Most Recent: Articles

Online retailer to share part of used game profits with publishers

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Melissa Niedringhaus

It’s a well known fact that video game publishers have never been comfortable with the used game side of video game retail. In recent years, publishers have even gone so far as to create counter measures against used game sales like restricted downloadable content or codes to play online.

A new online retailer, EKGaming.com, wants to change all of that and create a “healthy circle of life” for video games. EKG plans to do business completely online instead of having brick and mortar locations so it can keep it’s overhead low, and pass those savings onto consumers in the form of higher trade-in value for games, and share 10% of used game sales with publishers.

Mike Kennedy, CEO of EKG, thinks putting more money into publisher’s pockets could generate more willingness to take risks on new and exciting IPs, “Publishers are spending record amounts of cash on new game development. This increase in dev costs is steering them in directions that don’t necessarily jive with gamers, causing them to take less risks on new and potentially exciting IP’s or game mechanics and sticking with tried and true properties that are more of a guarantee.”

EKG is in the beta stage, and hopes to partner with a local big box retailer to allow gamers to trade in games and have immediate access to new ones, while the used games are funneled through EKG’s online marketplace.

Posted in News |

Double Dragon: Neon Interview: Mixing It Up With Majesco’s Pete Rosky

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Warp Zoned Staff

A surefire way to build buzz for your retro-tinged throwback game is to announce that it’ll be playable on the PAX show floor just a few hours before the doors open. It worked for Duke Nukem Forever at PAX Prime 2010 and it worked for Double Dragon: Neon, which made its debut at this year’s PAX East.

After getting some hands-on time with the game, we were able to sit down with Pete Rosky, an Assistant Product Manager at Majesco, the game’s publisher. During our short chat, we talked about the genesis of the game, weapons, enemies, and a certain actress who everyone agrees is the boss. (more…)

Posted in Features, Interviews, Previews, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

Max Payne 3 system requirements, new PC screens released

Posted on April 23, 2012 by John Scalzo

Even though it’s launching two weeks after the PS3/Xbox 360 versions, don’t think Rockstar is putting any less effort into the PC version of Max Payne 3. Today, the publisher released the system requirements for the game as well as a trio of dazzling new screenshots.

Here are the minimum and recommended system specifications for Max Payne 3:

  • Operating System: Windows 7 32/64 Service Pack 1, Windows Vista 32/64 Service Pack 2, Windows XP 32/64 Service Pack 3
  • Processor: Intel Dual Core 2.4 GHZ – i7 3930K 6 Core x 3.06 GHZ / AMD Dual Core 2.6 GHZ – FX8150 8 Core x 3.6 GHZ
  • RAM: 2GB – 16GB
  • Video Card: NVIDIA 8600 GT 512MB VRAM – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB VRAM / Radeon HD 3400 512MB VRAM – Radeon HD 7970 3GB VRAM
  • Sound Card: 100% Direct X 9.0 compatible – Direct X 9.0 compatible supporting Dolby Digital Live
  • HDD Space: 35 GB
  • DVD Drive: Required With Retail Version

And be sure to hit the jump for a look at the new screenshots. (more…)

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

Trials Evolution sets one-day XBLA sales record

Posted on April 23, 2012 by John Scalzo

Trials HD has consistently been a part of Major Nelson’s weekly XBLA top 20 for years now. So demand for the sequel, Trials Evolution, was (if you’ll excuse the pun) riding high. Just how high? The motorcycle racer from RedLynx has set a new one-day Xbox Live Arcade sales record.

Specific sales numbers weren’t released, but according to Microsoft, Trials Evolution set a record for highest-grossing one-day sales. And believe it or not, but the game’s Leaderboards actually crashed after more than 100,000 players added their best times on Wednesday. Wow.

Congratulation to the team at RedLynx, they’ve earned it.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Double Dragon: Neon Hands-On Preview: WayForward Loves the 80s

Posted on April 23, 2012 by John Scalzo

Pretend it’s 1987 and you’re all hopped up on Nerds, Airheads, and Pop Rocks. The bright colors of the candy (and the sugar, always remember the sugar) has started to seep into your brain as you approach a new game in your favorite arcade: Double Dragon. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen. There are street punks and… a chick with a whip and… whoa, does that guy have a knife? Now I have the knife! As the candy does its thing, it’s now 2012 and the neon has disappeared from the world, but it remains in Double Dragon: Neon, a downloadable tribute to the original arcade game that’ll be available this Summer. (more…)

Posted in Previews, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

Batman: Arkham City GOTY Edition coming May 29, contains Harley Quinn’s Revenge DLC

Posted on April 23, 2012 by John Scalzo

WB Games and developer Rocksteady Studios have announced a Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on May 29.

The GOTY Edition will include all five previously released DLC packs along with a new expansion, “Harley Quinn’s Revenge.” In true GOTY Edition style, the package will also contain 12 skins for Batman, Robin, Catwoman, and Nightwing and a downloadable copy of the animated film Batman: Year One.

If you already own Arkham City and are only interested in “Harley Quinn’s Revenge,” it’ll also be available on May 29 as a separate download on the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace.

If you’re interested in a complete list of the DLC expansions and character skins the Batman: Arkham City GOTY Edition will contain, you can find it after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

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 |