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
- 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: PS4
New Retail Releases: Kirby Battle Royale, Rocket League, Street Fighter V Arcade Edition, More
We’re three weeks into 2018, and it’s finally time for the first “New Retail Release” report of the year.
This week, Nintendo’s pink puffball will return with the launch of Kirby: Battle Royale for the 3DS. Up to four players can battle it out in ten different minigame-like scenarios, but those who prefer to go it alone can tackle the game’s Story Mode and challenge King Dedede in the Cake Royale Tournament.
Speaking of arena battles… Rocket League: Collector’s Edition will make its Switch debut this week. The package will include the original game as well as all content from three previously-released expansions (Supersonic Fury, Revenge of the Battle-Cars, and Choose Run).
Also available in stores this week are a pair of new PS4 games including Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition (an updated version of Capcom’s fighting game) and Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory (a side-story/sequel to 2015’s Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth).
That’s it for now, but we’ll be back soon with a close-up look at all of this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop.
Posted in 3DS, News, PS4, Switch
Tagged Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth - Hacker's Memory, Kirby: Battle Royale, Rocket League, Street Fighter V
2018 DICE Awards nominees announced and Horizon: Zero Dawn leads the way with ten
The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced the nominees for this year’s DICE Awards, and Horizon: Zero Dawn leads the pack with ten.
The action-adventure game from Guerrilla will compete for “Game of the Year,” as well as… deep breath… “Adventure Game of the Year,” “Outstanding Achievement in Character” (for Aloy), “Outstanding Achievement in Game Design,” “Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction,” “Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition,” “Outstanding Achievement in Story,” “Outstanding Technical Achievement,” “Outstanding Achievement in Animation,” and “Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction.”
Whew.
Other games nominated for “Game of the Year” include Studio MDHR’s Cuphead, PUBG Corporation’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The 2018 DICE Awards will be handed out in a ceremony at the conclusion of this year’s DICE Summit on February 22. A complete list of this year’s nominees can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Cuphead, Horizon: Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Assassin’s Creed: Rogue Remastered will be released for PS4, Xbox One in March
It’s easy to forget about Assassin’s Creed: Rogue. Originally released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2014 as a previous-generation alternative to Assassin’s Creed: Unity, many fans bypassed Rogue in favor of the newest PS4/Xbox One entry in the series. But now Assassin’s Creed: Rogue is back.
Yesterday, Ubisoft announced plans to release Assassin’s Creed: Rogue Remastered for the PS4 and Xbox One on March 20. Rogue Remastered will include a graphical upgrade (1080p on PS4/Xbox One and 4K on PS4 Pro/Xbox One X), as well as all of the game’s downloadable content (The Armor of Sir Gunn Quest and The Siege of Fort de Sable expansions, the Master Templar Pack, and the Explorer Pack).
Created by Ubisoft Sofia, the studio that developed the original Assassin’s Creed: Rogue, this remaster further enriches the franchise’s current-gen catalog. Thanks to higher resolution, improved environment rendering, visual effects and textures, Assassin’s Creed: Rogue Remastered will offer an even more beautiful and immersive gaming experience that invites fans of the series and new players alike to discover or rediscover Shay’s adventures in 18th-century North America.
Assassin’s Creed: Rogue tells the unique story of Shay Patrick Cormac, a fearless young member of the Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood who undergoes a dark and slow transformation from an Assassin to a grim and committed Templar who hunts down his former brothers. Players’ journeys will take them from beautiful New York City to the Wild River Valley and icy cold waters of the North Atlantic.
The first trailer for Assassin’s Creed: Rogue Remastered has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed: Rogue
Dark Souls Remastered will also be coming to the PC, PS4, Xbox One on May 25
Bandai Namco has big plans for Dark Souls Remastered, and it looks like the enhanced re-release will actually make its way to multiple platforms this Spring. In addition to the franchise’s Nintendo Switch debut, the publisher will also release Dark Souls Remastered for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on May 25.
“Dark Souls Remastered delivers the same great gameplay, online mechanics, and environmental storytelling that has inspired countless game players and developers,” said Kasumi Yogi, the Associate Brand Manager for Bandai Namco Entertainment America. “We are excited to watch the thriving Dark Souls community grow and support new players experiencing the title for the first time.”
This new version of the acclaimed action RPG will come packaged with the Artorias of the Abyss expansion, and players who own a PC, PS4 Pro, or Xbox One X will be able to experience the game in “Dynamic 4K” resolution.
The first trailer for Dark Souls Remastered has been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Dark Souls
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow, Horizon, Madden 18 will compete for 2018 Writers Guild Award
With the Game Awards in the rearview mirror and the GDC and DICE Awards coming up, we are definitely smack dab in the middle of awards season.
Earlier today, the Writers Guild of America chimed in with their nominees for the 2018 Writers Guild Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing.” Four games will compete for the writing award next month, and the list includes Bethesda’s Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, TinyCo’s Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow, Guerrilla’s Horizon: Zero Dawn, and the “Longshot” Story Mode from EA’s Madden NFL 18.
The winner of this year’s Writers Guild Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing” will be announced on February 11. The complete list of nominated writers can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Madden NFL 18
The Overwatch League’s inaugural season begins today
We’re just a few hours away from the very first match in the Overwatch League, the first esports league to be organized like a professional sports league.
The San Francisco Shock will take on the Los Angeles Valiant at 7:00 PM (Eastern Time) at the Blizzard Arena Los Angeles in Burbank, California. Ten other teams will compete in the inaugural season including the Boston Uprising, Dallas Fuel, Florida Mayhem, Houston Outlaws, London Spitfire, Los Angeles Gladiators, New York Excelsior, Philadelphia Fusion, San Francisco Shock, Seoul Dynasty, and Shanghai Dragons.
“The Overwatch League was created to deliver an awesome and unique experience for players, teams, and fans,” said Mike Morhaime, the CEO of Blizzard. “With 12 first-class teams representing major cities from Asia, Europe, and North America, we’re confident that the inaugural season of the league is going to redefine what people expect from esports… and be a giant celebration of the Overwatch community as a whole.”
Fans will be able to watch all Overwatch League matches on OverwatchLeague.com, Twitch, MLG.com, and the mobile apps associated with all three sites.
Overwatch players will also be able to support their favorite team when they play the shooter online. Team uniforms for all 12 Overwatch League teams are now available to purchase through the game’s online store for every character, though players will get the chance to download one uniform for free:
The Overwatch community also will have new ways to join in the fun around the league. Overwatch League team uniforms are now available to purchase as in-game skins, giving fans a fun way to show their support for their favorite teams. All players who log in between now and February 13, 2018, will receive enough League Tokens to obtain a team uniform of their choice free. Skins are available for all 12 teams, and all 26 Overwatch characters, with 50% of the revenue from every Overwatch League skin sold going toward a shared revenue pool for all league teams.
The Overwatch League’s inaugural season will run through June, with the Playoffs and Finals scheduled for July.
Activision unveils first glimpse at “The Darkest Shore,” the next Nazi Zombies chapter coming to Call of Duty: WWII
Call of Duty: WWII‘s The Resistance DLC Pack will be available to download through the PlayStation Store on January 30. In addition to three new multiplayer maps, the expansion will also include “The Darkest Shore,” a new chapter for the game’s Nazi Zombies co-op mode:
The Darkest Shore follows our heroes into the next chapter of their dangerous journey. Only days after the horrific disaster of Mittelburg, the crew has received intel that suggests Doktor Straub is on an island just north of Germany. Blanketed in fog, this island is surrounded by Nazi air and sea power – and crawling with the Undead. Marie, Drostan, Olivia, and Jefferson will need to battle all this and more to uncover the mysteries hidden within the Darkest Shore.
The gruesome and gory first trailer for “The Darkest Shore” has been embedded above. Sadly, PC and Xbox One owners will likely have to wait until late February/early March to download the expansion.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: WWII
Sony sold 5.9 million PS4 consoles during the 2017 Holiday Season
It looks like Nintendo wasn’t the only consolemaker to have a good 2017. Sony recently announced some PS4 sales numbers for the last six weeks and they’re extremely impressive.
According to internal sales estimates, Sony sold 5.9 million PS4 consoles during the six-week “Holiday Season” of November 19th through December 31st. The company added that more than 73.6 million PS4 consoles have been sold to fans across the world since its launch in 2013.
But don’t think those consoles are just collecting dust somewhere. Sony also sold 55.9 million games in retail stores and digitally through the PlayStation Store during the “Holiday Season.” And since the PS4’s launch, more than 645 million PS4 games have been sold.
“Thanks to the continued support from our fans across the globe, we are honored to announce remarkable sales during the holiday season,” said John Kodera, the President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. “PlayStation Network continues to demonstrate spectacular growth, with the number of PlayStation Plus subscribers surpassing 31.5 million, and PS Store recording its largest-ever monthly sales of content in December 2017. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our community and our partners for helping us achieve such phenomenal milestones. We promise our unwavering commitment to bring more amazing experiences to our fans, including exclusive games and innovative network services, as PS4 continues to flourish as the best place to play.”
Sony has some big plans for 2018, and should launch a Shadow of the Colossus remake, a God of War reboot, and Insomniac’s Spider-Man in the coming months.