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
Payday 2 coming to PC, PS3, Xbox 360 this Summer
Payday: The Heist skipped the Xbox 360 during its 2011 getaway, but the sequel won’t make the same choice. Payday 2 is taking the cannoli and the gun and will be released on the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 this Summer. The game is once again being developed by Overkill Software and the decision to bring it to the Xbox 360 came from new publisher 505 Games.
Payday 2 promises to be a much bigger game than its predecessor with more heists than ever before and multi-tiered objectives that can change due to a variety of scenarios. Hmm, maybe there is honor among thieves.
[Source: CVG]
10 Actresses That Could Help Reboot the Tomb Raider Film Franchise
In March 2011, we reported that GK Films had acquired the film rights to the Tomb Raider franchise, and that a reboot of the film series was on its way. Now that the reboot of the game has launched, the good people at Crystal Dynamics, who have been developing the Tomb Raider games since 2006, are working closely with uber-producer Graham King’s outfit GK Films on a third cinematic outing for Lara Croft. The film will follow the game’s lead and reboot the series, possibly even using the plot of the new game. This is unlike the two previous films, which used plots that were entirely independent from any game in the franchise. It is perhaps for this reason that they are best described as “watchable.”
The Tomb Raider film reboot joins a slew of celluloid adaptations currently in development, including Assassin’s Creed, Deus Ex, Need For Speed, Hitman (again), Shadow of the Colossus, as well as Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon. But the big question on everyone’s lips is, “Who will play the new Lara Croft?” With the arrival of the game last week, we thought it might be a good time to have a look at ten potential actresses who could take the Tomb Raider baton from Angelina Jolie.
Madden NFL 25 Cover Vote begins with an old school/new school battle
The initial bracket for the 64-man Madden NFL 25 Cover Vote debuted last night on ESPN2’s SportsNation. The bracket is divided into “Old School” and “New School” divisions, ensuring the final round will pit a former star versus one of today’s best players.
Jerry Rice won the play-in round against Chris Carter, so he’s been slotted in as one of the #1 seeds in the “Old School” division. His 49ers teammate, Joe Montana, has received the other. Over on the “New School” side, Colin Kaepernick (another 49er) and Robert Griffin III are the #1 seeds.
While most of the “New School” picks make a lot of sense, some of the guys on the “Old School” side are just baffling. For example, Reggie Wayne is still an active player. As are Jake Delhomme and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson (technically). And Ron Rivera? Sure, he was an OK player, but where’s Bo “The Greatest Video Game Athlete Ever” Jackson?
Madden NFL 25 will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on August 27. First round voting is open now at ESPN.com/MaddenVote and will continue through Wednesday, March 20. The winner will be crowned on Wednesday, April 24.
Hit the jump to view the complete Madden NFL 25 Cover Vote bracket. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Madden NFL 25
Halo 4: Castle Map Pack to be available on April 8
Microsoft has announced that the Certain Affinity-developed Castle Map Pack for Halo 4 will be available on April 8. Like the previous two packs, the Castle Map Pack has been priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10). In addition to three new maps, the Castle Map Pack will include nine new Achievements totaling 250 Gamerscore.
The maps of the Castle Map Pack (“Daybreak,” “Outcast,” and “Perdition”) will be medium-to-large sized and “emphasize vehicular warfare and large battles over open spaces.” According to Microsoft, “team strategy is key to successfully conquering the battlefield” in these three maps.
You can check out the trailer above for a sneak peek at the Castle Map Pack or you can find more details about all three maps after the jump. Or you can head down to this year’s PAX East convention (March 22-24) and give the Castle Map Pack a try at the Microsoft booth. (more…)
Gearbox adding sixth playable character to Borderlands 2
Gearbox showcased a new trailer for the next piece of Borderlands 2 downloadable content at this weekend’s SXSW Interactive festival. The trailer promises a new playable character who is proficient in melee attacks as well as being a bringer of mayhem:
Deep beneath Pandora… An experiment has escaped…Bandits beware… A new vault hunter is coming… More mayhem awaits…
It’s unknown if this new character will be released as part of the next full expansion or as a separate download like Gaige the Mechromancer.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Borderlands 2
New Releases: GOW: Ascension, SC2: Heart of the Swarm, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, More
A pair of dueling sequels highlight this week’s new releases.
Kratos returns in a God of War prequel that brings multiplayer to the series for the first time. God of War: Ascension is available as a standalone game and also as part of a new PS3 system bundle that include Ascension and the previously released God of War Saga. Also new on store shelves this week is StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, the first expansion in the StarCraft II trilogy saga.
And speaking of sequels, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 is also available this week for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. And speaking of snipers, Sniper Elite V2 comes to the PC this week, almost a year after first appearing on the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Finally, the 3DS will receive another Monster High game thanks to Monster High: Skultimate Roller Maze.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged God of War: Ascension, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
Zeno Clash II gameplay trailer punches you in the face
The first gameplay trailer for Zeno Clash II, a first-person brawler from Chilean developer ACE Team, is hard-hitting. Literally. Players must once again take control of Ghat and battle their way through the weird and wonderful creatures that populate Zenozoik, to try and rid the world of the Golem known as Kax-Teh. Ghat is now accompanied by his sister Rimat, who wishes to reunite her family after events of the first game tore it apart.
Once again powered by Valve’s Source Engine and published by Atlus, ACE Team is hoping to make the game available on Steam, PlayStation Network, and the Xbox Live Arcade in the first half of 2013.
Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Tagged Zeno Clash II
Gore Verbinski’s Matter “no longer being pursued” by Microsoft
Microsoft has seemingly cancelled the Kinect puzzle game Matter that was due for release on Xbox Live this year. It was being developed by Blind Wink Games, a studio formed by Universal Pictures and film director Gore Verbinski, famous for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and the upcoming Lone Ranger adaptation. The official soundbite from an unnamed representative of the company states, “Microsoft Studios is no longer pursuing this title. We have no further details to share at this time.”
This is a contrast to its debut at E3 2012, when Phil Spencer, Corporate VP of Microsoft Studios, sang its praises: “To a lot of people who haven’t played games for a long time, somebody standing completely stationary with a controller in their hands kind of seems emotionless, even though we know that we’ll be sweating or twitching. And [it was Gore Verbinki’s] feeling, that with motion and movement, that the connection of the emotion that’s happening on screen and how the player feels would be more natural.”
Neither Verbinski or Blind Wink Games has commented thus far on the reasons behind the cancellation. Is this a sign that Microsoft are moving away from Kinect? Given the multitude of rumours suggesting that the device will be mandatory with the next iteration of the Xbox, it seems highly unlikely.
[Source: Joystiq]