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
- 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)
- Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history – Design Room (2025)
Most Recent: PC
Get spooked by the new Resident Evil 7: Biohazard trailer at Gamescom 2016
I couldn’t even begin to tell you how the new Resident Evil 7: Biohazard trailer connects to the rest of the franchise. Released today at Gamescom, the trailer’s definitely spooky, but a ghost chasing a woman through a dingy basement is not where my mind goes when I think of Resident Evil.
That said, the trailer does introduce fans to Marguerite Baker, one of Resident Evil 7’s main characters:
Set within the sinister plantation house in Dulvey, Louisiana, the Baker family, including Jack and Marguerite, were residents but no-one has seen or heard from them in a while. Where could they be? One thing is clear in the latest content to be shown from the game – there’s something not quite right within the plantation. Who is the mysterious girl in the gameplay? What does Marguerite want with her?
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on January 24, 2017.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Gamescom 2016, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Titanfall 2 “Open Multiplayer Technical Test” kicks off this weekend on PS4 and Xbox One
Electronic Arts and Respawn have announced that Titanfall 2‘s Open Beta (which they’re calling an “Open Multiplayer Technical Test”) will be available to download on the PS4 and Xbox One beginning Friday, August 19. Players will be able to battle it out in a pair of modes all weekend long:
Modes
- Bounty Hunt (5v5): A brand new mode that pits Pilots and their teammates against an opposing team as well as the Remnant Fleet. Earn bonuses by killing grunts and enemies, but make sure and deposit all your points at the bank between waves without getting killed.
- Pilots vs. Pilots (8v8): Players can be the best Pilot on the Frontier and put their combat and mobility skills to the ultimate test in this classic 8 vs 8 Pilots only mode.
Maps
- Boomtown: A secret underground IMC facility where the latest in R&D is put to the test. In this facility Pilots can use the many peaked roofs to use as cover against combatants below. With tight lanes through the middle, Titans can also be easily ambushed.
- Homestead: The IMC have claimed Imminent Domain on a small commune’s plot of land. With a series of raised, rocky plateaus and a river running down the middle, Pilots are mostly safe from Titans among the rocks and trees but they also can duck into the caves and building when needed. However, the Titans control the large rolling fields.
Players will be able to take part in Titanfall 2’s “Open Multiplayer Technical Test” for a second weekend beginning on Friday, August 26. In addition to the modes and maps from the first weekend, Respawn will add another mode and map for players to try out:
Mode
- Amped Hardpoint (6v6): A new twist on Hardpoint Domination from the original game; now defending a Hardpoint will let you amp it, giving your team double score. Team work is the key to securing victory.
Map
- Forward Base Kodai: Militia forces have taken over an IMC substation and set up a forward operating base. Pilots can find safety from Titans in the hallways and chambers of the main building, while Titans can walk over the roof to get a better view of the action.
Respawn plans to use Titanfall 2’s “Open Multiplayer Technical Test” to showcase some of the game’s new features including two brand new Titans (Ion and Scorch), as well as a few tactical abilities for Pilots including the Grapple GVun, Holo Point, and Pulse Blade. And for players who want to go in guns blazing, Respawn will include a variety of weapons including the Masttiff (“a deadly horizontal spread shotgun”) and the Alternator (“a dual-barrel SMG”).
Finally, if you’re interested in a look at the first live multiplayer stream for Titanfall 2, check out a replay of today’s pre-Gamescom livestream at Twitch.
Titanfall 2 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 28.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Gamescom 2016, TitanFall 2
CoD: Infinite Warfare’s Zombies Mode goes back to the 80s with “Zombies In Spaceland”
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare‘s single-player campaign is blasting off for outer space, so it seems rather fitting that the game’s co-op Zombies Mode is going to Spaceland. Revealed today in a brand new trailer (which is embedded above), Infinity Ward is putting their spin on the famed Zombies Mode with an 80s-set adventure titled “Zombies In Spaceland.”
And to help set an appropriately 80s mood, Paul “Pee-Wee Herman” Reubens and David Hasselhoff will make an appearance in “Zombies In Spaceland” alongside a comedic ensemble cast, as confirmed by the Activision Games Blog:
Zombies in Spaceland tells the story of four aspiring actors who come upon a mysterious movie theater for an audition. They’ve been invited by director Willard Wyler, portrayed with voice and likeness by Paul Reubens, who was once the shining star of the horror genre. Unbeknownst to the actors, they will be transformed into the movie characters onscreen and transported straight into Wyler’s film to fight against an all-new variety of zombies in an 80s theme park.
You’ll play as one of four 80s movie-inspired characters: The Jock, The Nerd, The Valley Girl, or The Rapper. The characters are voiced by a comedic ensemble cast, including Seth Green, Ike Barinholtz, Jay Pharoah, and Sasheer Zamata.
To guide you through the onslaught of the undead (while providing a killer soundtrack as you battle), you’ll want to keep an eye out for the Spaceland DJ, portrayed with voice and likeness by David Hasselhoff. He’s sure to be an invaluable resource to help you get you out of this horror movie alive.
Players who pre-order Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will receive a bonus package of zombie-hunting gear courtesy of the Zombies In Spaceland Pack, which will contain a Zombies Weapon Camo and Reticle, an Animated Zombies Playercard, and a Fate & Fortune Card Pack. But if you want to get a good look at “Zombies In Spaceland” before you put your money down, tune in to Activision’s reveal stream tomorrow at 12:00 noon (Eastern Time) on Twitch.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 4.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Gamescom 2016
Microsoft will host Pre-PAX Open House for ID@Xbox games on September 1
Microsoft has announced they’ll throw open the doors to their corporate campus once again to help kick off (the newly renamed) PAX West with another ID@Xbox Pre-PAX Open House event. The event, which is free and open to the public (a PAX West badge isn’t required), will take place on Thursday, September 1, at 5:00 PM (Pacific Time). Parking is also free and buses will shuttle people in need of a ride from the Washington State Convention Center to the Microsoft Campus.
Attendees will be able to check out playable demos for more than 50 ID@Xbox titles, including several never-before-seen surprises, and the Xbox Wire has a look at some of the games that’ll be playable at the ID@Xbox Pre-PAX Open House event:
|
|
It’s likely that most, if not all, of these titles will also be playable on the PAX West show floor.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged PAX West 2016
Nordic Games fully rebrands themselves as THQ Nordic
THQ is back (sort of)!
After acquiring the company’s trademark in 2014, Nordic Games has announced a plan to rebrand the entire company as THQ Nordic. The publisher has issued a surprisingly amusing statement about the name change, which also looks back to their humble beginnings and rather bright future:
It all started out in Sweden in 2008 as a mini-venture to self-publish such illustrious titles like Dance Party Club Hits, Kart Racer, and Truck Racer (just to name a few) on PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii. The following year, we landed We Sing, a million-plus selling karaoke franchise for Nintendo Wii. In 2011, with our first of many acquisitions to come, Nordic Games began its transformation from small scale, two-platform games publisher to a multi-platform, multi-genre global player.
One could say the most defining moment for our company happened in 2013, grabbing headlines like; “Who the FUCK is Nordic Games?”, “Darksiders Gets Bought By… Nordic Games?”, and “Nordic Games explains who the F they are, plans for THQ assets”. Funny enough, back then, this was so true. Until that point, we had been a low profile publisher uttering expletives of our own along the way, and all of a sudden we found ourselves in the international gaming media spotlight. We knew then, with great certainty, that we’d just made the best deal in our company´s history.
THQ Nordic currently has 23 games in development, “the majority of [which] are based on former THQ owned IPs and franchises.” More than a dozen of these games have yet to be announced, but its possible they may make an appearance at this year’s Gamescom convention. THQ Nordic will have a large presence at the event, which kicks off next Wednesday, August 17.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III Descent DLC Pack now available for PC, Xbox One
Just in case you forgot, Call of Duty: Black Ops III‘s Descent DLC Pack is now available to download for the PC and Xbox One. Originally released last month for the PS4, the downloadable expansion adds four more multiplayer maps and a new Zombies episode to Treyarch’s shooter:
- Empire: Treyarch adapts its Black Ops III movement system to the Call of Duty: Black Ops II fan favorite map Raid. The re-imagining of this classic, medium-sized map features an authentic Roman villa that has been “recreated by a modern-day eccentric billionaire,” where a classic map structure mixes with the new gameplay mechanics of Black Ops III.
- Cryogen: Located far off the coast in the Dead Sea, an isolated compound holds some of the world’s most dangerous criminals in frozen isolation. Sentry towers keep watch over the small map’s circular design as frenetic combat is funneled around the prison’s cryogenic tubes, where opportunities for wall running attacks abound.
- Berserk: Ancient sentinels from a lost civilization guard the entrance to Berserk, a Viking village frozen in time. Players will fight through blizzards, and control the center bridge as they navigate this medium-sized map’s wooden buildings, deadly rocky outcroppings, and tight chokepoints.
- Rumble: Gamers battle amongst larger-than-life mechanized warriors in Rumble, a stadium where giant robots battle to the roar of the crowd. This medium-sized map funnels high-speed combat to the central arena, where players battle their way through fallen mechs and pyrotechnics.
Descent also thrusts players to an alternate universe of Nikolai’s motherland, the 1940s Soviet Union, in the next highly-anticipated chapter of the Origins Zombies saga, “Gorod Krovi.” Players face-off against a swarm of mechanized zombie infantry and dodge hell-fire from aerial dragon assaults, all in the middle of a raging battle within the remnants of Stalingrad. “Gorod Krovi” delivers the most exciting Zombies experience yet, filled with horrifying new enemies, exciting new gameplay mechanics and an epic set of Zombie annihilating weapons.
The Descent DLC Pack is included as part of Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s Season Pass, or it can be purchased as a standalone download for $14.99.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Please rise and watch the 1992 Dream Team challenge the 2016 Men’s Olympic Basketball Team in NBA 2K17
After all the panic and worry, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio kicked off without a hitch and Team USA seems to be doing pretty well on the basketball court. Their 3-0 record includes a 98-88 victory over Australia, and they’ll take on Serbia this Friday, before closing out the Group Phase with a contest against France on Sunday. But first, 2K Games wants everyone to get excited for NBA 2K17 with this new trailer pitting the current National Team against the 1992 Dream Team.
So please rise for the “Star Spangled Banner” and watch as virtual versions of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird take on Kevin Dyurant, Carmelo Anthony, and NBA 2K17 cover athlete Paul George.
NBA 2K17 will be released for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 20. However, the 1992 Dream Team is only available in the game as a pre-order bonus. But on the plus side, you’ll receive NBA 2K17 four days early in a special “Tip-Off Edition” that’ll be released on September 16.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition will be available on August 30
We all knew it was in the works, but CD Projekt made it official today by announcing that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition will be released on August 30. The Game of the Year Edition is the most complete version of The Witcher 3 and it’ll include the epic original game, every update, and both downloadable expansions (Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine):
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition offers over 150 hours of open world adventures and sees players take on the role of professional monster slayer Geralt of Rivia, as he seeks out the child of prophecy in Wild Hunt, faces off against a ruthless bandit captain in Hearts of Stone, and unravels the terrifying secret of the beautiful region of Toussaint in Blood and Wine.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition will priced at $49.99 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. You can pre-order now from your favorite game retailer or watch the brand new announcement trailer embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt