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)
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Most Recent: PC
Here’s a trailer for the season finale of Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2… which launches on December 19
Telltale Games has announced that Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 will come to an end on December 19. That’s because the season finale, Episode 5: Above and Beyond, will be released next week for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices. Naturally, Jesse and friends will need to perform some bigtime heroics to make it out alive:
The home Jesse left so long ago — Beacontown — has succumbed to the iron rule of the Admin. Menacing guards patrol the streets, anxious citizens tremble in fear, and worst of all, everyone believes Jesse is responsible thanks to the Admin’s devious disguise. In order to save the city, the real Jesse must find a way to zap the Admin’s powers and take him down once and for all…
And as long as you’re all caught up, a new trailer for Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Episode 5: Above and Beyond has been embedded above.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Okami HD, Night in the Woods, more added to Xbox Store
One of 2017’s biggest games, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, has made its way to the Xbox One this week, and it’s now available to download through the Xbox Games Store. Capcom’s Okami HD joins the 100-player battle royale on the Xbox One this week, and a new generation of players will be able to experience the action-adventure in an (optional) widescreen format with enhanced visuals (including 1080p and 4K resolutions).
Finally today, Infinite Fall’s young adult adventure game, Night in the Woods, will make its way to the Xbox One.
You can learn more about all of today’s additions to the Xbox Games Store after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Night in the Woods, Okami, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Overwatch’s “Winter Wonderland” event begins today
Starting today, Overwatch players will once again get to walk through a “Winter Wonderland.” Players will be able to take part in the seasonal event until January 2nd, which will include more holiday-themed loot, two “Mei-themed brawls,” and a few redecorated maps:
Winter Wonderland has returned to Overwatch! From now until January 2, take a stroll through the decked halls of Hanamura, King’s Row, and Black Forest, put your enemies on ice in not one, but two Mei-themed brawls, and unwrap all new holiday-themed loot including legendary skins like Casual Hanzo, Rime Sombra, Beachrat Junkrat, Snow Owl Ana, and more.
Stay frosty, heroes, and happy holidays from all of us at Blizzard!
Jeff Kaplan, Overwatch’s Director, had more to say about this year’s “Winter Wonderland” event in the latest Developer Update video. You can find it after the break. (more…)
Bandai Namco delays Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom again… this time to March 23, 2018
Bandai Namco and Level-5 have announced another delay for Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. Previously scheduled to launch in January, the RPG will now be released for the PC and PS4 on March 23, 2018.
According to Level-5’s CEO, Akihiro Hino, the delay was necessary to make sure “everything works together in a fun and cohesive way”:
As you all know, Level-5 is committed to delivering the highest levels of design and quality in each of our titles. The development of our latest project, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, is coming along very nicely and we can’t wait to share this new adventure with you, our fans. In an effort to constantly innovate, we’ve also implemented new modes in Ni no Kuni II, including the new Skirmish and Kingdom Modes.
However, with innovation and new ideas comes the need to ensure everything works together in a fun and cohesive way; this means we’ll need a bit more time to make sure the entire Ni No Kuni II experience meets our highest quality standards. So today, I would like to ask for everyone’s patience as we move Ni No Kuni II’s worldwide release date to March 23, 2018. We will be sharing more news about Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom in the coming weeks and months as we move closer to our new launch date. On behalf of everyone at Level-5, I want to thank you all for your patience and continued support.
Akihiro Hino – President & CEO of Level-5
In addition to the delay, Bandai Namco unveiled a new trailer for Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom that focuses on the game’s Japanese voicework, and it’s been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Capcom unveils Opening Cinematic for Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition along with Season 3’s DLC characters
It looks like Street Fighter V‘s third year is going to be big. And Capcom wants to show fans how big by fully unveiling the fighters included in the Season 3 Character Pass in a new trailer. The season will begin on January 16 with the release of Sakura, who made her first appearance in Street Fighter Alpha 2. Players who purchase the Season 3 Character Pass (for $29.99) will also receive access to Blanka, Cody, Sagat, and newcomers Falke and G throughout 2018.
A new post on the Capcom-Unity blog offers up some details on how her fighting style will change in Street Fighter V:
About Sakura
First appearing in Street Fighter Alpha 2, Ryu’s number one fan returns to the series with a new outlook on life. After graduating high school, Sakura now works part-time at an arcade, but wonders what decisions she needs to make in order to be satisfied with her future.This time, Sakura has a new move, Tengyo Hadoken, where she fires a fireball diagonally into the air that can act as an anti-air. In addition, her V-System that is detailed below gives her more tools to open up opponents. Overall, Sakura’s fighting style remains similar to her past appearances as she pummels opponents with flurries of quick attacks along with her trademark Hadoken, Shouoken, and Shunpukyaku.
V-Skill: Haru Kaze
Sakura leaps into the air towards the opponent, which can then be followed up by three different options. Hitting punch will result in one of her signature moves, Sakura Otoshi, which can be pressed up to three times to continue the combo. Following up with a kick will trigger Oukakyaku, a forward flip that can act as a divekick. Finally, pressing throw (LP+LK) after Haru Kaze will result in Kashinfu, a command grab that that sees Sakura using her opponent as a spring board to jump back.V-Trigger I: Haru Arashi
Upon activation, Sakura’s fists are enveloped by blue energy that powers up Hadoken and Tengyo Hadoken, giving them both an additional hit. Landing a hit will also cause your opponent to be put into a juggle state giving you an opportunity to land additional attacks. She can also press HP+HK again to use Hogasho, a powerful palm thrust.V-Trigger II: Sakura Senpu
This time, Sakura’s fists and feet become enveloped by blue energy that powers up Shouoken and Shunpukyaku. Landing a hit will send your opponent flying into the air where you can cancel into V-Skill to follow up with either Sakura Otoshi or Oukakyaku. Both moves are improvements to their EX version and can be performed up to four times before Sakura Senpu ends.Critical Art: Sakura Rain
Sakura’s Critical Art draws inspiration from her past Super Combos. If used away from the opponent, it will only be a high-damaging Hadoken. However, if Sakura can land this Critical Art right next to the opponent, it’ll go into a special animation that deals significantly more damage.
Capcom also revealed the Opening Cinematic from Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, an updated version of the game that’ll include downloadable access to all Season 1 and Season 2 characters. The Arcade Edition will be available for the PC and PS4 on January 16, and you can view the Opening Cinematic (which features appearances from all six Season 3 characters) after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Street Fighter V
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection will include 12 games from the fighting franchise
Capcom is celebrating Street Fighter’s 30th anniversary in style next year with the release of a massive new compilation, the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection.
Featuring 12 “arcade perfect” adaptations, players will be able experience all the franchise’s biggest hits: Street Fighter (1987), Street Fighter II (1991), Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (1992), Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting (1992), Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (1993), Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994), Street Fighter Alpha (1995), Street Fighter Alpha 2 (1996), Street Fighter III (1997), Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact (1998), Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998), and Street Fighter III: Third Strike (1999).
Best of all, the 30th Anniversary Collection will include online play (including Ranked Matches) in Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter III: Third Strike, and Street Fighter Alpha 3.
Finally, like any good compilation, the 30th Anniversary Collection will also give player access to a wide variety of behind-the-scenes bonus material including concept art, character bios, and a Music Player:
With the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, fans can re-visit historic moments from the series and explore the timeline of events that helped create one of the world’s leading fighting game series. Fans can take a walk down memory lane in the Museum and view stunning pieces of concept art, scroll through character bios and uncover little known facts behind each game release with an interactive timeline. Audiophiles can also sit back and relax while listening to the most memorable Street Fighter tunes in the Music Player.
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection will be available for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in May 2018. The first trailer can be viewed above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Street Fighter II, Street Fighter III: Third Strike
Here’s your first look at the “Miramar” map from PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds might still be a work in progress, but that didn’t stop PUBG Corporation’s massively popular game from picking up the “Best Multiplayer” trophy at last night’s Game Awards. The game also got a boost from the introduction of “Miramar,” a desert-based map, during the show.
You can get your first glimpse at “Miramar” in the trailer embedded above, and you can also catch up on some of the finer details of the play area in a brand new update on Steam:
We are excited beyond words that we can finally share the name of our new desert map and tell you a little bit about some of the places you can visit. When we decided to create a new map, we focused on creating an environment that is very different from Erangel. We wanted to go the opposite direction of having lush fields and forests and arrived at the harsh and unforgiving desert of what we can now reveal is Miramar. The unique terrain and dense urban areas of Miramar will create a new Battle Royale experience where the old strategies may no longer work and new tactics are required. We don’t want to tell you too much as you will soon be able to experience it all yourself but we did write a few short descriptions of several of the key landmarks and towns. You can find them below, together with the new screenshots.
Finally, PUBG Corporation announced that “Version 1.0” of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will be available to download on December 20.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Game Awards 2017, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Soul Calibur VI will be released for PC, PS4, Xbox One in 2018
Soul Calibur, Bandai Namco’s other fighting franchise, will prove that the soul still burns with a new entry in 2018. Soul Calibur VI was announced during last night’s Game Awards, and it’ll be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One sometime next year.
In the meantime, we’ll have to make do with an epic Announcement Trailer starring Mitsurugi and Sophitia:
The Soul Calibur franchise has been the premier 3D weapon-based fighting series since the original Soul Blade released in arcades in 1995. Soul Calibur VI retains the series’ signature 8-Way Run movement system, providing super smooth 3D movement, while integrating new gameplay systems such as the exciting Reversal Edge. Reversal Edge enables characters to clash against each other and follow-up with powerful counterattacks based on their opponent’s actions. Challenge the computer AI, compete against friends, or challenge fighters from around the world in high-speed dynamic battles with jaw-dropping visual effects.
Taking place in the 16th century, revisit the events of the original Soul Calibur to uncover hidden truths with a diverse lineup of new and returning characters with their unique fighting styles including series mainstays: Mitsurugi and Sophitia.
A second trailer for Soul Calibur VI was unveiled as part of this year’s PlayStation Experience. You can find it after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Game Awards 2017, PlayStation Experience 2017, Soul Calibur VI







