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
- 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
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
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
Capcom dives back into Resident Evil 2’s story with a new TGS 2018 Trailer
Resident Evil 2 became an instant classic when it was released for the PlayStation more than 20 years ago, so the game’s post-apocalyptic story beats are pretty familiar to a large portion of the gaming community. But that didn’t stop Capcom from unveiling a brand new Story Trailer for Resident Evil 2’s upcoming remake during the Tokyo Game Show this week.
The publisher has posted a few more details about the trailer (and a handy guide for newcomers) on the Capcom-Unity blog:
A little history for RE2 newcomers before we dive into things: The original Resident Evil 2 introduced a system known as “zapping” to provide an “A” story and a “B” story – two separate paths through the game that had the same major story elements for each character, but changed certain details, events, and access to items depending on which character you played as first. While this remake of Resident Evil 2 no longer uses “zapping” to tell each character’s tale, it stays true to the original by telling a unique story for each character, with both main campaigns providing a compelling point of view to provide a modern take on the story of Resident Evil 2.
Resident Evil 2 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on January 25.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Resident Evil 2
Madden NFL 19 beat out Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to become the best-selling game of August 2018
As new entries in the series always do, EA Sports’s Madden NFL 19 broke away from the pack and sprinted for the end zone as the best-selling game of August 2018. But it’s one of the games it beat out that might be the most interesting story from The NPD Group’s latest report.
According to the market research company (via GamesIndustry.biz), the #8 spot in last month’s list of best-selling games was occupied by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a title that was originally launched in 2009. So why the sudden sales surge? The most likely explanation is because Microsoft recently added the Xbox 360 edition of the game to the Xbox One’s Backwards Compatibility Library.
Adding new sales to perennially best-selling games was absolutely a trend in August, as 2015’s Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege (#3), 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V (#4), and 2014’s Mario Kart 8 (#5) all cracked the top five. But if you’re looking for newer titles, Capcom’s Monster Hunter: World continued its improbable run at the top of the charts by landing at the #2 spot thanks to the PC edition’s August launch.
Overall, the game industry grew 26% year-over-year with total sales of $796 million, including $214 million in hardware (a 28% increase), $330 million for software (a 16% increase), and $251 million for accessories (a whopping 39% increase).
A list of last month’s best-selling games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, God of War 4, Grand Theft Auto V, Madden NFL 19, Mario Kart 8, Monster Hunter: World, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, NPD, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
Katamari Damacy Reroll will ride the royal rainbow to Switch and PC in December
Katamari Damacy was originally released almost 15 years ago to… let’s go with “rapturous”… acclaim from the gaming populace. The quirky game about the outrageous King of All Cosmos and his son’s quest to return the stars to the sky by rolling up everyday objects was a colorful blast to the senses back in 2004. And yesterday, publisher Bandai Namco announced that they’re bringing it back later this year as Katamari Damacy Reroll for the PC and Switch.
Reroll will include the same great soundtrack, along with remastered graphics and cutscenes. Switch owners will be able to use brand new motion controls as well:
The King of All Cosmos has knocked out all the stars in the sky after a particularly rambunctious night of fun. Realizing his mistake, The King has tasked his young son, The Prince, to go to Earth and roll up as many things as possible to recreate the missing celestial bodies. Paper clips, books, cars, buildings, mountains, and continents, nothing is too big or small for The Prince and his adhesive Katamari ball. Katamari Damacy Reroll will feature remastered graphics and cutscenes as well as new motion controls optimized for the Nintendo Switch. Using the left and right Joy-Con controllers while the Nintendo Switch is in TV mode or Tabletop mode, players can move The Prince around with ease by simply turning their wrists.
Katamari Damacy Reroll will be released on December 7. Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na.
Posted in News, PC, Switch
Tagged Katamari Damacy
Bandai Namco will release Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition on January 11, 2019
Bandai Namco has announced that Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition will be available in stores on January 11, 2019. The re-release is currently in development for the PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, and will include “upscaled screen resolution as well as characters, events, and additional content never released outside of Japan.”
The publisher also plans to release a special Anniversary Bundle of the game (packed with exclusive collectibles featuring Yuri Lowell, Patty Fleur, Flynn Scifo, and Repede) through the Bandai Namco Official Store for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Tales of Vesperia was originally released exclusively for the Xbox 360 back in 2008, and the RPG will be celebrating its 11th anniversary next year.
New Retail Releases: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K19, NHL 19, More
Lara Croft returns this week, and PS4 and Xbox One owners will be able to pick up the Limited Steelbook Edition or Croft Steelbook Edition of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The finale to the “Origin Trilogy” will also be available to download for the PC.
Sports fans will also get the chance to dig into a few new titles this week, as 2K Sports will launch NBA 2K19 for the PC (download only) PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. The publisher also teamed up with Microsoft to give prospective Xbox One purchasers the chance to jump right in with the Xbox One S 1TB Console + NBA 2K19 Bundle or the Xbox One X 1TB Console + NBA 2K19 Bundle. And don’t worry, EA Sports won’t be giving sports fans the cold shoulder, and that’s because NHL 19 will be available for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Switch owners will be able to put their crafting skills to the test this week with the release of Nintendo Labo: Vehicle Kit, the third Labo set from the consolemaker. This time around, players will be able to build a vehicle that transforms between a Car, a Submarine, and a Plane with the included key.
And if you still purchase your PC games on DVD, THQ Nordic will reissue several games previously published by Microsoft this week, including ReCore: Definitive Edition, Super Lucky’s Tale, Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection, and a few others.
A full rundown of this week’s new retail release can be found after the break.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged NBA 2K19, NHL 19, Nintendo Labo: Vehicle Kit, ReCore, Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s Blackout Mode will include zombies, vehicles, and 80 players
With the beta test for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4‘s Blackout Mode set to begin next week, Activision has reached out to Game Informer to share a few details about their take on the battle royale genre.
According to the magazine, Blackout Mode will support 80 players during the beta and at launch, though developers from Treyarch said that number could change in the future: “So we’re starting with 80 players, but we’ve gone higher than that. Whenever we launch a game as a beta or whatever, that’s the beginning of something. We’re going to actively be participating in the community and taking feedback, making changes and adapting, evolving the game as feedback rolls in. So there’s a lot that can go on that can happen beyond that first impact of the game going out there.”
The publisher and developer also shared a brief glimpse at the first set of vehicles that players will be able to commandeer in Blackout. A Cargo Truck (which holds five players) and an ATV (which holds two) will be the ground options, but four players will also be able to travel by sea in a Zodiac Inflatable Boat, while five can take to the air in a Little Bird Helicopter.
Finally, Activision confirmed that zombies will play a big role in Blackout, though we won’t know exactly how they work until the beta begins.
But speaking of the Blackout Mode beta, the publisher revealed the schedule for the upcoming online test on the game’s official website:
PlayStation 4 (Private Beta)
START: Monday, September 10 at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)
END: Monday, September 17 at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)Xbox One (Private Beta)
START: Friday, September 14 at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)
END: Monday, September 17 at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)PC (Private Beta)
START: Friday, September 14 at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)
END: Saturday, September 15 at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)PC (Open Beta)
START: Saturday, September 15 at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)
END: Monday, September 17 at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 12.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Casual Bit Games shares a new trailer from Battle Princess Madelyn’s Arcade Mode
Casual Bit Games delivered the “August 2018 Development Update” for Battle Princess Madelyn to Kickstarter backers over the weekend, and they also gave fans their first look at the game’s Arcade Mode:
There are seven levels in arcade mode, and 11 boss fights – two of them being end-of-the-game gauntlet fights. These levels come at you like you would expect – relentlessly but in a fair sorta way. They’re definitely not a walk in the park, but those o you who have good reflexes will find themselves right at home with this more demanding version of the gameplay.
The levels are a mash-up of the three main stages in story mode. We’ve picked our favorite levels and turned them into the levels contained within this mode. In Arcade Mode there are less hidden items and no puzzles to get around, so it’s straight up Ghouls ‘n Ghosts style action, presented in our own way.
The bosses have been tweaked to be harder, but with less hit points in order to balance out the play time in these levels. Enemies have been tuned differently to be a little more spot-on with their abilities compared to how they behave in Story Mode.
Battle Princess Madelyn doesn’t have a final release date just yet, but the game will be available for the PC, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Vita, and Xbox One.
The Games of September 2018
It’s Labor Day here in the US, but we’re busy working hard to catalog all of September’s biggest upcoming game releases. And there are a lot of them.
Like everyone else, the Warp Zoned staff is very much looking forward to Sony and Insomniac’s new take on Spider-Man. But we’re also excited to get our hands on Square Enix’s massive new RPG, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age; Team17’s alien adventure, Planet Alpha; Crystal Dynamics’s “Young Lara Croft” finale, Shadow of the Tomb Raider; and Nintendo’s standalone RPG expansion, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country.
You can find out why each of these games has us so excited after the break. (more…)