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
Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 will be released on September 15
As promised, Konami officially announced Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 today and revealed a ton of new details about the soccer simulation. First things first, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 will be released on September 15 for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Developed using Konami’s proprietary Fox Engine, PES 2016 will make a variety of major changes to the series:
- New Master League – The famous and hugely popular Master League enjoys a total revamp, allowing users to immerse themselves in the managerial world of soccer. Every element has been redesigned or reworked, from the vibrant and involving menus to the new and exciting player transfer system, PES 2016 see one of the series most integral modes redefine the single-player experience.
- New Visuals – Incorporating the many advancements of the Fox Engine, the visuals have seen a huge upgrade. See the rain splash as players slide in to win possession, or the turf kick up as you strike the ball into the top corner. New night-time lighting and real turf textures are among some of the many improvements.
- Dynamic Weather – For the first time in the PES series, dynamic weather has been introduced, with the chance of rain starting during the game. Combined with the ever more realistic ball physics, the rain changes how the game can be played with passes speeding up, and less skilled players likely to struggle with trapping. The defender taken by the 1-on-1 will also be more likely to slip and fall due to incorrect studs or blades. This feature is applied to all offline modes including the Master League, and is an important element to decide the outcome of the match.
- Human Motion – Seeking to humanize player movement, 3x new animations have been added to bring the in-game superstars to life. Goalkeepers have seen an abundance of save animations added, while outfield players shoot, pass, dribble and tackle with incredible variety depending on the situation. Players complain when a foul isn’t given, or lament a teammate when a pass isn’t made when in open space. The new 1v1 control also benefits from this, with players being able to fool their opponents with shimmies and feints that can result in causing the opposing player to lose his balance and fall in the wrong direction!
- New Ball Physics – The past few years has seen the series make huge advancements in ball physics, and for PES 2016 new levels of realism have been reached. Each spin, bobble and ricochet has been calculated using real ball physic data, helping keep every moment in every game unique and unpredictable.
These additions and enhancements are only the beginning of Konami’s plan to rework PES 2016. The developer will also include a significantly improved collision system, a “aerial battle” experience, improved 1v1 player control, more intelligent player AI, individuality in performance for goalkeepers, and “Celebration Control” prompts. That’s right, PES 2016 gives players the chance to input a series of button presses to create their own unique celebration.
Konami will reveal even more information about Pro Evolution Soccer 2016, along with the first screenshots, during next week’s E3 Expo.
Lords of the Fallen developer is working on an untitled sci-fi action RPG
Publisher CI Games recently told the world that Lords of the Fallen 2 would not be developed by original developer Deck 13 Interactive. Rather than resting on their laurels, the German developer sought out a new partner and teamed up with another small publisher, Focus Home Interactive, for their next game. Currently untitled, Deck 13 plans to release an action RPG set in a “dystopian sci-fi future” in 2017.
Aside from a teaser image depicting a man augmented with cybernetic implants, we don’t have much to go on just yet. We know the game will be an “original property” with a PC, PS4, and Xbox One release planned. Focus Home went on to add the action RPG will feature “innovative combat mechanics and an original character progression system based on modular upgrades gained through tight, visceral combat.”
Focus Home Interactive’s Managing Partner, Cedric Lagarrigue, also said: “We are ecstatic to announce this new partnership with one of the very best independent European development studios. We’ve been excited by Deck 13’s new project since our first exchange with them, and as we’ve just got through the pre-production phase, we’re fully convinced by their capacities to deliver one of the most exciting RPGs to come in the future.”
We’ll learn more about Deck 13’s action RPG, including its title, at a later date.
Bloodstained becomes most-funded video game in Kickstarter history (and there’s still 13 hours to go)
As its wild (and wildly successful) Kickstarter campaign comes to an end, Koji Igarashi’s Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has risen to the top of the pack as the most-funded video game of all time. Currently sitting at $4.7 million, the campaign proves that gamers still care deeply about Igarashi’s Metroidvania-style gothic castle crawlers. And Igarashi still has 13 hours to gather more pledges as the campaign isn’t scheduled to close until 11:00 PM (Eastern Time) tonight.
The developer has responded to this deluge of money by running one of the most bizarre campaigns in recent memory. He included “achievements” to “unlock” stretch goals, he asked for fan art for a game that barely exists (and which he received by the bucketful), and he created a series of whimsical videos to respond to fans. Igarashi also expanded the scope of Bloodstained considerably through a ridiculous number of stretch goals, including these recently funded features:
- Online Challenge Mode… FUNDED
- Third Playable Character… FUNDED
- Standalone Prequel for PC/Consoles… FUNDED
- Standalone Prequel for 3DS/Vita… ALMOST FUNDED
If the campaign reaches $5 million, Igarashi has promised to create a roguelike mode that reshapes the game into a series of procedurally-generated hallways. But for now, Bloodstained will definitely receive an Online Challenge Mode, a third playable character (details coming soon), and a retro-styled standalone prequel developed by Inti Creates for the PC, PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One. Igarashi and his team are also reasonably confident the standalone prequel will come to handhelds as they’re only a few thousand away.
And they’re not done. This morning, a new update revealed that Yacht Club’s Shovel Knight will be included in the game in some way. Is he friend? Is he foe? Igarashi isn’t saying, but his inclusion is sure to be interesting.
After all these reveals, it’s hard to believe we’ll have to wait until 2017 to play Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Hopefully, Igarashi can keep the crazy updates coming for the next two years.
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged Bloodstained Prequel, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Capcom says Street Fighter V will never come to the Xbox One
The “console exclusive” is a bit of a misnomer as games that were originally exclusive to one platform usually find their way to the rest with time. Just look at this Fall’s Rise of the Tomb Raider. It’ll make its debut only on the Xbox One and Xbox 360, but this deal “has a duration” and the game will eventually be released for the PC and PS4 (and probably the PS3).
So it’s reasonable to assume this will also happen with Street Fighter V (or the inevitable Super Street Fighter V and/or Ultra Street Fighter V upgrades), which is currently exclusive to the PS4. But not so fast, a Capcom spokesman has told GameSpot that Street Fighter V will never (emphasis mine) come to the Xbox One in any form:
“One comment we see a lot is that something like a Super Street Fighter 5 is going to come out on Xbox,” said the representative. “But the reality is that this is a real partnership. We are console exclusive for this franchise for this numbered run.”
While this news is disappointing for Xbox One owners, the spokesman went on to say that Sony’s assistance extends beyond marketing support. According to the spokesman, Sony is deeply involved with Street Fighter V’s development:
“We’re not talking about how we’re handling post-launch content, but I can say the relationship with Sony does open doors for things we haven’t been able to do in the past,” the representative said.
“The relationship serves a gameplay and development purpose, and not just a marketing value.”
With the 2015 E3 Expo upon us, Capcom and Sony recently released a new trailer highlighting the game’s battle system. Street Fighter V will be released for the PS4 (and PC) sometime next Spring. A multiplayer beta test is scheduled to take place sometime this year or early next year.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Street Fighter V
The Witcher 3 hunts down the top spot as May 2015’s best-selling game
The NPD Group has published their monthly report on the financial state of the video game industry and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has emerged as the best-selling game of May 2015.
The Witcher 3’s victory was assured after the game leapfrogged both of April’s big releases including Mortal Kombat X (#2) and Grand Theft Auto V (#3). The only other May release to make the list, Nintendo’s Splatoon, swam its way into the fifth spot. Though Splatoon should get extra notice for being the only platform-exclusive title in the top ten.
All told, retail sales for games, hardware, and accessories were down 13% versus May 2014. However, Mario Kart 8, Watch Dogs, Wolfenstein: The New Order, and the continued success of TitanFall more than explain the sales gap. The drop-off might have been even bigger if it weren’t for a new wave of Amiibo figures. According to NPD’s Liam Callahan (speaking to GamesIndustry.biz), accessories rose 20% year-over-year, with a 73% increase for “interactive gaming toys.” Callahan also confirmed that the PS4 was the best-selling console of the month.
The complete top ten list of best-selling games for May 2015 can be found after the break. (more…)
Tales From the Borderlands: Episode 3 will “Catch A Ride” to release on June 23
Telltale Games has announced that Tales From the Borderlands will continue with the release of its third episode, Catch A Ride, during the week of June 23. Going by past history, the game will be available for the PC, PS3, and PS4 on Tuesday, June 24. The Xbox 360 and Xbox One launch will take place a day later on Wednesday, June 25. And lastly, the mobile versions will follow on Thursday, June 26.
So what shenanigans have Rhys and Fiona gotten themselves into this time? Well…
After a dizzying escape from a very-near-almost-certain-death scenario (involving statuesque buttocks), Rhys and Fiona find themselves looking for another piece of the puzzle that will lead them to the untold riches of Vault key ownership. Lost in the mysterious jungle of an Atlas terraforming facility, Fiona finds help from an unexpected mentor, Rhys continues to share brain-space with the disembodied mind of a dead dictator, and love is in the air. Pursued by the ruthless criminal ‘Queenpin’ Vallory, and with very little help from Vaughn’s accountancy skills (or stellar abs), getting anywhere near the Vault will be entirely up to you.
A handful of new screenshots from Tales From the Borderlands: Catch A Ride can be found at Telltale’s official website.
Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition announced as publisher continues to tease Darksiders III
Nordic Games has officially announced that Darksiders II will get the remaster treatment this Winter and be re-released as Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition is in development at Gunfire Games, one of the studios founded in the wake of Vigil’s closure. If you remember, Vigil Games created both Darksiders games for THQ before the publisher declared bankruptcy. While the developer is well-versed in how the game originally looked, they do plan to offer some improvements as part of the Deathinitive Edition. The PS4/Xbox One version of the game will include all of the previously-released downloadable content, as well as tuned game balancing and reworked loot distribution. Naturally for any remaster, the Deathinitive Edition will also feature an improved graphical engine for better lighting and shadows with visuals rendered in 1080p resolution.
But while announcing their new project, Nordic couldn’t stop themselves from teasing Darksiders III one more time. Reinhard Pollice, the company’s Business & Product Development Director, said: “We took over the franchise roughly two years ago and thought about the next chapter for Darksiders ever since then. Naturally (and extremely excitedly!), there will be a large-scale project based on Darksiders, but for now it is very important for us to take care of the existing games and make those available to a broader audience.”
Obviously, any official announcement regarding Darksiders III is still a very long way in the future.
Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Darksiders II, Darksiders III
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst unveiled with new art; prequel comic series on the way
The 2015 E3 Expo beckons and Electronic Arts is getting the show started a bit early with a glimpse at Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst. The new artwork displays the game’s protagonist, Faith, doing what she does best… clinging to the side of a futuristic building. Hyper-modern skyscrapers pierce the horizon while the watchful eyes of a squad of surveillance helicopters hover at the edge of the scene.
We’ll learn more about Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst next week, but for now, Senior Producer Sara Jansson discussed the development team’s vision on the game’s official website:
The team has spent a lot of time re-evaluating every aspect of the game and making it a new experience. This is not a sequel, this is not Mirror’s Edge 2. We have landed on a vision that honors the first game — pushing the boundaries of first person movement and diving deeper into the story behind our heroine Faith — but also brings a lot of great new, interesting gameplay and features to the experience for our players.
In addition to next week’s E3 reveal, fans will get another look at that vision in Mirror’s Edge: Exordium, a prequel comic series which will be published by Dark Horse. The first issue, which will be written by Narrative Director Christofer Emgard, will be available on September 9. The six-issue series will also feature art from some of DICE’s in-house artists including Mattias Haggstrom, Robert Sammelin, Henrik Sahlström, Erik Persson, and Emgard himself. You can sneak a peek at the cover of Exordium‘s #1 at the Dark Horse Blog.
Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is currently in development for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One at DICE. It is expected to be released sometime next Spring.