Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Meet the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025: Quake, GoldenEye 007, Defender, and Tamagotchi
- The BAFTA Games Awards Polled the Public and Shenmue is “The Most Influential Video Game of All Time”
- 2024 GOTY Scoreboard: Astro Bot, Balatro, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, More
- The Strong Museum of Play Acquires Prototypes and Development Documents from Volition’s 30-Year History
- Minecraft’s Volume Alpha Soundtrack Has Been Added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- It’s beginning to feel like gaming isn’t for everyone – Digital Trends (2025)
- 22 years later, modders are keeping SimCity 4 alive – The Verge (2025)
- The B-movies of Paul W.S. Anderson double as acts of devotion to his muse, Milla Jovovich – The AV Club (2025)
- Breakout, Ripoff, Genre: How Fiction Outgrows Originality – Uncanny Magazine (2025)
- ‘I Could Make “Fart Fart Boobie Fart: The Game” and Maybe It Would Eventually Get Taken Down’ – Devs Reveal Why the Consoles Are Drowning in ‘Eslop’ – IGN (2025)
Most Recent: Vita
MGS5: The Phantom Pain, Mad Max, Disney Infinity Star Wars, more added to PS Store
The Fall gaming season has arrived on the PlayStation Store as Sony added more than a dozen games to their digital storefront yesterday. The biggest name is most definitely Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, (presumably) the final game in the franchise developed by Hideo Kojima. Kojima and Konami still have yet to make an official announcement concerning his future with the company, but it looks like Kojima got to go out on his terms with another epic military stealth shooter for the PS3 and PS4.
Speaking of the word “epic,” also available this week is Mad Max (PS4), Avalanche’s open world adaptation of George Miller’s post-apocalyptic hero. Players will be able to find gas, explore the Wastleand, and stare down War Boys as they attempt to rebuild Max’s beloved car. It’ll probably be less exciting than Mad Max: Fury Road, but nearly everything else you can think of is less exciting than Mad Max: Fury Road.
But for the kids out there, the idea of adding Star Wars characters to the Disney Infinity formula surely ranks pretty high on the “epic” scale. So I guess it’s a good thing that Disney Interactive released Disney Infinity: Star Wars for the PS3 and PS4 earlier this week. Obviously, Disney Infinity figures are sold separately.
Finally this week, a number of smaller releases are now available to download including Armello, a tabletop-style game for the PS4; Super Time Force Ultra, a side-scrolling shooter that lets players rewind time for the PS4 and Vita (Cross-Buy); and Xeodrifter, a metroidvania from Renegade Kid for the PS4 and Vita (also a Cross-Buy title).
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. And, as always, a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons and discounts can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita
Tagged Disney Infinity: Star Wars, Mad Max, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Super Time Force
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…)
Pulling Back the Curtain: The Importance of the Double Fine Adventure Documentary
Recently, 2 Player Productions wrapped production on Double Fine Adventure, a documentary series that followed the development of Broken Age. It was revolutionary in the gaming scene, being the only documentary to ever follow a studio developing a game from its conceptualization through its release and aftermath. Before it, the average game player had only ever seen brief snippets of development from single-person games or small indie teams. Double Fine was the first developer to pull back that curtain on game development, a feat arguably more important than its rocketing of Kickstarter into the mainstream, and unquestionably having a bigger impact on the industry and the community than Broken Age itself. If we’re being honest, Double Fine completely mismanaged their Kickstarter funds, and Broken Age isn’t great. But by “showing how the sausage gets made,” as studio founder Tim Schafer put it, Double Fine made their campaign more than worth it, and left a long-lasting contribution to the industry.
Until DFA came out, game development was a mystical secret that no one outside the industry could begin to comprehend. So much of it was mysterious that many who wanted to be in the industry viewed it with rose-tinted glasses: a dream job where they could play all day. All we knew about game development beforehand were the two extremes. There were the developers that talked in interviews about how great it was, coming to work and hanging out with cool people, getting to create great games that everybody loves. We also read the headlines about developers losing their jobs, and studios being shut down. That or it was about developers going mad in “crunch time” having to work 80 hour weeks. In fact, Double Fine gives us a good example with the Tim Schafter episode of G4’s Icons, when he took us briefly behind the scenes of production on Psychonauts.
We never knew what it was really like, not until Double Fine showed us. (more…)
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
Hyper Light Drifter gets a new trailer as Spring 2016 release date is confirmed
First, the bad news… Hyper Light Drifter won’t be released before the end of the year as originally planned. Instead, Heart Machine announced today that their dreamy action RPG will be released for the PC in Spring 2016 with a console release to follow “as quickly as possible” after that.
So what’s the good news? Well, the developer did release a beautiful new trailer for the game, which has been embedded above. They’ve also confirmed that a playable demo of Hyper Light Drifter will be available in the Indie Megabooth at this weekend’s PAX Prime expo.
It’s always disappointing when a game is delayed, but you can read more about Heart Machine’s reasons behind the decision in the latest Kickstarter update from Lead Developer Alex Preston.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Hyper Light Drifter, PAX Prime 2015
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
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
Zombi, Volume, The Bridge, Resident Evil Revelations 2 Vita, more added to PS Store
Zombies are overtaking the PlayStation Store! It’s unlikely this is a stealth tie-in with the premiere of AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead, but three new Zed-themed games are now available through the online storefront:
- Zombi was one of the Wii U’s most-acclaimed launch titles in 2012 (where it was known as ZombiU) and its now available on the PS4 thanks to Ubisoft. Inventory management with the Wii U GamePad is obviously a thing of the past, but Ubisoft still won’t let players pause the action when they’re rummaging around in their ruck sacks.
- Curses N Chaos is also available for the PS4 (and the Vita as a Cross-Buy title), but its quite a different type of zombie game. As a side-scrolling arena fighter, players are forced to battle it out with all manner of ghouls (including the walking undead) as an evil Wizard King cackles over his evilness.
- Finally, Resident Evil Revelations 2 makes the jump to the Vita by giving up its episodic release schedule. The game’s structure still includes distinct chapters, but players will have to pay for the whole thing up front if they want to partake in the further adventures of Claire Redfield.
Also available this week is Volume (PS4), Mike Bithell’s stealthy follow-up to Thomas Was Alone; The Bridge (PS4/PS3/Vita Cross-Buy), a side-scrolling puzzle platformer inspired by M.C. Escher; and Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library & The Monster Seal, a first-person turn-based RPG for the Vita. And if you’re into episodic gaming, Telltale’s Tales From the Borderlands: Escape Plan Bravo brings the series closer to its conclusion on the PS3 and PS4.
More information on all of these games (and a few others) can be found after the break. And a complete list of this week’s new game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita
Tagged Resident Evil Revelations 2, Tales From the Borderlands, The Bridge, ZombiU