Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- 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
- BAFTA Games Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- The 2024-2025 BAFTA Games Awards Goes With the Flow as Astro Bot is Named “Best Game”
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- 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)
- Breakout, Ripoff, Genre: How Fiction Outgrows Originality – Uncanny Magazine (2025)
- ‘I Could Make “Fart Fart Boobie Fart: The Game” and Maybe It Would Eventually Get Taken Down’ – Devs Reveal Why the Consoles Are Drowning in ‘Eslop’ – IGN (2025)
- To release Animal Crossing in the West, Nintendo ‘had to change everything’ – Polygon (2025)
Monthly Archives: April 2015
Codemasters has revealed Dirt Rally… and it’s on Steam Early Access right now
It’s been a long time since Codemasters last decided to play in the dirt. It’s been three years since the last game in the rally racing franchise, Dirt: Showdown, was released. Though many fans ignore the arcade-style spinoff and choose to remember the last game in the main series, four since Dirt 3, which was released in 2011.
So it was a bit of a shock when Codemasters announced the PC-exclusive release of Dirt Rally yesterday. And it was even more of a shock when the developer revealed that it’s available to buy now (for $34.99) through Steam’s Early Access program.
The developer is currently looking for feedback from fans to shape the future of the franchise, but Dirt Rally has launched with the following features already available:
- 17 Cars in 6 New and Classic Classes – Including BMW M3 Evo, Audi Quattro S1, Lancia Delta HF Integrale, and Subaru Impreza.
- Diverse Locales – 36 challenging stages set across Hafren, Wales; Monte Carlo, Monaco; and Argolis, Greece.
- Team Management – Hire up to four engineering staff to work on your car between stages.
- Rally Async – Daily, weekly, and month-long challenges against fellow players from around the world without the need to be online at the same time.
- Rally Seasons – Compete in a succession of events with the aim of gaining promotion to the next rung on the driving ladder.
- Custom Rally Events – Take any car on any track and configure and compete in single or multi-stage events against the AI’s times.
- Upgrades – Unlock the full potential of your car with meaningful improvements to its handling and performance.
- Tuning – Tweak your car set-up based on car, track and weather conditions to best suit your racing style.
- Physics-Based Assists – Dirt Rally allows players to experience cars in their purest form. It also offers a selection of real world assists similar to those seen in race and road vehicles as traction control and ABS.
- Damage and Repairs – Wear and tear is faithfully recreated with a comprehensive and realistic damage model. Damage can be repaired by hiring Engineers to work in the team’s Service Area between stages but with a finite amount of time available.
Codemasters will bring “regular free updates” to Dirt Rally throughout the Early Access period, which is expected to last into 2016. It’s unknown when, or even if, Dirt Rally will make an appearance on consoles.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Dirt Rally
Cinder engulfs Killer Instinct this week
Cinder will be available to download this week, April 30 to be exact, if you own the Season 2 Ultra Edition of Killer Instinct. The fiery monster is the second-to-last character of the game’s second season and the final character from 1994’s Killer Instinct to be added to the 2013 reboot. Players who purchased Season 2’s Combo Breaker Edition will have to wait until May 6 to download Cinder.
The trailer embedded above is our first look at the character, who has a snarky new attitude that would make Spider-Man pround. And stay tuned until the very end to get your first glimpse at Aria, the final playable character of Killer Instinct’s second season. The head of Ultratech is shrouded in darkness, but she seems to have a very robotic silhouette.
It’s unknown when Aria will be available, though a late May/early June launch seems likely.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Killer Instinct
Mighty No. 9 gets September 15 release after Comcept signs publishing deal with Deep Silver
Some mighty news today for Comcept’s Mighty No. 9. Keiji Inafune originally planned a “Spring 2015” release date after his spiritual successor to the Mega Man franchise found great success on Kickstarter. But with the unofficial end of Spring looming, Inafune has confirmed what we all feared… Mighty No. 9 has been delayed.
But there’s good news too. Comcept has partnered with Deep Silver to publish the game worldwide with a digital download and a retail disc. Both versions of the game will be available on September 15 for the PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One. The PC version will also be released on that date for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 as a digital-only game. Sadly, the promised 3DS and PS Vita versions have been further delayed to a to be announced date.
In addition to having more time to complete the main game, Comcept will use this delay to produce some additional content for Mighty No. 9. A special bonus stage featuring a battle with Ray, Mighty No. 9’s rival, will be included. After besting Ray, players will unlock the robot, who has unique skills and all-new gameplay mechanics, as a playable character for the entire main game. New Japanese and French language tracks are also planned alongside eight subtitle tracks.
Even though Deep Silver will publish Mighty No. 9, Comcept will retain all rights to the characters and any future sequels.
The Strong announces finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015
The Strong National Museum of Play and the International Center for the History of Electronic Games have announced the finalists for the inaugural class of the World Video Game Hall of Fame. More than a dozen classic games passed this first test on their way to video game immortality, which were selected from thousands of nominations that poured in from gamers all across the world. Nominations for the Class of 2015 were accepted from February 17 through March 31, but in case you missed out, the Hall of Fame is already accepting games for next year’s class.
This year’s inductees to the World Video Game Hall of Fame will be chosen from the finalist pool by an “international selection committee” made up of journalists, scholars, and other individuals. The inaugural class will be announced on June 4 at 10:30 AM (Eastern Time) during a ceremony at The Strong.
The finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015 include:
- Angry Birds
- Doom
- FIFA International Soccer
- The Legend of Zelda
- Minecraft
- The Oregon Trail
- Pac-Man
- Pokemon Red/Blue
- Pong
- The Sims
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Space Invaders
- Super Mario Bros.
- Tetris
- World of Warcraft
“The 15 finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame span decades, gaming platforms, and geographies… but what they all have in common is their undeniable impact on popular culture and society in general,” said Jon-Paul Dyson, the Director of the International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
Inductees into the World Video Game Hall of Fame will be selected based on the following criteria: “Icon Status,” “Longevity,” “Geographical Reach,” and “Influence.” All 15 finalists certainly qualify, but I know I’ll be rooting for Tetris.
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Angry Birds, Doom (1993), Minecraft, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, The Legend of Zelda, World of Warcraft, World Video Game Hall of Fame
Batman: Arkham Knight Season Pass announced… sort of
WB Games has announced that Batman: Arkham Knight buyers can also purchase a Season Pass, which will entitle them to “six months” of additional content after the game’s launch. However, that content is still very much a mystery. You might even says it’s… an enigma.
According to the announcement, the Season Pass will include “new Story Missions, additional supervillains invading Gotham City, legendary Batmobile Skins, advanced Challenge Maps, alternative Character Skins, and new drivable Race Tracks.” The exact mix of Skins, Tracks, and additional Story Missions wasn’t announced, but WB Games did say the Season Pass will be priced at $39.99. A digital-only Premium Edition, which includes Arkham Knight and its Season Pass, will also be available for $99.99. The Arkham games are always packed with content, but $39.99 seems kind of steep for a Season Pass with a big question mark on it.
Batman: Arkham Knight will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on June 23. And don’t forget to check out the game’s brand new trailer, “All Who Follow You,” which was released yesterday.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Batman: Arkham Knight
Avalanche and Square Enix unveil first Just Cause 3 gameplay trailer
Square Enix and Avalanche Studios have released the first gameplay trailer for Just Cause 3, going so far as to tell gamers it features “No cut scenes, no scripts, no staging.” Said to captured from “actual gameplay,” the cinematic presentation is thanks to “great camera angles.” I’m not sure I buy it, but the collection of explosions, gunplay, and aerial stunts are certainly impressive.
The trailer also serves as the debut of the Weaponised Vehicle Pack, which will be available as a free bonus to players who pre-order the game. The Weaponised Vehicle Pack includes three luxury vehicles all decked in the finest in heavy weaponry. Perfect for protagonist Rico Rodriguez to use in his quest to free the island of Medici from the evil General Di Ravello.
Just Cause 3 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this Fall.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Just Cause 3
Daily Scoop: April 27, 2015 – Weekend full of games
My weekend was jam-packed with board games, video games, and parties. I also drove a car, tried to fix a shoe with Elmer’s glue, and watched a bunch of television. Oh, and ate a lot of great food. How about you, dear reader?
Let’s get to deals! There are 90 new Weeklong Deals at Steam! You can get the Mass Effect Collection for $8.74, the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Collection for $14.99, and Dragon Age: Origins for $4.99. The Daily Deal is the Blackguards Franchise Bundle for just $13.74.
Humble has brand new games on sale this week as well! Pick up Postal 2: Paradise Lost for $6.79, UFHO2 for $4.99, or get early access to Grimoire: Manastorm, among many others!
There are tons of shirts today! (more…)
Posted in Daily Scoop
Minecraft on consoles gets female character; Sony platforms receive Simpsons Skin Pack
Mojang made three big Minecraft-related announcements today…
First, Mojang has announced that all console players will be able to play as Alex, a female character, beginning Wednesday. According to Mojang’s Owen Hill (writing on the company’s official website), Alex was added to the game because “jolly old Steve doesn’t really represent the diversity of our playerbase.” All eight “Alex” skins will be available as a free update on the PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Alex has been available for PC players since last year.
Today’s second big announcement is that The Simpsons Skin Pack will be available to download on PlayStation platforms this Wednesday. It’ll be priced at $2.99 and include 24 of your favorite Springfieldians.
Finally, Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition will receive 30 additional Achievements that were introduced to the game in Minecraft: Xbox One Edition. A few extra music tracks will also be included in this update.