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: Articles
Fable Anniversary pushed back to February 2014
Lionhead Studios has announced they won’t be able to release Fable Anniversary this Fall. The news was delivered via their official blog, with Lead Designer Ted Timmins saying, “[W]e need a little more time in order to meet our ambitions and give you, the fans, the best game possible.”
How much more time do they need? Timmins confirmed that Fable Anniversary will now be released in February 2014.
While this is disappointing for fans, this is especially bad news for Microsoft as Fable Anniversary was being positioned as the Xbox 360’s marquee title for the Fall. As of right now, only one disc-based game will be released for the Xbox 360 before the end of the year (Zoo Tycoon, which is also in development for the Xbox One). Microsoft also plans to publish several Xbox Live Arcade titles during the remainder of 2013 including the free-to-play Ascend: Hand of Kul.
I know launching a new console is hard, but Microsoft seems to be forgetting about the Xbox 360 awfully fast.
Posted in News, Xbox 360
Tagged Fable Anniversary
New releases lead the way in August 2013 NPD report of best-selling games
The NPD Group has released their monthly report on the financial health of the video game industry and, good news, retail game sales in August 2013 increased 21% over the same period last year. The entire retail game industry (games, consoles, and accessories) raked in $521 million, an increase of 1% over August 2012. Though the report estimates this number accounts for only half of all video game spending in August when you factor in used games, rentals, digital sales, add-on content, subscriptions, mobile apps, and social network microtransactions that the NPD doesn’t track.
Most of the increase in game sales was due to a stronger than usual slate of August releases. In fact, only two games in the August top ten are holdovers from previous months (Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition at #5 and NCAA Football 14 at #7).
The remainder of the top ten is populated entirely by new titles: Madden NFL 25 (#1), Saints Row IV (#2), Disney Infinity (#3), Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist (#4), Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (#6), Payday 2 (#8), Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (#9), and Pikmin 3 (#10).
If you’d prefer the top ten in list format, you can find it right here:
Bestselling Games in August 2013
1. Madden NFL 25 (Xbox 360, PS3)
2. Saints Row IV (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
3. Disney Infinity (Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, Wii U, 3DS )
4. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC)
5. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition (Xbox 360)
6. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (3DS)
7. NCAA Football 14 (Xbox 360, PS3)
8. Payday 2 (Xbox 360, PS3)
9. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PS3, PC)
10. Pikmin 3 (Wii U)
[Source: GameSpot]
Pokemon X/Y Hands-On Preview: The 3DS Game You’ve Been Waiting For
Pokemon X and Pokemon Y are the first “main series” Pokemon games to be rendered completely in 3D, which is something fans of the series have been waiting for since the 3DS system itself was announced. Because of this, there’s a lot of excitement about the new titles, and a lot of healthy skepticism. Pokemon Black and White (and Black 2 and White 2) didn’t really do a whole lot that was innovative, but it seems that X and Y are going places the series never has before. Nintendo has added in a lot of extra features – some obviously just there for the adorability factor – that are going to make players happy, especially players who want to interact more with their Pokemon. And I got all of that just from playing a seven-minute demo at PAX Prime 2013 – which was the first time Nintendo showed off the new game in America. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Previews, Top Story
Tagged PAX Prime 2013, Pokemon X/Y
Nintendo Download: Zelda II, Tecmo Bowl, Wonderful 101 (Sunday), more
It’s another big week for the Nintendo Download as Platinum Games’ strategic superhero smash ’em up The Wonderful 101 will be available on the Wii U eShop on Sunday.
If you’re looking to download something today, the Wii U’s Virtual Console expands by one with the addition of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Over on the 3DS, everyone’s favorite football game, Tecmo Bowl, can be downloaded just in time for the start of the season.
And we’re still not done. The DSi is back this week with three new titles… a word game compilation (Letter Challenge) and two interactive storybooks (Tales to Enjoy! Little Red Riding Hood and Tales to Enjoy! Puss In Boots).
You can find more information on all of these titles after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, DS, News, Wii U
Tagged The Wonderful 101
Harry Potter spinoff game Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in the works
Did you honestly think the Harry Potter film adaptations had come to an end?
This morning, Warner Bros. announced that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a tie-in “textbook” written by J.K. Rowling and published alongside the Harry Potter novels, will be turned into a movie. In a first, the script for Fantastic Beasts: The Film will be written by Rowling herself.
“Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world,” said Rowling. “The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.”
The film will follow Newt Scamander, the author of the titular textbook, as he travels the world searching for “Fantastic Beasts.”
Naturally, Warner Bros. has also announced that a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them video game is in development at WB Games. Unfortunately, no release date for the film or video game was announced.
Posted in News
Princess Peach joins Super Smash Bros. 4
A New Challenger Approaches!
Nintendo updated the official Super Smash Bros. 4 website this morning, revealing Princess Peach as the next challenger to approach the game’s roster. The publisher also uploaded ten new screenshots to the site, which show Peach delivering the smash to Pit, Star Fox, and Mario on the 3DS and Wii U.
Super Smash Bros. 4 will be released in 2014.
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Super Smash Bros. For 3DS, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U
Infinity Blade III coming to iOS on September 18
The “epic” Infinity Blade trilogy will come to an end on September 18 when Chair Entertainment and Epic Games make Infinity Blade III available to download from the iOS App Store.
Like previous games in the Infinity Blade series, players will swipe their way to victory against a series of enemies, including a “ferocious, flying dragon.” But players will get the chance to play as a female “warrior-thief” named Isa for the first time:
For the first time in franchise history, gamers play as both legendary hero Siris, and the stealthy female warrior-thief, Isa, each with unique combat styles and hundreds of collectable weapons and items. Another new addition is The Hideout, which serves as the player’s base of operations where they discover the interactive world map and unlock all-new allies to join their cause.
Infinity Blade III will be priced at $6.99 and, even though its launching alongside the brand new iPhone 5S, the game will be compatible with a wide range of iOS devices including the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad mini, iPod Touch 4, and iPod touch 5.
XBLA Today: DuckTales Remastered, Freefall Racers
Folks, we have entered a new golden age when it comes to downloadable games. The Kinect-exclusive Freefall Racers, today’s addition to the Xbox Live Arcade, asks you to stand in front of your TV and wave your arms around pretending to be a flying squirrel. It’s been priced at $9.99, but can you really put a price on an experience like that? I mean, the squirrels are even wearing goggles and flying caps. Happy Wednesday everybody:
Come fly with us and discover a world ruled by flying squirrels with an unquenchable desire for skydiving in Freefall Racers! Pick your favourite squirrel from a host of unique characters and explore 8 exciting jungle, winter and dessert inspired routes. Use the Kinect Sensor to fly your friends nuts as you’ll turn any race in your favour by using power-ups and bonus-items found on your way down. These nutty antics will be enjoyed over and over again.
Oh, and DuckTales Remastered, a high definition remake of the NES classic developed by WayForward, is also available to download from the XBLA today. The title is old news to some, as it was released for PC platforms, the PlayStation Store, and the Wii U eShop a month ago. But it duck blurs its way onto the XBLA today, for $14.99:
DuckTales: Remastered is a hand-crafted, beautiful reimagining of one of the most cherished 8-bit titles of all time. Go back to one of the golden ages of gaming, but now refined with a level of detail that will please the most hardened devoted Disney or retro Capcom fan, alike. Featuring hand-drawn animated sprites, authentic Disney character voices talent and richly painted level backgrounds from the classic cartoon TV series, Scrooge McDuck and family come to life like never before. The gameplay retains the authenticity of its 8-bit predecessor, simple and fun, with slight modifications to improve gameplay flow and design. Embark on an authentic DuckTales adventure, as Scrooge McDuck and his three nephews; Huey, Dewey and Louie travel to exotic locations throughout the world in their quest to retrieve the five Legendary Treasures.
Posted in News, Xbox 360
Tagged DuckTales Remastered