Splatoon’s first Splatfest (Cats Versus Dogs) will take place on June 20

Posted on June 14, 2015 by John Scalzo

UPDATE: The first Splatfest will now take place on July 4.

This week is the E3 Expo, the busiest and most exciting seven days for the entire game industry. Nintendo wants that excitement to last a few extra days as the publisher has scheduled Splatoon‘s first U.S. Splatfest for this upcoming Saturday, June 20.

During a Splatfest, players will pledge allegiance to one of two sides. The first Splatfest pits people who love man’s best friend, the dog, versus those that side with a witch’s constant companion, the cat. You can make your selection now at the Splatfest kiosk in Splatoon’s Plaza. Your character will even receive a temporary t-shirt to help show your support. To promote this major event, Nintendo has created a music video starring Callie and Marie, the Squid Sisters. The hosts of Inkopolis TV bring the freshness by rocking out on top of an awesome-looking nighttime map that I hope is available in Splatoon soon.

The winning side will receive a pile of Super Sea Snails, items which can be given to Spyke to enhance or customize your gear. So don’t forget, the “Cats Versus Dogs” Splatfest begins on Saturday, June 20 at 9:00 AM (Eastern Time) and goes on for a full 24 hours, ending on Sunday, June 21 at 9:00 AM (also Eastern Time). Good luck to all.

And when choosing sides, remember, your cat would eat you the first chance it gets.

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Weekly Warp-Up: T-Minus Ten Hours to E3 2015

Posted on June 14, 2015 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…

It’s all anybody can talk about, but the E3 Expo begins in literally ten hours. That’s when Bethesda kicks things off with their E3 Press Conference (their first ever). We’ll get our first look at Fallout 4 and Doom 4 and whatever else the company has up their sleeve. It should be a good time.

But we didn’t spend all this week waiting for next week, did we? Sorta… Kinda… But not entirely! There were also the standard set of Pre-E3 announcements, which this week included a huge lineup of new titles from XSEED Games and the promise of an unannounced game from Platinum Games (which turned out to be Transformers: Devastation). Also, Electronic Arts has a very packed E3 2015 presentation that includes more than a dozen games.

We also published the latest edition of Kickstart This!, which focused on the crowdfunding campaigns for Defragmented, Pixel Starships, and Severed World. While you drool over AAA reveals for the next seven days, don’t forget about the little guy.

Looking for more news from the week that was? Of course you are! You can find more news blurbs after the break.

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Posted in News |

New Releases: Payday 2: Crimewave Edition, Xbox One 1 TB Bundle, More

Posted on June 14, 2015 by John Scalzo

payday2-dudeThe 2015 E3 Expo will unofficially open its doors in just a few hours with Bethesda’s Press Conference (their first ever), so the big publishers are mostly taking this week off. But that won’t stop 505 Games and Overkill from releasing Payday 2: Crimewave Edition on the PS4 and Xbox One. Payday 2: Crimewave Edition will come packaged with improved graphics and a wide variety of downloadable content that Overkill previously made available for the cooperative heist simulator on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

If you haven’t upgraded to an Xbox One yet, this week might be the perfect time as Microsoft will release a new Xbox One 1 TB + Halo: The Master Chief Collection Bundle. In addition to a bigger hard drive, the console comes with an improved controller that Microsoft will also sell separately as the Xbox One “Covert Forces” Controller.

In other new release news, the upcoming Tour De France has inspired Focus Home Interactive and Cyanide Studio to release Pro Cycling Manager 2015 for the PC (Download Only). Insert your own “performance enhancing drug” joke here.

Enjoy this week’s E3 Expo folks, it looks to be a good one!

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged

Leak reveals Platinum’s secret E3 2015 announcement is Transformers: Devastation

Posted on June 13, 2015 by John Scalzo

transformersdevestation-boxThanks to Best Buy Canada, Platinum Games’s secret E3 2015 announcement is now a little less secret. According to the retailer, Platinum is teaming up with Activision to produce Transformers: Devastation, a cel-shaded brawler that takes place during the beloved “Generation 1” era of the cartoon franchise. If the listing is accurate, Activision is planning to release the game for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on October 6.

Players will get the chance to take control of five Autobots during the game: Optimus Prime, Bubblebee, Sideswipe, Wheeljack, and Grimlock. Best of all, original voice actors Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), Dan Gilvezan (Bubblebee), and Frank Welker (Megatron and Soundwave) will return to lend the story a sense of authenticity. Here’s what else fans can expect from the game:

Autobots face off against the Decepticons when Megatron discovers a way to harness the enormous power of plasma energy to cyberform Earth.

Face off against Megatron and battle it out with the Decepticons in Transformers: Devestation. Equipped with fast action capabilities, this game allows for instant robot to vehicle attacks, slam downs, counterattacks, and infinite combos for a unique master combat system. Five difficulty levels also deliver hours of intense gameplay.

Believe it or not, Transformers: Devastation will actually be the first time American audiences will get to control “Generation 1” characters in a video game. A handful of games based on the series have been created, but none have ever been released outside Japan. The most recent was Transformers, which was released for the PS2 in 2003.

You can relive the 80s with the first screenshots from Transformers: Devastation after the break. And don’t forget, the first gameplay trailer will be unveiled during IGN Live on Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00 PM (Eastern Time).

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Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Electronic Arts will display a dozen games during E3 2015 Press Conference

Posted on June 13, 2015 by John Scalzo

electronicartslogoSports! Sports! Sports!

When you think of sports video games, you think of Electronic Arts (or, more specifically, EA Sports). The powerhouse publisher loves sports so much that they plan to feature five athletic adaptations (FIFA 16, Madden NFL 16, NBA Live 16, NHL 16, and Rory Mcllroy PGA Tour) at the 2015 E3 Expo. However, the company’s E3 Press Conference will have plenty of other non-sports games on display, including Star Wars: Battlefront, Need For Speed, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and the world premiere of Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst. But wait… there’s still more. The publisher plans to showcase “a dozen” games during their Press Conference, which means an additional three games will be have to be announced on stage. That said, we have a pretty good idea what EA’s internal studios are working on…

It’s likely that all of these titles will get at least a cursory mention during EA’s E3 Press Conference. And you can watch the presentation in the comfort of your own home as EA plans to broadcast the Press Conference live at LiveToPlay.EA.com on Monday, June 15 at 4:00 PM (Eastern Time). More details about all of this year’s previously-announced titles can be found after the break.

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Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture will launch on August 11

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Andrew Rainnie

The weird and wonderfully titled Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, the kooky collaboration between developer The Chinese Room and publisher SCE Santa Monica Studio, is set to make its PS4 debut August 11.

Set in an eerie village in the English county of Shropshire, the screenshots released thus far depict thatched roof houses and quaint British pubs, a million miles away from the popular image of a world hit by an apocalypse. Players will explore the village and the surrounding landscape to try and piece together what took place when the world ended 31 years before.

There will be six location hubs in total, each one telling the story of a separate character. Floating orbs will allow the player to tune into frequencies and conversations from the past, gathering clues as they listen to the long-raptured residents talking and gossiping. The Chinese Room has made the experience an unsettling, non-linear one, so players will be free to visit the stories in any order they see fit.

If this gets your interest up, Dan Pinchbeck, the Creative Director for The Chinese Room, recently dove deeper into the game’s world for the PlayStation Blog. The developer also launched the game’s official website, which is packed with even more information and spooky screenshots.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Ratchet & Clank PS4 remake is actually a game based on a movie based on a game

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Andrew Rainnie

Insomniac Games has been busy of late, debuting on the Xbox One last year with Sunset Overdrive, plugging a few iOS games this year, as well as developing Edge of Nowhere, the company’s exclusive game for the Oculus Rift. Yet, with such a full plate, Insomniac is returning to its roots with a new Ratchet & Clank game for the PS4.

Instead of producing a sequel to the modestly well-received PS3 title Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus, Insomniac has chosen to get very meta, reworking the 2002 original for the PS4, but also adapting part of the upcoming animated feature film about the space-faring duo. Confused? So are we! The PlayStation Blog put it best: “Play the game, based on the movie, based on the game!”

But Ratchet & Clank is more than just a glossy version of the 2002 original game, and has been reworked to specifically tie-in with the film’s plot, which tells the story of Ratchet’s origins. In short, it is almost a brand new game with elements of the original, but with modern controls, sleek graphics, and more missions, planets, and bosses, thanks to the power of the PlayStation 4. You can see the only thing in motion in the E3 2015 trailer embedded above.

But let’s not forget the franchise’s focus on new weaponry, like the Pixelizer, which turns enemies into something out of Minecraft. Old favourites also return, from the Groovitron to Ratchet’s cybernetic bodyguard Mr. Zurkon. If you pre-order the game, you will also get The Bouncer, an exclusive weapon originally featured in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando!

Ratchet & Clank will be available for the PS4 next Spring.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged ,

Video Game Release Calendar Changelog: Pre-E3 2015 Edition

Posted on June 12, 2015 by John Scalzo

releasecalendarupdate-header

Don’t Forget! This is just a changelog of recently announced release dates. Warp Zoned’s complete Video Game Release Calendar includes every title we could find with a 2015, 2016, 2017, or unannounced release date.

The 2015 E3 Expo will kick off in just a few days with the first-ever E3 Press Conference from Bethesda. The publisher has promised a first look at Fallout 4, as well as Doom 4. Both games currently have “TBA” release dates, but that will likely change this Sunday. As I dive into the rest of the new release dates in this Pre-E3 2015 Edition of our Video Game Release Calendar Changelog, I can’t be sure I got them all. Dozens of games have release dates (or, at the very least, release windows) that didn’t before.

So here’s a few more games we can start looking forward to…

  • Until Dawn, Sony’s “kids in the woods” horror game for the PS4, will be released on August 25.
  • Skylanders SuperChargers will bring its “interactive game toys” (we need a better name for this genre) to nearly every platform on September 20.
  • The Mega Man Legacy Collection will collect the first six games in the series on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this Summer.
  • Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection will bring the three PS3 games to the PS4 on October 9.
  • Square Enix will release Dragon Quest Heroes on the PS4 on October 13.
  • Bandai Namco’s Tales series will expand on October 20 with Tales of Zestiria on the PC, PS3, and PS4.
  • And the next Tales game after that, Tales of Berseria, has been officially announced, but it’s release date is currently “TBA.”

Even more new release dates from this edition of the Video Game Release Calendar Changelog can be found after the break. And check back with us after E3 when we’ll surely get the chance to pencil in even more release dates.

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