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HipHopWired Featured Video

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Source: Xbox / The Mandalorian-Inspired Xbox Series S & X Bundle
The folks are Xbox are back with another exciting giveaway that fans of Disney’s original Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, will absolutely love.
To celebrate season three of The Mandalorian, Xbox partnered with Lucasfilm to celebrate the return of the hit show starring Pedro Pascal as the titular character to giveaway Mandalorian-inspired gear.
Fans can enter a sweepstake right now where they can hope to win custom Xbox Series X and S consoles featuring Mando and Grogu, oops, we mean Baby Yoda and a custom controller that looks like The Child and a controller hoodie playing off his drip.
That’s not all. Fans can also win a life-size version of the Baby Yoda’s hovering ride, called The Pram XL, that they can actually sit in and either game or watch the new season of The Mandalorian.
Before you ask, no, it does not hover. Still, it is a fully operational gaming station featuring massaging cushions, cupholders, LED lights, and holders for your controllers and headphones, making it the best gaming chair on the planet and in a galaxy far, far away.
Source: Xbox / The Mandalorian-Inspired Xbox Series S & X bundle
Here’s How To Win
Retweet the official Xbox Twitter account starting today to enter for a chance to win the custom Mandalorian-inspired gear. You have until May 11 to enter the contest.

If you want to land the Pram XL, you will have to enter with Microsoft Rewards for the chance to win a full entertainment package by heading here starting March 16 until May 11.
In more Mandalorian news, Disney partnered with Xbox for a season three launch event in Los Angeles at the iconic El Capitan Theater.
In attendance were stars of the show Pedro Pascal, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff, Emily Swallow, Chris Bartlett, Rosario Dawson, and more. Series creator Jon Favreau, plus directors Rick Famuyiwa and Dave Filioni were also on hand for the big night.
Source: Xbox / The Mandalorian Season 3 Event
So, may the force be with you when trying to win that custom Mandalorian swag.
For more photos from The Mandalorian’s season 3 launch event, hit the gallery below.

Photos: Courtesy of Xbox

1. The Mandalorian Season 3 Event

Source:The Mandalorian Season 3 Event
The Mandalorian-Inspired Xbox Series S & X bundle xbox,the mandalorian,xbox series x,xbox series s

2. The Mandalorian Season 3 Event

Source:The Mandalorian Season 3 Event
The Mandalorian-Inspired Xbox Series S & X bundle xbox,the mandalorian,xbox series x,xbox series s

3. The Mandalorian Season 3 Event

Source:The Mandalorian Season 3 Event
The Mandalorian-Inspired Xbox Series S & X bundle xbox,the mandalorian,xbox series x,xbox series s

4. The Mandalorian Season 3 Event

Source:The Mandalorian Season 3 Event
The Mandalorian-Inspired Xbox Series S & X bundle xbox,the mandalorian,xbox series x,xbox series s

5. The Mandalorian Season 3 Event

Source:The Mandalorian Season 3 Event
The Mandalorian-Inspired Xbox Series S & X bundle xbox,the mandalorian,xbox series x,xbox series s

6. The Mandalorian Season 3 Event

Source:The Mandalorian Season 3 Event
The Mandalorian-Inspired Xbox Series S & X bundle xbox,the mandalorian,xbox series x,xbox series s

7. The Mandalorian Season 3 Event

Source:The Mandalorian Season 3 Event
The Mandalorian-Inspired Xbox Series S & X bundle xbox,the mandalorian,xbox series x,xbox series s

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: Geoffrey Short / Universal Pictures / Blumhouse 
Horror video games are all the rage again, and Blumhouse Productions, one of the biggest studios that push out horror films at a ridiculous clip, is getting in on the action.

The studio behind M3GAN, Insidious, The Black Phone, and GET OUT is looking to make the next big horror game with the announcement of Blumhouse Gaming.

According to Deadline, Jason Blum’s production company, Blumhouse Productions, will enter the gaming space as Blumhouse Gaming, Zach Wood as President, and Don Sechler as CFO.
While the goal is to produce and publish games, Blumhouse Games aims to help independent game developers create “original, horror-themed games for console, PC, and mobile audiences.”
Indie Developers Blumhouse Games Is Looking To Work With You
Per Deadline, Blumhouse Games solely “will target indie-budget games (below $10M) in pushing creative boundaries.”
“For some time, we have been looking to build out a team to start accessing the growth opportunity in interactive media. When we sat with Zach and Don, they articulated an approach that resonated with Blumhouse’s model, and we knew it was a perfect place for us to start our push into the interactive space,” Abhijay Prakash, Blumhouse President, said in a statement.
“With their experience, sensibility, and knowledge of the gaming marketplace, Zach and Don are the ideal leaders to leverage Blumhouse’s unique genre strengths into gaming,” he continued.
Wood adds, “Through my time in the industry, I’ve had the good fortune of working closely with developers to bring their ideas to life. There’s a unique opportunity for horror and genre in the indie game space, and I’m thrilled about teaming up with Blumhouse to meaningfully leverage the company’s brand, reputation, and creative talent.”
Does this mean we might get a video game based on M3GAN or GET OUT? We sure hope so.

Photo: Geoffrey Short / Universal Pictures

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: PlayStation Studios / MLB The Show 23: The Captain Edition
Earlier this week, it was announced Miami Marlins’ electric All-Star Jazz Chisholm is the new cover athlete for the 2023 edition of The Show. New York Yankees fans rejoice. Derek Jeter is gracing the cover of the MLB The Show 23: The Captain Edition.

The announcement of the Captain Edition of MLB The Show 23 came last night during the World Series-winning/ Hall-of-Fame shortstop’s visit to The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Show.

The 14x All-Star, 5x World Series Champion, 5x Silver Slugger, 2000 World Series MVP, and former CEO of the Miami Marlins is the latest MLB pro to grab a collector’s edition cover of the game, and honestly is a fantastic choice.
It has to be epic when putting someone of Derek Jeter’s stature on the cover of a game. PlayStation Studios contracted visual artist Sanford Greene to envision the larger-than-life athlete on the cover to make that happen.
On the cover, Jeter is drawn jumping out of Yankee Stadium, aka The House That Jeter built, flanked by tons of easter eggs for New York Yankees and MLB fans to spot.
Along with The Captain’s Edition, a Digital Deluxe Edition was also announced. Anyone who purchases the Collector’s Editions, The Digital Deluxe Edition, or The Captain Edition of MLB The Show 23 will get early access to the game.
The Captain Edition of MLB, The Show 23 on PlayStation consoles, includes both a PS4 (disc) and a PS5 (voucher download code) entitlement.
If you purchase the digital version of The Standard Edition on PlayStation or Xbox, you can upgrade for $10. The option is not available for copies of the physical Standard Edition.
The Digital Deluxe Edition Includes:

Full Game for PS4 and PS5*
[4] Days Early Access
Double Daily Login Rewards (For the life cycle of MLB The Show 23)

Additional Digital Items

[1] Captain’s Choice Pack
[1] To Be Announced Choice Pack
[1] To Be Announced Uniform Choice Pack
[5] Gold Choice Packs 
[20] Show Packs
[1] Ballplayer Pack
[1] Derek Jeter Cover art bat Skin
[30,000] Stubs™ for MLB The Show 23

MLB The Show 23 The Captain Edition is $99.99 & Includes:

Full Game for PS4 and PS5
New Era MLB The Show 9FIFTY Limited Edition Cap
Limited Edition Steel Book
[4] Days Early Access
Double Daily Login Rewards** (For the life cycle of MLB The Show 23)

Additional Digital Items

[1] Captain’s Choice Pack
[1] To be announced Choice Pack
[1] To be announced Uniform Choice Pack
[2] Gold Choice Packs 
[5] Show Packs
[1] Ballplayer Pack
[1] Derek Jeter Cover art bat Skin
[10,000] Stubs™ for MLB The Show 23

Also announced was the MLB The Show 23 Technical Test, which will begin on February 15 around 10 am PST and ends at 10 am PST on February 21.
The game launches on March 28, 2023. The standard edition on PlayStation 4 is $59.99, and $69.99 on the PlayStation 5. The game will also launch on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

The game will also be on Xbox Game Pass.
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Photo: PlayStation Studios / MLB The Show 23: The Captain Edition

HipHopWired Featured Video

Source: SOPA Images / Getty / PS5
It’s a new year, and Sony is declaring if you want a PS5, you should now be able to get one.
Sunday clips of a new PlayStation television ad shown on Australian television hit folk’s Twitter timelines showing Spider-Man giving gamers hope some information about Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was coming.

It turns out that clip is a part of Sony’s new “Live From PS5” ad campaign celebrating community and welcoming more players to get in on the PlayStation 5 action.
Monday, PlayStation dropped the ad in North America while also sharing the news it would be increasing its PS5 supply.
Per The PlayStation Blog:
To all our fans: thank you for your patience as we navigated unprecedented demand for the PS5 console amid global challenges. If you’re looking to purchase a PS5 console, you should now have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally.
For players in the U.S., U.K, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, be sure to check direct.playstation.com to purchase a PS5 console, games, and accessories directly from PlayStation. PS5 products are also available at participating retailers globally.
This news comes after Sony boss Jim Ryan happily announced the PS5 jig is up during the company’s CES presentation.
“Everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward,” Ryan told CES attendees.
2023 Looks Like It Will Be Another Good Year For The PS5
As for the ad, it’s an excellent one-minute spot showcasing upcoming PS5 titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Final Fantasy XVI, plus already released exclusive hits Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Gran Turismo 7, God of War Ragnarok, Destiny 2, Horizon Forbidden West, Returnal, Ghosts of Tsushima, possibly Uncharted and more.
It sounds like PlayStation is gearing up for another stellar year. Xbox already gave its gaming base a taste of what’s to come with its recent Developer Direct presentation, where we got a shock drop with Hi-Fi Rush, which is already getting game of the year nods from players.
In a recent interview, Xbox boss Phil Spencer did not acknowledge the company did not do right by gamers and was “too light on games,” but it looks like Xbox could also have a stellar 2023 to make up for its shortcomings in 2022.
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Photo: SOPA Images / Getty

Hip-Hop is set to hit the semi-centennial mark in 2023, and Hip-Hop Wired and our brother site Cassius Life are coming together to celebrate the moment while focusing on the genre of music’s influence on culture. There is nothing Hip-Hop does not touch, whether it be alcohol, clothes, or food. This post focuses on Hip-Hop’s love for video games and the franchises that rappers have loved and continue to play. Video games’ presence in Hip-Hop is no secret. Your favorite rappers will drop some bars referencing video games in their songs every chance they get.Rappers who use their music to document their early struggles pointed to video games being either a luxury at the time growing up poor or a means to keep them off the streets and out of trouble.One bar immediately comes to mind is the Biggie Smalls‘ “Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis when I was dead broke, man, I couldn’t picture this,” on his iconic track “Juicy,” off his debut album Ready to Die.On ScBoolBoy Q’s “Hoover Streeter,” he rapped, “Grandma said she loved me, I told her I loved her more, she always got me things we couldn’t afford, the new Js and Tommy Hill in my drawers, Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64, see GoldenEye was away at war.”Now you can’t visit a rapper’s studio and not see a classic arcade cabinet or console where the musician can pick up the sticks and enjoy a break outside the booth.In the gallery below, we show love to the video games and established franchises that have become beloved by rappers throughout the years that span genres of games.

1. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

In the late 80s and the early 90s, Mike Tyson took the sports world by storm as he viciously knocked out his opponents in the ring. So it made perfect sense, at the time, to make him the face of his video game. In 1987, Nintendo linked up with Tyson for Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Entertainment System, a home version of the arcade hits Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out!!. 
You would be hard-pressed to find a home that didn’t have the NES cartridge sitting inside the console with players trying to take underdog Little Mac on his journey to professional boxing greatness. 
On your quest to become champ, you face contenders like Glass Joe, Soda Popinski, King Hippo, Super Macho Man, Great Tiger, and Piston Honda, who each have different special techniques you have to avoid while figuring out their patterns to defeat them. Some even had weak points enabling Little Mac to score one-punch knockouts. 
Once you beat those guys, it’s time to face the legendary black trunks and black boxing sneakers-wearing Mike Tyson. He was no pushover and was considered by many to be one of the most challenging video game characters to defeat. 

2. Double Dribble

Another sports game that you would more than likely find a rapper’s home is Double Dribble. This wasn’t Konami’s first basketball video game, but it is the video game company’s most popular.
Double Dribble arrived in arcades in 1986 before being ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. It was ahead of its time thanks to its fast-paced basketball action and the in-game dunk sequences, a first for sports video games, and the signature sound when you shoot a 3-point shot.

3. Tecmo Bowl/Tecmo Super Bowl

Before Madden NFL took over the football video game world, Tecmo Bowl was king. Tecmo Bowl started in arcades in 1987 before coming home to NES consoles in 1989. 
When it reached North America, it was the first game to feature the NFLPA license, and of course, who could forget the unstoppable Bo Jackson, who was the running back for the Los Angeles Raiders and was arguably the most op cyber athlete ever. 
Tecmo Bowl would come back even stronger with the release of Tecmo Super Bowl, the first game to be licensed by both the NFL and NFLPA. 
Fans loved the game because it kept the fun Tecmo Bowl gameplay but added a season option, injuries, and those cool animations when you scored a touchdown, intercepted a pass, sacked the quarterback, or made a spectacular catch. 

4. NBA Jam

Oh my, he’s on fire! 
NBA Jam, the 1993 successor to Arch Rivals, took the arcades by storm when it arrived in 1993. Instead of made-up hoopers, the game featured two stars from your favorite NBA franchises. 
Acclaim would bring the game to home consoles where players would enjoy the no holds barred NBA action where players can push opponents without consequences, do outrageous dunks, and hit three points bombs way before Steph Curry arrived in the league. 
The game was also unique in that it only featured two-on-two action with teams of five players to choose from, initially three in the arcade version. 
One person noticeably absent from NBA Jam which was the highest-earning arcade game at the time was Michael Jordan. Due to his marketing agreement with Nike that didn’t allow him to be a part of the NBPA’s licensing deal, his absence in the game was felt. 
But, developers tried their best to make up for it by giving players the ability to input codes for hidden characters like formers US President Bill Clinton, his wife Hillary Clinton, Will Smith, Larry Bird, and more. 

5. NBA Live

In October 1994, the basketball video game world took a giant leap when EA Sports dropped NBA Live 95.  Yes, EA dropped other great basketball games like Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, Bulls versus Blazers and the NBA Playoffs, and NBA Showdown, but NBA Live 95 was a game-changer. 
Unlike its predecessors, NBA Live 95 was much faster and felt more authentic to the NBA experience we witnessed during those games we watched on NBC. 
NBA Live 95 laid the groundwork for future basketball simulators by introducing a dedicated sprint button, detailed player ratings, instant replay, offensive-defensive strategy, and of course, those alley-oop dunks that get a rise out of you have you talking trash every time you pull one off.
For many years, NBA Live would be the premiere basketball video game franchise until NBA 2K dethroned it. 

6. Mortal Kombat

Street Fighter II was the king of fighting games, but Mortal Kombat had its sights on the throne and damn near took the crown. 
When Mortal Kombat hit arcades in 1992, it brought a level of video game violence gamers had never experienced. On top of pulling off special moves, these wonderful fatalities allowed players to punctuate a match and brutally kill their opponents. 
The game became an instant hit in arcades, and, of course, the energy was the same when it came home to consoles. When you rolled up at a friend’s house, the studio, it would be a safe bet you would see a Mortal Kombat cartridge, primarily the Genesis version, because it was the only one with the classic code that allowed blood to be in the game. 
Super Nintendo, unfortunately, didn’t allow that. 

7. Street Fighter II

Before there was Mortal Kombat, you could find everyone at the local arcade, Carvel ice cream shop, and bodega wasting quarters playing Street Fighter II in 1991. 
Street Fighter II eventually made its way into homes and, by 1996, became one of the most popular games in homes, with 6.3 million SNES cartridges sold. 
The game was extremely popular in Hip-Hop circles and arguably is among rappers’ most referenced songs. Lupe Fiasco is an avid Street Fighter player, and when he was not dropping albums, the Chicago rapper was actually participating in tournaments showing off his playing skills. 

8. John Madden Football / Madden NFL

Now known as  Madden NFL,  EA Sports once again shook the video game world with John Madden Football when they brought it to the Sega Genesis in 1990. 
Like Tecmo Bowl before it, John Madden Football did not have the benefit of the NFLPA or NFL license to make it an accurate NFL simulation, but it did provide football fans with a fantastic game to play. 
It would eventually gain the NFL license in 1993, bringing your favorite NFL team or teams to the game and, finally, players in Madden 95 after adding the NFLPA license. The acquisition of both rights meant something from the games had to be removed, noticeably the hilarious moment when the ambulance would rush onto the field to pick up an injured player running while running over other players. 
Madden NFL would become a behemoth in the sports video game world after it outright bought the exclusive rights to use the NFL’s teams, stadiums, and players in a video game because it honestly feared the growing competition from the NFL 2K franchise. 
Madden NFL, despite its flaws, is beloved among the Hip-Hop community, with rappers such as Ludacris making exclusive songs for the game and having huge fans in other rap stars like The Game, Bow Wow, Chris Brown, and Snoop Dogg, who displays his passion for the game during streams where he does hilarious express his anger when things don’t go his way while playing. 

9. NBA Street

At a time when NBA Jam was put on ice, EA Canada and NuFX decided to fill that void with 2001’s NBA Street on PlayStation 2. 
Published by EA Sports BIG, the game took the NBA action to the streets or the hardtop, and guess what? Michael Jordan was in the game. 
NBA Street became insanely popular, selling 1.7 million copies on the PlayStation 2 while featuring an insanely Hip-Hop heavy soundtrack, so it’s no secret the game became beloved in Hip-Hop circles. 

10. Def Jam: Vendetta

This is a no-brainer, a wrestling game featuring your favorite rappers? Of course, this game would be on the list. The game would also spawn a sequel called Def Jam: Fight For New York. 
The games featured Lil’Kim, Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Ludacris, Ice-T, N.O.R.E., Memphis Bleek, Fat Joe, Funkmaster Flex, Busta Rhymes, Joe Budden, Keith Murray and more. 

11. NFL 2K

NFL 2K was another that started out on the Sega Dreamcast and featured Randy Moss on the cover and who many consider one of the best cyber athletes ever, not named Bo Jackson or Michael Vick. 
After the demise of the Dreamcast, NFL 2K would find life on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 and dropped NFL 2K5, which many said was better than the Madden game that came out that year and only cost $20. 
NFL 2K5 spooked EA so much that they quickly gobbled up the NFL licenses for an insane amount of money, making Madden the only football video game on the market. 

12. NBA 2K

NBA Live laid the groundwork, and NBA 2K took the rock and ran with it. The NBA 2K franchise first burst onto the scene on the Sega Dreamcast and featured NBA Hall-of-Famer Allen Iverson on multiple covers. 
The game eventually arrived on other consoles and delivered basketball fans an even better basketball video game experience than NBA Live, thanks to the incorporation of ESPN’s presentation. 
NBA 2K is now THE premiere basketball video game franchise and works closely with Hip-Hop by incorporating artists’ music while introducing players to new acts. Of course, your favorite rappers also spend their free time trash-talking to each other online and meeting up in The City,  NBA 2K’s online hub.

13. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty is THE biggest video game franchise on the planet right now, and the game that helped it become a global phenomenon was none other than 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. 
The franchise has since blown to epic proportions, spawned numerous sequels, a separate free-to-play game, Call of Duty: Warzone, a popular mobile game, and features athletes, movie stars, and Hip-Hop artists in their ads regularly.

14. Fight Night

Outside Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! there wasn’t a great boxing game until EA Sports blessed us with Fight Night in 2004. 
The game featured plenty of professional boxers not named Floyd Mayweather Jr. and delivered an authentic boxing match feel.
One big fan of the franchise was iconic producer Just Blaze, an avid gamer in the Hip-Hop world and filmed plenty of videos handing all trash talkers who wanted the smoke a virtual fade. 
Fight Night, unfortunately, was put into early retirement following 20122’s Fight Night Champion, but who knows? Maybe the folks at EA are working on bringing it back.

15. Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is one of those franchises immersed in the Hip-Hop world. 2001’s Grand Theft Auto III took the GTA franchise to new heights, and the Hip-Hop world took notice. 
Also, while out committing all kinds of crimes and embarking on zany missions bopping to the Hip-Hop station just made all the sense in the world. 
2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City would further pull us into the GTA universe, but Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas proved how much Hip-Hop influenced the game. CJ, a fictional Grove Street Gang member, is one of the most beloved video game characters ever. 
2008’s Grand Theft Auto IV was well received, leaving many to believe it is criminally underrated, but now, it’s 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V that is still the talk of the world. 
GTA V has become one of the highest-selling pieces of entertainment in the world, spawning two re-releases and countless numbers of DLC for the online component. 
It’s so popular in the Hip-Hop world that Dr.Dre, who still hasn’t dropped Detox, is in the game and has his own storyline. 

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Source: Crystal Dynamics / Marvel’s Avengers
The struggle train that is Crystal Dynamic’s attempt at a video game MCU with Marvel’s Avengers is coming to an end.
After two long years of trying to follow its “roadmap” of content, Crystal Dynamics announced it will end active development on Marvel’s Avengers, saying it was a decision it “undertook in conjunction with our partners.”
The sad news came in a blog post called “Final Update on The Future of Marvel’s Avengers” that hilariously dropped with a broken link, clearly indicating how doomed this video game was.
In the post, Crystal Dynamic said it would discontinue support for the game on September 30, which will see all digital purchases end, meaning all those costumes and other DLC will be free.
So we understand if players who have been grinding and spending money on this game over the last two years decided to HULK OUT, knowing they will not be getting a refund.
Update 2.7, which saw the Winter Soldier and the Cloning Lab Omega Level Threat event come to Marvel’s Avengers, will be the game’s last content release. Spider-Man will remain a PlayStation exclusive.
On March 31, Update 2.8 will arrive and serve as the game’s final balance update. After that, Crystal Dynamics will shutter the cosmetics marketplace, and players will no longer be able to purchase credits.
The player’s remaining credit balances will be converted into in-game resources, and all cosmetics will become free.

The Writing Was On The Wall For Marvel’s Avengers From The Start
Marvel’s Avengers has been fighting for its life since its announcement. Gamers flamed its generic take on the character designs, calling them the stunt doubles of the real-life actors in the MCU.
Before the game’s release, the beta did nothing to win over fans, leaving them worried about what would come. The game arrived to mid reviews, with most complaints thrown at the game’s online multiplayer component, which was bare bones at the time.
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In our review of Marvel’s Avengers, we said this game could be the Age of Ultron of video games, meaning it would be appreciated later as time passed.
There were signs of hope with the Black Panther: War For Wakanda expansion, but it turns out we were WRONG.
Well, at least we still got Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, that mysterious Black Panther and Captain America game, and the standalone Black Panther game to look forward to.
You see more reactions to Marvel’s Avengers being put on ice in the gallery below.

Photo: Crystal Dynamics / Marvel’s Avengers

3. You did all you could and you’re appreciated for it.

4. This was all of us.

Source: Future Publishing / Getty / Video GamesWelcome to 2023, and it promises to be another significant year for gamers. 2022 is in the books, and it closed on an extremely high note thanks to God of War: Ragnarok blowing gamers away once again and cementing Kratos as one of the greatest video game characters ever, sorry Mario.Oh, and we can’t forget Horizon Forbidden West, another fantastic entry into Guerilla’s epic franchise adding to PlayStation’s stellar year of exclusives.But that was then. This is now. 2023 looks promising, thanks mainly to games that were supposed to drop in 2022 having their wigs pushed back.Hip Hop Wired decided to narrow that list down to 15 games WE are most excited to pick up the sticks for in 2023. Now, if we miss one, that’s okay; remember, this is our list, but we don’t mind you throwing your suggestion our way.Below are 15 titles we can’t wait to play on our Xbox Series X, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

1. Dead Space

Resident Evil and Silent Hill had the survival horror genre on lock-in grounded locales. 2008’s Dead Space took the fear from those games and perfected it in outer space. 
Fast Foward to 2023, the good folks at EA decided it was time to revive the franchise and bring the necromorph terror to next-gen consoles.
The original team that made 2008’s Dead Space has since moved on and dropped The Callisto Protocol, a similar game but at the same time quite different. 
Motive Studios has taken over the franchise and promises the remake will stay true to the original but, at the same time, vastly improve on the game. 
Based on what he has seen so far, that looks like that will be the case. Dead Space arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC on January 27. 

2. Resident Evil 4

Capcom shook the Resident Evil franchise up when it dropped Resident Evil 4 on the Nintendo Switch in 2005. Ditching slow gameplay mechanics, the tank controls fans came to love in the original games for a new over-the-shoulder camera view and fast-paced action, and a new inventory system turned out to be a successful gamble for the video game company. 
Resident Evil 4 would become one of the essential titles in video game history, so it makes sense that Capcom would also give it the same remake treatment that Resident Evil 2 and RE 3: Nemesis have received. 
Resident Evil 4 remake sees the return of Leon S. Kennedy, arguably one of the most popular characters in the RE franchise. It looks to build off the momentum started by his introductory adventure in Resident Evil 2. 
The game arrives on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series S | X, and PC on March 24.

3. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Sony is looking to have another strong year for the PS5, which could be easily attainable thanks to Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. 
We still don’t know much about this game except that both Spider-Man and Miles Morales will be playable and will be taking on Venom. 
Insomniac assured fans that the game will arrive in 2023 but has yet to share a solid release date, we expect that information to come soon. 

4. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

It took a long five years for Final Fantasy VII: Remake to hit consoles, and thankfully so because that game was a masterpiece. 
Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long for the next installment, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. The game will pick up where the first chapter ended, with Cloud and the crew trying to stop Sephiroth from enacting his plan, and that’s all we know. 
The game is set to arrive “next winter,” so that could mean 2023 or the beginning of 2024, we’re hoping for this year because we are thirsty for more. 
Like the previous title, this game is exclusive to the PlayStation 5.

5. Final Fantasy XVI

Final Fantasy XVI, the next installment in the Final Fantasy saga, is taking it back to the times of knights, kings, queens, wizards, and palace intrigue, and it looks L I T. 
This one will be a timed exclusive coming to PlayStation 5 consoles first on June 22, and eventually on Windows PC. 

6. Assassin’s Creed Mirage

With the changing year, you can always expect a new game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. For Mirage, Ubisoft’s next installment is returning to the original formula that made the game a hit with fans. 
This game will ditch the Action/RPG format returning to its stealth roots and will be set in Baghdad in the 9th century, and will follow the assassin Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character you met in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. 
Get ready to assassinate and get your parkour on when Assassin’s Creed Mirage drops on PlayStation, Xbox, Windows PC, and Amazon Luna sometime later this year. 

7. Forspoken

The developers behind Final Fantasy 15 took a break from the iconic franchise to bring to the gaming world Forspoken, a new IP from Square Enix. 
The game follows Frey, played by the beautiful Ella Ballinska, who is magically transported to a fantasy world where she will be guided by a talking bracelet and armed with magical spells to help her find her way back home to New York City. 
Forspoken is PlayStation 5 console exclusive and will also arrive on Windows PC on January 24. 

8. RoboCop: Rogue City

Teyon Games made a first-person shooter featuring our favorite cyborg cop, and it looks pretty damn good. RoboCop: Rogue City will have players taking on the role of Alex Murphy as he dishes out his brand of justice across Old and New Detroit while trying to stop a massive crime wave. 
RoboCop: Rogue City arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam on June 2023.

9. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

It’s been almost 6 years since the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, which many consider being a  game changer. 
While we still wait for a new Nintendo Switch, we won’t have to wait too long for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the highly-anticipated follow-up to Breath of The Wild. We still don’t know much about the game’s plot except that Link will have some new abilities, and a lot of the adventure will possibly take place in the skies above Hyrule. 
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom supposedly launches on the Nintendo Switch & Switch OLED on May 12. 

10. Street Fighter 6

Capcom is looking to have a much better launch with Street Fighter 6 than it did with Street Fighter V. When the next installment in the iconic fighting game franchise arrives, it will do so with three modes. 
Players can look forward to the classic mode Fight Ground that delivers old-school Street Fighter action, the new World Tour mode where players have to fight their way to the top, and a Battle Hub for multiplayer hands, feet, and dragon punches can be exchanged.
Street Fighter 6 launches on PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, and PC on June 2.

11. Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League

Rocksteady Games gives Batman a break and gives players control of Task Force X in Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. 
Technically, Batman is still around, but this time he’s on the wrong side of justice. In the game, players will control a team comprised of villains Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark. Their mission will be to take down the Justice League, including “alpha target” Superman, The Flash, Batman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman. 
The supes are all under the control of Brainiac, one of Superman’s many enemies. 
Task Force X will look to do the impossible in Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League when the game arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on May 26.

12. Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2, the long-awaited follow-up to the 2011 game, has had its wig pushed back NUMEROUS times, so could this be the year the sequel finally comes out? 
We hope so. 
In Dead Island 2, the action RPG shifts from an island resort to sunny Los Angeles, where players can pick up whatever they want and use it as a weapon to eradicate the undead.
Dead Island 2 arrives on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One on April 28, we hope.

13. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

Team Ninja, the studio behind the action RPG series Nioh is looking to shake up 2023 with Wo-Long: Fallen Dynasty, a Soulslike game described as a “dark fantasy action game set in the Chinese Three Kingdoms period.”
We played the extensive demo and enjoyed our time with the game. We can’t way to play more when the game drops on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on March 3. It will also be a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass. 

14. Hogwarts Legacy

This might be the Harry Potter-themed game fans of the books and movies have longed for. Hogwarts Legacy will see players taking on the role of a student attending the fictional wizarding school during the 1800s, well before Harry Potter and his friends were born. 
It’s an open-world adventure full of all the fantastic lore from the Harry Potter books and films. Whether fans will be able to look past the transphobic nonsense the series creator J.K. Rowling has been spewing and pick up the game is another story. 
Hogwarts Legacy arrives on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X on February 10.

15. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Cal Kestis’ adventure continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and he’s no longer the green Jedi on the run we first met. Equipped with new skills, some better lightsabers, loyal droid BD-1, and a new ally and friend, Kestis is trying to survive as Darth Vader and The Empire continue the mission to wipe the Jedi from the universe. 
Unlike the first game, Survivor, which takes place five years after the events of  Fallen Order, will be much darker in tone. 
This sounds like the sequel we were hoping for. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor arrives on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC on March 17.

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Source: Future Publishing / Getty / PlayStation 5
The days of selling your kidneys and doing strange things for a PlayStation 5 are finally over. Allegedly.
Wednesday, Jan.4, during the company’s CES presentation, Sony boss Jim Ryan declared the PlayStation 5 jig is finally over.
“Everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward,” Ryan told CES attendees.

Ryan also said that Sony sold over 30 million PlayStation 5 consoles. That’s 5 million more than what was initially reported in November.
Are those consoles sitting in gamers’ entertainment systems is another question entirely.

Acquiring a PlayStation 5 deserves a platinum trophy, as many gamers found out when the next-gen console launched in November 2020. Not until August 2022 was it a tad bit easier to find a PS5, reportedly.
Still, finding a PS5 at retail price requires patience and a bit of luck, of course. The best way to get a PS5 console without dealing with scalpers is to buy the $550 disc drive edition that either comes with Horizon Forbidden West or God of War: Ragnarok. 
That’s a steep asking price if you’re budget is set on copping the $399 digital edition of the PS5 console.
Ryan thanked PlayStation fans for their “managed unprecedented demand amid global challenges over the past two years.”
What’s PS5 Stock Looking Like?
We decided to do some investigating, and we checked Best Buy. It seems bundles are in high demand and requires a Best Buy account to purchase one.
Checking Gamestop says there are limited quantities of the Horizon Forbidden West digital, physical bundle, and digital edition console.
If you want to purchase a God of War: Ragnarok bundle, you have to be a pro-member, but it does seem that it is becoming “easier” to find one.
The real test will be if you can actually walk into a Best Buy or Gamestop location and walk out with a PS5 console.

Photo: Future Publishing / Getty

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Source: Burberry / Minecraft
Consider the lines between digital and physical to be blurred thanks to this new collaboration between icon British luxury brand Burberry and the insanely popular videogame Minecraft.

Burberry and Minecraft have teamed up for a new capsule collection available on Burberry’s website and in select retailers.
Gamers will also get to show off their self-expression with in-game items also.
Source: Burberry / Minecraft
The collection includes signature pieces like the iconic trench coat, hoodies, and other accessories that feature Minecraft-inspired prints.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Minecraft to bring the Burberry brand story to life in such an immersive way,” said Phillip Hennche, Director of Channel Innovation at Burberry. “With a shared belief in adventure, community, and the power of creativity to open spaces, the natural synergy between both of our brands has allowed us to connect our respective worlds in a way that is unexpected and yet entirely natural. By coming together, we hope to connect communities and inspire our consumers with a whole new way to experience our brand.”

“We are excited to announce Minecraft’s first luxury goods collaboration with one of the most iconic fashion brands in the world, Burberry. Our capsule collection and exclusive in-game content bridges the digital and physical worlds through a celebration of adventure, exploration, and self-expression,” says Kayleen Walters, Head of Franchise Development at Mojang Studios. “Through our partnership, we will bring the joy of gaming to the world of luxury fashion and introduce new audiences to the endless creative possibilities within Minecraft.”
Source: Burberry / Minecraft
Minecraft Players Can Also Download Free Burberry-Inspired In-Game Content
The collaboration doesn’t end with real-world and virtual clothing. Minecraft players can also embark on a Burberry-inspired adventure as well.
“Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond” will encourage players to “complete various outdoor challenges and interact with the animal kingdom.”
The new content also reflects the fashion brand and Minecraft’s appreciation of the wonder of nature. Both entities teamed up to protect naturescapes for the explorers of tomorrow.

Burberry and Minecraft will donate “to help protect 500,000 trees and plant 25,000 trees through environmental organization Conservation International and their forest conservation efforts around the world.”
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Photo: Burberry / Minecraft

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Source: Neilson Barnard / Getty / Fortnite
Epic Games, the studio that gave us arguably the most popular game in the world, Fortnite, pockets got a bit lighter.
Spotted on Kotaku, Epic Games will have to dip into its funds and pay an astounding $520 million combined settlement after the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) found the company invaded kid’s privacy and was tricking some of its players into purchasing things in Fortnite, they didn’t want.

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The FTC announced the epic (no pun intended) penalty on Monday, Dec.19, pointing out that it is the most significant penalty in the history of the regulatory commission. In response to the fine, Epic Games said, “No developer creates a game with the intention of ending up here.”
So What Did Epic Games’ Do?
According to the FTC, the multi-billion dollar video game developer was making money off children without following the rules to protect them while playing online games.
One settlement was for Epic Games to collect information from Fortnite players under 13 and in-game settings that automatically turn on voice and text chat by default. That was considered a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule resulting in a $275 million fine and a commitment from Epic Games to change the default settings in Fortnite.
The second settlement was for using “dark patterns to trick players into making unwanted purchases.” According to the FTC, Epic accidentally made it easy to purchase skins and hard to locate the refund option.
The FTC also alleges that Epic Games sometimes banned accounts that could secure refunds leaving players locked out of the content they accidentally paid for. For its egregiousness, Epic Games put $245 million into a fund to help reimburse players for those accidental purchases.
Fortnite has made $9 billion, so this fine is just a slap on the wrist for Epic Games, but still, it’s a costly one.

Photo: Neilson Barnard / Getty