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: PS3
Need For Speed Rivals races into stores this November; on PS4, Xbox One later this year
Criterion Games is taking the year off, but Electronic Arts will have a new Need For Speed game this Fall when Need For Speed Rivals launches for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on November 19. A PS4 and Xbox One version will also be released before the end of the year.
Rivals is in development at Ghost Games, an internal EA studio in Gothenburg, Sweden that spun off from DICE earlier this year. Using the Frostbite 3 engine, Rivals “captures the adrenaline and intensity of the street’s ultimate rivalry between cops and racers in a stunning open road environment.”
In Need for Speed Rivals, gamers play as either a cop or racer, where each side of the law has its own set of high stakes challenges, rewards and consequences. As a racer, the goal is to become infamous for taking risks behind the wheel and capturing your most intense escapes on video for the world to see. The more cops players evade, the more Speed Points they collect, enabling them to unlock new cars and items. Keep raising the stakes race after race to become an ever-more valuable target to the cops – but risk losing it all if busted. As a cop, players work together as part of a team in pursuit of racers, earning prominence and rising in the ranks of the Police Force with every bust. Achieving higher ranks unlocks new police-only cars and more powerful pursuit tech.
Need For Speed fans will be pleased to know that Ferrari returns to the franchise for the first time since 2006’s Need For Speed Carbon. A hybrid single-player/multiplayer online mode known as AllDrive, which allows players to “seamlessly transition from playing alone to playing with friends.”
EA has also announced that if you pre-order Need For Speed Rivals, you’ll receive the “Ultimate Cop Pack” for free. The pack includes the Nissan GT-R Black Edition police car, “advanced pursuit technology,” and “a custom livery.”
E3 2013: The Roadmap To Victory for Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony
Even with the rise of PAX Prime, PAX East, the San Diego Comic-Con, and Gamescom, the annual E3 Expo is still the game industry’s premiere showcase for “what’s next.” And every year, half the fun of the festivities is picking apart the press conferences from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony and declaring a winner.
I admit, picking press conference winners is more than a little silly. But the three companies are locked in a vicious three-way battle for your video game dollar. Even as the total market has expanded, the opportunities for any individual company have shrunk. So anytime one can wrest control of the headlines away from the other two is a victory. But what can each consolemaker do to ensure a win? Read on and follow our E3 Roadmaps for Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony to find out. (more…)
Giancarlo Esposito narrates Bungie’s first Destiny trailer
Giancarlo Esposito (formerly of Breaking Bad, currently of Revolution, and the man who knows who Keyser Soze is) narrates “The Law of the Jungle,” the first trailer for Bungie’s sci-fi space epic, Destiny.
The trailer, which was actually directed by Jon Favreau, also promises that the first gameplay footage of the game will be revealed during Sony’s E3 Press Conference on Monday, June 10.
Destiny is currently without a release date, but is expected to be released sometime in 2014.
Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition and Collector’s Edition detailed
Do you have your wallet ready? Rockstar Games just revealed the contents of the Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition, as well as an even more fully stocked Collector’s Edition.
The Special Edition, which is priced at $79.99, includes a SteelBook case, a Blueprint Map, an in-game Special Ability Boost, the Stunt Plane Trials game mode, an Outfits and Tattoos pack, and an Additional Weapons pack.
The much more lavish Collector’s Edition, and priced to match at $149.99, includes everything you get in the Special Edition as well as a GTA5-branded Security Deposit Bag, a GTA5 baseball cap, a classic GTA character for use in the GTA Online mode, and Unique Vehicles and Garage Property pack.
Everyone who pre-orders Grand Theft Auto V, regardless of which version you pick, will receive access to the Atomic Blimp vehicle in the game.
Hit the jump for a look at the Special Edition and Collector’s Edition of Grand Theft Auto V as well as more details on all of the goodies each premium version of the game contains. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Grand Theft Auto V
Infinity Ward confirms Call of Duty: Ghosts is coming to PS4
It’s not like it was ever in doubt, but Infinity Ward has confirmed that Call of Duty: Ghosts will be coming to the PlayStation 4 as well as the Xbox One:
Yes @smithson89 we’ll be releasing #CODGhosts on both platforms #PS3 #PS4
— Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) May 22, 2013
In a separate tweet, Infinity Ward confirmed that development duties for Ghosts will actually be spread across two additional Activision studios. Raven Software (who helped with Black Ops and Modern Warfare 3) and Neversoft will contribute to the game in a “support” capacity.
Call of Duty: Ghosts will be available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on November 5. The PS4 and Xbox One edition (which stars the awesomest video game dog ever) will likely launch with the next-generation systems and the Wii U version is still, technically, unannounced.
RE Revelations, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Ratchet: Deadlocked, more added to PS Store
After we spent the day oohing and aahing over Microsoft’s new Xbox One console, Sony did the same thing they do every Tuesday: updated the PlayStation Store.
This week’s offerings include the high definition re-release of Resident Evil Revelations, NIS America’s Mugen Souls, the illegal street racing of Fast & Furious: Showdown, and the old west shootouts of Call of Juarez: Gunslinger.
Vita owners will be able to finally play Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault (it’s available as a PSN Cross-Buy title too) or they can embrace their inner men’s room attendant with Men’s Room Mayhem.
And speaking of Ratchet, Ratchet: Deadlocked is now available on the PSN. No Vita version though.
More information on this week’s releases can be found after the break and the full list of this week’s new game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, Vita
Tagged Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Resident Evil Revelations
Pre-order bonuses for Watch Dogs announced
Watch Dogs will be available on November 19 for the PC, PS3, Wii U, and Xbox 360 with a PS4 version scheduled for release at the system’s launch. The game is also coming to the Xbox 720/Durango, but Ubisoft continues to stubbornly refer to it as “other next generation consoles” in their press releases. Clearly, you have plenty of options to purchase Watch Dogs this Fall.
To complicate your choice a little bit more, Ubisoft announced a pair of retailer-exclusive pre-order bonuses for Watch Dogs today:
GameStop – Palace Pack: The Palace Pack includes a single player mission, an investigation bonus, and ATM hack boost. The investigation bonus will unlock exclusive investigation opportunities inside of the network and the ATM hack boost will increase cash rewards when hacking into bank accounts. In addition to the single player Palace Pack mission, players who pre-order the game will receive an exclusive poster designed by famed comic-book artist, Alex Ross – while supplies last.
Amazon.com – Signature Shot Pack: The Signature Shot Pack comes with an exclusive single player mission that once completed, unlocks both a unique Biometric Assault Rifle and the Black Viceroy’s Outfit. The biometrics weapon has been smuggled into Chicago for the captain of the Black Viceroy’s gang. The weapon only works for the first person to imprint their palm on the handle. Players will need to breach a stronghold, steal the package and be the first to imprint the weapon and get out of The Wards alive.
Batman and The Joker might get new voice actors in Batman: Arkham Origins
Uh oh. There might be trouble brewing in Gotham City.
Just a day after Kevin Conroy told the world that he’ll provide the voice of Batman in Batman: Arkham Origins, Joystiq is reporting that WB Montreal has actually given the coveted role to Roger Craig Smith (who voiced Ezio Auditore in Assassin’s Creed II).
They’ve also confirmed that Mark Hamill won’t be reprising his role as The Joker and Troy Baker (Booker from BioShock Infinte and Joel from the upcoming The Last of Us) will step into the floppy shoes of the Clown Prince of Crime. Richard Epcar voiced The Joker in April’s Injustice: Gods Among Us.
So who to believe? It’s probably important to note that Conroy never said that he’s working on Batman: Arkham Origins, referring to it as “the next Arkham game.” Is it possible he was talking about the handheld spinoff, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate? Or maybe Origins, as a prequel story, is told in flashback. This would allow Conroy to voice the character in the present day and allow Smith to bellow “I am the night!” during gameplay.
Hopefully we’ll find out who’s really under the cowl soon.
UPDATE: The PA Report has confirmed with the developers that Roger Craig Smith will voice Batman and Troy Baker is in as The Joker. So what was Conroy talking about at the Dallas Comic Con?