Warp Zoned Presents
All Articles: Call of Duty: Black Ops III
CoD: Black Ops III does a repeat of November as the best-selling game of December 2015 too
While financial folks continue to claim that the Call of Duty franchise is in freefall, the latest game in the series still managed to top the sales charts in December. Call of Duty: Black Ops III, which also topped the list in November, beat out several other strong contenders for the public’s Christmas dollars including Star Wars: Battlefront (#2) and Fallout 4 (#3). There weren’t too many new releases available in December, but one, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege (#7), managed to crack the top ten.
However, the the biggest surprise in the NPD Group’s December report might be that Minecraft: Story Mode landed at #9… even though the game disc available in stores only contains the first episode. Interestingly, it placed just behind the original Minecraft, which was firmly locked in at #8.
Even with a dearth of new releases, December 2015 was a good one from a financial perspective, which NPD analyst Liam Callahan shared with GamesIndustry.biz: “December 2015 was the best month on record for PS4 and Xbox One, and the second-best for the Wii U in terms of new physical software unit sales. This also meant that it was the best month of total eighth generation new physical software sales.”
The full top ten list for December 2015 can be found after the break. (more…)
New Call of Duty: Black Ops III DLC teaser focuses on Nikolai Belinski and Zombies Mode
Treyarch has released a new teaser trailer for the Awakening DLC Pack, the first expansion in development for Call of Duty: Black Ops III. The teaser is more specifically focused on “Der Eisendrachen,” the next entry in the franchise’s Zombies saga. Starring a very weary Nikolai Belinski, the teaser asks players to take a seat at his campfire and contemplate his many regrets, his belief in destiny, and his hope for the future.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s Awakening DLC Pack will be available to download for the PS4 sometime in February. PC and Xbox One owners will get a chance to purchase it a month later.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III
CoD: Black Ops III, Fallout 4, SW: Battlefront lead November 2015’s best-selling games
Not surprisingly, a trio of shooters took the top three spots in the NPD Group’s recounting of November 2015’s best-selling games.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III scored another big win for Activision (and the Black Ops sub-series) with its claim on the top spot. It was followed by Fallout 4 at #2 and Star Wars: Battlefront at #3. With shooters holding on to the top of the list, sports games looked in for the next four places… Madden NFL 16 (#4), NBA 2K16 (#5), FIFA 16 (#6), and Need For Speed (#7). What? I’m sure someone, somewhere, thinks of illegal street racing as a sport.
The final three spots in the NPD’s November 2015 list include repeat appearances from Halo 5: Guardians (#8) and Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (#9), along with a strong Black Firday-assisted performance from Just Dance 2016 (#10).
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD’s Liam Callahan confirmed that the PS4 and Xbox One are having a monster Fall: “After 25 months, the combined sales for the PS4 and the Xbox One are 47% higher than the combined sales for 25 months of PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware sales.”
You can find the NPD’s November 2015 top ten in handy list format after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Fallout 4, FIFA 16, Halo 5: Guardians, Just Dance 2016, Madden NFL 16, NBA 2K16, Need For Speed, NPD, Star Wars: Battlefront
First Call of Duty: Black Ops III DLC Pack will be known as Awakening
Activision and Treyarch have announced that the first Call of Duty: Black Ops III DLC Pack will be known as Awakening. As expected, the pack will include four new multiplayer maps (“Skyjacked,” “Rise,” “Splash,” and “Gauntlet”) and the next chapter for Zombies Mode, “Der Eisendrachen.” The Awakening DLC Pack will launch for the PS4 first, before arriving on the PC and Xbox One a month later.
We don’t know when the Awakening Map Pack will be released (other than sometime in 2016), but you can get a glimpse at a brand new teaser image right here…
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III, PlayStation Experience 2015
Xbox Store Today: Call of Duty Black Ops III
There’s just one new addition to the Xbox Games Store today, but it’s a big one as Activision has released Call of Duty: Black Ops III for the Xbox One and Xbox 360.
With the latest game in the long-running military simulation series, Treyarch decided to scale the game back on the Xbox 360, ultimately cutting the Campaign Mode from the last-gen version. The noirish “Shadows of Evil” Zombies Mode and Competitive Multiplayer are included on both platforms, but only the Xbox One edition will include the near-future Campaign involving augmented soldiers (and starring Stabler from Law & Order: SVU).
If you’ve completely tuned out on Call of Duty this year, an expanded description for both versions of the game, provided by Activision, can be found right here:
Xbox One Games
Call of Duty: Black Ops III ($59.99)
Call of Duty: Black Ops III combines three unique game modes: Campaign, Multiplayer and Zombies, providing fans with the deepest and most ambitious Call of Duty ever. The Campaign has been designed as a co-op game that can be played with up to four players online or as a solo cinematic thrill-ride. Multiplayer will be the franchise’s deepest, most rewarding and most engaging to date, with new ways to rank up, customize, and gear up for battle. And Zombies delivers an all-new mind-blowing experience with its own dedicated narrative. The title ushers in an unprecedented level of innovation, including jaw-dropping environments, never before experienced weaponry and abilities, and the introduction of a new, improved fluid movement system.Xbox One Games
Call of Duty: Black Ops III ($49.99)
Call of Duty: Black Ops III for Xbox 360 features two game modes only: Multiplayer and Zombies, providing fans with an expansive Multiplayer and an all-new film-noir inspired Zombies adventure. Multiplayer provides new ways to rank up, customize, and gear up for battle. Zombies delivers a full-experience experience with its own distinct storyline.
Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III
CoD Black Ops III (Friday), Need For Speed, Dragon Fin Soup, more added to PS Store
It’s that time again as Sony has updated the PlayStation Store with most of this week’s new releases.
I say “most of” as the biggest game of the week is clearly Call of Duty: Black Ops III, which won’t be available for the PS4 and PS3 until Friday. Players on the PS4 will be able to take part in a near-future Campaign involving augmented soldiers and other high-tech weaponry, while players on both platforms will have access to Competitive Multiplayer and the co-op Zombies Mode.
Also available this week is EA’s Need For Speed reboot on the PS4, which will attempt to reinvent the long-running racing franchise once again. This time out, developer Ghost Games is touting their “Five Ways to Play” system, which will reward players for driving fast and looking good.
If you’re looking for something a little less modern and a little more mature, I want to direct you towards the Cross-Buy (PS4 + PS3 + PS Vita) compatible Dragon Fin Soup, a roguelike RPG that pits an alcoholic Red Riding Hood against hordes of monsters.
Mature is not the word I would to describe Snoopy’s Grand Adventure, a PS4 game meant to tie-in to the upcoming movie. Players will take control of Snoopy in a side-scrolling adventure where he does his Snoopy thing, including an appearance from the Flying Ace and his nemesis, the Red Baron.
Finally this week, Lab Zero Games has released a “Prototype Beta” for their side-scrolling RPG, Indivisible. I don’t quite know what separates this beta release from an early demo, but Indivisible shares a similar art style with Lab Zero’s Skullgirls and should interest retro-minded players with its “Free” price tag.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. And a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons and discounts can be found, as always, at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Dragon Fin Soup, Indivisible, Need For Speed, The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure
New Releases: Call of Duty Black Ops III, Need For Speed, Yo-Kai Watch, More
Are you ready to answer the call of duty? Right on schedule, Activision and Treyarch will release Call of Duty: Black Ops III for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One this week. Taking place in a near future where technologically-augmented soldiers form the backbone of modern war, the game will also be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360, though it won’t include the single-player Campaign Mode. Players in the market for a PS4 will also be able to pick up a 1 TB PS4 + Call of Duty: Black Ops III Bundle this week.
This week’s other major new release is Need For Speed, the latest entry in the long-running racing franchise. Developer Ghost Games considers the PS4 and Xbox One game a complete reboot of the series and has packed Need For Speed with five overlapping storylines and dozens of cars.
The kids will get their chance to play as well as Nintendo and Level-5 will release the Pokemon-like Yo-Kai Watch for the 3DS, while Little Orbit will launch Snoopy’s Grand Adventure for the 3DS, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Finally, a number of games are getting special edition re-releases including Evolve: Ultimate Edition (PS4, Xbox One), Lords of the Fallen: Complete Edition (PS4, Xbox One), and Shovel Knight (3DS, PS4, Wii U).
A complete list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Evolve, Lords of the Fallen, Need For Speed, Shovel Knight, The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure, Yo-Kai Watch
Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s launch trailer asks us to “Paint It Black”
Activision and Treyarch have more or less adopted “Paint It Black” as the official theme song of the Black Ops series. So it’s not a surprise to hear the Rolling Stones classic blasting in the background of the Call of Duty: Black Ops III launch trailer. The quick cuts and big action setpieces are worthy of any Summer blockbuster and it should keep fans of the franchise happy for another year.
While you can watch the launch trailer now, we’re still two weeks away from Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s actual release. Players will be able to get their hands on the game on November 6 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It’ll also be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360, however, last-gen players will have to make due with only competitive multiplayer and the “Shadows of Evil” Zombies Mode.