Warp Zoned Presents
All Articles: Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Madden NFL 17 rumbles its way to the end zone as the best-selling game of August 2016
A trio of new releases stood atop the NPD Group’s recounting of the best-selling games of August 2016, but Madden NFL 17 unsurprisingly took the top spot.
EA’s juggernaut is almost always unstoppable during the calendar’s eighth month, but it was equally unsurprising to see No Man’s Sky and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided take up residence at #2 and #3, respectively.
NPD analyst Sam Naji told GamesIndustry.biz: “The release of strong new titles such as Madden NFL 17, No Man’s Sky and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided bolstered console software dollar sales by 8%.”
The remainder of this month’s best-sellers included the usual mix of big titles from 2015 and 2016, with some Grand Theft Auto V (#4) and Minecraft (#9) tossed in for flavor.
A full look at August 2016’s best-selling games can be found after the break. (more…)
Almost three years after its release, GTA5 was NPD’s best-selling game in July 2016
With a sweltering Summer in full swing, game publishers mostly skipped the month of July. And nowhere is this more evident than the monthly NPD ranking of best-selling games, which was topped by Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V, a game that was originally released almost three years ago. The only new release to crack the top ten in July was Capcom’s Monster Hunter Generations, which claimed the #4 spot.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD analyst Sam Naji said: “Lack of strong new titles for the month resulted with poor comparison with last July’s Batman: Arkham Knight with consumers spending 14 percent less year-on-year on hardware, software and accessories. However, the release of Monster Hunter: Generations and the price drop for the 2DS helped to bolster spending for 3DS and 2DS hardware by 44%”
While brand new titles were a rare sight in the NPD’s July 2016 top ten, new-ish titles like Overwatch (#2), Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (#3), and Doom (#8) continue to be popular with shoppers.
The NPD Group continued their foray into tracking sales of digital downloads last month, though Capcom, Mojang, Bethesda, and Blizzard (for Battle.net sales) chose not to participate.
A full look at July 2016’s best-selling games can be found after the break. (more…)
Overwatch climbs to the top of the NPD’s list of best-selling games for June 2016
June is typically a slow period for new game releases, but The NPD Group’s look at last month’s best-selling games proves just how slow it was. According to tracking firm, consumer spending on games was down 20% from last year, when Batman: Arkham Knight launched to strong reviews and even stronger sales.
To make matters worse, the only new release to crack the top ten were Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (#3) and Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst (#5). But that means the path to the top of the list was clear for Overwatch, which rode a wave of support from fans to become June 2016’s best-selling game. Grand Theft Auto V (#2) and Doom (#4) rounded out the top five.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom in June, as NPD Analyst Liam Callahan told GamesIndustry.biz: “After 32 months since the launches of the PS4 and Xbox One, the combined cumulative hardware sales for these two consoles exceed the sales of [the PS3 and Xbox 360] by 40% at the same point in their lifecycles.”
However, the biggest news this month might be the new way that the NPD reports their monthly sales data. Provided a publisher supplies the numbers, the company has agreed to begin integrating digital sales into their monthly tally. Most publishers have already signed on, though Bethesda, Sony, and Mojang remain holdouts, and Blizzard has decided not to share sales data from Battle.net.
A complete look at last months top ten best-selling titles 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, Destiny, Doom (2016), Grand Theft Auto V, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Minecraft, Mirror's Edge: Catalyst, NBA 2K16, NPD, Overwatch, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Nintendo Download: Super Mario RPG, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Zero Time Dilemma, more
Fans of games both new and old will find something to interest them in this week’s update to the Nintendo eShop.
Let’s begin by taking a trip back in time. Nintendo has added Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars to the Wii U eShop this week, giving gamers the chance to relive the classic RPG. Originally released for the Super NES back in 1996, Super Mario RPG is the only game to combine Mario’s platforming antics with Square Enix’s RPG expertise.
Before we move forward, let’s travel further back to… a long time ago. That’s because WB Games and TT Games will add Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens to the Nintendo eShop for both the 3DS and Wii U in a galaxy very close to ours. Players will be able recreate the film with Lego-ized versions of Han Solo, Chewbacca, Finn, Rey, and BB-8. But they’ll also get the chance to go on “New Adventures” that bridge the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.
Finally on the Wii U eShop this week, Telltale Games has crafted the remainder of Minecraft: Story Mode for Wii U owners this week. Episodes 2-5 are now available to download, and players can unlock the mystery of The Order of the Stone.
Over on the 3DS this week, players will get the chance to download Zero Time Dilemma, the finale to the Zero Escape trilogy, and BoxBoxBoy!, another side-scrolling platformer starring the cube-shaped hero.
More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U
Tagged Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Minecraft, Zero Escape Volume 3
Xbox Store Today: Inside, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 7 Days to Die, more
Playdead burst onto the scene back in 2010 with Limbo, a highly-acclaimed puzzle platformer that helped define the genre during the previous generation. Almost six full years later, they’re back with Inside, another dark and moody puzzle platformer, now available to download for the Xbox One. A single cryptic sentence is all that Playdead is willing to share about Inside: “Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project.”
Also available to download through the Xbox Games Store this week is Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Xbox One, Xbox 360), the latest Lego adaptation of the space saga. Featuring the vocal talents of Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), and Harrison Ford (Han Solo), players will be able to relive all the action from the film and go beyond it with never-before-seen “New Adventures.”
Finally this week, a pair of zombie games will shamble into view for Xbox One owners. In 7 Days to Die, players will need to craft a shelter to survive the encroaching undead horde. And Capcom is resurrecting Resident Evil 5 for a new generation of players with enhanced graphics and new multiplayer options.
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 Inside, Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Resident Evil 5
Lego Star Wars: Force Awakens, Star Ocean 5, 7 Days to Die, more added to PS Store
The PlayStation Store received a big update this week, so let’s dive right in…
We start things off with Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (PS4, PS3, Vita), a Lego-ized adaptation of last year’s blockbuster continuation of the Star Wars saga. Players will be able to take control of Han, Chewie, Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, and many others as they recreate the film and go on “New Adventures” inspired by the Expanded Universe.
A second space adventure is available to PS4 owners this week as Square Enix has released Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness. It’s the fifth entry in the long-running Star Ocean series, and development on the RPG was once again handled by Tri-Ace.
Players looking for something a bit more earthboind will be able to download 7 Days to Die (PS4), a “survival crafting” game that asks players to build a shelter and survive for as long as they can against a rampaging zombie horde. The similarly-themed Resident Evil 5 is a PS4 remake of the zombie franchise’s first co-op adventure with improved graphics and new multiplayer options.
Speaking of remakes, God Eater Resurrection is an enhanced remake of 2011’s Gods Eater Burst, and it brings the monster-hunting franchise to the PS4 and Vita for the first time.
Vita owners will have a few more choices this week thanks to the release of Zero Time Dilemma, the trilogy-capping third entry in the Zero Escape series. It’s joined on the PlayStation Store this week by the surprise release of Adventures of Mana, which is a remake of 1991’s Final Fantasy Adventure.
More information on all of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. And don’t forget to head over to the PlayStation Blog for a rundown of new game add-ons and discounts. (more…)
Han and Chewie finally star in a Lego Star Wars: Force Awakens Character Trailer
As expected, WB Games saved the best for last and released one more Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens Character Trailer today, this time focusing on Han Solo and Chewbacca. There’s probably no deeper meaning behind a scene showing everyone’s favorite smuggler picking off a pair of Stormtroopers with a blaster, but it sure does look cool, doesn’t it?
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens is available today for the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Force yourself to watch this Lego Star Wars: Force Awakens Character Trailer starring Rey
Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be released in less than 48 hours, but WB Games and TT Games are still cutting together new Character Trailers for the title, including the newest one starring Rey (with new dialogue from Daisy Ridley).
We still don’t know if her last name is Skywalker or Kenobi or Solo, but we do know that Rey has natural Force abilities, and you can see them all in this trailer. Watch as she uses her staff to disable a foe, blasts away at a few Stormtroopers, and gives Kylo Ren something to cry about.
Lego Star Wars: Force Awakens will be released for the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on June 28.