Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Jordan Minor’s “Boss Fight Books: Super Mario Galaxy” is Now Available for Pre-Order
- Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA Soccer, and Silent Hill are the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- 2025 GOTY Scoreboard: In Progress
- 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
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- With Grand Theft Auto 6 poised to take over the world, I reached out to Jack Thompson and it did not go well – PC Gamer (2026)
- Vib-Ribbon: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- How a Second-Grade Teacher Revived a Beloved Video Game – The New York Times (2026)
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- Diablo IV PC Cooled With Real Human Blood Is Still Going Strong Two Years Later, Says Guy Who Won It – Aftermath (2026)
Author: John Scalzo
Gears of War 3 emerges on September 20
If things had gone according to the original plan, we’d all be sitting down to play Gears of War 3 in a few weeks time. Instead, the trilogy-capping game was delayed to an unspecified “Fall 2011” date. But now, Microsoft and Epic Games have confirmed that the game will make its worldwide debut on September 20th.
Marcus, Baird, Dom and company will continue their fight against the Locust Horde (and “new threats”) in the aftermath of GoW2 throughout new maps and with new weapons. Microsoft has promised that more details about all of the game’s new features will be revealed in the future, including the full scoop on the Gears of War 3 “Official Multiplayer Public Beta.”
My only question is, if this is the end of the trilogy, what’s Gears of War: Exile going to be about?
Posted in News, Xbox 360
Tagged Gears of War 3
Fallout: New Vegas “Dead Money” DLC, Xenogears added to PlayStation Store
Sony has performed their weekly update to the PlayStation Store and dropped a ton of DLC onto gamer’s laps… especially those that love RPGs and games with RPG elements.
The big release this week is the addition of the “Dead Money” DLC expansion for Fallout: New Vegas. The pack was previously exclusive to the Xbox 360, but Bethesda has said that all future expansions will be released simultaneously on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. But for fans of classic RPGs, the bigger news is that Xenogears has been added to the PSone Classics section of the shop. The game is currently selling for over $100 on eBay, so the PlayStation Store’s $9.99 price tag is incredible.
More RPG fun can be found in two of the demos uploaded this week. Sega has released a demo of Yakuza 4, their open world game with RPG elements; while EA has added a demo of Dragon Age II. Non-RPG demos Lego Star Wars III and MLB 11: The Show.
As far as new releases go, Sony has added a trio of titles: Space Ace, a spiritual sequel to Dragon’s Lair; Days of Thunder: NASCAR Edition, a racing game based on the 20 year old movie; and Alien Breed 3: Descent, a good old-fashioned space shooter.
Finally, the voting for the first annual PSN Gamer’s Choice Awards has begun. Don’t forget to vote!
More information on all of this week’s new releases can be found after the break and all the details about this week’s game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation.Blog. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PSP
Tagged Fallout: New Vegas, Xenogears
Red Faction: Armageddon gets its ass to Mars on May 31
Because references to Total Recall never go out of style. Anyway…
THQ has announced that the latest entry in their Mars-based shooter series, Red Faction: Armageddon, will be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on May 31.
Developed by Volition, Armageddon is set 25 years after the events of Red Faction: Guerrilla. Starring Darius Mason, the son of Guerrilla’s Alec Mason, the game digs deep into the heart of Mars to reawaken the ancient Martians. And unlike the benevolent ancient Martians of Total Recall, these space aliens are pissed.
Gamers will get a second helping of Red Faction this May when Syfy airs the tie-in movie Red Faction: Origins. The film, which stars Robert Patrick, is meant to bridge the 25-year gap between Guerrilla and Armageddon.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Red Faction: Armageddon
First Bulletstorm DLC announced
Bulletstorm, the latest psychotic shooter from Epic Games and People Can Fly, is in stores today. And, like with Dead Space 2, publisher Electronic Arts is wasting no time in announcing the first downloadable content pack.
The Gun Sonata pack will be available this Spring on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace. It’ll be priced at $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points) and include three new maps for the Anarchy multiplayer mode. The maps will take place in “the wretched” Sewers of Stygia, “the dilapidated ruins” of Hotel Elysium and “the open spaces” of Villa.
The DLC pack will also feature two new Echo mode maps: Crash Site, “where Final Echo soldiers must deal with the ramifications of their crashed ship”; and Guns of Stygia, “in which a captive commando escapes from an enemy prison.” The final piece of the Gun Sonata pack will be two new Leash enhancements, the Flamingo and the Pulp.
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Bulletstorm
3DS launch day lineup will include 18 titles
With the 3DS’ March 27th release date a little over a month away, Nintendo has unveiled the 18 titles that will be available on day one alongside the handheld’s launch.
Nintendo themselves plans to release three games on March 27, although heavy hitters like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and Mario Kart 3DS will be released “later in 2011.”
Instead, gamers will be able to get their hands on Nintendogs + Cats, Pilotwings Resort and Steel Diver, each of which has been priced at $39.99.
“Seeing 3D visuals without the need for special glasses is just one aspect of Nintendo 3DS,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The real test of any system is whether the games and applications draw you in and keep you engaged. Through the launch window and beyond, Nintendo 3DS delivers.”
Third party publishers will add an additional 13 games to the launch day lineup including the very impressive Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition and these other titles:
- Asphalt 3D
- Bust-A-Move Universe
- Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D
- Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
- Madden NFL Football
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D
- Rayman 3D
- Ridge Racer 3D
- Samurai Warriors: Chronicles
- The Sims 3
- Super Monkey Ball 3D
- Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
The final two games will come pre-installed on the 3DS: Mii Maker, which is just what it sounds like, an application to make Miis; and Face Raiders, a game that makes use of the 3DS’ camera.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Pilotwings Resort, Steel Diver
The Legend of Zelda turns 25
February 21, 1986 was an important day in video game history. 25 years ago today The Legend of Zelda was released on the Famicom Disc System in Japan. The game would cross the Pacific and receive an NES release a year later.
Widely recognized as one of the greatest games of all-time, Link’s first quest set a new standard for action-adventure games and has been re-released multiple times over the years. It was the first game in a franchise that now includes 19 games with a 20th, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, set for release this year. It also came encased in an awesome gold cartridge that inspired many of the series’ pre-order bonuses over the years.
1UP has put together an amazing retrospective of the franchise including “The 25 Coolest Zelda Videos,” “25 Things You Didn’t Know About Zelda,” “25 Zelda Things You Didn’t Know Existed” and a whole lot more.
So happy anniversary to Link, Zelda, Ganon… even Navi.
Posted in News
Faxanadu added to Virtual Console
It may officially be a holiday (President’s Day), but the Nintendo Download definitely didn’t take the day off.
To celebrate they’ve added a new NES platformer, Faxanadu, to the Virtual Console. It’s joined by a pair of new WiiWare titles: Jewel Keepers: Easter Island, a puzzler; and Cozy Fire, a literal, virtual fire. A demo for the excellent Rage of the Gladiator (a fantasy fighter styled after Punch-Out!!) is also available this week.
Hit the jump for more details on all of these titles and the three new DSiWare games as well. (more…)
Weekly Warp-Up: Play Me Off Johnny
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…
In case you missed it, we’re giving away a download code for the Xbox Live Arcade version of Super Meat Boy. A winner will be chosen tomorrow, so now’s your last chance to win one of the best XBLA games of 2010.
Get Warp Zoned!
It wasn’t too surprising when Activision announced that they’re retiring the plastic instruments for 2011. So instead of an encore, we delivered A Eulogy For Guitar Hero and talked a little about how the series should change if it ever comes back. We also discuss the demise of the Hero franchise in Episode 4 of the Warp Zoned Podcast, along with a disturbing amount of Poke-love.
With the Hero franchise unplugged for the time being, Activision’s got their plate full with a bevy of licensed titles including a Spider-Man game scheduled for release this Fall. The company is also likely producing a game based on next year’s The Amazing Spider-Man film and we speculated on what that game might look like.
And speaking of speculation, we examined the State of the Video Game Magazine as of 2011 and discovered that the magazine may not be as dead as we all thought it was.
Hit the jump for the rest of the Weekly Warp-Up. (more…)
Posted in News