Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon
- Meet the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025: Quake, GoldenEye 007, Defender, and Tamagotchi
- The BAFTA Games Awards Polled the Public and Shenmue is “The Most Influential Video Game of All Time”
- 2024 GOTY Scoreboard: Astro Bot, Balatro, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, More
- The Strong Museum of Play Acquires Prototypes and Development Documents from Volition’s 30-Year History
- Minecraft’s Volume Alpha Soundtrack Has Been Added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry
Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Research Library
- Inside the ‘Dragon Age’ Debacle That Gutted EA’s BioWare Studio – Bloomberg (2025)
- Fight Club, The Game David Fincher Didn’t Want You To Play – Time Extension (2025)
- It’s beginning to feel like gaming isn’t for everyone – Digital Trends (2025)
- 22 years later, modders are keeping SimCity 4 alive – The Verge (2025)
- The B-movies of Paul W.S. Anderson double as acts of devotion to his muse, Milla Jovovich – The AV Club (2025)
Warp Zoned Archives
All Articles: PSP
PSN service restoration enters final stage
Here we go, PSN users, Sony has announced (via the PlayStation.Blog) that the PlayStation Network restoration has entered its final stages. No timetable for the network’s return was revealed, but an open letter from Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer stated “In the coming days, we will restore service to the networks and welcome you back to the fun.”
So, in other words, don’t expect the PSN to be turned back on tomorrow. And I wouldn’t hold my breath for this weekend either.
In a final PlayStation.Blog post, Sony announced that they have partnered with Debix to offer their AllClear ID Plus identity theft protection service to PSN users at no charge for a year. Redemption codes will be sent via email over the next few days and more information is available at the link.
It may be slow going, but it looks like ApocalyPS3 2011 may finally be coming to an end.
Posted in News
Tagged ApocalyPS3 2011, PS3, PSP
PSN to be restored next week; Sony offers “Welcome Back” gifts
As promised, Sony held a press conference on the state of the PlayStation Network and announced that the PSN/Qriocity music service will be back online next week. An exact date for the service’s return was not revealed, but the initial phase of the rollout will include restoration of online play, Qriocity’s Music Unlimited service, account management options (including password resets), PlayStation Home, the Friends List and chat. It looks like the PlayStation Store will come back online later.
Sony spent the last week examining the network infrastructure and investigating how the breach occured. In order to prevent something like this from happening again, the company has created a new position: Chief Information Security Officer. In addition to a new executive that reports directly to the highest levels of Sony, the gamemaker has beefed up the PSN’s security with automated software monitoring to defend against attacks, tougher encryption and new firewalls.
A mandatory PS3 update will also require all PSN users to change their passwords before logging in to the restored system. To further enhance security, this password change can only be performed on the same PS3 in which that account was activated or through a validated email confirmation.
To apologize for gamer’s patience during The Great PSN Outage of 2011, Sony has launched a “Welcome Back” program. The “Welcome Back” program will supply PSN users with free “entertainment content” (specific content will be announced soon) and a 30-day subscription to PlayStation Plus (or a 30-day extension for current subscribers). Current Qriocity users will receive a 30 days of free service. Sony plans to announce additional “Welcome Back” offerings over the next few weeks.
The full text of the press statement can be read at the PlayStaton.Blog.
Posted in News
Tagged ApocalyPS3 2011, PS3, PSP
Your Madden NFL 12 Cover Athlete: Peyton Hillis
Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis didn’t just win the Madden NFL 12 Cover Vote, he demolished his competition, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. The Madden NFL 2004 coverboy only managed to capture 34% of the vote to Hillis’ 66%. Hillis had an impressive 2010-2011 season, but this vote was clearly a huge upset.
All told, more than 12,000,000 votes were cast throughout the entire tournament and Hillis steamrolled some pretty hefty competition (including head-to-head victories over Ray Rice, Matt Ryan, Jamaal Charles and Aaron Rodgers).
Madden NFL 12 (with Peyton Hillis on the cover) will be released for the PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360 on August 30.
PSP Go lives on in America
After discontinuing the download-only handheld in Japan and Europe, Sony has told Joystiq that they have no plans to hustle the PSP Go off of store shelves in America.
In a very short, and to the point, statement, an SCEA spokesman told the site: “We are continuing production of PSP Go for North America.”
So if you really want a PSP Go, you’ll still be able to find one for the forseeable future.
Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy Review: Quality (Fan) Service
Square Enix Monster-Artist-turned-Character-Designer-turned-Game-Director Tetsuya Nomura has had his hands full, pioneering established series while creating new ones along the way. Since working as a key member of the main Final Fantasy team, he’s gone on to birth the successful Kingdom Hearts series, directed the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, delivered The World Ends With You on the DS, and is currently at the helm of the highly-anticipated PS3 exclusive, Final Fantasy Versus XIII. With a workload that would make most developers have a nervous breakdown, he’s somehow managed to create another Final Fantasy spin-off with the Dissidia series. Dissidia 012 [Duodecim] Final Fantasy aims to amp up the fighting game foundations of the first game while providing even better fan-service with all the Final Fantasy protagonists and antagonists you love. Duodecim is a strong title from Square Enix, but it’s not as substantive as some of their other portable titles. (more…)
Posted in Reviews
Tagged Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy, PSP
Sony calls it quits with the PSP Go
As Scott Pilgrim and yours truly are probably the only two individuals on Earth who actually own a PSP Go, Sony has officially cancelled production and shipment of the all-digital handheld. Sony’s online stores have stopped listing the device since a few days ago and an alleged Sony employee confirmed the cancellation. Only the currently shipped units will be available.
This news couldn’t have come at a more ironic time, as Square Enix has finally begun releasing their PSP titles digitally on the PlayStation Store.
Despite its poor sales performance and lack of parity with the UMD-using PSPs, I have to say the PSP Go was a great machine. Smaller and lighter than an iPhone, with the broad media functionality of a PlayStation product, the Go is the ideal MP3 player, video player, and game console in one. Probably the most portable gaming handheld ever, it’s also a lot more comfortable for folks with big hands like myself. R.I.P., PSP Go; hopefully the NGP will get something like you.
[Source: Andriasang]
Michael Vick, Peyton Hillis fight for Madden NFL 12 cover
And then there were two.
The voting for the Madden NFL 12 cover athlete is down to the end and only Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis remain.
Hillis defeated the heavily favored Aaron Rodgers to reach the finals while Vick ended the cinderella dreams of Adrian Peterson. A Vick victory would give the formerly incarcerated quarterback his second Madden cover appearance while Hillis has run over some of the biggest names in pro football to reach the finals. I think it’s safe to say that few people picked either of these guys to make it this far.
Final round voting will continue from now until Monday, April 25. The winner will be announced on April 27th during ESPN 2’s “SportsNation.”
Madden NFL 12 blitzes stores on August 30
Rob Semsey, the Director of Public Relations at EA Sports, has tweeted that Madden NFL 12 will be released on August 30. Normally, the Madden series rushes stores during the middle of the month, but with this year’s labor problems between the NFL and the players union, perhaps the publisher wanted to give the development team at EA Tiburon a little more time before the season starts.
Semsey said the later release date was picked “to align closer to the start of the NFL regular season.”
Whatever the reason, the currently cover athelete-less Madden NFL 12 will be released for the PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360 whether the lockout is resolved or not.