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.

Saints Row IV, The Bureau, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, more added to PS Store

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It’s another big week for the PlayStation Network as the majority of this week’s retail releases also found their way onto the PlayStation Store.

Volition’s Saints Row IV leads off the craziness and its joined by another title on the PS3 that focuses on an alien invasion, 2K’s The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. There’s no aliens for Sam Fisher to fight in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist (at least, I don’t think), but he makes his return to the PS3 as well. Finally, Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers, a budget aerial combat sim, is new to the PS3 section of the Store.

Gamers interested in quirkier fare who also have an interested in PSN/Vita Cross-Buy titles would do well to check out the one-on-one fighter Divekick and the puzzler Ms. Germinator. Speaking of the Vita, The Walking Dead: The First Season shambles onto Sony’s handheld this week.

Finally, a pair of PS2 Classics, Kessen III and Naval Ops Commander, round out this week’s new additions to the PlayStation Store.

More information about all of these titles can be found after the break. And if you’re interested in a rundown of this week’s new game add-ons, that’s available at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)

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Sony announces Minecraft, N++ for the PS4

minecraftIt’s been a long time coming, but Minecraft will finally be available on a Sony system this year. The mining and crafting hit was released for the Xbox 360 last year and is expected to be available on the Xbox One this November. Minecraft for the PS4 (no word yet on if it will use the “Minecraft: PS4 Edition” name) will be available during the system’s launch window and will be released sometime between November 15 and December 31.

And N++, the “definitive” ninja platformer from Metanet Software, will also be available for the PS4 this year. It too will be released during the system’s launch window and Metanet has promised a colorful new look for the franchise, which you can get a taste of (thanks to the first teaser trailer) after the break. (more…)

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PS4 will launch on November 15 in North America

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As expected, Sony announced a release date for the PlayStation 4 during their 2013 Gamescom presentation.

The next-generation console will be released in North America on November 15 for $399.99. Two weeks later, November 29, it will make its debut in European countries. During the remainder of 2013, the PS4 will be released in a number of additional countries (32 in all).

According to Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House, more than one million PS4 consoles have already been pre-ordered by gamers around the globe.

[Source: GamesIndustry International]

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See the smarter Sims of The Sims 4 in first gameplay trailer

According to Electronics Arts, life just got better for citizens of The Sims. They’re getting smarter. And more emotional. And more relatable. They might even be able to “experience the excitement and delight of life’s moments.” You can see all of these new attributes in action in the brand new gameplay trailer for The Sims 4, which was released by EA today.

The Sims 4 brings all new ways to play with life. Built on the foundation of a brand new technology platform, the nuance and delight of being human come together to create more intelligent, more emotionally rich and more relatable Sims. These Sims have evolved into beings whose every action is informed and affected by interactions and emotional states. Because players are in control of life’s triumphs and failures, life’s moments make stories richer, Sims more relatable and their homes more personal. Pair these revolutionary new Sims with brand new creative tools that are powerful, agile and tactile, and the result is a provocative new gameplay experience that powers a new era for The Sims.

The Sims 4 will be released exclusively for the PC next year. If you decide to pre-order the game, you’ll receive the upgraded Limited Edition, which includes a special “Life of the Party” DLC pack.

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Reef Entertainment obtains Terminator license

terminatorReef Entertainment obtained the license to produce games based on the Rambo films in 2011 and plans to release Rambo: The Video Game later this year. So what’s next for the UK publisher? Why, another 80s action franchise, of course.

Today, Reef announced that they’ve obtained the license to produce PC and console games based on The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. A spokesman for the company said that developers at Reef are “studying all aspects and influences of the Terminator universe” and that the company wants to “create a game that does great justice to the motion pictures.”

The publisher plans to reveal more details about the first game to emerge from this agreement, which will be titled Terminators, at a later date.

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Xbox One’s launch day lineup includes 23 games

xboxone-logoWe know the Xbox One will be released this November and now we know which games will be available on the launch day.

During their Gamescom 2013 presentation, Microsoft announced that 23 games will be available to purchase on day one. Two of the titles, Watch Dogs and Need For Speed: Rivals, will be released for current generation consoles on November 19, so it’s probably safe to assume that the Xbox One will be released on or after that date.

In another interesting development, the 23 launch day titles might be the only Xbox One games released in 2013. Of the remaining announced titles, every other game is expected to release in 2014 or later.

Expect to see a lot of familiar names in the Xbox One’s launch day lineup including Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, and Dead Rising 3. But there is one unfamiliar title, Peggle 2, which is now a timed Xbox One exclusive. The full list of launch day games can be found after the break. (more…)

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Dead Rising 3 cinematic trailer goes full Romero

Cinematic trailers are a mixed bag. Most of the time, they leave you shaking your head and asking, “Why can’t I do something that cool in the game?” But sometimes, they give you a nice taste of what a game has to offer in a beautiful computer-generated package. This cinematic trailer of Dead Rising 3 belongs to the latter category.

The trailer reintroduces us to the game’s protagonist, Nick Ramos, and introduces us to his “new best friend,” Annie. During the trailer’s four-minute running time, Ramos puts a buzzsaw and a sledgehammer to good use before modifying a motorcycle into a tank, similar to the main characters of the Dawn of the Dead remake. Other Romero touches abound including the memory theory of zombie behavior and the firearms proficiency hinted at in Day of the Dead.

Dead Rising 3 is currently scheduled as an Xbox One launch title and it’ll be released in November.

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Castlevania: Mirror of Fate HD coming to PSN, XBLA in October

castlevaniamirroroffate-hdEarlier this year, 3DS owners got the chance to battle demons and vampires as part of the Belmont clan in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate.

This October, PS3 and Xbox 360 owners will get their turn as Konami has announced plans to bring Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate HD to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade on October 29. The publisher has yet to announce a price for the game.

A Play-Asia listing for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (The Collection) (which includes the original game and both of its DLC updates) indicates that Mirror of Fate HD may be available as a retail release as well.

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