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
First NASCAR Heat: Evolution trailer gets the green light
The NASCAR Heat franchise will make its return this September with the launch of NASCAR Heat: Evolution. But before it gets the green light, publisher Dusenberry Martin Racing is looking to rev up our expectations with the game’s first trailer, which was released a few days ago:
Featuring over 40 drivers, all 23 licensed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tracks, and a variety of gameplay modes, NASCAR Heat: Evolution is the first authentic NASCAR game for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
In development at Monster Games, NASCAR Heat: Evolution will be released on September 13 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Capcom confirms plan to remaster Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2, Dead Rising: Off the Record for PC, PS4, Xbox One
Speaking to VideoGamer.com, a Capcom representative has confirmed that the publisher will remaster Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2, and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One:
In a statement provided to VideoGamer.com, the publisher said: “Capcom will be bringing Dead Rising to Xbox One, PS4, and PC. In addition, Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record will make their way onto Xbox One and PS4. We will have more news to share soon.”
Unfortunately, confirmation that they plan to remaster the first three games in the Dead Rising series was all Capcom was willing to share at this time. Exactly when the games will be released, who’s developing them, and how they’ll be remastered for the PS4 and Xbox One is still very much a mystery.
Maybe an experienced investigative journalist can crack this case. I wonder where we could find one…
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record
Xbox One S to launch on August 2; Custom Gears of War 4 Bundle coming in October
Microsoft has announced their upgraded Xbox One S console will be available on August 2, and prospective purchasers will have a choice of three different hard drive sizes: 500GB ($299), 1TB ($349), and 2TB ($399).
In addition to more processing power, the Xbox One S will include a 4K Ultra HD disc drive with High Dynamic Range (HDR) to create the smoothest visuals for games and movies. The system itself is also said to be 40% smaller than the current Xbox One model, and it’ll come packaged with the new Xbox One Wireless Controller (with a textured grip and Bluetooth support). The new Xbox One Wireless Controller will also be sold separately beginning on August 2 (for $59.99).
In October, Microsoft also plans to begin selling a custom 2TB Xbox One S Bundle featuring Gears of War 4. The bundle will include a special “Battle-Weathered” console and “Crimson Omen” controller, along with a download code for Gears of War 4 and another code to activate the Season Pass. A JD Fenix Limited Edition Wireless Controller will also be available this October. Unlike the pulsating red of the Xbox One S, the JD Fenix controller “is designed after JD Fenix’s armor and features metallic blue accents and textured grip for enhanced controls, as well as the COG logo – the Phoenix Omen.”
You can get a closer look at the “Battle-Weathered” Gears of War 4 console after the break, and more information about the package can be found at the Xbox Wire. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Gears of War 4
Minecraft: Story Mode explores the dangers of VR next week in Episode 7: Access Denied
Telltale is returning to the world of Minecraft: Story Mode next week with the upcoming release of Episode 7: Access Denied. Set to launch for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and mobile devices on July 26, Access Denied takes place in a world where a Skynet-like AI uses virtual reality to enslave the population:
In Episode 7: Access Denied, continuing their portal journey in search of home, Jesse and crew land in a world entirely controlled by PAMA – a sinister “thinking machine” determined to command everyone and everything in pursuit of optimal usefulness and efficiency. Forced on the run to avoid capture and assimilation, you’ll need to work with a new ally to defeat the corrupted computer and free the population it has enslaved.
If you listen closely in the trailer above, you’ll likely hear Community‘s Yvette Nicole Brown, who joins the cast of Episode 7: Access Denied as Harper, PAMA’s creator in hiding.
Minecraft: Story Mode – Episode 7: Access Denied will be available as part of the Adventure Pass, which is priced at $14.99. Players can also purchase it individually for $4.99.
Nintendo releases alternate Splatoon covers to celebrate this weekend’s Splatfest
“Pledge your allegiance to Team Callie or Team Marie with this nifty printable alternative box art!”
Whether you’re “Team Marie” or “Team Callie,” I think we can all agree that alternate covers are the best. And Nintendo certainly thinks so, as the consolemaker’s Squid Research Lab has designed a pair of printable covers for Splatoon to celebrate the final Splatfest. So head over to the blog and download them now… and don’t forget to use Legal Size Paper.
This weekend’s supersized Splatfest will begin on Friday, July 22, at 5:00 AM (Eastern Time). Players will be able to battle it out for 48 hours until a winner is crowned on Sunday, July 24, at 5:00 AM (also Eastern Time). Good luck to both sides and may the best Squid Sister win.
Hyper Light Drifter will be available for PS4 and Xbox One next week
Gematsu is reporting that Hyper Light Drifter, Heart Machine’s beautiful action RPG, will be available to download for the PS4 and Xbox One next Tuesday, July 26.
The Zelda-like adventure smashed all expectations (and its $27,000 funding target) on Kickstarter in 2013, with backers ultimately pledging more than $645,000 towards its development. The expanded budget substantially increased the game’s scope, and the originally-announced Summer 2014 release date was pushed back again and again. But after launching to almost universal acclaim this past March, Hyper Light Drifter will hopefully find just as warm a welcome on consoles.
Hyper Light Drifter is also in development for the Wii U and Vita, but the last Kickstarter update revealed that it’s unlikely the game will debut on either platform before the Fall.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Hyper Light Drifter
Iron Galaxy will add Eyedol to Killer Instinct on July 22
The latest season of Killer Instinct will come to a close on July 22, when owners of the Season 3 Ultra Edition will get the chance to download Eyedol. Players who purchased the Season 3 Combo Breaker Edition for the Xbox One or Windows 10 will have to wait until July 29.
Eyedol originally served as the final boss of the original Killer Instinct, and he returns in the reboot to continue his battle against Gargos. You can witness all his two-headed fury in the gameplay trailer embedded above.
If you haven’t jumped into Killer Instinct yet, Microsoft will release a special Definitive Edition of the game on September 20. The Definitive Edition will contain all 26 characters, including Eyedol, that have been added to the game since its 2013 debut.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Killer Instinct
Amy Hennig talks about Visceral’s Star Wars game at this year’s Star Wars Celebration
It’s a great weekend to be a Star Wars fan, and it’s not just because this year’s Star Wars Celebration is in full swing. But we’ve learned a lot about what’s coming soon to the beloved franchise, and the organizers even gave Creative Director Amy Hennig a chance to publicly discuss the Star Wars game she has in the works at Visceral.
First, Hennig talked about working closely with Lucasfilm’s Story Group to ensure her team creates an “authentic” Star Wars experience:
“The reason [we’re collaborating with Lucasfilm so closely] is we’re writing an original Star Wars story with new characters, locations, tech, creatures, you name it. And all of it has to sit authentically alongside the stuff people know now.”
Hennig would go on to compare the writing process for her Star Wars project to her previous work on the Uncharted franchise, and it sounds like she’ll bring the same “swashbuckling charm” to the galaxy far, far away:
“The process that I’ve been using is really similar to what I did with Uncharted, to be honest. If you’re trying to re-create that classic pulp action adventure experience, you need to deconstruct the films so you know how to reconstruct them in an interactive context as gameplay.”
“The end goal is by the time the player has finished playing they feel like they really did play a Star Wars film. So I’ve done the same thing for Star Wars. What does that mean? It means getting the structure right. It means you have to understand where the act breaks fall, where all the obstacles and reversals fall, and the set-pieces. What are all the component parts that make up a Star Wars story?”
“It means getting the tone right. It’s what my writing partner Todd [Stashwick] calls breezy urgency. It’s the idea that there’s sort of a swashbuckling charm to the thing. There’s humor and buoyancy but at the same time there’s stakes and jeopardy.”
The developer finished her talk by hinting at the possibility of multiple playable characters, because no one goes it along in Star Wars:
“It’s not a lone wolf story. That’s not Star Wars. […] They only escape the Death Star because everyone does their part in parallel. […] The challenge for us then is how do we enable that in gameplay.”
Visceral’s Untitled Star Wars Game will be released sometime in 2018. In the meantime, we can all pore over some new concept art that was released as part of yesterday’s panel after the break. (more…)
Posted in News
Tagged Star Wars: Visceral