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
- 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
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
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: PS4
CoD: Infinite Warfare was the best-selling game of November 2016, but it sold less than Black Ops III
Ever since it was first announced, the public reaction to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has been less than kind. Fans furiously downvoted the debut trailer, while others pledged not to purchase something that strayed so far from the franchise’s roots. But it looks like not everyone felt that way.
According to the NPD Group’s latest report (via GamesIndustry.biz), Infinite Warfare was the best-selling game of November 2016. However, it performed much worse for retailers than the first-month sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops III last year.
Total game sales were down roughly 19% versus November 2015, but a few new releases put up big numbers including Pokemon Sun (#3), Pokemon Moon (#4), and Watch Dogs 2 (#8). And in hardware news, it was reported that Nintendo sold 196,000 NES Classic Edition consoles during its first month on sale.
The full Top 10 from November 2016 can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Retro, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Battlefield 1, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, FIFA 17, Madden NFL 17, NBA 2K17, NPD, Pokemon Sun/Moon, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, TitanFall 2, Watch Dogs 2
Valkyria Revolution will be released in Spring 2017 for the PS4, Vita, and Xbox One
It looks like Sega had quite a bit of success with last year’s launch of Valkyria Chronicles Remastered, as the publisher has announced the fourth game in the franchise, Valkyria Revolution, will be released in North America and Europe next Spring.
Unlike the original trilogy, Valkyria Revolution takes place in an alternate timeline with a new set of characters and an entirely original storyline:
All it takes is a single spark to start the inferno of war, and in the story of Valkyria Revolution, players will experience that firsthand. Five lifelong friends consumed by personal revenge plunge an entire continent into a terrible war, sacrificing the lives of countless innocents for a cause based on twisted half-truths and outright lies. This “Circle of Five” use their combined influence in their political and military positions to motivate their small, economically blockaded homeland to rise up and become a powerful resistance against its imperialist oppressors. Will the Circle of Five be remembered as heroic liberators, or will their selfish motives expose them as traitorous conspirators who sacrificed untold lives just to carry out a personal vendetta? Players will watch this history unfold in Valkyria Revolution and find out the truth behind the events…
In addition to the new setting, Sega has created a brand new battle system for Valkyria Revolution that mixes real-time combat and tactical strategy. Other features players can expect to find in the game include:
Valkyria Revolution Features
- A Brush with Death – Turning the tide of battle in Valkyria Revolution is Brunhilde, one of the last of the ancient and powerful Valkyrur, magical beings with near limitless power. She’s bound by oath to the enemy forces and players will have to figure out how to defeat her.
- Prepare for LeGION – Valkyria Revolution has a brand new battle system that mixes real-time combat and tactical strategy. Players can take control of the battlefield using brazen combos or cunning tactics and finding a balance between them is the key to excelling in skirmishes.
- The Ingenuity of War – Through adversity comes great engineering, and with a besieged homeland, players will have upgrade their existing weapons through branching customization paths.
- A New Painterly Look – Valkyria Revolution has a refined look thanks to the new Gouache rendering engine, giving the graphics a unique canvas texture.
- Classic Composer – Valkyria Revolution has a vibrant soundtrack brought to life by the incredibly talented composer Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Stella Glow).
Valkyria Revolution will be available as a physical disc for the PS4 and Xbox One. Sega will also release the game for the Vita exclusively as a digital download through the PlayStation Store.
Posted in News, PS4, Vita, Xbox One
Tagged Valkyria Revolution
FOUR new trailers highlight For Honor’s Faction War mode, single-player campaign, and upcoming Closed Beta
Ubisoft wants players to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day in 2017 with For Honor, a game devoted to the eternal feud between Knights, Samurai, and Vikings. It’s an absolutely silly premise, but the publisher is building a plot-heavy single-player campaign around the conflict, which is on display in the brand new trailer embedded above:
Three legendary warrior factions – The noble Knights of the Iron Legion, the deadly Samurai of the Dawn Empire, and ferocious Vikings of the Warborn clans – are under threat from a mysterious and bloodthirsty warlord named Apollyon. Storm castles, defeat invading armies, and win epic duels as you battle for the survival of your people.
In addition to the single-player campaign, Ubisoft revealed a bit more about For Honor’s Faction War contest, which appears to be patterned after Mortal Kombat X‘s similarly-named metagame. In For Honor’s Faction War, players will choose a side and earn War Assets after competing in multiplayer matches. Players can use these War Assets to help other players fight for territory, and members of each faction will receive rewards based on their performance during each ten-week season.
Prospective players will get a taste of the Faction War metagame during For Honor’s Closed Beta, which will take place in January, and registration for a chance to join is now available at ForHonorGame.com/war.
Finally, Ubisoft wants to help with your faction decision by unveiling three new trailers (available after the break) that focus on a prominent Knight, Samurai, and Viking:
- The Peacekeeper: Selected from the desperate, the humbled or the devoted, they are sworn to secrecy by unbreakable oaths. Quick and lethal, they fight with a short sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. Peacekeepers are the deadliest duelists of all Assassins, capable of winning a fight before their enemy even knows they are here.
- The Shugoki: Once the guardians of the Samurai, they have become as family. Massive and fierce, their weapon of choice is the kanabo, a huge stick that they only can wield efficiently. The Shugoki might not have the same agility as the other Samurai, but their rock-like resistance and demon-like strength make them an unavoidable force on the battlefield.
- The Warlord: Warlord is a name from an ancient Viking tradition, a name that is earned by only the true leaders in combat, those who are ready to spend their whole life servicing all who need it. Warlords’ shields are as versatile as they are strong and their sword, while simple in design, is sharp and deadly.
For Honor will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on February 14. (more…)
Resident Evil 7: Beginning Hour “Midnight Version” Hands-On Preview: The Witching Hour Gives Us Our Best Look at RE7 Yet
I’ve gone hands-on with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard twice now, first with the original Beginning Hour demo and then with the VR Lantern demo. Both left me with very different impressions, but since the Beginning Hour demo received one last update following Sony’s PlayStation Experience event, I decided to jump back in with high hopes. How did it go? (more…)
Stardew Valley, DriveDriveDrive, I Expect You to Die, more added to PS Store
Even though an extended cold snap will make the northeast and midwest a chilly place this week, PlayStation fans are thinking about the joys of planting season in Stardew Valley. Available to download now for the PS4, players will inherit their grandfather’s old plot of land and attempt to build a thriving farm with just a few coins and a dream.
Also available for the PS4 this week is DriveDriveDrive, a racing game that asks players to control multiple cars and multiple tracks. If that’s not weird enough, I Expect You to Die is a PS4 game that wants to hear your best Goldfinger impression. OK, that’s not entirely accurate, but it is a PlayStation VR-exclusive that puts players “in the well-polished shoes of an elite secret agent” as they escape from deadly death traps using only their wits and their telekinesis powers.
Finally this week, Batman: The Telltale Series comes to an end with the release of its fifth, and final, episode on the PS4 and PS3.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. A complete look at this week’s new add-ons and discounts is available at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4
Tagged Batman: The Telltale Series, Stardew Valley
Turtle Rock has partnered with Perfect World to produce a free-to-play co-op FPS with “dark fantasy” elements
When Turtle Rock parted ways with 2K earlier this year, they left the future development of Evolve in the publisher’s hands. But the developer has revealed they have no plans to stop creating co-op shooters after partnering with Perfect World on a new free-to-play title.
Steve Goldstein, Turtle Rock’s President, recently sat down with GamesIndustry.biz to discuss this new title, the team’s future, and the difficulty of being an independent AAA developer in today’s world. The executive confirmed that the game, which is currently untitled, won’t be released until “at least 2018.” He also said it shouldn’t be considered a spiritual successor to Evolve or the Left 4 Dead series because it takes place in a “dark fantasy” world:
According to President and GM of Turtle Rock, Steve Goldstein, the developer isn’t willing to go so far as to call the new IP a spiritual successor. “We think that kind of label has big expectations tied to it, also – it sets an expectation that we’re making something sequel-like that does not deviate too far from the original formula. And while we focus on awesome first-person shooting and co-op, we’d rather have the new game be something our players classify and designate and judge without us affixing the label ourselves,” he said.
“What we can say is that we are definitely going back to our moment-to-moment gameplay roots with a huge focus on co-op FPS. There will be plenty of baddies to shoot up, but it is not a ‘zombie game’ or anything post-apocalyptic. What we can say right now is there’s a strong dark fantasy element to it.”
Goldstein is also very impressed with the way developers are able to quickly respond to fan feedback in the free-to-play space. However, it’s likely the last thing we’ll hear about Turtle Rock’s next game for a long time.
UPDATE: An official press release from Turtle Rock has confirmed their free-to-play project is in development for “PC and console.”
Learn about “The Calamity and The Blade” in this new Tales of Berseria trailer
Bandai Namco has provided fans with another extended look at Tales of Berseria, this time zooming in on the game’s demon-heavy backstory in a new trailer titled “The Calamity and The Blade”:
A mysterious disease known as Daemonblight is devouring the kingdom, it infects humans, plants, and animals, turning many of them into violent creatures. Take on the role of Velvet Crowe, a woman who some years ago lived a normal life in her village but is now infected with Daemonblight. She narrowly escapes death and is instead imprisoned for three years. Take part in her tale of vengeance!
The publisher has also opened digital pre-orders for Tales of Berseria and fans who purchase the game before release will receive the following bonus items:
PS4 Digital Pre-Order Bonuses
- Tales of Berseria Theme (Illustrated by Ufotable)
- 15 Minute Exclusive Dramatic Chat Skit – Hosted by Bienfu with Velvet and the complete cast discussing a plethora of topics about the Tales of series
- Mini Music Selection from Tales of Berseria
Steam Digital Pre-Order Bonuses
- $10.00 Loyalty Discount – If you have previously purchased Tales of Zestiria or Tales of Symphonia through Steam
Tales of Berseria will launch early next year for the PS4 (on January 24) and Steam (on January 26). If you’d rather try it out first, a demo will also be available on January 10.
Posted in News, PC, PS4
Tagged Tales of Berseria
Yooka-Laylee will be released on April 11; Switch release planned for later in 2017 after Playtonic cancels Wii U version
Playtonic Games has announced that Yooka-Laylee will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on April 11. Yes, you read that right, the Wii U version of the colorful 3D platformer has been canceled. According to the developer’s official website, the Wii U version was dropped due to “unforeseen technical issues.”
However, Playtonic revealed that they’re working closely with Nintendo to bring Yooka-Laylee to the upcoming Nintendo Switch. More details about the Switch release of Yooka-Laylee will be revealed next year, likely during Nintendo’s livestream presentation on January 12.
In other Yooka-Laylee news, Playtonic also unveiled a gameplay trailer for the game that focuses on a brand new locale, the “Capital Cashino”:
This glamorous, marble-floored playground has our buddy-duo navigating the casino floor, discotheques and oversized roulette tables in search of delicious golden bounty. But there’s a twist; players must now compete to win casino tokens, and exchange them with the banker for the pivotal Pagies!
Finally, Playtonic announced that everyone who pre-orders a copy of Yooka-Laylee will instantly receive the Toybox Demo, “which offers a taste of the platforming mechanics set to appear in the full game in a self-contained, spoiler free sandbox.”