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Source: Sascha Schuermann / Getty / Amazon Games
While gamers are enjoying what might be the most remarkable year in gaming history, the people behind the scenes are enduring massive layoffs. Amazon is the latest company to let workers go.
Spotted on The Verge, Amazon announced, via a memo sent to employees by the VP of Amazon Games, Christoph Hartmann, that it would cut 180 jobs in its gaming division and make “some” changes to its games initiative.
The changes will see Amazon shut down its Crown Twitch channel and shutter its Game Growth effort, which helps game developers market their products, while “refocusing” its work with the free games it offers through its Prime Gaming service.
“We are proud of the work the teams have been doing, pushing into new areas with weekly content on Crown Channel and finding more ways to help publishers reach new audiences with Game Growth,” Hartmann said in the memo. “But after further evaluation of our businesses, it became clear that we need to focus our resources and efforts to deliver great games to players now and in the future.”
Speaking on the free games that are a beloved benefit to Amazon Prime subscribers, “We’ve listened to our customers, and we know delivering free games every month is what they want most, so we are refining our Prime benefit to increase our focus there,” Harmin added.
It’s A Spooky Time To Work In The Video Games Industry
These changes came after Amazon announced in April that over 100 staffers in Amazon’s games organization were let go.
This news joins the list of layoffs in the world of video games. Destiny 2 developer Bungie laid off dozens of staff, The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog cut developers in October, and Humble Games was also affected recently by layoffs.
Our thoughts are with all of the workers affected by these layoffs.
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Photo: Sascha Schuermann / Getty
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While the original PlayStation 5 was released back in November 2020, Sony just released a new generation refresh of the gaming console, which drops on Friday, Nov. 10.
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Priced at $499 at Walmart, and $499.99 at Amazon, Best Buy and Target, the new PS5 “Slim” has just about the same specs and features as the previous model, such as 4K gaming with HDR (High Dynamic Range) picture quality for vivid colors and deep black levels, up to 120fps (Frames Per Second) with 120Hz output for buttery smooth action, backwards compatibility with PS4 games and more. However, it’s more than 30% smaller by volume and 18% lighter.
Best Buy
PS5 Slim – Call of Duty Modern Warfare III Bundle
This is the disc edition of the console and it comes with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drive that’s detachable to make it even slimmer when not in use, while the console retains its white look and feel with a new four-panel design that makes it more customizable. The top two panels are glossy, while the bottom two are matte.
Walmart
PS5 Slim – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Bundle
The new Sony console comes with four USB ports (two front-facing USB-C and two rear USB-A) for expansion, inputs and peripherals, as well as HDMI out and Ethernet ports. It also includes 1TB of on-board storage, which is increased from the previous model’s 825GB SSD (Solid-State Drive).
Inside of the box, you’ll find a Sony PS5 DualSense wireless controller, an HDMI cable and an AC power cable. While it comes with a horizontal stand, it doesn’t come with a vertical stand, as the photo above would suggest, unfortunately. It’s sold separately for an additional $29.99.
The new PS5 Slim model is bundled with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (digital download) at Target, while Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is included with the console at Walmart. And since Modern Warfare III and Spider-Man 2 have a $69.99 value each, it’s like getting the game for free when you buy the console.
The Sony PlayStation 5 Slim model (Disc Edition) bundled with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III or Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 comes out on Friday, Nov. 10. It’s available for $499 at Walmart and $499.99 at Target.
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Sony / PS5 / PlayStation
Sony’s PS5 is on its way to being one of the company’s most successful consoles.
It was a successful quarter for Sony regarding PS5 sales. Spotted on Engadget, the company has sold 4.9 million PS5 units during its second financial quarter.
That number now brings the total of PS5 consoles sold to 46.6 million. While impressive is still short of last year’s holiday figures, Sony did manage to move 1.6 million units more than it did in the previous year.
The impressive numbers come as Sony (as well as Nintendo and Xbox) all struggled to keep up with the demand for its PS5 consoles due to global supply chain issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As things slowly got back to “normal” and the shortages began to ease up, Sony was able to ramp up production on the PS5 console.
By the end of July 2023, Sony announced that more than 40 million PS5 units had been sold since the console hit shelves in November 2020.
Sony has set an ambitious target of shipping 25 million PS5 units in this financial year, but to achieve that goal, the company has to move 16.8 million more units.
While it seems like a bit of a stretch, according to Reuters reporting, Sony President Hiroki Totoki believes the goal is something his company “can attain very easily.”
The new “PS5 Slim” model due out this month could be that shot in the arm that Sony needs this holiday season to reach that goal, as the PS5 will surely be on the top of children’s and adult’s Christmas wishlists.
Sony Also Moved A Lot of Games
Hardware/consoles was not the only thing Sony talked about. The company sold 67.6 million games in the second quarter; 4.7 million were first-party titles.
The first-party numbers should also get a boost thanks to Insomniac Game’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which the studio happily announced sold 5 million copies since launching exclusively on the PS5 console.
That’s quite a feat for a game, not Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty, which launches on multiple consoles.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
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Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
Portland Trail Blazers forward Robert Williams III is a gamer on the court and with the sticks off the court. The man known as Time Lord is a certified Call Of Duty fan and in a quick interview with Hip-Hop Wired, he offered plenty of insight into getting adjusted to his new Portland surroundings (he was traded from the Celtics in the summer—a say day for this Celtics fan writer), explained the joy he finds in gaming, and of course what he’s looking forward to in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III.
Robert Williams III says he was initially an NBA 2K player but got into Call Of Duty during his rookie year (he was drafted in 2018, so we’re talking Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 era). After admittedly taking a break for a year, he’s been back in full swing ever since. The franchise aligns with the high-flying forward’s NBA travel grind and keeps him trouble-free.
“It’s a mixture of things,” said Williams about why he plays. “It’s unwinding. A lot of times [instead] of going out and making some bad decisions, Call Of Duty will help you make great decisions. Just being able to communicate with people around the world. Being able to communicate with my fam back home over the game—kind of go through therapy sessions. We may get into a party and not even start the match for 30 minutes, just talking to each other.”
With Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III on the horizon, which lands this Friday (November 10), Williams is looking forward to getting as comfortable with the new title as he is on the court.
“I love it, man,” said Williams of the early taste of the game he was granted. “I feel like Call Of Duty surprises us every time. We ask ourselves what they can do to make it better or we suggest stuff that would make it better and a lot of the times the stuff that people suggest will really make the game terrible. We don’t realize it. I think they did a great job. I’m ready to play the campaign. I want to see what the rest of the game has in store.”
If you think Williams dropped a generic answer, he confirmed that he was legit when detailing his style of gameplay.
“I was the type where when I first started playing [I’d let] my friends go on fighting [and] I was the sniper that sat in the back the whole time. I’m marking people. [But then] I fell in love with SMG’s. I really miss the Cooper Carbine [Ed. Note: from Call Of Duty: Vanguard], I miss those bad,” Williams said.
Williams’ gritty play on the court will surely be missed by Boston Celtics fans. His new home and team of Portland are already treating him well.
“It was just tough getting adjusted to the West Coast time coming from Boston,” Williams shared. “But the city of Portland is amazing, man. People [have] been welcoming me. Been trying to find some good food. The nature is crazy, the trees, the wilderness out there is crazy.”
As a testament to the type of person he is, he’s already eyeing ways to give back to his new city.
“Obviously it’s not a celebratory topic, but I think Portland’s homelessness is probably the worst I’ve ever seen in my life, so I’m trying to figure out the next steps to get involved and try to help with that,” Williams said. In 2022, Portland ranked 25th nationwide in homelessness; per Axios, the homeless rate rose 20 percent in 2023.
Williams, a well-paid pro athlete, displaying such empathy is a testament to the type of teammate he is. This is often glossed over by those covering him in the press.
“I’m a people person,” said Williams when asked what’s the most underrated part of his NBA game. ” Anything I can do to help the team. Anything I can do to help my coaches, any given time on and off the court. This is what I am. I know I look unapproachable, I got neck tattoos and all that man, but I’ma cool person.”
Unfortunately for Blazers fans, Williams will have more time to play Call Of Duty since he recently suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for a least a few months (we conducted this interview a short while ago). But you can guarantee he’ll be back, stronger than ever.
Get well soon, Robert Williams III. We got your six.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Nintendo / The Legend of Zelda
Move over Mario. Link is the latest Nintendo character coming to a movie theater near you.
Per Engadget, The Legend of Zelda is being adapted into a live-action film, Nintendo confirms. The film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda has been in discussion for a while, but now we have the confirmation the project is in development, and Wes Ball (The Maze Runner, Kingdom of The Planet of The Apes) will sit in the director’s chair.
It would seem all Nintendo would need to give this project the greenlight was the success of the Super Mario Bros. movie.
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad will serve as producers on the film; shockingly, Sony Pictures Entertainment is co-financing the movie.
Nintendo will finance 50% of the film, while Sony will handle the theater distribution.
As he did for the Super Mario Bros. animated film, Miyamoto-San proudly announced that the film is coming on via Nintendo’s official X, formerly Twitter, account.
“This is Miyamoto. I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega hit films,” the Nintendo chief wrote.
Miyamoto also noted that the film is in early development and “Nintendo itself heavily involved in the production,” plus “it will take time until its completion.”
X Reacts To The Legend of Zelda Movie
With the film’s announcement, X’s video game community is reacting and already fan-casting for the movie, like choosing Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer for the iconic role of Princess Zelda.
Some folks are not too excited. Kinda Funny’s Barrett Courtney, a lifelong Zelda fan, isn’t as optimistic about the upcoming film.
The Legend of Zelda is so far away, and we will be optimistic about it. You can see more reactions to the upcoming film in the gallery below.
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Photo: Nintendo / The Legend of Zelda
1. LOL, jokes
3. IGN’s greatest April fools joke
4. Howling
6. Interesting
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The third installment in the reboot series Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III drops on Friday, Nov. 10
Ready for pre-order for $69.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and Target, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III — for current generation consoles PS5, Xbox Series X, as well as previous generation PS4 and Xbox One — is a first-person shooter with open-world elements from Sledgehammer Games and Activision. Modern Warfare III is the reboot of 2011’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Modern Warfare III follows a multinational special operations unit called Task Force 141. The unit is on the trail of Vladimir Makarov, a Russian ultranationalist and terrorist who wants to start World War III. Task Force 141 must stop him and his roaming armies.
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The game has 16 base maps from the previous installment Modern Warfare II, and also features a new special Zombie Mode that’s open world — a first for any Call of Duty game. Players can select linear missions, which are straightforward and on rails, or “Open Combat Missions,” which are open world. And of course, Modern Warfare III has online multiplayer with up to 24 players at once.
One of the best features is “Carry Forward,” which imports inventory from Modern Warfare II to Modern Warfare III. This is ideal for those who don’t want to spend the time to re-collect or upgrade their weapons and gear.
Additionally, Standard and Cross-Gen are the two editions of the game that are available. First is the Standard Edition, which just has the game. The second is the Cross-Gen Edition, which has the game itself and five different content packs, which includes early access, new locations, new missions, new characters and more — all unlocked.
Dropping on Nov. 10, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III comes out for PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4 and Xbox One, and is available for pre-order for $69.99 each. In the meantime, watch a trailer for the game, below.
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Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty / Snoop Dogg / Cordell Broadus
Snoop Dogg is looking to do more than give out Death Row chains since acquiring the iconic music label. He is teaming up with his son, Cordell Broadus, to help put minority creators and gamers on the map.
Spotted on HypeBeast, the iconic Hip-Hop star and his seed are working together to give minority creators and artists a platform to develop and publish on Fortnite using the company’s Unreal Editor.
Broadus made the dope announcement while speaking at AFROTECH.
Per HypeBeast:
“We’ve been creating games, and none of them has been published anything on a huge scale, but on a very amateur level,” Broadus told AFROTECH. “We’ve been around games for the last five to six years. And Snoop, he’s done mobile games. A few of them in the past five to six years in apps and stuff like that. So we’ve always had the mindset of building it on our own.”
He added, “We felt like let’s really put resources into building Death Row Games and making a home for diverse creators in the gaming ecosystem and be a part of the narrative, the storytelling of what the next game should be looking like. And I keep saying ‘show representation of the culture in these sectors,’ versus us just being the talent. We wanted to make sure that we’re part of the decision that’s being made and more importantly tell these stories from diverse creators and focus on creatives in underserved communities.
Calvin Broadus Is Excited To Work With His Dad
“I think it’s dope for a father and a son to be working together for one, and for two he’s 51 years old. So he may be out of touch with some of these things.” He continued, “And I’m always there to keep him up to speed and translate information to him in a tone that he can understand. I think that’s more important… but just as much as I’m giving him game he’s given me the keys to make these decisions with a IP as big as his.”
Salute to both of them. We hope Death Row Gaming accomplishes its mission by opening the doors for Black and Brown creators in the video game space.
Photo: Dia Dipasupil / Getty
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Source: SOPA Images / Getty / GTA 6
GTA 6 trends on X, formerly known as Twitter, almost every month, and usually, it’s for no good reason. Well, that finally changed last night, and gamers have a reason to be very excited.
It’s happening, it’s finally happening. After years of silence and one massive leak, Rockstar Games is ready to unveil Grand Theft Auto IV, promising to share a trailer of the highly anticipated game.
The news was first revealed via bombshell exclusive reporting from Bloomberg’s Jason Scheirer, and it was officially confirmed with a post on X from Rockstar Games, who is notoriously quiet about upcoming projects.
“We are very excited to let you know that in early December, we will release the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto. We look forward to many more years of sharing these experiences with all of you,” said Rockstar Games president Sam Houser.
Leading up to this long-awaited day, word on the video game streets is that GTA 6 would feature its first female protagonist and will be influenced by Bonnie and Clyde while possibly returning to Vice City, Grand Theft Auto’s fictional spin on Miami.
It’s been no secret that Rockstar Games has been working on GTA 6 while continuing to add content to Grand Theft Auto Online, which launched alongside Grand Theft Auto V, which astonishingly came out in 2013 and has lived on three console generations.
GTA V is also one of the most profitable pieces of entertainment, bringing in more cash than any film or book since.
So, it should come as no shock that Rockstar Games took its sweet time making GTA IV.
Gamers Can Finally Rest: GTA 6 Is No Longer A Rumor
As expected, the video game world has been beaming with excitement at the news, knowing they are going to the first official look at Grand Theft Auto 6.
“No more GTA 6 rumors, we can finally rest,” one person said on X.
“The GTA 6 reveal rumours are finally over,” Tom Henderson tweeted.
We will be sharing that news when it officially drops. Until then, you can peep more reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: SOPA Images / Getty
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / PlayStation
You can now add Sony as the latest company that will no longer play nice with Elon Musk’s mess of a social media platform X.
PlayStation is killing off its X (formerly known as Twitter) integration. So what does that mean? Well, PS4 and PS5 owners used to enjoy being able to share screenshots and clips directly to their Twitter accounts from those two consoles.
Now, that will no longer be the case.
Spotted on The Verge, Sony announced the significant change to social sharing via a message on its website.
“As of November 13, 2023, integration with X (formerly known as Twitter) will no longer function on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles, Sony said.
“This includes the ability to view any content published on X on PS5/PS4 and the ability to post and view content, trophies, and other gameplay-related activities on X directly from PS5/PS4 (or link an X account to do so)” the message continues.
Notable gaming news source Wario64 shared a screenshot of the message PS5 owners are receiving about the change on X’s biggest competitor, Threads.
As to why Sony is making this decision, the company didn’t give an exact reason for its decision, but many believe it has something to do with X’s ridiculous API pricing the company introduced earlier this year.
Sony did share how gamers could still share their screenshots and clips on X through other means, specifically through the PlayStation app, where you can download your content to your phone and directly post it to your social media accounts.
Xbox Also Made A Similar Move
Sony’s decision to no longer support Twitter’s API is not unheard of. Xbox also announced earlier this year that it was removing the feature.
Threads, it’s your time to shine.
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
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After the release of DreamWorks Trolls Remix Rescue last week, the studio is back with another game set in the Dreamworks Animation universe — in the lead up to the theatrical release of Trolls Band Together on Nov. 17.
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Retailing for $39.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and Target, DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is a high-speed kart racing game with local and online multi-player akin to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Team Sonic Racing, Disney Speedstorm and others. In fact, its developer and publisher (Bamtang Games and GameMill Entertainment, respectively) also put out Nickelodeon Kart Racers, a similar game, but with Nickelodeon characters.
It drops for Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4 and Xbox Series X on Friday, Nov. 3.
Amazon
The game features 20 iconic characters from all of DreamWorks Animation, such as Shrek, Po, Boss Baby, Puss in Boots, Hiccup, Megamind and more. It has 20 kart racers that matches with each character. But, you can swap out kart parts for faster builds with hundreds of combinations of chassis, engines, wheels, spoilers and more.
Meanwhile, DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing also features 20 different tracks that are themed for various DreamWorks Animation movies, such as The Kingdom of Far Far Away from Shrek, Isle of Berk from How To Train Your Dragon, Bergen Town from Trolls, New York City Zoo from Madagascar, Baby Corporation from The Boss Baby and many others.
Dropping on Nov. 3, DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing comes out for Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4 and Xbox Series X — it’s all available for $39.99 each.
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