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
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]
Lollipop Chainsaw Hands-On Preview: Gimme An F! Gimme A U! Gimme An N!
Lollipop Chainsaw was definitely the hottest game at this weekend’s PAX East expo. Between the lengthy line to play a demo, the awesome foam chainsaws available at the booth, and a cosplaying cheerleader that showed so much skin she was removed from the show floor, everyone was trying to sit in the back of WB’s bus. But what about the demo? (more…)
Posted in Previews, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Lollipop Chainsaw, PAX East 2012
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.
XBLA Today: Skullgirls, World Gone Sour, The Splatters
Two thirds of today’s Xbox Live Arcade update will look very familiar to anyone who spied what Sony added to their online service late last night. So let’s start with those first.
Skullgirls is 2D fighter designed with a “Dark Deco” art style. It’s priced at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15):
Skullgirls is a fast-paced 2D fighting game that puts you in control of fierce warriors in a Dark Deco world. All-new game systems test the skills of veteran fighting game fans while also making the genre enjoyable and accessible to newcomers. A modern take on classic arcade fighters with a hand-drawn high-definition twist, Skullgirls is a one-of-a-kind, action-packed competition complete with awesome combos and an intriguing backstory.
Also available on the XBLA today after it’s PSN debut yesterday is World Gone Sour, a sidescrolling adventure where the Sour Patch Kid at the center of the story wants to get eaten. It carries a rather sweet price of 400 Microsoft Points ($5):
Based on the popular “Sour Then Sweet” candy Sour Patch Kids, World Gone Sour takes players on a journey from the perspective of a lost piece of candy finding its way to its ultimate destination – the human stomach. Gamers take on the role of a miniature Sour Patch Kid in a stylized human-sized world, guiding the hero through unique locations such as the sticky floors of a movie theatre and a concession stand counter. Joining forces with fellow lost Sour Patch Kids, players use a combination of jumps, twists and puzzle-solving to overcome larger than life obstacles.
Finally, we’ve got The Splatters. Priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10), The Splatters is an action-puzzler where blobs of goo try to explode themselves in the most stylish way possible:
The Splatters are acrobatic masters with a unique death wish – to blow themselves up with style! In this award winning action-puzzler, you will unlock and master a variety of stunts and perform spectacular moves to clear out each stage in the most show-stopping way possible. With its fast-paced, splattery liquid physics engine you’ll never play the same way twice. And using Splatter TV, an in-game feature for sharing game clips, you’ll pick up a ton of new moves as you watch the world’s top players perform their jaw-dropping combos. It’s a messy, vibrant show of skill and splattery destruction. Life’s short. DIE WITH STYLE.
Posted in News, Xbox 360
Tagged Skullgirls, World Gone Sour
PAX East Primer For the Regular Guy
There might be few of you out there who have read the reviews of all the playable games at PAX East, and all of the interviews with the hot developers of the moment, but are wondering what the PAX experience was like for the unwashed masses without a shiny press pass. Allow me to paint you a picture with words, if you will, which might help you determine if you wanna spend the ducats to go to this crazy thing sometime. (more…)
Posted in Features, Top Story
Tagged PAX East 2012
Skullgirls, Persona 3 FES, World Gone Sour, more added to PS Store
Sony pushed out a massive update to the PlayStation Store yesterday. In addition to a huge assortment of new PlayStation Plus freebies and discounts, the consolemaker has added a half dozen games to their downloadable network including…
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES – The classic Atlus RPG that is now part of the PS2 Classics section.
- Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City – The expansion pack compilation has shockingly never been available on the PSN until now.
- World Gone Sour – Capcom’s sidescrolling suicide march
- Skullgirls – A 2D “tournament level” fighter.
- The Pinball Arcade – The pinball platform is PS3/Vita cross-compatible, so you can buy one it for one system and get it on the other for free!
- Treasures of Montezuma Blitz – A “shiny new puzzle game” that makes use of the Vita’s unique features.
You can hit the break for more detailed information on all of these titles. And be sure to visit the PlayStation Blog for more on all of this week’s Plus bonuses and new game add-ons. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, Vita
Tagged Skullgirls, The Pinball Arcade, World Gone Sour
Resident Evil 6 pushed up to October 2, adds Wesker Jr. as a playable character
Were you looking forward to Resident Evil 6 before today? If so, Capcom just gave you a dozen more reasons to be excited at their Captivate 2012 event.
The biggest news to lurch out of the show is that Resident Evil 6 will be released almost two months earlier than expected. Previously pegged with a November 20 release date, the game will now launch on October 2. The PC version will still release sometime after the PS3/Xbox 360 version.
We also now know the previously unnamed mercenary is Jake Muller. But he’s also known as the son of Albert Wesker. Oh, and Muller (with an adult Sherry Birkin at his side) is being hunted by Ada Wong because of his “special blood.” With Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield also running around in separate (but eventually interwoven) storylines, it’s like a Resident Evil reunion!
Resident Evil 6 will introduce the C-Virus, a new version of Umbrella’s deadly experiments that will create zombies who can run, jump, and use weapons. Some people exposed to the C-Virus will mutant further into a “Chrysalide” stage that spawns a “horrific creature” after a short metamorphosis.
More horrific than Nemesis? Get out of here!
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Resident Evil 6
Lost Planet 3 brings back the ice age in early 2013
Perpare to bundle up, the Lost Planet series is bringing back the ice and snow of the original game in Lost Planet 3. Announced as part of Capcom’s Captivate 2012 event, Lost Planet 3 is being developed by Spark Unlimited and will be available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in early 2013.
The game will put players in the giant metal boots of Jim, “a utility rig pilot who has left Earth to take on a hazardous, but lucrative, contract on E.D.N. III.” Like the first two games, most of Lost Planet 3 will take place in third-person on-foot battles against the alien Akrid, but players will also climb aboard Jim’s utility rig for some first-person action.
Lost Planet 3 will dump the proprietary MT Framework engine that powered the first two games. Instead, Spark has opted for an Unreal Engine 3 environment. This new engine will also power a new set of multiplayer modes, which will be revealed at a later date.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Lost Planet 3