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
Microsoft enables Cross-Network Play for Xbox One, Windows 10, and “other networks”
Chris Charla is the Director of Microsoft’s ID@Xbox initiative and he made a rather surprising announcement today on the Xbox Wire. With the Game Developers Conference set to kick off today, the executive revealed that a new feature will soon be available to ID@Xbox developers… Cross-Network Play.
Developers who choose to implement Cross-Network Play within their games will give Xbox One and Windows 10 players the opportunity to compete in online multiplayer matches against each other. Best of all, Microsoft will also open up this service to any “other networks” who choose to participate, essentially inviting Sony and Nintendo to come play in their sandbox.
This invitation is especially interesting as the first game to offer Cross-Network Play is Psyonix’s Rocket League. Will Sony take them up on it? Let’s hope so…
Axiom Verge is officially coming to the Wii U and Xbox One in 2016
Tom Happ has been tiptoeing towards an announcement about his future plans for a while now, but today the developer confirmed that Axiom Verge will be released for the Wii U and Xbox One sometime this year.
Axiom Verge is a “Metroidvania” that takes much of its inspiration from the Metroid half of that portmanteau, as Happ’s side-scroller puts players in the shoes of Trace, a scientist trapped on an alien world. Trace will need to do whatever it takes to escape, but he’ll also do it with style on the Wii U and Xbox One, because Axiom Verge took home multiple statues during our annual Golden Pixel Awards.
Presumably, Wii U and Xbox One owners will receive the same game that PS4 and PC fans have been enjoying since last Spring, as no platform-specific special features were announced.
Posted in News, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Axiom Verge
The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 2 will be released on March 29
Telltale has announced that the second episode of The Walking Dead: Michonne will be released on March 29. Titled “Give No Shelter,” Michonne is on the run from the leaders of Monroe while memories of her daughter cloud her thoughts:
In Episode 2, “Give No Shelter,” a daring escape from the floating colony of Monroe sees Michonne, Pete, and Sam running for their lives. An all too brief reprieve is soon shattered; the leaders of Monroe don’t forgive and don’t forget. With memories of her daughters bleeding ever further into Michonne’s blurred reality, her world is becoming increasingly fractured… just at the point when she’ll need all of her skills to survive.
In development for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and mobile devices, The Walking Dead: Michonne is a three-episode miniseries set within the universe of The Walking Dead comic. A new trailer highlighting some of the choices available in the first episode, “In Too Deep,” has been embedded above.
The miniseries will conclude in April with the final episode, “What We Deserve.”
Retail version of Hitman will be available in January 2017
The “Intro Pack” for IO Interactive’s episodic take on the Hitman franchise is now available, but the team also confirmed that players will be able to pick up the complete collection of missions as a retail disc in January 2017.
“We are doing something bold and new which has the potential to shape how we experience AAA games in the future,” said Hannes Seifert, the Studio Head at IO Interactive. “Hitman is back and it’s clearly the game many fans have been waiting for, so that feels pretty special. And this is just the start, now our live content begins and then in April we head to Sapienza. We have a game that will evolve, grow and improve over time and deliver the best ever Hitman experience.”
IO Interactive’s plan for the full Hitman experience will play out over seven different story missions that’ll drop roughly once a month for the rest of 2016. The developer will also produce additional content including Escalation Contracts, time-limited Elusive Targets, and “The Sarejevo Six” (a series of mini-missions available exclusively for PS4 owners).
The Launch Trailer for Hitman has been embedded above.
Two Tribes will retire after the release of Rive in September 2016
Two Tribes has announced they’re calling it quits after they release their upcoming side-scrolling shooter, Rive, this September. Writing on their official website, the company’s three remaining members believe they don’t have a place in the video game industry anymore:
Long story short (grandfathers like to digress!): when running a company, you need to be on top of your game, not just in terms of the product you’re making, but business-wise too. And we just aren’t on top of the games business anymore. Therefore, it makes sense to focus our attention elsewhere, perhaps even outside the games industry. We simply don’t know yet; but we do know that Rive is going to be our parting gift to you and we’re making damn sure it’s going to be an awesome one!
Rive will be the final game produced by Two Tribes, though the developer said they will continue to provide support for all of their previously released games. A new trailer for Rive, which is in development for the PC, PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One, has been embedded above.
Good luck to everyone at Two Tribes, I sincerely hope you’re able to go out with a bang.
New Releases: Pokken Tournament, EA Sports UFC 2, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, More
Put your dukes up, this week’s new release report is looking for a fight…
Nintendo and Bandai Namco kick things off with Pokken Tournament, a Wii U adaptation of the relatively recent arcade game. If you’ve ever wanted to take control of your favorite Pokemon as they battle it out, now’s your chance.
A bit more down to Earth, but featuring fighters who are equally bizarre (cough Mike Tyson cough), is EA Sports UFC 2. EA’s second trip inside “The Octagon” for the PS4 and Xbox One promises a more realistic fighting experience and deeper Career options.
Also available this week is Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for the 3DS. While the two mascots won’t be trading blows, the Olympics always bring out a strong sense of competition for the whole world. And Mario versus Sonic is a fight that’ll probably never be settled.
Finally this week, Terraria is now available as a retail release for the 3DS, and Need For Speed will race onto the PC.
A full list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged EA Sports UFC 2, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Need For Speed, Pokken Tournament, Terraria
Xbox Store Today: Hitman, Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition, Cel Damage HD, more
Sneak in, take a gander at today’s Xbox Games Store update, and sneak out…
Agent 47 is back in IO Interactive’s brand new episodic Hitman game for the Xbox One. Today’s release of the “Intro Pack” will reintroduce players to everyone’s favorite assassin with two missions, Contracts Mode, Escalation Mode, and a variety of other content. The story will continue in six expansion packs that IO will release more-or-less monthly throughout 2016.
One of last year’s most popular Xbox One games, Ori and the Blind Forest, will receive an expanded re-release today as Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition. Players will be able to explore new areas, discover new secrets, wield new abilities, and dive deeper into the story.
Also available today are a trio of other titles, all for the Xbox One… Cel Damage HD is a re-release of a cartoonish car combat from the turn of the century, and I’m sure some people will find it surprising that it even exists. MagNets: Fully Charged is an arena game where players have to scoop up rogue maintenance bots and restore order to Polarity City. And Blast ‘Em Bunnies is a first person shooter starring a bunch of deranged rabbits.
More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Hitman, Ori and the Blind Forest
Far Cry: Primal was the best-selling game of February 2016
It’s time to listen to the mastodon roar as Ubisoft’s Far Cry: Primal was declared the best-selling game of February 2016 by The NPD Group. Proving that players might be in the market for more titles that feature pre-modern warfare, Far Cry: Primal beat out Call of Duty: Black Ops III, which took the #2 slot.
Several other new releases broke into the top ten last month, including Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 at #4 and Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright at #9. But the most surprising result might be the less-than-stellar debut of Capcom’s Street Fighter V. Even after a big push from Sony, the much-hyped fighting game was only able to punch its way to #7.
Sales of new PS3 and Xbox 360 games continued to drop last month, and total retail spending on new games slipped 10% from February 2015. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD’s Liam Callahan said: “New physical software trends suffered due to a sharp decline in seventh generation consoles of 52% despite the 14% (or $28 million growth) in eighth generation software. Portable software also had a drop of 30% due to a poor comparison to the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, which coincided with the launch of the New 3DS.”
A complete look at last month’s top ten best-selling titles can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Fallout 4, Far Cry: Primal, Grand Theft Auto V, Lego Avengers, Minecraft, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, NBA 2K16, NPD, Street Fighter V