Warp Zoned Presents
All Articles: PAX East 2011
Rolling With Kierin Chase: Talking the Past, Present and Future of Dungeons & Dragons
Warp Zoned editors Nicole Kline and Mike Gutierrez recently got a chance to sit down with Kierin Chase, Brand Manager for Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. As former dice rollers themselves, they were eager to see what 4th Edition has to offer and how it has progressed in the two years since its launch. Kierin was more than happy to detail all of the new D&D supplements, product lines, video games, and everything overall that makes now a better time than ever to jump into “The World’s Greatest Role Playing Game.” Nicole even got to ask the million-dollar question: will we see a resurrection of Spelljammer? (more…)
Posted in Features, PC, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale, PAX East 2011, Tabletop Games
Interview: Zipper’s Kevin Schmitt Talks SOCOM 4 Multiplayer
At PAX East 2011, Senior Editor Nicole Kline and I got to have a lengthy chat with Kevin Schmitt, Lead Multiplayer Designer for SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy Seals. We got to talk extensively about the multiplayer, from game modes to progression paths, and how the buddy system plays a large role in the game. We also got some interesting insights from Schmitt, including what it’s like to be a lead designer on his first game at Zipper and the challenges and benefits of dealing with a long established fan base, whom he affectionately refers to as free labor. Playing the game got me really excited for its release and talking with Schmitt only compounded it. Hit the jump for the full interview on one of the most anticipated games of April. (more…)
Posted in Features, Interviews, Previews, PS3
Tagged PAX East 2011, SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs
Portal 2 Interview: Valve Talks New Characters, 2 Campaigns, and… *Spoiler Deleted*
Valve had another one of their awesome theatre-style booths at this year’s PAX East. Outside, they had demos of Portal 2 running and were giving out t-shirts; inside, they were giving fans insight into two new characters in the single-player part of the game and giving me more spoilers than I wanted to see. But as faithful journalists, News Editor Mike Gutierrez and I were determined to bring the information back home and deliver it to our readers. Afterwards, we were able to interview one of the game’s writers, Erik Wolpaw, who left me wishing April 19th was tomorrow. (more…)
Posted in Features, Interviews, PC, Previews, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged PAX East 2011, Portal 2
Warp Zoned Podcast: Episode 6
It’s Friday, and it’s time for Warp Zoned Podcast Episode VI: The Queen of Blades! In this special edition of our podcast, Mike Gutierrez, Nicole Kline, and Ryan Littlefield record straight from their hotel room at PAX East once the show has ended. They’ll talk about the games they saw, the games they played, their favorite games, and – well – GAMES!! They’ll also talk about the awesomeness that is the Penny Arcade Expo, as well as what they love about Dungeons and Dragons and how it feels to buy new dice. Oh, and yes, they are STILL playing Pokemon. Do you even have to ask?
And be sure to check back in two weeks for Episode 7!
Posted in Podcast, Top Story
Tagged PAX East 2011
Preview Pack: Capcom’s Okamiden, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, Super Street Fighter IV 3D
Many fans at PAX East were disappointed to find that the Chibiterasu special edition plushies sold out the first day. But what they weren’t disappointed about was the fact that Capcom’s 3DS lines were far shorter than those across the show floor at Nintendo. Mike Gutierrez and Nicole Kline got to check out Okamiden, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, and Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, DS, Previews
Tagged Okamiden, PAX East 2011, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, Street Fighter IV
Bastion Hands-On Preview: Narrating Gaming’s Future
Bastion is the first title from Supergiant Games, a small studio consisting of about “six dudes”. The game is poised to be the next downloadable smash hit with its endearing art style, familiar mechanics, and novel use of narration. The team has gone from the big developer culture of EA to a more independent setting, and so far the response from fans has been sensational. We got to play the demo of Bastion and talk with Creative Director Greg Kasavin at this year’s PAX East. (more…)
Posted in PC, Previews, Xbox 360
Tagged Bastion, PAX East 2011
Brink Hands-On Preview: Bringing the Customizable Fun
Brink was playable at PAX East this weekend, and it was fun. Not that I’m surprised – I’ve been kind of keeping myself out of the loop for this one on purpose because everything I hear is more of what I want, and that makes me want to remain spoiler-free. But being in the media makes it impossible to do that, and I was excited to get some hands-on time with the game. Brink is being developed by Splash Damage and published by Bethesda, and focuses on the acrobatic parkour style that’s becoming more common in games (see also Mirror’s Edge). There are two factions, the Resistance and Security, who are vying for control of a city called the Ark. The Ark is a floating city, built to house 5,000 people – but now, Earth has been flooded, and tens of thousands more fight to take control of the city, which is now on the “brink” (see what they did there?) of a civil war. (more…)
Rooster Teeth announces ninth season of Red vs. Blue coming this summer, geeks rejoice
Some of the amazing guys (and gal!) from Rooster Teeth had their usual panel at PAX East this past weekend, and it was a doozy. Not only did they air an episode of Immersion that will probably never be available, but they also formally announced season nine of Red vs. Blue, which will be a prequel focusing on Project Freelancer. Although they did say there would be another season – the website areyoumakingmoreredvsblue.com simply says “yes” in large letters – there was no indication of when or what it would be.
I, for one, am massively pleased. I’ve been a huge fan of Rooster Teeth since first seeing this show back in 2003, and I’ve seen all of their panels since my first PAX in 2008. For anyone living under a rock for the past eight years, Red vs. Blue is the awesome machinima show based on the Halo series, and Immersion is their new live-action show that brings absurd video game scenarios to life.
Rooster Teeth is an incredible group of people who are talented, dedicated, and absolutely in love with their fans. The panel was comprised of Gustavo Sorola, Jack Pattillo, Burnie Burns, Monty Oum, and Geoff and Griffon Ramsey. As always, the panel was one of my favorite parts of PAX. Look for the trailer going up on the site on their anniversary, April 1st (no, that’s not a joke). The show will be coming this summer.
Posted in Etcetera, News
Tagged PAX East 2011