Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books Gets 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
- Silent Hill, Dragon Quest, Skyrim, and More Announced as Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
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
Nintendo is restarting development of Metroid Prime 4 with Retro Studios’s assistance
While we haven’t heard anything about Metroid Prime 4 since the game’s reveal at E3 2017, fans were hopeful that the game’s development was on the track. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed this morning as Nitnendo’s Shinya Takahashi has confirmed that the consolemaker is restarting development on Metroid Prime 4 with the help of Retro Studios.
According to Takahashi, Nintendo was unhappy with the current state of the game and didn’t believe that Metroid Prime fans would be happy with it:
We must let you know that the current development progress has not reached the standards we seek in a sequel to the Metroid Prime series.
If we’re not satisfied with the quality, we aren’t able to deliver it to our customers with confidence, and the game will not live up to our fans’ expectations. From this perspective, we have determined that the current development status of the game is very challenged, and we had to make a difficult decision as a development team. We have decided to reexamine the development structure itself and change it.
To remedy this problem, Nintendo has decided to scrap everything and “restart development from the beginning.” Moving forward, Producer Kensuke Tanabe will collaborate closely with Retro Studios, the original creators of the Metroid Prime sub-series. This bump in the road means that Metroid Prime 4 has been indefinitely delayed, and Takahashi said that it will be “a long road” until Nintendo can update us on the game’s development progress.
You can view Nintendo’s full statement in the video embedded above.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Metroid Prime 4
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech is a turn-based RPG from Image & Form… and it’s coming to the Switch in 2019
Swedish developer Image & Form is bringing the SteamWorld series back in 2019… but prepare yourself for a major twist to the formula. After exploring this world through a pair of side-scrolling MetroidVanias and a strategic shooter, the developer will next tackle turn-based RPGs in SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. Currently in development for the Switch, SteamWorld Quest will be released sometime in 2019:
SteamWorld Quest is the roleplaying card game you’ve been waiting for! Lead a party of heroic steambots through a beautifully hand-drawn world and intense battles, using only your wits and a handful of cards. Take on whatever threat comes your way by crafting your own deck, choosing from over 100 unique punch cards!
What awaits you is a luscious treasure chest filled with gold, dragons, vivid worlds, magic, knights in shining armor as well as XP, turn-based battles and all that good RPG stuff! The humorous mix of traditional fantasy and steampunk robots makes for an unforgettable experience with lots of laughs.
Image & Form’s Brjann Sigurgeirsson is very excited about the chance to build an RPG for SteamWorld’s fans, who have been asking for the genre switch for quite a while:
“For years, the SteamWorld community has asked us to create an RPG. In fact, on multiple occasions we’ve asked our followers what they’d like us to make next, and so far an RPG has been the number one request. So we took it upon ourselves to create a new kind of game, to surprise and delight both fans of the genre as well as existing SteamWorld fans.”
The first trailer for SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech has been embedded above.
Overwatch’s “Year of the Pig” event is now available through February 18
Blizzard kicked off Overwatch‘s annual Lunar New Year event earlier today and players will be able to chase a new set of seasonal Skins, Emotes, Highlights, Player Icons, Sprays, and Voice Lines from now until February 18.
During the “Year of the Pig,” the developer will make the “Busan” map suitable for Capture the Flag and they’ve also launched a second season of the game’s Competitive Capture the Flag mode:
We’re celebrating the 2019 Lunar New Year with new seasonal items, including the legendary skins Lü Bu Reaper, Guan Yu Reinhardt, Zhuge Liang Zenyatta, Hong Gildong Tracer, Zhang Fei Torbjörn, and Huang Zhong Hanzo. Through February 18, items from previous Lunar New Year events will be available to unlock for a discounted credit price. This year, we’re also adding a festive Capture the Flag version of the Busan map, and kicking off a second season of Competitive Capture the Flag!
More information about this year’s Lunar New Year event can be found at PlayOverwatch.com, and a new trailer highlighting some of the new unlockable items has been embedded above.
Capcoms rolls out a Launch Trailer and a Live-Action Trailer for Resident Evil 2
We’re just one day away from Capcom’s long-awaited remake of Resident Evil 2, and the publisher has rewarded out patience with a creepy new Launch Trailer featuring Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, the Birkins, Ada Wong, and more. They’ve also unveiled a new Live-Action Trailer that pays homage to George Romero’s original advertisement for the game from 1998.
You can view both videos after the break, and don’t forget that Resident Evil 2 will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One beginning tomorrow. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Resident Evil 2
Watch this Kingdom Hearts III “Gameplay Overview” ahead of next week’s launch
Kingdom Hearts III is almost here, and with it a chance to learn more about the franchise’s complicated storyline. But while your average Kingdom Hearts fan might have a bit of difficulty recalling every plot twist from the last 17 years, Square Enix wants to make sure everyone knows how to play the new sequel with this Gameplay Overview video.
Prospective players will learn about Sora’s abilities in battle, including the various Keyblades he’ll be able to wield, as well as magical and Attraction attacks:
As the Heartless invade the universe, players must prepare Sora and his friends to protect the Disney and Pixar worlds against darkness and unlock the mysterious power of the Keyblades, which only the strong of heart can wield. For the first time in the Kingdom Hearts series, the Keyblades have the ability to transform into different forms with powerful new abilities and dazzling attacks inspired by the characters and elements of each world.
Players can also learn how to use elemental magic for offensive and defensive purposes, such as creating ice slides and wind vortexes to navigate through the chaos in battle. Taking the form of classic Disney rides, players can utilize the power of the Attractions, or team up with Donald, Goofy and other legendary characters from Disney and Pixar worlds to turn the tides against the darkness.
Kingdom Hearts III will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on January 29.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Kingdom Hearts III
Red Dead Redemption 2 cowboys up as the best-selling game of 2018
A wise man once said, “When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.” And that’s exactly what Rockstar Games did with Red Dead Redemption 2.
The publisher’s western epic has been nine years in the making, and it blew away all expectations (and chased every other big release away from its October 26 launch date) as the best-selling game in November. Now, The NPD Group has revealed that it’s also the best-selling game for all of 2018.
Activision’s mighty Call of Duty franchise claimed the #2 spot with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and many of the other usual suspects can be found throughout the top ten including NBA 2K19 (#3), Madden NFL 19 (#4), Far Cry 5 (#7), and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (#10).
It was also a good year all around for single-player games as Spider-Man (#6) and God of War both cracked the top ten. Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was also able to break into the top five (at #5) after only being on sale for a few weeks. Finally, the surprising success of Capcom’s Monster Hunter: World helped the latest entry in the franchise come in at #9.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, the NPD Group said that the entire game industry generated $16.7 billion in sales in 2018, a 13% increase over 2017. That includes a 33% increase for accessories, as a 7% increase for software, and 8% for hardware. On that note, the Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console of 2018.
The NPD’s Top 10 best-selling games for 2018 (in handy list format) can be found after the break. (more…)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate beats up the competition as the best-selling game from December 2018
Even though it’s one of Nintendo’s marquee properties, the Smash Bros. series has always drifted a bit below the radar of the average gamer. That is definitely no longer the case, as The NPD Group revealed the best-selling games from December 2018 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate absolutely blew away the competition.
In fact, the tracking firm told GamesIndustry.biz that Smash Bros. Ultimate had a record-setting debut, and set a new “Launch Month” sales record for a platform exclusive. More impressive, it set this record even though Nintendo doesn’t share digital sales data with The NPD Group.
With the gift-giving season in full swing, some of 2018’s biggest games populated the rest of the list. Red Dead Redemption II slid down to #2, and it was followed by Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (#3), Battlefield V (#4), and NBA 2K19 (#5).
Nintendo dominated the back half of the top ten, with three more titles on the list… Mario Kart 8 (#6), Super Mario Party (#8), and Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu (#9). Madden NFL 19 (#7) and Insomniac’s Spider-Man (#10) rounded out the top ten.
A complete look at The NPD Group’s list of the best-selling games from last month (in handy list format) can be found after the break. (more…)
Yakuza Kiwami will be released for the PC on February 19
Sega has announced that they’ll bring Yakuza Kiwami, the enhanced and updated remake of the first game in the long-running series, to the PC on February 19:
Yakuza Kiwami, the franchise’s very first original title, tells the tale of Kazuma Kiryu, an up-and-coming yakuza who takes the fall for the murder of a crime boss, only to emerge from prison ten years later to a changed world. Take a trip through the twisted world of Japan’s criminal underground, where alliances will be tested, and blood will be shed. Players will encounter “extreme” battles, a wide range of minigames, refined side missions and lots of other fun distractions.
With enhanced gameplay, an expanded cinematic story, the return of thrilling battle styles and re-recorded audio by the series cast, Yakuza Kiwami is the ultimate version of the original vision of the series, now optimised for PC with 4K resolutions, uncapped framerates, and customisable controls.
Yakuza Kiwami will be available to download through Steam for $14.99. Fans who pre-order the game will receive a 10% discount and a Bonus Content Pack (a Digital Manga, Exclusive Wallpapers, and Avatars).
A new trailer promoting Yakuza Kiwami’s PC debut has been embedded above.