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
Activision officially announces Transformers: Devastation with E3 trailer
Even though Best Buy Canada spoiled the surprise, the official announcement of Transformers: Devastation is still pretty great… because it includes a trailer of the game in motion. Platinum’s decision to use cel-shaded graphics, and the original Generation 1 character designs, makes the game look like a lost episode of the 1980s cartoon series. I think I speak for every child of the 80s here when I say we couldn’t be happier.
The trailer also gives us a nice glimpse of Platinum’s patented brand of fast action as applied to the Transformers universe. According to the Activision Games Blog, players will even be able to string together combos using robot mode and vehicle mode:
If you’re in the mood for an iron-fisted rumble, your Autobot robot mode should fit the bill nicely. But when you need to race across the city to perform a few hit-and-run maneuvers, vehicle mode is just a button-touch away.
You can dynamically switch between modes to perform a seemingly endless stream of robot/vehicle combo maneuvers, reducing the Decepticon army to a pile of smoldering metal. It wouldn’t be a Transformers game without Optimus Prime, and Peter Cullen is once again lending his iconic voice to the character. Sideswipe, Bumbleebee, Wheeljack, and Grimlock are also playable, and each character has a unique set of maneuvers and combos.
Transformers: Devastation, which also features the vocal talents of Dan Gilvezan (Bumblebee) and Frank Welker (Megatron and Soundwave), will be released this Fall for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Sony @ E3 2015: The new Hitman game will be known simply as Hitman
The next game announced at Sony’s Press Conference was a brand-new game in the Hitman franchise from IO Interactive!
Simply titled Hitman, not much was shown other than a CGI trailer (embedded above), but the game was said to feature a “live, ever-expanding world.” This could potentially mean a more MMORPG-like experience or possibly an episodic one.
A PS4 beta will be available to those who pre-order the title, which is enough to get this gamer hyped! Hitman will be available on the PS4 only through the PlayStation Store, with a release date scheduled for December 8. The game will also be released for PC and “other consoles,” but PS4 players will have access to six exclusive contracts.
More information on Hitman will likely emerge during tomorrow’s Square Enix Press Conference.
Xbox Game Preview brings “Early Access” for in-development games to Xbox One
Beginning today, Xbox One owners will be able to purchase in-development as part of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Preview program. Similar in style to Steam’s Early Access program, Xbox Game Preview will allow developers to put unfinished games on the Xbox Games Store and players will be able to purchase. However, to avoid abuse of the system, Microsoft is asking all developers to create a demo version of their game so players can try before they buy.
For now, the program is launching with just two games. Elite: Dangerous, a spaceship simulator from Frontier Development, and The Long Dark, a survial game from Hinterland, will both be available beginning today within a special Xbox Game Preview section of the Xbox Games Store.
More games will be added to the Xbox Game Preview program in the future, including Might and Delight’s Shelter and Bohemia’s DayZ.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged DayZ, E3 2015, Elite: Dangerous, The Long Dark
First Star Wars: Battlefront gameplay trailer brings us back to the Battle of Hoth
Guard: Your Tauntaun will freeze before you reach the first marker!
Han Solo: Then I’ll see you in Hell!
As part of EA’s E3 Press Conference, DICE gave us our first look at Star Wars: Battlefront in action by returning to the ice planet Hoth, one of the most recognizable locales in the Star Wars galaxy. I’ve lost track of how many games include a level that takes place during the Battle of Hoth, but Star Wars: Battlefront is definitely one of the most interesting. The trailer whips back-and-forth between the Rebel perspective and that of the Empire, giving viewers a complete view of the battlefield. The ice is littered with Snowspeeders, TIE Fighters, X-Wings, AT-STs, and a menacing AT-AT… which is made all the more menacing by the appearance of Darth Vader.
There’s no rampaging Wampas (yet), but its all fairly epic in scope. But to increase the epicness a tad, the trailer ends with Luke Skywalker (in his Return of the Jedi costume) going Lightsaber-to-Lightsaber with Vader in the middle of the battlefield. It’s definitely non-canon, but it works.
Star Wars: Battlefront will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 17.
This E3 2015 trailer gives us our first look at Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst
EA took their turn on the E3 Press Conference merry-go-round and they came out shooting with both barrels. But one of their biggest new games mostly eschews guns for a more physical form of combat. I’m talking, of course, about the insane parkour that’s at the center of Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst.
In addition to showing the trailer embedded above, developer DICE got a chance to talk about their latest passion project, which seemed unlikely to ever exist just three years ago. Taking place in the city of Glass, and serving as a prequel (of sorts) to the original Mirror’s Edge, Catalyst will reveal the backstory behind Faith, a “Runner” working against the dystopian government:
In Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, you will experience the rise of Faith, a daring Runner who uncovers a hidden truth within the walls of the city of Glass. Through her journey, Faith will explore every corner of the city, from the highest, most pristine skyscrapers, to the dark and gritty tunnels that lie beneath. Players will need to master the environment, using their momentum and timing their combat to fight the oppression of the ruling elite, uncovering the dark secrets behind the city’s beautiful façade. Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst gives players the freedom to explore the entire city, discovering a variety of new activities, like Dash, races from point A to B, environmental puzzles and story missions to complete at their own pace.
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is built on top of a sprawling open-world of glass and steel, and DICE has decided to tease out some of the details of that world through the official Mirror’s Edge website. In addition to a biography of Faith, the developer also published a primer on the art of freerunning in the game and a small glimpse at some of the darker corners of the city.
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on February 23, 2016.
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is coming August 25… but a public beta is available now
Finally pulling back the curtain on the worst-kept secret in gaming, Microsoft has announced that Gears of War: Ultimate Edition will be released for the Xbox One on August 25.
To make this the biggest version of Gears of War ever available, Microsoft and The Coalition will add five campaign chapters to the Ultimate Edition that were previously only available on the PC version. An extensive visual upgrade, running at 1080p, will also make the game look better than ever before.
Fans who can’t wait to dive back in to Gears of War won’t have to wait long, Microsoft also announced that a public multiplayer beta test is now available to download through the Xbox Games Store. As long as you’ve got an Xbox Live Gold subscription, you’re good to go.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged E3 2015, Gears of War
Xbox One will get Xbox 360 backwards compatibility update this Fall
Do you miss your old Xbox 360 games now that you’ve upgraded to the Xbox One? Well then, I’ve got some good news for you! Microsoft will begin offering backwards compatibility for select Xbox 360 (and Xbox Live Arcade) games this Fall. But how will it work? Glad you asked…
Players won’t have to pay anything for the privilege as backwards compatibility will be included as part of a free update to the Xbox One. However, Microsoft has to have permission from the original publisher to enable backwards compatibility. As such, only 100 Xbox 360 games will work when backwards compatibility goes live this Fall. Once backwards compatibility is enabled for a game, players will have the option to use them with all the Xbox One’s new features, including in-game screenshots, Twitch broadcasting, and the GameDVR.
If you’re part of the Xbox Preview program, you’ll be able to test out Xbox 360 backwards compatibility starting today with a limited number of titles. Microsoft plans to add more games to the list all the time and the consolemaker is even accepting suggestions through the Xbox Feedback forum.
Forza Motorsport 6 will be released on September 15
Microsoft unveiled the first gameplay trailer for Forza Motorsport 6 today during their 2015 E3 Press Conference. In addition to some of the prettiest car racing you’ll ever see, the trailer ends with confirmation that Forza Motorsport 6 will be released exclusively for the Xbox One on September 15:
Experience unrelenting action in the most beautiful and comprehensive racing game of this generation, available exclusively on Xbox One beginning September 15, 2015. Collect, customize, and race over 450 Forzavista cars, all with working cockpits, opening doors, and full damage, including the all-new Ford GT. Compete in epic 24-player races across 26 world-famous locales. Master wet weather and night racing on your road to victory.
As always, Forza Motorsport 6 will be developed by Turn 10… a group of developers who clearly love their cars.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged E3 2015, Forza Motorsport 6