Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Features
Nostalgia Goes A Long Way at Art of Video Games Exhibit
The Smithsonian American Art Museum was full of a new kind of art this weekend: “The Art of Video Games,” their newest exhibit. While many joked about the absence of Roger Ebert, mostly there was an atmosphere of awe and reverence. It was a relief to see this much-contested medium celebrated instead of seeing it as the dispute of some controversial legislature. To many gamers present that weekend, the nostalgia felt a lot like our childhoods: it felt like home.
The exhibit was developed by guest curator and longtime gamer Chris Melissinos, who worked hard for nearly three years on it. The exhibit begins with an introduction from Melissinos, who talks about his introduction to – and romance with – video games. A room to the side has dozens of televisions, showing games in different countries throughout history. Continuing into the exhibit is a montage of some of the industry’s greatest creations: from Marble Madness to Heavy Rain, Pitfall to Shadow of the Colossus. I let the images wash over me, remembering the countless hours I spent as a child on Marble Madness alone. (more…)
GameFest: Pioneers of the Gaming Industry Talk, We Listen
GameFest, a three-day festival to commemorate the opening of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s “Art of Video Games” exhibit, was held last weekend. The exhibit itself will run from March 16th to September 30th, 2012, with a ten-city tour planned for 2012-2013. But all weekend long, excited participants were able to play games, go to talks by important members of the industry, and attend performances of video game-inspired music. It was inspirational, memorable, and most importantly, a complete blast. (more…)
The Games of March 2012
There’s a lot of excitement going on at Warp Zoned for the month of March! It looks like Mass Effect 3 is a staff favorite, along with the latest Kid Icarus and Tales games. We’re going in like an N7-lion and coming out like a slaughtered lamb from Silent Hill in this latest edition of what we’re planning on playing! (more…)
Warpback: What We Played in February 2012
February was a mix here at Warp Zoned – some of us were delving into old games while others were on their shiny new Vitas, tearing things up and forgetting to do things like eat and sleep. We went everywhere from Silent Hill to Springfield, hanging out with Lightning and the Prince of the Cosmos. Read on to find out more about exactly what we did during this extended leap month. (more…)
Video Game or Videogame? Answering the Most Important Question of Our Time
An edited and updated version of this article is now available at Video Game Canon.
Walk over to your media shelf and pick up a copy of Wii Sports or Halo 3 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Odds are at least one of these titles will be in your collection. What do you call the item in your hand? Some people consider these items part of the “interactive entertainment” medium, but most of us just call them video games. Or are they videogames? Though they’ve existed for over forty years, no one has ever answered the question video game or videogame? (more…)
The Games of February 2012
February has a lot going on that brings love and happiness to the hearts of gamers everywhere! There’s a little something for everyone, whether you like RPGs or QTEs. And let’s not forget what we know most of you will be doing – cuddling up with your sweet new Vitas. What will the Warp Zoned staff be playing and cuddling up with this month? Read on to find out! (more…)
Warpback: What We Played in January 2012
January of 2012 wasn’t as impressive as it has been the last few years, but we here at Warp Zoned didn’t let that get us down. We were still busy playing demos, getting excited about the future, and – as always – digging through our backlogs to clear space on our shelf for all those new games. Read on to find out exactly what we played in the post-holiday gaming season. (more…)
The Games of January 2012
Are you ready for some new games? After a particularly dry December, gamemakers have returned from the holidays with… a mostly dry January. But there’s still a few gems to be found in the next four weeks. At least, we hope they’ll be gems… (more…)