Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- 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
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins “Game of the Year” at 2025-2026 GDC Awards
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- 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)
- In 2005, games started rewiring our brains – The AV Club (2025)
Most Recent: PS3
New Releases: Lego Dimensions, FIFA 16, NBA 2K16, More
Sport fans should gather up their foam fingers and beer hats once more as the soccer shenanigans of FIFA 16 and the raucous roundball of NBA 2K16 will both arrive on store shelves this week for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Blood Bowl II, and its fantastical version of football, will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
But if you’re a Lego fan, the release of Lego Dimensions is likely a much bigger deal this week. Mashing together more than a dozen media franchises, Lego Dimensions could very well be the ultimate Lego game. Developer TT Games has clearly come a long way since 2005’s Lego Star Wars. Sadly, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker won’t be part of the magic, but characters from DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings, Scooby-Doo, The Simpsons, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Doctor Who, and many, many others will appear in the PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One game.
Finally this week, 3DS owners will get to play decorator as Nintendo will release Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer for the handheld system. It will launch alongside a new range of Amiibo-powered cards and a New 3DS + Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Bundle.
All of this week’s new releases are available in a handy list format after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, Blood Bowl 2, FIFA 16, Lego Dimensions, NBA 2K16
Atlus has delayed the release of Persona 5 to second half of 2016
2015 loses another major new game as Atlus has announced that Persona 5 will not be released by the end of the year as originally planned. Instead, the PS4 and PS3 RPG will be available sometime in the latter half of 2016.
A year-long delay is never a welcome announcement, but Atlus did release a new Persona 5 trailer this week as part of their Tokyo Game Show presentation. As you might have guessed, it’s entirely in Japanese, but an English translation was published by Siliconera.
Atlus had this to say about the delay: “[We realize] the frustration and disappointment that this must cause for the JRPG-loving public, please know that we are delaying the game in order to make sure the next iteration of the Persona series lives up to the expectations of fans.”
Gather round the campfire on October 13 for the release of Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 1
Telltale Games has announces that Minecraft: Story Mode, their episodic adventuring adaptation of Mojang’s Minecraft, will kick off on October 13 with the release of Episode 1 (The Order of the Stone) for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and iOS/Android mobile devices. A special Season Pass Disc will also be available on October 27, which will include the first episode on the disc and online access to subsequent episodes as they’re released.
“Developed in partnership with our friends at Mojang, this all-ages adventure series kicks off a thrilling story full of many elements essential to the world of Minecraft, combined with Telltale’s trademark choice-based gameplay,” said Kevin Bruner, the CEO and co-founder of Telltale Games. “There are plenty of exciting details we’ve been keeping under wraps, and we’re thrilled that players will soon be starting their own adventure through the Nether to the Farlands and beyond with Jesse and The Order of the Stone.”
In other exciting news, Minecraft: Story Mode will also be available for the Wii U and Vita at some future date. This is the first time a Telltale adventure game, or any version of Minecraft, will appear on the Wii U… and just in time for the console’s likely replacement by the NX next year.
Destiny: The Taken King, NHL 16, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, more added to PS Store
Are you ready to take on the Taken King? Destiny‘s “Year One” is almost at the end, but there’s still one more major expansion on the way. Destiny: The Taken King will ask players on the PS4 and PS3 to do battle with the army of Oryx, The Taken King, who is looking to avenge the death of his son Crota.
Also available on the PlayStation Store this week are a pair of sports titles that are sure to get the Fall/Winter athletes out there excited. Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 was released this week for the PS4 and PS3, and it includes “new and improved features” for its 20th year on the pitch. However, if you prefer your sports surfaces to be a bit colder, EA Sports will also release NHL 16 (PS4) and NHL: Legacy Edition (PS3) this week for hockey fans.
You can learn more about all three of these games (and a few other new releases) after the break. And don’t forget to check out the PlayStation Blog for a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons and discounts. (more…)
WB Games spared no expense when hiring the voice cast for Lego Dimensions
If Richard Attenborough were still alive, I think WB Games would have hired him to gleefully exclaim that the publisher spared no expense when assembling the voice cast for Lego Dimensions. Unfortunately, the great actor passed away last year. But just try to picture the giant sacks of money it must have required to secure the services of this talented ensemble anyway…
Michael J. Fox (as Marty McFly) and Christopher Lloyd (as Doc Brown) will reprise their roles from the Back to the Future trilogy. Several actors from another 1980s favorite, Ghostbusters, will also get a chance to cross the streams and interact with the rest of the cast. And speaking of g-g-ghosts, Matthew Lillard (as Shaggy) will ride with Scooby-Doo in the Mystery Machine.
Chris Pratt will pull double duty in the game as Emmet from The Lego Movie and Owen Grady from Jurassic World. He’ll be joined by Elizabeth Banks (as Wyldstyle), Alison Brie (as Unikitty), and Charlie Day (as Benny) from The Lego Movie, but don’t think his Jurassic World co-stars turned down this chance. Bryce Dallas Howard (as Claire Dearing), Irrfan Khan (as Simon Masrani), Nick Robinson (as Zach, one of the kids), and Ty Simpkins (as Gray, the other kid) will fight dinosaurs one more time.
“Who” else could be joining the game? How about Peter Capaldi (as the Twelfth Doctor), Jenna Coleman (as Clara Oswald), and Michelle Gomez (as Missy) from Doctor Who… Best of all, they’re not coming alone. Every actor who has played the Doctor (including David Tenant, Matt Smith, Christopher Eccleston, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, and William Hartnell) will lend his voice (or archival audio for the deceased actors) to Lego Dimensions.
The DC Universe will be represented by Troy Baker (as Batman), Tara Strong (as Harley Quinn), Laura Bailey (as Wonder Woman), and Travis Willingham (as Superman). Meanwhile, WB Games has recruited two members of the Fellowship from The Lord of the Rings: Tom Kane (as Gandalf) and Sean Astin (as Samwise Gamgee). Several cast members from The Simpsons will also drop by as part of the game’s trip to Springfield.
Lego Dimensions includes a lot of portals, so Stephen Merchant (as Wheatley), Ellen McLain (as GLaDOS), and J.K. Simmons (as Cave Johnson) from Portal 2 should fit right in. Nolan North is also around (in a currently unknown role) because you can’t assemble a video game voice cast in 2015 without including Nolan North. I think it’s a union rule or something…
Finally, two original characters, Joel McHale (as your robotic guide, X-PO) and Gary Oldman (as the villainous Lord Vortech), will help propel the plot of Lego Dimensions forward.
Lego Dimensions will be released for the PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 27.
New Releases: Destiny: The Taken King, Forza 6, Skylanders SuperChargers, More
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover in this week’s new release report, so let’s get right to it…
Destiny’s “Year One” slate of content will come to a close as Activision and Bungie will release the last major update Destiny: The Taken King for the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360. The expansion will add a variety of missions and tweaks to the team-based shooter, but the biggest is likely Nolan North’s replacement of Peter Dinklage as the voice of Ghost.
Microsoft and Turn 10 will release their latest automotive simulator, Forza Motorsport 6, for the Xbox One. It astounds me that while Sony continues to struggle with DriveClub and the seemingly non-existent Gran Turismo 7, Microsoft has developed and published two critically-acclaimed Forza games.
If you’re looking for something for the kids, Activision will release Skylanders SuperChargers this week. The popular game franchise has a racing theme this time out for the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, PS3 and Xbox 360… and dozens of new Skylanders action figures have begun appearing on store shelves. A Dark Edition will also be released and a spinoff game, Skylanders SuperChargers Racing, will be available for the 3DS and Wii U (complete with an exclusive Skylanders/Amiibo hybrid figure for each platform).
To close out the week in new games, a pair of popular sports simulations will also be available. EA Sports will bring NHL 16 to the PS4 and Xbox One (and NHL: Legacy Edition to the PS3 and Xbox 360), while Konami will publish Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Finally this week, a number of new console bundles will be released. Sony will launch a 500GB PS4 + Destiny: The Taken King Limited Edition Bundle, while Microsoft is prepping a 1TB Xbox One + Forza Motorsport 6 Limited Edition Bundle. Both feature custom case designs (the Forza Blue color scheme is particularly nifty), one controller, and bonus downloadable content for their respective games. A 1TB Xbox One + FIFA 16 Bundle will also be available, but it doesn’t feature a custom paint job.
More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Destiny, Forza Motorsport 6, NHL 16, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, Skylanders SuperChargers, Skylanders SuperChargers Racing
BOOM! Madden NFL 16 is the best-selling game of August 2015
Whatever your opinion of Tom Brady and Deflategate (for the record, I agree with Tony Kornheiser, the suspension was “completely unjust”), it looks like nobody can take the air out of EA’s Madden NFL franchise. And don’t just take my word for it. The latest entry in the series, Madden NFL 16, topped the NPD Group’s newest monthly report and was declared the best-selling game of August 2015.
Madden NFL 16’s ascendance to the top of the list was a foregone conclusion, but August was an unusually quiet month for new releases. Just look at the three remakes/re-releases that broke into the top ten. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition chainsawed its way into the #3 spot, while the 30 games in the Rare Replay compilation collectively landed at #6. Finally, a Combo Pack containing Call of Duty: Black Ops + Call of Duty: Black Ops II claimed the #8 position (two spots ahead of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare at #10, I might add). The only other new release to crack the top ten was Sony’s Until Dawn at #7.
But the real story of the month might be that Minecraft continues to sell. Even though its been available on the PS4 and Xbox One since last year (and another year on the PS3 and Xbox 360), the game continues to sell month after month. Only Madden NFL 16 was able to outpace Mojang’s creation in August as Minecraft is sitting at #2 on the best-sellers list.
A complete look at August 2015’s top ten is available after the break. (more…)
Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows will infect all platforms on September 17
Yacht Club Games has announced that Shovel Knight‘s Plague of Shadows expansion will be available to download on all platforms and in all regions on September 17. The free update will completely transform the game, allowing players to take control of the villainous Plague Knight as he does battle with his fellow knights of The Order of No Quarter.
However, this challenge is only for expert players as the Plague of Shadows campaign will remain locked unless you’ve beaten the game as Shovel Knight.
Unlike some cinematic knights, prospective Plague of Shadows players won’t need to choose wisely as Shovel Knight is currently available for the PC, 3DS, Wii U, PS3, PS4, Vita, and Xbox One. Yacht Club will continue to expand the world of Shovel Knight in the future as campaigns centered around King Knight and Specter Knight are in the works. In the nearer future, a Shovel Knight Amiibo figure, which will unlock a Co-Op Campaign on the 3DS and Wii U, will be released sometime this Fall.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows