Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Jordan Minor’s “Boss Fight Books: Super Mario Galaxy” is Now Available for Pre-Order
- 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
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- With Grand Theft Auto 6 poised to take over the world, I reached out to Jack Thompson and it did not go well – PC Gamer (2026)
- Vib-Ribbon: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- How a Second-Grade Teacher Revived a Beloved Video Game – The New York Times (2026)
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- Diablo IV PC Cooled With Real Human Blood Is Still Going Strong Two Years Later, Says Guy Who Won It – Aftermath (2026)
Most Recent: PC
Majesco launches Midnight City, an indie game publishing label
Majesco has always existed on the fringes of the video game industry. Normally a publisher of budget games, the company has dabbled in AAA development in the past (BloodRayne, for example), but mostly sticks with Zumba-branded exercise games these days. But while out there on the fringe, the Majesco brass has discovered that the kids love them indie games. So they started their own indie publishing label, Midnight City.
Midnight City will make its debut at this weekend’s PAX Prime, where the publisher will present ten very unique games to the public including a “lost” Game Boy game, a space age riff on Marble Madness, a “12-bit adventure,” a new game featuring Slenderman, and more. The label’s initial slate of games will be released for digital download services such as Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and PC downloadable sites.
You can read all about Midnight City’s lineup after the break and, if you’re attending PAX Prime, you can check them out this weekend in their booth. (more…)
DuckTales Remastered Review: Blessed Bagpipes or Cursed Kilts?
The original DuckTales game for the NES was one of my favorite games. I remember receiving the game as a Christmas gift when I was ten years old, and getting to the last level that very same day, only to have my older brother turn off the system during the final boss fight, because, as he put it, I “shouldn’t finish a game the same day I got it.” So I beat it the next day. And the day after that. For months, DuckTales was the only game that inhabited my NES. The gameplay, the controls, the music – it was in every way a perfect game. Fast-forward twenty-five years, and I am sitting at my desk at work when I see the announcement of DuckTales Remastered. Pulling up that announcement trailer, I was in a state of shock. One of my favorite childhood games, being remade by one of my favorite developers, WayForward – this was just too good to be true. After playing the new title, I can say that while it’s a great game, DuckTales Remastered is not all it’s quacked up to be. (more…)
New Releases: Madden NFL 25, Final Fantasy XIV, Lost Planet 3, More
Are you ready for some football? EA Sports’ annual gridiron game, Madden NFL 25, is in stores for the PS3 and Xbox 360 this week. A next generation version for the PS4 and Xbox One will be available in November.
“Made in Japan” is the theme for the rest of this week’s releases as Square Enix will bring their rebuilt MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn to the PC and, for the first time, the PS3. The psychotically-minded Suda 51 also has a new game this week as XSEED Games will publish his Killer Is Dead for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Finally, Capcom is bringing back the Lost Planet series in Lost Planet 3 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.
More new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360
Tagged Lost Planet 3, Madden NFL 25
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls announced
The defeat of Diablo, Lord of Terror, should have given rise to an age of hope. Instead, it has drawn out a shadowy being of immense power, whose malevolent purpose is yet to be revealed.
And so Blizzard is ready to announce the first expansion to Diablo III… Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. As with all expansions, Reaper of Souls promises to make Diablo III a bigger and better game due to the addition of new monsters, new quests, new spells and abilities, and “substantial updates to the loot experience.”
Reaper of Souls will also add a new character class, the Crusader, and increase the Level Cap to 70. According to Blizzard, the Crusader is a “warrior of righteousness” and a “natural walking tank.” In other words, he kicks ass for the lord. Finally, the expansion will add two Challenge Modes to Diablo III: Loot Runs and Nephalem Trials.
Reaper of Souls’ story links back to the defeat of Malthael in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. The fallen angel has obtained the essence of Prime Evil and it’s up to you to stop him. For now, he will bring his brand of evil exclusively to the PC in 2014 as Blizzard isn’t ready to bring Reaper of Souls to consoles just yet.
Blizzard will reveal more about Reaper of Souls at BlizzCon and in the coming months. For now, be sure to check out the gameplay trailer above and the opening cinematic after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Diablo III, Gamescom 2013
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 whips its way into stores on February 25
Everyone expected Konami to officially push Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2‘s release into 2014 eventually and they’ve done just that at this year’s Gamescom expo. Dracula’s modern day epic will be released for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on February 25 in North America, February 27 in Europe, and February 28 in the UK.
Developer Mercury Steam has always claimed that Lords of Shadow 2 would be the finale for their take on the Castlevania mythos. And with the addition of open world gameplay, new weaponry, and a wider range of demons to slay, they plan to make their mark on a video game landscape that will now include the PS4 and Xbox One.
“[N]ow we come to the conclusion of the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow story,” said Producer Dave Cox. “As such, we have gone all-out to create a fitting climax to one of the most warmly-welcomed series resurrections to date. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 is bigger, more epic and more challenging – and tells a tale that will live on in video game lore forever.”
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, Gamescom 2013
The criminals have “Nowhere to Run” in the latest Batman: Arkham Origins trailer
Batman wasn’t always The Dark Knight. In the beginning he was, in Alfred’s words, “a young man with a trust fund and too much anger.” But Batman: Arkham Origins wants to tell the story of how the brash and reckless Caped Crusader became the World’s Greatest Detective. It wants to tell the story of Jim Gordon coming to terms with Gotham’s need for a nighttime protector. And it wants to tell a ripping yarn about Batman battling eight assassins on Christmas Eve. I think this new trailer, released to coincide with this year’s Gamescom event, makes the case that it does.
“I am the reason the criminals breath easier when the sun rises.”
Tell him, Batman! The trailer, titled “Nowhere to Run,” also introduces us to another assassin, Firefly, and the delves into the Batcave for the first time. Developed by WB Games Montreal, Batman: Arkham Origins will be released for the PC, PS3, Wii U, and Xbox 360 on October 25.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Batman: Arkham Origins, Gamescom 2013
See the smarter Sims of The Sims 4 in first gameplay trailer
According to Electronics Arts, life just got better for citizens of The Sims. They’re getting smarter. And more emotional. And more relatable. They might even be able to “experience the excitement and delight of life’s moments.” You can see all of these new attributes in action in the brand new gameplay trailer for The Sims 4, which was released by EA today.
The Sims 4 brings all new ways to play with life. Built on the foundation of a brand new technology platform, the nuance and delight of being human come together to create more intelligent, more emotionally rich and more relatable Sims. These Sims have evolved into beings whose every action is informed and affected by interactions and emotional states. Because players are in control of life’s triumphs and failures, life’s moments make stories richer, Sims more relatable and their homes more personal. Pair these revolutionary new Sims with brand new creative tools that are powerful, agile and tactile, and the result is a provocative new gameplay experience that powers a new era for The Sims.
The Sims 4 will be released exclusively for the PC next year. If you decide to pre-order the game, you’ll receive the upgraded Limited Edition, which includes a special “Life of the Party” DLC pack.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Gamescom 2013, The Sims 4
Reef Entertainment obtains Terminator license
Reef Entertainment obtained the license to produce games based on the Rambo films in 2011 and plans to release Rambo: The Video Game later this year. So what’s next for the UK publisher? Why, another 80s action franchise, of course.
Today, Reef announced that they’ve obtained the license to produce PC and console games based on The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. A spokesman for the company said that developers at Reef are “studying all aspects and influences of the Terminator universe” and that the company wants to “create a game that does great justice to the motion pictures.”
The publisher plans to reveal more details about the first game to emerge from this agreement, which will be titled Terminators, at a later date.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Terminator: Resistance