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
- 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
Maxis explains always-on requirement for SimCity: It’s an MMO
When SimCity first launched, Electronic Arts and Maxis were adamant that the game required an “always-on” connection to supplement your PC with server side computing that would handle some of the game’s more demanding simulations.
Apparently, that’s a bigger lie than “I tried it, but I didn’t inhale” and “I did not have sex with that woman… Monica Lewinsky” combined. (Side note: Bill Clinton was a great President, but when you need a “lying politician” joke, he’ll forever be the go-to guy).
In a blog post titled “Straight Answers from Lucy” on EA’s official website, Lucy Bradshaw, the General Manager of Maxis, has admitted that SimCity could have shipped with a single-player option. But it didn’t because the developer’s thought of the game as an MMO:
So, could we have built a subset offline mode? Yes. But we rejected that idea because it didn’t fit with our vision. We did not focus on the “single city in isolation” that we have delivered in past SimCities. We recognize that there are fans – people who love the original SimCity – who want that. But we’re also hearing from thousands of people who are playing across regions, trading, communicating and loving the Always-Connected functionality. The SimCity we delivered captures the magic of its heritage but catches up with ever-improving technology.
This abrupt 180 comes on the heels of a modder discovering an “offline mode” within SimCity’s code. With this new information, I suspect the number of players who demand a refund from EA will continue to grow.
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D to launch May 24… so here’s a gorilla holding a 3DS
Nintendo is proud to announce that Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D will be released for the 3DS on May 24.
To pad out the press release, the publisher included this picture of a gorilla holding a 3DS. Um… enjoy?
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Donkey Kong Country Returns
DICE will unveil Battlefield 4 on March 26 at GDC 2013
A little over a week ago, Electronic Arts sent out an email to members of the media inviting them to “Save the Date” for a special announcement during the Game Developers Conference. Yesterday, they sent out a second round of invitations confirming that the event, which will take place on March 26 at 7 PM (Pacific Time), will feature a first look at Battlefield 4.
Back in 2011, Battlefield 3 made its debut during a similar presentation at the Game Developer Conference. And it was available in stores less than a year later. So I think it’s safe to assume that Battlefield 4 will follow a similar schedule and we should all be playing it by Christmas.
Previously, the only we’d received of Battlefield 4 was the promise that Medal of Honor: Warfighter purchasers would be invited to take part in the game’s beta. So it’s assumed that the game will launch on the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, with a PS4 port a possibility.
[Source: Game Informer]
A World of Keflings comes to Windows 8; Wii U version announced
NinjaBee has announced that A World of Keflings, the popular city-building game that came to the Xbox Live Arcade in 2010, is available in the Windows 8 Store now and will be released on the Wii U later this year.
Brent Fox, Art Director at NinjaBee commented, “Both of these new platforms offered us huge advantages and were ideal marketplaces for a light-hearted city-builder. Windows 8 gave us the chance to make the game mobile and add in very smooth, natural touch controls. The Wii U has allowed us to significantly enhance the game’s visuals and, with the Wii U GamePad, explore new ways to interact with the game and its characters.”
Gamers who sign onto Xbox Live on Windows 8 will be able to experience playing as their own Xbox Avatar, compete with Xbox Live Leaderboards, and be able to unlock 20 all-new Achievements. However, A World of Keflings on Windows 8 does not include multiplayer or support Avatar FameStar functionality.
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, Wii U
Tagged A World of Keflings
Saints Row IV goes intergalactic on August 20
The Saints are back! After being purchased by Deep Silver at the THQ auction, developer Volition is ready to unveil Saints Row IV, the next game in the popular open-world series. Continuing the bigger is better mentality of the last two games, Saints Row IV will take everyone’s favorite gang into outer space to battle an alien scourge known as Zinyak. Oh yeah, I can’t wait to see the weapons in this one.
In the next open-world installment of Saints Row, Volition continues the story of the Third Street Saints by elevating their status to the highest level – the leaders of the free world. In Saints Row IV, the head honcho of the Saints has been elected to the Presidency of the United States. But the Saints are just getting started. Now the larger-than-life insanity of the Saints series gets a new twist with a catastrophic alien invasion, and the aliens have transported the Saints to a bizarro-Steelport simulation. Wield gargantuan superpowers and fight to free humanity from alien granddaddy Zinyak’s mental grasp. Escape the simulation that’s trapped the Saints crew, or die trying.
Saints Row IV will be released for “current-generation consoles” and the PC on August 20. You can find the first three screenshots after the break and if you’re attending next week’s PAX East convention, you can check out a closed-door Saints Row IV presentation at Deep Silver’s booth. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged PAX East 2013, Saints Row IV
Raven is a go for Injustice: Gods Among Us
NetherRealm Studios has added another DC Comics favorite to the playable cast of Injustice: Gods Among Us… the popular Teen Titan known as Raven! You can check out her very Ermac-like telekinesis and Noob Saibot-like soul energy blasts in the trailer above as she battles Catwoman on the streets of Gotham City.
Injustice: Gods Among Us will be released for the PS3, Wii U, and Xbox 360 on April 16.
Posted in News, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Injustice: Gods Among Us