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
Remedy “in talks” to bring Alan Wake remake to Xbox One; Alan Wake 2 also a possibility
Remedy Entertainment opened their doors to Polygon this week, and in addition to pulling back the curtain on an aborted prototype for Alan Wake 2, the studio also confirmed they’re “in talks” with Microsoft to produce a remake of Alan Wake for the Xbox One.
Remedy’s Chief Creative Officer, Sam Lake, said: “I would love that to happen. Nothing has happened yet, but we are discussing this possibility with Microsoft. I hope it happens, we’ll see.”
And for those interested in Alan Wake 2, don’t be scared off by the words “aborted prototype.” Lake also said that Remedy wants to return to the world of Alan Wake and may do so after development is completed on Quantum Break. The developer holds the rights to any sequel, so even if Microsoft isn’t interested, they could pitch it to other publishers or even take the game to Kickstarter:
“Ultimately, these things are business decisions,” Lake told Polygon. “We are definitely not ruling anything out and looking at different opportunities, but nothing is set in stone at the moment.”
Alan Wake was originally released for the Xbox 360 in 2010. Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, an Xbox Live Arcade spinoff, was released in 2012.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Alan Wake, Alan Wake 2
Video Game Release Calendar Changelog #4: The 2015 Calendar is Taking Shape
Don’t Forget! This is just a changelog of recently announced release dates. Warp Zoned’s complete Video Game Release Calendar includes every title we could find with a 2015, 2016, or unannounced release date.
The 2015 E3 Expo is slightly less than two months away, and that means gamemakers have decided that now is the time to lock down those all-important Fall release dates while pushing some games to 2016. But first, some of this Spring’s biggest titles finally have confirmed dates including Project CARS (May 6 on PC and May 12 on PS4/Xbox One), Splatoon (May 29), and the full release of Heroes of the Storm (June 2)
But, I’m sure you’re going to ask next, what about the Fall? It kicks off in appropriate fashion with the launch of Madden NFL 16 on August 25 before moving into the crossover-craziness of Lego Dimensions on September 27. Nintendo’s Mario creation kit, Mario Maker, will also debut sometime in September.
No no, you say, Fall really begins in October and November. What’s on tap for then? Glad you asked, my overly pushy imaginary friend. On October 27, Microsoft will release Halo 5: Guardians on October 27. Electronic Arts will follow that up with another major sci-fi shooter, Star Wars: Battlefront, on November 17. In between, Activision will likely release Call of Duty: Black Ops III in early November, though that date is tentative for now.
Other Fall highlights this year include Guitar Hero Live and the North American release of Fatal Frame 5 on the Wii U. Both will set down roots on a specific date soon, but both are coming out in 2015.
However, two highly-anticipated games won’t be coming out in 2015 as previously thought. Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda Wii U and Remedy’s Quantum Break have both been pushed back to the nebulous “TBA 2016.” They’ve been joined by newly-announced entries from two well-liked franchises… Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness.
The full list of games included in our fourth Video Game Release Calendar Changelog can be found after the break. (more…)
Pre-order Halo 5: Guardians from GameStop and get a special Spartan Locke Armor Set
Microsoft has teamed up with GameStop to help introduce Spartan Locke, the Halo franchise’s newest character, to gamers everywhere. Players who pre-order Halo 5: Guardians from GameStop will receive the Spartan Locke Armor Set, which comes complete with a special suit of armor and a helmet that can be used exclusively in the game’s multiplayer mode (via Xbox Wire):
- HUNTER-Class Armor: Sophisticated and lethal, HUNTER-class armor incorporates Watershed Division’s latest warfighting technology.
- HUNTER-Class Helmet: Though still considered a prototype implementation, the HUNTER’s sensor suite enhances situational and threat awareness.
You can check out Spartan Locke and his snazzy threads in the trailer above. And if you’ve been following Microsoft’s “Hunt the Truth” blog, you might want to know that a new episode of the podcast is now available.
Halo 5: Guardians will be released for the Xbox One on October 27.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Halo 5: Guardians
Life Is Strange: Episode 3 will be released in May
Dontnod Entertainment wants to assure everyone that they’ll be able to jump back into the story of Life Is Strange very soon. According to a new post on Twitter, players will be able to continue experiencing the adventures of Max and Chloe in Episode 3 in May:
It's great to hear so many of you are excited for Episode 3 which will be released in May! (official date TBA) pic.twitter.com/jIp7upU2u9
— Life Is Strange (@LifeIsStrange) April 17, 2015
Life Is Strange Episode 3 will be subtitled Chaos Theory and it’ll be available for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
BREAKING NEWS! Microsoft will announce “new exclusive IP” at E3 2015
Let’s face it, the four-day barrage of E3 announcements doesn’t hold much surprise anymore. The actual announcements themselves are usually pretty surprising, but the event’s formulaic nature ensures that no matter how much everyone laments the death of non-franchise titles, dozens will be announced at and around the expo this year and every year into the future. Yesterday, while replying to questioners on his Twitter feed, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer confirmed that at least one such original property for the Xbox One will make its debut at this year’s E3 Expo:
@Masih3KA We should have new exclusive IP at E3. I'm trying to make this E3 more about 1st party than past E3s.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) April 19, 2015
Spencer also played the part of “good marketer” and began beating the “this is our best year ever” drum…
@thekeenpaladin This is going to be a fun year. I think it might be our best 1st party content year ever.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) April 19, 2015
Microsoft has a tremendously varied state of games in development for this year including Halo 5: Guardians, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Forza Motorsport 6, and Fable Legends. The publisher will also release original properties from Remedy (Quantum Break) and Platinum Games (Scalebound) in 2016. And those are just some of the games we know to be in development. So Microsoft will definitely have a crowded E3 Press Conference this year even before any new announcements are made. Just like they do every year.
Hype Fatigue: Why I’m Exhausted With Viral Marketing, Elaborate Advertising Campaigns, and Countdowns
The machinations of video game marketers absolutely baffle me. Obviously, “video game marketing” is an incredibly broad term that encompasses hundreds of different campaigns a year, all run by different people, and all carried out with different expectations. Whipsawing between a seemingly neverending series of hype events and viral campaigns has started to make my head spin. Following hashtags and decoding secret messages has become de rigueur if you want to come up with all the latest game news. Last week, three publishers launched three very different viral campaigns that made me long for the days of the simple press release/trailer combo platter. But maybe they aren’t to blame, as video game marketing has been growing increasingly insane for years now. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, Opinions, PC, PS3, PS4, Top Story, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Friday the 13th, Joe Montana Football 16, Lego Dimensions, Star Wars: Battlefront
EA has unveiled first Star Wars: Battlefront trailer and details
Are you still reeling from yesterday’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer? Prepare yourself for even more tears of nerdy joy as Electronic Arts and DICE pulled back the curtain on the first Star Wars: Battlefront trailer today.
Taking place on Endor, gamers were greeted to an exciting mix of ground and vehicle combat as speederbikes buzzed between trees, Rebel troops did battle with Stormtroopers, and a squadron of Y-Wings performed a bombing run on a massive AT-AT. It’s an amazing display of “Game Engine Footage” (no gameplay just yet), which segues into a quick spin around the galaxy for visits to Hoth, Tatooine, and the never-before-seen Sullust. The trailer also gave us fleeting glimpses of Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and the Millennium Falcon… all three of which will be playable in the game.
Star Wars: Battlefront won’t feature a campaign mode, but will instead focus on a variety of 40-person multiplayer battles set during the Original Trilogy. However, a single-player Mission Mode will be included that will also offer the opportunity for local or online co-op play with a second player. Whichever way you play, gamers will be able to seamlessly switch between first-person and third-person views as they fight on the ground or in the air.
“Like so many others around the world, everyone at DICE is a tremendous fan of the Star Wars universe,” said Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir, the Senior Producer of Star Wars: Battlefront. “To be working on a Star Wars project and knowing we are helping to represent the universe we love to our generation and a legion of new Star Wars fans is truly an honor. Thanks to the access and knowledge shared with us by Lucasfilm, and the passion and talent of our team, we plan to deliver an amazing game that puts you right in the middle of the Star Wars battles you always imagined playing.”
As expected, Star Wars: Battlefront will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 17. Players who pre-order the game will receive early access to the Battle of Jakku expansion, which takes place after Return of the Jedi. “The pivotal moment when the New Republic confronted key Imperial holdouts on a remote desert planet in the Outer Rim” will be available to all as a free download on December 8. But players who pre-order the game will get it a week earlier on December 1.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Star Wars: Battlefront
Xbox Store Today: We Are Doomed, Goat Simulator
Are we doomed? I think we’re doomed.
But maybe all isn’t lost. Maybe we can start playing We Are Doomed, which is available to download for the Xbox One through the Xbox Games Store as of today, and make everything good again with the twin-stick shooter’s “pure arcade action” and “beautiful explosion of geometry, color, and light.”
If you’d prefer something that’s a little more earthbound, but possibly even more insane, Coffee Stain Studios and Double Eleven have added Goat Simulator to the Xbox Games Store for both the Xbox One and Xbox 360. “You no longer have to fantasize about being a goat,” say the developers, and all the goat-based destruction you could ever want is now available to download on your Xbox of choice (except for the original Xbox, obviously).
More information on both games can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Goat Simulator, We Are Doomed