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
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- 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)
Most Recent: Xbox One
Bethesda commissioned a chainsaw artist to create a sculpture of Doom’s Revenant
It’s not uncommon for a publisher to create a life-size statue of a larger-than-life character to show off at fan conventions. I remember Sega being especially proud of the absolutely massive Power Loader they created for Aliens: Colonial Marines when it was on the con circuit. So I guess it’s not really news that Bethesda asked Australian artist Rob Bast to create a similar statue for Doom…
Except they asked him to use a CHAINSAW.
It took Bast more than 130 hours (and eight different CHAINSAWS) to carve the imposing Revenant out of cypress wood, and Bethesda recorded the whole process to give fans a closer look at the incredibly intricate design…
Which, again, was created with a CHAINSAW.
After nearly a decade in development, Doom was released this past Friday for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. And if you live in Australia, Rob Bast’s Revenant sculpture is currently available for viewing at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Doom (2016)
Microsoft will shut down Project Spark this August
Microsoft and developer Team Dakota have announced plans to discontinue online support for Project Spark, a game creation tool originally released for the PC and Xbox One in 2014. Community Manager Thomas Gratz delivered the verdict over the weekend through Project Spark’s official website:
Despite this news, we want to celebrate the accomplishments of our team and community of creators and players. Our team released 46 content packs, thousands of assets and 16 updates since launch (averaging more than one update every two months). We produced hundreds of livestreams and videos to educate and celebrate our community. In turn, our passionate fans have then gone above and beyond supporting “Project Spark” by uploading hundreds of thousands of creations and dreaming up millions of objects, behaviors, and experiences. Outside the game, they created fan sites, tutorials, forums, apps, and more! We thank everyone who has played or created anything within “Project Spark,” as it would have never existed without you.
Project Spark was removed from the Xbox Games Store on Friday, and all other online services will be shuttered this Summer. Even with the end of Project Spark’s online accessibility, the game will still be playable offline, though players won’t be able to download any of the community’s creations after August 12.
Microsoft also announced that players who purchased the Project Spark Starter Kit will receive a credit that can be used for a future Xbox Games Store or Windows Store purchase.
Posted in News, PC, Xbox One
Tagged Project Spark
New Retail Releases: Valkyria Chronicles Remastered, Homefront The Revolution
The month of May continues to lumber forward, as just two games will be added to retail store shelves this week.
Japanese strategy fans have received two more entries in the Valkyria Chronicles series since Sega stopped publishing the games in North America in 2011. But the publisher might be having a change of heart, as First up is Valkyria Chronicles Remastered will be released for the PS4 this week. The new version of the game will include enhanced graphics, a new set of Trophies, and all of the previously released downloadable content.
Also available this week is Homefront: The Revolution, Deep Silver’s alternate history first person shooter for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Starting life at THQ, Homefront: The Revolution shifted to Crytek, and then finally to Deep Silver, in a whirlwind development process that many are amazed is finally over. But after all that time… the idea of North Korea invading and occupying the US seems as far-fetched as ever.
We’ll be back to look at the latest digital releases on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Games Store, and Nintendo eShop throughout the rest of the week.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Homefront: The Revolution, Valkyria Chronicles
Here’s two more screenshots from Cyanide’s Call of Cthulhu adaptation
Like an eldritch horror slowly stirring from its slumber, Cyanide Studio continues to tease images from their Call of Cthulhu adaptation, which will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2017. Based on Chaosium’s tabletop RPG of the same name, two more screenshots of bloodcurdling horror were released by the developer, alongside this official description of the game:
In Call of Cthulhu, players will control Edward Pierce, a former veteran and private investigator in 1920s Boston. Pierce will be investigating the tragic and mysterious death of Sarah Hawkins and her family in Darkwater Island. Today’s images give you a first glimpse of the locations players will have to visit: from the sinister docks, to the manor of the deceased family, Call of Cthulhu offers a dark and oppressive ambiance that shall pay tribute to Lovecraft’s work and universe. Indeed, this banal investigation might lead you to more sinister forces and darker secrets buried deep within Darkwater Island.
You can find the new screenshots (which, if I’m being honest, aren’t that bloodcurdling) after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Cthulhu
Xbox Store Today: Doom, Grand Prix Rock N Racing, GunWorld II
Today’s Xbox Games Store update has a certain retro charm to it, and we don’t just mean id Software’s Doom revival.
just a year after practically creating the genre with Wolfenstein 3D, John Carmack, John Romero, and the rest of id Software rewrote the book on first person shooters with the original Doom. Neither Carmack or Romero are involved with the latest incarnation of id Software, but the developer doesn’t seem to have forgotten what makes an excellent first person shooter. And we can all find out together as its now available to download through the Xbox Games Store for the Xbox One.
Two other retro-inspired games are also available to download for the Xbox One beginning today… Grand Prix Rock N Racing is an overhead racing game from EnjoyUp Games. And GunWorld II is a side-scrolling shooter, though the developers have taken to calling it “The sequel no one asked for, to the game that nobody liked!”
More information on all of these titles can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Doom (2016)
Dark Souls III envelops your very being in darkness and despair… it was also the best-selling game of April 2016
I’m sure this is a surprise to no one, but people really love the Dark Souls franchise. And according to The NPD Group (as reported by GamesIndustry.biz), Dark Souls III was the best-selling retail game in April 2016.
The finale to From Software’s brutally difficult trilogy beat out some stiff competition in April including the Ratchet & Clank reboot (#2), Quantum Break (#7), and Star Fox Zero (#10). MLB The Show 16 also got a boost from the opening of this year’s baseball season (#3), but it wasn’t enough to unseat the Babe Ruth of gothic action RPGs.
But even with a handful of big new releases, the retail sector as a whole suffered a huge decline from the year before, when Mortal Kombat X obliterated all expectations. “In April 2016, overall trends (hardware, new physical software, and accessories) were down 15% (or $88.5 million) compared to April 2015 due to a $41.6 million decline in hardware and a $52.8 million decline in software, with the $5.9 million growth in accessories unable to offset these losses,” said The NPD Group’s Liam Callahan.
However, Callahan added, “Despite these declines, keep in mind that Xbox One and PS4 are trending over 40% higher in cumulative sales after 30 months in the market compared to their predecessors.”
A complete look at last month’s best-selling retail games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Dark Souls III, Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, MLB The Show 16, NBA 2K16, NPD, Quantum Break, Ratchet & Clank, Star Fox Zero, Tom Clancy's The Division
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst’s theme song is “Warning Call” from Chvrches
“You can run for this skyline / Your eyes open wide.”
Getting a famous musician to do your game’s theme song is all the rage nowadays, which is why Karen O recently contributed “I Shall Rise” to Rise of the Tomb Raider and Florence + The Machine covered Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” for Final Fantasy XV.
Yesterday, we were treated to “Warning Call” from Chvrches, a brand new song from the Scottish band, and the theme song to the upcoming Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst.
“We were honored to be asked to contribute to the soundtrack for Mirror’s Edge Catalyst,” said Iain Cook, the band’s guitarist. “The sound of Chvrches’ music resonates with the minimalist sci-fi dystopia of the Mirror’s Edge world, and we feel that the song complements the drama, emotion and empowering themes of Faith’s story.”
Developed by DICE and published by EA, Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on June 7.
Rob Gronkowski is the Madden NFL 17 Cover Athlete
Rob Gronkowski is a better football player than everyone reading this, there’s no question about that. But he’s also one of the toughest Mortal Kombat X combatants you could ever face, and now he can add “Madden Cover Athlete” to his resume.
After “Gronk” secured second place in last year’s Cover Vote, EA Sports went ahead and named him the official Cover Athlete for Madden NFL 17 earlier today. The New England Patriots star is the first tight end to receive the honor, as well as a four-time Pro Bowler and the owner of a Super Bowl Ring. He’s a good choice, is what I’m getting at.
“It’s a really special honor to appear on the cover of Madden NFL 17,” said Gronkowski. “It’s one of those things that pretty much every guy in the league secretly dreams of, so to actually be the one on the cover, it’s a really big deal.”
EA Sports released a short “First Look” trailer to give fans a glimpse at Madden NFL 17, and the publisher also revealed some of the features present in this year’s game. The Franchise Mode is getting an overhaul and, according to EA, it’ll be “deeper than ever.” A new Presentation Mode will also focus on camera better on the player, and “Madden 365” will provide daily updates to the game. Finally, more creative ball carriers will be present on the offensive side thanks to Ball Carrier UI Prompts and Path Assist, but defensive-minded players will receive some help from a new “Defensive AI System.” More details on the offensive and defensive changes are available at Madden NFL 17’s official website.
Madden NFL 17 will be available for the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360 on August 23.