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
NBA 2K15 says the Golden State Warriors will win this year’s NBA Championship
Sportswriters across the country are getting ready to anoint Stephen Curry as the best basketball player in the NBA. NBA 2K15 publisher 2K Games won’t argue with their, as the publisher predicts Curry’s Golden State Warriors will win the 2015 NBA Championship.
Using an NBA 2K15 simulation, 2K Games believes that Golden State will emerge victorious over the Cleveland Cavaliers in a six-game series. Their path through the playoffs will take them past the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trailblazers, and the San Antonio Spurs (in a series that will go the full seven games). If the Cavaliers play their part, they’ll defeat the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta Hawks to reach the Finals. Real-life is currently cooperating as both Golden State and Cleveland each enjoy 3-0 leads in their respective first round matchups.
According to 2K’s simulation, Stephen Curry and Lebron James will clash in the Finals, with each putting up multiple 30-point games. In the end, the Golden State Warriors will hoist the trophy with Curry also walking away with the Finals MVP.
If you’ve yet to play NBA 2K15 and you’re an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, you’ll be able to try out the game for free all weekend on your Xbox One. According to Xbox Wire, the free download will be available beginning today at 3:00 PM (Eastern Time) and will be operational through Monday, April 27 at 3:00 AM (also Eastern Time).
UPDATE: It got lost in the E3 shuffle, but 2K’s prediction turned out to be incredibly accurate as the Golden State Warriors did indeed win this year’s NBA Championship over the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games. Stephen Curry wasn’t able to claim the MVP award (that went to Andre Iguodala), but he did lead the Warriors in scoring in five of the six games.
WWE 2K15 will bodyslam Steam next week
2K Games and the WWE have announced WWE 2K15 will be available for the PC (through Steam) on April 28.
The PC version of WWE 2K15 is described as a “mirror” of the PS4/Xbox One edition of the game that launched back in November. But it’ll also come packed with all the previously released downloadable content as well. Here, let me turn it over to WWE wrestler (and coverboy) John Cena to tell you all about it.
“One of the great bonuses of getting the game on PC is that you get nearly all of the downloadable content that was released after WWE 2K15 launched in [November] free, as part of the package,” Cena said. “That’s an incredible amount of content… 36 extra characters, four new managers, 26 matches, 46 entire single-player stories and cutscenes in 2K Showcase, and a whole lot more. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that that’s a pretty awesome deal.”
Believe it or not, but Cena apparently played a lot of PC games back in the day: “Texas Instruments, Commodore 64… I was a huge PC gamer growing up, so this is big. Not only for our fans, but for me personally as well.”
WWE 2K15 will be regularly priced at $49.99, but players who pre-purchase it before before the launch date will receive a 10% discount.
Jason Voorhees will join Mortal Kombat X (for Kombat Pack owners) on May 5
NetherRealm Studios used the latest Kombat Kast to announce that owners of the Mortal Kombat X Kombat Pack will be able to download Jason Voorhees on May 5. The rest of us mere mortals (though, isn’t everyone “mortal” in Mortal Kombat?) will have to wait until May 12 to purchase the character as part of the Ultimate Horror Pack, which will also include scary skins for Mileena (Vampiress), Reptile (Kraken), and Ermac (Pharaoh).
The developer plans to stream a special Kombat Kast this Monday, May 4, to celebrate Jason’s introduction to the world of Mortal Kombat X. If you’re not sure Jason is worth the money, don’t worry, NetherRealm’s Ed Boon said you’ll be able to try out the horror icon (for free) in a Jason-themed Living Tower.
Three other characters will eventually be added to Mortal Kombat X as part of the Kombat Pack including The Predator, Tanya, and fan-favorite Tremor.
Telltale Games will release a game set in the Marvel Universe in 2017
Telltale Games has just announced they’ve teamed up with Marvel Entertainment to produce an episodic game for PC and consoles based on a Marvel property. The official announcement is incredibly sparse on details, but we do that the game will be released in 2017. So we’ve got quite a long time to wait.
While it could just as easily be based on Marvel Comics continuity, the company has quite an impressive slate of films on tap for 2017 including Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Thor: Ragnarok, and the debut of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
However, Telltale might be working on a game unconnected to either continuity. Last year, Marvel’s TQ Jefferson said the company wants to create a connected universe of games to rival the MCU. A high-profile title from Telltale Games would be the perfect way to kick off such an initiative.
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour pushed back to July; Gameplay Features trailer now available
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour will include a ton of options when it launches this Summer (including the “extreme fantasy courses” first unveiled last year), but it looks like the tee time will be a little later than expected. Originally announced for release in June, EA Sports confirmed today that the game will now be available on July 14.
To help ease the sting, a new trailer and a new post at the game’s official website go into a little bit of detail about what gamers can expect from Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. Among the features highlighted include the three gameplay styles (the easier Arcade option, the three clicks of Classic, and the accuracy of Tour), new “Aiming Arc” and “Putt Read” options, and a Backswing Meter.
Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is in development at EA Tiburon for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Rory McIlroy PGA Tour
See the first Star Wars: Battlefront Developer Diary here
GAME, the largest chain of video game stores in the United Kingdom, has teamed up with DICE to bring gamers a series of Developer Diaries that delve into the making of Star Wars: Battlefront. Design Director Niklas Fegraeus takes us behind-the-scenes at DICE in the first episode, which has been embedded above.
Watch as Fegraeus explores the Lucasfilm archive to ensure the look of everything is just right. And follow him to Skywalker Sound where the hum of a Lightsaber is recorded for use in the game. The developer even travels to the real-world locales that were used for the ice planet Hoth and the desert world of Tatooine.
Star Wars: Battlefront will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 17. And don’t worry, GAME will unveil three more Developer Diaries with DICE in the coming days.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Star Wars: Battlefront
Square Enix will add Final Fantasy IV: The After Years to Steam on May 12
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years was originally released in 2008, exclusively for Japanese mobile phones. In typical Square Enix fashion, the game was eventually ported to a variety of different platforms including the Wii (2009) and the PSP (2011). An iOS/Android remake was released in 2013 that ditched the Super NES-style graphics. Today, the publisher announced that this version of the game will make its way to Steam on May 12.
Priced at $15.99 ($14.39 if you pre-order), the game takes place 20 years after Final Fantasy IV, with another moon threatening the planet’s very existence:
Seventeen years have passed since the war’s end, and the son born to King Cecil and Queen Rosa of Baron has grown into a young man. Prince Ceodore has enlisted in the airship fleet known as the Red Wings, eager to meet the expectations demanded of his blood and station. Yet once more another moon has appeared in the sky, and with it vast hordes of monsters intent on destruction. The brief peace enjoyed by the Blue Planet now stands threatened under the shadow of impending catastrophe.
In addition to revamped graphics, the Steam version of Final Fantasy IV: The After Years will support for Steam Achievements and Steam Trading Cards.
Nintendo Download: Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart 8 200cc update, more
It’s a Mario Kart kind of day in the latest Nintendo Download. First, one of the best games to ever grace the franchise, Mario Kart DS, is now available to download through the Wii U eShop. Also available today is the free 200cc update for Mario Kart 8.
In addition to adding an entirely new race class to the game, Nintendo has added the game’s second downloadable expansion, the Animal Crossing X Mario Kart 8 DLC Pack, to the Wii U eShop as well. Available on its own for $7.99, or as part of a two-pack for $11.99, the second DLC Pack adds three new racers and eight new tracks to the game.
In other DLC news, Mewtwo will be available to download in Super Smash Bros. For Wii U and Super Smash Bros. For 3DS on Tuesday, April 28. The popular Pokemon character can be yours in a single version of Smash Bros. for $3.99 or in both for just a buck more.
To keep the spotlight shining on their new DLC offerings, only two additional games were added to the eShop today. Cube Creator 3D is a Minecraft-like game for the 3DS while Suspension Railroad Simulator is a suspension railroad simulation.
More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart DS, Super Smash Bros. For 3DS, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U