Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- BAFTA Games Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins “Game of the Year” at 2025-2026 GDC Awards
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- We Pitched a Museum a 1993 Game Hint Line (And They Actually Said Yes) – Yarn Spinner (2026)
- The History Of The Word “Metroidvania” And How It Spread – A Critical Hit (2025)
- Creator of Hit Game Shovel Knight Is at a ‘Make or Break’ Moment – Bloomberg (2025)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
Author: John Scalzo
Now Infinity Ward is working on a “next generation” game
With the “next generation” officially set to begin next week with the Wii U’s E3 2012 reveal, another developer is looking to the future.
This time, it’s Call of Duty creator Infinity Ward. The development team is looking for a Senior Network Engineer, so I think it’s safe to say that their next game will include online multiplayer.
Their ideal candidate should also have an “[i]nterest in games, preferably first person shooters.” So I’m going to make another leap and state that Infinity Ward is working on a first person shooter, maybe even Call of Duty 10. I’m really sticking my neck out there, I know.
Weekly Warp-Up: It’s Just Business
No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…
I think Michael Corleone was responsible for this week’s big news stories as they all embodied the Don’s mantra of “It’s not personal, it’s business.”
For example, it was just business for Aliens: Colonial Marines, DMC: Devil May Cry, and the XCOM FPS when they were delayed into 2013 by, respectively, Sega, Capcom, and Take Two. All three games had previously been scheduled for sometime this Fall.
Take Two took their business game up a notch this week a second time by subtly hinting at an early 2013 release for Grand Theft Auto V.
In an absolutely cutthroat business move, evidence has emerged from the Activision-Infinity Ward court battle detailing Activision’s deal with Bungie. It seems that the company’s next project, codenamed Destiny, will be a four-part MMO that is being planned for release on the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox 720.
Finally, it looks time has run out on 38 Studios and their Amalur MMO. They have been unable to pay their employees since May 1 and laid them all off this week.
You can find more of this week’s biggest stories after the break. (more…)
Posted in News
Temporary Resident Evil 6 box art becomes official
When Capcom first announced Resident Evil 6, they also revealed some temporary box art featuring the game’s logo. On Friday, that temporary art (which you can see to your left) officially became the game’s official box art.
It’s a little plain, but umm, sure, why not? After all, anything is better than the absolutely terrible GameCube box art for Resident Evil 4.
Resident Evil 6 will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 2 with a PC version to follow soon after.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Resident Evil 6
New Releases: Resistance Burning Skies, Max Payne 3, Batman Arkham City GOTY, More
We close out the month of May with a trio of big new releases and the re-release of one of 2011’s best games.
This week, Sony brings the fight against the Chimera to the Vita in Resistance: Burning Skies. Also this week, Rockstar brings Max Payne 3 to the PC after a successful PS3/Xbox 360 debut. Finally, NIS America will be releasing the latest Atelier game on the PS3, Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland.
And that re-release is none other than Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition, which includes all of the released DLC, including “Harley Quinn’s Revenge.”
More new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, Vita, Xbox 360
Tagged Batman: Arkham City, Max Payne 3, Resistance: Burning Skies
38 Studios, Big Huge Games shutting down
38 Studios (and their subsidiary, Big Huge Games) have laid off their entire staff and are effectively shutting down, just a week after declaring that Project Copernicus, their Amalur MMO, would ship in June 2013.
The company sent the following email to all 379 members of the staff, informing them of the lay off:
The Company is experiencing an economic downturn. To avoid further losses and possibility of retrenchment, the Company has decided that a companywide lay off is absolutely necessary. These layoffs are non-voluntary and non-disciplinary.
This is your official notice of lay off, effective today, Thursday, May 24th, 2012.
The death of 38 is being laid at the feet of a $75 million loan the company received from the state of Rhode Island to develop Copernicus. As of last week, 38 was up-to-date on their loan payments, but they reportedly haven’t made payroll since May 1. The underperformance of their most recent (and only) game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, also aggravated the situation. The developer sold about 1.2 million copies of Amalur, an astonishing number for a brand-new franchise, but it needed three million in sales to break even.
Company founder, and former Major League pitcher, Curt Schilling later told his followers on Facebook, “38 isn’t dead yet.”
[Source: WPRI]
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Amalur MMO, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
GameTrailers TV to reveal new Star Wars game franchise ahead of E3
When I was a kid, Christmas afternoon was reserved for a back-to-back-to-back viewing of the Star Wars trilogy. This year, Spike TV wants the world to feel like it’s Christmas in May with a Star Wars trilogy marathon on Sunday.
But that’s all just a lead-up to the world premiere of “the newest game franchise in the Star Wars universe.” The first details about the game’s concept and its title will be revealed on the Thursday, May 31 edition of GameTrailers TV. This will be followed by the first gameplay trailer on Spike TV’s “E3 All Access Live” on Monday, June 4.
“I am blown away by both the caliber of the team on this project and their bold vision for this new Star Wars title,” said Geoff Keighley, Host and Executive Producer, Spike TV’s “E3 All Access Live” special. “I can’t wait to introduce our viewers to this game and show off the footage that left my jaw on the floor when I first saw it.”
If this game truly represents a “new franchise” then that means we’re not getting Battlefront III, Force Unleashed III, or even Lego Star Wars IV. I guess the “new” part is exciting, but I really want to play a third game in the Force Unleashed series.
Posted in News
Tagged E3 2012, Star Wars 1313
Harry Potter casts a spell on Kinect this Fall
“I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it.”
Marty McFly’s wise words from the finale of Back to the Future could easily apply to the latest crop of Kinect titles. Just look at Kinect Star Wars. Kids can’t get enough of the Han Solo dancing and the Rancor stomping, but adult just shake their heads in disbelief. The same thing will likely happen this Fall when Harry Potter For Kinect (presumably a working title) is released exclusively for the Xbox 360 by Warner Bros. Interactive Enterainment.
Developed by Eurocom and based on the movie series, players will be able to fly a broomstick in a Quidditch match, duel other wizards, and battle Voldemort He Who Must Not Be Named with physical spellcasting maneuvers and the ability to call out spell names.
Harry Potter For Kinect will include a ton of playable characters such as Harry himself, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Dumbledore. Players can also use the Kinect facial scanning feature to add themselves to the story. A series of “competitive mini-games” and co-op gameplay rounds out the features available in Harry Potter For Kinect.
Oh yeah, your kids are gonna love it.
Posted in News, Xbox 360
Tagged Harry Potter For Kinect
Dracula will return in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow sequel
Konami has launched a teaser site at TheDragonReturns.com. While the site itself doesn’t spell out exactly what it’s teasing, it’s pretty easy to figure out.
The gothic-style door features a golden dragon and “Dracula” literally means “Son of the Dragon” in Romanian. The site’s source code also includes the phrase “”CLOS Teaser Page” and the following foreboding paragraph: “Dare you face the evil darkness? It is written that the creatures behind that door will return very soon to claim the souls of your loved ones, and send you straight to hell! Be aware!”
Add it all up and you get a teaser page that more than likely belongs to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2.
The site also includes a date, May 31, 2012, which conveniently coincides with Konami’s Pre-E3 Press Conference.
[Source: Game Informer]
Posted in News
Tagged Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, E3 2012