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
Turtle Rock has partnered with Perfect World to produce a free-to-play co-op FPS with “dark fantasy” elements
When Turtle Rock parted ways with 2K earlier this year, they left the future development of Evolve in the publisher’s hands. But the developer has revealed they have no plans to stop creating co-op shooters after partnering with Perfect World on a new free-to-play title.
Steve Goldstein, Turtle Rock’s President, recently sat down with GamesIndustry.biz to discuss this new title, the team’s future, and the difficulty of being an independent AAA developer in today’s world. The executive confirmed that the game, which is currently untitled, won’t be released until “at least 2018.” He also said it shouldn’t be considered a spiritual successor to Evolve or the Left 4 Dead series because it takes place in a “dark fantasy” world:
According to President and GM of Turtle Rock, Steve Goldstein, the developer isn’t willing to go so far as to call the new IP a spiritual successor. “We think that kind of label has big expectations tied to it, also – it sets an expectation that we’re making something sequel-like that does not deviate too far from the original formula. And while we focus on awesome first-person shooting and co-op, we’d rather have the new game be something our players classify and designate and judge without us affixing the label ourselves,” he said.
“What we can say is that we are definitely going back to our moment-to-moment gameplay roots with a huge focus on co-op FPS. There will be plenty of baddies to shoot up, but it is not a ‘zombie game’ or anything post-apocalyptic. What we can say right now is there’s a strong dark fantasy element to it.”
Goldstein is also very impressed with the way developers are able to quickly respond to fan feedback in the free-to-play space. However, it’s likely the last thing we’ll hear about Turtle Rock’s next game for a long time.
UPDATE: An official press release from Turtle Rock has confirmed their free-to-play project is in development for “PC and console.”
Learn about “The Calamity and The Blade” in this new Tales of Berseria trailer
Bandai Namco has provided fans with another extended look at Tales of Berseria, this time zooming in on the game’s demon-heavy backstory in a new trailer titled “The Calamity and The Blade”:
A mysterious disease known as Daemonblight is devouring the kingdom, it infects humans, plants, and animals, turning many of them into violent creatures. Take on the role of Velvet Crowe, a woman who some years ago lived a normal life in her village but is now infected with Daemonblight. She narrowly escapes death and is instead imprisoned for three years. Take part in her tale of vengeance!
The publisher has also opened digital pre-orders for Tales of Berseria and fans who purchase the game before release will receive the following bonus items:
PS4 Digital Pre-Order Bonuses
- Tales of Berseria Theme (Illustrated by Ufotable)
- 15 Minute Exclusive Dramatic Chat Skit – Hosted by Bienfu with Velvet and the complete cast discussing a plethora of topics about the Tales of series
- Mini Music Selection from Tales of Berseria
Steam Digital Pre-Order Bonuses
- $10.00 Loyalty Discount – If you have previously purchased Tales of Zestiria or Tales of Symphonia through Steam
Tales of Berseria will launch early next year for the PS4 (on January 24) and Steam (on January 26). If you’d rather try it out first, a demo will also be available on January 10.
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Tales of Berseria
Yooka-Laylee will be released on April 11; Switch release planned for later in 2017 after Playtonic cancels Wii U version
Playtonic Games has announced that Yooka-Laylee will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on April 11. Yes, you read that right, the Wii U version of the colorful 3D platformer has been canceled. According to the developer’s official website, the Wii U version was dropped due to “unforeseen technical issues.”
However, Playtonic revealed that they’re working closely with Nintendo to bring Yooka-Laylee to the upcoming Nintendo Switch. More details about the Switch release of Yooka-Laylee will be revealed next year, likely during Nintendo’s livestream presentation on January 12.
In other Yooka-Laylee news, Playtonic also unveiled a gameplay trailer for the game that focuses on a brand new locale, the “Capital Cashino”:
This glamorous, marble-floored playground has our buddy-duo navigating the casino floor, discotheques and oversized roulette tables in search of delicious golden bounty. But there’s a twist; players must now compete to win casino tokens, and exchange them with the banker for the pivotal Pagies!
Finally, Playtonic announced that everyone who pre-orders a copy of Yooka-Laylee will instantly receive the Toybox Demo, “which offers a taste of the platforming mechanics set to appear in the full game in a self-contained, spoiler free sandbox.”
The Big List of Nintendo Switch Games: December 2016 Update
We are exactly one month away from learning a lot more about the Nintendo Switch. On January 12, the consolemaker will host the “Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017,” a livestream dedicated to revealing “the launch date and pricing for Nintendo Switch, as well as a look at the lineup of games currently in development.”
However, a few recent rumors have given us a pretty good look at what Nintendo probably has planned for the Switch, including adding GameCube games to the Virtual Console, a multi-touch touchscreen, and a wallet-friendly possible retail price of $250.
We’ve even gotten a glimpse at a dozen new games in development for the Switch, and you can learn more about those after the break. (more…)
Early Access release of Pit People will launch for Xbox One and Steam on January 13
The Behemoth has announced that their upcoming strategy RPG, Pit People, will be available to download through Early Access on Steam and the Xbox One Game Preview program on January 13. Here’s what they had to say about it on the official Behemoth Blog:
After implementing our changes post-beta, holding onto the game in its current state just feels weird. The core gameplay is complete and we’ll be adding content until the full version is released. We feel that Pit People is at a point where we’ll confidently say there’s more than enough fun, content, variety, value and play-time to keep someone happy. We won’t sell something unless it meets these standards, so it definitely seems like it is time! This will also be a good opportunity to monitor the balance in the game and continue getting feedback from the gaming community as we finish up!
According to the developer, the Early Access version of Pit People will include “a sizeable chunk of the Story mission, plus access to several world maps (yes, there are more than one!), quests, Unfair Challenge against the AI, and Versus mode.” All of the game’s multiplayer modes will also be available including two-player cooperative mode and Versus Mode for up to four players.
As development continues, The Behemoth plans to add more quests, collectible items, story missions, and world maps to the game.
Players who give Pit People a chance in its Early Access will be able to do so at a discounted rate. The Behemoth will sell the Early Access version of the game for $15, which is a 25% reduction off its regular $20 price tag. And as you might expect, players who purchase the Early Access version of Pit People will receive the full version at no additional charge.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Pit People
Old Time Hockey brings back arcade-style sports on PC, PS4, Xbox One in Early 2017
Hard-hitting hockey games like Blades of Steel and NHL 94 were all the rage back in the 90s, and V7 Entertainment wants to bring this forgotten style of arcade action back with Old Time Hockey. Available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in early 2017, Old Time Hockey will be a “rough and tumble” game that features “70s afros, big moustaches, no helmets, dirty hits, bench-clearing brawls, goalie fights, stick fights, ref abuse and literally lighting it up.”
“Everything from NHL 94, Blades of Steel, to other sports titles like NBA Jam and Tecmo Bowl inspired us,” said Director Karthik Venkateshan “We wanted to recreate that old familiar experience of playing these games on the couch with friends.”
Old Time Hockey will feature 5-on-5 arcade-style gameplay, along with a Story Mode set in the 1970s. Players will even be able to choose from a variety of control schemes including a simple two-button scheme, a more complex modern scheme, and a special “Beer Mode” that can be played with one hand (the other will, or course, be needed for holding your drink).
The first trailer for Old Time Hockey has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Old Time Hockey
See the Launch Trailer for the final episode of Batman: The Telltale Series
Prepare yourself, the Bat Signal will shine one more time for the Dark Knight in Batman: The Telltale Series. That’s becuase City of Light, the final episode in Telltale’s reinterpretation of Batman’s earliest adventures, will be available to download tomorrow for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and mobile devices.
Whether you try to save Gotham as Batman or Bruce Wayne, the finale promises to keep players guessing:
In Episode 5, the leader of the Children of Arkham prepares to execute the final act of a plan to destroy the Wayne family name, and the people closest to you are in their path of vengeance. Can Batman’s ultimate secret be kept – his very identity – when it is causing chaos and death in Gotham? The fate of the Wayne family and of the city itself rests on your choices. What will you do? How far will you go? Which mask will you wear?
Even though things are looking grim for the Caped Crusader, Telltale also unveiled a brand new Launch Trailer for Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode 5: City of Light, and it’s been embedded above.
New Pokemon from Pokemon Gold/Silver added to Pokemon Go today
It’s no secret that Niantic has been teasing their plan to add new Pokemon to Pokemon Go for some time. Well, the wait is over, because the developer confirmed that Trainers can capture new Pokemon from Pokemon Gold and Silver starting today.
After obtaining Eggs from a PokeStop, players will be able to hatch a handful of new Pokemon including Togepi, Pichu, and others from the franchise’s Johto region. Niantic also wants to celebrate the holiday season in Pokemon Go and players will also be able to capture a special “Pikachu in a Festive Hat” from now until December 29.
“As we race toward 2017, we can’t help but feel grateful for the support and reaction the Pokemon Go community has given us, and we’re delighted to start rolling out select Pokemon for them to hatch,” said Kei Kawai, Niantic’s Director of Product “We’re also looking forward to celebrating the season with our community by introducing a Pikachu wearing a festive hat, providing Trainers the opportunity to get out and explore their neighborhoods with friends and family as they gather for the holidays.”
If you’re looking for a new PokeStop or Gym, Niantic has partnered with Sprint to turn 10,500 Boost Mobile and Sprint at Radio Shack locations into PokeStops or Gyms.
Posted in Mobile, News
Tagged Pokemon Go