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
Jason Derulo, Mark Ronson, Lady Gaga, and more will dance all night in Just Dance 2016
I’ve lost count of the exact number of titles in Ubisoft’s Just Dance series, but like clockwork, the publisher announced another one at this year’s E3 Expo. Just Dance 2016 will include more than 40 new songs when it launches on October 20, 13 of which were announced during the show:
- The Black Eyed Peas – “I Gotta Feeling”
- Buraka Som Sistema – “Hangover (BaBaBa)”
- Calvin Harris (Featuring John Newman) – “Blame”
- David Guetta (Featuring Nicki Minaj, Afrojack, and Bebe Rexha) – “Hey Mama”
- Equinox Stars – “Let’s Groove”
- Hatsune Miku – “Ievan Polkka”
- Jason Derulo – “Want to Want Me”
- Lady Gaga – “Born This Way”
- Mark Ronson (Featuring Bruno Mars) – “Uptown Funk”
- Martin Garrix – “Animals”
- MAX – “Gibberish”
- Meghan Trainor – “All About That Bass”
- Rossini – “William Tell – Overture”
For the first time, players will also be able to subscribe to Just Dance Unlimited, a service that will provide access to the “best tracks” from previous Just Dance games, as well as a variety of exclusive songs. Just Dance Unlimited will launch with more than 150 songs and more will be added to the service throughout the year. The subscription service will be available only on the PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One, alongside three new game modes:
- Dance Party Mode: In the Dance Party mode, players can dance along with their friends and family in the classic rival mode or dance together to get the highest collective score as a group in the first ever co-op mode.
- Dance Quests Mode: Players can unlock dance quests for a chance to “beat the game” for the first time ever. In each quest, players will play a series of three songs for a chance to advance to the next set of dance quest challenges.
- World Video Challenge: The all-new World Video Challenge allows players to send videos of their performances to challenge friends from all around the world and dance to their scores as if they were in the same room!
Just Dance 2016 is also keeping the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 alive as the game will be released for those platforms in addition to the PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One this October.
New Releases: Batman Arkham Knight, Final Fantasy XIV Heavensward, Ride
“As a man, I’m flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed. But as a symbol… as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting.”
Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Knight, the final chapter in the Arkham saga, is finally here and if the rumors are true, it might be the final chapter of The Dark Knight’s crimefighting career. But Batman is a symbol and Batman is forever. He will live on. He will return.
Batman: Arkham Knight will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. And in case you haven’t upgraded to a current-generation system yet, a PS4 + Batman: Arkham Knight Console Bundle is also available this week.
In non-Batman new release news, Square Enix is finally ready to release the first major expansion for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Titled Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, the MMO will recruit players to fight in the thousand-year Dragonsong War on the PC, PS4, and PS3. If you’re new to the Final Fantasy XIV universe, Square Enix will also release the Final Fantasy XIV: The Complete Experience package, which includes A Realm Reborn and Heavensward, on the PC, PS4, and PS3.
Finally this week, Bandai Namco and Milestone will release the motorcycle racer Ride for the PS4 and Xbox One.
But you know who loves to ride a motorcycle? Batman, that’s who.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Batman: Arkham Knight, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Ride
PS4/PS3 will get CoD Black Ops III DLC first as Activision reveals multiplayer trailers
This year’s E3 Expo was the epicenter of a cataclysmic event that has shaken the very core of the video game industry… downloadable content for Call of Duty: Black Ops III will not appear first on Xbox platforms. Instead, Sony and its PlayStation platforms will be the temporarily exclusive home to all Black Ops III DLC. Come this November, Xbox gamers will be the ones who have to wait an extra month to get their quarterly fix of new content in a Call of Duty game.
But that wasn’t the only major announcement Activision had up their sleeve. They also revealed the first trailer for the game’s competitive multiplayer mode, which will now feature nine unique “Specialists”:
Choose to play as one of nine new Specialists, each with their own look, personality, abilities, and level progression system. Finally, equip up to five attachments and an optic while customizing nearly every aspect of your loadout with the new Gunsmith, then tap the power of the Weapon Paintshop to give your weapon a signature look.
However, if you prefer your multiplayer games to be cooperative ones, there’s more to see. Activision and Sony teamed up to release a nearly six-minute look at Black Ops III’s Cooperative Campaign. Not only that, but Treyarch’s Mark Lamia dropped by Sony’s Live Coverage studio to talk even more about the game.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III will be released for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on November 6. And if you pre-order the game on the PC, PS4, or Xbox One, Activision will grant you access to Black Ops III’s multiplayer beta, which will begin in August. (more…)
20 more tracks from Guitar Hero Live were revealed at E3 2015
Shortly after confirming an October 20 release date for Guitar Hero Live, Activision revealed another 20 songs that will be available on the game disc. This batch of songs returns to the wider variety of music found in earlier tracklist updates with songs from Bob Dylan, Bruno Mars, Carrie Underwood, Green Day, Kongos, and many others. There’s also several Guitar Hero alums returning for an encore which were previously featured in the original Guitar Hero (White Zombie’s “Thunder Kiss ’65”), Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade”), Guitar Hero: World Tour (Korn’s “Freak on a Leash”) and Guitar Hero 5 (Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life”).
Here’s all the new songs Activision included in their E3 2015 announcement:
- American Authors – “Best Day of My Life”
- The Avett Brothers – “Another is Waiting”
- Band of Skulls – “Asleep at the Wheel”
- Biffy Clyro – “Sounds Like Balloons”
- Bob Dylan – “Thunder on the Mountain”
- Bruno Mars – “The Lazy Song”
- Calvin Harris – “Feels So Close”
- Carrie Underwood – “Before He Cheats”
- Courtney Barnett – “Pedestrian at Best”
- Dum Dum Girls – “Rimbaud Eyes”
- Green Day – “American Idiot”
- Iggy Pop – “Lust for Life”
- Jake Bugg – “What Doesn’t Kill You”
- Jet – “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?”
- Kongos – “Come With Me Now”
- Korn – “Freak on a Leash”
- Rage Against the Machine – “Bulls on Parade”
- The Strokes – “Under Cover of Darkness”
- White Zombie – “Thunder Kiss ‘65”
- ZZ Top – “I Gotsta Get Paid”
This update pushes the total number of songs in Guitar Hero Live to 74 (previous tracklist updates can be found here, here, here, and here). Activision hasn’t said how many songs will ship on the Guitar Hero Live game disc, but they plan to continue announcing new songs as it gets closer to release.
Guitar Hero Live is coming October 20; Here’s your first look at GHTV
Here it is, your first momentous look at Guitar Hero Live‘s GHTV mode. Are you ready? Here it comes…
Wait, it’s just a Guitar Hero note highway overlaid on top of a music video. The list of available music videos will be periodically updated and players can opt to play individual songs or a themed series of videos. That’s exactly how Activision said GHTV would work when the game was announced a few months ago.
OK, Guitar Hero Live’s E3 2015 trailer is a bit of a bust, but we did also learn that the game will be released on October 20 for the PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and “select mobile devices.” If you’re thinking of pre-ordering Guitar Hero Live, you might also be interested to know that Activision has partnered with Avenged Sevenfold to create exclusive bonus content for fans of the rhythm game franchise. Prospective pre-order purchasers of the game will receive access to a playable concert performance featuring the heavy metal band in Guitar Hero Live’s GHTV mode. More information is available at GuitarHero.com/bonus.
Guitar Hero Live is in development at FreeStyleGames, the same studio that was responsible for DJ Hero and DJ Hero 2.
Destiny expands again with The Taken King on September 15
Activision and Bungie will continue to expand the world of Destiny this Fall with Destiny: The Taken King for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Available September 15, The Taken King will add “an all-new campaign, three new Guardian subclasses, a massive arsenal of new armor, weapons and exotics, new Strikes and Crucible maps, a new Raid that will put players to the ultimate test, and more.” PS3 and PS4 players will also receive exclusive early access to an additional Crucible map, Strike, three sets of gear, and an exotic weapon.
So where will this new campaign take players? Here’s what Activision had to say:
Oryx, The Taken King has arrived in our solar system, bringing with him a corrupted army to exact revenge on the Guardians who destroyed his son, Crota, and to consume our worlds. Arm yourself with newfound abilities, weapons, and gear. Defeat the Taken hordes. Make your way aboard the Dreadnaught, and face Oryx himself within his inner sanctum.
For players who have yet to dive in to the world of Destiny, Activision and Bungie will release a special Legendary Edition of the game which will include Destiny, Expansion I: The Dark Below, Expansion II: House of Wolves, and The Taken King. A special Collector’s Edition of Destiny: Legendary Edition, packed with bonus items and in-game content, will also be available. More information on the Collector’s Edition can be found at Destiny’s official website.
Finally, Bungie has released a new behind-the-scenes video that goes deeper into The Taken King. You can find it after the break. (more…)
Activision officially announces Transformers: Devastation with E3 trailer
Even though Best Buy Canada spoiled the surprise, the official announcement of Transformers: Devastation is still pretty great… because it includes a trailer of the game in motion. Platinum’s decision to use cel-shaded graphics, and the original Generation 1 character designs, makes the game look like a lost episode of the 1980s cartoon series. I think I speak for every child of the 80s here when I say we couldn’t be happier.
The trailer also gives us a nice glimpse of Platinum’s patented brand of fast action as applied to the Transformers universe. According to the Activision Games Blog, players will even be able to string together combos using robot mode and vehicle mode:
If you’re in the mood for an iron-fisted rumble, your Autobot robot mode should fit the bill nicely. But when you need to race across the city to perform a few hit-and-run maneuvers, vehicle mode is just a button-touch away.
You can dynamically switch between modes to perform a seemingly endless stream of robot/vehicle combo maneuvers, reducing the Decepticon army to a pile of smoldering metal. It wouldn’t be a Transformers game without Optimus Prime, and Peter Cullen is once again lending his iconic voice to the character. Sideswipe, Bumbleebee, Wheeljack, and Grimlock are also playable, and each character has a unique set of maneuvers and combos.
Transformers: Devastation, which also features the vocal talents of Dan Gilvezan (Bumblebee) and Frank Welker (Megatron and Soundwave), will be released this Fall for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
The Walking Dead: Michonne continues the story of Season 2 this Fall
During today’s Pre-E3 festivities, Telltale Games announced that The Walking Dead Season 2 isn’t over. Players will be able to continue their adventures within Robert Kirkman’s zombie-plagued world with The Walking Dead: Michonne, a three-episode miniseries that will begin this Fall:
The Walking Dead: Michonne stars the iconic character from the comic book series haunted by her past and coping with unimaginable loss and regret. The story explores her untold journey during the time between issues #126 and #139. Through this Telltale Games mini-series of 3 episodes, players will discover what took Michonne away from Rick, Ezekiel, and the rest of her trusted group… and what brought her back.
“In many ways, Michonne herself is a reflection of the world of The Walking Dead. She is brutal and cold on the outside, but deep beneath what is broken, she remains hopeful, trying to claw her way out of the darkness that surrounds her,” said Kirkman. “In our effort to bring the world of the comic and the world of the Telltale series closer together, there is no greater character than Michonne to help bridge that gap.”
The Walking Dead: Michonne will serve as an expansion to The Walking Season 2, so players will have to own the first episode of Season 2 to play Michonne. But if that’s not too big a hurdle, you’ll be able to purchase the first episode this Fall for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, or compatible mobile devices (iOS and Android).
And don’t forget, Telltale is hard at work on The Walking Dead Season 3, but it likely won’t be released for a long time.