Insert Quarter: An Incredibly Detailed Look at the Invention of the Game Cartridge

Posted on January 26, 2015 by John Scalzo

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

Have you ever wondered exactly how the game cartridge came to be invented? Benj Edwards, a freelancer for Fast Company, has produced what is quite possibly the most in-depth exploration of the creation of the technology you could ask for. It starts with the revelation that American Machine and Foundry (or AMF, one of the largest manufacturers of bowling alley equipment in the country) had a hand in creating the game cartridge and it just gets crazier from there:

Consider the humble video game cartridge. It’s a small, durable plastic box that imparts the most immediate, user-friendly software experience ever created. Just plug it in, and you’re playing a game in seconds.

If you’ve ever used one, you have two men to thank: Wallace Kirschner and Lawrence Haskel, who invented the game cartridge 40 years ago while working at an obscure company and rebounding from a business failure. Once the pair’s programmable system had been streamlined and turned into a commercial product—the Channel F console—by a team at pioneering electronics company Fairchild, it changed the fundamental business model of home video games forever. By injecting flexibility into a new technology, it paved the way for massive industry growth and the birth of a new creative medium.

The full article is available for your perusal at Fast Company.

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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel will get Lady Hammerlock Pack on January 27

Posted on January 26, 2015 by John Scalzo

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If you’ve been playing Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and are eagerly awaiting the next playable character from Gearbox Software and 2K Australia, then fear not, your wait is almost over. The developer announced during this weekend’s PAX South convention that the next playable character, Lady Aurelia the Baroness, will be available to download tomorrow, January 27. Better known as Lady Hammerlock, Aurelia is the sister to everyone’s favorite adventurer, Sir Hammerlock:

Aurelia is the heir of the Hammerlock family fortune, but when she’s not riding her hoverbike through the endless hallways of her orbital turbomansion, she’s out hunting the latest and greatest game in the galaxy. If these expeditions should put her in conflict with her younger brother Alistair – aka Sir Hammerlock – all the better. The only thing more fun than shooting a rare animal Alistair intended to study is the look of abject horror and surprise on his face once Aurelia wears its carcass like a jaunty scarf.

Normally, Lady Hammerlock would never be seen within a light year of Pandora, but she’s grown bored as her turbomansion grows cold, while her lust for violence grows hot. She’s headed to Elpis with nothing more than an expensive gun, an experimental Cryo diadem, and a powerful belief that shooting angry things in the face is a good deal of fun.

The Lady Hammerlock Pack is part of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel’s Season Pass, but it can also be purchased separately for $9.99. More details on her Action Skill and Skill Trees can be found at the Gearbox Software News Blog.

Lady Hammerlock will also be included in Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, the PS4/Xbox One update to The Pre-Sequel which also includes Borderlands 2, when it ships to stores on March 24.

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

EA Sports predicts the Patriots will win it all against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX

Posted on January 26, 2015 by John Scalzo

EA Sports fired up their in-office copy of Madden NFL 15 over the weekend to play out their annual Super Bowl prediction matchup. According to the Madden makers, Super Bowl XLIX will end with the New England Patriots emerging victorious over the Seattle Seahawks with a final score of 28 to 24.

If EA’s prediction comes true, it will be because of late game heroics from Tom Brady, Darrelle Revis, and Julian Edelman. Revis will intercept a Russell Wilson pass to give the Patriots the ball, enabling Brady to connect with Edelman for the decisive touchdown as time expires.

Per the prediction, Brady will be further rewarded with the Super Bowl MVP award thanks to his 335-yard/four touchdown day. Edelman will lead all receivers with eight catches and 106 yards while Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch will turn on “Beast Mode” to pile up 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

If the Patriots do win it all this Sunday, it will be their fourth Super Bowl victory. However, that’s far from a guarantee as last year’s Madden Simulation completely fizzled out.

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Omen will join Killer Instinct on January 30… and get a sneak peek at Golem

Posted on January 26, 2015 by John Scalzo

After teasing the character after the past several weeks in an info dump and an hour-long livestream, Iron Galaxy is finally ready to add Omen to Killer Instinct. “The Herald of Gargos” is a bonus character that Season 2 Ultra Edition owners will be able to download on Friday, January 30. Players who have purchased the Combo Breaker Pack will have to wait an extra week and will be able to acquire Omen on Thursday, February 5. As a bonus character, Omen will not be sold separately.

Be sure to stick around until the end of the trailer as Iron Galaxy has also given us a sneak peek at the massive Golem, the next character to be added to Killer Instinct. He will likely be available to download sometime in February.

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

Gearbox announces expansion plan and official start of development for Borderlands 3

Posted on January 25, 2015 by John Scalzo

borderlands-11Ladies and gentlemen… brace yourselves… Borderlands 3 is officially in development (more or less) as of right now. And by right now, I mean RIGHT NOW.

Randy Pitchford took the stage during the “Borderlands Behind-The-Scenes” panel at PAX South and announced that Gearbox wants to begin work on Borderlands 3 as soon as possible. And they will, after they complete a huge round of hiring and massively increase the size of the team. Referring to it as “The Big One,” Pitchford said that he wants to look outside Gearbox to find fresh ideas for the future of the franchise. According to IGN, Pitchford closed out the first-ever PAX South by telling the assembled masses:

“We want to think about the future and we want to think about what the next Borderlands is and we’re going to need some help. The fact is, we’re not working on a new Borderlands game, but we want to. If you are in the industry and you think you can help us, we want you to help us. We want to get started on a new Borderlands game. There’s literally nothing to tell, but we’re ready to start.”

After the panel ended, he let his Twitter followers in on the good news:

So Borderlands 3 is officially in development. Sort of. And it’ll be released someday. But not any time soon. It’ll be a long wait, but don’t worry, we’ll all get there together.

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Weekly Warp-Up: Are You At PAX South 2015?

Posted on January 25, 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…

The Penny Arcade Expo is conquering another bit of territory with this weekend’s first-ever PAX South in San Antonio, Texas. The convention appears to be a big hit, so here’s to PAX South 2016!

Nintendo is enjoying the PAX South climate and they’ve brought their fancy new New 3DS XL handheld to the show along with playable demos of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D and Monster Hunter Ultimate 4. In other big Nintendo news, the consolemaker has announced that they will discontinue Club Nintendo this year. But don’t worry, a new loyalty program for Nintendo’s most loyal fans (which is basically all of them) will launch later this year.

Finally, Warp Zoned recently published our review of Alien: Isolation. If you haven’t gotten a chance to check out Creative Assembly’s survival horror masterpiece, perhaps our review will be what sways you.

If not, there’s always more news from the week that was after the break.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in News |

New Releases: Dying Light, HyperDimension Neptunia ReBirth2: Sisters Generation

Posted on January 25, 2015 by John Scalzo

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Two new releases will be available in stores this week and they are…

Dying Light is a first person zombie game from Techland (the makers of Dead Island) that will introduce a day/night cycle to the action as well as include parkour elements partially designed by David Belle, the creator of parkour. It will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Also scheduled for release next week is HyperDimension Neptunia ReBirth2: Sisters Generation, a Vita remake of HyperDimension Neptunia MK2, an RPG that was originally released for the PS3 in 2012. The Vita remake will add new playable characters and minigames while also making the whole game portable for the first time.

Check back soon for more details on several new releases scheduled to launch on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop this week.

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

Here’s the first gameplay trailer for the Daytona-inspired 90s Arcade Racer

Posted on January 24, 2015 by John Scalzo

Before Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport, racing game fans cut their teeth on “arcade racers” like Sega’s Daytona USA and Namco’s Ridge Racer.

Most of the arcades we frequented in those days have shut their doors, but the freewheelin’ spirit of those games will live on in Pelikan13’s The 90s Arcade Racer. Currently in development for the Wii U, mobile devices (iOS and Android), and PC platforms (Windows, Mac, and Linux), The 90s Arcade Racer will attempt to meld together elements from our favorites 90s arcade racers in a brand new game for modern audiences. Basically, it’s the “Snakes On A Plane” of on-the-nose game titles. But how on the nose is the title? Why not see for yourself in the first ever gameplay trailer, which has been embedded above.

The 90s Arcade Racer currently doesn’t have a release date and will be available… wait for it… when it’s ready.

Posted in Mobile, News, PC, Wii U | Tagged