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
Everybody get ready… Overwatch is coming to PC, PS4, Xbox One in Spring 2016
Before this weekend, everyone assumed that Blizzard’s Overwatch would be available exclusively for the PC sometime this year as a free-to-play game. But all of that changed during the developer’s annual BlizzCon convention. As part of the weekend’s festivities, Blizzard announced that Overwatch will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in Spring 2016 in a full-priced “Origins Edition.” A 6v6 “hero shooter,” Overwatch will come packed with 21 heroes, including three that were announced at BlizzCon:
- Genji, a cybernetic ninja, is an expert assassin capable of extraordinary feats of agility, including reflecting enemy attacks with his blade.
- D.Va is a former pro-gaming superstar who pilots an experimental military mech in defense of her home country.
- Mei travels the globe applying her scientific expertise to protect the natural world; in battle, her arsenal of climate-manipulating technology has the power to put the opposition on ice.
“We’re building Overwatch to be the first-person shooter we’ve always wanted to play, with a vibrant world, awesome heroes, and an emphasis on tightly focused cooperative gameplay,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re excited to welcome console and PC gamers to the fight for the future, and we can’t wait to see all the incredible things teams are able to accomplish on the battlefield this upcoming spring.”
Players who pre-order Overwatch will receive five alternate character skins: Blackwatch Reyes (Reaper), Strike-Commander Morrison (Soldier: 76), Overgrown Bastion, Security Chief Pharah, and Slipstream Tracer. A Collector’s Edition (Retail Price: $129.99), which will contain the pre-order skins, a full-color art book, the Overwatch soundtrack, and a statue of Soldier: 76, will also be available.
Blizzard released a handful of new Overwatch trailers this weekend, including the brand new gameplay trailer embedded above. You can also check out overview trailers for Genji, D.Va, and Mei, along with a closer look at the pre-order skins.
New Releases: Fallout 4, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void, More
It is time. Bethesda is ready to open the Vault and unleash Fallout 4 on the world. The first-person RPG will be available for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and it’ll let players explore a post-apocalyptic New England and craft a new world to their heart’s content. And if that kind of openness and epicness doesn’t appeal to you, there’s always Super Mutants to shoot.
Bethesda has also partnered with Microsoft to offer a 1TB Xbox One + Fallout 4 Bundle in case you haven’t made your new-generation console decision yet.
Speaking of Microsoft, the consolemaker will also partner with Square Enix this week to exclusively launch Rise of the Tomb Raider for the Xbox One and Xbox 360. Lara Croft’s next adventure will eventually make its debut on the PC and PS4 in 2016, but for now, you’ll need to raid tombs and make insane archaeological discoveries on a Microsoft platform.
Stepping out of the past and rocketing into the future, this week will also see the release of Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void, the finale to Blizzard’s StarCraft II trilogy. Focusing on the Protoss, the standalone game will actually “unite the three races in the ultimate battle for survival against an ancient evil threatening all life in the universe.”
Finally this week, a pair of Wii U exclusives prove that Nintendo’s little corner of video gaming is still an interesting place to be. Nintendo themselves will publish Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival, a board game that is changed and shaped as Amiibo figures and Amiibo Cards are dropped into play. And NIS America will release Rodea: The Sky Soldier, another skybound adventure from Yuji Naka, the creator of Nights Into Dreams.
The complete list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival, Fallout 4, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Rodea: The Sky Soldier, StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void
Xbox Store Today: Call of Duty Black Ops III
There’s just one new addition to the Xbox Games Store today, but it’s a big one as Activision has released Call of Duty: Black Ops III for the Xbox One and Xbox 360.
With the latest game in the long-running military simulation series, Treyarch decided to scale the game back on the Xbox 360, ultimately cutting the Campaign Mode from the last-gen version. The noirish “Shadows of Evil” Zombies Mode and Competitive Multiplayer are included on both platforms, but only the Xbox One edition will include the near-future Campaign involving augmented soldiers (and starring Stabler from Law & Order: SVU).
If you’ve completely tuned out on Call of Duty this year, an expanded description for both versions of the game, provided by Activision, can be found right here:
Xbox One Games
Call of Duty: Black Ops III ($59.99)
Call of Duty: Black Ops III combines three unique game modes: Campaign, Multiplayer and Zombies, providing fans with the deepest and most ambitious Call of Duty ever. The Campaign has been designed as a co-op game that can be played with up to four players online or as a solo cinematic thrill-ride. Multiplayer will be the franchise’s deepest, most rewarding and most engaging to date, with new ways to rank up, customize, and gear up for battle. And Zombies delivers an all-new mind-blowing experience with its own dedicated narrative. The title ushers in an unprecedented level of innovation, including jaw-dropping environments, never before experienced weaponry and abilities, and the introduction of a new, improved fluid movement system.Xbox One Games
Call of Duty: Black Ops III ($49.99)
Call of Duty: Black Ops III for Xbox 360 features two game modes only: Multiplayer and Zombies, providing fans with an expansive Multiplayer and an all-new film-noir inspired Zombies adventure. Multiplayer provides new ways to rank up, customize, and gear up for battle. Zombies delivers a full-experience experience with its own distinct storyline.
Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Activision will develop Call of Duty “cinematic universe” and Skylanders animated TV series
Activision is going to Hollywood! The megapublisher has announced the formation of Activision Blizzard Studios, a new film and television studio that will create content based on their most popular game franchises. Nick Van Dyk, a former executive at Disney, will co-lead the studio along another executive who will be named later.
Not surprisingly, the first project from the studio will be an animated television series based on the Skylanders range of games and toys. A premiere date wasn’t announced, but the series is alreadyy in production and Activision has lined up an impressive voice cast including Justin Long as Spyro, Ashley Tisdale as Stealth Elf, Jonathan Banks as Eruptor, and Norm MacDonald as Glumshanks. Eric Rogers, a writer best known for his work on Futurama, will serve as the showrunner.
Activision Blizzard Studios is also hard at work on laying the groundwork for a Call of Duty “cinematic universe,” which they hope to launch with “a series of Call of Duty feature films as well as the possibility of television adaptations.” It takes guts to promise multiple movies, a television series, and an interconnected cinematic universe.
Bobby Kotick, Activision’s CEO, is confident that his new division can make it work: “Activision Blizzard is home to some of the most successful entertainment franchises in history, across any medium [and we] intend to approach film and television development with the same unwavering commitment to excellence we are known for in game development.”
Posted in Etcetera, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Skylanders SuperChargers
Fallout 4 launch trailer is here and it features plenty of gameplay footage
I know that some other heavily hyped game is now available in stores as of today, but Fallout fans are also in a tizzy over the pending launch of Fallout 4. So now is the perfect time for Bethesda to deliver the game’s epic launch trailer.
Clocking in at almost three minutes, the Fallout 4 launch trailer features a ton of gameplay footage and one very loyal dog.
Fallout 4 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 10. To further prepare yourself, I recommend watching Bethesda’s S.P.E.C.I.A.L. video series (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck) one more time.
Battleborn’s release has been pushed back to May 3, 2016
Gearbox Software and Take-Two Interactive have announced that Battleborn will miss its previously announced February 9, 2016 release date. The “hero shooter” will now launch for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on May 3, 2016.
During today’s quarterly financial report, Take-Two Interactive President Karl Slatoff said, “We believe that extending development by a few months will allow the team enough time to fully realize the creative vision for Battleborn and enable them to deliver the best entertainment experience possible.”
“Creating new IP is hard, and we can’t help but be Gearbox,” added representatives from Gearbox via the developer’s Twitter account.
In case you missed it, the developer released a “Multiplayer Reveal Trailer” for Battleborn a few days ago, and it’s been embedded above.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Battleborn
EA pushes up Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 and will release it on February 23
Spring planting season will come early next year as Electronic Arts has announced that the “Spring 2016” release of Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 has been pushed up to February 23. Whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or not, that date firmly falls within the Winter, so good job EA.
The publisher also revealed the “Grass Effect Z7-Mech,” an in-game bonus vehicle that players will receive if they pre-order Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2. Created in conjunction with BioWare, you can go up close and personal with the “Grass Effect Z7-Mech” in the trailer embedded above.
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 will expand upon its predecessor with a number of new modes, maps, and character classes. PopCap and EA Canada have even added a few “fan-requested” features into the game:
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 goes above and beyond to deliver the funniest, craziest most over-the-top shooter yet. Players can go on the offensive as the plants in all-new modes including the 24-player Herbal Assault mode, or rally the zombies together and defend against the plants in the four-player co-op mode, Graveyard Ops. From the Great White North to Moon Base Z, all the hilarious action takes place across 12 fresh maps that are bursting with life and humor. Join the fight for Suburbia with six new character classes and over one hundred unique characters to collect. Experience even more ways to play, including the Backyard Battleground; players will have the freedom to explore this interactive environment by themselves or with friends. The Backyard Battleground is a wild playground with dynamic events and tons to discover, and is unlike anything that has been in a Plants vs Zombies game before.
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2
Xbox Store Today: Need For Speed, Snoopy’s Grand Adventure, Barbie: Puppy Rescue
Three new games are now available through the Xbox Games Store…
- Need For Speed (Xbox One) is EA’s latest reboot of the long-running racing series. “Become the ultimate icon of today’s urban car culture” as you drive fast and look good doing it.
- Snoopy’s Grand Adventure (Xbox One, Xbox 360) is a side-scrolling game based on the beloved Peanuts character. Players will go on a journey in search of Charlie Brown and all his friends… and the Flying Ace just might make an appearance.
- Barbie and Her Sisters: Puppy Rescue (Xbox 360) is a game starring Barbie and all her sisters as they help a pound full of puppies find their “fur-ever” homes. I’m sure little girls everywhere will love it.
More information on all of these games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Need For Speed, The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure