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
God of War: Ascension Beta Impressions: Eviscerating Your Expectations
The God of War: Ascension multiplayer beta launched this Tuesday for PlayStation Plus members, and, as a member and a person who’s played the previous God of War games extensively, I felt I had an obligation to download it. I was skeptical about the idea of multiplayer in a God of War game, mainly because the entire concept behind the franchise was the struggle of just one man: Kratos. He has created his own mythology, becoming a fixture in the Sony gaming world. So how could they make multiplayer in a game that was so Kratos-centric? My healthy skepticism was almost instantly destroyed when I began playing the beta. Yes, it’s actually that much fun. (more…)
Posted in Previews, PS3, Top Story
Tagged God of War: Ascension
Square Enix Europe promises update on Final Fantasy X HD soon
It’s not much to go on, but Square Enix Europe has taken to Twitter to reassure Final Fantasy fans that an update on Final Fantasy X HD is coming soon:
@dannymason1986 The world will get answers soon, we promise.
— SQUARE ENIX EUROPE (@SQUARE_ENIX_EU) January 10, 2013
Final Fantasy X HD was announced for the PS3 and Vita during the 2011 Tokyo Game Show and we’ve heard nary a peep about the project since then. So any acknowledgement of the game, even the vague promises of more information coming “soon,” is something to celebrate.
Posted in News, PS3, Vita
Tagged Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
Call of Duty: Black Ops II was the best-selling game in all of 2012 too
As the best-selling game of the month in November and December, Call of Duty: Black Ops II has consistently blown away the competition since its November 13th launch. But seven weeks was all it needed to stand tall as the best-selling game of all of 2012.
The complete list doesn’t include many surprises. Like the list of bestsellers from December 2012, no original games are included in the full-year list. Microsoft’s Halo 4 was the only platform-exclusive title to make the list and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was the only 2011 release able to retain its spot in the top ten.
In terms of retail sales, 2012 was a down year for the game industry. Retail sales of games, accessories, and consoles (not counting used games/hardware or downloadable games/content) totaled $13.26 billion, which was off 20% from 2011’s $16.99 billion total. perhaps this Fall’s expected launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 will kickstart the industry in 2013.
The complete 2012 top ten can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Assassin's Creed III, Borderlands 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, FIFA Soccer 13, Halo 4, Just Dance 4, Lego Batman 2, Madden NFL 13, NBA 2K13, NPD
CoD Black Ops II was the best-selling game of December 2012
For the second straight month, Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II stands tall as the best-selling game of the month, per The NPD Group’s December 2012 report.
The first person shooter fended off a bevy of sequels including the rest of the top five: Just Dance 4, Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed III, and Madden NFL 13. In fact, not a single non-sequel cracked the top ten last month.
Once again, The NPD Group is reporting (via Game Informer) that game sales and console sales are down relative to 2011 (which was itself down from 2010). Of course, the NPD Group’s inability to track sales of downloadable games makes this statistic less than helpful.
The full top ten from last month can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PSP, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Assassin's Creed III, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Far Cry 3, FIFA Soccer 13, Halo 4, Just Dance 4, Madden NFL 13, NBA 2K13, New Super Mario Bros. 2, NPD, Skylanders Giants
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct coming to Wii U too; March release confirmed
Glenn Gamble, a Producer at Terminal Reality, has revealed that The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, Activision’s first person shooter based on the popular AMC show, will be available for the Wii U in addition to the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
So what will the Wii U version bring to Survival Instinct? A more streamlined inventory system, according to Gamble:
“We didn’t want to change the game, because the game had already been established, so we tried to say, ‘What can we augment with the Wii U version?’ That’s where it’s basically a more elegant inventory management system. With the Wii U you have access to your backpack at all times, so you can tap what weapons you want, you can drop stuff. It’s a lot more streamlined.”
Finally, Gamble confirmed that the game will be released in Europe on March 29, just two days before the third season finale. Because of the close tie-in with the TV show, a North American release date is likely to be very similar.
UPDATE: As expected, Activision has announced The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct will be released in North America on March 26.
[Source: Digital Spy]
2K Games pulls off the hidden ball trick by announcing Major League Baseball 2K13
Like a pitcher with a perfect pickoff move, 2K Sports waited until the last possible second to announce Major League Baseball 2K13. But that’s just what they’ve done, confirming that a new deal with the MLB and the Player’s Association will allow MLB 2K13 to be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on March 5, 2013. David Price, the American League Cy Young Award-winning pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, has been selected to appear on the cover.
“We’d like to thank our league partners for their support in helping us reach an agreement to bring back Major League Baseball 2K,” said Jason Argent, Vice President of Marketing for 2K Sports.
2K will also bring back their popular (but controversial) Perfect Game Challenge. For 2013, the publisher plans to introduce a new format for the contest, which they’ll announce at a later date.
But, following up on the pickoff metaphor, it remains to be seen if this latest iteration in the simulation series will be a precision strike or an errant throw that sails wildly off the mark.
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Major League Baseball 2K13
Treyarch officially unveils Revolution map pack for CoD Black Ops II
It appears that the rumors are true. Announced yesterday by Treyarch and Activision, Call of Duty: Black Ops II‘s first downloadable map pack will be known as Revolution.
Available to download from the Xbox Live Marketplace on January 29, Revolution will include four new multiplayer maps, a new Zombies map, a new Zombies gametype, and a new weapon (The Peacekeeper, a new SMG/assault rifle hybrid). You can watch the trailer above for all the details on the new maps or you can read about them yourself right here:
- “Downhill” – Set in the ski country of the French Alps, where players fight their way down the slopes and through a ski lodge, while avoiding the moving hazards of the mountain’s gondola system.
- “Grind” – Transports players to the historic birthplace of skateboarding, California’s Venice Beach, where they will battle it out through the ramps and half-pipes of this massive, epic skate park in a multiplayer environment comprised of unique curved architecture requiring players to adapt and learn new ways to take cover.
- “Hydro” – Opponents must dodge the floodwaters as they contend for dominance of this hydroelectric dam facility in Pakistan, filled with treacherous spillways.
- “Mirage” – Pits players in competition amidst the sand dunes of a dilapidated luxury resort in the sandstorm-devastated Gobi Desert, where a range of long-distance and close-quarters combat will mix up the action for all play styles.
- “Die Rise” (Zombies) – Transports players to the Far East, where they will attempt to overcome a zombie infestation inside a series of collapsed skyscrapers towering over the remains of an obliterated Chinese city.
“Die Rise” will be joined by “Turned,” a new Zombies gametype that lets players play as the undead for the first time.
The Revolution map pack will be available for 1200 Microsoft Points ($14.99) or as a free download for owners of the Call of Duty: Black Ops II DLC Season Pass. Revolution will be released on additional platforms (including the PC, PS3, and hopefully the Wii U) at a later date.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops II
PS3/Xbox 360 release of Painkiller Hell & Damnation pushed back to April
The PS3/Xbox 360 port of Painkiller Hell & Damnation was tentatively set for a late January release, but it looks like the devils at Nordic Games have other plans. The publisher has announced that the game will now be released for consoles in April. European gamers will get it on April 5 while a new American release date has yet to be announced.
No specific reasons were given for the delay, but a Nordic representative has revealed that the development team at The Farm 51 needed a little more time to get the console version up to snuff.
“We have been working around the clock to bring the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game in line with the quality and standard of the PC game,” said Reinhard Pollice, the Production and Business Development Manager at Nordic Games. “There has been a slight delay so that the console communities can enjoy the fiendishly ghoulish experience that we know they want and deserve. In taking this additional time to add the final touches, we know that players will realise that the best things do come to those who wait!”
Hopefully, we’ll hear about the final US release date soon.
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Painkiller Hell & Damnation