video games
With Arcadegeddon, Two Grammy Winners Take Their Video Game Studio to the Next Level
When Def Jam Vendetta dropped in 2003, Raphael Saadiq was only kind of joking when he expressed disappointment in not being included in the hip-hop fighting game. He’d landed hits throughout the late ‘80s and ‘90s as a third of Tony! Toni! Toné!, produced for a who’s who of R&B, and was just beginning to show the music industry what he could do as a solo artist. Over the next few years, EA put out a couple more Def Jam titles, and Saadiq decided it was time to take matters into his own hands. In 2007, he and one of his favorite collaborators, fellow Grammy-winning producer Charles “Chuck” Brungardt, launched IllFonic, an independent video game developer with a name inspired by the classic Nas album. A decade later, the indie team got their first big break with Friday the 13th: The Game...
HHW Gaming: ‘FIFA 22’ Promises To Look & Feel More Realistic Thanks To New HyperMotion Technology
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: EA Sports / FIFA 22 FIFA’s second year on next-gen consoles looks like it will be taking EA’s iconic soccer video game to another level…finally. Last year we got a taste of what EA could do with its sports titles graphically wise, thanks to the tremendous power the PS5 and Xbox Series X offers developers. We also saw some slight improvements to gameplay in top-tier franchises like Madden NFL 21 and FIFA 21. Source: EA Sports / FIFA 22 This year EA is upping the ante with FIFA 22 and looks like it will be making a strong case for the best soccer video game on the market thanks to the introduction of HyperMotion Technology. Before Tuesday’s (Jul.20) EA Spotlight presentation that unveiled the gameplay reveal trailer showing of FIFA 22’s developer’s ne...
HHW Gaming: ‘NBA 2K22’s First Courtside Report Reveals New Gameplay Features
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: 2K Sports / NBA 2K22 We already know who is on the cover of NBA 2K22. Now it’s time to find out what new features fans of the basketball video game franchise can look forward to. Despite not showing any actual gameplay, which is slated to be revealed sometime in August, Tuesday (Jul.20), 2K dropped its first courtside report for NBA 2K22 detailing the all-new features coming to this year’s installment game franchise and showed off some stunning screenshots of this year’s cover athletes Candace Parker, Luka Dončić and Dirk Nowitzki. Source: 2K Sports / NBA 2K22 As far as what players can expect when they load up NBA 2K22, 2K boasts improvements are coming to on-court gameplay on both sides of the ball, The City and Neighborhood, Seasons, MyPlayer, MyC...
HHW Gaming: Ubisoft Announces New 6v6 First-Person Shooter ‘Tom Clancy’s XDefiant’
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Ubisoft / Tom Clancy’s XDefiant Ubisoft’s newest Tom Clancy game is taking the famed franchise in a new direction. The cat was already out of the bag thanks to IGN teasing us, but now it’s official tissue. Monday (Jul.19), Ubisoft announced its newest Tom Clancy game, a 6v6 free-to-play first-person shooter called Tom Clancy’s XDefiant Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, as well as on Stadia, Luna, and Ubisoft Connect. Ubisoft also promises that crossplay will be available at launch. Source: Ubisoft / Tom Clancy’s XDefiant Developed by Ubisoft’s San Francisco studio with Call of Duty veteran Mark Rubin leading the way, Tom Clancy’s XDefiant is ditching the tactical playstyle we have become used to with Tom Clancy game...
Netflix to Begin Offering Video Games Within the Next Year
As new television and film streaming services pop up left and right, long-running platforms like Netflix are seeking new ways to grow their offerings in an increasingly-saturated market. Soon enough, video games can be added to your “Netflix and chill” lineup: The streaming giant announced this week that they’ve hired Mike Verdu as its new vice president of game development as part of a new venture to offer video games on its platform. Verdu has previously held executive positions at both Facebook and Electronic Arts. No word yet on exactly what video games Netflix customers will receive, but Bloomberg reports that they are set to debut “within the next year.” They’ll appear alongside your current film and TV options as a genre, the way you can swipe through comedy films or documentaries o...
HHW Gaming: Luka Dončić Shares ‘NBA 2K22’ Cover Honors With Scoring Legends Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki & Kevin Durant
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: 2K Sports / NBA 2K22 As the NBA season winds down with the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks currently battling for the 2021-22 NBA Championship, it’s also that time of the year to learn who will grace the cover of NBA 2K22. Wednesday (Jul.14), 2K sports revealed its full roster of NBA and one special WNBA player who will share cover duties for NBA 2K22, the next installment of the top-rated and top-selling NBA video game simulation series of the past 20 years. Taking the torch from last year’s cover athletes Damian Lillard, the late Kobe Bryant, and Zion Williamson is Dallas Mavericks All-Star and global phenomenon Luka Dončić who will grace both the Standard Edition and Cross-Gen Digital Bundle. Source: 2K Sports / NBA 2K22 “Making the global cover of NB...
HHW Gaming: LeBron James Will Be The First NBA Athlete To Have A Skin In ‘Fortnite’
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: VALERIE MACON / Getty Watch out Loki. The real King is coming to Fortnite. Monday (Jul.13), Epic Games revealed that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will be bringing his talents to the world of Battle Royale in Fortnite as part of the game’s Icon Series of skins. The announcement of James’ sharp-looking skin or skins, we should say, is perfectly aligned with the release of Bron’s new film Space Jam: A New Legacy, you know, the film that is not a sequel to 1997’s Space Jam starring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes. When James arrives in the game, he will be featured in three variants. One look pays homage to the professional hooper’s favorite day, Taco Tuesday, which sees him rocking a taco t-shirt and cargo shorts. Another look that...
HHW Gaming: A Crispy Sealed Copy of ‘Super Mario 64’ Fetches A Record-Breaking Amount of Coins At Auction
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Bloomberg / Getty One lucky collector who really loves video game nostalgia has dropped some serious coins on a pristine copy of Super Mario 64. Engadget reports that a completely sealed copy of Mario’s first 3D adventure Super Mario 64, has sold for a ridiculous $1.56 million over the weekend. The collector backed up the Brink’s truck for the best-selling game that is already owned by millions, and the reason it fetched so much money is becuase it’s a mint condition copy. Heritage Auctions states the game had a 9.8 A++ Sealed rating on the Wata Scale. That basically means the game is in the same condition as when it left the factory summer of 1996 and hit shelves and is described as “Case Fresh.” When it comes to Nintendo games, they always seem to ...
HHW Gaming: A New PS5 Firmware Update Is Now Live, So What Does It Do?
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Future Publishing / Getty The latest PS5 firmware has update has arrived. So exactly what does it do? The latest update to Sony’s PlayStation 5 console is now available for download and brings the system’s firmware to version 21.01-03.21.00. As far as any significant changes to your console’s software, we hope you were not expecting those because all it does is “improves system performance,” which still could be a big deal, depending on what exactly is being improved. As to exactly what kind of improvements to system performance? Your guess is as good as ours. But, we hope that it corrects many of the issues PS5 owners, such as our resident tech and video game writer Beanz, experience now and then when logging substantial hours on the console. Some of the...
HHW Gaming: Xbox Teams Up With Cxmmunity To Deliver 50 Xbox Kits To Over 50 HBCUs
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Xbox / Cxmmunity Xbox continues to do great things when it comes to shining light on gamers of color and pushing for diversity in the gaming community. Thursday (Jul.8), Xbox revealed that it partnered with Cxmmunity, a nonprofit that works tirelessly to shine a light on Black and Brown gamers and increase diversity within the gaming industry, Warner Bros and Space Jam: A New Legacy for a very dope cause, and that is to provide Xbox Kits to more than 50+ HBCUs to build new gaming labs. Source: Xbox / Cxmmunity Xbox also revealed that it held an HBCU esports showdown in Atlanta on July 1. One student from prestigious HBCUs like Johnson C. Smith, Fort Valley State University, Hampton University, Florida A&M University, Oakwood University, North Carolina...
HHW Gaming: HyperX & Champion Team Up For New Glow-In-The-Dark Limited Apparel Collection
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: HyperX / Champion HyperX and athletic apparel brand Champion are linking up for a third limited apparel drop. This one will surely have you standing out, even when the lights are off. Wednesday (Jul.7), HyperX revealed its new glow-in-the-dark limited apparel collection with Champion. The follow-up to March’s drop consists of Powerblend fleece hoodies ($75), Powerblend fleece joggers ($60), and cotton T-shirts ($30) blessed with glow-in-the-dark graphics and a limited-edition, throwback jock tag. With this latest drop, HyperX says it wants to “celebrate gaming fans’ passion for style and gaming” while offering gamers “the perfect balance of style and comfort” and noting “the new collection is made for continuous gameplay.” Source: HyperX / Champion “The s...
HHW Gaming: New RoboCop First-Person Shooter Coming To Consoles & PC In 2023
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Sunset Boulevard / Getty Our favorite cyborg dealer of justice, RoboCop, is getting his own first-person shooter. RoboCop made his triumphant return to the world of video games thanks to his appearance in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath as one of the many DLC characters added to the lineup of fighters. Tuesday (Jul.6), publisher Nacon announced a RoboCop: Rogue City, a new first-person shooter developed by Teyon (Terminator: Resistance) that will have you take control of Alex Murphy in a way that has never been experienced before since the character first appeared in video game format. Per a press release, the game will take place in the same timeline of the first three RoboCop films and be “Faithful to this monument of science fiction,” and “will ask you to ...
