video games
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HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Jeff Kravitz / Getty / Ice-T
Many gamers have been wondering when, in a time when we have gotten some fire remakes, EA will spin the block and bring back Def Jam Vendetta. Hip-hop legend Ice-T shared a theory about why the game hasn’t come to fruition, and spoiler alert: there’s a good chance it won’t ever come back.
Ice-T spends much of his downtime when he’s not acting by picking up the sticks and is a playable character in Def Jam: Fight For NY.
He decided to chime in on Def Jam Vendetta being left in the vault and threw cold water on many gamers, hoping for the video game to return with his theory on the matter.
The game, which featured rappers like Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, even Joe Budden, and anyone involved in the Hip-Hop world, including Jacob The Jeweler, was as if they took wrestling video games like WCW/NWO Revenge and merged it with Street Fighter to deliver what many call one of greatest fighting games ever.
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“So many people ask me why this game hasn’t been brought back for the newer consoles. Maybe because they’d have to pay for voice and music rights again. Maybe?” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He continued, “Here’s the BIG problem.. I don’t think they paid ANY of us ANYTHING to be in that original game… I know I didn’t get any type of substantial money. It’s was a situation where you didn’t want to be left OUT of the game. Well….. Yesterday’s price is not Today’s price..!”
Notable gamer, streamer, and famous Blerd actor Khleo Thomas further explained why the game might never be remade.
The “Colors” crafter did point out that he did receive the bag for his voice work in GTA V and Gears of War.
Welp.
Def Jam Teased The Games Possible Return In 2020
Neither EA nor Def Jam have ever confirmed this to be the roadblock keeping the game from returning, but it seems plausible. Def Jam, under Kevin Liles’s leadership, hinted at bringing the game back in a tweet, writing: “#itsinthename Thinking I should bring back the series. How many of y’all would like to see this happen #DefJamEnterprises let me know.”
Def Jam even got people’s hope in August 2020 when they tweeted that fans wanted them to make another fighting game. The record label even said they would announce special news if their X account hits a million followers.
Nothing came of it.
If Def Jam Vendetta does come back, count as one of the many who will welcome the news, but we have zero faith that the game will make it onto next-gen systems.
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Photo: Jeff Kravitz / Getty
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Source: Xbox / Developer Direct
Xbox is showing its hand early in 2024.
Following a strong 2023, Xbox is looking to keep the momentum going and announced it will hold its first Developer Direct of the new year, and they will be bringing the heat.
The Developer Direct, which goes down Thursday, January 18 at 12:00 pm PT/3:00 pm ET, will give Xbox fans an “inside look” at highly anticipated titles coming to the Xbox Series S | X.
Like the previous Developer Direct, the game creators themselves will be taking us on a journey to Sweden to give us our first look at MachineGames Indiana Jones, Obsidian’s Irvine studio to learn more about Avowed, Oxide Games’ Maryland home for more insight on Ara: History Untold and finally across the pond to England to see more of Ninja Theory’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.
In the announcement of the Developer Direct, Xbox notes that we can expect updates from Activision Blizzard later in the year while promising the show will be “just a selection of our slate of upcoming games from Xbox.”
Following the Developer Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios will host The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1 pm PT / 4 pm ET / 9 pm UK to preview 2024’s biggest update.
Xbox Has Gamers Buzzing With Excitement Early In 2024
The reactions to the upcoming Developer Direct are ones full of excitement because these are games that Xbox fans have had high on their lists and now are finally getting to see more of.
“Getting details on Indiana Jones this early into 2024 was not on my bingo card. Machine Games has always been one of my favorite studios and I am expecting them to knock this reveal out of the park,” GamerTag Radio and Kinda Funny creator Parris Lily wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
You can add us to the list as well. We also want to see precisely what MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game looks like. You can see more reactions to the news in the gallery below.
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Photo: Xbox / Developer Direct
2. Possibly
3. A spicy take
4. We all did
6. Will they?
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: NYVGCC / 2024 New York Game Awards
The video game award season is not done yet. The New York Video Game Critics Circle annual New York Game Awards are back, and the nominations have been revealed.
The annual New York Game Awards are back for its 13th iteration. Thursday, January 4, the nominees were announced during a live stream at the Paley Center for Media.
The winners will be revealed during the awards show held at the SVA Theater on January 23. Returning to host will be Circle president and founder Harold Goldberg, NYVGCC senior intern Makeda Byfield, and the 2020 Andrew Yoon Legend Award recipient and former President of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aimé.
Co-President and Head of Creative at Naughty Dog, Neil Druckman, is this year’s recipient of the Andrew Yoon Legend Award. Last year, the Chief Executive Officer of Gaming, Phil Spencer, took home the prestigious honor.
“This past year has offered so many amazing games, and we’re thrilled to celebrate the magnificent work of these developers with this year’s New York Game Awards,” said Harold Goldberg, president and founder of NYVGCC. “Our team of journalists, interns, and volunteers at NYVGCC look forward to hosting and honoring so many talented people who work in the video game industry on January 23. Get your tickets now to join us for a very special awards show!”
This year’s nominees include:
Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year
Alan Wake II
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
Baldur’s Gate 3
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Hi-Fi Rush
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Starfield
Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game
A Space for the Unbound
Chants of Sennaar
El Paso Elsewhere
Jusant
Pizza Tower
Sea of Stars
The Talos Principle II
Viewfinder
Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game
Alan Wake II
Baldur’s Gate 3
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Starfield
Tchia
Thirsty Suitors
Statue of Liberty Award for Best World
Alan Wake II
Baldur’s Gate 3
Chants of Sennaar
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Final Fantasy XVI
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Starfield
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game
Alan Wake II
Baldur’s Gate 3
Final Fantasy XVI
Hi-Fi Rush
Tchia
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game
Amelia Tyler as The Narrator in Baldur’s Gate 3
Ben Starr as Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy XVI
Elizabeth Saydah as Riley in Oxenfree II: Lost Signals
Idris Elba as Solomon Reed in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Melanie Liburd as Saga Anderson in Alan Wake II
Neil Newbon as Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3
Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game
Asgard’s Wrath 2
Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
Body of Mine
Horizon Call of the Mountain
Humanity
We Are One
Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game
Disney Illusion Island
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
Pikmin 4
Super Mario Bro. Wonders
Tchia
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game
Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Honkai: Star Rail
Kimono Cats
Laya’s Horizon
Monster Hunter Now
Terra Nil
Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake
Dead Space
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Metroid Prime Remastered
Resident Evil 4
Star Ocean: The Second Story
Super Mario RPG
Joltin’ Joe Award for Best Esports Player of the Year
Alexis “Zen” Bernier (Team Vitality) – Rocket League
Arslan “Arslan Ash” Siddique (Twisted Minds/Red Bull eSports) – Tekken 7
Choi “Zeus” Woo-je (T1) – League of Legends
Lee “Faker” Sang-Hyeok (T1) – League of Legends
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut (Team Vitality) – Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez (New York Subliners) – Call of Duty
Chumley’s Speakeasy Award for Best Hidden Gem
9 Years of Shadow
American Arcadia
Conrad Stevenson’s Paranormal P.I.
Outer Terror
Slay the Princess
Videoverse
NYC GWB Award for Best DLC
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania
God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways
Vampire Survivors: Coop Mode
Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism
Andrea Long Chu, Vulture
Blessing Adeoye Jr., Kinda Funny Games
Brendan Sinclair, GamesIndustry.biz
Ed Smith, PCGamesN/Bullet Points Monthly
Hanif Abdurraqib, The Paris Review
Nicole Carpenter, Polygon
Reid McCarter, Bullet Points Monthly
Good luck to all those nominated. Keep it locked on HHW Gaming for a recap of the night.
If you want to be in the building, purchase tickets here.
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Photo: NYVGCC / 2024 New York Game Awards
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Rockstar Games / GTA 6
Another day, more stolen data from a respected video game developer has leaked.
*HHW Gaming will not be providing any links to any of the hacked material.*
Spotted on Insider Gaming, the mega hack that saw over 100 GB of stolen data last still haunts Rockstar Games.
Reports began to surface Christmas night that GTA V’s source code leaked in full, along with the Python code for GTA 6 and numerous files from the scrapped Bully 2 game.
Per Insider Gamning:
Until now, transactions were reportedly being held behind closed doors, with key data such as GTA 5’s source code, stolen by a teenager in a hotel room with a mobile device last year, changing hands in secret.
It has now been shared online, according to recent screenshots.
Not only that but it has also been claimed that every file relating to Bully 2 – the follow-up to 2008’s Bully – has also been leaked. In another screenshot that is floating around, fresh Python code from GTA 6 has also been revealed, along with some early, conceptual materials from GTA 5, such as an original rendition of the game’s map.
The leaks of GTA V’s source code are concerning because they could lead to the creation of “highly sophisticated cheats,” according to the website’s report.
More News From The Rockstar Games Hack
That wasn’t the only thing to come from the hack; leaked source code revealed plans for eight pieces of DLC for GTA V that Rockstar Games decided not to release due to the popularity of GTA Online and work on next-gen versions of the game.
The names of the reported DLC include:
‘SP Assassination Pack’
‘SP Manhunt Pack’
‘SP Norman Pack’
‘Agent Trevor’
‘Relationship Pack’
‘Enterprise Pack’
‘Prologue DLC’
‘LibertyV DLC’
This latest news also comes on the heels of reports that the young teenager responsible for the hack was sentenced to life in a hospital prison.
Oh, and the big Insomniac Games hack also released stolen material after PlayStation, and the video game studio did not pay the ransom demand.
We hope that in 2024, the leaks will come to an end.
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Photo: Rockstar Games / GTA 6
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: SOPA Images / Getty / PS5
When it comes to moving consoles, Sony remains king.
Sony has a lot to be happy about. Roughly three years after its release, the popularity of the PS5 console remains high, and according to Reuters, the company has reportedly sold over 50 million units.
The Japanese tech giant also says it has the best-ever Black Friday period for the video game console.
Per Reuters reporting, Sony expects to finish the year on a high note thanks to a strong holiday performance, putting the company on pace to reach its sales target of a record 25 million units to close out the current financial year ending March 31.
Eric Lempel, senior vice president for global marketing, sales, and business operations at Sony Interactive Entertainment, said, “Given the momentum we’ve had in November and a lot of what we’re seeing in December, just in general, we’re feeling very good about sales overall.”
Remember that this number could have been higher, but PS5 sales were hampered due to supply chain issues when the console first hit the market.
Still, despite that, you can expect to see a PS5 in a home thanks to a solid first-party game lineup with games like God of War: Ragnarok and, most recently, Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Xbox & Nintendo Are Not Seeing The Same Success With Its Consoles
The outlook isn’t so rosy for the PS5’s direct competitors, Microsoft’s Xbox Series S | X and the Nintendo Switch.
IGN reports the Xbox sales have hit a snag. According to the website, PS5 sales are up “65% to 22.5 million units,” while Xbox’s sales took a dip to “about 15% to 7.6 million.”
The Nintendo Switch, which at one point was impossible to find on shelves during the pandemic, has fallen nearly 20%.
We are curious to see if Sony can continue its dominance in the gaming space in 2024.
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Photo: SOPA Images / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty / Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder is currently building a Star Wars-like world with his Rebel Moon franchise, but that’s not stopping him from looking toward the future and wanting to make a movie out of his favorite video game, Fortnite.
The architect of the now-dead DCEU is a huge fan of Fortnite, and who can blame him? The game is highly addictive, and its latest updates have injected new life into the video game.
During a recent interview for his new film Rebel Moon, which critics lambasted by critics, Snyder was asked about the prospect of directing a Fortnite movie.
“I mean, of course,” Snyder told the interviewer, who asked if he ever “want to combine” his passion for filmmaking and playing the addictive video game.
Snyder even noted his valiant attempt to get free skins based on his Rebel Moon characters into the game.
“Look, Fortnite is an amazing world, and it is an amazing distraction for me,” Snyder said. “It’s really cool, and the alchemy that they’ve created there is really unique. When I started playing it, I thought I knew what it was, and then it was something entirely different.”
He continued, “You definitely don’t know. You definitely can never say never. That’s my mantra in this business.”
Consider us intrigued at the thought of a Snyder-esque Fortnite universe, full of his love for slow-motion shots and intense action.
But please, Zack, we know you love to make things rather dark, and Fortnite is far from that. We don’t need another DECU/Snydevers situation here.
Lighten it up a bit, and have some fun. Fortnite is a goofy game that makes it possible for hulky Peter Griffin and Optimus Prime to face off against each other.
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Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
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Source: Insomniac Games / Marvel’s Wolverine
Hacks are wack… PERIOD. The gaming community is rallying around Insomniac Games after files were stolen from their highly anticipated Marvel’s Wolverine game and other highly-sensitive information hit the web.
Full disclaimer: HHW Gaming stands in solidarity with Insomniac Games and other game studios and will not share any links to stolen material.
With that out of the way, leading up to last night’s unfortunate events, Rhysida, a ransomware group, demanded $2.3 million from Insomniac Games, the studio behind PlayStation-exclusive titles like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Miles Morales and more.
According to Cyber Daily, after Insomniac Games did not meet Rhysida’s ridiculous demands, the ransomware group leaked 1.67 terabytes of data comprising over 1.3 million stolen files.
The files included level design and character information from Marvel’s Wolverine. Internal company presentations leaked Insomniac Games and Sony’s unannounced games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 3, Venom, an X-Men game, and, unsurprisingly, a new Ratchet & Clank game.
There were also screenshots of internal spreadsheets with other information on development and budgets.
The leak of the Insomniac Games employee’s personal information made this hack even more egregious.
Insomniac Games joined the growing list of other game studios that also experienced hacks. Rockstar Games saw early development footage of GTA 6 leak, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Witcher: Wild Hunt developer CD Projekt Red, Bandai Namco, and Riot Games.
The Gaming Community Denounced The Hacks On Social Media
While thirsty folks eager to feast their eyes on Insomniac’s Wolverine game circled the stolen material like hungry vultures on rotting flesh, the gaming community rallied around the studio to denounce the leaks.
“Leaks are scary, frustrating, damaging and often happen without consent or any planning,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
“Our sympathies to @insomniacgames and all the affected team members. After all the effort and dedication they have poured into their games, they didn’t deserve this. No one does. The hackers also leaked employee’s personal information, which is truly disgraceful and shameful,” Alan Wake 2 developer Remedy wrote on its official X account.
Add us to the list of people who feel for Insomniac Games and all of the other studios who were victims of bored losers who had nothing better to do with their computer skills.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: Insomniac Games / Marvel’s Wolverine
Universal Music Group (UMG) announced the launch of Beat Galaxy, a new “music hub” on Roblox, the popular gaming platform that boasted more than 66 million daily active users as of March 2023.
Beat Galaxy includes a rhythm game component — the subgenre of games devoted to interacting with music — set to tracks from UMG artists as well as a future venue for virtual concerts, according to a press release.
“Beat Galaxy creates a next-generation music discovery experience on Roblox that not only provides an opportunity for a fun social gameplay, but creates true utility for music discovery beyond the algorithm in a community-driven way,” Yonatan Raz-Fridman, founder/CEO of Supersocial, said in a statement. (Supersocial makes games for Roblox.)
In recent years, the music industry has been increasingly interested in tapping into the gaming audience, which is massive, youthful and scattered around the globe. In 2021, the analytics company Midia Research called gamers “the new frontier of music’s fan-centric growth.”
That’s in part because there are plenty of statistics suggesting that gamers are actively interested in music. In 2022, the IFPI reported that 44% of gamers watched a virtual music concert on a gaming platform in the last three months. “42% of Gen Z gamers listen to other music while gaming,” according to a Deloitte study, “and 34% hear music in a game and then look it up online to stream or buy.”
In the case of Roblox, which grew rapidly during the pandemic, music industry interest has resulted in a steady stream of partnership announcements. A smattering from the last 19 months: Spotify teamed up with Roblox on a virtual music island, Elton John created his own virtual experience, Warner Music Group launched Rhythm City (a “music-themed social roleplay experience”) and the K-Pop group TWICE dove into the (virtual) fray. On Dec. 8, Cher announced a four-week Roblox event to promote her new Christmas album.
Alvaro G. Velilla, senior vp of new business at UMG, described Beat Galaxy as “a living, breathing music experience.”
“Alongside Supersocial,” he added, “we believe that we’ve created the go-to music getaway on Roblox.”
The first UMG artist to partner with Beat Galaxy is YUNGBLUD.
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Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / Getty / E3
The zombie that was E3 finally got the blow to the head to keep it from returning. The Electronic Entertainment Expo announced via X, formerly Twitter, that it has run out of extra lives for the convention.
The great Gene Park at the Washington Post broke the story before E3 confirmed the sad news that the beloved convention born in 1995 will not return.
“After more than two decades of hosting an event that has served as a central showcase for the U.S. and global video game industry, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has decided to bring E3 to a close,” the Electron Entertainment Expo said in a statement. “ESA remains focused on advocating for ESA member companies and the industry workforce who fuel positive cultural and economic impact every day.”
In a post on X, E3 wrote, “After more than two decades of E3, each one bigger than the last, the time has come to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories.”
The once popular gaming convention has been on life support since COVID came through and shut down the in-person video game convention in 2020. The ESA tried to hand on for dear life with a virtual convention in June 2021 that everyone agreed was a mess.
The ESA did make a valiant attempt to bring the in-person convention back but failed in 2022 and 2023 due to the conference failing to attract exhibitors.
Before the then-raging pandemic officially killed E3, the convention was dying slowly. Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley, who claims he was at every E3 since its exception, pretty much assisted in taking down E3 by founding Summer Game Fest in 2020.
The last time there was an in-person E3 event, only 66,100 people came out.
Gamers Are Sharing E3 Memories
With the announcement, gamers and people in the gaming industry have shared their fondest memories while saying goodbye to the convention.
“I understand why this happened, but it’s heartbreaking all the same. E3 was like Christmas for gamers and having all the conferences take place in one week was such a treat. So many good memories spanning so many years. Thanks for everything, E3,” Sony Santa Monica writer Alana Pearce said on X.
“E3 has had a huge significance in my life,” Spawn On Me founder Kahlief Adams wrote in a post on X.
What a sad day for the gaming world. Attending E3 was a dream for me, and I was close to achieving it, only to learn this year’s convention was canceled.
So long E3.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN / Getty
If you happen to be waltzing through Times Square over the weekend and you got a glimpse of The Weeknd, or 300 Weeknds, then you weren’t seeing things. The eye-popping downtown New York scene on Saturday night (Dec. 9) came courtesy of a 300-person flash mob assembled on the TKTS staircase in the heart of […]