drive in Little Whinging to Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and Hogwarts – plus new locations including Grimmauld Place, the Ministry of Magic, and Godric’s Hollow – players will encounter new faces, new challenges and new magic, preparing them for the ultimate face-off against Lord Voldemort.
Sony announces free games and more in “Welcome Back” appreciation program
Sony promised that when the PlayStation Network services were restored, they’d be offering us some free goodies as part of a “Welcome Back” initiative to make up for the time lost on our online games. Now, the PSN is back, and they’ve detailed the free games, subscriptions, and other content we’ll be enjoying.
First up, PlayStation 3 users will be able to select two PS3 titles from the following list:
Dead Nation, InFamous, LittleBigPlanet, Super Stardust HD, and Wipeout HD + Fury. PlayStation Portable users can grab two from LittleBigPlanet (PSP), ModNation Racers, Pursuit Force, and Killzone Liberation.
A host of other perks will be available as well. Sony will select a weekend when a selection of “On Us” movie rentals can be downloaded, PlayStation Plus subscribers get two additional months of the service free, non-Plus subscribers get a free 30 day trial, over 100 free items will be available in PlayStation Home, and Qriocity users get a free thirty days.
I gotta say that’s a nice mix of media… except on the PS3 side. Most of those games have already been offered as either free downloads or discounted items on the PlayStation Plus program. And it’d be hard to imagine a hardcore PlayStation fan who doesn’t own InFamous, LBP, Stardust, and Dead Nation. I would have much preferred a flat $20 credit to get whatever we want. Lord knows the PSOne Classics and Japanese Imports I want would never be offered on a Welcome Back list. Right now, it seems like PlayStation’s biggest supporters are getting rewarded the least for their loyalty.
Posted in News, PS3, PSP
Tagged ApocalyPS3 2011
PSN still not available in Japan
While most of the world logs back onto the PlayStation Network, the gamers of Japan are still left in the dark. The problem no longer deals with hackers, but rather the government, which refuses to let Sony continue online game services until Sony provides more information on the measures it’s taking to prevent another attack.
Kazushige Nobutani, director of the Media and Content Industry department at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, told Dow Jones Newswires, “We met with Sony on May 6 and 13, and basically we want two things from them.”
“The first is preventative measures. As of May 13, Sony was incomplete in exercising measures that they said they will do on the May 1 press conference.” The second answer they need is how Sony plans to win back consumer confidence. “There were similar cases in the past that were caused by other firms, and we are asking Sony whether their measures are good enough when compared to countermeasures taken in the past.”
Sony began restoring the PSN on Saturday after last month’s hacking nightmare that compromised the personal information of 100 million users.
Posted in News, PS3, PSP
Tagged ApocalyPS3 2011
Sony answers PSN-related questions, PS Blog back to normal tomorrow
We’re all back online playing our favorite multiplayer games (Black Ops w00t), but many issues still remain for the PlayStation Network. Jeff Rubenstein from the PlayStation Blog took the time to answer some of the more prevalent questions.
For one, a couple PlayStation Store updates were missed, and there was a lot of great content scheduled to go up, such as a demo for Motorstorm: Apocalypse. Rubenstein expains that once the Store becomes operational again, there will be a couple of publishes throughout the week to bring all of the missed content back. For PlayStation Plus subscribers, they’ll be picking up where they left off on the schedule of games to go up/come down, so you won’t miss your chance to get a free download before it’s unvailable. Also, Sucker Punch is working out the details on a possible InFamous 2 beta extension, and a missed Call of Duty: Black Ops double XP weekend will be made up to us very shortly.
As you can tell, I’m particularly excited about that last bit!
Also, if you’ve been following the PlayStation Blog, you’ve noticed that their regular content of interviews, previews, and features has been interrupted while Sony dealt with the PSN outage crisis. Fortunately, some new content will be coming tomorrow and we’ll all be more in touch with our favorite games, series’ and services.
Posted in News, PS3, PSP
Tagged ApocalyPS3 2011