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: Xbox 360
New Releases: Xbox One, Super Mario 3D World, Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, More
Are you ready for “Part Two” of this year’s next-generation console extravaganza? After months of hype, Microsoft is ready to deliver the Xbox One to store shelves this week. If you haven’t already ordered one, it’s unlikely you’ll find the system in stores, but it’s always worth a shot. However, there will be plenty of Xbox One game available, including:
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- Angry Birds Star Wars
- Battlefield 4
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- Dead Rising 3
- FIFA 14
- Fighter Within
- Forza Motorsport 5
- Just Dance 2014
- Lego Marvel Super Heroes
- Madden NFL 25
- NBA 2K14
- NBA Live 14
- Need For Speed: Rivals
- Ryse: Son of Rome
- Skylanders Swap Force
- Zumba Fitness: World Party
If you’re not quite ready to hop on the Xbox One bandwagon, there are plenty of brand new current-generation games out this week including:
- Mario’s most recent Wii U adventure… Super Mario 3D World
- Link’s latest 3DS quest… The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
- A tropical Mario Party… Mario Party: Island Tour
- Media Molecule’s origami Vita platformer… Tearaway
- The further adventures of Jake and Finn… Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!
- And finally, the return of Zoo Tycoon (now for the Xbox 360).
The complete list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Minecraft: Skyrim Edition will be available on XBL Store next week
Microsoft has announced that the “Skyrim Edition” content for Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition will be available for download beginning next week. The pack (which includes 40 new skins, a Skyrim-themed world, and a Skyrim-themed soundtrack) has been priced at $3.99/€3.79/£2.69 when it’s released on November 20.
So brighten up your Saturday with the new trailer for the Skyrim/Minecraft mash-up, which has been embedded above.
December 7’s VGX Awards will replace the Spike TV Video Game Awards
The Spike TV Video Game Awards are dead! But the long-running awards show isn’t going away. Instead, it’s been renamed the “VGX Awards.” Oh good, many gamers worried that the awards show had an image problem before, adding an unneeded “X” to the name is obviously a step in the right direction.
Dodgy name change aside, the new VGX Awards might actually be moving in the right direction. The dance party atmosphere has been replaced by an “intimate studio setting” and a Hollywood host was passed over in favor of Geoff Keighley of GameTrailers TV. But like in years past, the show will include World Premiere game trailers, “extended demos of the next generation of games, and interactive one-on-one interviews.”
This year’s nominees will be revealed at a later date, but viewer voting for the “Most Anticipated Game” award is now open. Your five choices are Destiny, South Park: The Stick of Truth, TitanFall, Watch Dogs, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
The 2013 VGX Awards will be broadcast on Spike TV on Saturday, December 7 at 6:00 PM. The show will also be livestreamed on VGXLive.com, Spike.com, GameTrailers.com, Twitch, Hulu, Yahoo Screen, ComedyCentral.com MTV.com, MTV2.com, BET.com, and through apps available on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, and iOS/Android devices.
Ultra Street Fighter IV will be released in May or June next year
Capcom is still keeping quiet on when Ultra Street Fighter IV will be released, but they’ve narrowed the window somewhat.
According to a post on the Capcom-Unity blog, the publisher has revealed that the arcade edition of Ultra Street Fighter IV will be available in April 2014. The PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 edition will be released shortly after that, but “before EVO [2014].” Since the 2014 Evolution World Finals are set to begin on July 11, we can assume that the home release of Ultra Street Fighter IV will be available sometime in May or June.
For more Ultra Street Fighter IV news, head over to Capcom-Unity for an updated look at the game’s new characters: Elena, Rolento, Hugo, and Poison.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Street Fighter IV
XBL Store Today: Contrast, Zumba Fitness: World Party, Ben 10 Omniverse 2
Three games were added to the Xbox Live Game Store today: A jazzy vaudeville/film noir-inspired puzzle platformer, an exercise game, and the latest game based on the Cartoon Network series Ben 10 Omniverse. More details on all three games can be found right here:
Contrast ($14.99)
Contrast is a platform/puzzle game where you can move between a fantastic 3D world and a mysterious shadowy universe in 2D. You play Dawn, the imaginary friend of a young girl named Didi. Together, they will delve into a dreamlike and surreal 1920s world, inspired by the performance art world of vaudeville and film noir, and cradled by a jazzy atmosphere.
Zumba Fitness: World Party ($39.99)
Take your work out to Brazil, Hawaii and beyond in this vibrant fitness journey packed with exotic rhythms and rich culture from around the world. Expand your horizons with 40+ high-energy routines, over 30 calorie-burning dance styles, and a red hot soundtrack featuring Lady Gaga, Pitbull, Daddy Yankee and more. Work your body as you set fitness goals, earn motivating rewards and dance with friends alongside your favorite celebrity Zumba instructors in the new World Tour mode. Transform your at home work out into a rockin’ global fitness-party with Zumba Fitness: World Party!
Ben 10 Omniverse 2 ($39.99)
Ben 10 Omniverse 2 has everything fans love about the hit series: Aliens, Action, and an all-new Adventure! The fastest Ben 10 game ever puts Ben in a race against the clock to make every alien transformation count in his battle against the all-new Incursean invaders. Set off on an all-new adventure with Ben as he infiltrates Incursean battleships to save the resistance fighters. Face off against new enemies featuring authentic voices in an all-new story written by the writers of the actual Ben 10 Omniverse TV series. All-new free-running chase and brawl sequences and fast paced alien switching action make this the most intense Ben 10 game yet!
Grand Theft Auto V is October 2013’s best-selling game
Once again, Grand Theft Auto V reigns supreme. The latest entry in Rockstar’s blockbuster franchise remains atop the NPD Group’s monthly tabulations of the best-selling games at retail.
It’s important to note that GTA5 didn’t pull off this repeat performance against a group of lightweights. The remaining spots in the top ten, all nine of them, were claimed by new releases. You can check out the rest of the top ten right here and, if you gambled that Pokemon X would sell more copies than Pokemon Y, it’s time to collect:
Bestselling Games in October 2013
1. Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360, PS3)
2. Pokemon X (3DS)
3. Pokemon Y (3DS)
4. Battlefield 4 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
5. Batman: Arkham Origins (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC)
6. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U)
7. NBA 2K14 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
8. Skylanders Swap Force (Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, 3DS)
9. Lego Marvel Super Heroes (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, 3DS, Vita, PC)
10. WWE 2K14 (Xbox 360, PS3)
According to Joystiq, GTA5 wasn’t the only big winner last month. The entire industry had a very profitable four weeks as last month’s software sales were higher than the same period from 2012, making October 2013 the third month in a row to see year-over-year sales gains.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360
Tagged Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Batman: Arkham Origins, Battlefield 4, Grand Theft Auto V, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, NBA 2K14, NPD, Pokemon X/Y, Skylanders Swap Force, WWE 2K14
XBL Store Today: The Bridge, PES 2014, Cartoon Network Punchtime XL
Microsoft has performed their latest update of the Xbox Live Game Store and three new games are now available on the digital shelves.
The Bridge is a puzzler that features gorgeous black-and-white artwork that was inspired by M.C. Escher. It’s priced at $9.99.
Also available this week is Cartoon Network Punchtime Explosion XL ($19.99), a Smash Bros-like mashup of Cartoon Network characters, and Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 ($59.99), the latest game in Konami’s footie franchise.
More information on all three games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox 360
Tagged Pro Evolution Soccer 2014
WB Games announces Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is returning to Middle-Earth with a new game inspired by the Lord of the Rings saga. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is in development for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One at Monolith Productions. If the Monolith name sounds familiar, it should, the team was also responsible for 2012’s Guardians of Middle-Earth.
In the game, players will control a Ranger named Talion as he ventures into Mordor during the time between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. Shadow of Mordor will also appear on the cover of Game Informer‘s December 2013 issue and here’s what they had to say about the game:
While many previous games set in Middle-earth have revolved around the major events or characters depicted in Tolkien’s books, Shadow of Mordor offers a new chapter that fits comfortably between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Players control a lone Ranger by the name of Talion as he journeys deep into the heart of Mordor in the days before it transforms into a blasted hellscape. Along the way, developer Monolith is exploring a fascinating next-gen approach to enemies, encounters, and storytelling, one in which every player shapes their own story through the choices they make. The Nemesis System assures that every enemy you fight is a named foe, and if they survive their battle with you, they continue to grow, improve, and act in the world, even as you attempt to do the same with Talion. Our cover story recounts our extensive look at the game in action, from combat and leveling to story and setting.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor doesn’t currently have a release date, but I’m guessing “soon” is out of the question. One doesn’t simply develop a “fascinating” next-generation game quickly.