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
CoD: Ghosts, Battlefield 4 march to the top of November 2013’s best-selling games chart
With the PS4 and Xbox One now available in stores across the country, the NPD Group is ready to talk about the financial health of the video game industry with their most recent monthly report. Total sales of $2.7 billion fueled the game industry in November, an increase of seven percent over November 2012’s sales numbers. The next-generation had a lot to do with the inflated number, as hardware sales were listed at $1.3 billion for the month, a 58% increase year-over-year.
But what about the games? Well, new releases Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag marched to the top three spots. Below that is a trio of non-November releases (Madden NFL 25, Grand Theft Auto V, NBA 2K14) and below that is a trio of family-friendly titles (Skylanders Swap Force, Just Dance 2014, Disney Infinity). FIFA 14 rounded out the top ten.
The top ten brought with it an interesting comparison between the two next-generation consoles and there seemed to be no clear-cut winner. According to Joystiq, the PS4 versions of Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, Assassin’s Creed IV, Madden NFL 25, NBA 2K14, and FIFA 14 outsold their Xbox One counterparts. But the Xbox One can claim sales superiority with Skylanders Swap Force and Just Dance 2014 among multiplatform releases.
Finally, it was a bad month to be a platform-exclusive game as major releases like Super Mario 3D World, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Forza Motorsport 5, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds failed to crack the top ten.
You can find the complete chart of November 2013’s best-sellng games after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Disney Infinity, FIFA 14, Grand Theft Auto V, Just Dance 2014, Madden NFL 25, NBA 2K14, NPD, Skylanders Swap Force
Telltale has released the first full trailer for The Walking Dead: Season 2
No more teasers… Telltale Games is finally ready to unveil The Walking Dead: Season 2 in the first full trailer for the game, which you can view above. In this second set of episodic adventure games, players will control Clementine in a world full of zombies, but without Lee, her protector from the first game.
Telltale isn’t ready to announce a final release for “All That Remains,” the first episode of The Walking Dead: Season 2, but it’s probably to expect the Steam (PC/Mac), PS3, and Xbox 360 editions to launch on December 17/18. Telltale has confirmed that an iOS version will also be released in December and that a Vita version is in the works.
Each episode will be priced at $4.99, but players can pre-purchase the entire season through Steam (PC/Mac) for $22.49, a 10% savings.
Tales of Zestiria, Tales of Xillia 2 US release announced by Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai had plenty of Tales news to announce on the PlayStation Blog today.
First up, the publisher announced that the 15th game in the Tales “main series,” Tales of Zestiria, is in development for the PS3. The game will be released simultaneously in Japan and the west, a first for the series. Details are still scarce, but Namco Bandai is planning to release the game as part of the 20th anniversary of the Tales series, so don’t expect to play it until 2015.
Namco Bandai also confirmed that Tales of Xillia 2 will be released for the PS3 in North America and Europe in 2014. Even though its a sequel Xillia 2 will follow two brand new characters, Ludger Kresnik and Elle Marta. But Hideo Baba, a Producer on the Tales series, ensures fans that they should “expect to see plenty of your favorite characters returning to help Ludger and Elle on their journey.”
Posted in News, PS3
Tagged Tales of Xillia 2, Tales of Zestiria
Meet the Fencer in the latest Earth Defense Force 2025 trailer
As they say, the only good bug is a dead bug. And the absolute best way to eradicate an alien species of gigantic creepy crawlies in Earth Defense Force 2025 is with the Fencer, the EDF’s “heavy” class. The Lancer is decked out in full-body armor and he carries a shield and a heavy-duty weapon like a gatling gun or a laser cannon. You can watch as the Fencer shreds overgrown ants and nasty spiders in the brand new EDF 2025 trailer above
The bugs don’t stand a chance.
Earth Defense Force 2025 will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in February.
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Earth Defense Force 2025
Nintendo Download: Double Dragon, 3D Ecco, 3D Galaxy Force II, more
“You got 50,000 on Double Dragon?”
Even though it’s a silly milestone (the average player will cross 50,000 points sometime in the third level), I always felt a point of pride when I matched the performance of Fred Savage’s little brother from The Wizard. And now I get to do it all over again as the NES version of Double Dragon is now available on the Wii U eShop and the 3DS eShop. Sadly, there doesn’t appear to be any PS Store-style Cross-Buy option.
Additional titles available this week include two new title in Sega’s 3D Classics series: the dolphin adventure 3D Ecco the Dolphin and the rail shooter 3D Galaxy Force II. Naturally, both will be available through the 3DS eShop. Also set for release this week is the Two Tribes-developed puzzler Rush (Wii U eShop), and many more.
More details on all of these titles, as well as a few others, can be found after the break. (more…)
Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics are free for the next 48 hours on GOG.com
In recent years, GOG.com has emerged from Steam’s shadow to position itself as a major competitor to Valve’s digital distribution service. And with the announcement of their Winter Sale, I imagine many more gamers will flock to the site formerly known as Good Old Games.
While GOG has dropped their retro-inspired name, they’ve never forgotten about their love of classic video games. So to celebrate the start of this year’s Winter Sale, they’re giving away free digital copies of Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics for the next 48 hours. And yes, you read that correctly. You’ll get three of the greatest games of all time for the princely sum of $0.00.
The offer expires on Saturday, December 14 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time.
GOG plans to post new deals and discounts as part of their Winter Sale until December 29, so if you can’t find anything you’re interested in today, keep checking back over the next two weeks as the full sale will include “[a] selection of 600+ games discounted by 50% or more, special bundle deals up to 80% off, and daily personal deals, including the mysteriously mysterious mystery box!”
What’s in the box? What’s in the box?
Fable Anniversary will be released on February 4, 2014
Microsoft has announced that Fable Anniversary will be released for the Xbox 360 on February 4, 2014. Originally scheduled for a Fall 2013 release, Fable Anniversary’s new launch date represents an actual milestone anniversary for the game, which originally shipped for the Xbox in September 2004.
Xbox Wire, which is beginning to publish articles to rival the quality content produced by the PlayStation Blog, sat down with Producer Craig Oman to get the skinny on the differences between the Fable of 2004 and the Fable Anniversary of 2014. It’s worth a read if you’re a fan of Lionhead’s RPG franchise.
Posted in News, Xbox 360
Tagged Fable Anniversary
Lightning Returns: FF13 Collector’s Edition includes a pocket watch and other stuff
Square Enix’s “Fabula Nova Crystallis” series has been decisive with gamers ever since the release of Final Fantasy XIII in 2009. But whether you love ’em or hate ’em, you have to admit that Square Enix produces beautiful Collector’s Editions for them. The recently announced Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Collector’s Edition is no exception. Available exclusively through the Square Enix Online Store, the Collector’s Edition has been priced at $89.99 and will include plenty of goodies:
- Premium Packaging: Featuring artwork from the Japan release.
- Silver Embossed Pocket Watch
- 80 Page Hardcover Artbook: Contains Tetsuya Nomura’s original sketches of Lightning, a foreword from art director Isamu Kamikokuryo, and concept art from Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
- DLC Code: Aerith Gainsborough’s “Midgar’s Flower Girl” Outfit from Final Fantasy VII
- Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Game Disc
The Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Collector’s Edition (as well as the standard edition) will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on February 11, 2014.
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII