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: Switch
Rumor: Nintendo will release an upgraded Switch console in 2019
Nintendo has a long history of keeping their handheld lines technologically up-to-date through a series of incremental upgrades before eventually moving on to a completely new platform. For just one example, look at how the DS begat the DS Lite, DSi, and DSi XL between the handheld’s debut in 2004 and the 2011 launch of the 3DS.
So it’s been widely assumed by fans that the consolemaker will release an upgraded and enhanced version of the Switch at some point. And according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal, it could happen as early as Summer 2019.
Citing statements from “suppliers and others with direct knowledge of the plan,” the Wall Street Journal believes that Nintendo might be looking to engineer a better screen for the Switch, which would also increase battery life:
Nintendo is still debating what new hardware and software features to include in the upgrade and weighing the cost of the features, people with knowledge of the discussions said.
One option is improving the display, they said. The current Switch uses a lower-end liquid-crystal display without some technologies that are standard in more recent smartphone LCDs.
Updating the display with these technologies would make it brighter, thinner and more energy-efficient.
The Wall Street Journal’s sources also expect any upgraded version of the Switch to be compatible with all current Switch software. Nintendo declined to comment about any of their suppositions.
While still technically a rumor, I’m sure most Nintendo fans would be absolutely shocked if an upgraded Switch console failed to materialize. The only real question about this report is if the 2019 launch date is accurate.
The Games of October 2018
The Fall is in full swing here in Warp Zoned’s northerly headquarters, and that means Apple Cider, Pumpkin Spice, a lot of talk about the leaves, and plenty of new video games. There are so many games set to launch this month, but one stands out head and shoulders above all the rest… I’m talking, of course, about Just Dance 2019.
Nah, it’s actually Rockstar’s latest magnum opus, Red Dead Redemption 2. You know you’re doing something right when you’re a developer with multiple magnum opuses (opusii?). And that is definitely the case with Rockstar and their newest trip back to the American West.
But there are other games we’re excited for this month, and you can read all about them after the break. (more…)
Posted in Features, PC, PS4, Switch, Top Story, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Grim Fandango, Mega Man 11, Red Dead Redemption 2, Starlink: Battle For Atlas
New Retail Releases: Mega Man 11, Super Mario Party, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, More
The Blue Bomber has been sleeping for the better part of a decade, but Capcom’s venerable mascot will finally return in a new platforming adventure this week for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Mega Man 11 was developed internally at Capcom, and it features a brand new art style, eight never-before-seen Robot Masters, and a handful of new gameplay mechanics that should keep “Mega Fans” on their toes. In addition to its retail launch, Mega Man 11 will also be available to download for the PC.
Several other major franchises will also be making a return this week, and that includes Super Mario Party, the latest addition to Nintendo’s madcap multiplayer series. This time around, Switch owners get to try out Board Game Mode when battling friends, as well as tackle new minigames in Mariothon and Online Mariothon.
If you’re not a Switch owner yet (or you’re thinking of investing in a second Switch console), Nintendo has teamed up with Epic Games to produce the Switch + Fortnite “Double Helix” Console Bundle. The package includes a Switch console with Neon Blue and Red Joy-Con controllers, as well as 1,000 V-Bucks, and the Double Helix Costume Set.
But if you’d rather trade Tilted Towers for the Parthenon, PS4 and Xbox One owners will be able to explore Ancient Greece in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. According to Ubisoft, players will be able to “journey from outcast to legendary Spartan hero” in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, which will also be available to download for the PC.
We can race back into the present with Forza Horizon 4, a new arcade-style racer for the Xbox One from Microsoft and Playground Games. A PC download through the Windows Store (which is compatible with Microsoft’s Xbox Play Anywhere service) will also be available.
And finally this week, 2K Games will release the WWE 2K19: Deluxe Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One. This feature-packed version of the game will be available on October 5, four days before the Standard Edition, and include two bonus playable wrestlers (Rey Mysterio and Ronda Rousey), the Season Pass, and all digital content from the Wooooo! Edition.
A complete list of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, Fortnite, Forza Horizon 4, Mega Man 11, Super Mario Party, WWE 2K19
Mega Man 11, FIFA 19, Dragon Ball FighterZ, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week
The might Mega Man will return for the first time in a decade this Tuesday, October 2, with the launch of Mega Man 11. The Switch platformer will feature eight new Robot Masters, a brand new graphical style, and the never-before-seen Double Gear system.
Elsewhere on the Nintendo eShop, Switch owners will get the chance to slide into EA Sports’s latest soccer simulation, FIFA 19, this Friday. Also this Friday, Arc System Works will bring Dragon Ball FighterZ, their critically-acclaimed anime-inspired fighter, to the Switch.
But if you’re looking to download something today, Tencent’s Arena of Valor, a free-to-play MOBA, will make its Switch debut. Also today, Sega will kick off their Sega Ages series of re-releases today with Sonic the Hedgehog. And a trio of beloved indies will make the move to the Switch, including side-scrolling shooter Rise & Shine, roguelike Risk of Rain, and archery battler TowerFall.
You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including Wandersong, Armello, Alwa’s Awakening, the arcade edition of Excitebike, and more) after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Dragon Ball FighterZ, FIFA 19, Mega Man 11, Sonic the Hedgehog, TowerFall
Telltale is “working towards a solution” to release the final two episodes of The Walking Dead: The Final Season
The shocking announcement of a “majority studio closure” for Telltale Games came as a surprise to everyone on Friday… and that includes Telltale’s employees, who were unceremoniously escorted from the their desks without any notice. Company executives also canceled all of their in-development projects except for a version of Minecraft: Story Mode that would be playable on Netflix through their app.
Those same executives have yet to address why the “majority studio closure” was announced in this way, but late last night, they confirmed that they’re “actively working towards a solution” to release the final two episodes of The Walking Dead: The Final Season:
— Telltale Games (@telltalegames) September 24, 2018
It’s important to note that even if the developer is somehow able to restart development on the game, it won’t be the same. The entire “Walking Dead” team was let go on Friday, so the final two episodes would end up being someone else’s vision for how Clementine’s story should end.
New Retail Releases: FIFA 19, Valkyria Chronicles 4, This Is the Police II, More
It’s Monday, and that means another big batch of new games will be available at your favorite retail establishment this week…
Leading the way is the latest iteration in EA Sports’s annual series of soccer simulations, FIFA 19. The game will launch its way towards the goal on the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in a Standard Editions and a Champions Edition. FIFA 19 will also be available to download for the PC through EA’s Origin service.
Sega is bringing back a beloved franchise this week as Valkyria Chronicles 4 will also make its way to the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Featuring hand-drawn visuals and gameplay that melds together a turn-based strategy RPG and a third-person shooter, fans will also be able to download Valkyria Chronicles 4 for the PC.
Strategy RPG fans might also be interested in This Is the Police II for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Players will manage a Sheriff’s Department in the “cold border town” of Sharpwood in a “harsh story where no one is completely innocent.”
Elsewhere on the shelves, Bandai Namco will re-release Dragon Ball FighterZ and Namco Museum Arcade Pac (which comes bundled with Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus) for the Switch. And Nintendo themselves will launch new Starter Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey.
Finally this week, Gun Media will resurrect the Friday the 13th: Ultimate Slasher Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One, which includes the original game and all previously-released downloadable content.
A complete list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
The Walking Dead: The Final Season will likely never be completed as Telltale Games institutes a “majority studio closure”
A series of social media posts from recently laid-off developers lead many to believe that Telltale Games was shutting down yesterday morning, but the lights will remain on for now according to an official statement from the company’s executives.
Writing on Twitter, Telltale CEO Pete Hawley confirmed that a majority of the company’s employees would be let go:
“It’s been an incredibly difficult year for Telltale as we worked to set the company on a new course. Unfortunately, we ran out of time trying to get there. We released some of our best content this year and received a tremendous amount of positive feedback, but ultimately, that did not translate to sales. With a heavy heart, we watch our friends leave today to spread our brand of storytelling across the games industry.”
Hawley would go on to say that “further comments regarding [Telltale’s] product portfolio [will be announced] in the coming weeks,” but sources within the company told USgamer that the majority of their in-development projects have been canceled.
The Walking Dead: The Final Season‘s second episode, Suffer the Children, will launch next week as originally planned, but the remaining two episodes will likely go unfinished, marking an abrupt end for the season and the franchise. A further list of cancellations includes Game of Thrones Season 2, The Wolf Among Us Season 2, and the recently-announced Stranger Things game.
The 25 employees still under Telltale’s employ will stay on to complete the Netflix-powered port of Minecraft: Story Mode, but it is currently unknown what will happen to them after that.
It’s our hope that all of Telltale’s former employees will be able to quickly find better employment opportunities in the future.
Valkyria Chronicles 4, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna, Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week
It’s a big week for RPG fans as Nintendo (and their third-party partners) will be adding several to the Nintendo eShop over the next few days.
Square Enix starts things off with Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition HD, an enhanced and updated new edition of Final Fantasy XV’s mobile port. The RPG is now available to download for the Switch. Switch owners will also get the chance to tackle Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country, a standalone prequel to the action RPG, this weekend when it launches for the Switch on September 21.
Beginning next week, Sega will bring Valkyria Chronicles 4 to the Switch, and Ubisoft will do likewise with South Park: The Stick of Truth .
Elsewhere on the Switch’s online storefront, gamers are now able to purchase Colossal Order’s city simulator, Cities: Skylines – Nintendo Switch Edition; as well as Double Fine’s narrative adventure, Broken Age; and Capcom’s seven-game beat ’em up bundle, the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle.
You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including The Gardens Between, Hover, Reigns: Kings & Queens, and more) after the break. (more…)