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
- 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
- Boss Fight Books to Get a New Look for Richard Moss’s “Age of Empires”
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)
All Articles: PC
Blizzard announces next WoW expansion: Mists of Pandaria
Kung fu pandas… where does Blizzard come up with this stuff? OK, believe it or not, the Pandaren race of kung fu pandas has been a part of Warcraft lore since Warcraft III. But they’ve been absent from the series since World of Warcraft launched in 2004. But now they’re back and they’re taking a starring role in the MMORPG’s fourth expansion, Mists of Pandaria.
“Players have been asking to see the Pandaren in World of Warcraft since the game’s launch, and we’re excited to finally be able to give them a proper re-introduction to Azeroth,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “In addition to the new playable race and class, Mists of Pandaria contains a huge amount of new content, and we’re looking forward to sharing more information about all of it at BlizzCon and beyond.”
No release date has been announced for the expansion, but it will add a bevy of new features including a new class, a higher level cap, new zones and Dungeon Challenge Modes. Check out a full list of all the new features after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC
Tagged PC, World of Warcraft
Rumor: Doom 4 indefinitely postponed; Bethesda denies it was ever announced
A source inside id Software has told Kotaku that Doom 4 has been “indefinitely postponed” after the poor critical and retail reception for Rage. According to the source, the decision was made by executives from parent company Zenimax/Bethesda. This is in spite of the fact that id founder John Carmack told reporters that the developer would remain independent even after its acquisition by the Elder Scrolls publisher.
Pete Hines, Vice President of Bethesda Softworks, responded to Kotaku’s article with a statement declaring that Doom 4 can’t be “postponed” as it was never officially announced:
“We don’t comment on unannounced games and Doom 4 hasn’t been announced (though I appreciate that id has previously referenced Doom 4). Games are done when they are done and no title under development at id has been postponed – indefinitely or otherwise.”
Now wait just a minute! Mr. Hines, I say this with all due respect, but your statement is bullshit. Doom 4 was officially announced in 2008 and numerous interviews with id executives have since confirmed that development is well underway. The Internet never forgets, so it’s unwise to play these kinds of gotcha games with your fans.
That said, this news is still firmly in the rumor territory and as a Doom fan from way back, I hope it’s untrue.
Posted in News
Tagged Doom (2016), PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Mark Hamill retires as The Joker… for real this time
After almost two decades of voicing the madman on “Batman: The Animated Series” and in numerous games – including the recently released Batman: Arkham City, Mark Hamill is retiring from his post as The Joker. This marks the second departure of a long-time voice actor from the series, with Arleen Sorkin, voice of Harley Quinn, announcing her leave in May 2011.
Hamill made his announcement via Twitter, where he posted, “Hello/Goodbye Joker! I’ve enjoyed every minute behind the wheel of the Crown Prince’s crazy car- I’m going to miss him more than I can say!!”
The sequel to 2009’s Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City was released on October 18 to critical acclaim and currently holds a 95 average rating on Metacritic. Given the new release’s success, we can only hope that Hamill is staying in character with his recent announcement and playing a big joke on all of us.
Posted in News
Tagged Batman: Arkham City, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Mass Effect 3 demo detailed, available January 2012
If you’ve been living and breathing Mass Effect since the release of the original game, this news is probably going to excite you.
BioWare has announced that a playable demo of Mass Effect 3 will be released in January 2012, featuring both single-player and multiplayer modes. Early access to the multiplayer portion of the demo will only be available to those who have redeemed the Online Pass included with Battlefield 3. And not to worry, this demo will be available in all regions and on any platform.
The duration of the demo’s availability is unknown at this point, but BioWare is saving that news until you calm your crew back down and get the Normandy under control. More details as to the demo’s early-access release date will be specified in November, says BioWare.
Also, don’t tell anyone – but it seems that BioWare will be announcing another way to gain early access with no purchase necessary. Take my word for it though, you’re probably going to want to buy Battlefield 3 anyway.
Posted in News
Tagged Mass Effect 3, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Rockstar investigates PS3, Xbox 360 release for L.A. Noire: Complete Edition
After some careful investigation, Rockstar Games has announced that L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition will be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360 in addition to the previously announced PC release.
The Complete Edition will include all of L.A. Noire’s currently available downloadable content. That includes all five bonus cases: “Nicholson Electroplating” (an Arson case), “Reefer Madness” (a Vice case), “The Consul’s Car” (a Traffic case), “The Naked City” (a Vice case), and “A Slip of the Tongue” (a Traffic case). And by complete, Rockstar means complete. Players will also find the Badge Pursuit Challenge and all DLC weapons and outfits inside the Complete Edition.
L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition will be available in stores on November 15.
Posted in News
Tagged L.A. Noire, PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Christina Hendricks, Sean Faris to star in Need For Speed: The Run
Before Castle, Nathan Fillion starred in Drive, a TV show about an illicit cross-country road race. Today, EA has announced that his Firefly nemesis, Christina Hendricks, will star in Need For Speed: The Run, a game about an illicit cross-country road race.
Hendricks, who also stars in Mad Men and Ryan Gosling’s new flick (also coincidentally titled Drive), will be joined by Sean Faris (Ben from The Vampire Diaries) in the game.
Sean Faris is Jack Rourke, one of the best drivers around. Jack’s cockiness and arrogance has led him into a debt he can’t repay. The mob has put a price on his head, and it’s a lofty one. Christina Hendricks stars as Sam Harper, a woman with ambition, street smarts and a penchant for lightning fast cars. Sam is the only person who can help Jack. Sam fronts Jack’s buy-in for The Run, a cut-throat coast-to-coast race from San Francisco to New York with a prize of $25 million. With Sam as his eyes and ears, all Jack needs to do is win.
A demo of Need For Speed: The Run was just added to the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store. The full game will be available for the 3DS, PC, PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 on November 15.
Street Fighter X Tekken coming March 6; new details, special edition announced
The biggest battle royale since Mario took on Sonic now has an official release date. Capcom used this year’s New York Comic-Con to confirm that Street Fighter X Tekken will be available for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Vita on March 6, 2012. A PC version will be released at a later date.
In addition to the release date, Capcom has unveiled a ton of new gameplay details in an informative six-minute trailer which you can view after the break.
A new “Gem System” will ensure that no two players will play the same way, even if they choose the same character. Dozens of Gems, which fit into five categories (Attack, Defense, Speed, Balance and Cross Gauge), are available to customize each fighter. And the best way to get a jump on the competition is with the Street Fighter X Tekken Special Edition, which will include 36 Gems.
Oh, did I mention Capcom announced a Special Edition for Street Fighter X Tekken? Because they did, and it is awesome. Besides the Gems and a copy of the game, the Special Edition will include a prequel comic created by Udon and a five-inch coin bank shaped like an arcade cabinet (a disclaimer dashes our hope of true handheld play as the cabinet is NOT PLAYABLE according to Capcom).
And if you look close, Capcom also accidentally announced a Vita launch window. Way to go guys. (more…)
Batman: Arkham City launch trailer is packed with supervillains
The release of Batman: Arkham City is just a few days away, so check out the game’s outstanding launch trailer above to further get yourself in the mood. A (literal) murderers row of supervillains is paraded through the trailer, ensuring that Batman will likely need to put a beatdown on your favorite. There’s Hugo Strange, Catwoman, Two-Face, The Joker, Bane, Solomon Grundy, The Riddler, Mr. Freeze, The Penguin, Talia al Ghul, Poison Ivy, and a few that I probably missed.
Batman: Arkham City will hit store shelves on October 18 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 (a PC version is set for November). If you watch the launch trailer on a continuous loop from now until then, you’d be able to view it about 2,121 times.
I can think of worse ways to spend a weekend.
Posted in News
Tagged Batman: Arkham City, PC, PS3, Xbox 360