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: Xbox One
Xbox Store Today: Butcher, NBA Playgrounds, Lethal League
Three new games are now available to download through the Xbox Games Store…
First up is Butcher, a side-scrolling shooter from Crunching Koalas that resembles a 2D homage to Doom. Players who download the game now for the Xbox One will get to become “a cyborg programmed to eradicate the last remnants of humanity.”
Also available for the Xbox One today is NBA Playgrounds, a new arcade-style basketball game from Saber Interactive. Players will unlock hundreds of NBA superstars, and fly high through the air in two-on-two pickup games.
Finally today, the baseball-themed fighting game Lethal League is now available to download for the Xbox One. In Lethal League, players “have to hit an anti-gravity ball into the face of [their] opponent to win.” Sure, why not?
More information about all of these games is available after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged NBA Playgrounds
EA delays BioWare’s untitled next game and EA Sports UFC 3
Electronic Arts hosted their quarterly financial report yesterday, and while the publisher was quite proud of their increased revenues, they also chose to delay two upcoming titles.
BioWare is fresh off the release of Mass Effect: Andromeda, and the developer was planning to launch a brand new game unconnected to any of their previous franchises in Early 2018. But according to CEO Andrew Wilson, that title has been pushed back to “Fiscal Year 2019” (April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019) to make it more “disruptive”:
Looking forward, we will continue our aggressive pace of innovation through experiences that capitalize on our technology, network and creativity. We are very pleased with the progress of our new action IP from BioWare. The design is stunning, gameplay mechanics are excellent, and the action will be exhilarating. This game is built around a live service, and through our creative process, we’ve decided to add more to the disruptive new social designs for our players. To accommodate that, we are moving the launch date for this project into Fiscal Year 2019.
Earlier in the same presentation, Wilson also confirmed that EA Sports UFC 3 won’t be released by the end of the year as originally planned. The fighting game is now scheduled to launch in Early 2018.
With the 2017 E3 Expo less than four weeks away, we’ll likely learn more about both of these games soon.
New Agents of Mayhem trailer introduces the showboating “Franchise Force”
Volition wants to bring back the sugary goodness of Saturday Morning Cartoons this Summer with Agents of Mayhem. That mentality is definitely on display in this new trailer for the game, which introduces viewers to the “Franchise Force,” a trio of agents with big guns and bigger personalities:
As the “Face of MAYHEM,” Hollywood thinks of the agency as a franchise which needs to be marketed. With Fortune and Hardtack making up some of the first recruited agents, it only seemed natural the three of them should be the driving “force” behind that “franchise.” Thus Franchise Force was born! Of course, it also helps their combat capabilities complement each other well since Fortune is swift and damaging, Hardtack is tough and deadly at close range, and Hollywood combines both of the previous two traits with precision skill.
Volition wants to give players plenty of options for superheroics in Agents of Mayhem, and that includes the ability to create three-member Squads with instantaneous swapping, “allowing the best agent for a particular fight or task in your squad of three to replace the currently active one.” Sounds very similar to another “Saturday Morning” game from the NES era… 1989’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Agents of Mayhem will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on August 15.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Agents of Mayhem
Forza Horizon 3: Hot Wheels expansion is now available
If you’re a Hot Wheels fan, you’re likely very familiar with the massive orange tracks and loop-the-loops that have become the brand’s signature accessory over the years. Starting today, you can transport that same style of racing into Forza Horizon 3 with the brand new Hot Wheels expansion.
Available as part of Forza Horizon 3’s Season Pass (or as a standalone download for $19.99), the Hot Wheels expansion includes a very unique new locale to explore:
The Horizon Festival and Hot Wheels have teamed up to create the ultimate playground for cars! Located off the coast of Australia, this chain of islands is here to make your Hot Wheels fantasies come to life with loops, corkscrews, boost pads, high bank turns, half-pipes, insane jumps – and even mechanical dinosaurs! Use the new Stunt Swap feature to modify stunt track sections and dare your friends to try them. Race ten new cars including Hot Wheels icons like the Twin Mill and Boneshaker. Discover a new hidden barn find car, earn new Xbox Live achievements, and more.
To celebrate its launch, developers from Playground Games will showcase Forza Horizon 3’s Hot Wheels expansion during a special livestream scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time) today. Tune in to watch it on Beam or Twitch.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Forza Horizon 3
Learn “Everything You Need to Know” about Injustice 2 in this trailer
NetherRealm Studios has been bombarding the Internet with a near-constant barrage of Injustice 2 trailers over the last few months. In that time, the developer has uploaded more than a dozen new trailers focusing on the game’s story, characters, and unique Gear System. But even if you’ve watched every second of video so far, you should still press Play on the new “Everything You Need to Know” trailer.
Once you do, you’ll become privy to more than five minutes of new gameplay footage, which also includes a first look at Injustice 2’s ladder-style Multiverse, team-based Guilds, and the mobile version. As Batman would say, are you prepared?
Injustice 2 will be released for the PS4 and Xbox One on May 16, and the mobile version will be available for Android and iOS devices sometime this month.
Posted in Mobile, News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Injustice 2
Zombies Chronicles DLC will bring classic Zombies maps to CoD: Black Ops III on May 16
Activision and Treyarch have announced plans to bring even more Zombies action to Call of Duty: Black Ops III later this month. The Zombies Chronicles expansion will include eight classic Zombies maps, all of which have been “completely remastered from the ground-up” by Treyarch with “vibrant current-generation visuals, enhanced lighting, revamped character models and environments, and updated AI and audio systems”:
Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: World at War
“Nacht der Untoten” (Abandoned Bunker), “Verruckt” (Wittenau Sanitorium), and “Shi No Numa” (Jungle Swamp)Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: Black Ops
“Kino Der Toten” (Theater of the Dead), “Ascension” (Soviet Cosmodrome), “Shangri-La” (Exotic Jungle Shrine), and “Moon” (Lunar Base)Maps Originally Included in Call of Duty: Black Ops II
“Origins” (WWI France)Zombies Chronicles Bonus Content
- 20 Vials of Liquid Divinium
- 2 All-New Whimsical GobbleGums
- Exclusive Zombies Pack-A-Punch Weapon Camo
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles Dynamic System Theme (PS4 Only)
“Zombies Chronicles is really about the community that made Zombies what it has become today,” said Jason Blundell, the Co-Studio Head at Treyarch. “Together, we’ve been slaying the undead for nearly ten years, across different game consoles, and Zombies Chronicles is really about bringing all of those fans together. If you played these maps before on previous consoles, you’re getting a new, stunning and challenging experience – if it’s your first time, this is eight definitive experiences of our Zombies storyline, all in one place.”
As usual, PS4 players will get first crack at Zombies Chronicles, and it’ll be available to purchase through the PlayStation Store on May 16 for $29.99. PC and Xbox One owners will likely have to wait at least a month for their chance to download Zombies Chronicles.
Finally, Activision and Treyarch will celebrate the launch of the Zombies Chronicles expansion with “8 Days of the Undead,” an in-game event that offers players the chance to earn double XP rewards and engage in community challenges.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Dead Island 2 is still in development at Deep Silver and Sumo Digital
It’s been more than a year since Deep Silver provided an update on Dead Island 2, and Eurogamer was worried the game had shambled off this mortal coil. But according to a new statement from the publisher, it looks like the zombie sequel is still very much alive:
“Dead Island 2 is in development at Sumo Digital, and we are excited by the progress the team are making with Deep Silver’s most successful IP. When we are ready to share more information, we will.”
Dead Island 2 made its public debut at E3 2014, and was expected to launch in Spring 2015. Things seemed to be going fine, but after its release was delayed several times, Deep Silver took Dead Island 2 away from Yager and handed it over to Sumo Digital.
But that’s about all we know. As of now, we still have no idea when Dead Island 2 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Dead Island 2
NBA 2K18 Legend Edition will feature Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal will crash NBA 2K’s “Legend Edition” fraternity this Fall, joining previous honorees Michael Jordan (NBA 2K16) and Kobe Bryant (NBA 2K17). Scottie Pippen continues to wonder when it’ll be his time to shine.
“Shaq” was a larger-than-life player for the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers, but O’Neal’s post-basketball life has seen him transform into an even bigger pitchman and NBA commentator. Naturally, 2K Games is creating a Legend Edition and a Gold Legend Edition for NBA 2K18 that befits his stature.
Set to launch on September 15, the Legend Edition ($99.99) will include a limited-edition poster, five Panini trading cards, exclusive stickers, and a variety of in-game content. The Gold Legend Edition ($149.99) will add five more trading cards, a lenticular poster, and more in-game content.
2K Games will release the Legend Edition and the Gold Legend Edition for the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The Legend Edition will be available at a wide array of retailers, but fans will need to visit their local GameStop if they’re interested in purchasing the Gold Legend Edition.
“I want to thank NBA 2K for their continuous support of my basketball and broadcast career,” O’Neal said. “I’m excited to be on the cover of the NBA 2K18 Legend Edition and I hope my fans have a blast playing it up big man style and re-creating my most legendary in-game moments!”
The Standard Edition of NBA 2K18 will be available for the PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on September 19. A closer look at the contents from the Legend Edition and the Gold Legend Edition can be seen after the break. (more…)