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
- 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
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- 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)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
Most Recent: News
Nintendo will host a second Splatoon Global Testfire on May 23
Did you miss last weekend’s “Global Testfire” for Splatoon? Get out your painting clothes, because Nintendo has announced a second round of testing will take place next weekend on Saturday, May 23 at 6:00 PM (Eastern Time):
Download the #Splatoon Global Testfire software in the #WiiU #eShop to play some multiplayer Turf War action on 5/23 from 3-4 p.m. PT!
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 15, 2015
Warp Zoned’s Mike Ryan had a blast during the original beta test, so be sure to download the demo today. Those that do will receive a 10% discount on the Wii U eShop edition of Splatoon when it launches on May 29.
Flawless Retaility! Mortal Kombat X tops April 2015’s list of best-selling games
Mortal Kombat X killed the competition last month as it’s been crowned the top-selling game of April 2015 by The NPD Group. Aside from NetherRealm’s latest and Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin at #8, the tracking firm’s report showed a top ten that was comprised solely of returning titles including Grand Theft Auto V at #2, Battlefield Hardline at #3, MLB 15: The Show at #4, and the well-loved Minecraft at #5.
Overall, it was a good month for the game industry as total sales rose 3% over April 2014. It’s a small gain, but it’s a gain nonetheless.
“Overall sales across hardware, new physical software, and accessories in April 2015 grew by 3% over April 2014 due to the strength of new physical software sales, which offset losses from hardware and accessories,” The NPD Group’s Liam Callahan told GamesIndustry.biz.
April 2015’s top ten best-selling titles (which also includes CoD: Advanced Warfare, NBA 2K15, the fourth Super Smash Bros. game, and a remastered Borderlands collection) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Battlefield Hardline, Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Dark Souls II, Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, MLB 15: The Show, Mortal Kombat X, NBA 2K15, NPD, Super Smash Bros. For 3DS, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U
Ratchet & Clank remake pushed back to 2016 as film adaptation gets April 29 release date
We haven’t heard much about Insomniac’s Ratchet & Clank remake since its reveal less than a year ago. Originally scheduled to launch earlier this year, the game was quietly delayed with no explanation or announcement. Until now, that is.
Yesterday, Insomniac’s Ryan Schneider confirmed (via the PlayStation Blog) that the Ratchet & Clank remake will be released in Spring 2016. The remake will include an overall new coat of paint and several new weapons and levels that will help it tie-in to the upcoming Ratchet & Clank animated film:
While you might have to wait a bit longer than expected, rest assured we’re using the time wisely to further polish the game to a spit-shine level, with dazzling shader response, awe-inspiring effects, velvety smooth animations, and spectacular new gameplay segments. Really, we can’t wait to show it to you.
Speaking of the animated film, Schneider also announced that it’ll make its theatrical debut on April 29, 2016. Distributed by Focus Features, the film will include a variety of big names in its cast list including Paul Giamatti as Chairman Drek, John Goodman as Ratchet’s mechanic mentor Grimroth, Bella Thorne as Galactic Ranger Cora, Rosario Dawson as Galactic Ranger Elaris, and Sylvester Stallone as the villainous Victor Von Ion.
But don’t worry, the original voice actors for Ratchet (James Arnold Taylor), Clank (David Kaye), Captain Qwark (Jim Ward), and Doctor Nefarious (Armin Shimerman) will all return to reprise their roles for the film.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS4
Tagged Ratchet & Clank
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition video leaks online
Microsoft is having a terrible time keeping Gears of War: Ultimate Edition secret. First, a source close to the development team confirmed the game’s existence last month. And today, Polygon has gotten their hands on a number of leaked videos that showcase the game’s remastered graphics:
The videos, apparently captured with Xbox One’s DVR capabilities, were quickly removed from several sites that automatically pull Xbox One recordings from the cloud, but not before they were grabbed by viewers and reposted elsewhere.
The videos appear to show a Gears of War with improved lighting effects, textures and framerate [than] the Xbox 360 original.
Rather than sit back and repeat “No comment” until this whole thing blows over, Microsoft went to work banning all the testers responsible for the leak. Polygon is reporting that the testers, who are employed by an outside testing service, have had their Xbox Live accounts banned as well as all of their “Xbox One privileges” (and I do mean all, Microsoft has supposedly effectively made their Xbox One consoles “unusable” online):
Microsoft also permanently disabled their Xbox LIVE accounts (as well as other suspected accounts present on their Xbox One kits) and temporarily blocked all of their Xbox One privileges – meaning that for a period of time which Microsoft decides on depending on the severity of the offense, their Xbox One is entirely unusable.
I guess the moral of the story is… don’t break non-disclosure agreements. Of course, the more important takeaway from this tale is that Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is real and its coming soon.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Gears of War
Nintendo Download: Stretchmo, New Super Mario Bros., Attack on Titan 3DS, more
It’s Thursday, so that means it’s time for another edition of the Nintendo Download. Eight new games will call the Nintendo eShop home this week. Some of this week’s new releases include…
- The first game in Nintendo’s side-scrolling New Super Mario Bros. series makes the leap from the DS to the Wii U.
- Capcom continues their Mega May promotion with the launch of Mega Man Battle Network 3: Blue/White, which was originally released for the Game Boy Advance, on the Wii U eShop.
- The first game based on the popular Attack on Titan anime, Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains, has been added to the 3DS eShop.
- Stretchmo is the latest game in Nintendo’s Pushmo series of puzzlers. Available now on the 3DS, players have the option to play a free-to-play version limited to the first seven levels or they can purchase additional level packs individually or as a bundle.
More information on all these titles (and four others) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains, New Super Mario Bros.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege will swarm store shelves on October 13
Amidst all the delays, we’re starting to get a few real release dates for this Fall’s biggest games including confirmation of an October 13 launch for Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege.
Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Rainbox Six: Siege is a team-based shooter that’ll be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One:
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is inspired by real world counter-terrorist organizations, and puts players in the middle of lethal close-quarters confrontations. For the first time in a Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six game, players will choose from a variety of unique Counter Terrorist Operators and engage in intense sieges, a new style of assault where enemies have the means to transform their environments into modern strongholds while Rainbow Six teams lead the assault to breach the enemy’s position.
We’ll likely learn more about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege during this year’s E3 Expo, which is roughly a month away.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
Lego Jurassic World will launch on June 12 with more than 20 playable dinosaurs
Eventually you do plan to have dinosaurs in your, in your dinosaur game, right?
Oh, umm, never mind, Lego Jurassic World will actually feature more than 20 playable dinosaurs and they’re all right here in this new trailer. In addition to this new look at the game’s adorable (and deadly) beasts, WB Games and TT Games have also announced it’ll be available in stores for the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on June 12.
Players who plan to purchase Lego Jurassic World from select retailers will also receive a little bonus packed in with the game. These select retailers include GameStop (Lego Dino Trap Mini Playset), Target (Dr. Wu Minifigure), and Walmart ($10 Movie Cash Certificate).
The latest Jurassic Park film, Jurassic World, will also open on June 12, so that Movie Cash Certificate might come in handy.
Can you survive the Evil Ninja and the Micro Drone in these N++ trailers? Probably not…
Metanet Software continues their series of N++ enemy trailers with a look at the Evil Ninja and (after the break) the Micro Drone. Like all the enemies in N++, they will kill you… a lot… though the Evil Ninja looks trickier than most. Two more trailers for the devilishly hard platformer will be released over the next two weeks, but in case you missed it, feel free to gaze at the stick figure carnage caused by Rockets and Deathballs in the first pair of trailers.
N++ is currently in development for the PS4 and will be released soon. (more…)