Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- 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
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- How a Second-Grade Teacher Revived a Beloved Video Game – The New York Times (2026)
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- 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)
Most Recent: News
April’s Modern Warfare 3 maps now available on CoD Elite
In case you’re still in a PAX East-induced coma, you might like to know that Activision and developer Infinity Ward have deployed the Call of Duty Elite content drops for April. Available only for CoD Elite Premium subscribers on the Xbox 360, two new multiplayer maps await those who download the latest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 content:
“Sanctuary”
Suspended in the air one thousand feet up, you’ll battle more than altitude in the towering sandstone monasteries of Central Greece. Formed over millions of years, this sanctuary’s natural rock pillars have repelled invading armies and withstood the ravages of time but now they’ll face your deployment. Test your skills—and the ancient monks’ craftsmanship—with your arsenal of SMG’s, assault rifles and shotguns. Just remember: don’t look down.
“Foundation”
Journey into the heart of South Korea for a decommissioned concrete factory where the cement flows and bullets fly. After decades of constructing roads and buildings, the towering facility is now a perfectly-constructed combat zone for sniping and run-and-gun rules of engagement. Don’t stand in awe of the towering concrete crusher at the center of the factory unless you want to see your kill ratio meet the same fate.
Both maps will be available to non-Elite subscribers on the Xbox 360, as well as PC and PS3 players, soon.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Nintendo Download: Ketzal’s Corridors, Anne’s Doll Studio
Nintendo is adding only two games to their various download services today, which is quite possibly a first for the company. Perhaps the creation of WiiWare and DSiWare games is coming to an end?
But any future speculation hasn’t stopped today’s addition, which include the Tetris-like puzzler Ketzal’s Corridors (3DS eShop) and paper doll simulator Anne’s Doll Studio: Tokyo Collection. Yes, you read that correctly.
More info on both of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Daily Scoop: April 12, 2012 – Post-PAX depression!
Well, PAX East has come and gone, and it’s taken me this long to realize it’s already over. I usually cry at the closing ceremonies, but I missed them this year, so I guess I didn’t really get the closure I needed. I was riding a wave of happiness the whole way home from Boston! But now it’s dawning on me that it won’t be back for another year. Sigh…
Not really much in the way of deals today. If you want to start thinking about the future, Amazon’s pre-order and new release bonus offers can be pretty darn tempting. They’ve got a $10 credit and a bonus for Borderlands 2, an awesome art book for Game of Thrones, and a special skin in Lollipop Chainsaw, among others. I’m still holding out for the Borderlands 2 collectors edition, which is going to destroy my bank!
Lots of gaming t-shirts for you today! (more…)
Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News
Bethesda adding Kinect support to Skyrim
In a few weeks, yelling “Fus Ro Dah!” as you play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim won’t just result in snickers from your housemates. If you’re gaming on an Xbox 360 and you’ve got a Kinect sensor, that Dragon Shout (and over 200 more commands) will be recognized by the game.
Kinect support will be added through a free title update that’ll be available later this month. Bethesda plans to release the full list of voice commands soon, but for now, here’s how they’re going to integrate your Kinect sensor into the world of Skyrim:
Adding a new dimension to Skyrim’s gameplay, the Kinect for Xbox 360 integration offers Voice Commands throughout the game including Dragon Shouts, Hotkey Equipping, Follower Commands, and all Menus (Items, Magic, Map, Barter, Container, Favorites, and Skills). With Voice Commands, quickly create and load saves during gameplay and access menus and inventories. Skyrim’s Kinect for Xbox 360 Support also adds new functionality including special map functions, additional hotkey options, and the ability to sort inventory items by name, weight, and value.
Hopefully they’ll also add in a command that kills your character instantly if you say “Then I took an arrow to the knee.”
Posted in News, Xbox 360
Tagged The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Gaikai’s Facebook app delivers console quality games while you network socially
Cloud gaming service Gaikai has announced the beta of it’s Facebook app will be available for gamers to try out for free.
Gaikai promises its app will provide “high-end, console quality game experiences” on Facebook through the use of Cloud streaming technology. David Perry, CEO of Gaikai, hopes video game publishers will embrace the service to expand their digital customer base, and underscores the value of letting people try games with no obligation, saying, “The Facebook social graph fuels our mantra ‘Try it for free’, ‘Share it if you like it’, ‘Buy it if you love it’.”
There are a limited number of titles available to play for free in the beta version of the app, which is only currently available in the US and Europe. Saints Row: The Third and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record are available in the US only, while Magicka, Sniper: Ghost Warrior, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Orcs Must Die!, and Farming Simulator 2011 are available in the US and Europe.
To play, you’ll need a broadband Internet connection and Java installed. Gaikai works on PC or Mac in all major browsers. To check out the app for yourself, head over to Facebook and fire up Gaikai right now.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, Orcs Must Die!, Saints Row: The Third, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Three new trailers for DMC: Devil May Cry
Dante is back once again to banish some demons with his signature brand of gravity defying flippy-shooty-slashy-wahey! DMC: Devil May Cry looks like a spectacularly fresh entry into the series while still retaining the essence of what makes a Devil May Cry game. Which is to say, you can still make some demonic marionettes hover in the air with only your bullets for support.
What really stands out in DMC is the inspired art direction. The game looks gorgeous and will be a welcome break from anything remotely realistic. Bright colors amalgamate into a hyper-real world for you and Dante to explore.
And from the gameplay trailers you can find after the break, the rest of the game looks to be on par with the spectacular visuals. Don’t believe me? Have a peek below and see what you think. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged DMC: Devil May Cry
Industry analyst calls used game lockout rumors “so stupid as to be laughable”
Industry analyst Michael Pachter has some strong words to describe the rumors swirling around the used game compatibility of next-generation systems. The idea has been circling that the PlayStation 4/Orbis and Xbox 720 will feature a lockout system that would prevent players from playing used games. Whether it’s a simple online pass to pair a game with one console or going completely discless, there has been a lot of conjecture as to what will be happening with DRM in the future consoles.
Pachter provides a convincing argument that fear of competition will keep used games on the shelves and in your new next-gen console. He believes that if one of the consoles takes the chance on barring used games, the others will reap the reward by simply allowing them. It would be death for any new console to alienate such a huge base of gamers right out of the gate. Or, in other words, “so stupid as to be laughable.”
“Unless you believe in collusion – unless you believe that all the console manufacturers are going to get together and scheme to screw the consumer, and at least in the U.S. we have laws against that, so probably none of them would do that – then if one of them did that unilaterally (any one of those things), the others would say, “Hey wait a minute, we have a disc drive. Ours will play used games. Buy ours instead of there’s.”
“[It’s] not happening. Not even a prayer of that.”
Those words are music to the ears of every gamer on a budget. If everything happens like he says, used games will be here to stay and you won’t have to worry about your wallet being raided by your controller.
[Source: Game Informer]
Newton, Rodgers, Johnson, Willis are your Madden NFL 13 cover vote final four
Round Three of the Madden NFL 13 cover vote is complete and the final four has emerged. Semifinal voting will run from today until April 18 as these players vie for your votes:
Left Bracket
Cam Newton (#1) vs Patrick Willis (#11)
Right Bracket
Aaron Rodgers (#1) vs Calvin Johnson (#6)
Both of the top seeds still remain and both are competing against some surprising opponents as we near the end. The 11th-ranked Patrick Willis has had the kind of run that Peyton Hillis had last year. A dedicated fanbase pushed him to the finals, which eventually pushed him over the top against the divisive Michael Vick. Johnson is less of a surprise as he was far and away the best wide receiver in the league last year, but anytime Rob Gronkowski gets bested, it’s a surprise.
But I would be surprised if either man makes it to the finals. Those two positions are reserved for Newton and Rodgers, I guarantee it.