Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Xbox 360
Uncharted 4 discovers the top spot on the NPD’s list of best-selling games for May 2016
The NPD Group has revealed their tally of the best-selling games from May 2016, and four new titles were battling it out for the top spot. But ultimately, Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End bested them all for the #1 spot on the list.
The three shooters that made the month of May a very crowded time for fans of the genre slotted in just behind Uncharted 4, and id Software’s Doom claimed the silver medal as the runner-up. And in the duel for the “Hero Shooter” crown, Blizzard took the first round as strong sales for Overwatch ensured a finish in the #3 spot. That means Gearbox had to settle for a bit less of the market thanks to Battleborn‘s fourth place debut.
Overall, the retail side of the industry did very well in May, which NPD’s Liam Callahan explained to GamesIndustry.biz: “Overall trends across new physical software, hardware, and accessories in May 2016 rose by 4%, or $19.3 million, due to 18% growth of new physical software, which offset the 10% decline of hardware, and the 2% decline in accessories”.
A complete look at last month’s best-selling retail games (which also includes Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, Dark Souls III, and others) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Battleborn, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Dark Souls III, Doom (2016), Grand Theft Auto V, Minecraft, MLB The Show 16, NBA 2K16, NPD, Overwatch, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Xbox Store Today: Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, Minecraft Story Mode Ep6, Soul Axiom, more
“Follow Faith, a daring free runner, as she fights for freedom in the city of Glass.”
This short sentence should be enough to put a smile on the face of anyone who was a fan of 2008’s Mirror’s Edge. And that’s because Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is now available to download for the Xbox One through the Xbox Games Store. Also now available to download is the continuing adventures of Jesse and his/her Order of the Stone in Minecraft: Story Mode. Telltale released the sixth episode, “A Portal To Mystery,” this week, and future episodes will be available soon.
Finally this week, Wales Interactive’s first-person adventure game, Soul Axiom, has been added to the Xbox Games Store for the Xbox One. Billed as a “cyber-thriller” by the developer, Soul Axiom will give players the chance to solve puzzles, manipulate the environment, and explore their digital afterlife.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Minecraft: Story Mode, Mirror's Edge: Catalyst
FIFA 17 will use the Frostbite Engine for the first time when it launches this September
Soccer fans will have an all-new FIFA experience to try out this Fall, as EA Sports has announced that FIFA 17 will be developed using the publisher’s Frostbite Engine for the first time. In development at EA Vancouver, the publisher believes their Frostbite technology will add “depth and emotion” to the pitch when FIFA 17 is released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this September.
“Frostbite unlocks a whole new world of possibilities for the FIFA franchise and its fans,” said David Rutter, the Executive Producer on the FIFA franchise. “We have never been as excited as we are today about the future of football and the experiences we are going to deliver in FIFA 17.”
To create the most authentic game possible, EA Sports also recruited four world-class players to lend their expertise to the EA Vancouver team: James Rodriguez of Real Madrid, Anthony Martial of Manchester United, Eden Hazard of Chelsea FC, and Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund. We’ll get our first look at FIFA 17’s evolution during the EA’s EA Play E3 Presentation on Sunday, June 12, at 4:00 PM.
The Frostbite-powered FIFA 17 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 27. The game will also be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360, though without any of the improvements found in the new-generation version.
Hoth is hopping in this Empire Strikes Back Character Pack trailer for Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Get out your parkas and your mittens, WB Games is heading back to Hoth for the latest Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens Character Trailer.
This time around, the action focuses on the Empire Strikes Back Character Pack, which will be included in the Deluxe Edition as a pre-order bonus. The pack will include eight characters, each decked out in their finest Winter wear: “Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia in cold weather gear; the cybernetic Lobot and the Ugnaughts of Cloud City; and deadly bounty hunters Bossk, Dengar, and Boba Fett (in his original white armor).”
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the Empire Strikes Back Character Pack, will launch on June 28, though the Deluxe Edition is only in the works for the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360. However, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens will also be available for the 3DS, PC, Vita, and Wii U on June 28.
Minecraft continues its quest for world domination after selling 100 million copies
Two years ago, Microsoft spent $2.5 billion to acquire Mojang and all rights to Minecraft. I think it was a wise investment… as Mojang announced today that more than 100 million copies of Minecraft (106,859,714 to be exact) have been sold since the game’s original release.
According to a nifty infographic on Mojang’s blog, the mobile version of Minecraft appears to be the most popular around the world. But over on the game’s official website, we can see that exactly 23,540,997 have been sold for the PC. That leaves console editions for the PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One to pick up the rest of the slack.
All told, more than 40 million people play Minecraft at least once a month, and that number probably won’t slow down anytime soon… more than 53,000 copies of the game are still sold each and every month.
Most Call of Duty: Black Ops III owners can now purchase “The Giant” Zombies map
Activision and Treyarch have announced that “The Giant,” a Zombies map that was previously only accessible by players who pre-ordered Call of Duty: Black Ops III, is now available as a standalone download for $5.99.
“The Giant” map, which is a remake of “Der Riese” and follows Dempsey, Richtofen, Nikolai, and Takeo as they battle the undead in a secret research facility, can now be purchased on the PC, PS3, PS4, and Xbox One. According to the Activision Games Blog, Xbox 360 owners will be able to download “The Giant” at a later date.
And in case you missed it last year, the trailer for “The Giant” has been embedded above.
BB-8 stars in the latest Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer
The time has come… the latest Character Trailer for Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an epic showcase for none other than BB-8. The breakout star of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, BB-8 certainly holds his own in the 30-second clip, and he looks like he’ll be a major part of the game.
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens is less than a month away now, as the game will be released for the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on June 28.
Skylanders Imaginators will let players create their own Skylanders when it launches in October
The sixth Skylanders game is a secret no more as Activision announced that Skylanders Imaginators will be available this October. Developed by Toys For Bob, Skylanders Imaginators will finally give players the opportunity to create their very own Skylanders characters.
“Since we launched the very first Skylanders game, we have received countless letters and drawings from kids all over the world sharing their vision for their own Skylanders. No matter how in touch with our ‘inner kids’ we might think we are as adults, nothing comes close to the endless creativity that springs from the mind of an inspired kid,” said Eric Hirshberg, the CEO of Activision Publishing. “We’ve turned this year’s game into the ultimate blank canvas for kids’ imaginations so they can create and play their own Skylanders.”
According to Activision, the creation tool in Skylanders Imaginators will include a huge number of customizable options, such as appearance, powers, abilities, names, catchphrases, musical themes, and more. But every hero needs a mentor, and Skylanders Imaginators has that covered too. Nearly three dozen Senseis, sorted into 10 “Battle Classes,” will offer guidance and training for your Skylanders creation, as well as “unlocking super-cool Imaginator weapons, providing access to special areas in the game, as well as bestowing Secret Techniques.” But if you’d rather stick with the heroes you know and love, Skylanders Imaginators will also be compatible with all previously-released Skylanders figures.
Skylanders Imaginators is in development for the PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It’s scheduled to be released on October 16, but you can check out the debut trailer right now.