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Source: PlayStation / PS5 Pro
Sonyâs worst-kept secret, the PS5 Pro, is officially here, and itâs sparking a social media discussion that the PlayStation 3 missed out on when it was first revealed.
During a very brief technical presentation, PS5 lead architect Mark Cerny proudly helped unveil the mid-gen refresh, which he boasts will give players the high frame rates they have been longing for on a console.
The PS5 Pro features a much larger GPU, improved Ray Tracing, and custom hardware for PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. The companies take on machine learning.
The technical presentation confirmed the PS5 Pro leaks design-wise. It is a taller version of the latest PS5 Slim model, but it has three stripes on both sides of the console.
Via the PlayStation Blog, Hideaki Nishino, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainmentâs Platform Business Group, broke down the consoleâs performance specs:
Upgraded GPU:Â With PS5 Pro, we are upgrading to a GPU that has 67% more Compute Units than the current PS5 console and 28% faster memory. Overall, this enables up to 45% faster rendering for gameplay, making the experience much smoother.
Advanced Ray Tracing: Weâve added even more powerful ray tracing that provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light. This allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.
AI-Driven Upscaling: Weâre also introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-driven upscaling that uses a machine learning-based technology to provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.
The PS5 Pro is also a disc-less console and includes a 2TB SSD, a DualSense wireless controller, and a copy of Astroâs Playroom pre-installed. The vertical stand is sold separately.
Source: PlayStation / PS5 Pro
These Games Will Be Enhanced For PS5 Pro
We also what games will be getting the âPS5 Pro Enhancedâ designation, and they will be Alan Wake 2, Assassinâs Creed: Shadows, Demonâs Souls, Dragonâs Dogma 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvelâs Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, The Crew Motorfest, The First Descendant, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, and more.
How Much Does It Cost?
As expected, the PS5 Pro wonât be cheap; itâs going to cost you a lot of money if you want to play with improved graphics and frame rates.
How much, you ask? The PS5 Pro will cost $699.99 / ÂŁ699.99 / âŹ799.99 / ÂĽ119,980.
Well damn.
As you can imagine, the reactions to the price have many looking at PlayStation with a âyou buggingâ face and asking why they priced the console so high.
âThe PS5 Pro has lines across the middle of the console which are a nod to the lines Sony executives were doing when they priced the thing,â one post on X, formerly Twitter, reads.Â
Another user on X wrote, âYOU GUYS ARE SELLING THE DISC DRIVE SEPARATELY FOR A $700 DOLLAR CONSOLE!?!? WE HAVE TO PAY OVER $800 TO GET THE FULL PS5 PRO EXPERIENCE!?! THEREâS JUST NO WAY THEY THOUGHT THIS WAS OK!!!â
Some folks are defending the consoleâs price.
âDudes who spent 1500$ on a graphics card are telling you that a more compelling ps5 with better hardware is not worth 6-700$,â a post on X read.Â
Another post defending the consoleâs steep price reads, âGet yourself a PC if you got it like that. I just spent $423 on a CPU alone to fix a microcoding issue. Yet, $700 gaming console is just too bonkers for you â cmon now lol.â
Still ahead of the consoleâs November 7, 2024 release, the general consensus is PlayStation is bugging. You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
4. Peep this
5. Howling
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Source: Kevin Sabitus / Getty
In an exclusive interview, HipHopWired spoke with Kansas City Chiefs receiver Hollywood Brown about his partnership with the hit NFL Rivals game.
On Thursday (September 5), the National Football League kicked off its 2024-2025 season with a highly anticipated rematch between the Baltimore Ravens and the defending Super Bowl LVIII Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. The day will also see the release of the second season of the officially licensed mobile video game from Mythical Games, NFL Rivals. The new season is dubbed Year 2 and promises new gameplay features to fans which include exclusive pack drops and an expanded marketplace which fans can check out on the gameâs website.
Another new element to NFL Rivals: Year 2 is the partnership between the game and the Chiefs, organized by OneTeam Partners with the hopes of growing the audience from its impressive inaugural season performance of 5 million downloads and 115 million games played. âWith the upcoming release of our multiplayer mode, and the expansion of our Synergy System, fans have new and fun ways to play,â said Billy Schautz, the executive producer of NFL Rivals in a press release, âand with the introduction of the âRoad to the Playoffsâ and its season-long âreward roadâ, during the 2024 NFL season, weâre raising the bar and setting a new standard for sports gaming as a whole.â
One of the Chiefsâ stars, wide receiver Marquise âHollywoodâ Brown has been a key figure in NFL Rivalsâ first season. HipHopWired got the chance to talk with him about his experience playing the game and his expectations for the upcoming season.
HipHopWired: So howâs the feedback been on your involvement with the game so far for you?
Marquise âHollywoodâ Brown: the feedback has been wonderful, man. Iâve been enjoying the game myself, making me feel like a GM, building my squad up, and everything like that. And then itâs a mobile game. So Iâve been on the go playing it, its a fast-paced action game, and itâs been fun.
HHW: Whatâs the one appealing factor of it for you outside of being mobile? Is it tapping in when you can, you know, check on some stats or need to make quick additions?
Brown: I think building the team is whatâs fascinating about it for me. It helps fans feel like theyâre a GM, building a squad, getting their favorite players â and everyone has a phone, pretty much. So everyone that doesnât have a game system, you get on here and you build your team up and go play.
HHW: Iâm curious (laughs), how do you have your team set up? Who are your standouts?
Brown: Iâve obviously got the Chiefs, and my team is full of Chiefs players. I mean, Iâve got myself, Iâve got Xavier Worthy, Pat, Travis. Iâm just gonna be naming Chiefs players all day because thatâs my team. (laughs)
HHW: I figured, had to get it on the record. How do you feel that theyâve worked on this season, as opposed to, like, last year, with improvements?
Brown: I didnât play a lot of season one, but itâs fun. I feel like the gameplay is fun. It reminds me of NFL Blitz.
HHW: Oh yeah, that was my game! (laughs)
Brown: So I feel like you have a lot of fun with it, and then itâs, like, all offense. So thatâs what I like about it as well.
HHW: Whatâs the energy like for you heading into this new season with the Chiefs?
Brown: Iâm so excited for the season â week one got here so fast. Just excited, you know, to see the guys battle and take on this journey. Itâs a long season, and every week itâs going to be a different challenge.
HHW: So you figure a lot of teams are pretty much going to come at you, but I have a sneaking suspicion that you all are prepared.
Brown: Yeah, definitely. The guys here, theyâve played a lot of big-time games, and they understand, what it takes. And you know, for me, itâs just fitting in and bringing my element to the team, and helping the team get that three-peat.
HHW: For anybody whoâs looking to get into NFL Rivals, what tips would you give them?
Brown:Â Get you a quarterback â preferably Patrick Mahomes. (laughs) Get you a couple of fast guys, preferably Marquis Brown and Xavier Worthy, and get you a good tight end, preferably Travis Kelce, something like that. Iâm just playing (laughs), but just be yourself with it. I mean, have fun and get the players you want, and have fun with it.
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Source: Rockstar Games / Grand Theft Auto 6
One of 2025âs most highly-anticipated games is reportedly getting its wig pushed back.
Word on the street that Grand Theft Auto 6 will no longer arrive in 2026. GTABase reporter Liam, who accurately dropped the release date for the gameâs first trailer, now claims the game will be delayed.
According to Liam, multiple developers from two studios say Grand Theft Auto 6 will be released in early to mid-2026.
Liam also says the PC Gamers can expect to get their hands on GTA 6 12-18 months after the gameâs console release.
Of course, take all of this with a grain of salt.
Insider Gamingâs Tom Henderson is throwing a splash of cold water on Liamâs claims, writing in a post on X, formerly Twitter:
I have no idea, but after looking at what went down, it seems pretty straightforward that there isnât a delay *at the moment*. No one will comment because it can change in a heartbeat, and no one wants an egg on their face and give credit to someone who could have lied, been misled, or passed off an educated guess as a leak, as it could have bigger implications down the road.
Henderson also added that he has âno ideaâ what is going on with the gameâs development in a follow-up reply to his initial post on X.
Liam also deleted his post on X announcing the delay, which could also be a sign that he was wrong with his reporting or that he got a message from Rockstar Games to cease his comments; who knows?
In Other Grand Theft Auto 6 News
There have been so many different reports about this game, such as it being linked to the release of the upcoming PS5 Pro console.
Recently, Martyn Ware of the group Heaven 17 told Rockstar Games to âgo f**k yourselfâ after getting an âextremely low offer,â reportedly $7,500, to use the song âTemptationâ in the game.
Welp, all we can do is just wait for Rockstar Games to make any announcements regarding GTA 6.
The gaming platform Roblox announced on Friday (Sept. 6) that it will roll out music charts early in 2025, bringing songs a new level of potential visibility for its nearly 80 million daily active users.
At the Roblox Developer Conference, the company also said it was entering a new partnership with DistroKid, allowing the distributorâs acts to make their music available in the Roblox ecosystem, which consists of millions of games. This marks the platformâs first partnership with a major rightsholder in the music business. However, the independent artists who avail themselves of this opportunity wonât make any money from Roblox when their songs are used, underscoring the thorny relationship between the music and gaming industries.Â
Artists and labels are dying for better ways to reach gamers â a hefty chunk of the worldâs population, many of them young, who often get just as enthusiastic about music as they do about the games they love. But artists and labels also want to be paid for their work.Â
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Across the aisle, games would love to benefit from artistsâ credibility and add pizzazz to their soundtracks. But they often have little patience for the music industryâs licensing system, which they view as old-fashioned and overly complicated, and its interest in steep up-front fees. And gamesâ success usually does not depend on music industry involvement.
The chasm between these views has limited the opportunities for artists in gaming â especially those who arenât already stars â outside of a few titles.Â
But the music industry would still like to bridge the gap, and Robloxâs virtual universe is a particularly tempting target. Thatâs because it has a tantalizing number of users whose avatars are wandering around, hanging out with friends, or flocking to games like Adopt Me!, where they raise virtual pets. Labels would love to reach these crowds.Â
Roblox chief product officer Manuel Bronstein says the platform wants to help. To drive more music discovery, it will add a sort of audio player that can show users what track is playing in the Roblox experience they are enjoying.Â
As a result, âusers are going to be able to see the name of the song, the artist [behind it], and even like the song,â Bronstein says. That information will then flow into the platformâs music charts, which will rank tracks according to engagement. In an ideal world, charts function like a two-way mirror â they reflect listening habits but also facilitate discovery for curious listeners. (Roblox will also set up a separate ranking that tallies the popularity of music experiences on the platform to help players seeking out what are known as ârhythm games,â where activity is usually linked with playing an instrument or dancing.)Â
The music industryâs approach to Roblox has evolved gradually in the last few years. Initially, stars like Lil Nas X made headlines with one-off concerts. However, these are expensive and time-consuming to put together, and the payoff is short-lived. They have largely gone out of vogue.Â
Artists and labels have also built their own Roblox experiences. But itâs tough to stand out in the land of a million-plus games, and a big name does not ensure a big audience.Â
On Aug. 29, for example, the electronic producer Zedd announced that he was taking over Universal Music Groupâs Roblox experience, Beat Galaxy. Visits jumped up from around 4,000 on the 28th to around 10,000 a day later, according to the site RoMonitor, which tracks Roblox activity. Not bad, except that that amounts to a drop in the platformâs ocean-sized audience. Piggy, where players try to escape a homicidal swine wielding a baseball bat, attracted more than 2.7 million visits the same day. And RoMonitorâs data indicates that there are over 30 Roblox experiences earning more daily visitors than Piggy.Â
âThere are so many games on the platform,â says Mat Ombler, who works as a music and gaming consultant while also editing MusicEXP, a newsletter about the intersection of the two worlds. âThere is absolutely no guarantee that launching an activation will get artists in front of those 80 million players.âÂ
Some artists have had success âactivating in already thriving experiences,â according to Jessie Wylde, senior director of artist and business development at Artist Partner Group (APG). âAnd short-form Roblox UGC edits across socialsâ â clips of Roblox activity posted on TikTok and elsewhere â âcontinue to be a key driver for consumption across APGs roster.â (In the future, Wylde would love to see âmore native means for players to save songs and/or follow artists on streaming services while remaining in Roblox.â)
For Ombler, Charli XCXâs recent collaboration with the wildly popular game Dress to Impress represents a new high-water mark for artists in Roblox. In his newsletter, he noted that âdaily visits for Dress to Impress jumped from 22.49 million on Aug. 16 to 34.09 million on [the collaborationâs Aug. 17] launch, an increase of 41%.â Concurrent users also jumped from a peak of 290,000 to a peak of 641,000.
But Charli XCX, a well-known artist with major hits, doesnât need Roblox to break through. The Holy Knives are interested in the platformâs partnership with DistroKid because it could afford smaller acts like them a chance to find new listeners. âMajors probably donât need more exposure,â says Kody Valentine, a member of the duo along with his brother Kyle. âAs independent artists, thatâs the number one thing we need. If that can come through Roblox, that is amazing.â
The band opted to make their music available on Roblox so that game developers can put it into experiences. (DistroKid artists must opt in to be part of the program.) The hope is that they will gain enough fans to offset the fact that they wonât be directly compensated for any use of their songs.Â
Bronstein points out that if artists like The Holy Knives are discovered on Roblox, âthey also have means to monetize outside of the platformâ â if players go stream the band elsewhere, for example. (Itâs also easy for artists to start selling virtual merch on Roblox, which has been lucrative for some stars; Ombler believes more artists should try this.) But Roblox is âstarting as a promotional vehicle to begin with,â Bronstein notes.Â
Artists only have one career, so they will often trade royalty income for exposure. DistroKid earns money when artists sign up to distribute their music and doesnât share in the royalties they make, so it doesnât have a dog in the fight. For the major labels, on the other hand, giving away music for free is a tough pill to swallow, especially recently.Â
UMG CEO Lucian Grainge made this clear during a speech in 2022. Initially, â[we] were given a lot of reasons why our artists shouldnât get paidâ by MTV and YouTube, Grainge recalled. âPeople said, âItâs great promotion,â or âyou can use it as a platform for discovering new artists.â Technology platforms were built on the backs of the artistsâ hard work.â
When asked about the potential for future monetization opportunities, Bronstein says, âWe want to get there. Once you get the momentum, you have the opportunity to think about creative ways in which artists can monetize.â (Karibi Dagogo-Jack, who previously served as Robloxâs head of music partnerships, is no longer with the company.) But the music industryâs fear is that the opposite thing happens: Platforms get momentum and then use that leverage to argue they should pay even less for music.
Alex Tarrand, COO/co-founder of STYNGR, has tried to come up with a way for rightsholders to get their music played on Roblox but also get paid for it. STYNGR has licenses with all the major labels and publishers; game developers can then use that music without paying up-front.Â
In the Roblox universe, this music comes out of a boombox â old-school radio in a newfangled virtual world. Users either shell out for listening time, or developers can put an ad-funded version of the product into their experiences. The revenue from user payments and advertisements is then shared between major labels, publishers, game developers and STYNGR. âSession lengths go up for the people who are actively engaging with the music player,â according to Tarrand. âAnd we see session frequency go up.â
Despite some of the ongoing friction between the music industry and Roblox, the search for common ground continues. This week, Tarrand flew to the Roblox Developer Conference to meet with more developers. âMusic is a big topic of conversation at this RDC,â he says. âThatâs promising.âÂ
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
When the Sony PlayStation 5 released in Nov. 2020, it came with only one free game that was pre-installed. That game was Astroâs Playroom, a short demo that showed new PS5 owners the power of the new console and the PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller. And but now, Sony just dropped the sequel.
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Simply titled Astro Bot, the new game for PS5 is available for purchase starting on Friday (Sept. 6) for $59.99 at Target and other retailers.
And if youâre a Target Circle member, you can order now and get Astro Bot delivered straight to your home in two days (with orders over $35).
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Not a member? Sign up for a free membership to take advantage of all that Target Circle has to offer, including access to âdeal of the dayâ products, instant savings on select items, three months of Apple TV+ to watch hit originals, access to exclusive shopping events â such as Targetâs Deal Days and early Black Friday deals â and other perks.
If you want to take it a step further, you can sign up for the Target Circle Card (with no annual fee), which offers an extra 5% discount on all purchases, two-day free shipping with no order minimums and more. Learn more about the Target Circle Card here.
In addition, Astro Bot is ready to buy at Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon.
Sony
âAstro Botâ
As for the new sequel, Astro Bot is a platform adventure game with 80 new levels spread over six galaxies and 50 planets. You play as Astro Bot, Sonyâs lead gaming mascot, and your mission is to save 300 other robots from the evil Space Bully Nebulax throughout the PlayStation universe.
Meanwhile, to celebrate the new game, Sony also released a new limited-edition Astro Bot-themed PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller. It retails for $79.99 and buyable at Best Buy.
Priced at $59.99 and available for purchase at Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon, Astro Bot for PS5 is out now. In the meantime, watch the announcement trailer for the game, below:
[embedded content]
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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Source: PlayStation / Firewalk Studios / Concord
This news shouldnât surprise anyone, but itâs also still shocking. Concord is going offline⌠for now.
In a stunning move, Sony announced Firewalk Studiosâ hero shooter Concord is no longer available for purchase following a disastrous launch on PS5 and PC on August 23.
Ryan Ellis, game director at Firewalk Studio, announced the decision in a post on the PlayStation Blog. In it, he tells players that âaspects of the game and our initial launch didnât land the way weâd intended.â
âConcord fans â weâve been listening closely to your feedback since the launch of Concord on PlayStation 5 and PC and want to thank everyone who has joined the journey aboard the Northstar,â Ellis wrote in the post. âYour support and the passionate community that has grown around the game has meant the world to us.â
âHowever, while many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didnât land the way weâd intended. Therefore, at this time, we have decided to take the game offline beginning September 6, 2024, and explore options, including those that will better reach our players.â
The writing was on the wall for Concord due to its shockingly low player count at launch and poor reception. Per Polygon, less than 700 people were playing the game during launch weekend.
According to SteamDB, the number of concurrent players only went down, and as of Tuesday, only 30 people were playing the game.
Concord Players Are Getting A Rare Refund From PlayStation
The game is no longer available for purchase today, and PS5 and PC will be issued a full refund.
âIf you purchased the game for PlayStation 5 from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct, a refund will be issued back to your original payment method,â Ellis said in the post.
Refund instructions:
Steam Store â Steam Store will refund players who bought the game over the coming days. Steam will send confirmation of the refund once it has been processed.
Epic Games Store â Epic Games Store will refund players who bought the game over the coming days and will contact each customer directly to confirm that the refund has been processed.
Other retailer refunds â For customers who have purchased a physical copy at a retailer location outside of PlayStation directly, please refer to the refund process of the retailer you purchased it from to obtain your refund.
Per IGN, Concord sold around 25,000 copies, according to estimates.
PlayStation notes that players can no longer access the game once getting a refund.
As you can imagine, video game X is reacting to the news. Reactions range from shock to not being surprised to compassion for the team at Firewalk Studios.
Damn.
We hope Firewalk Studios can get the game in playing shape and turn this colossal mess into a success story.
Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Source: BeanzGotGamez / Ronnie 2K / NBA 2K25
Do you smell that? No, itâs not the return of the NFL, but itâs almost time to hit the virtual hardwood when NBA 2K25 arrives. After the gameâs release, HHW Gaming got to speak with Ronnie 2K.
Since the first virtual basketball bounced in 1999âs NBA 2K on the Sega Dreamcast, the basketball video game franchise from Visual Concepts published by 2K Sports has become a behemoth thatâs not by accident.
Now the premiere basketball video game after EA Sports bowed out with its NBA Live franchise, NBA 2K went on to not only be a place to take your favorite NBA franchise to championship glory but has grown to become more than just a video game where you play basketball. It is also a cultural phenomenon that literally funds streaming careers.
The team at Visual Concepts is well aware of the communityâs importance to the success of the annual video game, and since then, it has held 2K Community Day events.
Community Day has since grown in scale as the player base of the gameâs online component ballooned, becoming one of the most popular modes in the game.
HHW Gaming attended the 12th iteration of 2K Community Day, where press and 100 popular NBA 2K content creators converged on the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame to get hands-on with NBA 2K25.
We spoke with Ronnie 2K, 2K Gamesâ Digital Marketing Director, and NBA 2Kâs social media voice about the importance of 2K Community Day, overall ratings, and more.
HHW Gaming: Okay. Why is Community Day crucial to NBA 2Kâs development each year?
Ronnie 2K: Yeah, I mean the people that play our game and have lifted up with the content. I want them to be part of the process; I think that was the genesis of why we introduced Community Day. The development team wanted to hear from the people. I mean, you get it on social media, but to have those real-life interactions and really be able to, you know, separate noise from real, uh, you know, feedback. Thereâs no better place to do that than right here. So, we are getting these guys to dive deep, and we still have a couple of weeks to tweak if we need to. It seems like everybodyâs really happy with whatâs going on here. So maybe not too much tweaking, but just having the opportunity to get this group who loves our game, the opportunity to put the news out there, be part of the process, and be part of the content stream. But you know, I think that was the genesis, and it worked really well. Weâve done it for 12 years, and I donât see an end to it.
Regarding presentation, NBA 2K is second to none. There isnât a sports video game on the planet that comes close to this franchise. Thatâs also the case with the online community. How does the team determine what to bring to the MyPlayer mode, keeping it fresh while keeping the community happy?Â
Ronnie 2K: Again, I think itâs allowing them to be part of the process and be heard. I think we do a great job innovating, like you said, better than any other annualized sports title, but probably annualized title in general. We take that feedback seriously; we are our own competitors. We want to innovate as rapidly as we can and try to make things happen. Do we get everything right? No. But we do our absolute best to, you know, be the company of the fan, and I could say that being a fan of the brand before I started obviously working here 17 years ago, We really want our fans to feel like a community and feel part of the process and feel heard. Itâs super important for us.
Overall ratings in NBA 2K have become very important. NBA 2K Ratings have taken on a life of their own to the point they are getting shown on sports networks like ESPN. Why do you think the NBA players care so much about their virtual ratings?Â
Ronnie 2K: I think Itâs a couple of things like one. They played it their whole lives, right? This game is our 26th NBA 2K, and a lot of guys are coming into the league. Theyâre under 26, so theyâve played it their whole life. So itâs a badge of honor to be in the game like be drafted and make it to the game that you play all these years and aspire to be in. Not even the current generation but the past generation, which we put the legends in there and allow you to kind of live up to them. So I think thatâs part of it. And then, theyâre competitors, right? And like in competition, youâre gonna want to be the best, and itâs a benchmark that a lot of people take seriously fans and everybody, our community, to have against your peers. So, I know that locker room top is not maybe about the number, but itâs about how you stack up against people that play your position or similar play style or what have you. I think thatâs why itâs itâs so controversial every year and fires up these guys in a way that you just wouldnât expect
Has any player hit you up already this year with about their rating?Â
Ronnie 2K: I donât think weâre gonna get a lot of that until we wrap up because I think the comparative thing, Weâre up to our top 30. I believe that we still have to reveal, so I think thatâs where itâs gonna get a little spicy, especially that top 10. I mean, the top 11, the top 11 guys, I think you can make a case that any of them should be top three. Like and I legitimately I really mean that. Itâs itâs a tough, the upper tier of NBA player right now is at a level that We just havenât seen before. So, itâs gonna be spicy because thereâs a lot of argument about it, but thatâs great for us, right?
Absolutely. The WNBA has become a staple of the game since NBA 2k20, and itâs more popular than ever this year. With the arrival of Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and their rookie class, and most recently, Team USA Womenâs basketball bringing home the gold at the Paris Olympics, do you think that popularity will transfer to the game and bring in more players to the W Mode?Â
Ronnie 2K: Totally. You see the growth that theyâve had in their media and watch time, and all their numbers are through the roof. We fully expect that to be translated to our game too. We were on it early, right? Weâve had female cover stars for several years, and weâve integrated them through the W in various steps as an annualized title. We canât do everything in one year, but being able to grow the game alongside it, I mean our wonderful partnership with the WNBA and NBPA, itâs really led to the development in the early thoughts on being able to play in the forest that you probably saw with 3v3, like kind of that Park style is super cool and like people are really excited about it. Then, you know, weâll just continue to evolve and find out from their players whatâs important to them, and weâll continue to grow just like we do on the menâs side, itâs weâre looking for, you know, as much parity as we can offer within the capacity of what weâre doing.
Our favorite addition this year to NBA 2K25 is Learn 2K. NBA 2K has not only improved graphically over the years but technically as well. The gameplay has become a little complicated. Yeah. So why do you think, why did you have to feel now? Itâs time. They introduced a more comprehensive tutorial.
Ronnie 2K: Itâs not only that I was one of my favorite features is the, the risk/reward thing, right? Being able to be rewarded if youâre really good and get greens, pretty naturally, figure out shot release timing for a certain build or whatever. We need to walk that balance, like we want to reward the 100 content creators here and all the competitor players, people have blood, sweat, and tears in 2K. But we also need to be able to, you know, please people that are jumping in for the first time or are, you know, play a little bit more casually with their friends and family. And I think that is the perfect line. Like, weâll put it in the hands of the player. Like, if you want to be competitive, go do that.
NBA 2K25 introduces Learn 2K, a revamped tutorial mode with beginner-friendly minigames đ
Full hands-on report: https://t.co/k5qN2wGjss pic.twitter.com/4XoNAOHoMd
â PlayStation (@PlayStation) August 27, 2024
Learn 2K can be used as a device to get you to whatever level you want, right? Like, if you want to be a dribble god, we have what you need in there. If you want to just be able to be functional, we have what you need in there. Weâre allowing the user to take the power into their own hands to be as good as they want to be or be able to just play and feel like theyâre involved in the community and can, you know, compete naturally. We have to think about all of our community and itâs huge now, right? I think thatâs why weâre introducing it now versus past years. Itâs just like we probably have this cross divide of people who played it for 26 years and then people who are coming in there for the first couple of years. Itâs something we have to consider.
NBA 2K25 launches on September 6 on consoles and PC.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Nintendo fans, rejoice! Lego has a new Legend of Zelda set available that would make just about any Nintendo fan, gaming […]
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty /PS5 Pro
The PS5 Pro is PlayStaionâs worst-kept secret, and now an alleged leak is giving gamers their first look at the powerful console.
Itâs been four years since the PS5 hit store shelves. At the time, it was one of the most sought-after devices in the world and ridiculously hard to get due to supply chain issues and annoying resellers.
With those issues now behind us and plenty of stock for everyone, word on the video game streets is that Sony was cooking up a PS5 Pro model, following the same console lifecycle as the PS4. Now, a new alleged leak is providing specs and a look at it.
Per an article on Deallabs, reliable leaker billbil-kun reports the name of the forthcoming console will be the PlayStation 5 Pro and shuts down any rumors of a PlayStation Showcase coming to announce the console formally.
According to the report, the PS5 Pro will arrive sometime at the end of 2024, with billbil-kun getting eyes on the packaging and design for the console.
While not sharing the leaked material due to copyright issues, a sketch of the console was shared. The PS5 Pro will keep the PS5 Slim design but feature three black stripes on the shell to help differentiate it from the core PS5 Slim model.
Other rumored leaked information includes:
Reveal is expected on the 6th of September 2024
Disc and Digital variants â Disc $699.99 â Digital $599.99 â
Detachable disc drive
1 TB Storage
IGN shared details on the PS5 Proâs CPU performance:
In March, alleged PS5 Pro specs leaked online, specs IGN understood to be legit. The headline improvements are to the CPU, which is said to be identical to the standard PS5âs CPU but with a âHigh CPU Frequency Mode. That reportedly amounts to a 10% increase to 3.85GHz. The GPU, meanwhile, is said to enable faster rendering and higher quality ray tracing powered by 33.5 teraflops. The standard PS5 offers 10.28 teraflops. However, a direct PS5 to PS5 Pro comparison would work out at around 10.28 vs 16 to 17 teraflops.
Of particular interest, the PS5 Pro is said to have an upscaling/antialiasing solution called PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution Upscaling), custom machine learning architecture, and an AI accelerator.
IGN also reports that Sony hopes the PS5 Proâs arrival will boost interest in the PS5 before the release of Grand Theft Auto 6, adding that a lot is riding on the highly anticipated game, which will arrive sometime in 2025.
Gaming X is reacting to the leaks and that eyebrow-raising price. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
10. More rumored specs
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Source: Paramount Pictures / SEGA / Sonic The Hedgehog 3 / Shadow
FINALLY, the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has arrived, and it did not disappoint in building hype for the third film in the Sonic movie trilogy.
Fans have been patiently waiting to get their first glimpse of Shadow in action after his tease at the end of Sonic The Hedgehog 2.
To get fans even more hype for the popular anti-hero, Paramount Studios revealed that Keanu Reeves would lend his signature voice to help bring Shadow The Hedgehog to the big screen.
After months of speculation, the first trailer for the film has arrived, and it does not disappoint.
In Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Team Sonic, comprised of the titular character, his trusty sidekick Tails, and new buddy Knuckles (Idris Elba), is an official task force working with the government to tackle threats they canât handle.
Source: Paramount Pictures / SEGA / Sonic The Hedgehog 3
The trio of color and extremely fast heroes meet their match in Shadow, who shares a story similar to his blue counterpartâs, but instead of finding a family, he only endures pain and loss.
Shadow uses those emotions, plus his impressive abilities, to gain the upper hand on Team Sonic, forcing them to enlist the help of Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who now looks like Dr. Eggman more than ever, sporting his signature mustache, big stomach, and bald head.
Source: Paramount Pictures / SEGA / Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Since Robotnik can no longer take over the world, he decides to help it, but rest assured, he will be up to some nefarious shenanigans because he meets his long-lost father.
Sonic The Hedgehog Fans Are Excited
As expected, Sonic The Hedgehog fans are losing their rings after watching the first action-packed trailer for the third highly anticipated film in what has been one of the solid video game movie franchises.
We hope we also get a Shadow spinoff series.
You can catch Keanu Reeves as Shadow in Sonic The Hedgehog 3 when it speeds into theaters on December 20.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Sounds accurate to us
2. A moment indeed
4. Yes, yes he does
6. Letâs goooooooo