State Champ Radio HHW Gaming
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Source: Bennett Raglin / Getty / Wu-Tang Clan
Word on the video game streets is that the upcoming Wu-Tang Clan video game is coming along and will feature an animation style from Sonyâs animated Spider-Man films.
Spotted on Insider Gaming, two separate reports from WindowsCentralâs Jez Corden and VentureBeatâs Jeff Grubb (via Game Mess), more details about âProject Shaolinâ are emerging.
âProject Shaolinâ first appeared on radars thanks to a 2021 NVIDIA leak that revealed a plethora of codenamed project titles in development.
Both Corden and Grubbs reports share details about the game and what gamers can expect from it.
Per Insider Gaming:
According to both reports, the game is a third-person melee-oriented RPG complete with four-player co-op. The game was also said to heavily involve the Wu-Tang Clan members themselves with the gameâs soundtrack and would feature the likes of loot, weapons, and gear from defeated enemies. According to the reports, the game is in development at Brass Lion Entertainment, a new studio formed in 2019 by Manveer Heir.
Insider Gaming can corroborate these original reports and understands that the game is currently in its Alpha stage.
The gameplay evolves around fast-paced melee combat in third-person, with a strong focus on having both music and combat intertwined. Players can choose from four different weapons that all have different and unique playstyles (single swords, dual swords, etc.). Itâs understood that the game features a massive catalog of the Wu-Tang Clanâs music, most of which has been re-imagined by producer and DJ Just Blaze for the game.
âProject Shaolinâ Will Feature Playable Wu-Tang Clan Members
Insider Gaming also reports that all nine Wu-Tang Clan members will be playable characters and that each character will serve as âthe playerâs limited-time buff that will give you ultimate moves, increased health, and more.â
The website also says it did see gameplay footage of âProject Shaolinâ under the condition that they donât share it and that the animation is similar to Sonyâs animated Spider-Verse films.
As for the Wu-Tang Clan, this is not the first time the iconic rap stableâs involvement in the video game space. The groupâs love for martial arts and kung-fu flicks led to the development of PlayStationâs game Wu-Tang Shaolin Style in 1999.
The game didnât feature the actual Staten Island-based rap group members, but they did lend their voices to characters based on their rap monikers.
The members of the Wu-Tang Clan also appear in other games, such as Def Jam: Vendetta and Def Jam: Fight For New York.
We canât wait to finally see what Project Shaolin looks like when the first trailer arrives. Maybe Xbox might unveil it at its upcoming Xbox Showcase next month.
10 photos
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Source: LinkedIn / LinkedIn Games
You can now play some games on LinkedIn before you embark on your daily job hunt.
LinkedIn is the latest company to enter the video gaming market. Spotted on The Verge, the social media platform mainly used by people to find employment and share their accomplishments, will now allow its users to play games.
The company isnât selling games or making users pay a subscription fee to play its offering of three games, Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb, yet.
Users can play each of them once per day, as well as other metrics like high scores and daily streaks on the platform. You can head here to gain access to LinkedInâs game offerings.
Per The Verge, Here Is A Description of Each Game:
Pinpoint is a word association game. The game will unveil five different words, and your job is to guess the category the words fit into. The words will reveal themselves on a timer with the objective being to guess the category in as few words as possible.
Crossclimb combines trivia with clever wordplay. Youâll be given a clue for a word, and with that word as a starting point, youâll create a ladder of words with each subsequent entry being just one letter off from the one before. Arranging the words in the correct order will reveal the clue to guess the locked entries on the ladder to win the game. Itâs probably better to see it in action.
Finally, Queens is the most interesting game as itâs merely sudoku without numbers. Place queens on a grid such that no queens touch each other and there is a single queen in each row and column.
While many might be puzzled by LinkedInâs decision to add games to its platform, this shouldnât be shocking. The platform could be trying to keep old users on the site while attracting new ones.
LinkedIn Is Joining Other Companies
LinkedIn isnât the first company to do this. The New York Times made the jump into the game space, with Axios reporting that its games were played over 8 billion times, with Wordle, which it acquired in 2022, accounting for more than half of those plays.
Users can pay a subscription fee to play the games or opt for the more expensive subscription, which gives them access to other New York Times content besides the games.
Netflix is also slowly building its video game library, allowing subscribers to play games like Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy â The Definitive Edition or Hades.
LinkedIn will regularly offer games on its platform, with Lakshman Somasundaram, its product director, saying in a press release, âItâs time we turn over a new leaf in how we deepen and reignite relationships at work and put fun at the heart of it.â
We are intrigued to see how long this lasts.
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Take-Two
Even with games like Grand Theft Auto V, the forthcoming GTA 6, and the NBA 2K franchise under its belt, Take-Two Interactive is the latest video game publisher that will reduce its workforce and drop projects.
Spotted on The Verge, Take-Two announced it will lay off âapproximately five percentâ of its global workforce and scrap several projects already in development.
In an SEC filing published Tuesday, the company said it was âstreamlining its organizational structure, which will eliminate headcount and reduce future hiring needs.â
Take-Two says that its âcost reduction programâ will see the company be subject to charges up to $200 million, hoping to save $165 million a year.
The website reports that Take-Twoâs downsizing efforts should be âlargely completedâ by December 31st, 2024.
As for the workers, a 5% reduction in the workforce would amount to around 579 out of the companyâs 11,580 employees, which Take-Two disclosed in a previous impact report.
There is no word on what departments the layoffs will happen in or what projects Take-Two will be cutting. GTA 6 will feel the sting of these cost-cutting measures.
Of course, the news is not sitting well with gamers who tire of hearing about layoffs in an incredibly profitable industry.
Oh, and we canât forget that Take-Two Interactive is still working on purchasing Borderlands developer Gearbox from The Embracer Group for $460 million.
âTheyâre doing this a year out from releasing the sequel to the most commercially successful game of all time,â one user on X, formerly Twitter, said.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Follow his lead
9. It better not
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Source: Momodu Mansaray / Getty / Keanu Reeves
Itâs not often that we get perfect castings in films, but according to X, Paramount got this one right.
Multiple sources are telling The Hollywood Reporter that Keanu Reeves and his iconic voice will bring to life fan-favorite character Shadow The Hedgehog in the highly anticipated film Sonic 3.
The news first reported by The John Campea Show comes after Paramount had a strong showing at CinemaCon last week in Las Vegas, where attendees saw some early footage from Sonic The Hedgehog 3.
In the footage, attendees were happy to see that Jim Carrey is back as Dr. Robotnik, who is now depressed and overweight after being defeated by his long-time nemesis, Sonic.
Robotnik regains his mojo after creating Shadow, who is, in every sense, the dark version of the Blue Blur and has similar abilities.
Following a lackluster trailer that first introduced a hideous Sonic The Hedgehog design that Twitter bullied the studio into changing, the first movie raced into theaters in 2020, earning a whopping $319 million at the box office and becoming one of the last theatrical blockbusters right before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down.
Sonic 2 arrived in 2022, introducing more characters like Tails (Colleen OâShaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), earning $404 million.
Reeves continues to stay quite busy in Hollywood, most recently starring in John Wick 4, bringing back Neo in The Matrix: Resurrections, reprising his role as John Wick in the upcoming spinoff John Wick Presents: The Ballerina, and a role in Aziz Ansariâs Good Fortune.
Social Media Users Chime In On The Casting
Following the announcement, X, formerly Twitter, celebrates Reeves casting in the film.
âTHIS IS GONNA BE THE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,â one X user wrote.
Another post read, âperfect casting.â
Some fans are disappointed because they wanted Star Wars star Hayden Christensen to voice Shadow.
If you ask us, this sounds like a win to us. You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. We will be seated for this epicness.
3. Sonic fans we are eating
4. We would love to see it.
7. Howling
9. Yes, yes they do.
10. Continue to cook
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Source: Future Publishing / Getty / White Xbox Series X
Didnât care for the black Xbox Series X console? Well, there might be a white option on the way.
Exputer has shared leaked images of a white All-Digital Xbox Series X sporting the ârobot whiteâ look of Series S. The Verge reports it has seen documents confirming the photos are genuine.
While there should be excitement for the white All-Digital Xbox Series X, it can also mean that Xboxâs console refresh, the leaked âBrooklinâ console, could have its wig pushed back.
The Verge reached out for comment but has not gotten word back.
The Brooklin console was also disc-less, but instead of box-shaped, it sports a new circular design plus a much-needed increased internal storage of 2TB, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, improved efficiency, 15% reduced PSU power, and a $499 price.
Xbox was allegedly gunning for a November release date, but speaking on the leak, Xbox chief Phil Spencer threw some cold water on those expectations.
âIt is hard to see our teamâs work shared in this way because so much has changed, and thereâs so much to be excited about right now and in the future,â Spencer said in a September post on X, formerly Twitter. âWe will share the real plans when we are ready.â
Exputer also reports that the All-Digital Xboxâs new coat of white paint and lack of disc drive are not the only upgrades. Some internal components, including the heatsink, which cools the console, will see an upgrade.
As for the price, Exputer reports the console will cost $50-$100 less than the current $499 Xbox Series X console.
Gamers Have Thoughts
The news of the white All-Digital Xbox Series X is sparking reactions. âCharging more while getting less. A tale as old as time. At least the ps5 slim still has a drive for $500, âone person wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
âWhy wouldnât you just get a PC at this point? The whole thing about consoles is the physical media with them and their exclusives. And the Xbox wonât have either anymore if this is true,â another post read.
Again, this isnât confirmed, but if Xbox does verify its existence, we are intrigued to see how it will be received.
Hit the gallery below for more reactions.
1. Damn, flat out no.
2. Well, someone is excited
6. It might be cheaper
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Source: Rockstar Games / GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto 6âs 2025 date release could be in danger.
According to a Kotaku report, Grand Theft Auto 6, the next highly anticipated installment in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, could have its wig pushed back.
GTA 6 is still slated for an âearly 2025â release date, but that date is in jeopardy due to âproduction delays.â The game could be released in late 2025 or sometime in 2026.
Per Kotaku:
As remote workers struggle with an unwanted return-to-office mandate from Rockstar Games, Kotaku has learned from sources with knowledge of the gameâs development process that GTA 6 could miss its 2025 release window and slip into 2026.
Kotaku has also learned that itâs becoming more and more likely that the sequel might not land until late 2025. Itâs also possible that it could even slip into 2026 as production reportedly falls behind.
While security and quality are reportedly the main reasons Rockstar is instituting the mandate to return to the office, I was told by sourcesâwho wish to remain anonymous to avoid possible retaliationâthat development on GTA 6 has started âfalling behind.â Iâm told this has leadership at Rockstar nervous and worried about the game missing the 2025 window and slipping into 2026, and is another big reason the company is pushing for a return to the office in April.
Is Rockstar Games Pushing Out Remote Workers?
Kotakuâs report comes after Bloombergâs report that Rockstar Games was ending remote work, ordering employees back to the office following numerous leaks.Â
The drastic change was met with immediate criticism and caught many by surprise, leading to frustration. According to Aftermathâs reporting, some employees initially hired to work remotely felt like they were being pushed out of the company by not complying and completely upending their lives.
Some workers expressed concern to Aftermath that Rockstar Games was reverting back to its old crunch ways.
âWeâre concerned about going back to that,â one Rockstar employee told Aftermath.
âIâve been through a couple of projects, both of which had crunch. The first one was extremely difficult. I had way less gray hair back then. ⌠We want to continue the strides weâve made as a company to remove that toxic culture.â
Gamers also react to the news that they may have to wait even longer for GTA 6.
Some want Rockstar Games to take its time with the game, others donât want the developers to experience crunch, and some are just overwriting; itâs been about 11 years.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. LOL, damn
4. Exactly
5. No, not yet
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Source: Anadolu / Getty / Xbox
Xbox has been in the news A LOT as of late, primarily due to fanboys losing their sh*t about the companyâs new direction, but this latest development is something many gamers are on board for.
Spotted on VG247, the Microsoft gaming division is reportedly looking to make a big splash in the handheld gaming department after seeing Sonyâs surprising success with its cloud-based/remote-play PS5 companion device, the PlayStation Portal.
On a recent episode of the Xbox Two podcast, Windows Central managing editor Jez Corden claims the Microsoft gaming company already has working prototypes.
Per VG247:
Speaking on the Xbox Two podcast, Jez Corden said that he knows that â[Xbox] have got handheld prototypes right now.â He clarified that they are ânew prototypesâ and not old ones that were supposedly previously in the works, and he also made sure to point out that itâs ânot a cloud handheldâ itâs âa fully native Xbox handheld.â This was pointed out on the podcast too, but it should be noted that just because Xbox is working on a handheld prototype, if it is, that doesnât mean it will ever actually release. Projects like these are cancelled all the time, so donât go writing any comments complaining it never came out when it was never guaranteed in the first place.
A âFully Nativeâ Handheld Sounds Clutch
This news isnât all that surprising because Xbox is pushing the plan to make Xbox Game Pass available on devices other than Xbox Series X, S, or PC.
You can now run the subscription gaming platform on handhelds like Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Logitech G Cloud, the Lenovo-Legion Go, or your smartphones via a cloud gaming app still in beta.
However, a dedicated device would be a clutch, especially if paired with an Xbox Game Pass.
Gamers are reacting positively to the rumor of a âfully nativeâ handheld console.
âI want a Xbox Handheld â its time As much as I like my ROG Ally, portable hardware that plays all my Xbox games with a simplified UI and not having to worry about system settings with improved battery life In other words a pick up and play experience,â Kinda Funny (XCast) and Gamertag Radio host Parris Lilly wrote on X, formerly Twitter.Â
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. From your lips to Godâs ears.
2. We hear you Parris
3. It would be nice
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Source: Activision / Activision
Activision just dropped Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile and one of the millions of people who downloaded the app and gave it a spin was Memphis rapper NLE Choppa. The âShotta Flowâ rapper has been occupied with the whole rap star thing, so he now considers himself a former gamer.
Source: Activision / Activision
âI donât have too much time for it now,â Choppa, who participated in Thursdayâs (March 21) Warzone Mobile Streamathon, told Hip-Hop Wired. âOnce upon a time I was deep. I still do it in my free time, though. I was like 2K, [Grand Theft Auto], Call of Duty, all of those different games.â
Apparently, becoming a star rapper takes up a lot of time (a record deal with Warner Bros., two hit albums and touring will do that) so his hours spent on the sticks had to suffer.
Nevertheless, Choppa stays in tune with CoD (âEvery new Call Of Duty Iâm copping.â), and he gave Call of Duty:Â Warzone Mobile a thumbs up even though it seems heâs better on a PS5. âI was just playing it in my green room itâs actually kind of cool with the joystick thing connected to the phone. I donât know if Iâm as sharp with the tapping it on the screen, but the joystick, I could be able to work that for sure.â
Back to the music for a second, he just dropped a song called âAMFâ with Flauâjae, the female rapper who happens to currently be a star guard on LSUâs womenâs basketball team. âIt came together with her, her mom, my mom, and me. Just respecting the relationship they have as a daughter and a mom-a-ger standpoint and itâs the same thing with my mom and my /manager,â said Choppa. âWe connected that way and just always supported Flauâjae from basketball and we got the track in.â
Speaking of Flauâjae dropped 14 in LSUâs win over Rice.
Choppa also says heâs seriously retiring his âShotta Flow,â with the last, âShotta Flow 7â having been released in February. Heâs starting another series but for the sake of Activision, we wonât mention the somewhat NSFW title here. But back to Call Of Duty: Warzone Mobile and gaming in general, heâll always find time for a good reason.
âReally itâs just a break from the world,â explains Choppa of why plays video games. âItâs just a break from who I am. To just be able to live that inner child feeling again, just to be able to play games is the goal for me, just to feel like a kid.â
Sounds like a plan. Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is available right now on iOS and Android mobile devices.
Source: Activision / Activision
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Source: Lightspeed Studios / Undawn / Will Smith
Even Will Smith wasnât enough to prevent this video game from flopping like his film Wild Wild West.
Undawn, the zombie survival game featuring Will Smith, bombed epically, according to a report from Reuters. The website reported that the game was a âkeyâ in-house project at Tencent and âflopped spectacularlyâ even with Smithâs involvement and the gameâs closet to 1 billion yuan (around $140 million).
We first reported on the gameâs existence in May 2023. Before its June launch, 2.3 million people pre-registered to play it. That didnât matter, as the game didnât meet expectations.
In the game, which eerily resembles Smithâs film I Am Legend, the actor plays Trey Jones and serves as your guide in the game.
It was billed as a free-to-play mobile and PC game, as well as these other features:
Base construction and survival mechanics
An expansive open-world
Vehicular combat
Customization elements
PvPvE platform
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Per Reuters, through research firm Appmagic reporting, Undawn only brought in $287,000. The gameâs poor performance resulted in Tencent shifting strategy in its mobile division, canceling a mobile game based on Square Enixâs Nier franchise and delaying the Assassinâs Creed: Jade mobile game.
News of the gameâs flopping has taken many by surprise, with many people saying they didnât even know it existed.
One person on X, formerly Twitter, wrote, ââŚthere was a Will Smith-fronted zombie survival game called Undawn?â
âIâm not shocked as someone whoâs only just hearing about The Will Smith-fronted zombie survival game Undawn,â another X user wrote.Â
Well, we knew. We just thought people didnât care.
In the gallery below, you can see more reactions to Will Smithâs game, Undawn, flopping.
3. Apparently you and everyone else
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Source: Marvel / Skydance / 1943: Rise of Hydra
Marvel video game fans, we might have a banger! The first trailer for the Black Panther and Captain America game, now titled 1943: Rise of Hydra, is here and looks absolutely amazing.
We didnât see what the Amy Hennig-led game looked like until now, as it was first unveiled during the Disney and Marvel Games Showcase during the D23 Convention in 2022 that was until now.
During the State of Unreal keynote, Marvel and Skydance New Media delivered an epic story trailer showcasing the power of Unreal Engine 5, and itâs f***ing awesome.
Per Kotaku via Marvel, the gameâs narrative reads as follows:
As the gameâs narrative unfolds, players will assume the role of four central characters: a young Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America; Azzuri, TâChallaâs grandfather and the WWII-era Black Panther; Gabriel Jones, a US soldier and member of the Howling Commandos; and Nanali, a Wakandan spy embedded in Occupied Paris.
In the gorgeous cinematic trailer for 1943: Rise of Hydra, we follow both Captain America and Black Panther as they take down Nazis in Paris. At the same time, Captain America is hunting Black Panther, and the two heroes eventually bump heads on a bridge, but we all know they will eventually team up at some point in the game.
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We have no idea how this game will play, but the trailer has already hooked us.
Gamers Are H Y P E D
Gamers on X, formerly Twitter, have been sharing their reactions, specifically showing love to actor Khary Payton (The Walking Dead), who plays TâChallaâs grandfather Azuri, who carries the Black Panther mantle in the game.
We also have to salute the fact that we have not one, not two, but three lead Black protagonists in a AAA video game.
What a time to be alive.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra will be released in 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Sorry, Nintendo Switch owners, you cannot take this ride.
You can see more reactions to the game in the gallery below.
2. SAY LESS!
3. We do too.
4. Yes, yes it is.
5. Video games have come a loooooonnnnnngggggg way.
6. Heâs incredible
