Rayman Legends will arrive on Wii U in early 2013

Posted on October 8, 2012 by John Scalzo

Rayman Legends was previously pegged as a “launch window” title for the Wii U, which put its released date anywhere from late November to March 31, 2013. Today, in a statement to VideoGamer.com, Ubisoft confirmed that we definitely won’t be playing it until early 2013:

“Rayman Legends will launch worldwide in the first quarter of 2013. We’re happy that fans are excited about the game, and we are taking the time to make sure we deliver a game that lives up to and hopefully exceeds their expectations. We’ll have more details to share soon.”

But don’t worry, Ubisoft still has a full slate of day one Wii U titles scheduled for November 18 including Assassin’s Creed III, Just Dance 4, and ZombiU.

Posted in News, Wii U | Tagged

Angry Birds Star Wars is real and is out on November 8

Posted on October 8, 2012 by John Scalzo

As expected, the Lucasfilm/Rovio alliance has produced a series of Star Wars-themed Angry Birds toys which will be available in stores soon. Over the next few weeks we can expect to see an action figure line, a series of plush toys, an AT-AT Attack Battle board game, and a Jenga Death Star board game.

Do you have a bad feeling about this? You shouldn’t, because…

In a pleasant surprise, Angry Birds Star Wars is in development for iOS and Android platforms and will be available on November 8. The game will feature birdy versions of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca along with piggy versions of Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers. And hopefully the slingshot Lightsaber in the teaser trailer above will make an appearance too.

Posted in Mobile, News | Tagged ,

More on Sony’s “Kevin Butler” lawsuit

Posted on October 7, 2012 by John Scalzo

Speaking to Kotaku, Sony has revealed a few more details about their lawsuit against Bridgestone and Jerry Lambert, the actor who plays Kevin Butler in a series of very popular PlayStation commercials.

Expanding on their earlier charge of trademark infringement, Sony believes that Bridgestone and Lambert are guilty of “misappropriation, breach of contract and tortious interference with a contractual relationship.” Their lawsuit hinges on their belief that Bridgestone “[used] the Kevin Butler character to sell products other than those from PlayStation.”

Sony might have a case as the Bridgestone ads (which feature Mario Kart Wii) began a few days before the announcement of a Kevin Butler DLC Pack for this November’s LittleBigPlanet Karting. However, nowhere in the Bridgestone (which appears online now only in edited form) ad was Lambert’s character referred to as “Kevin Butler.”

Sony’s full statement can be found after the break.

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Posted in News, PS3, Wii |

MLB 12: The Show gets price drop, predicts Orioles/Nationals World Series

Posted on October 7, 2012 by John Scalzo

Sony has slashed the price on MLB 12: The Show just in time for the playoffs. The PS3 version will now feature a $29.99 price while the Vita version is a steal worthy of Rickey Henderson at $19.99. And speaking of the playoffs, ESPN called up the popular sports series as well for an article simulating this year’s Divison Series and Championship Series matchups.

In the National League playoffs, the ESPN simulation expects the Cincinnati Reds to cruise to a 3-0 sweep over the San Francisco Giants while the Washington Nationals will win out over the St. Louis Cardinals in a 3-2 series victory. Things will go much easier for the Nationals in the NLCS as the team formerly known as the Montreal Expos will advance to their first World Series after a 4-0 sweep of the Reds.

Over in the Junior Circuit (the American League), the Detroit Tigers will take down the Oakland A’s with a 3-2 series victory. Meanwhile the New York Yankees [spit] will be beat by the Baltimore Orioles three games to one. The Orioles will continue their Cinderella run with a 4-0 sweep of the Tigers in the ALCS.

So… Nationals-Orioles… who ya got?

Posted in News, PS3, Vita | Tagged

Weekly Warp-Up: Goodbye CliffyB

Posted on October 7, 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…

Ladies and gentlemen, I open this Weekly Warp-Up with some sad news. In case you haven’t heard, Cliff Bleszinski has left Epic Games. The Gears of War guy was one of gaming’s most outsized personalities and I’m going to miss his annual appearances at E3 (usually holding some kind of comically oversized prop gun). Adios CliffyB, and here’s hoping you come back soon.

Now then, let’s look to the future with The Games of October 2012, including Dishonored, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Pokemon Black 2/Pokemon White 2, and many, many more.

And in case you’re curious, the Warp Zoned staff also looked back on What We Played in September 2012. Hint, it was a lot of Borderlands 2.

If you’re still mourning over the retirement of CliffyB, I understand. But if you want more news, hit the jump for the rest of the Weekly Warp-Up.

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Posted in News |

New Releases: Dishonored, XCOM Enemy Unknown, Just Dance 4, More

Posted on October 7, 2012 by John Scalzo

This week’s new releases will sneak up on us like a ghostly assassin in a steampunk setting. If that analogy seems oddly specific to you, might I point you towards Dishonored (PC, PS3, Xbox 360), a stealth game that has more than a few gamers giddy with anticipation.

Speaking of stealth, this week also sees the release of 2K’s XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) reboot. Developed by Firaxis, sneaking up on some aliens and giving them the “Welcome to Earth” treatment should be a hoot.

Also available this week is the dancefloor shenanigans of Just Dance 4 (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360) and a trio of Kinect adventures for the Xbox 360: Harry Potter For Kinect, Dragon Ball Z For Kinect, and Fable: The Journey. Maybe I’m just not seeing the big picture, but why would publishers release four of the biggest Kinect games of the Fall on the same day?

Finally, for those looking for a little handheld excitement, Atlus is bringing the action RPG Code of Princess to the 3DS.

Hit the jump for more of this week’s new releases.

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

Actor who plays Kevin Butler is being sued by Sony

Posted on October 7, 2012 by John Scalzo

If you watched TV last month, you likely saw Sony’s fictional spokesman, Kevin Butler (AKA actor Jerry Lambert), in a commercial for Bridgestone’s “Buy Four Tires, Get a Wii” promotion. While “Kevin Butler” was never a real person, he’s become the closest thing to a mascot Sony’s had this generation. So it was rather chuckle-worthy to see him, even indirectly, shilling for Nintendo.

But Sony doesn’t think it’s a laughing matter. The consolemaker has decided to sue Lambert, through his company Wildcat Creek, and Bridgestone for trademark infringement. And they’ve likely got a pretty good case too as Lambert’s portrayal of a Bridgestone pitchman (which began on August 27) overlaps with the most recent updates on the “Kevin Butler” Twitter feed (the last one was on August 31).

As of this writing, GameStop is still offering the “Kevin Butler DLC Pack” as a pre-order bonus for gamers who purchase LittleBigPlanet Karting.

[Source: Kotaku]

Posted in News, PS3, Wii |

XBLA Yesterday: Sonic Adventure 2, Nights Into Dreams

Posted on October 6, 2012 by John Scalzo

Microsoft has been so consistent with their “Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays” thing that it’s easy to forget they occasionally do Friday updates as well. Yesterday was one such Friday, as two Sega classics were added to the XBLA.

Sonic Adventure 2 is now available in glorious high definition for 800 Microsoft Points ($10). However, if you’re also looking for the special Battle Mode bonus content that was created for the GameCube re-release, that’s part of a separate DLC pack.

In the fight between heroes and villains, will you choose to save the world or conquer it? The hunt for the Chaos Emeralds is on and battle lines have been drawn between Hero and Dark. Experience two unique adventures featuring both long-time heroes and new and returning villains as they battle for the fate of the world! Sonic Adventure 2 makes its return on Xbox LIVE Arcade with a full cast of playable heroes and villains, exciting two-player competitive modes, Chao Gardens, and more than 30 action-packed stages, all remastered in HD!

Also available this week is Nights Into Dreams. The Saturn cult classic has been priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10) and includes the Christmas Nights expansion. Oh Sega, so greedy and so generous at the same time.

Slip off into the dream world and go on an aerial adventure as Nights in this classic Saturn remake. Collect Ideya (colored orbs), rack up points, and battle bosses to help Elliot and Claris save Nightopia from Wizeman the Wicked. With all seven original dreams, enhanced graphics, achievements, leaderboards, and playable content from Christmas Nights, this beloved title is back and better than ever.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,