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
Bethesda unveils Elder Scrolls Online Imperial Edition, new cinematic trailer
A few days ago, Bethesda announced an impressive voice cast for The Elder Scrolls Online. Today, they’ve unveiled an equally impressive special edition for the game.
The “Imperial Edition” will be available in both digital and physical formats. The $79.99 Digital Edition will feature a variety of in-game gear including:
- Play as an Imperial: Become an Imperial and play in any Alliance. Gain unique bonuses, crafting styles, gear, and more.
- White Imperial Horse: Summon this Imperial mount and journey through Tamriel with speed.
- Mudcrab Vanity Pet: Explore Tamriel with a mudcrab pet scuttling along by your side.
- Rings of Mara: Complete the Ritual of Mara with a friend and receive an experience bonus when you play together.
The Physical Edition has been priced slightly higher, $99.99, but it will include all the Digital Edition content as well as several goodies you can touch and feel:
- Molag Bal Statue: A 12” statue featuring Molag Bal, Daedric Prince of domination and enslavement.
- The Improved Emperor’s Guide to Tamriel: A 224-page illustrated guide annotated by the Imperial scholar, Flaccus Terentius.
- Physical Map of Tamriel: A 21” x 26” printed map detailing Alliance-controlled zones and the ultimate conquest: Cyrodiil.
- Steelbook Packaging: A limited edition steel case decorated in the color of the Imperials.
Players who pre-order either edition (or the $59.99 Standard Edition) will also receive the Explorer’s Pack, a special bit of DLC that includes a Scuttler vanity pet, four bonus treasure maps, the ability to play as any of the nine races in any Alliance, and five days of Early Access ahead of the game’s April 4 launch. The Elders Scrolls Online will also be available for the PS4 and Xbox One in June.
And if you’re desperate for more ESO, we’ve got a brand new cinematic trailer, “The Arrival,” after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged The Elder Scrolls Online
Tomb Raider PS4, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z, more added to PS Store
Two big games were added to the PlayStation Store yesterday, perfect for fans of big fighting and big adventure.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition brings Lara Croft’s latest adventure to the PS4, enhanced with all the latest technology that the next-generation system can muster. And Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z for the PS3 and Vita is a multiplayer brawler and the latest game in the Dragon Ball series of game adaptations. But sorry, there’s no Cross-Buy option.
Also available this week are a trio of PSone/PS2 Classics: Mark Davis Pro Bass Challenge, a PS2 fishing game; Cyber Sled, a futuristic vehicle fighter originally for the PSone, and The Firemen 2: Pete & Danny, a PSone firefighter sim that was previously only available in Japan.
More on all of these titles can be found after the break and a full list of this week’s new game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita
Tagged Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z, Tomb Raider
Gears of War acquisition may have killed Black Tusk’s current project
Yesterday, Marcus Fenix and the rest of the Gears of War gang moved from Epic Games to Black Tusk Studios as Microsoft acquired the publishing rights to the long-running Xbox-exclusive series. But it’s beginning to look like this acquisition will kill Black Tusk’s in-development “AAAA” project, which was first revealed at last year’s E3 Expo.
According to the official “XboxJobs” Twitter account, Black Tusk and Microsoft executives are currently determining if the project will continue:
@ChrisLikesDinos @blacktuskstudio has been working on an all original IP since its inception, we’ve just brought the GoW franchise (1/2)
— Xbox Jobs (@xboxjobs) January 27, 2014
@ChrisLikesDinos into our portfolio and have not yet determined the future of the new IP at this point. (2/2) (cc @blacktuskstudio)
— Xbox Jobs (@xboxjobs) January 27, 2014
Also yesterday, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer told reporters, “I wouldn’t say things have been shelved,” implying that development on Black Tusk’s “AAAA” game would continue. Hopefully, the status of Black Tusk’s future projects will be announced soon.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Gears of War 4
The first million is the hardest, but Minecraft: PS3 Edition did it
Hey, did you know that Mojang has sold a ton of copies of Minecraft? Hard to believe, I know, but it’s true. Minecraft on the PC is approaching 14 million copies sold and the Xbox 360 Edition has sold more than 10 million copies since its introduction in May 2012. Now it’s the PS3 Edition‘s turn to join the million-seller club.
Minecraft: PS3 Edition was first made available to download through the PlayStation Store on December 17 and, according to Mojang, it has sold more than a million copies in a little over a month. That’s pretty impressive for a game that was initially released for the PC in 2011.
Minecraft will make the jump to three additional platforms this year as an Xbox One Edition, a PS4 Edition, and a Vita Edition are all in development at 4J Studios under Mojang’s supervision.
New Earth Defense Force 2025 trailer shows off new enemies
The Earth Defense Force will make their long-awaited next month in Earth Defense Force 2025. After Vicious Cycle Software handled the previous entry, 2011’s Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon, the series has returned to its original developer, Sandlot.
Sandlot is expanding the EDF world to include multiple character classes, more enemy types, more vehicles, and more missions. They’ve even managed to shoe-horn a dragon into the game. You can check out all the additions to EDF 2025 for yourself in the brand new trailer above.
Earth Defense Force 2025 will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on February 18. EDF! EDF! EDF!
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Earth Defense Force 2025
Microsoft acquires rights to Gears of War franchise from Epic
While the Gears of War franchise has always been exclusive to the Xbox 360, the rights to the series, as well as all development, were handled by Epic Games. Today, Microsoft has ensured that Marcus Fenix and the rest of the Gears grunts will remain exclusive to the Xbox platform as the publisher has purchased the rights to the Gears of War franchise from Epic. Terms of the deal were undisclosed, but Microsoft now owns all intellectual property rights to the franchise, the right to republish or remake any previous title in the series, all development assets, and the right to produce original Gears games in the future.
Just as 343 Industries took over for Bungie when they gave up their claim to the Halo series, Microsoft plans to place the Gears of War franchise in the hands of Black Tusk Studios, their studio in Vancouver. Black Tusk is currently working on an unnamed “AAAA” game that is not based on the trailer they showed during Microsoft’s E3 2013 Press Conference. Phil Spencer, the Vice President of Microsoft Game Studios, referred to it as a “concept piece.” Whatever form this “AAAA” game eventually takes, a new Gears game will likely be produced in parallel with it.
And what kind of Gears game does Black Tush have in mind? Microsoft wasn’t ready to announce anything today, but Spencer told GamesIndustry International: “We’re not announcing anything right now, but I think if you look at what we did with 343 and getting them up to speed for Halo 4, you can maybe anticipate some things that are similar to that. But it does give me confidence knowing that we’ve done this once with 343.”
If you remember, 343 Industries famously produced Halo Anniversary as a practice run before development began on Halo 4. Spencer’s words are a very strong hint that an Xbox One remake of one or more Gears games is currently in development.
Rod Fergusson, a producer on the first three Gears of War games, has been hired by Microsoft to oversee the franchise’s future at Black Tusk. Hopefully, we’ll learn more about that future soon.
Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Gears of War, Gears of War 4
Madden NFL 25 simulation says Broncos will beat Seahawks in snowy Super Bowl XLVIII
EA Sports has run a Super Bowl simulation using the latest edition of Madden NFL Football every year for the past ten years. And in that time, they correctly picked the winner eight times, including last year’s scarily accurate prediction. This year, if the Madden NFL 25 simulation of Super Bowl XLVIII is just as accurate, the Denver Broncos will emerge victorious over the Seattle Seahawks in a snow-filled game that’ll go into overtime.
According to the EA’s crystal ball, Peyton Manning will throw for 322 yards and three touchdowns en route to MVP honors. Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, and an unnamed third receiver will cross the goal line with receiving touchdowns while Knowshon Moreno will add a rushing touchdown. Marshawn Lynch will perform well in the loss, rushing for 109 yards and a touchdown, which forced the fourth quarter tie after a successful two-point conversion. The Seattle defense will also put up seven points as Richard Sherman will return an interception for a touchdown.
After finishing the first four quarters tied at 28 apiece, Denver lost the overtime toss but forced the Seahawks to punt. This set up Matt Prater for the game-winning field goal. Final Score: 31-28.
You gamblers might want to wait before you put a call in to Vegas. Historically, Peyton Manning is 0-3 in playoff games when the temperature is below 40. And it is going to be cold in New Jersey this weekend.
Final Fantasy XIV will be released for PS4 on April 14; Collector’s Edition announced
Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will be available for the PS4 on April 14. The game will be available in a standard edition (priced at $39.99) and a newly announced Collector’s Edition, which has been priced at $79.99.
The Collector’s Edition will include your usual assortment of bonus items including an artbook, collector cards, and a fancy box:
- Exclusive Box: Featuring artwork by Yoshitaka Amano
- Artbook: The Art of Eorzea: A Realm Reimagined
- Special Movie Content Disc: The Waning of the Sixth Sun
- Seven In-Game Items: Fat Chocobo mount / Coeurl Mount / Behemoth Barding / Wind-up Moogle / Baby Behemoth / Helm of Light
- Special Soundtrack: The Sounds of Eorzea
- Art Card Set: Five exclusive character cards
- Themed Security Token: Enhance the security of your account and protect it from unauthorized access
Pre-orders for both editions are now being accepted and those who pre-order the game will receive two additional in-game items (Mog Cap and Cait Sith Doll minion) and the ability to participate in Early Access starting on April 11.
Whether you pre-order or not, if you’re a current player of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on the PS3, Square Enix has confirmed that you’ll be able to transfer your character to the PS4 version at no charge.
Posted in News, PS4
Tagged Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn