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Insert Quarter: A Profile of the Video Game Archivists at the Library of Congress

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Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.

With more than 6,000 titles, the Library of Congress is home to one of the largest video game archives in the world. But the curation and management of the collection is in the hands of just four part-time employees. BuzzFeed’s Joseph Bernstein reached out to these four men to learn how the Library of Congress is attempting to preserve America’s gaming heritage and how much more still needs to be done:

No, the work of game copyrighting and archiving at our country’s signal institution for cultural preservation is not done by a dedicated full-time staff. Instead, it’s the passion project of a handful of archivists who want to be the new standard-bearers in the preservation of video games. Indeed, the state of video game collection at the Library is something of an expression of the liminal state of video games in American popular culture writ large. The Library recognizes the cultural importance of video games, but only devotes four people part-time to their archiving; Game companies insist that their products are the medium of the future, but don’t trust archives with their source code; Collectors sell their troves on Craigslist and eBay rather than considering donation.

Even to get to this point, though, has been a journey in and of itself.

You can read the rest of the article at BuzzFeed.

Posted in 3DS, DS, Insert Quarter, Mobile, PC, PS2, PS3, PS4, PSP, Retro, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One |

Transformers: Dark Spark, Valiant Hearts, Grid: Autosport, more added to PS Store

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We’re getting an incredibly diverse selection of new games in this week’s PlayStation Store update.

The biggest new game is Activision’s latest Transformers adaptation, Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark. The title merges the Transformers movieverse with High Moon’s popular War For/Fall of Cybertron games, though Edge of Reality is the developer on this installment. Rise of the Dark Spark is available to download for the PS3 and PS4.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum from gigantic robots bashing each other is Ubisoft’s Valiant Hearts: The Great War. This puzzle platformer, which is also available for the PS3 and PS4, is set during World War I and features a unique hand-drawn art style.

Other new releases available this week include…

  • Grid: Autosport (PS3), the latest installment in Codemasters’ popular racing series.
  • BlazBlue: Chronophantasma, a Vita release of the one-on-one fighting game.
  • XBlaze Code: Embryo (PS3, Vita), a visual novel prequel to the BlazBlue series.
  • Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon (PS2 Classic), the cult RPG series is back with another classic entry.

More information on all of these games (as well as a few others) can be found after the break. And a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)

Posted in News, PS3, PS4, PSP, Vita | Tagged , , , ,

Final Fantasy Type-0 and Final Fantasy Agito announced for North America

FFT0North American Final Fantasy fans can finally rejoice: Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy Type-0 and Final Fantasy Agito are finally coming to our shores. Final Fantasy Type-0 was only available on the PSP in Japan, but will be coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One remastered in HD. Final Fantasy Agito, meanwhile, will be coming to iOS and Android devices.

Hajime Tabata, Final Fantasy Type-0’s director, said, “The voice of our Western fans was instrumental in the development of Final Fantasy Type-0, and we’re very excited to release this title soon… The new PlayStation 4 system and Xbox One gaming and entertainment platform have really helped to re-envision this dynamic and turbulent world of Orience [the setting of both games].”

Neither game has a confirmed release date yet, though Square Enix did say that Final Fantasy Agito will be a free download with in-app purchases.

Hit the jump for the full press release. (more…)

Posted in Mobile, News, PS4, PSP, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Harold Ramis, the man who gave the world Ghostbusters, has died

haroldramisThis is only tangentially related to video games, but it would be a huge disservice for Warp Zoned to ignore today’s passing of one of the greatest comedic minds of the 1980s and 1990s: Harold Ramis. Ramis died this morning due to complications from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a rare disease that affects the blood vessels. He was 69.

Ramis is best known to film fans for his appearance in 1984’s Ghostbusters as Dr. Egon Spengler. He also co-wrote the film and reprised the role in 1989’s Ghostbusters II. In 2009, he and writing partner Dan Aykroyd would team up again to resurrect the paranormal scientists in Atari’s Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Once again slipping into the character’s signature deadpan delivery, Ramis provided vocals for Egon in the game.

In addition to the Ghostbusters franchise, Ramis was responsible for more than a few movies you may have heard of. He wrote and starred in Stripes, wrote National Lampoon’s Animal House, directed National Lampoon’s Vacation, and wrote and directed Caddyshack and Groundhog Day. If you took a regular Twinkie and said that it represented the career of your average writer/director/actor, Harold Ramis’ Twinkie would be 35 feet long and weigh approximately 600 pounds. In other words, that’s a big Twinkie.

Our thoughts go out to the Ramis family.

Posted in Etcetera, News, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Don’t Starve, Tiny Brains PS3, more added to PS Store

playstationstorelogoSony has posted their weekly update to the PlayStation Store and PS4 gamers now have a chance to play the acclaimed indie Don’t Starve. In addition to Klei’s survival game, this week’s update includes:

  • Tiny Brains for the PS3… The puzzle game is part of Sony’s Cross-Buy program, so if you previously purchased the PS4 version, you’ll receive this one for free.
  • Twisted Lands: Shadow Town… A hidden object game for the PS3.
  • StreetKix: Freestyle… A street soccer game for the PSP.

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

Posted in News, PS3, PS4, PSP | Tagged

FIFA 14, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, more added to PS Store

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It’s soccer day on the PlayStation Network as Sony has added EA Sports’ FIFA 14 and Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 to the PlayStation Store. EA Sports has kicked FIFA 14 onto all three Sony platforms (the PS3, Vita, and PSP) while Konami has focused on just the PS3 for Pro Evolution Soccer 2014. Though it should be noted that the PSP and Vita versions of FIFA 14 carry the “Legacy Edition” subtitle to let gamers know they’re the same game as FIFA Soccer 13, just with updated rosters.

Also available for the PS3 this week is From Software’s latest mech warfare title, Armored Core: Victory Day; the Kung Fu Factory-developed all-girl fighting game, Game Fight; and two PS2 Classics: The Mark of Kri and Tokobot Plus: Mysteries of the Karakuri.

Finally, Lone Survivor: The Director’s Cut, “a new kind of adventure where the choice of how to survive is up to you,” is available to download as a PS3/Vita Cross-Buy title.

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

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

PSN Today: Madden NFL 25, Final Fantasy XIV, Lost Planet 3, more

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A quintet of new PS3 releases have made their way to the PlayStation Store on the same day as their retail release.

The games include Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Square Enix’s second shot at an MMORPG; Lost Planet 3, the latest entry in Capcom’s alien ice planet action series; Hatsune Miku Project Diva F, a rhythm game from Sega; Killer Is Dead, the latest game from Suda 51; and Madden NFL 25, EA Sports’ annual prfessional football simulation.

Also available this week is Spelunky, a quirky platformer that comes to the PSN and PS Vita as a Cross-Buy title, and Sweet Fuse: At Your Side, a PSP game where you play as Keiji Inafune’s niece. Sure, why not?

More information on all of these titles (and several others) can be found after the break. And, as always, a complete list of this week’s new game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)

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

New Releases: Madden NFL 25, Final Fantasy XIV, Lost Planet 3, More

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Are you ready for some football? EA Sports’ annual gridiron game, Madden NFL 25, is in stores for the PS3 and Xbox 360 this week. A next generation version for the PS4 and Xbox One will be available in November.

“Made in Japan” is the theme for the rest of this week’s releases as Square Enix will bring their rebuilt MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn to the PC and, for the first time, the PS3. The psychotically-minded Suda 51 also has a new game this week as XSEED Games will publish his Killer Is Dead for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Finally, Capcom is bringing back the Lost Planet series in Lost Planet 3 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

More new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

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