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.

After parting ways with EA, Tiger Woods’ agent is talking with other game publishers

tigerwoodspgatour14-boxOn Tuesday, EA Sports revealed that their next PGA Tour golf game won’t feature Tiger Woods in the title or on the cover. Now, Tiger wants everyone to know that he’s in discussions to roar back with a new publisher and a new game.

Speaking to ESPN, Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg said: “We had an incredible run. Outside of [John] Madden, you would be hard pressed to find a sports figure that meant as much to a video game company as Tiger meant to EA. But times are changing and EA had to re-evaluate the partnership, and frankly so did we.”

According to Steinberg, this re-evaluation includes discusses with another publisher about creating a Tiger Woods-branded game. However, outside of EA, a relatively small number of golf games have been released in the last decade. But there have been a few. For example, all three consolemakers have their own humorous take on the sport (Sony’s Hot Shots Golf, Microsoft’s Powerstar Golf, and Nintendo’s Mario Golf) and Take-Two owns the rights to the acclaimed Links series, so perhaps there’s a new video game in Tiger’s future yet.

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South Park: The Stick of Truth delayed again… this time to March 2014

South Park: The Stick of Truth has been delayed… again. This marks the fourth delay for the Ubisoft-published, Obsidian-developed RPG, which stretches all the way back to THQ’s stewardship of the game. Originally set for a Fall 2012 launch (and then March 5 and then “Summer 2013” and then December 10), the game will now be released for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on March 4, 2014.

To soothe the hurt feelings of gamers everywhere, Ubisoft has unveiled a new gameplay trailer for The Stick of Truth:

In their latest adventure, the boys embark on a quest to the Inn of the Giggling Donkey, an infamous tavern that harbors the scum of all the realm.

There, it is believed the famed Bard guards the hallowed stick of truth. In order to defeat the Bard’s followers, you’ll have to throw everything you have at the enemy, including dodge balls and farts. Poison your foes with your flatulence, and refill your mana with burritos.

After The Stick of Truth’s numerous delays, I have a newfound respect for Ubisoft’s desire to get it right and the South Park creator’s “6 Days to Air” mantra.

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

Ed Boon jokes about Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks HD re-release

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Ed Boon, creator of Mortal Kombat and head honcho of NetherRealm Studios, loves Twitter. The acclaimed developer posts dozens of tweets a week, often offering teasers of NetherRealm’s upcoming projects. Today, he joked that the company is hard at work on an HD remake of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, a PS2/Xbox brawler originally released almost a decade ago:

Obviously, no one knows if Boon is just trolling his loyal fanbase or teasing a legitimate game. As always with these things, it’s best to take any speculation with a grain of salt and… you know what… NO!

DO NOT TOY WITH ME ED BOON! Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks was an outstanding game and I would love to play an HD remake or, better yet, a sequel. We know NetherRealm holds the game in high regard as its backstory (which was actually created by the now-defunct Midway Los Angeles) was heavily integrated into the Mortal Kombat reboot’s Challenge Tower.

The fans demand it Mr. Boon, you must do this.

Posted in News |

Nintendo Download: Wii Fit U, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Castlevania IV, more

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All you health fanatics, get ready, Nintendo will add Wii Fit U to the Wii U eShop tomorrow. The company is billing the title as a “Trial Version” because the free download will expire on December 1. If you want to continue your fitness goals with your Wii U, you’ll have to purchase a Wii Fit U Fit Meter, which will be available in stores (for $19.99) starting tomorrow.

If you’d prefer to spend your Wii U time in a sitting position, Nintendo has added plenty of other games to the eShop as part of this week’s Nintendo Download. Beginning today, the digital version of Lego Marvel Super Heroes can be purchased for the 3DS and the Wii U. The Virtual Console is also alive and well this Halloween with the scary Super Castlevania IV (Wii U) and the spooky Milon’s Secret Castle (3DS).

Beginning next Tuesday, November 5, Nintendo will add the family friendly Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures (3DS), Ben 10 Omniverse 2 (3DS, Wii U), and Power Rangers Megaforce (3DS) to their online store.

More details on all of these games (and a few others) can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U | Tagged , ,

2K has “more than 10” next-gen games in development; next Borderlands 2 DLC set for November

taketwo-logoTake-Two Interactive published their quarterly financial report yesterday and while revenues were down, the company expects to post a very healthy profit by the end of the year thanks to Grand Theft Auto V.

Looking to the future, Take-Two announced that they have a wide variety of next-generation games in development. According to Take-Two’s President, Karl Slatoff, the company has “more than 10” next-generation titles in the works including Turtle Rock’s co-op shooter Evolve and an unannounced game at 2K’s recently opened Bay Area studio. And before you get your hopes up, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick adamantly refused to talk about the company’s next-gen plans for the Grand Theft Auto series.

The publisher plans to begin unveiling some of these titles “during the next several months” and plans to release several of them during their 2015 fiscal year (April 2014-March 2015).

But in the more immediate future, Take-Two also confirmed that the next Headhunter Pack for Borderlands 2, “Wattle Gobbler,” will be released in November.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , ,

Techland delays Hellraid’s retail rising until 2014

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It looks like gamers won’t be going to Hell in 2013. Techland has announced that Hellraid, their upcoming “competitive co-op” game, has been pushed back into 2014. The PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 game originally staked out a Fall 2013 release date but, according to Techland’s Marcin Kruczkiewicz, the team needs more time to make the kind of game they want to.

Here’s what Kruczkiewicz had to say on the Hellraid development blog: “If we released our game this year we would have to make too many compromises and the final product probably wouldn’t meet all our promises and your expectations. That’s why we’ve made a tough decision to release Hellraid in 2014 or to be more precise: when it’s done.”

Kruczkiewicz specifically cited several additions and tweaks the team would like to make to Hellraid. These additions and tweaks include a reworked magic system and “completely new game modes for single player and co-op.”

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Assassin’s Creed IV, Battlefield 4, Angry Birds Star Wars, more added to PS Store

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It’s another big week for the PlayStation Store as five PS3 games (and one Vita title) made their digital download debut simultaneously with their retail release.

Do you like exciting military action? There’s Battlefield 4.
Do you like stealth action with a dash of piracy? There’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.
Do you like Pac-Man (and who doesn’t?)? There’s Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures.
Do you like wrasslin’? There’s WWE 2K14.
Do you like flinging birds at Stormtroopers? There’s Angry Birds Star Wars on the PS3 or Vita.

More details on all of these titles, as well as a few others (including Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate HD), can be found after the break. And, as always, a full rundown of this week’s new game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)

Posted in News, PS3, Vita | Tagged , , , , ,

A-W-E-S-O-M-E! Typing of the Dead series returns with Typing of the Dead: Overkill

typingofthedeadoverkill-logoTyping of the Dead was a fantastic little oddity for the Dreamcast that has earned quite the cult following over the years. Sega went back to the zombified typing tutor in 2008 with Typing of the Dead 2, but it never clawed its way out Japan. But it’s time to type H-A-P-P-Y-T-I-M-E as Sega announced that Typing of the Dead: Overkill, which is based on House of the Dead: Overkill, is now available through Steam.

The good news was delivered by way of the Sega Blog:

Not familiar with Typing of the dead? The game originally launched in the Japanese arcades and quickly made it’s way to a home console release on the Dreamcast. For those that picked up a keyboard for the Dreamcast, they were in for a treat – the entire game was completely reworked to play entirely through the keyboard. It’s actually a wonderfully simple yet totally satisfying experience – the same frantic light gun experience is very similar to desperately typing phrases to push back the mutant threat. What really made the game shine was the crazy phrases and words it threw at you, which got increasingly crazier as the game went on.

And if you missed out on House of the Dead: Overkill for the Wii or the PS3, Typing of the Dead: Overkill includes that game as well for a little two-in-one action. The Steam version of Typing of the Dead: Overkill is priced at $19.99, but it’s only $9.99 if you buy it before November 1.

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