video games
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Source: Epic Games / Fortnite / ESPN Football Isand
Disney is taking full advantage of its $1.5 billion investment into Epic Games.
On Tuesday, ESPN Football Island launched in Epic Games ridiculously popular video game Fortnite. The first island is all about the pigskin, allowing the sports network to expand on its slogan of “serving sports fans anytime, anywhere.”
A description for the latest addition to Fortnite reads, “With persistent progression and exclusive island-specific unlockable cosmetics, this all-new experience features multiple activities, challenges, and minigames all built around the Island centerpiece – Touchdown Rush, a multiplayer competitive ‘Payload Push’ take on football gameplay.”
When players enter ESPN Football Island, they will hear Sportscenter hosts Randy Scott and Gary Striewsk, while SportsCenter” and NHL content host Arda Öcal will serve as the island’s announcer.
Here is a full breakdown of what you can do while visiting ESPN Football Island per Variety:
Touchdown Rush: Team up with friends and enter the stadium to navigate rocky terrain, a lava moat, and the other team! Avoid getting taken out by the competition as your team moves a giant football downfield, and then defend your endzone as you switch to defense!
Ocho Obstacle Sprint: Navigate a challenging obstacle course across platforms high above the stadium for incredible views and rewards as you leap to the center of the Jumbotron, featuring EPSN8 The Ocho!
The Boxtagon – Enter ‘The Boxtagon’ and face off 1v1 against other players in high-intensity box fights, in collaboration with the UFC!
Minigames & Activities: Test your throwing arm with Quarterback Challenge, launch your avatar across the arena on an ATV in Field Goal Jump, grind around the island in Rail Race, and show off your moves in the Dance Off Zone!
Level Up to Redeem ESPN Football Store Exclusives – Earn rewards across gameplay sessions to unlock new loadouts exclusive to ESPN Football Island.
According to Disney and Epic Games, ESPN Football Island will receive “regular updates” and will “celebrate the biggest moments and games this football season, including promo reels and live ESPN News Ticker updates.”
Peep the trailer below.
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The arrival of UFC 5 in 2023 sparked celebration among mixed martial arts fans and as the only game of its type on the major consoles, that excitement was understandable. Now out for an entire year, UFC 5 has seen a series of patches and tweaks and we look to see how the game has held up.
To break the fourth wall a bit, I’m a huge fan of mixed martial arts and the UFC has a roster that features many of the world’s best fighters. In some ways, the latest UFC game from EA Sports puts a lot of pressure on the title to deliver every bit of nuance MMA provides in the real world and mostly holds up to that promise with a deep fighting system, several big-name fighters, and patches over the past year that improved the experience for fans.
Source: EA Sports / EA Sports
The game’s predecessor, UFC 4, had its fair share of fans who enjoyed the gritty realism of the standup game and the career mode but others found the ground game to be difficult at times. UFC 5 largely looks the same but now it employs the Frostbite game engine so there are several visual improvements from the former Ignite engine.
The fifth iteration of the fighting series has four main gameplay modes: Fight Week, Fight Now, Career, and Online.
With Fight Week, real-time UFC fights are at the center of the mode. When updated, there will be opportunities to make fight picks before the actual matches and earn valuable UFC Coins for your created fighter and online store. There are also Fight Week Contracts, daily fights where you take on opponents to earn UFC Coins. There are also challenges to earn player emotes and other rewards.
Source: Screengrab/D.L. Chandler
Fight Now is a mode that puts you right in the middle of action against a computer opponent or a pal on the couch. Here, you can select hundreds of fighters from the UFC roster and slug it out. The mode features Main Card fights, which are three-round matches.
Then there are Main Event and Championship fights, both going five rounds. Backyard fights are five 3-minute rounds where the judges score the fight on how much damage is doled out. Then there is the Kumite event, which is one 25-minute and if it goes until the end, the fight will be called a draw.
Also in Fight Now, you can pick between gameplay styles such as Simulation, which is the purest way to play. Knockout style turns off health regeneration and fighters are granted unlimited stamina and combos. Lastly, Stand and Bang keeps the action standing until one drops.
Source: Screengrab/D.L. Chandler
UFC 4’s Career Mode was one of the top features in the last game and the mode is back with Coach Davis returning to guide you along the way into becoming the G.O.A.T. The path to greatness is a difficult one but this gameplay mode is the best way to learn all of the tricks and tips of the game.
Lastly of the main modes is Online, which also has a career mode, ranked championships where you can take on fighters of the same skill level, blitz battles, and quick fights.
Source: Screengrab/D.L. Chandler
To be honest with folks, the only modes I consistently play are Career and practicing against the computer opponent in the game’s Learn section. Trust me, it’s taken me a long time to learn all of the moves and I’m pretty sure I still don’t know everything. This isn’t like some fighting games where button mashing might lead to a lucky knockout. For me, the best place for most new players to go is the Learn section to get some reality checks about your ability and then dive into the Career mode to get into the meat and potatoes of the game.
I also want to give a major salute to the UFC team for simplifying the ground game. In UFC 4, you had to play a mini-game of sorts to gain or block submissions or switch in and out of ground-and-pound positions. It was way too difficult for even the most seasoned video game player but in 5, the streamlined ground game makes for a better all-around experience. However, if you end up on the ground with a fighter who isn’t traditionally great at fighting from their backs, you’re in for a long night.
While UFC 5 has all of the visuals correct, there are still some in the gaming community who felt it didn’t improve much upon the last game. Even with the improved face damage animations, slow-motion knockouts, and other tweaks, fans felt like this was a retread of UFC 4 with a prettier face. I don’t quite agree as the Career mode is far more involved than before and there are notable improvements to make this a pure simulation-style fighting game.
UFC 5 is built for devout fans of combat sports even as the UFC and MMA overall are firmly in the mainstream with major sports network coverage. It helps to come into this game with some knowledge of the sport and an openness to learning the intricacies of the gameplay. If you can embrace the massive landscape of ways to play, this title is worth picking up the sticks for.
Learn more about UFC 5 here.
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Photo: EA Sports
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Source: NYVGCC / New York Game Awards
The NYVGCC (New York Video Game Critic’s Circle) has announced the return of its annual awards show, the New York Game Awards.
Not to be confused with Geoff Keighly’s yearly spectacle, The Game Awards, or the New York Game Awards, which are celebrating their 14th year. The Game Awards celebrate the year’s best in gaming and benefit a worthy cause.
Variety exclusively reports that when the New York Game Awards will be back at the SVA Theater in Manhattan with Circle President Harold Goldberg and former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé set as co-hosts.
For those looking to attend, tickets will be sold on Eventbrite and cost $80. For $100, you get limited access to the awards afterparty, where you can rub shoulders with the winners, hosts, and the yearly Legend Award winner while enjoying complimentary drinks.
Outside of the announcement of this year’s hosts, the identity of this year’s Legend Award recipient has not been revealed. Previous prestigious award winners include Xbox Gaming Chief Phil Spencer and Naughty Dog Studios’ president, Neil Druckmann.
Celebrating Video Games For A Purpose
As mentioned above, the New York Game Awards is the leading fundraiser for the NYVGCC’s Playing with Purpose writing program. The program helps bring video game journalism and game narrative workshops to shelters and schools across the city, also working with students and interns at the Laboratory School, TAPco, Dreamyard Prep, BronxWorks Shelter, Mott Hall 3 Middle School, and Andries Hudde Middle School.
“We can’t believe another year in gaming has passed, but we’re ready to welcome in the 14th annual New York Game Awards,” NYVGCC president and founder Harold Goldberg said, per Variety. “Each year is a special undertaking where we not only highlight the best of gaming, but we honor the creators, developers, and media who help make this an industry we all love. We have a very special lineup you won’t want to miss, so stay tuned for more updates by following us at @nyvgcc on X.”
HHW Gaming has been able to attend the last New York Game Award ceremonies; we are looking forward to being there again and celebrating another year of video games.
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Source: Xbox / Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is easily the biggest release on the Xbox platform since the acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, and to celebrate, Team Green is releasing a care package for COD players.
On Wednesday, Xbox unveiled its new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection. It features two customizable Call of Duty: Black Ops 6-themed controller variants: a Wireless Controller and an Elite Wireless Controller Series 2.
Thanks to the addition of a console wrap, your XSX console can also participate in the action.
Both controllers “capture the tension and intrigue of the ’90s spy thriller theme” and will “immerse players deeper into the game’s world.”
The new controllers will be available through Microsoft’s Xbox Design Labs website. Players can customize them with the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 skin.
Both controllers are available now: the Xbox Wireless Controller costs $84.98, and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 costs $164.98.
The Series X console wrap will cost $54.99 and be available for pre-order exclusively from the Microsoft Store. The console wrap will be released on October 23.
If you want to match the swag of Series X and controllers, there is also merch available to wear. The Xbox Icon Collection will also take its cues from design elements featured on the controllers and add them to the new hoodie and joggers exclusively available at the Xbox Gear Shop.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches on the PS5, PS4, XSX/S, Xbox One, and PC next Friday, October 25. It will also be available on PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
For more photos of the collection hit the gallery below.
1. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
2. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
3. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
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4. Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Source:Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection
Xbox Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Accessories Collection xbox,call of duty,call of duty: black ops 6
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Source: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty / LeBron & Bronny James
Are the Los Angeles Lakers father-son duo, LeBron and Bronny James, coming to Call of Duty as playable operator skins?
Like his son, Bronny, LeBron James is a gamer. He has his own PS5 DualSense Controller and has been featured as a playable character in the WB Games Interactive fighter MultiVersus.
Bronny and LeBron also starred in a hilarious television spot for PlayStation’s God of War: Ragnarok.
Now, for their next trick, there seems to be a very good chance the two professional hoopers will join the likes of Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, and 21 Savage by having their own operation skins in Call of Duty.
The buzz all started when LBJ lobbied for his son, who was once a member of FaZe Clan, to have his own operator skin in Call of Duty on X, formerly Twitter, writing in a post, “Bronny just said he want his own “Skin”. @Activision @CallofDuty talk to me.”
When LeBron James calls you out, you have to respond, and the official X account for COD did respond with a GIF of The Replacer, writing, “We know Bronny is a shooter, let’s talk. First father son duo in NBA history. Could be a #CallOfDuty first too.”
The Replacer Has Been Busy
So maybe The Replacer will replace both Bronny and LeBron so they can play some Black Ops 6.
Adding more fuel to the speculation fire, notable Call of Duty news site CharlieIntel also took notice, dropping the “looking eyes emoji.”
This latest development comes after The Replacer stepped in for Angel Reese so she can play some Black Ops 6, speculating the Chicago Sky superstar will be involved in the next installment in the Black Ops franchise.
Bronny also won the Call of Duty two-minute drill at the NBA Summer League, so the young hooper’s involvement in the game could have been in the works for a minute.
We shall see how this plays out. The gallery below shows more reactions to LeBron and Bronny James possibly getting operator skins.
1. LOL, chill
2. Nepotism we have no issue with
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Source: NetEase Games / Bungie / Destiny: Rising
Destiny: Rising, NetEase Games’ long-rumored free-to-play mobile first-person shooter set in Bungie’s Destiny universe has finally been unveiled.
Finally, we know what to expect from Destiny: Rising, the free-to-play shooter from China-based NetEase Games. Destiny Rising’s announcement comes after NetEase Games announced their 2018 $100 million investment in Bungie, which is coming to expensive smartphones that can run some pretty big games.
In Destiny: Rising, players will no longer create their Guardians based on the Hunter, Warlock, or Titan classes. Instead, you will choose from unique Destiny heroes.
Each character will have unique abilities and stories to utilize those characters in single, co-op, and competitive multiplayer modes, all set in Bungie’s Destiny universe.
The trailer also revealed that Destiny Rising will feature Ghosts, Lightbearers, Iron Lords, and Warlords while showcasing the hero’s unique abilities, such as the “void scythe,” which is reminiscent of an ability that the Warlock class would use in the base Destiny games.
Classic enemy factions like the Fallen, Hive, and Vex were also in the announcement trailer.
NetEase Games Is Building Its Own Storyline Using Destiny’s Lore
The game will take place in an alternative Destiny timeline and explore the post-Dark Age era before the rise of the Guardians and the Tower.
NetEase was granted creative freedom to develop its own storyline and vision for Destiny: Rising. “We want to capture and depict a specific time where the reins are in the hands of the players to experience, to explore, to define,” Stone Shi, senior narrative designer at NetEase, said, The Verge reports.
“With Destiny: Rising, NetEase Games is honored to partner with Bungie to deliver a Destiny-caliber experience to mobile devices,” said Ethan Wang, Senior Vice President, NetEase, Inc. “Destiny is an incredible franchise with a passionate and dedicated global fanbase. As huge fans ourselves, we are humbled and thrilled for the opportunity to bring gamers an action-packed RPG shooter set within the Destiny Universe.”
“For over a decade, we have built this universe to contain many unique and wonderful stories, and we are excited to see mobile gamers be able to experience this new take on the Destiny universe from the creative team at NetEase,” said Terry Redfield, Creative Lead at Bungie.
Destiny: Rising will also allow players to play in first-person or third-person modes, feature exotic weapons, and introduce a new Mythic weapon rarity class that will introduce a new weapon type and have touchscreen controls and controller support.
No release date was announced, but you can sign up for the closed alpha test on November 1 by heading here.
1. Destiny: Rising
Source:Destiny: Rising
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2. Destiny: Rising
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3. Destiny: Rising
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4. Destiny: Rising
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5. Destiny: Rising
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Source: Nintendo / Nintendo
It looks like another video game is now about to get the cinematic treatment, but if you were born prior to the 1990s you may not be familiar with the title.
According to Variety, the cult classic ninja game Shinobi is in the early stages of development for the silver screen and has already enlisted Extraction filmmaker Sam Hargrave to helm the project along with producer Marc Platt. As surprising as this choice for a video game turned film is, us ’80s babies aren’t mad as we spent hours on our home entertainment systems slashing and gashing our way through enemies with this game.
Still, we’re not sure if a new generation of gamers and audiences will be as receptive to this as we are given that its popularity isn’t that of say a Super Mario Bros., Mortal Kombat or even Tekken. But with money to be made and other video game films having raked in some big bucks, Universal is looking to bank on an oldie but goodie with their latest project, and at the end of the day it may pay off.
Per Variety:
Universal has enjoyed recent success with video game adaptations, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($1.4 billion) and “Five Nights at Freddy’s” ($290 million). Meanwhile, Sega has scored with Paramount’s 2020 console-to-screen redux “Sonic the Hedgehog” ($319 million) and the 2022 sequel ($405 million). A third “Sonic” movie will be released in late 2024.
Ken Kobayashi (“Sunny,” “Move On”) is writing the screenplay for “Shinobi.” Platt and Adam Siegel will produce through Marc Platt Productions. Dmitri M. Johnson will produce through Story Kitchen. Toru Nakahara will produce through Sega. Mike Goldberg will executive produce alongside co-producer Timothy I. Stevenson. Universal’s senior VP of production development Ryan Jones and director of production development Christine Sun will oversee the project for the studio.
With Shinobi looking like it’s going to be an animated film, we wouldn’t be mad if they went the anime route as it just feels like that type of video game, but hey, that’s just us.
What do y’all think about Shinobi getting its own feature film? Is there any other video game you’d like to see made into a movie? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: SOPA Images / Getty / Amazon October Prime Day
It’s Prime Day again, specifically for Amazon Prime members. Luckily, we are here to help you find some tech-related deals.
Amazon is looking out for Prime members and wants to help you get a leg up on your holiday shopping lists, specifically for the techie and gamer in your life.
Beginning on October 8 and ending on October 9, Amazon slashes prices on headphones, earbuds, gaming headphones, smart televisions, and games. So, the last two days have definitely been good days to be an Amazon Prime member, and if you’re not, it’s not too late to become one to take advantage of the deals we are about to list below.
Wireless Headphones & Earbuds
Source: Apple / Beats / Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Are you looking for a new pair of wireless headphones or buds? There are plenty to choose from right now. Here are some of the best deals on Amazon.
Gaming Headsets
Source: SteelSeries / SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Headphones
Outside of controllers, televisions, and monitors, gamers need headsets to lock in and secure the W. Thankfully, there are some great options available on Amazon at great prices.
Video Games
Source: EA Sports / Tiburon / EA Sports Madden NFL 25
There aren’t many games getting that Prime Big Day Deal treatment, but there are some bangers worth adding to the gamer in your life or your personal collection.
Smart TVs
Source: JUNG YEON-JE / Getty
Now is a better time than ever to get a new smart television. Below are some hot deals.
Happy shopping.
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Source: PHILIP FONG / Getty / PlayStation Network
PlayStation owners were stressed last night because they couldn’t get any online gaming in.
The issue has been resolved, but if you checked on your favorite gamer last night, they were probably mad because the PlayStation Network was down.
Sony did not reveal the cause of last night’s massive outage, which lasted around eight hours. It barely acknowledged that it was happening, only sending a message to users that the issue was resolved.
Per The Verge:
PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 console users are now able to play online games again following a massive outage on Sony’s gaming network that started on Monday night. The official PSN Service Status page confirms that “all services are up and running” now, after previously warning users that they “might have difficulty launching games, apps, or network features.”
“This problem has now been resolved,” said a message posted by the Japanese Ask PlayStation customer support account. “We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience caused.”
The outage prevented users from signing in, playing multiplayer games, or playing single-player games that required online connectivity.
It’s been a somewhat rough week for PlayStation, with the shaky PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection preorder event, a bug plastering ads on the new PlayStation 5 home screen, and now this situation that surely gave PlayStation 5 and 4 owners flashbacks of the 2011 PSN outage that lasted for 23 days after the service was hacked.
Again, Sony has yet to reveal the cause of the massive outage, but one user on X, formerly Twitter, claims PSN was hacked allegedly.
We shall see if Sony ever admits what happened; until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Very unserious people on X, lol
3. HOWLING
8. Will we ever learn what really happened ?
9. It’s been a roller coaster ride
10. Imagine that
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Source: Kojima Productions / Death Stranding 2 On The Beach
TGS (Tokyo Game Show) has come and gone, and we got a minor update on Hideo Kojima’s next video game opus, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.
We have no idea when Death Stranding 2: On The Beach will arrive, which makes us all want a PS5 Pro. Hideo Kojima knows the game’s release date but can’t tell us yet due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
During a panel for the forthcoming sequel to his post-apocalyptic walking simulator, which stars Norman Reedus as the game’s main protagonist, Sam Porter Bridges, Kojima revealed that he could yet give a firm release date “in preparation” for the release date. Still, we can expect it to arrive at “some point next year.”
“I haven’t said the release date today, but the release date has already been decided, and I’m currently working on it in preparation for that,” VGC reports.
He continued, “Since we are talking about 2025, it will be released next year, so we will announce it at some point next year. But, due to some unforeseen circumstances, we cannot announce it today.”
The panel also featured roughly 20 minutes of gameplay footage that also showed off DS2’s photo mode, which looks like it will probably take the title of the greatest photo mode ever.
We also learned that Elle Fanning will be joining the all-star cast for the game as a character named Tomorrow. Joining Reedus and Mad Max director George Miller.
Kojima Hints At His Age Catching Up With Him
Kojima didn’t reveal those “unforeseen circumstances,” but he admitted to not being at his best due to his age.
“Yes, I got tired today, and my back still hurts. So, I’m gonna watch a movie by a director I love. I guess I’m getting old,” Kojima wrote on his English account on X, formerly Twitter.
Kojima’s back could be hurting for having to carry the industry on his back for so long.
Just saying.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. This merch is sick!
2. Hideo Kojima continues to innovate in the video game space
3. This is so crazy
4. Kojima the goat!
5. We all do!