Daily Scoop – November 13, 2012 – Back from MEPACon!

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Nicole Kline

I have returned! I was gone for the last few days at MEPACon, the Mid-Eastern Pennsylvania Gaming Convention. I went just to play a lot of fourth edition D&D, but people were playing Pathfinder and other tabletop RPGs as well, and there was also an entire room dedicated to nothing but board games. We ended up playing seven mods total over three days, which was exhausting. I spent the day yesterday just trying to recover from it all! And, sadly, doing laundry. Oh, and playing Plants vs. Zombies on my iPad. Anthony found out I had never played it before and forced it upon me. Hours later, I resurfaced, and I felt enlightened.

So, what’s up with the deals, you ask? Well, Amazon’s having a sports game deal: Buy Two EA Sports Games, Get One Free. Oh, and that sale on Xbox 360 consoles is still going strong, so if you’re like my friend, who has had six 360s red ring on him, you might want to stock up. Other than being tempted by that deal, I also really want to buy Saints Row The Third: The Full Package. Yikes! Stop it, gaming industry! I am already broke and have a huge backlog.

And now for the t-shirts!

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Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

PlayStation Plus comes to Vita on November 19 with 2.00 system update

Posted on November 13, 2012 by John Scalzo

Vita owners will finally get the chance to make use of Sony’s PlayStation Plus program on November 19. The premium service will be expanded to include the handheld as part of the Vita’s next system update (2.00).

As previously announced, the popular “Instant Game Collection” will come to the Vita in a big way with six games available for download in the first month. The initial “Instant Game Collection” includes Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Jet Set Radio HD, Wipeout 2048, Gravity Rush, and Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack!, as well as the PSP title Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions.

Even with the inclusion of Vita games to the “Instant Game Collection,” a PlayStation Plus subscription remains $17.99 for the three-month plan and $49.99 for a year.

Besides the addition of PlayStation Plus, additional functionality will be added to the Vita in the 2.00 update:

  • Email: Check read and send email directly from PS Vita
  • Content Management: Wirelessly transfer content between PS Vita and PC in addition to browsing folders on PS3/PC and copying them to PS Vita
  • PSone Classics: Now assign controller buttons to touchscreen, rear touch pad and buttons with select games on the PS Vita system
  • PSone Classics: Custom screen mode option for flexible screen size adjustment
  • Web Browser: Enhanced performance of the web browser along with improved support of HTML 5 and JavaScript
  • Web Browser: Ability to “Tweet” web page addresses
Posted in News, Vita | Tagged , , ,

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm to be released on March 12; Collector’s Edition announced

Posted on November 13, 2012 by John Scalzo

A few days after confirming that StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm wouldn’t be released in 2012, Blizzard has announced that the expansion will make its way into stores on March 12, 2013.

As is customary with Blizzard releases, Heart of the Swarm will be available in three different packages next year. The standard edition will be priced at $39.99, the Digital Deluxe version will carry a $20 premium at $59.99, and the Collector’s Edition will be the most expensive at $79.99. Starting today, players can pre-order the game now from StarCraft2.com as either a DVD-ROM or a digital download.

Hit the jump for a sneak peek at the contents of the game’s Digital Deluxe version and Collector’s Edition.

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Posted in News, PC | Tagged

DMC: Devil May Cry getting Vergil-focused DLC chapter

Posted on November 13, 2012 by John Scalzo

DMC: Devil May Cry, Ninja Theory’s reboot of the Devil May Cry franchise, is still on track for a January 15, 2013 release on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Today, Capcom announced that players who pre-order the game from GameStop (USA) or EB Games (Canada) will be able to download an additional bonus chapter, featuring Dante’s brother Vergil, for free.

“Vergil’s Downfall” will be available shortly after the game’s release and will contain “hours of new gameplay, new enemies, and weapons and combos that are unique to Vergil.”

If you’d prefer not to pre-order the game but still want to slice and dice demons as Vergil, you’ll be able to. “Vergil’s Downfall” will be offered as a separate download for $8.99 (720 Microsoft Points).

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Black Friday Game Deals 2012: Target

Posted on November 13, 2012 by John Scalzo

It’s time to start planning your holiday shopping strategy as all the major retailers have begun to release their Black Friday ads.

Target will open its doors on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, at 9 PM. Once inside, you’ll be treated to discounts on every console and handheld that’s not named the Wii U (I expect these discounts to be pop up at a lot of stores) as well as free gift cards with the purchase of Assassin’s Creed III, Halo 4, and Forza Horizon.

Target’s ad only listed a portion of the games they’ll have on sale as the retailer promised “more titles” would be discounted to $10, $15, $25, or $35 in addition to the ones shown.

But hit the break for a complete list of all the games we know for sure will be on sale on Black Friday.

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Posted in 3DS, DS, News, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 |

Weekly Warp-Up: Pinballing Through the Week

Posted on November 11, 2012 by John Scalzo

No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…

We sat down with Rob Mann, the Community Manager at FarSight Studios, this week and got him to open up about the company’s multiplatform hit, The Pinball Arcade.

The golden age of pinball might be over, but that hasn’t stopped FarSight from creating epic simulations of some of the greatest tables ever built. Mann talked about the company’s next DLC pack (which includes a table based on Star Trek: The Next Generation) as well as troubles with the 3DS version and a progress report on the Wii U version. If you love pinball, this interview is for you.

Hit the break for the rest of the Weekly Warp-Up, which is pinball free.

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Posted in News |

New Releases: CoD Black Ops II, Lego Lord of the Rings, Paper Mario Sticker Star, More

Posted on November 11, 2012 by John Scalzo

It’s the second week of November and that means that Activision is finally ready to release Call of Duty: Black Ops II for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. A Vita-exclusive spinoff, Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, will also be available in stores this week.

If the future warfare of the biggest first person shooter series on the planet doesn’t sway you, there are plenty of other family-friendly options this week including Lego Lord of the Rings (PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360), Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS), Scribblenauts Unlimited (3DS), and Wonderbook: Book of Spells (PS3).

And if you’re looking for something as far removed from Call of Duty as possible, might I suggest the Midway Arcade Origins compilation for the PS3 and Xbox 360. It contains over 30 games, including classics such as Rampage, Joust, and Smash TV, which was cruelly pulled from the Xbox Live Arcade a few years back and is now available on HD systems once again.

Even more new releases can be found after the break.

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Posted in 3DS, DS, News, PC, PS3, Vita, Wii, Xbox 360 | Tagged , , , , , ,

GTA5 has three playable characters, bigger than San Andreas, RDR, GTA4 combined

Posted on November 10, 2012 by John Scalzo

It looks like the rumors are true. Game Informer‘s cover story is now live for digital subscribers and we’ve learned that Grand Theft Auto V will include three playable characters that players can switch between at any time.

Michael is a retired bank robber who has gotten back into the game to prop up his upper middle class lifestyle. On the opposite side, Trevor is a low-life criminal who lives in a “desert ghetto.” The third character, Franklin, is a young guy who works as a repo man, using his job to steal from the citizens of Los Santos. Each character will have different strengths and skills and when you’re not using them, they’ll go on with their lives.

They will live these lives in a world that is said to be bigger than Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas combined. In addition to the streets and alleyways of Los Santos, GTA5 will also include underwater locations and a bevy of activities (yoga, triathlon, jet-skiing, BASE jumping, tennis, and golf). Finally, like Red Dead Redemption, hitchhikers will offer you missions if you pick them up.

Grand Theft Auto V will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in Spring 2013. A new trailer will be released next week.

[Source: G4TV]

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged