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
Lego Universe getting free-to-play version
Great news, Lego fans! Lego Universe, the adorable and innovative MMO for the PC, will be getting a free-to-play trial area for people who don’t want to commit to paying without testing the waters first. As of this August, players will be able to try a limited section of the game, including two “adventure zones” and a “player property area” for as long as they want. The game will also be available as a digital download, getting rid of the disc completely. The idea is to “make the game more accessible to players, without the immediate obligation to purchase or subscribe,” according to Jesper Vilstrup, the Vice President of the LEGO Group. Add to that the fact that there are no plans to introduce micro-transactions, and I’d say they’re doing a good job.
Those interested in getting full game access can subscribe for just $10 a month, giving them full access to over 15 adventure zones and five player property areas, as well as gaining access to competitive and community events and new expansions (did someone say Ninjago???). It’s tempting me right now, as the stigma I associate with World of Warcraft ends up sticking to anything with the word MMO in, around, or on it. Lego Universe has a much nicer ring to it.
Holy pre-order, Batman! Robin officially added to Arkham City in Best Buy promo
Batman and Catwoman won’t be the only playable characters in this October’s Batman: Arkham City. Robin, The Boy Wonder, will be swinging into the game as well.
Gamers who pre-order Batman: Arkham City from Best Buy (on the PC, PS3 or Xbox 360) will receive exclusive access to the Tim Drake Robin Pack. WB Games had this to say about Robin:
“Robin will come complete with his own unique gadgets and special moves, and will be playable in all challenge maps in the game, as well as two additional challenge maps that are included with the pack – Black Mask Hideout and Freight Train Escape. The pack will also contain a bonus Red Robin character skin.”
So it looks like it’ll work exactly the same as the Joker Challenge Maps that were included with the GameStop pre-order of Batman: Arkham Asylum.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Batman: Arkham City
New Releases: FEAR 3, Dungeon Siege III, Shadows of the Damned, More
After multiple delays, FEAR 3 will be scaring gamers on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 this week. The game was developed by Day 1 Studios, who took over for original developer Monolith Soft. FEAR 3 will be joined in stores this week by another threequel that has switched developers: Dungeon Siege III (PC, PS3, Xbox 360). The Dungeon Siege series was originally created by Gas Powered Games but the third entry was developed by sequel specialists Obsidian Entertainment.
Sequels aren’t the only games releasing this week as EA will be bringing Shadows of the Damned to the PS3 and Xbox 360. A collaboration between Grasshoper Manufacture’s Suda 51 and Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, the hellbound tale will be nothing if not original. But for a complete change of pace, this week also sees the release of the movie-to-game adaptation Cars 2 (DS, PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360).
Check out the full list of the rest of this week’s new releases after the break. (more…)
FEAR 3 launch trailer is full of slow motion scares
After multiple delays, FEAR 3 will finally be available for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 next week. To celebrate, WB Games has released a launch trailer for the game which features some truly grotesque and frightful scenes.
If you’re not scared yet, you will be.
BioWare bringing Mass Effect 3’s “FemShep” to the masses
When promoting the Mass Effect trilogy, BioWare has never strayed far from the default look for the game’s protagonist, Commander Shepard. And that default has always been the male default, meaning players who like to play as “FemShep” never got a chance to see her in action in the game’s many trailers. According to David Silverman, Director of Marketing at BioWare, that’s all about to change for Mass Effect 3.
In a series of recent tweets, Silverman has confirmed that a trailer starring a female Shepard is in the works. “FemShep” will even get a chance to be a cover girl as the Mass Effect 3 Collector’s Edition will feature both versions of Shepard on the box.
Here’s what Silverman had to say about the future of “FemShep”:
there will be a #FemShep trailer. We actually had a meeting on her yesterday. We are working on the look now.
– June 14the CE of #ME3 has both #FemShep and male Shepard on the box.
– June 12
Mass Effect 3 will be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on March 6, 2012.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Mass Effect 3
Activision unveils Annihilation map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops
Confirming everything from yesterday’s leak, Activision has announced that the third map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops will be available to download from the Xbox Live Marketplace on June 28. As always, the pack will be priced at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).
The CoD: Black Ops Annihilation Map Pack will consist of four multiplayer maps (Hangar 18, Drive-In, Silo and Hazard) and a new “Zombies experience” known as Shangri-La.
“Shangri-La [is] an exotic and mysterious map filled with deadly traps, dark secrets and innovative gameplay that will challenge even the most daring zombie hunters,” said Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia.
If you plan on picking up the map pack, you might also want to know Activision plans to pair it with a Double XP Weekend beginning Friday, July 1.
The Annihilation Map Pack will also be released for the PC and PS3 at a later date.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops
Official Batman: Arkham City box art released
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has unveiled the official box art for Batman: Arkham City. Continuing the whitewashed aesthetic that has been the game’s trademark since it was announced, the cover shows Batman ready to dispense some Gotham City justice on some poor soul’s face. And he’s got the bloody knuckles to prove it. If you want a closer look at the box art, just click on the image to your left.
Batman: Arkham City will be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 18. A Wii U version is also in the works.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Batman: Arkham City
Leaked photo details Call of Duty: Black Ops map pack #3
Black Ops 24/7 reports that a leaked photo, possibly from promotional materials, has outed some of the details of a third DLC map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops. The poster lists four multiplayer maps in a similar style to the Escalation pack: Hanger 18, Hazard, Drive-In, Silo, and an unreadable new Zombies level. The advertisement seems to be one of GameStop’s, as the text “downloadable content is better at GameStop,” can be seen above the map captures.
This would continue the precedent set in Call of Duty: World at War, making Treyarch the CoD studio that supports its games with three healthy doses of DLC. I imagine it’ll be hard to top Call of the Dead, but I’m excited to get into the new multiplayer maps.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops