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
Nordic Games will release MX vs ATV: Supercross in 2014
Nordic Games has finally begun to do something with all those franchises they acquired from THQ. The Austrian publisher has announced that they will release MX vs ATV: Supercross in the first half of 2014 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. The game will be developed by a dedicated team made up of many former members of original MX vs ATV developer Rainbow Studios/THQ Digital Phoenix.
Ken George, the Executive Producer of MX vs ATV Supercross, is thrilled about his lead role in resurrecting the series: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be working with Nordic Games because they appreciate the team’s passion and dedication to bring the feel of real motocross racing to MX vs ATV fans. Not just the adrenaline rush, but the whole experience from top to bottom. A lot of the original team members have been aching to continue their passion: building the most authentic off-road racing games possible. The hiatus is over, and the team is back to work on MX vs ATV with great new things to come.”
George’s team will also oversee the online maintenance of MX vs ATV Alive and MX vs ATV Reflex and plan to restore online play soon.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged MX vs ATV: Supercross
EA describes Battlefield 4 lawsuit as “meritless”
Beleaguered uber-publisher Electronic Arts has hit back against claims contained in a series of lawsuits that are currently being explored by multiple law firms including Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd and Holzer Holzer & Fistel on behalf of the company’s investors. EA’s official response, delivered to Polygon by a spokesperson for the company, is that these lawsuits are frivolous:
“We believe these claims are meritless. We intend to aggressively defend ourselves, and we’re confident the court will dismiss the complaint in due course.”
However, there may be more merit than EA is letting on, especially given the fact that Robbins Geller is the same law firm that took on the Enron class action lawsuit. Their lawsuit accuses EA executives of being able to sell “artificially inflated” shares prior to the release of Battlefield 4 due to releasing “materially false and misleading statements highlighting the purported strength” of the game. In other words, the lawsuit is claiming that EA executives were aware of the defective state of Battlefield 4 and purposely raised expectations surrounding its release to inflate share prices.
The law firm has until February to find someone brave enough to stand as the lead plaintiff in the case. If they do, and the case goes to court, it may set a precedent that prevents developers and publishers from releasing products with game-breaking bugs. But there’s also the long-standing concept of “caveat emptor” (or “buyer beware”) to consider. A ruling against EA in this case would likely make it open season on content creators.
UPDATE: A third law firm, Brower Piven, has announced plans to challenge EA is court over their Battlefield 4 statements.
Call of Duty: Ghosts getting four map packs and a season pass… surprised?
Activision has just announced that Call of Duty: Ghosts will receive four post-launch map packs (Onslaught, Devastation, Invasion, and Nemesis). Each pack will be priced at $14.99 apiece, with a $49.99 Season Pass also available. None of this should really be news. The last three or four CoD games got the same treatment.
Each map pack will include a new set of multiplayer maps, bonus weapons, and an “Extinction” scenario. Each “Extinction” scenario will build on the one before it to create what Activision is calling “an episodic Extinction experience.”
If you decide to spring for the Season Pass, you’ll receive access to the “Free Fall” multiplayer map as well as unique “Team Leader” in-game content: MP Character Head, Weapon Camo, Reticle, Player Patch, Player Card, and a Player Background.
The first map pack, Onslaught, will be released sometime in 2014 with the rest to follow.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls will be released on March 25
Blizzard has announced that the first expansion for Diablo III, Reaper of Souls, will be released for the PC and Mac on March 25. The expansion will include a battle against Death himself as well as an increased Level Cap and the Crusader, an all-new character class.
Reaper of Souls will be released in three different packages, a $39.99 standard edition and two special editions. The $59.99 Digital Deluxe Edition will include the game and a variety of in-game bonus items:
- Exclusive Helm and Weapon-Transmogrification Recipes: Players can distinguish their characters among the champions of Sanctuary.
- Spectral Hound Minion: Players can summon Spectral Hound to keep their adventurers company on their epic journey
- World of Warcraft In-Game Companion Pet: The Treasure Goblin, ready to compete in Pet Battles
- Three Additional Character Slots
- StarCraft II Crusader-Themed Battle.net Portraits and Malthael-Themed Decals
Finally, the retail-exclusive Collector’s Edition will include the game, all of the in-game items from the Digital Deluxe Edition and a “gorgeous full-color hardcover art book, a behind-the-scenes Blu-ray/DVD two-disc set, and a mouse pad bearing the impenetrable visage of Malthael, the Angel of Death.” The Collector’s Edition has been priced at $79.99.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is also in development for the PS4 as part of the Ultimate Evil Edition bundle. It will be released later in 2014 and Blizzard has promised they will release more details soon.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Diablo III
DayZ standalone is now available through Steam Early Access
After an Everest ascent and multiple development delays, Dean “Rocket” Hall’s standalone version of DayZ is now available through Steam. But there’s a catch, the game is still in the alpha stage and has been released through the online storefront’s Early Access program.
The Early Access version of DayZ has been priced at $29.99 and Hall estimates that the game will reach the beta stage in about a year. In the alpha version, players will have access to 40-player online play, customizable weapons and clothing, and a 230 sq. km game map known as “Chernarus.” Hall has big plans for DayZ and, as development on the Early Access version continues, he and his team at Bohemia Interactive plan to add drivable vehicles, a wide variety of native animal life, player-constructed buildings, upgraded graphics, and mod support.
But all of these additions will take time and Bohemia has cautioned: “DayZ Early Access is your chance to experience DayZ as it evolves throughout its development process. Be aware that our Early Access offer is a representation of our core pillars, and the framework we have created around them. It is a work in progress and therefore contains a variety of bugs. We strongly advise you not to buy and play the game at this stage unless you clearly understand what Early Access means and are interested in participating in the ongoing development cycle.”
You can get a taste of the Early Access version by viewing the “Launch Trailer” at the top of this post.
Borderlands 2: How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day DLC coming tomorrow
It’s great to see that some games are still getting new content over a year after their release. Borderlands 2 was released in September of last year, and has since seen almost a dozen DLC options including full-size expansions like “Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt” and “Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep” and smaller downloads such as the “Krieg the Beserker” character and this Fall’s bite-sized “Headhunter Packs.”
Speaking of Headhunter Packs, the latest one, “How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day,” was recently revealed by Gearbox.
The downloadable content is the third installment in Gearbox’s Headhunter series, which also includes the Halloween-inspired “T.K. Baha’s Bloody Harvest” and the Thanksgiving-themed “Horrible Hunger of the Ravenous Wattle Gobbler.” The newest Headhunter Pack will take place in a snowy town called Gingerton where players will explore Frost Bottom in an all-new mission, complete with unlockable heads and skins.
Best of all, “How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day” will be available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC (and Mac) tomorrow, December 17th.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Borderlands 2
Interview: Deep in the [Stuff] With Bullet Bros’ Jason Stokes
From the bold opening line of the trailer that immediately articulates the level of excrement the brothers-in-arms constantly reside in, Bullet Bros wears its guts on its sleeve. The game features two mercenaries who can link together for some outlandish and original manoeuvres, as well as hook cars, choppers, and other vehicles together for maximum devastation. Unfortunately, the project did not find much love on Kickstarter, collecting pledges for only a third of its $80,000 target. Warp Zoned caught up with creator Jason Stokes in the bloody aftermath of his criminally-overlooked campaign. (more…)
Posted in Features, Interviews, PC, Previews, Top Story