Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Silent Hill, Dragon Quest, Skyrim, and More Announced as Finalists for the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Has Another Big Night and Wins “Game of the Year” at the 2025-2026 DICE Awards
- 2025 GOTY Scoreboard: In Progress
- The Game Awards: All the Winners from 2003 to Today
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Racks Up Nine Wins, Including “Game of the Year”, at the 2025 Game Awards
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: Etcetera
Dead Space: Aftermath dismembers your DVD player today
Have you been spending your day dismembering necromorphs in Dead Space 2? When you’re ready for a break, you might want to check out Dead Space: Aftermath, the latest animated movie based on the game series.
Available on DVD and Blu-ray today, Aftermath continues the story from Dead Space and tells the tale of the USG O’Bannon (fun fact: Alien was written by Dan O’Bannon), the first ship to answer the distress signal on Aegis VII. The same creative team responsible for the first animated film based on the series, Dead Space: Downfall, have stepped back behind the camera for Aftermath.
Here’s a trailer in case you need more convincing:
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth digital series officially announced
If you were amazed by the pitch video by Kevin Tancharoen attempting to sell the idea of a new Mortal Kombat movie (see above), you’re in luck. If you weren’t, there’s something wrong with you. Today Warner Premiere officially announced they would be taking on Tancharoen as director for a digital live action mini-series exploring the background of some of MK’s most prolific characters, such as Scorpion, Johnny Cage, and Liu Kang. The original video contained more realistic back stories for fantastical characters like Scorpion and Reptile, and focused on these and other MK villains terrorizing “Deacon City.” It’s not clear if this will continue the concept or cast of the original video, but in any case you can be this project in some very passionate, capable hands.
While the first Mortal Kombat movie (and theme song) has enjoyed cult classic status, the second was seen as a major embarrassment for fans of the series. But with a killer game returning to the series roots on April 19th and a series helmed by someone with a vision like Tancharoen, 2011 could be one of the best years yet for the series.
Warner Premiere revealed that the ten-part anthology series will be available through “digital online retailers” this Spring.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Legacy
Reality is Broken, Guinness Gamer’s 2011 in bookstores now
Two video game-related books are now on the shelves of your local bookstore.
The book on the right, Guinness World Records 2011: Gamer’s Edition, needs no introduction. It’s the latest compendium of game records by the Guinness people and it was released today after a record-setting LittleBigPlanet 2 launch party in New York City. Some of this year’s new records include Largest Collection of Super Mario Memorabilia (5,400 items), Top Paid-For Apple App Store Game (Angry Birds) and Most Popular Facebook Game (FarmVille). I think it’s kind of funny that Apple revealed the official “top paid-for app” yesterday and Angry Birds wasn’t it. CityVille also surpassed FarmVille as the most popular Facebook game earlier this month.
The 2011 Gamer’s Edition also lists the Top 50 Video Game Characters of All-Time. After thousands of votes were cast, Mario came out on top with Link at number two and the Master Chief rounding out the top three.
The book on the left is Reality is Broken, which was written by Jane McGonigal, one of the creators behind the alternate reality game I Love Bees. McGonigal argues that the popularity of games has fundamentally changed the world and Reality is Broken is her blueprint on how to fix it (using game concepts in everyday life, of course).
We’ll have a review of Reality is Broken very soon.
LittleBigPlanet 2 celebrates release with help from Guinness Book of Records
In an attempt to solidify its place in platform gaming, LittleBigPlanet 2 found itself in the Guinness Book of World Records after fans set five consecutive records earlier this week.
The event was held at the Playstation Lounge in the New York City-based Sony Style store beginning on January 17th, and ending less than 48 hours later. Specifically, three fans who attended the event were the ones responsible for setting the records: David Dino (PSN ID: Gevurah22), Sean Crowley (PSN ID: Jaeyden), and one of the contestants from season 1 of The Tester, Lauren Guiliano (PSN ID: Lugey). SCEA earned recognition for two additional records through LittleBigPlanet 2’s release.
Records set by the fans included:
- Longest marathon playing LittleBigPlanet 2
- Longest marathon playing a platform video game
- Most video game genres played in one video game in 24 hours
- Most user-generated video game levels played in 24 hours
- Most user-generated video game levels played in a video game marathon
Though some of the fans’ records seem like a stretch, SCEA received their two records for “Most Gaming Genres In One Video Game,” and “Most Player-Created Levels In One Video Game.” After the event closed, the Guinness Book’s staff issued awards to SCEA and the three fans who, in total, set seven records over the course of 48 hours. It is unclear whether these records had a say in the official decision to place LBP2’s Sackboy on the cover of the recently-released Guinness World Records 2011: Gamer’s Edition, but I can’t think of a cuter, sackier, better face for the cover.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3
Tagged LittleBigPlanet 2
Gallery1988′s “Multiplayer” exhibit is awesome
Gallery1988, an art gallery in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, launched a new exhibit last night titled “Multiplayer”, which consists of limited edition posters inspired by video games. The exhibit includes the awesome Frogger PSA poster to your left as well as prints based on The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Tetris, Silent Hill and Duck Hunt.
If you don’t live in California, you can check out some of the posters at Super Punch and OMG Posters! (The Overworld, My Tetris Heart Longs For Your Push and I’m alone there now, in our special place, waiting for you.).
The show will run through February 4.
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth webisodes now in production
Do you remember the awesome Mortal Kombat: Rebirth short film released last year (if not, watch it again above)? Well, according to Bloody Disgusting, director Kevin Tancharoen has been given the green light by Warner Bros. to produce a series of ten webisodes based on his dark and gritty take on the Mortal Kombat franchise. The best part is that Michael Jai White will return to play Major Jackson “Jax” Briggs.
The rest of the cast is a bit of a mystery, but the Bloody Disgusting report states it’ll include Shang Tsung, Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Kabal, Kitana, Mileena, Scorpion and Durak (Goro’s brother, only seen in The Journey Begins short film). Production on the series will begin shortly, as Tancharoen plans to start shooting in Vancouver next month.
The series currently has no release date, but with the Mortal Kombat reboot planned for an April release on the PS3 and Xbox 360, my hope is that it’s soon.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Legacy
Pac-Man returns to U.S. televisions; scientists suggest possible time lapse
Just when we thought the 80s were over, we find out that Pac-Man will be returning to our television screens. Only this time, it’s not quite in the same format as before. Merv Griffin Entertainment has been working with Namco Bandai in creating a Pac-Man reality show. That’s right, a Pac-Man reality show. How, you ask?
The upcoming Pac-Man TV show is briefly described as “the world’s biggest game of tag” and a “big, crazy Wipeout-type event with a lot of energy” by Merv Griffin Entertainment president of TV Roy Bank. No firm details have yet been released on the show’s specific premise, but one can guess that it may play out similar to the popular “Pac-Man Library” video. In case you weren’t yet on the internet in 2006, here’s an example:
As far as I’m concerned, personally, stick to the Pac-Man games. Notably, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX.
[Source: Deadline]
Mortal Kombat soundtrack in the works
Not only will Mortal Kombat be returning to consoles this April, but a new soundtrack album is in the works as well. Publisher WB Games and developer NetherRealm Studios have teamed up with WaterTower Music and Teenage Riot Records to create Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors.
The first single from the compilation will be Tokimonsta’s “Mileena’s Theme,” an electronic track that evokes strong memories of the soundtrack from the 1995 Mortal Kombat film. Although, this shouldn’t be too surprising as the album was produced by Jesse “JFK” Keeler of electronic duo MSTRKRFT.
The full album will be available alongside Mortal Kombat in April, but “Mileena’s Theme” can be downloaded now from Amazon and iTunes for 99 cents. Or you can hit the jump for a short “Mileena Vignette” trailer featuring everyone’s favorite demonic clone and some snippets from the single. (more…)
Posted in Etcetera, News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Mortal Kombat