Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Clair Obscur Completes the Sweep by Winning “Best Game” at 2025-2026 BAFTA Games Awards
- Boss Fight Books Gets a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
- GDC Awards: All the Winners from 1996 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins “Game of the Year” at 2025-2026 GDC Awards
- Silent Hill, Dragon Quest, Skyrim, and More Announced as Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- 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)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
Most Recent: 3DS
Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 comes to every console this holiday
When WB Games announced the title of the first Lego Harry Potter as Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, you know that a followup was inevitable. And now, on the cusp of the final movie, the publisher has officially announced Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7.
The game has been scheduled for release this holiday season, presumably alongside the Blu-ray/DVD release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. As you might expect from a Harry Potter game, it’s in development for every platform imaginable: 3DS, DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 and Sony’s Next Generation Portable (NGP).
Once again developed by TT Games, Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 will feature all the magic found in The Boy Who Lived’s last years at Hogwarts:
Based on the last three Harry Potter books and final four films, Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 takes players through Harry Potter’s heroic adventures in the Muggle and wizarding worlds. From Privet Drive in Little Whinging to Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and Hogwarts – plus new locations including Grimmauld Place, the Ministry of Magic, and Godric’s Hollow – players will encounter new faces, new challenges and new magic, preparing them for the ultimate face-off against Lord Voldemort.
Netflix on video game consoles is the leading bandwidth usage in America
Independent researcher Sandvine has concluded that Netflix accounts for more downstream and overall bandwidth usage than all other sources, at 29.7 and 24.71 percent, respectively. Of all devices, video game consoles account for nearly two thirds of that figure, making Netflix usage on consoles alone accounting for 19.7% of all downstream usage. That’s bigger than the next highest usage – web pages.
The PlayStation 3 leads the pack in that figure, responsible for 30.57%. The Xbox 360 comes next, representing 24.94%, followed by PCs at 19.55%, while the Wii, with the highest install base of current gen consoles, comes in last with only 10.75%. Looks like someone may have been right about that whole closet/living room dichotomy.
One thing is for certain: game consoles are usurping cable providers. With the 3DS getting Netflix a later date and Sony’s NGP probably to do the same, expect this trend to continue in the future.
Nintendo and Best Buy team up to bring wireless hot spots and exclusive content
Nintendo and Best Buy seem to be continuing their partnership for 3DS marketing, as consumers will be able to use select Best Buy locations as hot spots for their 3DS starting June 7. In addition to providing a wireless connection, Best Buy will also play host to exclusive content available for Nintendo’s newest handheld. Such content will include gaming extras, movie trailers, and access to the new SpotPass feature.
“We want our customers to fully tap into the potential of their Nintendo 3DS device, so we’re pleased to offer free access to special Wi-Fi and SpotPass content in-store,” said Best Buy Senior VP of Entertainment Chris Homeister. “As a retail partner for SpotPass, this is another way that we’re delivering best-in-class gaming experiences at our stores across the country.”
June 7 is also the first day of E3. So who knows what surprises Nintendo will have planned for this event.
Best Buy has gone pretty hard to be your favorite game retailer over the last few years, especially since releasing their @Gamer magazine which you can read about in our feature about the state of print game magazines.
What To Expect From E3 2011
E3 is just three weeks away E3 begins tomorrow! As we gear up for the biggest event on the gaming calendar, it’s easy to forget what exactly it is we’re gearing up to see. So that’s where Warp Zoned’s handy guide of “What To Expect From E3 2011” comes into play. We’ve gathered together a list of every game that’s been confirmed for E3 2011 as well as every game that’s expected to be at E3 2011 along with a few rumored titles that just might make an appearance at the big show.
We’ll update this article regularly as the opening of the E3 Expo grows nearer. Be sure to check back often! (more…)
Tecmo Koei supporting Wii 2
During an earnings briefing, CEO Yoichi Erikawa, who took the CEO position last November, spoke on the future plans for the company. Erikawa said he would like to have launch titles for the Wii 2.
Erikawa did not end the Nintendo love there as he also noted that the 3DS is helping boost their sales. Tecmo Koei also plans to release their many series on the 3DS and Sony’s NGP.
Atari preparing five-game lineup for E3
All your favorite publishers and developers will have their chance to let the world know about their upcoming projects at next month’s E3, and Atari has narrowed down the selection it will be bringing. Their presence will consist of five games, two yet to be announced, and three of which we already know about: TERA, Warlords, and Centipede: Infestation.
TERA (PC) looks to shake up the MMO scene a little bit, bringing in a sense of urgent action combat to what is traditionally a point-and-click endeavor. The game will be powered by Unreal Engine 3.
Warlords (PSN, XBLA) will bring the arcade classic into the modern day, with both co-op and competitive modes for both local and online multiplayer.
Finally, Centipede: Infestation (3DS, Wii) will be another iteration of one of the most beloved arcade games of all time, featuring 40 levels, 20 power-ups, five boss battles, and a slew of monsters. A co-op feature will be included in this 3DS reimagining, as well as Street Pass features.
We’ll have more informtion on what the other two games are come E3.
New Releases: L.A. Noire, The Witcher 2, Fable III PC, More
Put on your detective hat as we go searching for clues to this this week’s new releases.
The biggest new game of the week is Rockstar Games’ L.A. Noire. An ambitious story of murder and traffic violations in 1940s Los Angeles, L.A. Noire has been a long time in the making and has the makings of changing the way we look at games with its facial cues game mechanic.
To counteract the juggernaut that is L.A. Noire, two major PC games are also being released this week: CD Projekt’s RPG The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and the PC version of Peter Molyneux’s Fable III.
Check out the full list of the rest of this week’s new releases after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, DS, News, PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
Tagged Fable III, L.A. Noire, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
3DS eShop update pushed back to June 6
Nintendo has released a short statement concerning the release date of the 3DS’ “eShop Update.” According to The Big N, the system update that will activate the eShop will now take place on June 6th, not in late May as previously planned.
Interstingly, Nintendo specified that the update would be pushed out sometime in the evening of June 6th, which is a few hours after the company’s E3 press conference.
Call me optimistic, but I think Nintendo has something big related to the 3DS update planned for their press conference at this year’s E3 Expo.