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
Disney closes Epic Mickey developer Junction Point
Disney Interactive has announced they’ve shut down Epic Mickey developer Junction Point Studios. The announcement comes just two weeks after the reveal of the publisher’s huge Disney Infinity project, which is in the works at Avalanche Software, Disney’s sole remaining internal studio working on console development.
Disney released the following statement concerning Junction Point’s closure to the press:
“It was with much sadness that we informed our teams today of changes to our Games organization, which include the closure of Junction Point Studios. We’re extremely grateful to Warren Spector and the Junction Point team for their creative contributions to Disney with Disney Epic Mickey and Disney Epic Mickey 2.”
More than 50 employees were laid off as a result of the closure. Studio head Warren Spector told Gamasutra that he’s unsure where he’ll end up next.
[Source: Joystiq]
Posted in News
Tagged Epic Mickey, Epic Mickey 2
PSN Today: Crysis 3 beta, GTA Vice City, Hitman HD Trilogy, more
It’s another big week for the PlayStation Store as Sony and Electronic Arts have added a Crysis 3 open beta to the PSN. The beta is available to download for free by all PS3 owners from now until February 12. The digital download version can also now be pre-ordered through the PS Store, so you can be sure you’ve got it first thing on February 19.
Also available this week is Square Enix’s Hitman HD Trilogy. The up-rezzed versions of Agent 47’s second, third, and fourth games are available as separate PSN downloads or as one combined bundle.
Going back in time a bit, this week also sees the addition of a trio of games that were previously available as disc-only releases including Platinum’s Bayonetta, Konami’s Zone of the Enders HD Collection, and Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (that one’s a PS2 Classic).
There’s even that’s new to the PlayStation Store this week. You can read all about them after the break. And don’t forget to visit the PlayStation Blog for a list of this week’s new game add-ons. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, Vita
Tagged Bayonetta, Crysis 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Hitman HD Trilogy
Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 coming this Spring
It’s been a long-time coming, but Zeboyd Games has announced that we’ll finally get a chance to play Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 this Spring. The final game in the four-part series will be available for the PC and Xbox Live Indie Games and Zeboyd promises it’ll be “the largest Precipice of Darkness game yet!”
You can find the first screenshots of Rain-Slick 4 at the game’s official website and an in-depth interview with Zeboyd’s Robert Boyd and Bill Stiernberg at IGN lays out even more details about the RPG event of the year. For example, we now know that Rain-Slick 4 will carry the same $4.99/400 Microsoft Points price as Episode 3.
Are you ready to punch the final ancient god in the face? I hope so, because it won’t be long now.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox 360
Tagged Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4
Crytek plans to release first Homefront 2 details soon; release date delay likely
Crytek’s purchase of the Homefront franchise hasn’t impacted the development of Homefront 2. In fact, Crytek UK General Manager Nick Button-Brown confirmed (in an interview with VG247) that executives within the company want to unveil a more revealing look at Homefront 2 sooner rather than later. But, Button-Brown also confirmed that the title might be delayed due to Crytek’s desire to create the best game possible:
“Crytek’s focus is fairly similar to THQ’s -namely to make the best game possible. So this will not have too much impact on the development itself. However, we might change the release date that we haven’t announced, and move this to another release date we won’t announce yet either.”
THQ originally revealed Homefront 2’s existence (and Crytek’s involvement with the sequel) back in September 2011. At that point, the game had a late 2013/early 2014 release date. But due to THQ’s financial problems and the title’s eventual acquisition by Crytek, it’s now best to think of Homefront 2 as a “when it’s done” game.
What in God (of War)’s name is Sony Game Day 2013?
Sony recently posted the cryptic video above on their YouTube Channel. The video is promoting something called “Game Day 2013,” which takes place on February 1, 2013 (that’s this Friday!).
During the video’s short 16 second runtime, we get a glimpse of a Greek woman in a very traditional dress being covered in ashes and then a quick shot of an eye that most likely belongs to Kratos.
I’ve cracked your code, Sony! This has something to do with God of War! But if you want specifics, you’re going to have to wait until Friday.
Posted in News, PS3
Tagged God of War: Ascension
Crytek USA opens in Austin with “core” of Vigil Games
Crytek is expanding yet again. Days after purchasing the rights to the Homefront series for Crytek UK (the former Free Radical Design), the German company has opened the doors to their first North American branch, Crytek USA.
Crytek USA will be located in Austin, Texas and, according to Gamasutra, will include the “core” of Vigil Games among its new employees. Vigil Games was the only internal THQ studio not to find a buyer in last week’s auction.
The studio will be headed up by David Adams, one of Vigil’s co-founders. Crytek didn’t announce an initial project for their North American branch, but CEO Cevat Yerli did say, “We are extremely excited about the work that we will be undertaking from our strategic new location in Austin.”
Posted in News
Here’s what Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition’s Update 8 will include
According to Microsoft, Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition‘s Title Update 8 is “upon us.” It’s coming soon, obviously, but the “when” of the update is still a bit hazy. However, the “what” has been finalized.
So hit the jump if you’re just itching to know what Title Update 8 will include. (more…)
Madden NFL 13 picks the Ravens as the winner of Super Bowl XLVII
The football Nostradamus that is EA Sports’ annual Simulation Bowl has made its pick for Super Bowl XLVII and it’s the Baltimore Ravens. Using a copy of Madden NFL 13 running on an Xbox 360, the simulated game features Ravens narrowly defeating the San Francisco 49ers 27 to 24.
The simulation started slowly with both teams only managing a field goal apiece after the first quarter. The 49ers shot ahead 10-3 in the second quarter with a Frank Gore touchdown, but a Torrey Smith catch and a Ray Rice run put the Ravens up 17-10 at halftime.
The simulation was knotted up again near end of regulation after Joe Flacco tossed a TD to Anquan Boldin and the 49ers answered with another Frank Gore run and a Colin Kaepernick to Vernon Davis throw. But the simulation ended thanks to a field goal from rookie kicker Justin Tucker and an Ed Reed interception to put the 49ers away for good.
Joe Flacco was named the MVP of the Super Bowl simulation for his 19 of 27 completion rate, 260 yards, and two touchdowns.
EA Sports and their Madden NFL Super Bowl Simulation correctly picked last year’s winner (the Giants over the Patriots) and is 7-2 since they first began picking winners in 2004. We’ll see if they move up to 8-2 this Sunday.