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
Dungeons & Dragons inducted into Toy Hall of Fame for its “impact” on video game industry
Last week, The Strong Museum of Play inducted Dungeons & Dragons into their National Toy Hall of Fame, partially due to its influence on the video game industry.
“More than any other game, Dungeons & Dragons paved the way for older children and adults to experience imaginative play,” said Curator Nic Ricketts. “It was groundbreaking. And it opened the door for other kinds of table games that borrow many of its unique mechanics. But most importantly, Dungeons & Dragons’ mechanics lent themselves to computer applications, and it had a direct impact on hugely successful electronic games like World of Warcraft.”
Originally published by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974, the original Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks became the basis for all modern role-playing games and introduced millions of players to the game. New editions of Dungeons & Dragons are currently produced by Wizards of the Coast, and the 5th Edition of the game was released in 2014.
Dungeons & Dragons was joined by The Swing and Fisher-Price Little People in the National Toy Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016. The three toys beat out this year’s other finalists including Bubble Wrap, Care Bears, Clue, the Coloring Book, Nerf, Pinball, Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots, Transformers, and Uno.
Posted in News
Tagged Tabletop Games
These are the publishers and developers attending PlayStation Experience 2016
The 2016 PlayStation Experience is roughly three weeks away, and Sony wants to prepare all their fans for the big show with the announcement of a “near-final” list of publishers and developers that’ll be attending.
According to the PlayStation Blog, 67 companies have signed up to showcase their wares at the Anaheim Convention Center on December 3rd and 4th. We don’t for sure what games each of these companies will have on display, but it’s easy to assume that Polyphony Digital will deliver an update on Gran Turismo Sport, Guerrilla Games will show off Horizon: Zero Dawn, and SIE Japan Studios will offer one final tease for The Last Guardian.
Here’s a look at the complete list of exhibitors scheduled to appear at the 2016 PlayStation Experience (so far)…
Publishers and Developers Confirmed For PlayStation Experience 2016
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It’s an impressive list, but I’m sure you’re asking yourself, what’s Naughty Dog up to? And where’s Insomniac and Sucker Punch? Sony surely has a lot of surprises up their sleeve, but like Veruca Salt, I want to know now.
Posted in News, PS4, Vita
Tagged PlayStation Experience 2016
Nintendo officially ends production of Wii U in Japan
If you walk into any game store these days, you’re likely able to find a giant mountain of retro consoles like the NES, Super NES, and Nintendo 64. But while all of those systems sold in excess of 30 million units, the Wii U’s install base is only 13.3 million… so it might be tough to find a used one in the future if you don’t already own it. And after last week, Nintendo won’t be making it any easier.
In an announcement on Nintendo Japan’s website, the consolemaker revealed that production of the Wii U is currently scheduled to end sometime in the near future.
Nintendo of America is also scaling back on their Wii U stock, telling IGN that every Wii U console they had available has already been shipped to stores:
“As recently posted by Nintendo on the Wii U website in Japan, Wii U production will end in the near future for the Japanese domestic market. We have nothing to announce in terms of exact timing.
We can confirm that as of today, all Wii U hardware that will be made available in the North American market for this fiscal year has already been shipped to our retail partners. We encourage anyone who wants Wii U to communicate with their preferred retail outlet to monitor availability.”
While it seems likely that the Wii U’s legacy will be its poor retail performance, the console was also home to some of the greatest games Nintendo has ever produced. Whatever the future holds for the Nintendo Switch, which will be released in March 2017, I’m sure every Wii U owner out there will hold on to its predecessor for many years to come.
Toys R Us Canada, GAME UK both list a price of $250 (US) for the Nintendo Switch
We know when the Nintendo Switch will be released, and we know the basic details about what makes it different from the PS4 and Xbox One. So the biggest remaining question is definitely… how much will it cost? Today, we might have gotten our answer.
Toys R Us Canada is currently offering shoppers the chance to purchase a Switch system for $330 CAN, which roughly converts to $243 in the US. It’s possible this number is just a placeholder, but a retailer across the Atlantic is rumored to be readying a similar sale price. According to Let’s Play Video Games, UK retailer GAME is said to be planning to sell the Nintendo Switch for £200, which converts to $250 in the US.
If Nintendo is shooting for a global price point for the Switch that undercuts both Sony and Microsoft (and why wouldn’t they), $250 definitely seems like a good target to aim for.
Nintendo has announced plans to officially unveil the Switch’s retail price on January 12, so we’ll find out if these rumors are on the mark in less than two months.
Weekly Warp-Up: Let’s Speculate About the Nintendo Switch…
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…
While lots of great games have worked their way into stores over the last few weeks, there’s been a distinct lack of game news to keep us occupied. Because of that, our thoughts turned to the future and the Warp Zoned staff decided… Let’s Speculate About the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo’s next console is still a complete mystery, but we’ve got a few ideas about how it could change the way people think about console gaming.
Of course, there was plenty of real talk about the Switch this week as developers and publishers can’t seem to stop themselves from saying good things about the platform. Cypronia announced that Cube Life: Island Survival HD is in development for Nintendo’s console (and the PS4). Ubisoft‘s CEO promised to deliver “at least one game [for the Switch] that will definitely surprise you.”
And Tantalus, the developer of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, announced they’re working on a game for the Switch too. Is it another remaster of a major Nintendo-published title? We don’t know, but we can speculate.
More gaming news from the last seven days can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News
New Retail Releases: Pokemon Sun/Moon, Watch Dogs 2, Assassin’s Creed Ezio Collection, More
We hope you’ve been flexing your Pokemon muscles this year with Pokemon Go, because Nintendo and Game Freak are getting ready to launch Pokemon Moon and Pokemon Sun this week for the 3DS. The latest game in the long-running franchise will take place in the Alola region (which is based on Hawaii), and introduce a few dozen new Pokemon to players.
Also available on store shelves this week is Watch Dogs 2, the latest game in Ubisoft’s series of hacktivist open world titles. This time, players will travel to San Francisco and join up with Marcus Holloway, a hacker who is working to take down the latest version of ctOS.
Elsewhere in your favorite game store this week, you’ll find a bunch of re-releases. Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection will bring together all three games starring Ezio Auditore (Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations) in a new collection for the PS4 and Xbox One. Meanwhile, EA will package together Star Wars: Battlefront and all of its post-launch downloadable content in Star Wars: Battlefront – Ultimate Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One. Finally, Image & Form will release a retail-ready two-pack of SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Heist for the Wii U as SteamWorld Collection.
A full list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Xbox Store Today: Dishonored 2, Handball 17
It’s time to sneak back into the city of Dunwall in Dishonored 2, Arkane’s Xbox One sequel to their stealthy 2012 hit. This time, Emily Kaldwin and Corvo Attano escape to the city of Karnaca after Emily was removed as Empress, and players will be able to take control of both characters to regain her rightful place on the throne.
Also available this week is Handball 17, that favorite of gym teachers everywhere. But handball is also extremely popular in Europe, and the Xbox One sports sim will include “82 official teams from the most prestigious European leagues.” Players will also get the chance to experience single-player Season and Career modes, along with local and online multiplayer.
More information about both games can be found right here:
Xbox One Games
Dishonored 2 ($59.99)
Reprise your role as a supernatural assassin in Dishonored 2. Play your way in a world where mysticism and industry collide. Will you choose to play as Empress Emily Kaldwin or the royal protector, Corvo Attano? Will you make your way through the game unseen, make full use of its brutal combat system, or use a blend of both? How will you combine your character’s unique set of powers, weapons and gadgets to eliminate your enemies? The story responds to your choices, leading to intriguing outcomes, as you play through each of the game’s hand-crafted missions.Handball 17 ($59.99)
Use all the real handball moves and tactics in Handball 17, the best handball simulation ever. Find the 82 official teams from the most prestigious European leagues. Handball 17 features entirely redesigned controls, dynamic artificial intelligence, single player Season and Career modes, local and online multiplayer modes, and several levels of difficulty for an experience that is as close as it gets to the real thing.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Dishonored 2
Nintendo Download: Harvest Moon Skytree Village, Cartoon Network Battle Crashers, Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, more
It’s time to head back to the farm as Natsume released Harvest Moon: Skytree Village for the 3DS this week. Now available to download through the 3DS eShop, Skytree Village asks players to revive the land through terraforming and “new and easy farming mechanics.”
Also available on the 3DS this week is Cartoon Network Battle Crashers, a crossover brawler from GameMill starring Gumball, Steven Universe, Finn (Adventure Time), Mordecai (Regular Show), and Clarence. 3DS owners will also get a shot at vintage side-scrolling action this week with the Virtual Console launch of Mega Man X3, a Super NES classic that was originally released in 1995.
Over on the Wii U eShop, two more underrated Wii games are now available to download. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles reformed the famous franchise as a light gun shooter, and Rhythm Heaven Fever smashed together more than 50 wild and wacky minigames that “teach players to feel the beat.”
You can read up on all of this week’s new additions to the Nintendo eShop after the break. (more…)