Warp Zoned Presents
Video Game Canon- Jordan Minor’s “Boss Fight Books: Super Mario Galaxy” is Now Available for Pre-Order
- Angry Birds, Dragon Quest, FIFA Soccer, and Silent Hill are the World Video Game Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026
- 2025 GOTY Scoreboard: In Progress
- 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
Warp Zoned Presents
- Video Game Research Library
- With Grand Theft Auto 6 poised to take over the world, I reached out to Jack Thompson and it did not go well – PC Gamer (2026)
- Vib-Ribbon: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- How a Second-Grade Teacher Revived a Beloved Video Game – The New York Times (2026)
- Spore: An oral history – Design Room (2026)
- Diablo IV PC Cooled With Real Human Blood Is Still Going Strong Two Years Later, Says Guy Who Won It – Aftermath (2026)
Most Recent: Xbox One
PS3, Xbox 360 versions of Dying Light canceled by Techland
Dying Light, Techland’s parkour-infused zombie game, was originally in development for new-gen consoles (PS4 and Xbox One), previous-gen consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360), and the PC. However, now the developer is saying that the PS3 and Xbox 360 won’t be able to handle their full vision for the game. In an open letter to fans, Techland revealed the thought process behind the cancellation of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Dying Light:
Therefore, after thorough internal testing, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to leave past-gen systems behind and release Dying Light exclusively on the next-gen consoles and PC. Put simply, older consoles just couldn’t run the game and stay true to the core vision of Dying Light at the same time.
To ensure you enjoy Dying Light as much as we would like you to, we chose to release it without any compromises on the three strongest systems available. Thanks to this, you’ll get the full and best experience regardless of the platform you play on.
The PC, PS4, and Xbox One editions of Dying Light are still on track for a January 27, 2015 release. You can read the full letter from Techland after the break. (more…)
Xbox Store Today: Sunset Overdrive, Lords of the Fallen, NBA Live 15, more
Microsoft has their hopes pinned on Sunset Ovedrive, this Fall’s biggest Xbox One exclusive. It’s now available to download through the Xbox Games Store along with plenty of other big releases, such as…
- Sunset Overdrive (Xbox One) is Insomniac’s colorful new shooter that pits hipster weirdos against energy drink executives, killer robots, and mutants.
- Lords of the Fallen (Xbox One) is a medieval hack and slash from Bandai Namco and City Interactive.
- Costume Quest 2 (Xbox 360, Xbox One) is a sequel to Double Fine’s Halloween-y RPG.
- NBA Live 15 (Xbox One) is the latest game in EA’s basketball simulation series.
- WWE 2K15 (Xbox 360) is the first WWE wrestling game from 2K after THQ’s demise.
More information on all these games (and a few more) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Costume Quest 2, Lords of the Fallen, NBA Live 15, Sunset Overdrive, WWE 2K15
EA says Star Wars: Battlefront to be released in Fall 2015; New Battlefield to follow in Fall 2016
During yesterday’s quarterly conference call, Electronic Arts announced that Star Wars: Battlefront is a first-person shooter (not much of a surprise) that will be released in October, November, or December of next year (also not much of a surprise). This move is surely meant to capitalize on the theatrical release of Star Wars: Episode VII, which will open on December 18, 2015.
Executives from the company also confirmed that the next Battlefield game (which they’re calling “our next Battlefield experience” for now) will be released in Fall 2016. According to EA CEO Andrew Wilson, the game won’t launch in 2015 because, “We want to give Battlefield 4 and Battlefield Hardline players more time to enjoy these games and immerse themselves in a game, the live service, and the community.”
EA’s CFO, Blake Jorgensen, announced that more information about both titles will be revealed during the company’s next quarterly conference call, which will take place sometime in February.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Battlefield 1, Star Wars: Battlefront
Battlefield Hardline will be released on March 17, 2015
Electronic Arts just announced that Battlefield Hardline will be released on March 17, 2015 as part of their latest quarterly financial report. It’s possible that more information about the game will be transmitted via their quarterly conference call, which will begin at 5:00 PM (Eastern Time).
Battlefield Hardline was originally announced during this year’s E3 Expo and was expected to launch in October for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. However, the game’s release was delayed into 2015 back in July so the development team at Visceral could make changes to the game’s single-player mode as well as implement some of the feedback they received during the game’s multiplayer beta.
Microsoft will reduce price of all Xbox One consoles by $50 until January 3, 2015
Were you thinking of adding an Xbox One to your Christmas List this year? If so, it’s going to be $50 cheaper thanks to a temporary price cut by Microsoft. Beginning November 2 and running through January 3, 2015, all Xbox One consoles will see their retail price slashed by $50. This offer even applies to all of this Fall’s limited editions, including:
- Xbox One Console – $349
- Xbox One Sunset Overdrive Bundle (Includes Sunset Overdrive and White Xbox One Console/Controller) – $349
- Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Bundle (Includes Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed: Unity) – $349
- Xbox One Assassin’s Creed Kinect Bundle (Includes Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Assassin’s Creed: Unity, and Dance Central Spotlight) – $449
- Xbox One Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Bundle (Includes Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, CoD-Styled Xbox One Console With 1TB Hard Drive and CoD-Styled Controller) – $449
Both Assassin’s Creed bundles will be available on November 2, followed by the Advanced Warfare Bundle a day later on November 3. The Sunset Overdrive Bundle is available now.
New Releases: Sunset Overdrive, WWE 2K15, Lords of the Fallen, More
Sunset Overdrive, Insomniac’s wild hipsters vs mutants shooter, leads this week’s new release report. With no new Halo or Gears of War game in the pipeline, Microsoft is promoting Sunset Overdrive as one of the biggest Xbox One exclusives of the Fall. To that end, they have also teamed up with Insomniac to offer the Sunset Overdrive Xbox One System Bundle which will include the game itself and a snazzy all-white Xbox One.
Also available this week is WWE 2K15 (PS3, Xbox 360), the first game in the series fully produced by 2K Games; Lords of the Fallen (PS4, Xbox One), Bandai Namco’s attempt at entering the medieval hack and slash market; and NBA Live 15 (PS4, Xbox One), EA’s latest entry in their basketball simulation series.
More new releases from the upcoming week can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Lords of the Fallen, NBA Live 15, Sunset Overdrive, WWE 2K15
Insert Quarter: The History of Music Games
Insert Quarter is our showcase for some of the best and most interesting writing about video games on the Internet.
Almost 50 years ago, Paul and Art Garfunkel asked, “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?” in their hit song, “Mrs. Robinson.” DiMaggio would later tell Simon that he hadn’t gone anywhere, even though his playing days were long behind him. Likewise, today’s gamers have probably asked themselves, what happened to all the music games? The conventional wisdom says that they just don’t sell anymore, but who can turn down an invitation to rock out with your plastic guitar out?
IGN’s Chris Reed dug in to the history of the music from its humble roots (1996’s PaRappa the Rapper) all the way through the Guitar Here/Rock Band rivalry and into the future of the genre:
Music/rhythm games have run a surprisingly dynamic path through gaming history. Some genres drift into popularity and gradually fade out as technology and popular taste change. You might not even realize it’s happened until one day you look around and wonder, for instance, where all the 3D platformers went. Music games, on the other hand, moseyed along under the radar for the better part of a decade before taking off like a shot, attaining meteoric success before drying up nearly all at once.
You can read the rest of the article at IGN.
Black Tusk’s Studio Manager says Gears of War 4 needs to get back to franchise’s roots
Rod Fergusson, the Studio Manager at Gears of War 4 developer Black Tusk Studios, wants to reintroduce the Gears of War franchise to its roots. The developer relayed fears that the franchise has lost its way to Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s Xbox Division, who in turn discussed the future of the series with IGN on their Podcast Unlocked podcast:
The Head of Xbox told IGN that, in discussions with Rod Fergusson, who’s in charge of Gears of War at Black Tusk Studios, he’s talked about Gears of War becoming “a parody of itself” over time. “Not for any horrible reasons,” but because managing success over time is challenging.
Spencer and Fergusson have also discussed “getting back to something,” he continued. “I think [about] the story and the setting and what they’re going through as a band. Gears of War, the name really meant something to what that game was about. We need to get back to that.” He also reiterated that the next Gears of War is not a reboot.
If anyone understands the soul of the Gears of War franchise, its Fergusson. Before leaving Irrational late last year, the developer was employed by Epic and contributed to the first three Gears of War games.
Posted in News, Xbox One
Tagged Gears of War 4