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: PS3
The Hidden (and Not So Hidden) Secrets of Mortal Kombat
It’s official: NetherRealm Studios’ Mortal Kombat reboot has become one of the most beloved entries in the series. You could drive yourself mad trying to figure out why both critics (the 2011 game has the highest MetaCritic score out of any game in the franchise) and gamers (according to The NPD Group, it sold over a million copies in April) have re-embraced the blood-soaked bruatality that is Mortal Kombat. But the one thing all the reviews keep coming back to is how the game returns to the classic gameplay of what made Mortal Kombat great. And that means secrets… lots and lots of secrets.
While few of these secrets are actually “hidden,” most are very easy to miss. So get over here and take a look at Mortal Kombat’s hidden allusions, jokes and just plain fun stuff. Needless to say, SPOILERS FOLLOW. (more…)
Posted in Features, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360
Tagged Mortal Kombat
Sony tells publishers PlayStation Store to return on May 24
Gamasutra is reporting that Sony has informed publishers and developers that the PlayStation Store will reopen on May 24.
Online play and third party services like Netflix were restored on the PlayStation Network last week, but the store has remained offline. Sony plans to push out four updates in a two week span to release all of the content that publishers had planned to release before the PSN went down on April 20.
The updates will take place on May 24th, May 27th, May 31st and June 3rd. After June 3rd, the PlayStation Store’s weekly Tuesday updates will resume schedule.
PS3 and PSP owners will be able to download their “Welcome Back” gifts once the PlayStation Store resumes operations as well.
Posted in News, PS3, PSP
Tagged ApocalyPS3 2011
Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 comes to every console this holiday
When WB Games announced the title of the first Lego Harry Potter as Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, you know that a followup was inevitable. And now, on the cusp of the final movie, the publisher has officially announced Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7.
The game has been scheduled for release this holiday season, presumably alongside the Blu-ray/DVD release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. As you might expect from a Harry Potter game, it’s in development for every platform imaginable: 3DS, DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 and Sony’s Next Generation Portable (NGP).
Once again developed by TT Games, Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 will feature all the magic found in The Boy Who Lived’s last years at Hogwarts:
Based on the last three Harry Potter books and final four films, Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 takes players through Harry Potter’s heroic adventures in the Muggle and wizarding worlds. From Privet Drive in Little Whinging to Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and Hogwarts – plus new locations including Grimmauld Place, the Ministry of Magic, and Godric’s Hollow – players will encounter new faces, new challenges and new magic, preparing them for the ultimate face-off against Lord Voldemort.
Minimalist Resistance 3 box art is awesome
Were you worried that the box art for Resistance 3 would feature another generic soldier standing in front of another generic blasted out wasteland? Well, so was Sony. Instead, they’ve given us the awesomely minimalist design you see to your left (click it for an enlarged version). And check out the New York City skyline that doubles as the teeth on that Chimera!
Yup, this is completely awesome. Good job Sony. And a big pat on the back to British artist Olly Moss, who designed the box art (the PlayStation.Blog has more images using the design).
Resistance 3 will be released exclusively for the PS3 on September 6.
Posted in News, PS3
Tagged Resistance 3
Valve is skipping E3 2011
Were you hoping that Valve would use E3 2011 to provide more news about Portal 2 DLC or Half-Life: Episode 3? Or perhaps you were holding out hope for a surprise announcement of Left 4 Dead 3?
Well, you can forget it.
The developer sent out an email today detailing their E3 plans. And in two short sentences, they confirmed they have no E3 plans because they won’t be attending the big show. The message reads in full:
Lots of folks have mailed asking about appointment times, etc., with Valve.
Well, we are not showing any titles at this year’s show. So no appointment is needed.
Modern Warfare 3 official site reporting for duty
Activision has launched the official website for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 at CallofDuty.com/mw3. The website is rather sparsely populated at the moment, but you can view the four teaser trailers that Infinity Ward released a few days ago.
Aside from the teasers, there’s also something interesting in the site’s footer: the Sledgehammer Games logo. I believe this is the first public acknowledgement that Sledgehammer Games lent a hand to the development of Modern Warfare 3.
These little bits of information are fun and all, but hopefully Activision has a big Call of Duty reveal coming soon.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Netflix on video game consoles is the leading bandwidth usage in America
Independent researcher Sandvine has concluded that Netflix accounts for more downstream and overall bandwidth usage than all other sources, at 29.7 and 24.71 percent, respectively. Of all devices, video game consoles account for nearly two thirds of that figure, making Netflix usage on consoles alone accounting for 19.7% of all downstream usage. That’s bigger than the next highest usage – web pages.
The PlayStation 3 leads the pack in that figure, responsible for 30.57%. The Xbox 360 comes next, representing 24.94%, followed by PCs at 19.55%, while the Wii, with the highest install base of current gen consoles, comes in last with only 10.75%. Looks like someone may have been right about that whole closet/living room dichotomy.
One thing is for certain: game consoles are usurping cable providers. With the 3DS getting Netflix a later date and Sony’s NGP probably to do the same, expect this trend to continue in the future.
MC Lars’ b-side collection 21 Concepts (featuring the Bayonetta song) now available
Nerdcore rapper extraordinaire, MC Lars, has released a new b-sides compilation today: 21 Concepts (But a Hit Ain’t One). The album is available in trusty compact disc format as well as digitally at leading online retailers such as Amazon and iTunes.
Sadly the album doesn’t contain the song titled “21 Concepts (But a Hit Ain’t One).” That track, which features an awesome sample of the “Type A” music from the Game Boy version of Tetris (which was itself just a reworking of the Russian folk song “Korobeiniki”), can be found on MC Lars’ first full-length disc, The Graduate. As you can tell, it was also the inspiration for the album’s cover (which actually features the correct width of a Tetris column, impressive Lars!).
However, it does contain the song “Reaping Beauty,” which was inspired by Platinum Games’ Bayonetta. MC Lars (along with special guests Beefy, Random and Tina Root) rap about Bayonetta’s killing skills and her resemblence to Tina Fey. Check out the full video for the song after the break. (more…)