DriveClub stuck in neutral, won’t be ready for PS4’s Japanese launch in February

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Andrew Rainnie

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Evolution Studios’ next-gen “social racer” DriveClub certainly showed a lot of promise back when it was first revealed at the PlayStation 4 introduction back in February 2013. It was initially promised as a launch title, but it skipped the North American and European windows, and now looks to bypass the Japanese launch window as well. According to Siliconera, Sony has officially delayed the Japanese release of the game, from February 22nd (the launch date of the PS4 in Japan), to the ominous “To Be Determined (TBD).”

While no official reason has been given, the most likely scenario is that the game still requires a good deal of polish, not only for the visuals but for the game’s ambitious social feature to work as it was originally envisaged.

Evolution told IGN that it will reveal the revised release date of DriveClub shortly:

“The team at Evolution Studios are working hard to bring DriveClub, a truly next gen driving experience to PS4 and we will announce the release date shortly. We’re really excited about how DriveClub is progressing and thank you for your patience.”

Given the recent bad press surrounding games being released rushed and full of bugs, Sony may want to take its time with what could be a very important franchise for the future.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Valve rethinks Steam Controller, now looks like every other controller

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Andrew Rainnie

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Valve’s original Steam Controller was a rather unconventional piece of kit. But a newly revealed modified version of the controller put it more in line with a standard controller. The new Steam Controller will feature a traditional d-pad and four face buttons (A, B, X, Y) in the standard diamond formation where previously there was a touchscreen akin to a smaller version of the Wii U GamePad.

The change makes it analogous to the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 and the Xbox One controller, meaning games designed for consoles could be more easily adapted to work with Valve’s new toy. Like the latter, the controller will also use AA batteries rather than a dedicated battery pack, which is a bit of a let-down given how easy it is to charge the likes of the DualShock or GamePad using a cradle dock or mini-USB cable. It will also be packed with an internal gyroscope and players will be able to use a whopping 16 Steam Controller at once if the game supports that many.

Valve has also hinted that more changes to the controller may happen in the future, as the company constantly seeks to refine it during the beta testing process. It seems the developer is keeping future VR headsets in mind while molding the Steam Controller, meaning it could be only part of what Valve has in mind.

[Source: Games Industry International]

Posted in News, PC |

Daily Scoop: January 17, 2014 – Ready for a long weekend

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Nicole Kline

It’s Friday, woo! I’m really excited about having a three-day weekend, mainly because I want to play some more video games. I finished up Papers, Please yesterday (which I highly recommend buying right now) and I am looking forward to getting through some other games I’ve started. And maybe, you know, doing laundry, or something. (Boring.)

Looking for some new indie games? Check out the latest bundle over at Indie Royale! Pay more than the average for PixelJunk Shooter (one of my all-time favorites!), Gun Monkeys, Megabyte Punch, Ride ’em Low, Stronghold HD, and Hexcells. Pay $7 or more to unlock a bonus album!

Steam is also having a great deal this weekend – they’re offering 50% off of Saints Row IV (putting it down to a smooth $19.99), and you can play it for free until Sunday at 1PM PST! Now’s your chance to play this ridiculous sequel and decide if you want to buy it (though if you do, you might want the Wub Wub edition. Just saying.).

And now, for today’s t-shirts!

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Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Nintendo cuts 2013/2014 sales forecast for Wii U by 70%

Posted on January 17, 2014 by John Scalzo

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It’s no secret that we here at Warp Zoned love the Wii U and want to see it succeed (just look here or here or here). However, it looks like that success will have to happen sometime in the future as Nintendo has announced that they’re cutting their Wii U sales forecast for the April 2013-March 2014 period by almost 70%.

Nintendo originally predicted that they would sell nine million Wii U consoles across the globe during the 12-month period. But now, they have revised that number down to 2.8 million. The company also expects to post their third consecutive annual operating loss. Sales expectations for the 3DS were also revised down. Previously pegged at 18 million, Nintendo now believes they’ll sell only 13.5 million during their fiscal year.

According to Reuters, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata apologized to shareholders and confirmed that he has no plans to resign: “There will be no major management shake-up in the short term,” Iwata said.

While 2013 was a rough year for Nintendo, their 2014 could be looking up as they plan to release at least a dozen games for the Wii U and 3DS including Super Smash Bros. 4, Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, Bayonetta 2, X, Bravely Default, and several others.

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |

Grand Theft Auto V is the best-selling (and most wanted) game of 2013

Posted on January 16, 2014 by John Scalzo

grandtheftautov-logoThe NPD Group previously declared Call of Duty: Ghosts the best-selling game of December 2013, but Activision’s military shooter fell a bit short in the full-year competition. With Ghosts in second place, you might have guessed that Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V was the best-selling retail game of 2013… and you’d be right.

Sequels and sports games dominate the list, but the universal appeal of Disney allowed Disney Infinity to crack the top ten at #10. At #9, the retail version of the mighty Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition also made the list.

Here’s the complete top ten of 2013’s best-selling retail games:

Best-Selling Retail Games of 2013
1. Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360, PS3)
2. Call Of Duty: Ghosts (Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, PC, Wii U)
3. Madden NFL 25 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, Xbox One)
4. Battlefield 4 (Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, PC)
5. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PC)
6. NBA 2K14 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC)
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC)
8. Just Dance 2014 (Wii, Xbox 360, Wii U, Xbox One, PS3, PS4)
9. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition (Xbox 360)
10. Disney Infinity (Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, Wii U, 3DS)

[Source: Joystiq]

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

CoD Ghosts and Xbox One are December 2013’s best-selling game and console

Posted on January 16, 2014 by John Scalzo

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The NPD Group has delivered their monthly report on the state of the retail game market and December 2013 was another blockbuster month. According to Joystiq, consumers spent $3.28 billion on video game products last month, an increase of two percent over December 2012. And thanks to new consoles, hardware sales were way up, totalling $1.37 billion (versus $1.07 billion last year).

And speaking of next-generation consoles, NPD is reporting that the Xbox One can lay claim to the US sales crown for December. Though Sony still holds a slight edge in total worldwide sales.

As for the games, Call of Duty: Ghosts and Battlefield 4 pulled off a repeat atop the retail sales chart. They were followed by the usual assortment of holiday season bestsellers and you can find last month’s complete top ten after the break.

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

The Last of Us leads 2014 DICE Awards with 13 nominations

Posted on January 16, 2014 by John Scalzo

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The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has announced the nominees for this year’s DICE Awards. This year, The Last of Us leads all games with 13 nominations, including “Game of the Year.” It will compete against four other games for the honor: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, BioShock Infinite, Grand Theft Auto V, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

Each of this year’s “Game of the Year” nominees has a chance to collect multiple awards as Grand Theft Auto V (seven), BioShock Infinite (six), and Assassin’s Creed IV (five), and A Link Between Worlds (three) were all nominated in multiple categories. With five nominations, Tearaway is also up a huge number of awards. All told, 61 games received nominations in 24 categories this year.

The 2014 DICE Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, February 6 during the close of this year’s DICE Summit. A complete list of nominees can be found after the break.

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Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , ,

Interview: We Take Aim at MODUS With Imagiro’s Allan Wang

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Andrew Rainnie

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Some gaming projects on Kickstarter are criminally overlooked by the general public. Imagiro Studios MODUS, a 2D turn-based artillery shooter set in a chaotic, post-apocalyptic Earth dominated by mutated beasts where humans once reigned supreme, is one such title.

We recently had the chance to talk with Allan Wang, CEO and Story Developer at MODUS developer Imagiro Studios, about the game’s failed campaign, alien monstrosities, Studio Ghibli influences and home-made beaver tails.

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Posted in Features, Interviews, PC, Previews, Top Story | Tagged