CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS!

Batman Arkham City – PC, PS3, Xbox 360 — Not only is this the best superhero video game ever, it ranks up there as one of the best Batman stories to come out in recent memory. The Batman: The Animated Series creators and voice actors come together to create a new chapter to the Batman ethos that is as engaging as it is visually breathtaking. Simple controls, addicting challenges and innovative detective work makes this one of the best video games of the year. When you crank this game up, you’re going to want to pack a lunch because you won’t go anywhere once the opening credits roll. — David D.

READ THE  FULL LIST AT THESMOKINGSECTION.NET

10) NBA Jam

EA Sports has created a great port of the 1993 arcade classic for the iPad. Compete in this high energy two-on-two basketball game with a full slate of current NBA players and unlockable Hall of Famers. The graphics are great and the touch screen controls are so responsive that you’ll be “on fire” in no time. EA tends to run sales on the holidays so you might be able to grab this one for .99 cents!

9 Starfall

Tower Defense  is one of the most popular game genres and this space-based TD from Digital Concepts is worth every penny. Try to thwart waves of flying enemies with a mix of strategy and ruthlessness. Timely upgrades of your concussion based weapons and technology (use the Neural Network to hack enemy’s navigation, trust me) mean the difference between success and death by plasma burn.

8 Asphalt 6

If you’ve got a need for speed this is the game to get. Gameloft pulled out all of the bells and whistles in Asphalt 6creating detail so textured you might forget you’re not on your XBox, so DON’T throw this controller! At $6.99 you may balk at the price, but you can get its stripped down cousin Fast Five: The Movie for 99 cents.

7 Spiderman: Total Mayhem

This is the closest you will get to actually playing a comic book. Pummel, kick and swing through a city full of mutated bad guys relying on your Spider Senses to dodge in-coming projectiles.  Not to mention this Spidey is a lot funnier than the one in the movies.

6 Gangstar: Miami Vindication

Is this a Grand Theft Auto knock-off? Sure. But will you care five minutes into it? Nope. Whether you decide to go on the missions chasing down mobsters in search of your kidnapped little brother, or just rampage through the city in a hi-jacked ambulance, this is one of the best “pickup and play” games on the iPad.

5  Infinity Blade

Warning, playing this game on the train will have people looking over your shoulder going “WTF?” Infinity Blade game takes full advantage of the iPad’s dazzling HD display making it almost as fun to watch as to play. Battle your way through a legion of  medieval warriors to face the ultimate challenge in the God King.

4. Rage: Mutant Bash TV

I took a chance on this after seeing the commercial for the console version on Monday Night Football and was not disappointed. While only three levels, this “gun-on-the-run” shooterplaces you in the middle of an apocalyptic game show where you kill and dismember mutated humans. While your motion is limited, the flow is smooth as Kane in ’88 and you’ll be pocketing “Bash Bucks” with the pros.

3 Dead Space

Not that I care much about story lines when I have ten minutes to kill, but this feels as much like playing a movie as anything out there. The controls can take a second to get used to, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be slinging that plasma cutter like a champ. Put those Beats by Dre headphones on to hear the monsters sneaking up behind you in surround sound.

2. N.O.VA. 2

It may offend some to call this “Halo” for the iPad but that pretty much sums it up, and that’s a good thing! As part of the Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance you have can shoot, drive and march your mech into hostile territory with no regard for your personal safety. The controls are user-friendly and the graphics are stunning. At press time it’s on sale for a buck so  go and get it now!

1 Street Fighter IV Volt

I’m a little biased here considering that I’ve been playing Street Fighter II religiously since it was on the Super NES. But the idea that I can carry it around with me fighting as any of the 26 characters including Ken, RYU, Akuma or Fei Long gives this ultimate replay value. Yes, the one-button special adds some cheese factor, but for those of us who labored for years trying to pull-off Zangief’s “Spinning Pile Driver” it’s ultimate vindication.

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Hands On With Sony’s New PS Vita

I did get to check out a few titles first hand and most importantly, to hold and feel and caress the device. Here are my thoughts.

Hardware:

From a Hardware perspective, the device takes you back to the moment you first laid eyes on the original PSP. It’s slick and visually appealing. It looks better in person than you thought, and has sexy curves. I was surprised by how big it was. That 5 inch screen is totally satisfying and quite beautiful, though I did squint a bit in light even though there wasn’t much of it around as I was in a room with all the windows shuttered. The unit was much thicker than I was expecting, however, it was thin for it’s size if that makes sense. The front and rear facing cameras where there and they were a welcome addition. The rest was standard stuff that you know already – dual analog sticks, 3.5 mm headphone jack, L/R Bumpers, two speakers, etc. I did note two ports on the top of the device. One seemed to be for an SD card, however, I couldn’t make the other one. Seemed to be proprietary. I suspect it will be how Sony plans on selling physical copies of their titles, but we’ll see.

Titles:

ModNation Racers: This game is shaping up to be a pretty fun title. It’s a racing game at heart, but it gives you the ability to create maps on the fly. Using the touch screen capabilities, this is a lot easier than fumbling around with an analog stick and cursor! An added bonus is Vita owners will be able to play PS3 Maps.

Ruin: If you like dungeons and Dragon type games then this title will definitely tickle your fancy. Pulling a page from Microsoft, the game designers allow for seamless play between consoles meaning you can pause and start exactly where you left off between the Vita and the PS3.

WipeOut: This classic title gets the Vita treatment and it looks great. The game designers used the accelerometer to allow for motion control and the touch screen for different uses such as attacking or charging. They also utilized the Vita’s camera for online game-play.

Hot Shots Golf: One word – “Fun”. We took a look at this title and its looking quite good. Your still playing golf so things haven’t changed that much, however, they have also made changes to take advantage of the Vita’s feature set. You can use the touch screen now to position your player when teeing off as well as some motion control.

Reality Fighters: Really interesting title that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The real kicker is the level of customization you have over your character. You can take a picture of yourself using either of the two cameras and create your character based on your likeness. You can change your appearance to super muscular or super…unmuscular. You can choose different weapons, clothes, facial expressions, and even fighting styles. They haven’t sacrificed too much on gameplay either as the fighting techniques look very polished. You can even play in an augmented reality setting.

One last gem was for the PS3, but definitely worth mentioning. The game was called “Journey“. You play a floaty thingy and you meet up with another floaty thingies to get to the top of a mountain. Sounds bumish, but it’s really quite fascinating. The game is really very visually pleasing. You can go it alone or you can team up with someone and take the journey together, but the clincher is you never know who that person actually is. No gamer tags, no chat, no nothing. Just you and that other person on a journey together. And at any point that person can simply walk away.

Wrap-up

This coming Holiday Season is warming up with all these fresh titles in the pipeline. I’ll be in line for my Vita when it launches. The specs are solid and if they can keep innovative games coming, it will easily be the king of portable game consoles. It ALMOST has me wishing it was already the Holiday Season…Almost. I’ll still take as many days of summer as I can get!

You can see more reviews at themanly-man.com

Check out the below video where Beyoncé talks about doing body scans for her upcoming video game Mako (Ed. Note: What kind of title is that???)

Mako will be out for PS3, XBOX360 and Wii later this year.

Spotted @ ThatGrapeJuice

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After he was named the winner, Hillis said he was “excited” and he didn’t think he had a shot against Vick, whom he has “always looked up to.” Vick was gracious in defeat and thanked his supporters for getting him this far. Vick was on the cover of Madden 2004.

The question now remains for Fantasy Football fans: do you draft Hillis knowing about the Madden Curse?

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Beyoncé’s request for more money reportedly came after a deal was already in place.  As a result, Gate Five was forced to cancel all plans for the video game resulting in 70 people being laid off just before Christmas last year.  The company also claims that they lost $100 million in potential profits from the game, which was to be called Starpower: Beyoncé.

The company is suing for its initial $6.7 million investment in the project in addition to the $100 million in lost potential profit.

Source: TMZ

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However, with the fate of the 2011-2012 football season still undecided the only place we may see these two titans play is on our favorite video game console. So who do you think should grace the cover of Madden 2012? Personally, I’m voting for Hillis because anyone familiar with The Madden Curse knows the winner of this contest is in for a shortened season.  Vick graced the cover in 2004 and broke his leg missing 12 games!

CAST YOUR VOTE HERE and watch video of Vick and Hillis talking about the NFL lockout and the Madden 2012 cover below.

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“These decisions are based on the desire to focus on the greatest opportunities that the company currently has to create the world’s best interactive entertainment experiences. Given the considerable licensing and manufacturing costs associated with this genre, we simply cannot make these games profitably based on current economics and demand.”

The DJ Hero games featured mash-ups of music from hip-hop legends like Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five, Salt-N-Pepa and The Notorious B.I.G. In 2009 They released a “Renegade” version of the game featuring Eminem and Jay-Z.

DJ Hero 2 was released in 2010 but only posted modest sales despite positive reviews.

SOURCE

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All you have to do is fill out the form below. We are giving away one copy of each game for the PS3 and the XBox360 gaming systems (no you can’t win both copies). Just answer the trivia question below and winners will be picked at random from the correct answers. Good luck!

Contest ends on December 30, 2010. CLICK HERE FOR FULL RULES

“Become The Greatest.” That is the tagline for the newest incarnation of the NBA2K series. Surpassing NBA Live (now Elite) as the best selling basketball game for the past few years, NBA2K11 looks to continue their winning streak by securing the co-sign of arguably the greatest to ever lace up the hightops: Michael Jordan.

Not only is this the first time in recent memory a former player has graced the cover of an NBA licensed video game, but the first time since the old Bulls vs. Blazers (for Sega Genesis!) game in the early 90′s that Michael Jordan has appeared in a game licensed by the NBA.

NBA2K11 has all the makings of being a classic. Basketball games in the past have boasted about allowing full control of player movements, but NBA2K11 delivers on the promise with a full tutorial on which direction to move the controller to perform moves such as behind the back dribble, step back moves, and crossover to drive combos. Gone are the days of wiggling the controller and hoping something happens.

NBA2K11 has also improved minor details such as pre-game introductions and the halftime report which now includes a full recap of other games in progress. The in-game animations have been brought to a new level as well. One example of this is when #1 overall draft pick and Washington Wizards rookie John Wall makes a good play, he celebrates by doing his famous dance (look it up on YouTube).

Jordan isn’t on the cover of the game for his looks. He is an integral part of the game play with various features including ”The Jordan Challenge” where the user can play in ten classic Jordan games including “The Flu Game” against the Utah Jazz from 1997 and the “Shoulder Shrug” game against the Portland Trailblazers among others. There is also a feature where the user can become Michael Jordan and re-create his career thus the aforementioned tagline.

Fans who pine for the glory days of the NBA will be happy to know that teams such as Dominique Wilkins-led Atlanta Hawks (look for current Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers on the team as well), Patrick Ewing’s Knicks and the Isiah Thomas-led Bad Boys of Detroit are here as well to try to knock a young Michael Jordan (there are animations of Jordan with hair) off his throne all over again.

With the 2010-2011 NBA season one of the most anticipated in recent memory, NBA2K11 is the perfect way to play along with your favorite team or stroll down memory lane.

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At the DJ Hero 2 launch party it was only right that legendary producer Pete Rock was a topic of discussion.

The game’s unofficial brand ambassador J Period was excited to talk about his recent success in reuniting Pete Rock and CL Smooth on the remix to “Our Generation” from John Legend’s forthcoming album, Wake up!

“I’m doing a mixtape for the Wake Up! album and the first single is a remix to “Our Generation” an Ernie Hines song that Pete and CL used for ‘Straighten It Out,’” he explains. “So I had to go back and reunite Pete and CL for this. I worked with CL a few years ago on the “Man On Fire” mixtape and when I asked Pete he said yes.”

While Pete and CL have been spotted performing overseas this was the first time they’ve been on a song together since 2004.

“It’s important because it’s bringing back the classic record they did originally and number two it’s a positive hip-hop record, there’s a scarcity of those,” J. Period said. “I think that was a great moment for them to come back together.”

Tek of Smiff-N-Wessun, who just released the first single from their Pete Rock produced album Monumental, was also among those in attendance at the Gramercy Park rooftop. He also had nothing but praise for The Chocolate Boy Wonder.

“That record [was] made three weeks ago,” Tek said of ‘Monumental [CLICK HERE TO LISTEN]. “We’re actually in the process of finishing the album, Monumental.  Smiff-N-Wessun’s fifth album produced entirely by Pete Rock. It’s been in the making for a couple of months now. We tossed a couple of producers names around and Pete Rock is the one that got our vote.”

The 14 track album is slated for a November 9th release date.

While Tek admitted to taking an L in DJ Hero 2 competition the rest of us will get our chance to cut and scratch through 83 original tracks and 11 exclusive remixes  by DJ’s Jazzy Jeff, Shadow, Z-Trip, The Scratch Perverts, Diplo and A-Trak on October 19, 2010.

Check out photos from the event below courtesy of the Darkroom Demons.

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The Video and the Vulgar Verb[from Fuse.TV]

Ubisoft’s Michael Jackson: The Experience is a King Of Pop themed video game in the vein of Dance Dance Revolution.

Featuring a nice chunk of music from the late superstar, and officially sanctioned by MJ’s estate, the video game’s trailer shows the game in action and it looks like it’ll be a definite party favorite.

Check it out!

We just wanna know why they got vitiligo-era Mike doing “Billie Jean” though…

Michael Jackson: The Experience hits stores on November 23rd, just in time for Christmas!

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Snoop Dogg is set to blow up a four-ton, armored truck on August 19th, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to reports, Snoop Dogg will blow up the truck at a secret location in the desert, as part of a promotion for the upcoming game Mafia Wars: Las Vegas.

The location is being kept secret to prevent fans from hindering the stunt, although the event will be streamed live tonight from the Mafia Wars official website.

In order for the truck to be detonated, 10 million Mafia Wars players must unite to take down the “Hill Brothers,” who opened a fictional casino in Las Vegas as part of the game.

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But as the generation that grew up on Atari 2600, “Different Strokes” and Biggie comes of age that is becoming a reality. Producer, DJ and lecturer Patrick “9th Wonder” Douthit is taking his love and appreciation of hip-hop to the home arcade and the college classroom.

This fall he will serve as the musical mind behind the latest edition of the  NBA 2K franchise, NBA Elite 11. Having contributed songs to past titles 9th is now scoring the entire game. So when D-Wade dishes off to LeBron for the 15th time in that blowout against the computer 9th’s beats will be the backdrop.

The video game gig is icing on the cake for the NC producer who has one album with Cali rapper Murs (Fornever)  under his belt this year already and another with David Banner (Death Of A Pop Star) on the way. But whether it’s in front of a laptop or a podium 9th’s passion for music is undeniable.   So much so that our hour-long conversation just couldn’t fit in the confines of a 4-minute video or 500 word Q&A for the ADHD afflicted so we gave you a little bit of both. Enjoy.

TUD: How did you end up scoring the “NBA ELITE 2011″ Game?

9th Wonder: I did voice-overs for the “Scarface” game about 6 years ago and a great friend of mine in the game by the name of Rhona Macardo. She brought me up to a lady by the name of Raphaela Alema, who is also a great person and in conversation she was talking about music. You know how people are when they talk about music it feels like they found a best friend and my name came up. Rhona hit me and said ” 9th, 9th yo check it out. Rapheala wants to hit you up about NBA live 10. I said okay. So she hit me up and that’s when we had a song on there with David Banner and GQ, Quinton Thomas to all the university of North Carolina basketball fans out there.  The song is called “Spit” and that was on NBA Live 10. Everything was smooth; we turned in everything on time. You know we did some things that Hip hoppers have a problem doing. Be on time about stuff. Try to meet your deadline because that’s what keeps people coming back, you know, if you’re not a pain to work with. So we got it done.

Game came out and then the next thing you know I got an email out the blue from my man Ryan Santos who works at EA in Canada, he said we’re looking for you to do some music for the game. And I’m like, “Oh okay sound track again.” He hit me back, ” We’re looking for you to score the game.” And I’m like, “Ok!” You know what I’m saying. You grow up looking at things on TV or going to the store and buying stuff and when you get a chance to become apart of it it’s a totally different thing. You know like meeting an actor you grew up watching. Like I recently met Malcolm Jamal Warner and he was like, ” Man I been a fan of your for 5 years.” What! You know what I’m saying? Like you Theo Huxtable! This is what EA Sports was. On the commercial I say “It’s in the game” in the commercial, which is nuts for me to say that. So now I’m a part of the game. You know I was at the NBA elite event and Mike Legder, good guy works at EA and he said,” What do you think about the game?” I said, “I think you guys game, I think it’s great.” He said “This is our game now this is our game and I’m like, “Okay, it’s our game, you know what I’m saying.” I said, ” I can say that?” He was like “Yeah.” I said, “Aight, this is our game.” He said, “You can go in the store and say that’s my game right there you know.” And that’s crazy to even say that and I’m blessed to have a chance to say that, man, and hopefully more things will come in the future. I’m going to start doing cartoons and stuff man and narrating (chuckle).

TUD: I saw the video for “Slow Down.” Talk about that Death Of a Pop Star project with David Banner. When was the first time you heard Grey Skies.?

9^th Wonder: Oh my God, that is a Crooked Lettaz record right? Long long long long time ago. It’s one of those things where you hear “Grey Skies” then you hear “Like a Pimp”and didn’t know that was the same person. And so you know my introduction to David Banner as he is right now was “Like a Pimp”. Over the years I’ve seen from the outside looking in, you know, it was at a time where I would see Banner speaking out on different things, this that and the third and then you read more about him. He went to a black college and he was SGA president and stuff like that. You kind of find out that you’re more like people than you think. We got on the phone via a True School DJ partner of mine by the name of DJ Cousin B. Banner is from Jackson Mississippi and my boy Cousin B went to Jackson State so they knew each other that way. And so, Cousin B saw him in DC at a show, they got each other’s number, had a long conversation about black men in hip hop and it just took off from there and so the first song we did was “No Denying” and then we did “Slow Down.” That beat is six years old, like he was picking beats and I wasn’t like even paying attention to. And he was like, “I like it.” Heather Victoria was a student of mine at North Carolina Central. I never try to recruit students to do music. I just wanted to teach them Hip-hop history; it’s a totally different thing. She came to me and she was like, “I sing.” And I was like, “Okay so does everybody.” So she let me hear one of her records one day and I was like, “Wow! Yea you sing.” A lot of people say, “P don’t give back to his people,” but Heather is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina (chuckle). And so that’s how Slow Down record came about. And if you notice in the record Banner is like, “They call me David Banner.” I’m like, “Baby what it is.” That is our tribute to “Posse On Broadway” [Sings], “Me and K sensation, I’m on our way from home…” He is rhyming that way because that’s a “Posse On Broadway” tribute. “Slow Down” is also a tribute to Brand Nubian. I try my best throughout my career to say thank you so many ways and so does Banner. It kind of teaches the youth to kind of connect cause now we are connecting the youth, we are the bridge that connects the youth to the early 90′s now. So we kind of do that in certain ways. Just as samples did us to the 70′s, now we have to be the bridge that connects the youth 90′s. So, we do things in our music and in our songs and in our videos that kind of show in a way that you can understand this is what the early 90′s was and how much it means to us. So that’s “Slow Down” and “Death of a Pop Star.” We got nine records and I’ve never met anybody like David Banner (chuckle), never in my life. He is a one in a million dude, but he loves hard and he goes hard all the time. And I thank him for it.

TUD: I always tell people that he and Killa Mike are two of the smartest people I have ever met, not two of the smartest rappers. Two of the smartest people I have sat down and had a conversation with.

9th Wonder: Very brilliant brother, very brilliant brother and I’m the third (chuckles). Very brilliant brother though man, very smart and very in tune with life and knowing what he wants to do and you know a lot of people wouldn’t put us together, but a lot of people are looking at the music he made in the past and the music that I make. “Why are they together?” Because we’re black men that’s why.

TUD: Well that’s the thing. I listened to “Grey Skies” and thought okay this makes sense. This isn’t a reach for Banner but, I guess people who only knew Banner for “Like a Pimp” thought that wasn’t in his lane.

9th Wonder: Yea, whatever n*gga we’re in the lane of grown up black men over thirty. That’s our lane. Get wit it or leave it alone.

TUD: You went out to Cali to do the beats for the Fornever album with Murs. Now did that change the way you made music at all? Cause I’ve read different producers saying,”Yeah we went out to Cali, we went out to Hawaii and went in some sunshine and we just made sunny beats (chuckles) you know. Was that the case with this album?

9th Wonder: Um man like the joint um, what’s the joint with Corrupt? “West Coastin.” And Jones put that (makes noise). I told him to put that. I said, ” Man you got to put the (makes same noise) in there. Man it’s got that west coast bounce to it. He was in the studio crip walking and everything. It’s crazy stuff man. Like it brings that out of you. LA brings it out of you. I’m making my point, I don’t care what city I’m going to, to listen to the music that was made in that city. Everytime I land in Atlanta and every time I walk through the airport in Atlanta I play the intro to ATliens. I don’t care. So I can feel Atlanta. I can feel it. Every time we drive to Atlanta and we come down 85 and we turn the corner I hit that song. So I can feel it. I do that with Philly. Philly I play [The Roots] “Everybody is A Star.” Every time I land in LA man I play [Dr. Dre's] “Little Ghetto Boy” I don’t care. Soon as I get off the plane.  Cause this is how I know LA. All of these cities was introduced to me by music. Not by TV, it was introduced to me from the street names to the places. Slawson…All these places were introduced to me through music. I want to feel that over and over again.

Like you listen to the records now and see stuff, you can’t tell where they from. And I think that’s kind of missing from hip-hop. They want to half way like join us up by money with the euro and all that. You need to smack them. Don’t do it to our music too. Let us be in different demos like we are. And this is how we do it down here. So that’s what I did with the “Fornever” record and people think its our best working record and we did it in 6 days.

TUD: How much of this perspective did you bring to your teaching in the class room?

9th Wonder: Oh a lot, a lot. It’s all about connection. It’s all about, you know, especially with all the black colleges we are dealing with a lot of young black kids. And if all the other races are watching this, I’m not a prejudice or racist person. All of us are prejudice somewhat, let’s be real. I say black first because I am. And I was a black kid and so I’m passionate about black kids especially young black boys. That’s my passion. I’m a big person of taking care of home and my home is in blackness and in that is young black boys and black women.

We didn’t want to listen to our parents and teachers so at least we had entertainment. We had Cosby Show, A Different World and the music coupled with that. We all forget NWA said “I don’t smoke weed or cess, cuz it gives a brother brain damage.” The arts can teach. The arts with money can teach. So when it comes to these kids I want them to understand what the music sounded like. I want you to take a trip with me so you understand why we feel the way we do about music. That’s what I do in the classroom. Come take a trip with me when Menace II Society and Poetic Justice came out within a month of each other. In a three year span we had Juice, Boomerang, Menace II Society, Boyz In The Hood, Poetic Justice and New Jack City. On top of that Nas, Biggie Tupac, Wutang and Tribe [all had albums out].

I was talking to my nephew who is 16 years old and I told him to name his favorite rappers. He said Drake, Lil Wayne, Jeezy and some other people. I said imagine if your everyday, everywhere the people you saw on the radio and TV all the time were Outkast, Snoop, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Biggie, Wutang, Nas, Tupac and your R&B was Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, Boyz II Men. That is your top R&B chart! That was everyday for us!

I’m a Christian by faith but I understand and appreciate the Muslim faith because of Brand Nubian, more than [from] any religious leader. You have to show people different ways. That’s the way we have to show the youth. We have to open their minds but we have to go about it differently.  I had a lot of students come back to me and tell me that when they hear old songs they know what I’m talking about.

TUD: Are you going back to teach this fall?

I’ll hopefully be back at Duke in the spring teaching with scholar Dr. Mark Anthony Neale. Some of the things he says wows me  in the classroom makes me feel like not lecturing. You just said in one sentence what I’ve been trying to say all class. He has a way of condensing a couple of books into one sentence.

TUD: I read that Bun B is teaching a class…

At Rice! Yes. I was talking to him about that during NBA All Star weekend in Dallas. He was like “I’m thinking of going down to Rice” and I told him do it! It’s our music and we’re the ones who can teach it the best. We know the deal. Hats off to Bun.

BONUS VIDEO:

9th Wonder Says “The Wonder Years May Never Come Out”

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Snoop Dogg stopped by the 2K Games headquarters to get a sneak preview of their upcoming game Mafia II.

Mafia II drops on August 24th!

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Video game behemoth Ubisoft finally announced more details about their forthcoming, estate-approved, Michael Jackson video game.

The game, titled Michael Jackson: The Experience, will hit stores in November.

From GamrFeed:

Michael Jackson: The Experience will be released on the DS, PS3, PSP, Wii, and XBox 360.  The XBox 360 version will have Kinect support, and put a digitized version of yourself on the screen, similar to Ubisoft’s new Kinect fitness game, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved.  The PS3 version will also have Move support.  All three console versions will play similarly to Just Dance and have the player match the dance movements on the screen, but this time they’ll be MJ’s smooth magic motions.

The only specific details were about the 360, DS, and PSP versions.  The DS and PSP versions will use what Ubisoft is calling “tap-on rhythm gameplay,” which sounds like an MJ version of Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, which sounds good to me.  The 360 version will also include four player jump in/jump out gameplay (hey I thought Kinect could only score 2 skeletons at once in Dance Central or Dance Masters?), and it will use auto-pitch control to improve your singing.

As of right now, the only songs confirmed to be part of the game are “Beat It” and “Billie Jean.”

Michael Jackson: The Experience will not be the first Michael Jackson themed video game.  In 1989, Sega released Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker for the Sega Genesis.  Michael also is rumored to have contributed music for the Sega game Sonic The Hedgehog 3.

RELATED: The 10 Best Music Video Dance Breakdowns

RELATED: Stripper Claims She Was At MJ’s House With Murray

Behold Beaterator, an integrated production game for the Sony PSP, which drops this Fall. I’d get into all of the details, but I think Timbo does a pretty good job of detailing it in the video below.

Here’s the trailer for NBA 2K10 with Kobe Bryant’s signature move.

VIA RR:

If you haven’t heard, Jay-Z and Eminem gave up some original music for DJ Hero – a new Activision darling. As two of the best do it on stage, don’t forget to check out our Jay-Z gallery below and share your thoughts in the comments section.

This kid is banoodles. He’ll out-rap your favorite rapper in a freestyle and son’s verbiage is insane. I met the kid at Dallas Penn’s BBQ and have probably seen him time and time again around the streets of Gotham City. But having been a witness to the guy’s talent, it’s only right that you guys at The Urban Daily get a taste of what’s next to come from the city that never sleeps.

Peep Wordspit’s track – “Joystick Maddness” and share your thoughts about it in our comments section. We’ll both be interested to hear your thoughts.

I think, no… I need this game. Parties at the crib will never be the same. Hahahaha!

Check out the Def Jam Vendetta killer below:

VIA DX:

Upon the success of his video game “Blood On the Sand,” 50 Cent [click here to read] says he’s interested in making a sequel.

“I’m hoping we’ll be able to do it,” said 50 to MTV News at the Manhattan Play ‘N Trade store, where he and fans enjoyed it together. “With the success of this actual project, we’ll try to do it again.”

“[Fans] said it’s a good video game,” added the G-Unit general. “They enjoyed it. I had the opportunity to play with some people online. That was exciting and another way to reach people that are aware of me.”

Did you play ‘Blood On The Sand’? Peep the full story here! Check out our ‘Hip-Hop Muppets’ gallery below:

For the first time in the 21-year history of the Madden NFL franchise, two athletes will grace the cover of the award-winning football franchise. Congratulations to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.

“Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu are exemplary examples of the epic battle between offense and defense in the NFL,” said Sr. Product Manager Anthony Stevenson.   “Madden NFL 10 showcases the Fight For Every Yard, and nobody fights harder than Troy and Larry, making them the perfect athletes to grace the cover.”

Ladies, need something to tide you over while your man is playing Madden? Check out these NFL Pro Bowl Eye Candies! Don’t forget to check out our celebrity gallery below:

Not content with making videogames about himself, 50 Cent now wants to make a movie out of a videogame. He would also like to make a version of Tetris.

50 Cent’s partnership with THQ, the publisher of his game, Blood on the Sand, is proving lucrative beyond the just-released game. The hip-hop mogul now wants to get into the entirely respectable business of producing film adaptations of videogames, and he wants to start with THQ’s Saints Row franchise.

“With my relationship with THQ, they’ll actually see me develop Saint’s Row into an actual screenplay and into a film project,” 50 revealed during a conference call about Blood on the Sand. “I‘m optioning the rights for that right now, so they’ll see that before they see me do it from my own perspective for my game.”

Call me crazy, but it might actually work. Saints Row doesn’t really have much narrative meat to it – it just has a barebones story and then a wacky over-the-top universe in which crazy things happen. It’s more about an atmosphere and a tone than anything else, and 50 Cent knows what it’s like to live in ridiculous and cartoonish faux hip-hop state of mind at all times anyway. In any case, there’s really not that much there to ruin, so why not?

With two games now fully under his belt, 50 Cent also seems to be thinking about taking game development to the next level. No, not 50 Cent 3 (150 Cent?), but something altogether different. “I’d like to be a part of developing, marketing and promoting a game I’m not actually in,” he told MTV. “It could be like Tetris. It’s one of my favorite games.”

50 Cent Tetris. That may make you doubt the man’s capacity for genius ideas, but listen to this. You know the premise of Blood on the Sand? 50 Cent gets a crystal skull, the skull gets stolen, and then 50 and his buddies chase bad guys all over Iraq-but-not-Iraq to get it back? That was his idea.

“The crystal skull actually exists,” 50 revealed. “It’s a diamond, an artifact. I saw it in a magazine in Dubai. I took it and said, ‘Make this what they’re after.’”

SOURCE: Escapist Magazine

The highest grossing video game in history touched down with Rockstar Games in tow at Don Hill’s in NYC. The beautiful Chrystina Woody made sure that everything was taken care of as the legendary Ricky Powell came out to snap shots. Big Boi from Outkast, Miss Info, BET, XXL and The Urban Daily were there, as well!

Fashion designers, DJs, radio hosts, bikers and New York’s hipster elite came out to celebrate the upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned available exclusively for download on Xbox LIVE beginning Feb. 17.

Check out the still from New York and it’s Atlanta event below:

With nearly a full year of of game releases ahead, Gamasutra is picking out noteworthy titles due in 2009 for each home and handheld platform, this time for the PlayStation 3.

While lacking hardware sales and its resulting third-place standing in current generation console marketshare has many comparing the PlayStation 3 to the unfortunate GameCube, the PS3 hasn’t experienced the diminished third-party software support that Nintendo’s purple system suffered.

We’ve collected the most anticipated titles from the PlayStation 3′s 2009 slate, previewing 15 in all, from multiplatform MMO games like The Agency to exclusive downloadable titles like Flower.
Bayonetta (also coming to Xbox 360)
Release Date: September 1st
Developer: PlatinumGames
Publisher: Sega

Though there are still a lot of details yet to be released for Bayonetta, expectations are understandably high seeing as Hideki Kamiya, the director behind Capcom’s Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe series, is heading the project.

The action game’s eponymous witch protagonist packs two sets of pistols — one pair attached to her high heels — which she uses to dispatch monsters disguised as angels. Along with her bullet-heavy attacks, she can also perform magical strikes with her hair.

Borderlands (also coming to Xbox 360, PC)
Release Date: 2009
Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: 2K Games

Inspired by the Mad Max films and Blizzard’s Diablo games, Borderlands is a four-player cooperative first-person shooter with RPG elements. Three playable and customizable characters are available, each with their own skill trees, accessories, and back stories.

Players ride in customizable vehicles and explore a lawless, desolate planet filled with randomly generated areas and items (500,000+ weapons, 500,000+ items and armor variations), in search of a vault promising alien technology and secrets.
Heavy Rain: The Origami Killer
Release Date: No date announced
Developer: Quantic Dream
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Described by writer and director David Cage as a “dark film noir thriller with mature themes” Heavy Rain has players controlling four characters and investigating a series of appalling murders. Unlike Quantic Dream’s previous releases (Farenheit, Omikron series), the game does not feature any supernatural elements.

Heavy Rain is designed to provide a “bendable” story in which dialogue choices, interaction with characters, and moral decisions can take the player through different interlocking stories that approach “[adult] subject matter and themes rarely touched upon in video games.”

Killzone 2
Release Date: February 27th
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Killzone 2 takes gamers to Helghan, the home world of the first-person shooter series’ gas-mask wearing antagonists, the Helghast. Along with their squad of Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) soldiers, players go behind enemy lines, fighting the Helghast and their hazard-filled planet during the ISA’s invasion.

The game’s class-based online multiplayer mode allows players to pick two ability sets from a batch of six to best accommodate their playing style or their squad’s needs. 32 gamers can join in for a multiplayer online match, with up to four players per squad (two squads can also form a group together).
Resident Evil 5 (also coming to Xbox 360)
Release Date: March 13th
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

With almost four years past since the acclaimed Resident Evil 4 debuted on the GameCube, Chris Redfield, one of the heroes in the original Resident Evil, returns in the latest entry to the series, now a Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance officer investigating a zombie outbreak in Africa.

Redfield is accompanied by Sheva Alomar, a BSAA member who provides ammo and support. Their cooperative dynamic continues with online and offline multiplayer co-op modes.

Street Fighter IV (also coming to PC, Xbox 360)
Release Date: February 17th
Developer: Capcom, Dimps
Publisher: Capcom

Almost ten years since this fighting franchise’s last numbered release, Street Fighter returns with all twelve characters from the classic Street Fighter II along with eight new playable characters, several of which were unavailable in the game’s Japanese arcade release.

Presented in 3D with an ink-like, seemingly hand-drawn visual style, SFIV features simplified, more approachable controls, but also introduces Focus Attacks, a new counter attack system for Street Fighter veterans, and Ultra Combos, a series of cinematic moves that players can execute after getting hit and filling up their “Revenge Gauge.”

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Release Date: Fourth quarter
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Nathan Drake is on another treasure hunting quest, hoping to uncover mysteries behind 13th century explorer Marco Polo and his lost ships. Drake is specifically seeking a crystal said to grant its holder a wish. He’s accompanied by a new character named Chloe Frazer, who is voiced by Stargate SG-1 actress Claudia Black.

This (pictured) sequel to the 2007 action-adventure games adds stealth action segments, free climbing over walls, and the ability to flip over objects to use as cover when under enemy fire.

SOURCE: Gamasutra

A just dropped some details on its upcoming title The Godfather II, complete with a release date update and information on pre-order incentives.

Godfather II follows in the footsteps of the 2006 Godfather title in premise and theme, but takes a major detour in terms of gameplay. The sequel plays out in the 1960s and encourages players to get inside the mind of a don, build a crew and work towards becoming the crème de la crème of the mob world. Members of your “family” can be controlled directly in battle, or sent off to do your bidding (bombing rivals, attacking businesses and generally being intimidating) in different cities.

In an attempt to avoid the pitfalls that plagued the first game – namely the feeling that the primary goal was to run around and beat people up – EA has augmented the action gameplay  with new strategic mechanics. Implemented in the form of  “Don’s View” – the feature will necessitate basic management skills, requiring you to coordinate strategy, build your family, watch over your businesses and establish relationships with corrupt government officials all at once.

SOURCE: Game Informer

Hot on the heels of the announcement that the Xbox brand had its most successful holiday season ever in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, VentureBeat.com is reporting that the Xbox 360 passed the 28 million units sold mark worldwide. Not only that, but Microsoft is saying that Xbox Live expanded its number of “active members” from 14 million before the holidays to more than 17 million after.

Those 17 million members have reportedly spent more than $1 billion on Xbox Live since 2005 with this holiday season’s heaviest usage coming between Christmas and New Years with more than 1.4 million concurrent members online. To see what people were playing, click here.

Microsoft attributes the system’s newfound successes to the new Avatar-fueled interface known as the New Xbox Experience. NXE also brought gamers the Netflix streaming service, said to be “one of the most popular new features.

SOURCE: IGN.com

After defeated Dr. Doom, the Marvel Ultimate Alliance is back at it again, facing their worst villain to date – Galactus!

Check out the trailer for the video game due out Summer 2009 below: