Author: Ray Morgan

Atari USA has filed for bankruptcy.   The iconic developer, responsible for massively influential titles such as Pong and Centipede, has been in financial decline and is 50 million dollars in debt.   A source with knowledge of the situation said that Atari USA will sell it’s assets over the next 6 months and restructure itself as a mobile game developer.

Jay Wilson, the long running lead developer of Diablo 3, will be moving on to another project after 7 years on the title. Wilson said “I’ve reached a point creatively where I’m looking forward to working on something new,”.    The new project in question has yet to be formally announced by Blizzard.

Skyrim players who bought the game on PS3 will be getting some much needed love next month. The previous 2 expansions, Dawnguard and Hearthfire, as well as forthcoming expansion Dragonborn, are scheduled for a February release.   All three expansions will be available for 50% of the normal price for a week after release.

Bethesda, developer of Skyrim and the Fallout series, has filed a trademark for an “ongoing television program set in a post-nuclear apocalyptic world.”. While no official comment has been released by Bethesda, this strongly suggests that the company are interested in creating or licensing a TV series based on the Fallout games.

Sony Corporation has sold it’s 37 story New York office building for 1.1 billion dollars. Sony employees will occupy the office, located in the business district on Madison Avenue, for a further three years.

Unsubstantiated rumour corner:

Detailed specifications for both the next XBOX and the PS4 appear to have been leaked online. The website VG Leaks has published the specifications, which are far too lengthy and boring for us to broadcast.    Official announcements confirming the release of the next XBOX (codenamed “Durango”) and the next Playstation (codenamed “Orbis”) have not yet been made by either Microsoft or Sony, but are expected over the next few months.

According to a new report, the next Playstation will have a completely redesigned controller, eschewing the familiar Dualshock design in favour of an LCD screen and biometric sensors. The Dualshock controller launched with the original Playstation in 1997, and each subsequent console updated the design. The PS3 was originally to have a new controller design, dubbed ” the Boomerang” but this was dropped prior to launch.

The first R rated video game to be released in Australia has been rated by the Classification Board of Australia.  The game, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge will be released for Nintendo’s Wii U console later this year, and will feature “high impact, bloody violence”.    The new guidelines allowing adult games to be sold in Australia came into effect on the first of January, though Queensland is the only state to not have passed complimentary legislation.

Also, Warner Interactive has confirmed that they will be submitting Mortal kombat Komplete Edition for classification in Australia.  The title was released last February in the US. The original release of Mortal Kombat was refused classification in Australia under the old guidelines.

The National Rifle Association of America has come under fire after releasing a shooting game just weeks after blaming violent video games for the Connecticut shooting which left 28 dead in December.  Earlier this month, a spokesperson for the NRA said in a statement  that violent media, such as games films and music, were largely to blame for the increase in gun violence in America, and that further tragedies could be prevented by increasing the number of concealed weapons in places like schools and universities.  The game, called NRA: Practice Range, is a first person shooter where the player can shoot at human shaped targets with a range of pistols, shotguns and rifles, including the assault rifle used in the Newtown massacre.

World of Warcraft players have raised over 2 million dollars to assist victims of Hurricane Sandy. The Hurricane hit the US East Coast last year, and thousands of people still are dealing with the aftermath.  Blizzard released a new pet, the Cinder kitten, which could be purchased for 10 dollars, with 100 percent of the proceeds going toward the Red Cross hurricane relief effort.  In total, over 2.3 million dollars was raised.

Deep Silver, developers of Dead Island Riptide, have apologised after a statuette that was to be included with the “Zombie Bait” edition of the game was deemed to be in poor taste. The statue (pictured below) depicts a dismembered female torso wearing only a union jack bikini.  No mention was made of any decision to cancel the release of the edition or the statue.

Unsubstantiated Rumour Corner

Announcements for the most anticipated consoles of the next generation could be made as early as March this year.   Both Sony and Microsoft have scheduled press conferences around the same time as the Game Developers Conference at the end of March.     While the content of the press conferences are unknown, industry analysts have predicted that both manufacturers would be wise to unveil their upcoming consoles ahead of e3, the world’s biggest videogame press event held in June each year.

Sony has patented a technology that could stop used games from being playable on it’s next console. The patent describes a technology that ties individual game discs with specific user accounts, rendering the game disc unplayable on any other console.  The application  of a patent does not necessarily mean that the technology will be implemented in the PS4, however many game developers have gone on record to say that the second hand game market is hurting the industry.

Graphics card manufacturer NVidia has announced a new handheld console, called PROJECT SHIELD. The device, which will be powered by the Tegra 4 processor, will run android applications and games via the Jellybean operating system. It will also be able to stream PC games to itself when used in tandem with a compatible PC.    Several photographs have been released of the Shield, which resembles an xbox controller with a flip up screen attached.   No word so far on the price or release date.

Nintendo has announced 2 new pokemon titles to be released for the 3DS in October this year.  Pokemon X & Y will feature a new protagonist and a fully 3d world, and for the first time in the series history will launch in all territories simultaneously.

Travellers Tales, developers of the licensed LEGO games, has revealed that LEGO Marvel Super Heroes will launch sometime in the third quarter of this year across nearly all platforms.  The game will feature an original story and over 100 Marvel characters including Spider-man and the Avengers.

zgepisode150.mp3

(38:02/43.5MB)

Aired 2nd January 2013

In studio: Alanah, Lee, Jody & Razor

Our newest recruit Alanah Pearce presents a feature on out most anticipated games of 2013!

zgepisode149.mp3

(41:22/47MB)

Aired 19 December 2012

In Studio: Lee, Candi Payne, Jody, Razor and introducing our newest recruit Alanah Pearce!

For our final episode of 2012, we discuss our favourite games of the year.

Jody reviewed LEGO – LORD OF THE RINGS.

Also, we debut “Candi’s Quickies”.

1. GRAVITY RUSH OST – End Credits Theme

2. HOTLINE MIAMI SOUNDTRACK – Miami

3. JOURNEY OST – Road of Trials

4. BEN PRUNTY – Civil (Battle) – FTL: Faster Than Light

5. OTIS CHIPZEL – Super Hexagon

6. HUNZ – Owl Highway (Penny Time OST)

zgepisode148.mp3

(41:05/47MB)

Aired 12 December 2012

In Studio: Lee, Razor and Candi Payne

This week we reviewed the following titles:

SPACE TEAM (iOS)

LITTLE INFERNO (PC/Wii U)

THE SIMS MEDIEVAL (iOS)

Includes the worlds first live-to-air Space Team game!

1. POWERGLOVE – Metal Kombat For The Mortal Man

2. HUNZ – Boy Walks To Work And Is Followed By Ghost

3. UNKNOWN – Dr. Who Title Theme(Game Boy cover)

4. GREEN NOSE – Pyramid

5. DOY.AY – Vampire Nosebleed

6. KINGDOM HEARTS OST – Title Theme

This week, we unveiled our 2012 Games of The Year as selected by the Zed Games crew.   Here is the list, in no particular order:

THE WALKING DEAD (PC/Mac/iOS)

GUILD WARS 2 (PC)

DISHONORED (PC/PS3/360)

SLEEPING DOGS (PC/PS3/360)

FARCRY 3 (PC/PS3/360)

MAX PAYNE 3 (PC/PS3/360)

KINGDOMS OF AMALUR: RECKONING (PC/PS3/360)

SHOULD HAVE MADE THE LIST BUT DIDN’T DUE TO HUMAN ERROR AWARD:

NEED FOR SPEED: MOST WANTED (PC/PS3/360/PSV)

BEST GAME FEATURING A PROTAGONIST NAMED “LEE” AWARD:

THE WALKING DEAD (PC/Mac/iOS)

UNFORTUNATE OVERSIGHT AWARD:

XCOM: ENEMY UNKNOWN (PC/PS3/360)

LISTENERS CHOICE AWARD:

BORDERLANDS 2 (PC/PS3/360)

Runners up:

MASS EFFECT 3 (PC/PS3/360)

FEZ (360)

While we democratically came up with this list, there are more games that each of us wished would have made it on there!  Here are the Game of the Year picks for each presenter:

CANDI PAYNE

Sleeping Dogs

Max Payne 3

Penny Time

LEE

Far Cry 3

Guild Wars 2

Max Payne 3

Dishonoured

Punch Quest

Appreciative nods to:

UFC3

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Sleeping Dogs

Assassin’s Creed 3

RAZOR

Guild Wars 2

The Walking Dead

Need For Speed: Most Wanted

FTL: Faster Than Light

Borderlands 2

JODY

The Walking Dead

Dishonored

Ski Safari

Triple Town

ALANAH

Far Cry 3

Darksiders 2

Guild Wars 2

Need For Speed: Most Wanted

Kingdoms of Amalur:Reckoning

The Walking Dead

Seven thousand brand new Wii U consoles have been stolen in a warehouse robbery in Seattle USA. ABC has reported that after gaining access to the SeaTac Air Cargo warehouse, thieves used forklifts to lift palettes of the new console onto two semi trailers and left the scene unimpeded.   The stolen consoles have a retail value of 2.1 Million US dollars.  When asked about any anti-theft technology that would prevent stolen Wii U consoles from being used online, Nintendo declined to comment.  The thieves and the precious cargo are still at large.

Mark Pincus, CEO of Zynga, has been identified by Bloomberg as the fourth worst CEO of 2012. According to the list, compiled by respected business professor Sydney Finkelstein,  Pincus has made disastrous missteps this year in leading his company, which has seen it’s shares fall 80 percent since March.  Zynga, who are the creators of Farmville, The Ville and Zynga Poker, have received consistently negative press coverage throughout 2012 which includes accusations of insider trading, the defection of numerous company officers and, most recently, copyright infringement.

Big Ant Studios, the Melbourne developer of Rugby League Live 2, has been put into voluntary liquidation. According to Kotaku, the studio had debts of nearly 7 million dollars that it was unable to recoup.  CEO Ross Symons said that this was a business restructuring and would not affect the employment of staff.

Violent video games have once again come under the spotlight in the US media. After it was revealed that the shooter who killed 28 people in Connecticut, USA played video games in his spare time, Fox News and the NRA have suggested that violent video games played a part in his decision to carry out the massacre.   No studies have conclusively proven that a link exists between violent behaviour and violent video games.

It has been reported by Eurogamer that Nintendo of Europe are restricting the purchase of Wii U content that is rated PEGI 18+ (our equivalent of an R18+ rating) to the hours between 11PM and 3AM.  Restricting the sale of adult content within this 4 hour bracket is thought to be an extra preventative measure against exposing children to adult material.   Games such as Assassins Creed 3 and Zombie U are examples of games that are rated PEGI 18+.   Allowing third parties to develop adult oriented games for the Wii U was a conscious decision by Nintendo, who have in the past marketed themselves as a family friendly company.

Tens of thousands of gamers worldwide are unable to play their favourite games online  after host Gamespy discontinued support for dozens of games permanently and without notice.  Gamespy, which was recently acquired by mobile game developer Glu, has faced a severe backlash online with their Facebook page bombarded with hundreds of messages from frustrated players.   Gamespy have issued comments stating that since the publisher of the game has discontinued support from the game, it is not financially viable to host servers or matchmaking services for these titles.  Games affected include SWAT 4, Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2, star wars battlefront, Hidden and Dangerous 2  and Microsoft Flight Simulator 10.

Zynga, the social gaming developer of Farmville, the Ville and Zynga poker, has applied for a gambling license.  Currently, Zynga Poker allows players to purchase chips using real currency, but winnings can only be redeemed as virtual funds.   This process will allow Zynga to begin trading as a gambling service in the US, but plans are already in motion to allow Zynga to operate as a gambling service in the UK through a partnership with online gambling company Bwin.party.

Blizzard has revealed that they have a console version of popular PC title Diablo 3 up and running at their studios.   Though it is not an officially supported project,  an executive at the company said that he hoped that they could develop it to the point where it became one.

zgepisode147.mp3

(43:11/49.4MB)

In Studio: Candi, Lee & Razor

This week we talk FARCRY 3 (PC),  WALKING DEAD: ASSAULT (iOS) & MEDAL OF HONOR: WARFIGHTER (PS3)

None of these games contain war-fighting robots.

1. MC FRONTALOT – I’ll Form The Head (Feat. Zealous 1 & Dr. Awkward)

2.THE MOULDY LOVERS – Korobeiniki (Tetris)

3. THEANDRIN & CANDIDA – Don’t Trust A Rogue

4. MC LARS – OG (Original Gamer)

5. FREDDE GREDDE – Windwaker Unplugged

6. KOOL KEITH & TOM WAITS – Spacious Thoughts (Team Teamwork FF7 Remix)