Author: John Scalzo

John Scalzo is Warp Zoned's Editor-In-Chief and resident retro gaming expert. You can email him at john AT warpzoned DOT com.

Activision will unveil Call of Duty 9 on May 1

Posted on April 23, 2012 by John Scalzo

Activision has added a new splash page to CallofDuty.com confirming that Call of Duty 9 will be unveiled on May 1. The reveal will happen during TNT’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs, probably during the 8:00 PM (Eastern Time) game. The splash page also contains a series of “classified images,” which will unlock during the days leading up to the reveal.

Speculation is running rampant that Call of Duty 9 will be revealed as Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. I’d say the image to your right more-or-less confirms it as the faintly visible character in the background matches a leaked Black Ops 2 poster discovered by MP1st.

Whether its Black Ops 2 or not, we do know that the ninth Call of Duty game will be available this November.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Just Stop! Games Are NOT More Expensive Today

Posted on April 22, 2012 by John Scalzo

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…

With a generational shift looming for all three console manufacturers, a lot of digital ink has been spilled over the price of games and the belief that… SOMETHING. MUST. BE. DONE. Because didn’t you hear? Games are more expensive now than they’ve ever been. It’s true. I read it on the Internet.

No! Just Stop! YOU. ARE. WRONG.

Not only are the games being produced in 2012 priced similarly to games that were released in decades gone by, many of them are cheaper. That’s right, cheaper. And no, I’m not some stooge being paid by the publishers to peddle this theory, it’s the truth. Why, I remember it just like it was yesterday… [insert wavy lines here] (more…)

Posted in Opinions, Top Story |

Crysis 3 teaser trailer teases a gameplay trailer coming April 24

Posted on April 22, 2012 by John Scalzo

This Crysis 3 teaser trailer is 19 seconds long… and it’s all just a setup to let us know that a full-length gameplay trailer will be released on Tuesday, April 24. Enjoy, I guess.

Posted in News | Tagged , , ,

The Starling sisters kill zombies three ways in this Lollipop Chainsaw trailer

Posted on April 22, 2012 by John Scalzo

Juliet Starling’s cheerleader-honed gymnastics won’t be the only way you’ll dispatch zombies in Lollipop Chainsaw. Zombie killing is the family business and her sisters, sharpshooter Cordelia and explosives expert Rosalind, will be on hand to help.

Also, the trailer above confirms my worst fear… Justin Bieber is a demon and he must be stopped!

Lollipop Chainsaw will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on June 12.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Operation Rainfall sets their sights on Pandora’s Tower

Posted on April 22, 2012 by John Scalzo

After emerging victorious in their battles to bring Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story to America, Operation Rainfall has now set its sights on the final game on its wishlist, Pandora’s Tower.

Changing up their tactics slightly, the group plans to pitch Pandora’s Tower directly to third-party publishers who might be interested in picking up the action RPG. To do that, they have asked their community for monetary donations to create six pitch kits. Each of these pitch kits will contain a PAL copy of the game (the game was released in Europe last week), high-resoluton printouts of concept art from Pandora’s Tower, and many of the game’s “glowing” reviews.

Operation Rainfall plans to send these kits to all of the major publishers that specialize in localizing Japanese RPGs:

  • Aksys Games
  • Atlus
  • NIS America
  • Rising Star Games
  • UTV Ignition
  • XSEED Games

Obviously, this campaign doesn’t guarantee that Pandora’s Tower will find a North American publisher, but with two wins under their belt already, I believe in Operation Rainfall.

Posted in News, Wii | Tagged

Weekly Warp-Up: We Interrupt Your Diablo III Open Beta…

Posted on April 22, 2012 by John Scalzo

No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…

Just a reminder, Blizzard has opened up the Diablo III beta to everyone this weekend. Download the client and click your brains out until Monday afternoon!

Now then, if Diablo III isn’t of interest to you, maybe our second week of PAX East hands-on previews will. We’ve got an international in-depth look at Rockstar’s Max Payne 3. If the noiry policeman isn’t your thing, how about two Square Enix previews… there’s the first person puzzling of Quantum Conundrum and the rhythmic tapping of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.

Finally, Staff Writer Melissa Niedringhaus has come to the realization that gaming in the year 2012 is pretty damn awesome in My Golden Age of Gaming.

Want more of the biggest stories from this week? Hit the jump for more of the Weekly Warp-Up. (more…)

Posted in News |

Nintendo announces New Super Mario Bros. 2 for 3DS and Kirby Anniversary Collection for Wii

Posted on April 21, 2012 by John Scalzo

Nintendo has been teasing a new sidescrolling Mario game for the 3DS for more than a year now, and this morning the company finally revealed New Super Mario Bros. 2. The game will be available this August and it’ll bring Mario, Luigi, and the popular Super Leaf with it.

Also announced this morning is a Kirby Anniversary Collection for the Wii. The game (which is currently untitled) will contain “a variety of previously released, fan-favorite Kirby games.” No release date was revealed, but Nintendo did say it would be available later this year.

“A new Mario game and a big Kirby celebration will help make 2012 an especially great year for Nintendo fans,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Whether they’re playing at home on Wii or using Nintendo 3DS to have fun on the go, players can look forward to experiencing some of our biggest franchises in exciting ways.”

The first four screenshots from New Super Mario Bros. 2 can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News | Tagged , , ,

New Releases: Prototype 2, Risen 2, Shifting World, More

Posted on April 21, 2012 by John Scalzo

April continues to lumber along with yet another small batch of new releases.

This week, Prototype 2 brings us back to Radical’s demented vision of open world games where a helicopter is something to be thrown and the best way to take out an enemy is by eating them! Yummy! Prototype 2 will be available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

Also available this week is the pirate RPG Risen 2: Dark Waters (PC) and the PC version of Sega’s Binary Domain.

Finally, a pair of 3DS games will be new to store shelves: the shifting plotline of Shifting World and the 3D firefighting of Firefighter 3D.

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged , ,