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
Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians Review: A Toe-Tappingly Fun Ride
Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians, the innovative and fun puzzle platformer by German developer Threaks, is finally here. We’ve been talking about it since PAX East, when we first fell in love with it. The developers have worked closely with famous musicians to create one-of-a-kind levels in which the in-game animations sync up with each part of the music. As you progress your way through the levels, opening up more of the environment, the song grows more complex, adding in another part of the song with each environmental queue. The game’s difficulty increases as well, with the puzzles getting more complicated and the platforming testing your reflexes. Add in the beautiful, hand-drawn levels and characters that are painfully adorable, and you’ve got yourself a perfect little game with lots to offer. (more…)
Posted in PC, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians
Development on Doom 4 started over because “it wasn’t Doom 4”
While Bethesda continues to deny that it was ever officially announced (even though it totally was), id Software’s Tim Willits, and Bethesda’s Pete Hines sat down with IGN at this weekend’s QuakeCon to discuss id’s decision to restart development on Doom 4.
According to Willits, Doom 4 has been dragged back to the drawing board because it was a bit schizophrenic. He also said: “Every game has a soul. Every game has a spirit. When you played Rage, you got the spirit. And [Doom 4] did not have the spirit, it did not have the soul, it didn’t have a personality.”
However, Pete Hines was much more to the point. When asked what kind of game Doom 4 was like before its reboot, he replied, “Not Doom 4.”
After a brief pause, Hines continued: “If it was like the quintessential, ‘yup, that’s Doom 4,’ then we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But, it was something that we looked at and the id guys looked at and said, look, it’s not even that something is necessarily bad. But is it good enough?”
Neither man would talk about the game’s new direction (Willits only referred to it as id’s “New Project”), but Hines said that id is “pushing the boundaries and challenging themselves.” I’m sure the world expects nothing less from id’s founder, John Carmack.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Doom (2016)
New Releases: Pikmin 3, Dragon’s Crown, Tales of Xillia, More
Nintendo is back in a big way this week with Pikmin 3. The latest game in one of Shigeru Miyamoto’s favorite franchises is in stores today and is sure to please Wii U owners who have been waiting for a big new title since Lego City Undercover‘s release this Spring. The PS3 is also back in a big way this week after a slow Summer. Namco Bandai’s action RPG, Tales of Xillia, and Atlus’ artful beat ’em up, Dragon’s Crown (available on the PS3 and Vita), will be available in stores on Tuesday.
What else is available this week? Well…
A game adaptation of Disney’s Cars spinoff, Planes, touches down on all Nintendo platforms (3DS, DS, Wii, and Wii U) this week. And EA has put out another Sims 3 expansion, The Sims 3: Dragon Valley. Finally, a boxed version of Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition for the PC is available this week, alongside Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers, a budget dogfighter for the PS3 and PC.
Posted in 3DS, DS, News, PC, PS3, Vita, Wii, Wii U
Tagged Dragon's Crown, Mortal Kombat, Pikmin 3, Tales of Xillia
Ubisoft reveals new details about Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’s modern day
SPOLIERS for Assassin’s Creed III ahead! You’ve been warned…
We have known for a while that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag would feature pirate rogue Edward Kenway, father and grandfather to Haytham and Conner Kenway, the previous game’s villain and hero. However, Ubisoft has managed to keep a lid on the present day shenanigans, especially since the previous present day protagonist, Desmond Miles, met a grim end at the hands of Juno.
In the continued trickle of information before the new game launches this October, lead writer Darby McDevitt recently took to Twitter for a Q&A session with fans to address some burning questions about the present day gameplay. McDevitt revealed that previous characters, such as William Miles, Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane, would make a return, and said that “the story is ongoing, but from a different perspective now.” Asked if Subject 16 would return, McDevvit answered, “No, but Subject 17 may… in a roundabout way.” Could Desmond be making his way back from the grave through the Animus?
The different perspective seems to be an unnamed employee of Abstergo Entertainment, based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (coincidentally, Black Flag is in development at Ubisoft Montreal). McDevitt was quick to clarify that this does not necessarily mean you play as a Templar, as many employees at the company are unaware of the lengthy war between the two factions. Yet, when asked if the relatively new Abstergo employee was aware of Assassins, Templars, or Juno and her race, McDevitt replied, “Yes, we will slowly reveal the existence of Assassins, Templars, and…” leaving fans hanging on the conjunction.
He also revealed you would have a desk in the Abstergo Entertainment offices, posting a screenshot that showed shelves with various action figures on it, one of which is dressed in assassin’s clothing. It seems the desk will act as a sort of hub for the present day mission, which McDevitt said would have a clear story arc. While not answering whether the new character was related to the Miles clan, McDevitt did note that “Abstergo’s tech has improved. They have genetic memory cloud servers that allow anyone to dive into another’s memories.” This allows the writer some breathing space in creating a completely new character, but raises further questions regarding the syncing of memories to the genetic code. He also mentioned that the fan favourite glyph puzzles would return in some form, possibly as hacking side missions.
[Source: UbiBlog]
Honor Watch Dogs by watching this “E3 Honors” trailer
Like every other trade show/convention it’s been a part of, Watch Dogs swept into E3 2013 on a wave of hype and swept out with an armful of awards and accolades.
According to Ubisoft, the game received over 90 “Best of E3” awards and nominations from a wide variety of publications including Machinima, Kotaku, IGN, The Escapist, and many more. They’ve compiled some of the kind words into the new gameplay trailer above. Like every other Watch Dogs trailer, it’s definitely worth your time.
Watch Dogs will be released for the PC, PS3, Wii U, and Xbox 360 on November 19. PS4 and Xbox One editions will also be available before the end of the year.
Bethesda delays Wolfenstein: The New Order into 2014
Bethesda’s Vice President of Marketing, Pete Hines, has tweeted that Wolfenstein: The New Order has been delayed. The latest game in the series, in development at Sweden’s Machine Games, had previously been set for a Fall 2013 release. Due to a need for more polish, the game will now be released in 2014:
We have confirmed today at QuakeCon that Wolfenstein will ship next year, all platforms. Felt it deserved some additional time for polish.
— Pete Hines (@DCDeacon) August 1, 2013
When it does finally make its way to stores, Wolfenstein: The New Order will be available for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Hines has specifically ruled out a Wii U version, so Nintendo fans are out of luck.
Ubisoft plans to bring a brand new next-gen IP to Gamescom 2013
Ubisoft plans to make a big splash at this year’s Gamescom expo, which kicks off on August 21 in Cologne, Germany. The publisher will have nine games playable on the show floor (including Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Rayman Legends, Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist, The Crew, and more). They also plan to debut a “new next-gen IP currently in development.”
“This year’s Gamescom is particularly exciting because it’s the first time players can really get their hands on the next-gen consoles and games they have been waiting for,” said Yves Guillemot, co-founder and CEO, Ubisoft. “Gamescom is a unique opportunity for us to connect face-to-face with our fans and listen to their feedback, and we think they’ll love what we’re bringing to this year’s show.”
A complete rundown of Ubisoft’s Gamescom lineup can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Gamescom 2013, Rayman Legends, The Crew, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Watch Dogs
Legend of Dungeon beta is now available
Robot Loves Kitty has announced that their “roguelike beat ’em up,” Legend of Dungeon, has entered the beta phase. The developer began selling the game in “Nearly Beta” form earlier this Spring (it was also available to play at PAX East) and has since followed it up with two further iterations: “Alpha Minotaur” and “Alpha Nymph.”
The “Beta” version of the game is available to purchase from RLK’s official website for $10, but everyone who bought the “Nearly Beta” version will receive a free upgrade. The “Beta” adds a bunch of new features to the game including local and online scoreboards, NPCs, secrets, flame throwers, and “baby gerbil throwing gerbil hats.” Um… OK.
The full list of changes can be found at Robot Loves Kitty’s Tumbler. If you’d like to see the new version of Legend of Dungeon in action, the developer is hosting a livestream tonight at 9:00 PM (Eastern Time) on Twitch.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Legend of Dungeon