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
Activision will add six maps (plus “Winter Crash” bonus map) to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered on December 13
Back in September, Activision promised that every mutliplayer map from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare would be available in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered by the end of the year. Yesterday, they made good on their promise by confirming that the remaining six maps (“Bloc,” “Countdown,” “Pipeline,” “Showdown,” “Strike,” and “Wet Work”) will be released on December 13.
Modern Warfare Remastered’s December Update will also include the holiday-themed “Winter Crash” map as a bonus, as well as the Gun Game and Hardpoint game modes.
As of today, Activision hasn’t announced any plans to release Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered as a standalone download, and the game is currently only available as part of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare‘s Legacy Edition.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Blizzard Publishing book-publishing label launches with World of Warcraft Coloring Book
The “Fantasy” section at your local Barnes & Noble is probably overflowing with adaptations of Blizzard’s biggest franchises. Yesterday, the developer announced their intention to get into the book-publishing business with the launch of their own label, Blizzard Publishing.
“Great stories and inspiring artwork have always been at the heart of everything we do,” said Lydia Bottegoni, the Senior Vice President of Story and Franchise Development at Blizzard Entertainment. “The creation of Blizzard Publishing gives us new opportunities to celebrate the art and stories of our games with Blizzard gamers as well as fantasy and sci-fi fans around the world.”
Blizzard is launching their new venture with World of Warcraft: An Adult Coloring Book, an “epic volume of more than 80 pieces of concept art, sketches, and more.”
The Blizzard Publishing label will also be used to retell some of the expanded universe stories from years part, including a line of reprinted “Blizzard Legends” titles. The first three book in the “Blizzard Legends” line will be Warcraft: The Last Guardian by Jeff Grubb, Warcraft: Lord of the Clans by Christie Golden, and World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden. Blizzard will also reprint a series of manga collections, starting with Warcraft Legends: Volume One and Warcraft Legends: Volume Two.
Blizzard Publishing has plans to release a number of additional titles in 2017 including Art of Hearthstone, Cinematic Art of StarCraft, as well as additional novel and manga reissues. All Blizzard Publishing titles can be purchased from the Blizzard Gear online storefront, and many will also be available at your local bookstore.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PC
Tagged World of Warcraft
DICE will partner with Motive to give Star Wars: Battlefront 2 a single-player campaign
With millions of copies sold and fans clamoring for a sequel, Star Wars: Battlefront has been an extremely successful gamble for EA and DICE. But while players are eager to experience a followup, they’ve also pestered DICE to add a single-player campaign to the multiplayer shooter. Yesterday, the developer strongly hinted at some progress on that front in a new sit-down with Eurogamer.
DICE Producer Paul Keslin revealed that DICE has used the Death Star and Rogue One expansions to inject “a bit of narrative” into the first Battlefront, and that people are responding well to it:
The other big request, of course, was for a campaign – something that’s already been locked in for Battlefront 2, and something that DICE has been making motions towards in its DLC for the first game. “Myself as a Star Wars fan, I want story, I want narrative, I want something I can play that immerses me in that world but gives me something to follow and chase,” says Keslin. “That’s actually what inspired us with the Death Star DLC and [the Rogue One DLC] – how we do add a bit of narrative to the multiplayer game? We know that players want that, we’re not able to give them a full-fledged campaign post-launch for Battlefront, but how can we scratch that itch a bit? It’s been received okay – I think some people appreciate it. We’re trying to address as many things as we can.”
Keslin went on to admit that DICE is currently working with Jade Raymond’s Motive Studios to ensure the single-player campaign in Battlefront 2 is up to par with the multiplayer portions:
“That’s a lot of what we’ve talked about in terms of DICE’s identity and how we approach games,” says Keslin. “We’re partnering up with some folks from Motive – they have their own take on how things are – but we have a very close relationship with them, and we want everything to feel like a coherent experience. We don’t want it where single player isn’t that great but multiplayer has this great thing and isn’t connected.”
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 will be released in Fall 2017, just ahead of the theatrical debut of Star Wars Episode VIII.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Star Wars: Battlefront II
The Sacred Hero will be released for the Nintendo Switch and PC in 2018
Featuring a teaser trailer very reminiscent of Link’s adventures in The Legend of Zelda franchise, indie developer Simplistic has announced they will release The Sacred Hero for the Nintendo Switch and PC in 2018.
While it’s not very much to go on, we know The Sacred Hero is being directed by a teenage developer named Kane Goodridge, with music by Ruven “Music Proposition” Wegner.
An earlier trailer, embedded after the break, make the Zelda parallels a bit more clear. The Sacred Hero is clearly influenced by A Link to the Past, as well as older Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy titles.
Good luck to the young team at Simplistic, and hopefully we’ll learn more about The Sacred Hero soon. (more…)
Super Mario Run won’t be released for the Nintendo Switch
Even though the Nintendo Switch will sport a tablet-style screen, it’s looks like the consolemaker’s upcoming mobile titles will stay on mobile platforms… for now, at least.
Speaking to CNET, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed the company has no plans to bring Super Mario Run to the Switch. Set to launch for iOS devices on December 15, Super Mario Run is a side-scrolling platformer that can be played with one hand, and Fils-Aime said the game was designed to be played on a mobile screen:
“Development for Super Mario Run is different than development for Nintendo Switch [the company’s all-new Wii U successor, coming in March 2017]. With Switch we’re going to have a variety of input devices, a variety of ways for you to interact with the game. Here, it’s all the screen. So it’s a different type of development challenge. But at the core, our developers are looking to create content that you really can’t get anywhere else, you can’t experience anywhere else…that’s a core philosophy that’s going to continue.”
Fans got a quick look at Mario’s first (currently untitled) adventure for the Switch as part of the console’s “First Glimpse” unveiling back in October. Hopefully, we’ll learn more about it during Nintendo’s Switch presentation on January 12.
Posted in News
Tagged Super Mario Run. Mobile, Switch
Nintendo Switch exclusive Seasons of Heaven announced by AnyArts Productions
AnyAnts Productions is a California-based developer that’s working on an exclusive game for the Nintendo Switch. Today, the company officially unveiled Seasons of Heaven, and a handful of great-looking screenshots, on the French-language Gameblog.
Based on a novel by Nico Augusto, Seasons of Heaven is an exploration title that’s being built with Unreal Engine 4. We also know that it takes place in a “mystical forest,” and stars a young boy with telepathic powers:
Seasons of Heaven will take you from deep inside of a mystical forest at the beginning of time all the way through to the twenty-first century and the fall of civilization. It will take you on a journey with Yann, a young boy with Asperger’s Syndrome and his faithful companion, Ani, a French bulldog who Yann is able to communicate with through telepathy. As you follow along on their journey you’ll have the opportunity to meet the rest of the major players and bear witness to the enlightenment of some and the demise of others. This story will allow you to experience the awe of discovering the most beautiful, magical place that ever existed while at the same time staying only one step ahead of the dark and vile underbelly of the human race.
It’s unknown when Seasons of Heaven will be released for the Switch, but hopefully we’ll learn more about it during the big presentation Nintendo has planned for January 12.
Posted in News
Tagged Seasons of Heaven, Switch
Nintendo Download: Animal Crossing New Leaf Welcome Amiibo Edition, Metroid Other M, Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, more
Nintendo is going retro with this week’s eShop update, as four games from the consolemaker’s past resurface in new locales or with new features.
Leading the way is a 3DS re-release for Animal Crossing: New Leaf that adds Amiibo functionality to the game. The appropriately-named Welcome Amiibo Edition adds new features and activities, as well as support for all Amiibo figures and cards in the Animal Crossing series. Players who’ve previously purchased Animal Crossing; New Leaf will be able to access all of the Welcome Amiibo content with a free update.
3DS fans might also be interested in Demon’s Crest, which is also now available to download for Nintendo’s handheld. Originally released for the Super NES in 1994, Demon’s Crest is the final adventure of Firebrand, a heroic gargoyle first glimpsed in the Ghosts N Goblins franchise.
Over on the Wii U eShop, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is now available to download for Nintendo’s home console. The strategy RPG is a remake of the first Fire Emblem game, and it was originally released for the DS in 2009.
Finally this week, the divisive Metroid: Other M makes the leap from the Wii to the Wii U. Developed by Team Ninja, Other M gives bounty hunter Samus Aran a very complicated backstory in a game that combines first-person and side-scrolling viewpoints.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Doom’s latest Free Update adds bots, new SnapMap options, and more
The imaginatively-named “Free Update 5” is now available to download for id Software’s Doom. This no-cost patch adds a new competitive game mode to Doom’s online multiplayer, as well as the option to play against bots and a higher level cap for your Echelon Rank.
You can check out the trailer above for a look at everything available in “Free Update 5,” or read on for an overview of the update direct from the developer:
Multiplayer Additions
- Infernal Run: A new competitive game mode where teams fight for control of the ball and score in the opponent’s goal.
- Bots: Available on original multiplayer maps in Team Deathmatch and Deathmatch game modes.
- Echelon 11: Multiplayer rank now extends to Echelon 11. Once you reach the new highest ranking, you’ll unlock the signature Doom Marine Armor (Praetor Suit)!
SnapMap Additions
- Play as the Doom Marine in the Doom Marine Armor (Praetor Suit).
- More elements from the campaign, allowing you to play and create even more campaign-like experiences.
- Lazarus Lab themed modules and props.
To get the most out of Doom’s newest update, players will be able to take part in a Double XP Weekend from now until Monday, December 12, at 12:00 PM (Eastern Time).
Finally, id Software also announced that Bloodfall, Doom’s third downloadable expansion, will be released on December 15. The final DLC Pack will include three new multiplayer maps and the invisible Spectre Pinky demon.
More information about “Free Update 5” and the Bloodfall DLC Pack can be found at Bethesda.net.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Doom (2016)