Whatcha gonna do when the complete WWE All-Stars roster runs wild on you?

Posted on February 24, 2011 by John Scalzo

IGN has completed their two part unveiling of the complete WWE All-Stars roster with an additional seven Legends, eight Superstars and six more DLC wrestlers. These 15 wrestlers join the 15 wrestlers announced last week to give the full roster a grand total of 30 fighters.

As with last week’s reveal, IGN uploaded new screenshots and video of each wrestler, giving us a very in-depth look at the game.

So we know who made the final cut and we know that The Big Bossman, Chris Jericho, Jerry “The King” Lawler, Michael Hayes, Mark Henry and R-Truth will be added to WWE All-Stars at a future date through a DLC expansion pack. We also know that Howard Finkel and Paul Bearer will be included in the game as “non-wrestling talent.”

So with all out of the way, jump off the top rope for a look at the second half of the WWE All-Stars roster.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , ,

The G-Spot: Modern Warfare 2 vs. Black Ops

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

When Infinity Ward released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in 2009, it launched one of the biggest names in gaming into the stratosphere of pop culture. A year later, at the time it needed to deliver most, Treyarch released Call of Duty: Black Ops, which not only matched the records of Modern Warfare 2, but shattered them. This prolific series fought its way to the top of the charts while spurning out ugly legal battles and one of the most caustic rivalries in the history of gaming. Now that the first map pack for Black Ops is about to be available on all platforms, it’s time to examine the comparative merits of these two games, and this is our focus for the second installment of The G-Spot.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in Opinions, PC, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

Halo: Reach Defiant Map Pack dated

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

For 800 Microsoft points ($10), you’ll be able to grab yourself the three maps in the Defiant Map Pack DLC for Halo: Reach when it releases on March 15. The maps include Condemned, a space station orbiting Reach, Highlands, taking place at the Wilderness Training Preserve, and Unearthed, a new firefight map set at a titanium excavation site. Hit the jump for a few screenshots.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Robot Entertainment announces first original game, declares ‘Orcs Must Die!’

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

Many of you may recognize Robot Entertainment as formerly Ensemble Studios, creators of Halo Wars and the legendary RTS series Age of Empires. They’re still supporting those titles, but today have announced their first new IP, Orcs Must Die! As you may have guessed from the title, this game invites you to slaughter as many of the green fiends as you can. The game combines elements of tower defense and action games, as you set traps to wipe out oncoming waves, or jump into the action yourself.

“Robot exists to make great games that our fans love. Orcs Must Die! is our first original title, and we’re counting on players to do what must be done: drive the orcs into oblivion!” demanded Robot CEO Patrick Hudson.

Orcs Must Die! will be showcased at PAX East in Boston from March 11 to 13, so expect more information here on Warp Zoned. The game is scheduled for a summer downloadable release on PC and consoles.

Posted in News | Tagged , , , ,

Former Bizarre Creations developer blames us for the studio’s closure

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

It was a very sad thing to see Bizarre Creations close its doors last week. In the last edition of the Warp Zoned Podcast, we went into further detail about all the studio closures going on at Activision, and largely pointed to the publisher’s insane methods of exploiting developers. Well, a former developer at Bizarre gives another reason.

“It was a perfect storm of unfortunate circumstances,” former lead designer Gareth Wilson told Edge. “The landscape of the industry has changed massively even in the time from when Bizarre was acquired [in 2007]. Getting a new IP noticed at this stage of the console cycle, combined with the global economic situation meaning gamers are less willing to take a risk, is really difficult.” Wilson gave a couple examples noting, “it’s not just Blur that didn’t sell in 2010, great new IPs like Enslaved, Alan Wake and Vanquish have struggled to make an impact while Halo and Call Of Duty have broken sales records.”

Wilson does make a point, as the Game of the Year contenders and top sellers these days are often sequels. But I think our Editor-in-Chief John Scalzo put it best when he said, “Blur was pitched as ‘Mario Kart for adults,’ but most adults indicated that they’d rather play Mario Kart.” Not to mention they were trying to find success in one of the most over-saturated genres in gaming. Wilson also fails to account how MAG and Heavy Rain, the former of which was in a saturated market and the latter of which no one expected would sell, both did decent as new IP’s last year, and as console exclusives at that. From my perspective it just seems their closure had more to do with the contemporary practices of publishers and mindsets of studios.

Posted in News |

Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon buzzes into stores July 5

Posted on February 24, 2011 by John Scalzo

15 years ago Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum used a Mac to take down an alien invasion in Independence Day. This year, D3 Publisher will be asking gamers to take down another extraterrestrial threat during our nation’s birthday as Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon has been given a July 5th release date on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

While that doesn’t quite fall within the previously announced “Spring 2011” release window, gamers in the Boston area will get to take up arms with the EDF very soon. D3 Publisher is bringing a playable demo of the game to PAX East, which is scheduled for March 11th through the 13th.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to stock up on Raid.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged ,

Epic Games talk NGP and Unreal Engine 3, may lead to launch titles

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

It’s always tough for a new platform getting studios to adapt to the new hardware with software that takes advantage of its true potential. Luckily for Sony, Epic Games and their Unreal Engine 3, arguably the most prolific engine this generation, are ready to go. Studios may now license Epic’s engine for NGP development, and founder Tim Sweeney said, “we see NGP as a true game-changer with a perfect combination of performance, innovative controls and gamer appeal that make it truly a high-end console in your pocket.”

Epic Games was one of the studios on stage at the PlayStation Meeting 2011 when NGP was revealed, showcasing the things UE3 can do on the handheld. “We were very proud to be onstage with SCE to give the world just a taste of what Unreal Engine 3 can do on NGP. NGP raises the bar for the performance of handheld platforms with its multi-core GPU and shader-based, multi-core CPU. This makes Unreal Engine 3 a particularly advantageous fit for NGP,” said Vice President Mark Rein. Teasing the launch lineup a bit, Rein further confirmed “multiple UE3 licensees are already working with NGP, some of which have indicated they intend to release their games for the platform’s launch.”

While the engine’s momentum may have slowed since the beginning of this generation, some of the most celebrated titles still use it, like Batman: Arkham Asylum, Mass Effect 2, and Borderlands. Seeing some of those titles appear on Sony’s handheld would be amazing, but a port of Epic’s own Unreal Tournament III, an early PS3 title, would mesh well with the NGP’s cross-platform interactivity theme, (it had PS3/PC cross-platform co-op and multiplayer) and certainly bring me closer to a day one purchase.

Posted in News | Tagged ,

SOCOM 4’s online co-op detailed, kinda insane

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Mike Gutierrez

The long awaited SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy Seals is getting closer and closer to release and the official blog assures us the multiplayer beta is imminent. Today, we’ve gotten some information on the co-op mode, which will support up to five players in two modes: “Takedown,” where you search for and eliminate enemy VIP’s, and “Espionage,” where you gather intel and sabotage enemy communication infrastructure. Instead of playing through the single player campaign, you essentially make your own, selecting from a list of maps and designating enemy density at different areas. SOCOM 4 is releasing April 19 on the PlayStation 3.

Stay tuned to Warp Zoned for beta impressions and other info as the launch draws nearer.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged