Warp Zoned Presents
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WWE All-Stars roster rumbles onto the web
Well, half of it anyway.
IGN has managed to wrestle the full roster to the upcoming WWE All-Stars away from THQ and they plan on publishing it in two parts. Part one appeared today, revealing eight legends, seven present-day superstars and five fighters that’ll only be available as downloadable content. IGN also revealed that Larry “The King” Lawler and Jim Ross will be providing the color commentary.
Screenshots and video of each wrestler were also included, giving us our most in-depth look at WWE All-Stars yet.
So, let me ring the bell and reveal (after the break) the first 15 wrestlers in WWE All-Stars… (more…)
A Eulogy For Guitar Hero: The Day the (Plastic) Music Died
A wise man once said that it’s far better to burn out than fade away. Apparently Activision agreed with the sentiment, as after a bit more than five years of rapid-fire releases, the company has shuttered the Guitar Hero franchise. Just 40 months ago the music gaming business was at its absolute peak – Guitar Hero III sold roughly 2.45 bazillion copies across a half-dozen platforms – but now the series is in complete shambles, what with the latest installment releasing with the authority of a farting ant. This legendary tumble from grace is no doubt why the company canceled the forthcoming Guitar Hero 7 and put the entire series on hold, perhaps permanently. Rather than harp on all that went wrong and led to its untimely demise, let’s discuss what went right – and what the future may hold if Activision dares to bring the music back. (more…)
Posted in DS, Features, Mobile, PS2, PS3, PSP, Top Story, Wii, Xbox 360
Tagged Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero: World Tour
PlayStation 2: 150 million served
With all the fanboy fighting over the “console war” of the current generation of systems, it’s easy to forget how utterly dominant the PlayStation 2 was from 2000-2006. And Sony’s second console is still racking up sales at an astonishing rate.
According to sales figures released today by Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony has sold 150 million PS2 systems to retailers as of January 31, 2011. Even more astonishingly, the console has survived for over almost 11 years, it made its Japanese debut in March of 2000.
A few other amazing numbers of note include the 10,828 PS2 games released across the world (which is comprised of over 2,000 unique titles) and the 1.52 billion copies (yes, billion with a B) those games have sold.
Say what you will about the relative success of the PSP and PS3, but the PS2 will go down in history as one of the greatest consoles of all time.
First Madden NFL 12 details emerge
While most of us were pulling our hair out at how atrociously bad the Black Eyed Peas were last night, Ian Cummings, Creative Director of Madden NFL 12 (yes, Madden games have those) took some time out for the fans during half time to blog about some of the game’s new features. One was the input shown above where A, A, B on the 360 controller executes a surprise onside kick. The other major feature is “Tuner Sets” – gameplay balances that were previously featured in past NHL and NCAA games that allows the developers to tweak the gameplay without the cumbersome process of getting Sony and Microsoft to approve a patch. This will probably save all of us a lot of time and go a long way in keeping online play fun and free from exploits.
More Madden NFL 12 information can be found at the Madden NFL developer’s blog.
With the exception of the NBA Elite debacle last year, EA Sports has really been impressing game critics with their last few rounds of iterations. Expect Madden NFL 12 to do the same when it releases later this year.
Ico novel, Castle of the Mist, finally coming to America
Ico fans rejoice: Miyuki Miyabe’s Ico novel, Castle of the Mist, is at last being translated into English and is coming to America July 19th, according to Anime News Network (although the publisher’s website actually says on or around August 16th). According to the blurb, “Based on the video game filmmaker Guillemo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) called a ‘masterpiece,’ Japan’s leading fantasist Miyuki Miyabe has crafted a tale of magic, loss, and love that will never be forgotten.” Miyabe is known in America for her novel Brave Story, which was made into an animated film, manga series, and several video games.
Wow. Just. Seriously. I am nearly speechless. Two years ago I read – and re-read – and re-read again – the first two chapters of this novel. I found a fanslation somewhere on the Internet and inhaled it over and over, eager for more Ico. Like the game, it’s charming and haunting, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the story. For those of you who haven’t played the game yet, you’re in luck – the game will be re-released in HD and full 3D with Shadow of the Colossus on March 31. I’ve been having sweet dreams of sitting with Yorda on the couch, with that delightful music playing in the background. In the meantime, I’m still playing LittleBigPlanet 2 as Ico, and I’ve been listening to the soundtrack. I’m trying to be patient. Really.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS2, PS3
Tagged Ico, LittleBigPlanet 2, Shadow of the Colossus
Disney Interactive cuts jobs
Disney Interactive is currently downsizing, apparently in a pretty substantial way, as nearly half of its 700 member staff may be getting the boot. Disney calls the layoffs a “restructuring process” in its statement. Variety reports that many were anticipating the layoffs as many key players left the division last year, including Graham Hopper, who spent the last eight years building the studio into a formidable entity in the gaming industry. New talent is coming in to upper management, including John Pleasants, CEO of Playdom, which Disney acquired last year. Disney’s current CEO Bob Iger said Pleasants would “focus on turning those businesses into profitability” and “diversifying our presence in the business, so we’re not reliant on one platform that’s obviously facing challenges.”
While terms can have multiple connotations in the business context, he may be referring to last year’s Epic Mickey, which released exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, a console that is notoriously difficult for third party developers to find success on. Epic Mickey was panned critically, but is apparently the fastest selling game in Disney Interactive’s history, pushing 1.3 million copies last December.
Hulk Hogan runs wild on WWE All-Stars box
THQ has released the official boxart for WWE All-Stars and it features eight of the biggest wrestlers of yesterday and today.
Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior will be joined by “Macho Man” Randy Savage and The Rock on the legends side of the box while John Cena, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston represent the modern-day superstars.
The best part of this news is that THQ hadn’t announced Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior as part of the game’s roster, so this is a welcome surprise.
WWE All-Stars (and Hulkamania) will run wild on the PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PS2 and PSP this March.
Can you dig these WWE All-Stars trailers?
OOOOOOOHHHHH YYYEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!
THQ is taking the WWE to the arcade this March (March 29 to be exact) with WWE All-Stars, a wildly over-the-top wrestling game that brings together two generations of the WWE’s finest.
Check out the game’s debut trailer above and hit the jump for a special message from “Macho Man” Randy Savage on why he’s the greatest superstar in the PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PS2 and PSP game. At 58, the former Slim Jim spokesman is still more awesome than any wrestler working today. (more…)