gaming
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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. After launching in 2004, World of Warcraft has been bringing new gamers into the fold as one of the best and […]
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Source: Prime Video / Blur Studio / Secret Level
Prime Video is teaming up with Blur Studio to bring your favorite video game characters to the small screen in a very unique way.
Announced during Opening Night Live at Gamescom on Tuesday, Deadpool director and Blur Studio founder Tim Miller was very emotional as he introduced Secret Level to the crowd.
Secret Level is from the mind of Miller, an avid gamer and Supervising Director Dave Wilson, and is described as a “revolutionary gaming anthology series.”
Prime Video subscribers can look forward to a new journey filled with “breathtaking animation and imaginative storytelling.”
“Secret Level weaves a tapestry of iconic games across multiple mediums to tell a series of unique and captivating stories,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios.
Per Deadline, season 1 of Secret Level will feature and take viewers into the worlds of these popular video game franchises:
Armored Core
Concord
Crossfire
Dungeons & Dragons
Exodus
Honor of Kings
Mega Man
New World: Aeternum
PAC-MAN
PlayStation (Highlighting various PlayStation Studios beloved entities)
Sifu
Spelunky
The Outer Worlds
Unreal Tournament
Season 1 of the series will have 15 episodes and premiere Dec. 10 on Prime Video. Amazon MGM Studios and Blur Studio are the series’ producers.
Tim Miller created and executive produced Secret Level, and Dave Wilson serves as executive producer and supervising director.
You can peep the exciting teaser trailer below.
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Source: Atari / Plaion Games / Atari 7800 Plus
Atari is not done banking on nostalgia. The iconic video game company is again teaming up with Plaion Games to release another backward-compatible console.
If you are sitting on a treasure trove of Atari 2600 game cartridges, blow the dust off them because the new Atari 7800 Plus retro console can put them to good use again.
Atari is partnering with publisher, developer, and distributor Plaion Games to launch the 7800 Plus. This console features an HDMI port to connect with modern televisions and, like the original console, supports Atari 2600 and 7800 game cartridges.
According to a press release, the Atari 7800 Plus is now available for preorder at $129.99 and will be available this “winter 2024.”
Source: Atari / Plaion Games / Atari 7800 Plus
The Atari 7800 Plus’ Specs
Aside from being a smaller version, the Atari 7800 Plus looks exactly like the original console and will allow players to play games in widescreen mode or a 4:3 aspect ratio for retro gamers who want an authentic retro gaming experience.
The console will feature two new wireless controllers, the CX78 Plus Wireless Gamepad, which perfectly recreates the console’s original controller.
The CX78 Plus Wireless Gamepad is available as part of a bundle or sold separately for $34.99. The controller works with last year’s Atari 2600 Plus or can be connected to a PC using a USB-C adapter.
For the Atari purists, a $34.99 CX40 Plus Wireless Joystick will be available for purchase separately.
Source: Atari / Plaion Games / Atari 7800 Plus
The console will come with one game, Crystal Castles’ sequel Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest. Still, if you want to bolster your collection with 10 additional titles, they will be available separately for $29.99.
The Atari 7800 Plus follows the release of 2023’s Atari 2600+ Mini and the long-delayed Atari VCS.
If you want to get your hands on one, head here to preorder.
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Source: Warner Bros. Games/ NetherRealm Studios / Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns / Cyrax
Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns is the first major update coming to MK1, and some gamers are BIG MAD that two popular characters have been gender-swapped, and of them are Black.
In Mortal Kombat 1, thanks to the efforts of Fire God Lui Kang, the sacred timeline was reset, ushering in a new era of peace and making some changes to the characters we know from previous games.
In the latest trailer delivered by NetherRealm Studios, we see those specifically with the two popular cyber ninjas, Cyrax and Sektor.
The first trailer since the expansion’s announcement at San Diego Comic-Con follows Cyrax, one of the six new playable characters joining the already expansive roster of fighters.
This version of Cyrax is a Black woman. She is a young Lin Kuei warrior from the Zaki clan whose skills are second to none, earning her the honor of donning a cyber suit. She also has the honor of serving directly under Sektor, who has been gender-swapped this time.
Unlike Sektor, Cyrax serves Lin Kuei and her grandmaster, Sub-Zero, on her own terms, which doesn’t sit well with her mentor.
While giving us her backstory, the trailer also shows off Cyrax’s impressive moveset, fatality, and animality and should be received as just another trailer to get us excited for the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reign’s expansion, right?
Wrong.
Of course, some folks are losing their sh*t at the fact that both Cyrax and Sektor are no longer men. One person in particular hopped on X, formerly Twitter, to complain about Cyrax showing her face and being Black.
This Is Not The First Time Cyrax Was Black
Hilariously, folks, we’re quick to remind him that another version of Cyrax took the mask off, revealing himself as a Black man GASP.
There is even a website calling the decision a “woke disaster” and alleging that the Montreal-based consultation studio Sweet Baby Inc. was behind the decision to change Cyrax and Sektor in Mortal Kombat 1.
These people seriously need to go outside and touch grass.
Social media has been clowning the folks who are mad about Cyrax and Sektor’s changes; you can see those reactions in the gallery below.
2. Exactly
3. Lol, bingo
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Source: Activision / Sledgehammer Games / Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Activision is finally addressing the giant elephant in the room regarding Call of Duty: its massive download sizes.
Fans of Call of Duty looking forward to playing the next installment of the iconic first-person shooter must also figure out exactly how they will download the game on their consoles, as the game requires a massive amount of space during installs.
Hopefully, that will no longer be an issue or much easier to solve because Activision is making some changes ahead of the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, so COD games will no longer take up ridiculous amounts of space on your console’s hard drive.
The Verge reports that Activision will now separate Warzone from the default download for the annual titles. Players can expect that change to start on August 21 when Season 5 Reloaded arrives.
So, when you hit the download button, you can opt-in if you want Warzone to be a part of that download.
You will also have the option to download Warzone alone if that’s what you want. Other quality-of-life improvements are also coming with the arrival of Season 5 Reloaded.
Per The Verge:
With Season 5 Reloaded, Activision also says that it is going to rely more on texture streaming, and players will be able to pick between “optimized” (the default) or “minimal” streaming. In mid-October, Activision plans to introduce a new user interface for browsing your Call of Duty games, too.
You Will Be Required To Download A Big Update To Take Advantage of The Reduced Download Size & Other New Features
With that news, Activision admits you will have to download a big update that will be part of Season 5 Reloaded. The update will “reorganize game files and add new tech” to “prep the way for the full player interface.”
Once the update is done, Call of Duty players can expect the game’s footprint on their consoles to be reduced going forward.
With the new update, Activision says that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be a “smaller download at launch than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.”
Hallelujah.
Activision has not shared the specific download size but states the numbers seen on preorder information do not reflect the “download size or disk footprint” for the game.
Some much-needed hard-drive relief.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will hold an upcoming open beta beginning August 30.
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.
The new Madden is here! The latest entry in the game franchise is the biggest yet with all 32 NFL teams with superstar players, like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, Nick Chubb and others.
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Priced at $69.99, EA Sports Madden NFL 25 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is available for purchase starting on Friday, Aug. 16 at Target. And for the 2024-25 season, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey graces the cover of the video game box.
And if you’re a Target Circle member, you can order now and get EA Sports Madden NFL 25 delivered straight to your home for free.
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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 “deal of the day” products, instant savings on select items, three months of Apple TV+ to watch hit originals, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Target’s Deal Days and early Black Friday deals — 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, EA Sports Madden NFL 25 is available at Walmart and Amazon.
EA Sports
EA Sports Madden NFL 25 (PS5)
EA Sports
EA Sports Madden NFL 25 (Xbox)
For 2024, the game has true-to-life gameplay with a number of game modes with live playbook updates, team rewards and customizable avatars and skills; “Franchise & Presentation” features for immersive and in-depth “Team Builder” mode from the NFL Draft to the Super Bowl and a new “Boom Tech” feature that gives you a more realistic feel with dynamic tackles and collision feedback via game controllers.
Meanwhile, sports personalities and announcers Mike Tirico, Greg Olsen, Kate Scott and Brock Huard are on board for in-game broadcast play-by-play, color, sideline reporting and interviews.
Available at Target, Walmart and Amazon for $69.99, EA Sports Madden NFL 25 is out for Sony PS5 and Xbox Series X on Friday, Aug. 16. In the meantime, watch a gameplay deep dive video for the game below:
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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: Visual Concepts / 2K / NBA 2K25 / A’ja Wilson
2K reveals that A’ja Wilson is the highest-rated WNBA player and what players can expect from The W in NBA 2K25.
Unsurprisingly, Las Vegas Aces superstar, gold medal-winning athlete, WNBA champion/MVP, and NBA 2K25 cover athlete A’ja Wilson can now add another accomplishment to her still-growing list.
Thanks to her 99 overall rating in NBA 2K25, Wilson is now the highest-rated WNBA player in NBA 2K history.
Wilson’s rating was one of the many promised announcements, with 2K sharing details about the new features coming to The W game mode. These features will allow players to take their created superstar to WNBA greatness.
Source: Visual Concepts / 2K / NBA 2K25
Broken down by Felicia Steenhouse, Senior Producer at Visual Concepts, in the latest developer diary, players can now look forward to starting their journey and competing for the title of 2024 Rookie of The Year against Angel Reese and Caitlin Clarke.
The W in NBA 2K25 will also feature fully-voiced press conferences, a new Mentorship feature, and other improvements to The W Online.
“This WNBA season has been electric, showcasing incredible talent, especially from the dynamic rookies making their mark to the legends. We wanted NBA 2K25 to reflect this action-packed season and show how The W is about chasing the win,” said Steenhouse.” This year, we’ve deepened the immersion and opportunities for players to leave their mark in the WNBA, as we’ve worked with the league to scan more WNBA players, making it as true-to-life as possible. We even re-worked our engine to ensure smaller details, such as eyelashes and an increased library of hairstyles would be properly represented.”
A Full Breakdown of The W’s New Features:
Pursuit of Greatness: Players vie to climb the all-time ranks in the new Pursuit of Greatness story as they build a legacy to eclipse the best players in WNBA history and attempt career-defining moments throughout the journey. As the overarching narrative of their first season, players will be dropped into the captivating 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year race as they compete against players like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and Kamilla Cardoso. As players bolster their resume with on-court accomplishments like championships and awards, their progress will be visualized on detailed graphs that illustrate where they are in their career and how they stack up against the next player on the GOAT list that they’re chasing.
Press Conferences: For the first time, press conferences are coming to The W, allowing players to shape the narrative of their career and the league as a whole. Press conferences will happen after key moments and games like breaking a record, winning an award like Rookie of the Year or crossing a career milestone. When competing against someone on the GOAT list, like NBA 2K25 cover athlete A’ja Wilson, the questions asked could vary depending on a player’s performance, be it good or bad.
The W Online. The W Online has moved to a stunning new outdoor court in a forest grove, and players can join 3v3 multiplayer games amidst a gorgeous backdrop of redwood trees. Additionally, Weekly Community Goals are back in NBA 2K25 and require a collective effort from all players to accomplish them. These goals now track new stats, like the number of excellent green shot releases and teammate grades.
Game Changers Mentorship: The W Online in NBA 2K25 builds on the Game Changer status—earned by contributing to the weekly Community Goals—with a new feature called
More Ratings
Along with Wilson becoming the highest-rated player in the WNBA, we also learned who will be right behind her on that list. Right behind her is the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart at 97, Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier at 95, Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas also a 95, and the Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner at 94.
Source: Visual Concepts / 2K / NBA 2K25
The ratings for this year’s crop of WNBA rookies were also revealed. Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are tied for the top spot, earning a 90 overall rating.
Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky teammate Kamilla Cardoso, the Los Angeles Sparks’ Rickea Jackson, and Cameron Brink round out the list with an 80 rating, which could change as the WNBA season kicks off its second half.
Source: Visual Concepts / 2K / NBA 2K25
NBA 2K25 season is quickly approaching, and the latest game in the long-running basketball video game franchise will be on September 6.
2K also shared more screenshots of other WNBA superstars in the game.
You can check those out in the gallery below.
1. NBA 2K25
Source:NBA 2K25
NBA 2K25 2k,nba 2k25
2. NBA 2K25
Source:NBA 2K25
NBA 2K25 2k,nba 2k25
3. NBA 2K25
Source:NBA 2K25
NBA 2K25 2k,nba 2k25
4. NBA 2K25
Source:NBA 2K25
NBA 2K25 2k,nba 2k25
5. NBA 2K25
Source:NBA 2K25
NBA 2K25 2k,caitlin clark,angel reese,nba 2k25
6. NBA 2K25
Source:NBA 2K25
NBA 2K25 2k,caitlin clark,angel reese,nba 2k25
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Source: Visual Concepts / 2K / NBA 2K25 / Angel Reese
It’s almost time for NBA 2K25, but right now, we are in the prime of WNBA season, and the folks at Visual Concepts and 2K Sports are giving us our first good look at this year’s top rookies, Chicago Sky’s walking double-double Angel Reese, and Indiana Fever’s phenom Caitlin Clark.
Ahead of 2K revealing the top 5 rated players in the W in NBA 2K25, 2K dropped the first look photos of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark in the game.
Source: Visual Concepts / 2K / NBA 2K25
According to 2K, the studio went to great lengths to ensure true-to-life realism by bringing in the WNBA rookie class to enter a high-tech scanning trailer with thousands of cameras to accurately capture their likeness, facial expressions, and more in NBA 2K25.
2K has already hit the court running and gunning, dropping the first courtside report, which discussed the MyGM game mode, NBA Commissioner’s Cup integration, and the new Steph Curry Era feature.
The NBA 2K25 Ratings Are Already Rolling Out
Speaking of Steph Curry, they have also rolled out the ratings for the Top 5 3pt shooters in the league, with Curry taking the top spot with a 99 rating.
We also got the best handles, with Kyrie Irving taking the No. 1 spot with a 99 rating. Steph Curry, Trae Young, James Harden, and Luka Doncic round out the top 5.
The best defender in the steals category sees the Portland Trail Blazers Matisse Thybulle, who has a 98 rating, followed by Alex Caruso, Marcus Smart, Delon Wright, and Dyson Daniels.
Of course, we expect much discourse from the players and fans about these virtual statistics.
We already know there will be much debate when the WNBA player rankings drop tomorrow, and we will report on it when it happens.
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Source: Game Informer / Game Informer
For decades gamers heads would rely on Game Informer for all news and information video game related, but over the weekend it was announced that the iconic video game magazine would be no more and interestingly enough GameStop is to blame.
According to Kotaku, Game Informer is officially shutting down effective immediately and the announcement not only caught staffers off guard, but also fans as they’ve grown fond of the publication that began in 1991 (feel old yet?). Game Informer was ultimately purchased by GameStop in 2000, but with the declining sales of physical games over recent years, GameStop has been struggling and in a move to save some money the higher ups decided to shutdown the popular magazine.
Per Kotaku:
Staff at the magazine, which also publishes a website, weekly podcast, and online video documentaries about game studios and developers, were all called into a meeting on Friday with parent company GameStop’s VP of HR. In it they were told the publication was closing immediately, they were all laid off, and would begin receiving severance terms. At least one staffer was in the middle of a work trip when the team was told.
The sudden closure of Game Informer means that issue number 367, the outlet’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard cover story, will be its last. The entire website has been taken offline as well. The Game Informer Twitter account posted the following statement online today, but sources tell Kotaku it was not written by anyone on the team, which was still in the process of making sure everyone on staff was informed about the news.
And just like that, it was done. Note, even the official @gameinformer account on X has been deleted.
It certainly didn’t help that the GameStop CEO was a dedicated Trump supporter who seems to bare similar characteristics to the failed businessman/Insurrectionist-In-Chief.
Game Informer’s closure comes as GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen continues shit-posting about the 2024 election. In an email to staff last year, the executive called for “extreme frugality” and criticized “money wasters” who didn’t contribute to the company or its success. He’s currently being sued by the former company behind Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $47 million in insider trading profits.
RIP Game Informer. Thank you for the decades of video game news and info. You will be missed.
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 Super Mario World set available that would make just about any Nintendo fan, gaming enthusiast or Lego lover very happy.
Available for pre-order at Target, the Lego Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi (item No. 71438) is a replica of a pixelated Mario riding Yoshi from the popular Super Nintendo title, which was originally released in 1990. It’s priced at $129.99 and drops on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
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And if you’re a Target Circle member, you can order now and get the Lego Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi set delivered straight to your home in two days (with orders over $35) after it’s released.
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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 “deal of the day” products, instant savings on select items, three months of Apple TV+ to watch hit originals, access to exclusive shopping events — such as Target’s Deal Days and early Black Friday deals — 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.
The Lego Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi set is also available for pre-order at Lego.com.
Lego
Lego, ‘Super Mario World’ Mario & Yoshi
The Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi set is an impressive set at 15.5 inches tall, 10 inches wide and 4 inches deep. It comes with 1,215 Lego pieces that make up big Mario wearing a yellow Magic Cape riding Yoshi. There’s a handle at its rear that makes Yoshi’s leg move like its running, while there’s also a dial around back that makes the dino’s tongue pop in and out.
Available on Tuesday, Oct. 1, the Lego Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi set, which is made for builders ages 18 and up, goes for $129.99 and is ready for pre-order at Target and Lego.com.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.