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: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Mad Max, More
This week truly marks the end of an era as Konami plans to release Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. While neither side has officially commented on the matter, this will likely be the last Metal Gear game produced by Hideo Kojima before he leaves the company. His series of political actioners has certainly left a lasting impression with gamers, and even if the franchise continues, he will be missed.
If this news make you angry, perhaps you can turn to Mad Max for advice on how to react. Developed by Avalanche and set to be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, the open roads of the game’s open world seem perfect for Max. And if you can’t get enough of George Miller’s post-apocalyptic hero, don’t forget that Mad Max: Fury Road is available on Blu-ray this week too.
Finally this week, a pair of games are being re-released in new retail editions for the PS4 and Xbox One. Ubisoft’s Far Cry 4: Complete Edition includes the original game and all of its Season Pass content, while Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons brings Starbreeze’s small adventure to retails shelves for the first time.
A complete list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
WB Games performs a Fatality on the PS3/Xbox 360 version of Mortal Kombat X
Mortal Kombat X launched for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in the Spring, with plans for a PS3/Xbox 360 version to follow a few months later. Eventually, its previous-generation port was pushed back to the Fall, and today, WB Games officially put an end to its development with an announcement on their community forum:
After months of development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has come to the regrettable conclusion that we cannot release Mortal Kombat X for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Please know our teams worked diligently to meet the quality standards set by the current-gen versions of the game. We were not able to get the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions to the quality expected of a Mortal Kombat game and are very sorry for not being able to deliver the products as originally planned.
Like most cross-generation games, the PS3/Xbox 360 version of Mortal Kombat X would have been considerably less impressive than its PS4/Xbox One counterpart. After trying to close that gap for months, the publisher decided to cut its losses and ripped the game’s heart out like Kano. After being delayed three times, it was probably the right call.
Since its release this Spring, the new-generation version of Mortal Kombat X has been expanded by NetherRealm Studios with a Kombat Pass that includes Tanya, Tremor, The Predator, and Jason Voorhees. Rumors abound that a second batch of downloadable characters will join the game’s roster in the near future, but no official has been made.
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Mortal Kombat X
Catch a ride to the theater… a Borderlands movie is in the works
Gearbox Software, Take-Two Interactive, and Lionsgate have announced they are teaming up with producers Avi and Ari Arad to create a Borderlands movie. The fivesome’s current plan is to go big with Borderlands and turn it into a “tentpole” film that’s befitting of the Borderlands name.
For a better reference point, it might be helpful to look at some of the past projects that Avi and Ari Arad have been responsible for. The executives got their start in the comic book realm, producing Blade for New Line, X-Men for Fox, and Spider-Man for Sony. They’ve also helped guide those franchises through multiple sequels and even a reboot or two (yes, they’re also responsible for X-Men: The Last Stand and The Amazing Spider-Man 2). More recently, the duo has branched out into video game adaptations, with plans to produce films based on Uncharted and Metal Gear Solid.
Lionsgate also sees the potential in a Borderlands film, with Co-Chairs Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger quoted as saying: “The Borderlands games don’t pull any punches, and we’ll make the movie with the same in-your-face attitude that has made the series a blockbuster mega-franchise.”
That said, the adaptation is currently lacking actors, writers, and a director… so it might be a long time before we get to see it. Hopefully, we’ll learn more about the Borderlands movie during the “Inside Gearbox Software” panel, which will be held at PAX Prime later today.
Posted in Etcetera, News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Borderlands, PAX Prime 2015
Minecraft: Story Mode will be playable at PAX Prime 2015
The 2015 PAX Prime expo begins in just a few hours, and if you’re in Seattle waiting to get in, you might be pleased to learn that Telltale Games will have a playable demo of Minecraft: Story Mode at their booth (#3117) this year. According to the developer, this is the first time the game will be playable by anyone outside their office, so this is quite the opportunity for PAX Prime attendees.
A lucky few will also have the chance to acquire an expo-exclusive Minecraft: Story Mode t-shirt. And actually, there will be four different shirt designs, one for each day. Telltale has also said there’s a chance some could collect all four:
[F]rom Saturday onward we’ll have a limited number of the day’s t-shirts reserved each morning for people who visit us wearing one of the previous day’s designs. No need to play the beta again, just wear the shirt! So if you play on the first day and are quick getting to our booth each morning thereafter, you might just manage to collect all four designs.
Minecraft: Story Mode will follow Jesse (Patton Oswalt) and his friends as they attempt to revive the Order of the Stone and save the world from an Ender Dragon. The first episode (of five) is expected to premiere this Fall on the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and mobile devices (iOS and Android).
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Minecraft: Story Mode, PAX Prime 2015
Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows release date is “imminent”
Yacht Club Games has announced that Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, their free expansion to Shovel Knight, will be available to download very soon.
According to the latest Kickstarter update, development was completed on August 5 and Plague of Shadows is now going through the submission process with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. So while a final release date is still up in the air, Yacht Club is confident that the expansion’s launch can be considered “imminent.” To celebrate, they’ve released a brand new trailer for the expansion, which gives us a glimpse at some of the new areas and the wide array of potions that Plague Knight has access to.
However, if you’d prefer to hobnob with the development team on the eve of their next triumph, you can. Yacht Club Games is planning to attend Nintendo’s pre-PAX Prime party, Nindies@Night. If you’re in the Seattle area this Thursday, be sure to stop by the EMP Museum at 8:00 PM (Pacific Time) to give Shovel Knight’s Challenge Mode a whirl.
Yacht Club Games will also have a booth at PAX Prime proper as well, so you can test out Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows in Seattle all weekend long.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged PAX Prime 2015, Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows
PS Store Today: Madden NFL 16, Until Dawn, Mega Man Legacy Collection, more
Are you ready to run screaming into the woods, terrified for your life because some horrible creature is chasing you? Don’t worry, I’m sure you can bring your PS4 with you. And I don’t think blood will harm the disc drive. Thankfully, if that does happen, you can still play Sony’s slasher simulator, Until Dawn, as its available to download from the PlayStation Store today.
It’s joined this week by the release of…
- Madden NFL 16 (PS3, PS4), EA’s latest pigskin package.
- Mega Man Legacy Collection (PS4), a Capcom-published compilation of the first six Mega Man games.
- Dishonored: Definitive Edition (PS4), a new-gen remake of the well-liked stealth game.
- SteinsGate (PS3, Vita), a console/handheld rendition of the groundbreaking visual novel.
- One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 (PS3, PS4, Vita), the latest game based on the popular anime from Bandai Namco.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. And don’t forget to visit the PlayStation Blog for a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons and discounts. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita
Tagged Dishonored, Madden NFL 16, Mega Man Legacy Collection, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3, SteinsGate, Until Dawn
Madden NFL 16 launch trailer is an insane action movie spoof that forever raises the bar
Do you hear that? That’s the sound of the bar for video game launch trailers being raised. And that sound can only be vocalized as “Hoo-Ah!”
The launch trailer in question belongs to Madden NFL 16, which has been refashioned by EA Sports into a Summer blockbuster known as Madden: The Movie. Taking more than a few cues from the Fast and the Furious franchise, Madden: The Movie features Dave Franco as Blade Johnson, a star of the underground Madden circuit. His girlfriend has been kidnapped and its up to him and his gang of “Playmakers” to bring her back. Thankfully, said Playmakers include Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Janet, Rob Gronkowski as Half Top, Julio Jones as Trick Montelban, Antonio Brown as Sticky Bun, Coach Rex Ryan as Lil Pepper, and Colin Kaepernick as Al Pacino from Scent of a Woman. In addition to its star-studded cast, Madden: The Movie has plenty of deception, intrigue, rampaging dinosaurs, and even a Bollywood-style dance number.
Madden NFL 16 will be released for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One tomorrow. Which means you have enough time between now and then to watch Madden: The Movie more than 100 times. You didn’t have anything better to do today, did you?
New Releases: Madden NFL 16, Disney Infinity Star Wars, Until Dawn, More
Do you feel that nip in the air? And surely you’ve noticed that kids are gearing up for “back to school” time. And that can mean only one thing… the Fall gaming rush is upon us! While these tell-tale signs of the Fall are out there, the Summer’s not over quite yet. It’s still pretty warm in most of the United States and a majority of kids get to enjoy a few more weeks of Summer vacation.
And even though it’s still August, I think the Fall gaming rush has officially begun…
Everything begins, as it always does this time of year, with the release of Madden NFL 16 (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One). The latest entry in EA’s long-running football simulation series features Odell Beckham on the cover and improved passing/receiver controls.
One of this Fall’s biggest “all ages” titles, Disney Infinity: Star Wars, will also be available this week. As the title says, Star Wars characters have been absorbed into the Disney Infinity universe for the first time. If you’ve already got a shelf of Disney’s popular figures, prepare to build a second one. And if you haven’t caught the Disney Infinity bug yet, you’re probably going to need a sturdy shelf to hold all your Star Wars figures.
On the complete opposite end of the age appropriateness spectrum is Sony’s Until Dawn. Available exclusively for the PS4, Until Dawn is one of the first games that attempts to recreate the horror (and excitement) of watching a slasher flick. Until Dawn’s star, Hayden Panettiere, even has plenty of experience running from crazed killers on screens both big (Scream 4) and small (Heroes).
Finally this week, a pair of remasters will give a new generation of players the chance to check out (or revisit) two PS3/Xbox 360 era classics. Dishonored: Definitive Edition brings its stealthy steampunk aesthetic to the PS4 and Xbox One, while Gears of War: Ultimate Edition upgrades the popular Xbox 360 shooter for the Xbox One. Microsoft will also release an Xbox One 500GB + Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Bundle if you haven’t picked up an Xbox One yet.
A complete list of all of this week’s new releases (which also includes the PS3/Vita debut of the SteinsGate visual novel) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Dishonored, Disney Infinity: Star Wars, Gears of War, Madden NFL 16, SteinsGate, Until Dawn