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
CoD Black Ops Escalation map pack PC release set for June 3; “coming soon” to PS3
Activision has confirmed that the second Call of Duty: Black Ops map pack, Escalation, will be made available to PC gamers on June 3, exactly a month after it was added to the Xbox Live Marketplace. Priced at $15, the pack includes four maps: “Zoo,” “Convoy,” “Hotel” and “Stockpile.”
Also available in the Escalation pack is the awesome “Call of the Dead” (check out the trailer above), an expanded Zombies map that stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Danny “Machete” Trejo, Robert Englund and the Godfather of all Zombies himself, George Romero.
PS3 owners who are itching to get their hands on the map pack won’t have much longer to wait as Activision promies that it’s “coming soon” to the PlayStation Store.
Posted in News, PC, PS3
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops
Chucky gets lucky on PC, consoles this Fall
I could never understand why someone would be afraid of a murderous doll. Once you realize its evil, just drop kick it across the room. Bam! No more Chucky! Yet, the cute little doll with the soul of a serial killer starred in five movies, and this Fall, he’ll take center stage in his own video game.
Developed by Tik Games, Chucky is in development for “console and PC digital distribution platforms.” Players will don the sneakers and overalls of the killer doll in an original storyline that “extend[s] his gory legacy” and features the “stealth and guile” Chucky is known for.
“We’re proud to be able to bring a fan-favorite movie character, such as Chucky, to gaming platforms,” said Alex Tikhman, Co-Founder and Vice President of Publishing for TikGames. “Fans have been asking for a Chucky game for years and, soon, gamers around the world will be able to enjoy highly-entertaining, interactive, downright gory experiences with this brand.”
I thought Tikhman was joking, but apparently there really has been a huge outcry for a Chucky game.
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