Summer Got You Down? These Upcoming Feel Good Video Games Will Lift Your Spirits

August 1, 2021August 1, 2021 Jamal Michel

What if Tony Hawk was actually a bird? What kind of game choices would you make playing as a postwoman in the ‘80s? Could you use your emotions to help guide a quartet in a forest? The summer has been overwhelming for the most part for many of us — from mounting pandemic concerns, to even more polarizing political conversations, it’s easy to quickly find yourself doom-scrolling for hours into the night. Thankfully, video games like Skatebird and The Forest Quartet exist to help ease our minds out of the hubbub of the real world and into the vibes of a video game experience that really feels good.

Marvel, Video GamesLeave a comment

‘Marvel’s Avengers: War for Wakanda’ DLC Launches in August

July 29, 2021July 29, 2021 Jamal Michel

Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix have been on a tear with news and updates regarding the new DLC for their Avengers roleplaying game. While the player base has seen substantial decline since the game’s launch September of last year, the recent news about War for Wakanda has many players understandably hyped.

Horror, Reviews, Video GamesLeave a comment

‘Mundaun’ is a Haunting First-Person Horror Game with a Dark Story

July 28, 2021July 28, 2021 Jamal Michel

The first-person, single-player horror game Mundaun is out now for Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms. It’s a hand-drawn tale of a grandson returning to his hometown for his grandfather’s funeral but upon arriving makes a grisly discovery.

Gaming, News, Video Games1 Comment

Activision Blizzard’s Toxic Culture is Part of a Larger, Ongoing Conversation about Video Games

July 27, 2021July 28, 2021 Jamal Michel

This week, employees at Activision Blizzard plan to walkout in protest over work conditions and leadership’s poor response to workplace treatment of women — particularly women of color, transgender women, nonbinary people, and other marginalized groups, according to a Kotaku report. On July 20, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a la w suit alleging that the company cultivated a toxic and sexist, “frat boy” workplace environment, and since the bombshell news dropped, scores of former and current employees, reporters, and gaming leaders have voiced their concerns over the lack of accountability on the part of Activision Blizzard.

Gaming, Interview, Video GamesLeave a comment

Fighting Game Legend Justin Wong Talks Gaming, Fatherhood, and More

July 27, 2021July 27, 2021 Jamal Michel

When I happened upon Street Fighter IV on the Xbox 360 in 2009, it came years after playing Super Street Fighter II on the Super Nintendo and falling victim to the cheap tactics of my cousin’s Dhalsim. I had zero knowledge of fighting game mechanics like footsies, whiff punishing, or zoning, but in 2009 I was consumed by everything Street Fighter. Justin Wong was among some of my earliest impressions of the fighting game community’s most prolific figures, clashing with FGC rivals and icons Daigo Umehara, Christopher “NYChrisG” Gonzalez, and Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi throughout the early 2010s.

Gaming, Interview, Video Games1 Comment

Flightless Studios Talks New Indie Game ‘Doomsday Vault’ on the Nintendo Switch

July 27, 2021July 27, 2021 Jamal Michel

The New Zealand indie game development studio Flightless has been hard at work expanding their library of thoughtful and rich games that combine a unique experience with an imaginative atmosphere. John O’Reilly, its co-founder and creative director, said that the studio came into the indie development landscape after working on commercial projects the last few years and realized their talents could be applied to making video games as well. O’Reilly and co-founder Greg Harding, who also works as Flightless’s technical director, have made it a point to bring their passion projects to life, with titles like Element and Doomsday Vault.

Marvel, Video Games

Christopher Judge to Voice T’Challa in ‘Marvel’s Avengers’

July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 Jamal Michel

Since the passing of legend, icon, and super hero Chadwick Boseman last year, the idea of passing the mantle of the Black Panther off to anyone else has been met with understandable apprehension. The entertainment, comic book, and pop culture world was stunned by the news of Chadwick’s passing last year after learning about his personal battle with colon cancer and countless roles and activities he committed to while battling his illness.

Animation, Video Games

‘Ayo the Clown’ Details Revealed with ‘Where’s the Pup’ Video

July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 Jamal Michel

Cloud M1, the indie studio that started as a place for 3D animation projects, has built on a foundation working on commercials and CG projects for advertising and media. While working on these projects, they soon learned how their strengths could be applied to the mobile app space, publishing games and apps for iOS specifically. As huge gamers and fans of classic gaming they created Ayo the Clown, their most ambitious game to date and the first of many games to come.

Gaming, Video Games

Nintendo Updates: Switch OLED Model Pre-Orders Go Live and More

July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 Jamal Michel

Pre-orders for the the Nintendo Switch OLED Model are live July 15 at 12PM PT, with the console dropping October 8. Despite the news, many fans and gamers have continued to call out the OLED Model for features they feel should have been included in the original Switch, from the new ethernet port, to the more durable kickstand.

Gaming, Video Games

‘Hanako: Honor & Blade’ Multiplayer Game Will Launch in September

July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 Jamal Michel

The small development team at +Mpact Games is looking to make a splash with their personal, immersive samurai multiplayer game of life and destruction. Matt Canei, Team Lead at +Mpact Games, said about their new game, “As we put the final touches on Hanako: Honor & Blade we’re reflecting on the bittersweet journey we’ve shared to honor those we have lost.”

Gaming, Video Games1 Comment

‘Pokémon UNITE’ Official Release Date + New Roster Addition, Zeraora

July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 Jamal Michel

The amazing new multiplayer online battle arena Pokémon UNITE has finally announced its official release date. July 21 the game will be dropping on Nintendo Switch and fans are understandably stoked for the new brawler. With over 20 Pokémon available to choose from, the announcement also came with a new roster addition, the Electric-type Mythical Pokémon Zereora.

Sports, Video Games1 Comment

LeBron James Reigns Supreme with New ‘Fortnite’ Skin

July 12, 2021July 15, 2021 Jamal Michel

LeBron “LeFortnite” James is my favorite athlete of all time and if there’s anyone who could get me to actually re-install Fortnite and use my mother’s credit card for a new skin, it’s that dude. Epic announced today that King James is making his Fortnite debut July 14, two days ahead of the premiere of Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Gaming, Video Games

Sony’s July State of Play Live Updates

July 8, 2021July 9, 2021 Jamal Michel

Sony’s State of Play goes live today at 2PM PT/ 5PM ET with “a nine-minute look at Deathloop’s time-twisted world,” as well as updates to indie and third-party titles. They’ve made it clear on their blog post that today’s presentation will not cover God of War, Horizon Forbidden West, or the next generation of PlayStation VR news. However, folks at PlayStation did say they’ll be sharing news in the future about highly-anticipated titles and more so stay tuned.

Tech, Video Games

New OLED Model Nintendo Switch Launches in October

July 6, 2021July 6, 2021 Jamal Michel

After the rumor mill about a new Nintendo Switch console reached new heights, Nintendo announced today the new Switch (OLED model) with a brilliant 7-inch OLED screen is launching October 8. The new model will also feature a wide adjustable stand, a dock with a wired LAN port and 64GB of internal storage. Rumors have been mounting for months that the new console would in fact be the Switch 2 but it’s clear Nintendo is going in a different direction until then.

Fashion, Movies, Video Games

Nike Teams Up with Xbox For Incredible ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Collab

July 1, 2021July 1, 2021 Jamal Michel

When LeBron James’ jersey first dropped in 2003, I dragged my father through the sweltering streets of Brooklyn to the nearest Foot Locker to buy it, alongside a headband and pair of wristbands to parade around in for the next month. I’d beg my mother to take us to the nearest Barnes & Noble with every new Slam magazine cover James appeared in, just to see if it was in stock. With Space Jam: A New Legacy on the horizon, my hopes of getting my hands on more coveted LeBron James memorabilia dwindle in the face of scalpers and buggy sneaker apps that seem to torture me incessantly.

Gaming, Video Games

‘Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut’ Set to Arrive in August

July 1, 2021July 1, 2021 Jamal Michel

Sucker Punch announced today that Ghost of Tsushima, their Japanese masterpiece of an RPG, is getting a director’s cut release on both PS4 and PS5 August 20. Players will experience the brand new Iki Island and loads of additional content, new features, and some PS5 exclusive enchantments that will further elevate the critical hailed title.

Interview, Video Games

Noveen Crumbie and Adriana Colón on Arkane Studios’ New Game ‘Redfall’

June 30, 2021June 30, 2021 Jamal Michel

With the reveal of incredible new indie titles, new and upcoming downloadable content, and major blockbuster games dropping on Game Pass the day of their release, this summer’s E3 gave gamers a lot to appreciate following a year and a half of some of the industry’s most challenging times. For me and thousands of other gamer nerds, the standout for the summer was the reveal of Arkane Studios’ new open-world co-op FPS Redfall.

Interview, Video Games

Davionne Gooden is One of the Dopest Indie Developers You’ll Meet

June 29, 2021 Jamal Michel

As I prepped my Zoom background with a gorgeous wallpaper of She Dreams Elsewhere game art, I hadn’t really anticipated the kind of indie developer I’d be sitting down with. Oftentimes you’ll hear stories of conversations that turned sour because of personalities that couldn’t share the same room but the cameras turned on and Davionne Gooden and I were vibing.

Gaming, Video Games1 Comment

‘Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin’ Demo Showcases the Franchise’s Best Parts

June 27, 2021June 27, 2021 Jamal Michel

A free demo of Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is available now in the Nintendo eShop ahead of the game’s July 9 release date. The game, a sequel to its 2016 predecessor on the Nintendo 3DS and mobile devices, features some of the most unique stories built into the world of Monster Hunter.

Comics, Video Games

Blizzard Announces Afua Richardson Comic Covers and ‘Overwatch’ Rewards for Their 30th Anniversary

June 24, 2021June 25, 2021 Jamal Michel

With the recent launch of Cross-Play for Overwatch across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, Blizzard Entertainment also announced that Ashe’s Deadlock Challenge is now live across all platforms. Additionally, if gamers play and watch Overwatch from June 22 to July 5, they have the opportunity to earn sweet rewards, including the new Legendary Ashe and B.O.B. Skin.

Gaming, Video Games

More ‘Pokémon UNITE’ Details + Hands-On Gameplay Footage

June 24, 2021June 28, 2021 Jamal Michel

Pokémon UNITE, TiMi Studios and The Pokémon Company’s free-to-play, multiplayer online battle arena video game for Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch, is set to release in July and the details continue to showcase what a unique title it’s set to be. The game’s beta, released in Japan, runs from June 24 to 26 and allows players the opportunity to experiment with the game’s mechanics hands-on.

Conventions, Video Games

Indie Developers Thrive Despite Post-Pandemic Challenges

June 22, 2021June 22, 2021 Jamal Michel

If this year’s E3 expo showed us anything it’s that indie game developers are built different. Throughout the span of the four day long event, viewers were shown dozens of new titles coming to consoles and PC, and many of those titles came from small studios turning passion projects into marketable content. Between this summer’s E3 and the 2021 Wholesome Direct, gamers saw first-hand the hard work put in by indie game development studios who were also coming off one of the most damaging events to the industry and globe as a whole.

Origins, Video Games

After 25 Years and Zero Games Played, My Father Remains the Ultimate Gamer

June 20, 2021June 21, 2021 Jamal Michel

The other day, my father noticed one of the PC games I was playing and was pretty stunned — not just at the graphics but the overall presentation of gaming today. Growing up, the computer in our home was mostly used for homework, school projects, and of course, Math Blaster. I don’t know that my father knows how deep the rabbit hole of PC gaming goes, or its history, but he remains one of the single most significant figures in introducing video games to me.

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