video games
Why Is Chris Pratt Voicing Mario?
The Internet wasn’t thrilled when Universal Pictures announced very-not-Italian Chris Pratt would voice Italian-via-Japan Mario in a new Super Mario Bros. animated film. But Pratt and those closest to the project, due to hit theaters in April 2023, are adamant that his interpretation of the beloved video game character will have you shouting “Wahoo!” (Sorry.) Chris Meledandri, a producer on the film and founder of Universal Pictures’ Illumination animation studio, believes he speaks for all Italian-Americans in saying Pratt’s take on Mario isn’t offensive. “When people hear Chris Pratt’s performance, the criticism will evaporate, maybe not entirely — people love to voice opinions, as they should,” Meledandri said back in June. “I’m not sure this is the smartest defense, but as a ...
HHW Gaming: ‘Dead Space’ Remake’s First Trailer Previews Survival Horror On A Next-Gen Level
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Motive Studio / Dead Space Remake Fans of survival horror video games, you will be eating at the end of 2022 and well into 2023. If you played the original Dead Space, released in 2008, you already experienced your nerves being destroyed; Motive Studio decided it’s time to take those scares and take them to the next-gen level. It’s been roughly 13 years since Dead Space 3, the final and very polarizing release in EA’s insanely popular survival horror franchise. Motive, the studio that blessed us with Star Wars: Squadrons and a forthcoming Iron Man video game, has been working hard on a remake of the original Dead Space video game. Related Stories After steadily giving fans glimpses of the game during its development, on Tuesday, October 4, Motive Studio p...
HHW Gaming: MTN DEW Launches Real Deal Challenge To Elevate & Highlight Black HBCU Gamers
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: MTN DEW / Real Change Challenge MTN DEW is continuing its promise to help level the playing field, plus elevate and highlight Black gamers in the process. MTN Dew launched its Real Change Opportunity Fund in 2021, “a commitment from the brand to make tangible investment in Black entrepreneurs through a unique competition” and providing winners with the resources, programming, and funding to start their businesses. Related Stories In the second year of the initiative, the soft drink company is shifting the focus to the world of video games by supporting Black gamers and the HBCU Esports League owned by Cxmmunity with the creation of the MTN DEW Real Change Challenge. The goal is to “increase Black representation in esports and gaming” by supporting HBCU ga...
HHW Gaming: Google Stadia Will Be Put Out of Its Misery Jan. 18, Twitter Wonders What Took So Long?
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Drew Angerer / Getty It took long enough. Google Stadia, Google’s cloud gaming service, is being shut down. Google dropped the unsurprising news in a blog post announcing that people who, for whatever reason, are on the service can continue to play games on Google Stadia until January 18th, 2023. Anyone who purchased Google Stadia hardware, games, and add-ons through the Google Store will get a refund from Google, and the tech giant expects those refunds to be completed by mid-January. Stadia Pro subscriptions will not be eligible for a refund but will not be charged as the service begins its shutdown process. “A few years ago, we also launched a consumer gaming service, Stadia,” Stadia vice president and GM Phil Harrison said in a blog post. “...
HHW Gaming: Cardi B Reveals “Stupd Decisions” Led To Her Fumbling Multimillion-Dollar ‘Call of Duty’ Bag
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Cardi B / Call of Duty Hip-Hop superstar Cardi B took a break from flaming Akbar V on Twitter to express some regrets about stupid decisions that have stopped a big bag for her. Remember when Cardi B rocked a one-of-a-kind Call of Duty necklace in her visual for “Hot Shit?” On Tuesday (Sept.27), Cardi B took to Twitter, revealing that due to legal issues stemming from a recent assault case, she fumbled a multimillion-dollar bag with Activision’s insanely popular first-person shooter. Source: Cardi B / Youtube Related Stories “My stupid decisions from the past caused me to miss out on money now,” the “Money” rapper tweeted. “I had a multimillion-dollar Call of Duty deal on the table that I couldn’t take because of court.” She also used to tweet to be a cau...
HHW Gaming: Netflix Is Launching Its Own Video Game Studio
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: INA FASSBENDER / Getty Netflix is very serious about stepping into the world of video games, so serious that the streaming service will launch its own gaming studio. Spotted on Polygon, the streaming giant is building its own video game studio from the ground up, joining the three other studios the movie streaming giant already owns. Per Polygon: Related Stories The new studio — the fourth games studio owned by Netflix — will be based in Helsinki, Finland, and will bolster Netflix’s efforts to bring “engaging original games” to their hundreds of millions of subscribers around the world, vice president of Netflix’s Game Studios said. So far, the company has focused on buying pre-existing studios to invest in game development. This is Netflix’s most s...
HHW Gaming: Skullcandy Gaming Is Back With A Trio of New Headsets
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Skullcandy / Skullcandy Gaming Skullcandy, the brand best known for its affordable premium headphones and earbuds, is reentering the video game space with a trio of new gaming headsets to relaunch Skullcandy Gaming. On Tuesday (Sep.27), the audio brand announced Skullcandy Gaming is back and, to mark its return to the world of video games, revealed three new headsets. Yes, they keep that same affordable energy while offering gamers many features to enhance their gaming experience. Per Skullcandy, each headset will be “offering compatibility across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and mobile, the all-new SLYR, SLYR Pro and PLYR were purpose-built for gamers, delivering rich, detailed sound, crystal-clear communications, and all-day comfort.” So let...
HHW Gaming: ‘GTA 6’ Leaker Formally Charged By Police After Achieving 5-Star Wanted Level
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: SOPA Images / Getty Last weekend video game Twitter was on one after a leaker dropped over 90 clips of unfinished GTA 6 footage. It turned out the leaker was a 17-year-old kid, and the teenager bit off more than he could chew, achieving a five-star wanted level, and now has been formally charged by police for his crimes. Per Games Radar, the unnamed minor has been charged with two counts of breach of bail conditions and two counts of computer misuse. The City of London Police shared the news in a statement: The City of London Police arrested a 17-year-old in Oxfordshire on Thursday (September 22) on suspicion of hacking, as part of an investigation supported by the National Crime Agency’s National Cyber Crime Unit. He has been charged in connection with t...
HHW Gaming: HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Series First Trailer Arrives, Gamers React
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: HBO / The Last of Us Happy TLOU Day. HBO dropped the first trailer for its highly-anticipated series based on Naughty Dog’s masterpiece, The Last of Us, to celebrate the video game holiday. For those who don’t know, TLOU Day (formerly known as Outbreak Day) coincides with 26th September, the day when sh*t goes to hell in the fictional world of The Last of Us. To kick off the celebration of the beloved game that first arrived on PlayStation 3 consoles in June 2013, before seeing a remastered version for PS4 and a complete remake for PS5, HBO decided to say here is a nice trailer for you to enjoy. In the mainly wordless first look of the HBO series, we get glimpses of Outbreak Day, Pedro Pascal as the game’s main protagonist Joel, and Bella Ramsey’s E...
HHW Gaming: Xbox Wants To Help Black Youth Start Careers In The Video Game Industry With ‘Project Amplify’
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Microsoft / Xbox Project Amplify The video game industry severely lacks melanin, and Xbox wants to help rectify that issue with its latest initiative called Project Amplify. Right on time for HBCU Week, Xbox announced Project Amplify. The company describes it as “a video series that aims to magnify Black voices within Xbox to inspire, educate and motivate youth across the U.S. to aspire towards careers in the gaming industry through real-life storytelling from Black leaders and employees across the Xbox ecosystem.” Project Amplify will highlight fourteen Black employees from across Xbox who will share insight on their roles in the company and experiences while working in the video game industry. At the same time, it will teach Black and Brown youth about ...
Lil Nas X Shares League of Legends World Championship Official Anthem “STAR WALKIN’”: Stream
Not only is Lil Nas X one of the most fascinating mainstream pop stars in recent history, but he can now add President of League of Legends to his resume. To celebrate the video game’s upcoming World Championship, the rapper has today shared its official 2022 anthem “STAR WALKIN’.” Flipping between EDM synths and a stuttering trap beat, “STAR WALKIN’” isn’t quite up to par with, say, “Industry Baby.” While it’s not exactly memorable, it’s precisely the type of song you’d expect to hear at an event like the League of Legends World Championship. And Lil Nas X’s personality does poke through at some points. There’s a few fun quips here, like “Been that n**** since I came out my mama/ Thanking God Daddy never wore a condom.” We respect the confidence! Watch the animated music video ...
HHW Gaming Review: ‘NBA 2K23’ Leans On Michael Jordan & The NBA’s Rich History For A Win
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Visual Concepts/ NBA 2K23 Visual Concepts reached deep into the nostalgia bag and did what the Chicago Bulls have done for years, rode Michael Jordan’s coattails for NBA 2K23, and it turns out that was a pretty good idea. Annual sports video game releases are not easy to develop. Look no further than Madden NFL 23, which had a rough launch that even saw actual NFL players ripping the game on Twitter. Despite new updates and features, EA’s FIFA franchise has also hit a wall with its life-long fans. Thank goodness EA will no longer be making FIFA games, so maybe a new studio can bring a better soccer game. Related Stories Luckily 2K Sports and Visual Concepts have slowly got their groove back, mainly by listening to their passionate community and delivering...
