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
Activision partners with Tencent to operate Call of Duty Online in China
Activision continues to move forward on their free-to-play Call of Duty project, Call of Duty Online. Today, the publisher announced a partnership with Internet service provider Tencent to operate Call of Duty Online in China.
Like most free-to-play games, Call of Duty Online will offer players the ability to purchase in-game items and customize their character in a variety of different ways. The game’s story will be told through multiple Spec Ops missions from the Modern Warfare universe. In addition to online multiplayer, Call of Duty Online promises to include “a variety of game modes and features.”
It’s currently unknown if Call of Duty Online will ever become available outside of China or even when it’ll make its Chinese debut.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Call of Duty Online
Veni Vidi Sega! Total War: Rome II announced
Sega, and developer Creative Assembly, have announced Total War: Rome II, the latest entry in their award-winning series of historical turn-based strategy games.
Encompassing one of the best-known periods in world history, Total War: Rome II will combine the most expansive turn-based campaign and the largest, most cinematic real-time battles yet seen in any game.
Total War: Rome II will sink players into the dangerous political machinations of Rome’s senate, while asking them to struggle with family dilemmas and question the loyalty of friends and allies. Leading the greatest army ever seen into battle will be just one challenge you will face at the head of the world’s first superpower.
Will you help forge an empire? Restore the Republic? Or grasp the reins of power for yourself, and assume the hated title of tyrant? Who will you conquer? Who will you betray? Who will you sacrifice?
How far will you go for Rome?
Total War: Rome II will be released sometime 2013, exclusively for the PC.
Posted in News, PC
Tagged Total War: Rome II
Pre-order CoD Black Ops II, get reimagined “Nuketown” multiplayer map
Have you pre-ordered this November’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II yet? Why not? Perhaps Activision needs to sweeten the deal…
The publisher announced today that gamers who pre-order Call of Duty: Black Ops II for any platform from “participating retailers” will receive a code to download a remiagined version of “Nuketown,” a popular multiplayer map from the first Black Ops.
Now known as “Nuketown 2025,” Treyarch’s Studio Head, Mark Lamia, is thrilled about the map’s inclusion in Black Ops II: “Multiplayer fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops LOVE Nuketown. Flat out, Nuketown was a blast to play before, and we’re excited about the reimagined Nuketown 2025 in Call of Duty: Black Ops II. We can’t wait to play with everyone come this November.”
Call of Duty: Black Ops II will be available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on November 13.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops II
New Releases: Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, Test Drive Ferrari, Secret World, More
After a fairly packed May and a decent June, it looks like game publishers plan to turn the new release spigot way down in July.
There’s just a handful of new releases this week, with Square Enix’s Theatrhythm Final Fantasy for the 3DS leading the pack. If you ever thought a rhythm game and a dungeon crawling RPG couldn’t coexist, you’d be wrong.
Also available this week is the latest entry in the Test Drive franchise. Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends for the PS3 and Xbox 360 will eschew the open world racing of the Unlimited series for a more self-contained collection of single tracks and fast cars. A downloadable PC version will also be available this week.
Funcom’s long-in-development MMO The Secret World (PC) will also make it into stores this week. If you need a little more modern day in your MMOs, it might be one to check out.
Finally, a trio of bargain-priced PC titles round out the week: Snark Busters 3 Pack, Natural Threat: Ominous Shores, and Vampire Saga: Break Out.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends, The Secret World, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
007 Legends to include On Her Majesty’s Secret Service mission
Man, Activision is really stretching the definition of “classic” Bond movies, aren’t they?
Yesterday, the publisher announced the second movie-based mission for 007 Legends: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The film was George Lazenby’s only outing as Bond and the first not to star Sean Connery. It is also a huge point of contention among fans, as some consider it the best movie in the series while others think its the worst.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service joins the previously announced Moonraker as mission locations in 007 Legends. Three more films will eventually be added to the game. Activision also plans to add a sixth mission, based on the upcoming Skyfall, to the game as a free download. Originally, the Skyfall mission was going to be included on the disc, so I’m very curious as to the reason for this change.
007 Legends will be available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on October 16.
[Source: IGN]
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged 007 Legends
Activision shuts down Prototype developer Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment, the developer behind the Prototype series, The Simpsons: Hit & Run, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, and other titles, has been shut down by Activision. Though a few employees will remain in Activision’s employ to support “existing projects.” The publisher cited poor sales of Prototype 2 and an inability to sell the Canadian developer as the reason for the closure:
“Although we made a substantial investment in the Prototype IP, it did not find a broad commercial audience. Radical is a very talented team of developers, however, we have explored various options for the studio, including a potential sale of the business, and have made a difficult conclusion through the consultation process that the only remaining option is a significant reduction in staff. As such, some employees will remain working for Radical Entertainment supporting other existing Activision Publishing projects, but the studio will cease development of its own games going forward.”
The Vancouver game development scene is one of the most active in the world, so we at Warp Zoned wish all the former Radical devs luck in the future.
[Source: G4 TV]
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Prototype 2
Expendables 2 tie-in game coming to PC, PSN, XBLA this Summer
The Expendables 2 is getting an action-packed tie-in game this Summer from Ubisoft, and it’s nothing like the Contra-inspired Facebook game the first movie received back in 2010.
The Expendables 2 game is, instead, a top-down, downloadable shooter designed for the PC, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade. One-to-four players (locally and online) will be able to control Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) or Yin Yang (Jet Li) as they attempt to rescue a kidnapped billionaire. Of course, “all hell breaks loose,” and The Expendables are forced to shoot their way through the Somalian desert and the Burmese jungle in a story that leads right into the movie sequel.
The Expendables 2 will be available to download this Summer, probably around the movie’s August 17 opening.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged The Expendables 2
Walking Dead: Episode 2 now available on XBLA; coming Friday to PC, PSN
Telltale Games has announced that Episode 2 of The Walking Dead, “Starved for Help,” is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Gamers will have to have Episode 1 installed before they can play Episode 2.
“Starved for Help” will also be available on the PC and PSN this Friday. All three versions of the game have been priced at $4.99. In the meantime, you can check out the brand new trailer above.
The Walking Dead: Episode 3 will be available in late July.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged The Walking Dead