Most Recent: Articles

Hail to Duke Nukem Forever’s Mature rating

Posted on March 2, 2011 by John Scalzo

Every game that has ever been threatened with an Adults Only rating from the ESRB is an amateur next to Duke Nukem Forever. As expected, the ESRB has awarded the game a Mature rating. And the reasons behind the rating have likely got every member of the “Won’t someone think of the children!” brigade salivating at the chance to denounce it in public.

According to the ESRB, Duke Nukem Forever was given a Mature rating for “Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol.” That mouthful is topped by the game’s Rating Summary, which reads like a laundry list of every complaint Fox News has ever lobbed against video games (and then some).

So who wants some? Hit the break to find out exactly why the ESRB gave Duke Nukem Forever a Mature rating. (more…)

Posted in News | Tagged , , ,

Microsoft goes green, begins recycling Gamertags

Posted on March 2, 2011 by John Scalzo

Al Gore would be so proud.

Microsoft (via Major Nelson‘s blog) has announced that they have begun the process of reclaiming long abandoned Xbox Live Gamertags. These usernames will then be recycled and offered up to the community for new subscribers and name changes.

The Major (who styles himself a bit of a necromancer in the blog post) said that additional “zombie Gamertags” will be resurrected everyday. So if there’s a Gamertag you’ve always wanted, check the “Change Gamertag” section under the Xbox Channel on your console now.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 |

June release scared up for Alice: Madness Returns, Shadows of the Damned

Posted on March 2, 2011 by John Scalzo

This June is going to be a scary time, that is if EA has anything to say about it. The megapublisher used the Game Developers Conference to reveal when two of their scariest games will be in stores.

Shadows of the Damned is the brainchild of Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil) and Suda 51 (No More Heroes), so you know it’ll be pretty disturbing. We also now know that the PS3 and Xbox 360 game will be released on June 7.

A week later, on June 14, EA will push Alice: Madness Returns out the door. The PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 sequel to the classic American McGee’s Alice is being developed by Spicy Horse under McGee’s supervision. It also has the freakiest trailer I’ve seen this year.

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Watch the Catherine announcement trailer

Posted on March 2, 2011 by John Scalzo

How’s your morning going? Good? Still a little tired? Well, after you watch Atlus’ North American announcement trailer for Catherine, you’ll never sleep again. If the rather disturbing imagery didn’t scare you away, you’ll be glad to know that Catherine is scheduled to ship sometime this Summer on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

As for me, I’ll be hiding from the sheepmen.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

PixelJunk Shooter 2, Vagrant Story added to PlayStation Store

Posted on March 1, 2011 by John Scalzo

Q-Games’ manic shooting series returns to the PS3 in this week’s PlayStation Store update. PixelJunk Shooter 2 promises to be bigger than the first game with plenty of new weapons and new levels.

Also available this week, on the PSon Classics store, is the Square Enix RPG Vagrant Story. Like most JRPGs from the PSone era, Vagrant Story has been a nightmare to find on the used market, so its great to see its inclusion as a PSone Classic.

Finally, PlayStation Plus subscribers will be getting a quartet of free games this week including the first Sega Genesis Classic, Sonic the Hedgehog. Another classic game, this one a PSone Classic, going free this week is Spyro: Year of the Dragon.

Also available this week for Plus subscribers is a full-game sneak peek at two upcoming PSP Minis. There’s the retro-themed platformer Pix’n Love Rush from Sanuk Games and the puzzle game Enigmo from Beatshapers.

More information on this week’s new releases can be found after the break and details on all of this week’s game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation.Blog. (more…)

Posted in News, PS3, PSP | Tagged ,

Digital Chocolate bringing three launch titles to Xperia Play

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Social gaming studio Digital Chocolate announced today that three of their most popular products are being brought to Sony’s Xperia Play as launch titles. The games include: addictive sidescroller Rollercoaster Revolution 99 Tracks, puzzle/strategy game Tower Bloxx: My City, and a special Xperia Play version of Millionaire City, one of the top ten biggest games on Facebook. While Rollercoaster Revolution, Tower Bloxx, and Millionaire City aren’t exactly Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, and Grand Theft Auto, it’s good to see support from the sectors that are going to play a large role in the device’s mass market appeal.

The Xperia Play will release this month in the U.S. and will be coming first to Verizon.

Posted in Mobile, News |

Ms. Splosion Man gameplay footage is off the charts

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

It seems like just yesterday Splosion Man was blowing up on XBLA, but Twisted Pixel clearly wasted no time crafting an equally explosive sequel with Ms. Splosion Man. Above you can see the lady herself doing what she does best, all the while saying catchy phrases like “word up.” The video above was released during GDC, hopefully we’ll have some more information come PAX East.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 |

Rift opening on PCs today, editions and pricing plans spout forth

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

We’ve been hearing about Rift for a while, but today Trion Worlds proudly announced the launch of their first game. This ambitious new MMORPG has players taking on the role of an Ascended hero brought back from the beyond to save a world under siege. The folks at Trion Worlds are really pushing this one, hoping it will raise the bar for the genre, boasting “unprecedented freedom of choice and epic social events in an ever-evolving world of dynamic conflict,” as stated by CEO Lars Buttler of Trion Games. The game is available in standard, digital collector’s, and retail collector’s editions for $49.99, $59.99, and $79.99, respectively. The monthly subscription fee is $14.99 a month with a special “Founders Pricing” plan allowing you to pay $9.99 each for a bundle of months.

I’m personally pleased to see this up and coming publisher release their first game, we all at Warp Zoned wish the best for Trion Worlds during this exciting time. Regrettably they won’t have a booth this year at PAX East but stay tuned for more information on their other exciting game, End of Nations, from the minds who brought you the original Command & Conquer games.

Posted in News |