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.

Medal of Honor Warfighter, Killzone HD, Unfinished Swan, more added to PS Store

Posted on October 24, 2012 by John Scalzo

Another strong week of PlayStation Store additions is upon us.

This week, the PS3 Full Games section is now home to EA’s Medal of Honor: Warfighter and 2K’s The Darkness II.

On the PSN side of things, there’s the artistic surrealism of The Unfinished Swan and the gray and brown post-apocalypticism of Killzone HD.

Vita gamers will get a chance to try out several new games this week, but Street Fighter X Tekken leads the pack.

And finally, the PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale beta is now open for all. It’ll be accessible for PS3 and Vita players until Tuesday, October 30 at midnight (Pacific Time).

As always, more information on all of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. The PlayStation Blog also has a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons, demos, and videos. (more…)

Posted in News, PS3, Vita | Tagged , ,

Wii U demo stations now available at Target; pre-order program begins

Posted on October 24, 2012 by John Scalzo

Did you miss out on pre-ordering a Wii U from GameStop back in September? Well, good news! Target has announced plans to open their Wii U pre-order program this week, but you better hurry, “because quantities are limited.”

According to the announcement, Wii U pre-orders can be placed “at your local Target store,” so those hoping to snag a Wii U without leaving their house are likely out of luck.

The retailer has also revealed that over 1,000 Wii U demo stations have been set up at Target stores across the country. So if you haven’t tried out Nintendo’s next console yet, now’s your chance.

So, as is the theme of this news post, you better hurry!

Posted in News, Wii U |

Apple officially announces iPad Mini

Posted on October 23, 2012 by John Scalzo

After all the endless speculation (I swear, it feels like I’ve been hearing about it since last year), Apple officially announced the iPad Mini at a media event today.

Clocking in at 7.9 diagonal inches, Apple is touting the tablet as “Every inch an iPad,” even though they’ve lopped off a little over two inches from the device. That said, the iPad Mini will run every iOS app, even those designed exclusively for the iPad. It’s spec sheet promises a 10-hour battery life, 5 MP camera, access to Siri, and support for the new Lightning connector. The Mini is also, obviously, the thinnest and lightest iPad yet.

The iPad Mini will be available on November 2 (pre-orders begin this Friday, October 26) in either black or white. Six different hardware configurations will be available, including:

  • $329 – 16GB Wi-Fi
  • $429 – 32GB Wi-Fi
  • $459 – 16GB Wi-Fi + Cellular
  • $529 – 64GB Wi-Fi
  • $559 – 32GB Wi-Fi + Cellular
  • $659 – 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular

A complete rundown of the iPad Mini’s specs and a comparison between the three iPad models can be found at Apple.com.

Posted in Mobile, News |

Microsoft expands Xbox 360 console subscription service

Posted on October 23, 2012 by John Scalzo

When Microsoft announced their subscription-subsidized Xbox 360 contract in May, the offer was limited to the 4GB model and only available within the walls of a Microsoft Store. Today, the company has revealed plans to expand the service to multiple Xbox 360 models and open up sales to outside retailers.

Now known as the “Xbox 360 Entertainment For All Plan,” gamers will have the option of selecting one of three different Xbox 360 models for their two-year contract. They include the 4GB With Kinect ($99 + $15/month XBL Gold Contract), the 250GB ($99 + $15/month XBL Gold Contract), and the 250GB With Kinect ($149 + $15/month XBL Gold Contract).

Over the life of the two-year subscription, the total cost to purchasers would be $40 (on the 4GB With Kinect/250GB models) or $70 (on the 250GB With Kinect model) more than the regular purchase price. But, of course, you won’t have to pay it all up front.

Multiple retailers will soon begin to offer the Xbox 360 Entertainment For All Plan, with Microsoft saying on their official website, “Please check back later to see a full list of participating retailers.”

UPDATE: Microsoft has released the list of “Xbox 360 Entertainment For All Plan” retailers and it includes GameStop, Toys R Us, Best Buy, and Walmart.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 |

Square Enix becomes first publisher to license Unreal Engine 4

Posted on October 23, 2012 by John Scalzo

Square Enix has become the first outside publisher to license Epic’s Unreal Engine 4. The deal allows Square Enix to create multiple titles using both Unreal Engine 3 and Unreal Engine 4 at any of their internal studios.

“Epic has a strong relationship with Square Enix, and it’s an honor to provide their creative and technical talent with the best game technology available for licensing,” said Taka Kawasaki, territory manager of Epic Games Japan. “We look forward to supporting their developers with world-class tools for years to come.”

Normally known for creating their own internal engines, Square Enix has dabbled with using Unreal Engine 3 in the past, including last year’s Demons’ Score as well as 2008’s The Last Remnant. Fortnite, the first game designed using Unreal Engine 4, is currently in development at Epic Games and has a planned 2013 release.

Posted in News |

Borderlands Legends coming to iOS this month

Posted on October 22, 2012 by John Scalzo

The original vault hunters from Borderlands (Brick, Lilith, Mordecai, and Roland) are coming back for another round of ridiculous shooting action in Borderlands Legends for the iPad/iPhone/iTouch. The existence of the app was confirmed thanks to a post on the Gearbox Software Forums.

Borderlands Legends will be available in October (hey, that’s this month!) and will offer “randomized missions, thousands of different weapons, 36 unique powers and abilities, and a strategic cover system.”

All of these bullet points will be in support of “Fight For Your Life Mode,” a survival shooter where players have to battle wave after wave of Pandoran enemies.

Posted in Mobile, News | Tagged

Nippon Ichi announces Disgaea Dimension 2 for PS3

Posted on October 22, 2012 by John Scalzo

After several sequels starring new characters and taking the story in new directions, Nippon Ichi is bringing back Laharl for the upcoming Disgaea Dimension 2, a direct sequel to 2003’s Disgaea: Hour of Darkness.

Disgaea Dimension 2 will be available on Japanese store shelves for the PS3 on March 20, 2013. A North American release date has yet to be announced, but NIS America hasn’t confined a single game in the franchise to Japan, so it’s only a matter of time.

[Source: Siliconera]

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged

Walking Dead Collector’s Edition includes 1088-page comic compendium

Posted on October 22, 2012 by John Scalzo

Telltale’s season one compilation of The Walking Dead will arrive in stores for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on December 4. But if you happen to find yourself inside a GameStop between now and then, you can also pre-order a special Collector’s Edition of the adventure game.

Priced at $69.99 and available only by pre-ordering, The Walking Dead: Collector’s Edition includes a PS3 or Xbox 360 game disc, a colorful box with artwork by Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard, and an exclusive edition of The Walking Dead: Compendium One. Compendium One is the 1088-page collected edition of the first 48 issues of the comic series and this exclusive version of the book includes a new cover with art by Adlard.

Compendium One‘s retail price is $59.99 by itself (though you can get it from Amazon for under $35), so this Collector’s Edition is a pretty good deal if you want to explore the origins of the comic series. Though exclusive cover art has certainly lured a comic fan or two to unnecessarily empty their wallet over the years.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged