Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: PS2
Nordic Games wins big at THQ auction: Darksiders, Red Faction, MX vs ATV, more
An unlikely winner has emerged in the second round of the THQ sweepstakes: Nordic Games. The small publisher, located in Austria, bid $4.9 million to obtain the majority of THQ’s remaining properties including Darksiders, Red Faction, MX vs ATV, Destroy all Humans!, Summoner, Titan Quest, Frontlines, Juiced, Full Spectrum Warrior, and over 150 other titles. A full list of Nordic’s acquisitions will be unveiled soon, probably sometime after the purchase hearing current set for May 13.
But now the question becomes, what happens next? What does Nordic Games, best known for publishing the Painkiller series, plan to do with all of these properties? According to Lars Wingefors, Nordic’s CEO, the company plans to embark on an in-depth analysis of each property and will eventually move forward with sequels to many of them.
“First and foremost we are very happy about this deal which also turns over a new leaf for the entire Nordic Games Group. In the long term, we either want to cooperate with the original creators or best possible developers in order to work on sequels or additional content for these titles,” Wingefors said.
To that end, Nordic Games has set up a special section in their official forums to solicit fan feedback on how to proceed with their new toys.
The first half of the THQ auction was held in January, with Deep Silver, Ubisoft, Crytek, Take-Two Interactive, and Sega participating.
Posted in 3DS, DS, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
Tagged Darksiders, Darksiders II, Destroy All Humans, MX vs ATV Alive, Red Faction: Armageddon
THQ plans to sell off Darksiders, Red Faction, Homeworld, more in May
The THQ sell-off will continue this Spring as the publisher has announced that four major franchises will go up for auction as well as two compilations of lesser franchises.
Darksiders (which went unsold at the initial THQ auction), Red Faction, Homeworld, and the MX racing franchise have all been put on the block by THQ. The company will also sell the rights to a package of original properties (including Big Beach Sports, Destroy All Humans!, Summomner, and others) and a package of licensed games (Marvel Super Hero, Supreme Commander, Worms, and others). A new owner for each franchise will be chosen sometime in May.
If you’ve ever wanted to own a formerly top-selling video game franchise, you should get in touch with THQ by emailing them at auction@thq.com by April 1. But be aware, you’ll be expected to show proof of funds in case your bid is selected by the creditors committee.
Of course, how much could something like Destroy All Humans! (which, admittedly, I love) actually go for?
Posted in 3DS, DS, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
Tagged Darksiders, Darksiders II, Destroy All Humans, Homeworld, Homeworld 2, Red Faction: Armageddon
Jamie Fristrom’s Swingin’ Career, From Spider-Man to Energy Hook: An Interview
Jamie Fristrom is a name that you might not be familiar with, but you’ve certainly experienced his work. In 1996, Fristrom became part of the original team at Treyarch and had a hand in many of their earliest hits. But his biggest claim to fame is the creation of the webslinging engine found in Spider-Man 2 (and used in nearly every Spider-Man game since). In that dark period between GoldenEye 007 and Batman: Arkham Asylum, Fristrom’s work on Spider-Man 2 proved that licensed games could still be fun.
After his days at Treyarch ended, he went the indie route and created the acclaimed XBLA game Schizoid and founded his own one-man-studio, Happion Labs. His first game under the Happion Labs banner will be Energy Hook, a game that attempts to recapture the fun we all found in aimlessly webslinging around Manhattan.
Fristrom is readying a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the game, which will likely launch in a few weeks. In the meantime, I had a chance to talk to him about his career so far and where he plans to take it with Energy Hook. (more…)
Posted in Features, Interviews, PC, PS2, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Energy Hook
PlayStation 2 manufacturing ceases worldwide
It’s official: Sony has ceased the manufacture of new PlayStation 2 consoles for all territories. After 12 years, over 150 million consoles sold, and 10,828 games released (counting re-releases and international versions), the PS2 has earned a well-deserved place among the greatest game systems of all time.
The PlayStation 2 dominated the sixth generation of consoles, ultimately selling more than twice as many systems as the GameCube, Xbox, and Dreamcast combined. The console’s reach will surely extend far into the future, as dozens of PS2 games are regularly featured on lists of the best games of all time including Grand Theft Auto III, God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.
According to the latest industry rumors, Sony plans to announce the PlayStation 4 at this year’s E3 Expo. But for now, let’s remember the PlayStation 2’s amazing run. It’s likely the last time a console will dominate its competition like the PS2 did ever again.
[Source: The Guardian]
Sony discontinues PS2 shipments in Japan
What a run! After 12 years, nine months, and 25 days, Sony has announced that new shipments of the PlayStation 2 console in Japan have been discontinued. A similar announcement will probably be made for the European and American markets soon.
During the course of the system’s life, over 155 million PS2s were sold, making it the most successful video game console of all time.
It’s unlikely that any new games are still in development for the system, so this October’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 will probably go down in history as the last PS2 game ever.
[Source: Famitsu]
Just Stop! Consoles Are NOT Headed For a Crash
When the Internet decides to collectively believe something that’s just not true, we have to cry out… Just Stop! This is what’s making a Warp Zoned editor rip his computer from the wall in frustration today…
Over the last few weeks, you’ve probably seen more than a few articles bemoaning the financial health of the retail games sector. Analysts and journalists have been carrying on about how this is the end of the line. That even with a generational jump looming, the gaming community has abandoned disc-based games for their iGadgets and their free-to-play Facebook counterparts.
No! Just Stop! YOU. ARE. WRONG. (more…)
New Releases: Halo 4, LittleBigPlanet Karting, NASCAR Inside Line, More
You finished the fight, but now he’s back! The Master Chief returns to the Xbox 360 this week in Halo 4, the first game in the series not developed by Bungie (it was actually created at Microsoft’s 343 Industries).
So who will stand against the mighty Master Chief? Believe it or not, a pair of racing games. Sony is bringing LittleBigPlanet Karting to the PS3 this week and Activision will release the multiplatform NASCAR: Inside Line (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360).
Also available this week is a quartet of compilations: Namco Bandai’s Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection (PS3, Xbox 360), the Rockstar Games Collection: Edition 1 (PS3, Xbox 360), BioWare’s Mass Effect Trilogy (PC, Xbox 360), and THQ’s Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package (PS3, Xbox 360).
Hit the jump for even more new releases. (more…)
The Scientifically Proven Top 100 Video Games of All Time
We greatly expanded and updated The Scientifically Proven Best Video Games of All Time as The Video Game Canon in 2017. You should check it out!
When it comes to deciding which video games qualify as the best of all time, everyone has an opinion. And sometimes those opinions result in a violent argument over the mental faculties (or lack thereof) of the listmaker. So we thought we’d add a little science to the equation to find out exactly which games can be considered the “100 Best Video Games of All Time” and which ones have been fighting above their weight class all these years. (more…)