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HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Andrew Toth / Getty / FaZe Clan
Esports is struggling, and you don’t have to look further than what popular esports and influencer brand FaZe Clan is going through. Now, the organization is hoping after being purchased, it can stay afloat.
Spotted on The Verge, Faze Clan has been acquired in a stock deal worth about $17 million by gaming analytics and Esports brand company Gamesquare.
The $17 million is a steep drop from Faze’s $725-million valuation at the time of its special purpose acquisition company, SPAC, merger in July of 2022.
The website also notes that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is an investor in Gamesquare.
Like many entities in the Esports industry, the Esports organization has struggled since SPAC made it a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq exchange, posting a $28.4-million loss “through the first half of 2023,” Bloomberg reports.
A History of Struggle
Before news of the $17 million acquisition, FaZe Clan gave CEO Lee Trink the boot. The Esports organization boasted big names like Lil Yachty and LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, as members and NBA hooper Ben Simmons as an investor.
The organization abruptly lost one of its most prominent investors, Snoop Dogg, who reportedly lost millions after investing in the Esports organization.
With the acquisition by Gamesquare, FaZe Clan hopes that hitting the reset button will help right the sinking ship. FaZe Clan’s leadership is reverting to its original leadership structure.
Richard “Faze Banks” Bengtson will serve as CEO, Thomas “Faze Temperrr” Oliveira will become president, and Yousef “Faze Apex” Abdelfattah will take over as COO.
Via a press release, FaZe Clan says it will be “re-engaging with its core fanbase” in hopes that it will return the organization to the top of Esports relevancy.
We shall see if this all works out for the once mega-popular Esports organization.
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Photo: Andrew Toth / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Blizzard Entertainment / Diablo IV
Still on the fence about entering Sanctuary and taking down Lilith? Well, thanks to Xbox Free Play Days, you can take the game for a spin without opening your wallet.
Diablo IV is currently in its second season, The Season of Blood, and many players have already taken down the game’s big bad Lillith, but many still have not yet experienced the greatness that is Diablo IV.
Kicking off on Thursday, October 19, Xbox Free Play Days gives gamers a chance to play 10 hours of Diablo IV for free, and when the trial is up, buy the game for 25% off.
Players will have access to Diablo IV’s content, and your progress will carry over if you purchase the game.
In our review of Diablo IV, our resident gamer, Beanz, wrote, “I’ve been through hell and back and enjoyed every minute of my hellishly addictive journey in Diablo IV.”
Diablo IV Is Rewarding Players In A Unique Way
In more Diablo IV news, players are encouraged to donate real blood to save lives and earn in-game rewards to celebrate the Season of Blood.
The new season sees Lord Zir use his Blood Seekers to raid the Sanctuary to procure blood for him using Blood Harvest rituals where players must defeat mini-bosses.
Diablo offers players in the United States residents a chance to donate “666 quarts of actual donated blood (equaling around 1,332 separate donations, with 1 pint per donation) into in-game rewards, while ultimately helping to save lives.”
Once the goal is reached, players who donated and those who didn’t will be entered in a contest to win a new custom-built PC infused with real human blood in its liquid cooling, which pays tribute to the game.
Well damn.
Here is a breakdown of the giveaway:
Tier 1: At 33% participation of the total 666-quart goal, all players will receive weapon cosmetics which include:
Dagger – Bloodpetal Anlace
Axe – Bloodpetal Sever
Necro Offhand – Bloodpetal Heart
Sword – Bloodpetal Blade
Druid Staff – Bloodpetal Bludgeon
Tier 2: At 66% participation, all players will receive the aforementioned rewards plus The Loch Raeth Maor Barbarian armor set.
Tier 3: At 100% participation, all players will receive the aforementioned rewards plus the Vermilion Eye Piebald mount, and the custom real human blood-infused PC sweepstakes will become available to enter.
So what are you waiting for? Download the gamer and start a journey in Sanctuary to spill some demon blood and guts.
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Photo: Blizzard Entertainment / Diablo IV
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Ubisoft’s epic dance game is back with Just Dance 2024, the fifteenth installment in the series, which features new hits songs from 40 recording artists, including Britney Spears, Bruno Mars, BTS, Billie Eilish and others.
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Retailing for $59.99 on Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and Target, Just Dance 2024 is a motion-control rhythm dance game where players mimic dance moves to chart-topping hits for more points. The higher you level up, the harder the dance moves get.
The game drops on Tuesday (Oct. 24) for Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Please note that game boxes include only a download code and doesn’t contain a physical cartridge or disc copies.
Ubisoft/Amazon
In addition, if you order Just Dance 2024 from Amazon, you’ll get an exclusive “mythological pack” to customize your dancer for free. It comes with a number of digital items, such as a new avatar, background, border, victory celebration and more.
The game features new characters and universes, while original pop songs are included in the 2024 edition. Just Dance 2024 also has 40 new tracks, including “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “Tití Me Preguntó” by Bad Bunny, “How You Like That” by BLACKPINK, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston, “Chaise Longue” by Wet Leg, “I Am My Own Muse” by Fall Out Boy, “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo and much more. Check out a complete playlist here.
Meanwhile, since Just Dance 2024 is about to drop, the previous game in the series — Just Dance 2023 — is heavily discounted at Amazon. Last year’s dance game — which features music from Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Doja Cat and more — goes for just $9.99, or $50 off, for Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. This is a whopping 83% savings.
Ubisoft’s Just Dance 2024 for Nintendo Switch, PS5 or Xbox Series X/S comes out on Oct. 24 for $59.99. It’s available for pre-order now.
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Ever since the first Super Mario Bros. game back in 1985, Mario became best known for 2D adventures. And after more than 10 years since the release of the last side-scrolling platform game, New Super Mario Bros. U for Nintendo Wii U, Mario is back in 2D with Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
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Exclusively for Nintendo Switch, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is priced at $59.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and Target. This game features Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Toad, Toadette, Nabbit and Yoshi (four colors) as playable characters. However, instead of an adventure in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and friends find themselves in the Flower Kingdom.
Nintendo
As for the game’s story, Mario, Luigi and friends make a trip to the Flower Kingdom to visit Prince Florian. However, during their visit, Bowser, Bowser Jr. and Kamek surprise attack the kingdom to kidnap the prince and steal the magical Wonder Flower. You must pick your favorite character, rescue the prince, get the Wonder Flower back and restore peace and order to the Flower Kingdom.
In addition, there are new power-ups and abilities for Super Mario Bros. Wonder — Elephant Fruit will turn you into a stampeding elephant, a Bubble Flower allows you to trap enemies in floating bubbles, a Drill Mushroom can help you navigate through levels and a special Wonder Flower can turn any level into delightfully, trippy chaos.
After playing a few levels, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a joyful throwback to past Mario games, like the original Super Mario Bros. trilogy, Super Mario World, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and others, but updated with modern graphics and animations, as well as up to four multi-player co-op — local and online. This adds a new wrinkle to the gameplay and mechanics since you’re playing with and against each other in a common goal to clear levels. In other words, it plays like Super Mario Bros., but looks and feels like Super Smash Bros. at the same time.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder for Nintendo Switch is out now for $59.99.
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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the third installment of Sony Interactive Entertainment and Insomniac Games’ very popular Spider-Man game series and it drops on Thursday (Oct. 20).
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Available for pre-order for $69-$70 on Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and Target, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for PS5 finds Peter Parker and Miles Morales joining forces to defeat Kraven The Hunter, who has claimed Manhattan as his latest hunting ground.
Additionally, Sony is bundling the new game with a limited-edition Spider-Man and Venom PlayStation 5 console (disc edition) — which is available at Best Buy for $600.
Amazon/Sony
As for the game itself, this is a new open-world action adventure game with an expanded map from the first two games in the franchise. This time gamers can explore Brooklyn and Queens, in addition to Manhattan, while they can switch freely between playing as Parker or Morales at any point. There are new abilities to use, including Web Wings, Parker’s Symbiote suit and more.
It also features Spider-Man mainstays, such as Venom, Lizard, Sandman, Mary Jane Watson, J. Jonah Jameson, Rio Morales, Norman Osborn and others.
This is the “Launch Edition” of the game, which comes with a number of upgrades, suits and bonuses that are already unlocked for gamers. These include Peter Parker’s Arachknight Suit, Miles Morales’ Shadow-Spider Suit, the Web Grabber Gadget and much more.
Meanwhile, Sony and Marvel have partnered with Adidas for the Peter Parker Advanced Suit and Venom collection, which features new Ultra 4D (for men and women) and Ultraboost J (for kids) sneakers with Spider-Man red and blue colorways and Venom black midsoles.
Adidas
They look as if Venom is slowly taking over Spidey. The collection — which also features football cleats, sweatshirts, compression tights and more — is also available for purchase on Oct. 20 (click here for early access).
In fact, Marvel has also partnered with Warby Parker for new pairs of Spider-Man-inspired frames, BAIT for new Spidey and Venom tees, Wheaties for new cereal boxes and other brands.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for PS5 drops on Oct. 20 for $69-$70. It’s available for pre-order now.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: NurPhoto / Getty / PS5 / PlayStation 5
Cloud streaming on the PS5 is finally here, and it could alleviate one major headache when utilizing space on your console.
In a recent blog post, Sony broke bread about the cloud streaming feature now available for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers.
Information about the new feature, including bandwidth recommendations, stands out the most and is not as demanding as some believed it would be.
Per the blog post, Sony recommends 52Mbps for 4K, 38Mbps for 1440p, 23Mbps for 1080p, and 13Mbps for 720p. The recommended settings sit at HDR or SDR at 60Hz; at minimum, the bandwidth drops to 5Mbps for 720p and 38Mbps for 4K.
Another notable tidbit from the blog post is the information we were already privy to: you can only stream PS5 games on your PS5 console.
No games can be streamed on the soon-to-be-released PlayStation Portal companion device, which only allows you to play games over Wi-Fi locally.
Cloud streaming is currently available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers in Japan enjoy the new features, while European subscribers will see it go live on October 23, and folks in the United States have to wait till October 30.
This could be a helpful game-changer for PS5 console owners and make the PlayStation Plus Premium subscription look even more attractive and worth its asking price.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Grand Theft Auto
Finally, there is some Grand Theft Auto news; unfortunately, it has nothing to do with GTA 6.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Netflix Games is trying hard to secure a Grand Theft Auto game on its service in an attempt to bolster its lineup of original games after acquiring several development studios.
The WSJ reports that Netflix Games “discussed plans” to drop a Grand Theft Auto game on its service by securing a licensing deal with Rockstar Games parent company, Take-Two Interactive.
What would that game look like? That remains to be seen, but according to IGN, it will likely be a mobile title.
Per IGN:
As things now stand, any GTA spin-off that ended up on Netflix would inevitably be a mobile game, as currently the only way to play Netflix’s portfolio is through its mobile app. The report suggests that Netflix hopes to eventually expand its library to include games that can be streamed from TV or PC.
According to one analyst speaking to the WSJ, Netflix has spent about $1 billion on games so far. And it seems to be aiming to hire more game executives to oversee a foray into AAA titles. But there’s currently no good way to tell exactly how well that investment is paying off for the company, or whether it ever will.
Netflix Games Is A Pure Struggle
It’s clear Netflix is looking for a win for its Netflix Games service. Since launching in 2022, the service has yet to take off. IGN reports that 20 games on the service have been downloaded 70.5 million times.
That’s a drop in the bucket compared to other mobile game downloads. Apptopia claims only 1% of Netflix subscribers enjoy Netflix Games daily.
We shall see if Netflix Games can land its golden goose.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
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If you gotta go fast, then Sega has good news for you — the video game company is releasing Sonic Superstars, their newest 2D platform Sonic game and the first since Sonic Mania in 2017, across consoles.
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Priced at $59.99 on Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and Target, Sonic Superstars is a new 2D side-scrolling adventure that features Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles “Tails” Prower, Knuckles the Echidna and Amy Rose — all as playable characters.
The game drops on Oct. 17 for Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One and PS4.
Nintendo/Amazon
Set on the uncharted Northstar Islands, Sonic Superstars follows Sonic and team joining forces to defeat Dr. Eggman, the mercenary Fang the Hunter and the mysterious Trip the Sungazer from stealing the Chaos Emeralds and turning all the animals on the island into robotic Badniks.
The game also features new Chaos Emerald power-ups to help you clear levels and conquer enemies. Sonic can now multiply, swim up waterfalls, change form and much more.
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After playing a few levels and bonus stages, Sonic Superstars — which also features co-op multiplayer — is a return to classic Sonic games from the ’90s, like the Sonic The Hedgehog trilogy, Sonic & Knuckles and others, while its blazing fast gameplay keeps gamers active when clearing levels. Sonic’s new power-up mechanics is a breath of fresh air, as it gives characters more usability.
In addition, choosing a character also comes down to a bit of strategy because each character has their own pros and cons. For example, Sonic is fast when running, while Knuckles is fast when climbing up walls. Gameplay varies from character to character and player to player. If you haven’t played a Sonic game since the ’90s, then Sonic Superstars is a good one to pick up — if you want to recapture the gaming experiences of your youth, but with modern animations and graphics.
Sonic Superstars for Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and Xbox One is available for $59.99.
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Source: Microsoft / Xbox / Activision Blizzard
After months of court battles, unfortunate document leaks, and social media discourse, Microsoft can officially welcome Activision Blizzard into the fold.
Call of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Candy Crush, and other titles have a new home: Xbox. Friday, October 13, Xbox Wire shared a post announcing the news Team Xbox has been waiting months, if not years, to hear the $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition is a done deal.
Phil Spencer happily announced in the blog post that Xbox is now working on bringing Activision Blizzard’s library of games to Game Pass.
“Today we start the work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms. We’ll share more about when you can expect to play in the coming months. We know you’re excited – and we are too,” Spencer said.
PlayStation & Nintendo Gamers, Y’all Are Safe… For Now
The Xbox Chief also reassured the millions of gamers on other platformers.
“For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play,” he said. “You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here – and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win. We believe our news today will unlock a world of possibilities for more ways to play. Thank you for the ongoing support. We have so much more to come in the months ahead – I’m excited for the future and cannot wait to share it with you.”
With the deal finally closing, that doesn’t mean Call of Duty and Diablo are going to Game Pass immediately. Activision Blizzard made it clear that Modern Warfare 3 and Diablo IV would not be on the gaming streaming service.
Call of Duty Is Coming To Ubisoft+
But thanks to a deal with Ubisoft granting the publisher cloud streaming rights, which helped Xbox secure the deal, Ubisoft announced Call of Duty and other Activision Blizzard games will be coming to Ubisoft+.
“In August, Ubisoft announced an agreement with Microsoft granting the publisher the perpetual cloud streaming rights for Call of Duty and all other current Activision Blizzard games and those released over the next 15 years once Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is complete,” the blog post begins.
Sayonara Bobby Kotich
Also, with the news of the deal closing, current problematic Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is on his way out. In an email to his employees, he announced he is staying until the end of 2023 to help with the transition period.
“I have long said that I am fully committed to helping with the transition,” says Kotick in the email to Activision Blizzard employees. “Phil has asked me to stay on as CEO of ABK, reporting to him, and we have agreed that I will do that through the end of 2023. We both look forward to working together on a smooth integration for our teams and players.”
Congrats to Team Xbox and Activision Blizzard.
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Photo: Microsoft / Xbox / Activision Blizzard
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Source: Sony / InZone Buds
Not to be outdone by its own new PlayStation Pulse Explore earbuds, Sony has unveiled a pair of new Inzone Buds geared explicitly towards gamers.
Sony Electronics is dropping a pair of $199 InZone Gaming Buds, the company’s first pair of gaming-focused wireless earbuds.
When the Inzone Buds arrive (available for pre-order today), Sony promises to deliver exceptional battery life (up to 12 hours of use) and audio at the lowest latency possible.
While not specifically made for the PlayStation 5 console, the InZone Buds will pair with your PS5, the new “PS5 Slim,” PCs, and mobile devices.
Most users will connect using the provided dongle that Sony boasts will cut latency to below 30 milliseconds. For users with the latest Android smartphone, you can use Bluetooth LE Audio.
Source: Sony / InZone Buds
360 Spatial Audio is also an option in the new InZone Buds. The Verge reports setting that all up will require a series of steps that have to be taken.
Per The Verge:
Sound Field Optimization creates a personalized hearing profile by taking photos of the user’s ears using the 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer smartphone app. The InZone Buds go one step further through the Sound Tone Personalization feature, individualized to the ear canal by playing test sounds from the driver units and using feedback microphones to measure how the sound fills the ear canal. Based on the acoustic analysis, the sound is then uploaded onto the InZone Hub PC software, where further personalization can be done to curate a truly personalized spatial listening experience with unparalleled spatial sound precision.
The Fit
As far as comfort, Sony claims the InZone Buds are designed to provide the wearer with a comfortable fit over extending gaming sessions.
The company achieves this goal by designing the buds to reduce the pressure on the wearer’s ears while using them. There are four sets of silicone ear tips, including an extra small sizing because no ear is the same.
Source: Sony / InZone Buds
Can The InZone Buds Be Used For Music & Movies
The Verge reports the InZone Buds that you can use them InZone Buds for other forms of entertainment, but Sony says it has designed them to improve your gaming experience.
Active noise-cancellation is also available to completely immerse you in whatever you may be doing while using the InZone Buds.
The InZone Buds are now available for pre-order and will ship sometime in November.
For more photos, hit the gallery below.
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Photo: Sony / InZone Buds
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