Showing 36 results for:

gaming

by Topic

All results

36
Benedict College Becomes The First HBCU To Offer An Esports Degree Track To Help Students Tap Into The Billion-Dollar Industry

As esports becomes more popular, institutions are starting to really take notice. HBCU students have been having a hand in the space with the help of organizations such as Cxmmunity. As previously reported by AfroTech, the nonprofit works to help Black youth not only be influencers and consumers of tech but also be beneficiaries. “Our main goal is to get the Black youth hired within the tech industry,” co-founder Christopher Peay told us. “Eighty-three percent of African American millennials play video games daily but when you look at the video game workforce specifically, only about two to three percent of African Americans work within the space. We’re always the influencer, we’re always the consumer, but we’re hardly ever the beneficiary.” He continued: “That’s one of the biggest disparities that we wanted to try and overcome, so we came up with these programs to create a pipeline to take K-12 students to HBCUs that then work or compete within an HBCU sports league.” Now, this...

Ngozi Nwanji

Aug 26, 2022

Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, And More Form Partnership To Launch Remastered NFL Blitz Legends Arcade Game System

NFL Blitz Legends has returned to recapture the hearts of gamers and NFL fans. According to a press release, Arcade1Up, an at-home gaming entertainment company, has launched NFL Blitz Legends to bring remastered games from the ’90s back into your home. For the first time in Blitz franchise history, the company will introduce an arcade machine for at-home. In addition, it will feature three of their most popular titles: NFL Blitz, NFL Blitz ’99, and NFL Blitz 2000: Gold Edition. Also, players will compete online with Wi-Fi multiplayer and leaderboards.

Samantha Dorisca

Aug 17, 2022

For The First Time Ever, Grand Theft Auto Has Plans To Introduce A Playable Female Character

Grand Theft Auto is making a necessary change. The renowned video game franchise has announced plans to debut its first female protagonist, according to IndieWire. More importantly, it is the first time that a woman will appear as a character within the game that doesn’t have to be “beaten, solicited for sex, or robbed.” The character is set to make her official launch during the Grand Theft Auto VI series of the game. She will serve as a co-lead for the game’s “Bonnie and Clyde” inspired storyline and will be of Latina descent. “Developers are also being cautious not to ‘punch down’ by making jokes about marginalized groups, the people said, in contrast with previous ‘GTA’ games,” Bloomberg shared in a report detailing the news. The latest installment of Grand Theft Auto is a part of the developer’s 2024 fiscal year and has been in the works since 2014. Originally, it was rumored that the developer, Take-Two, would refer to the game as “Project Americas” with most of the user’s...

Shanique Yates

Jul 27, 2022

T-Pain Shares That Being A Twitch Streamer Has Paid Off More Than His Music In The Past Four Years

When T-Pain’s career first took off in the 2000s, he became deemed as one of the greats in the music industry. Now, the musician has been getting more of a footing in gaming. According to HipHopDX, T-Pain shared in an interview with Steve-O’s Wild Ride! podcast that in recent years his gaming career has brought in more money than music.

Ngozi Nwanji

Jun 9, 2022

Mayor Eric Adams Partners With CUNY In $2M Investment For Bachelor's Degree In Game Design To Diversify The Industry

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is on to the next area that he wants the city to take part in: Gaming. With a $2 million investment from the City University of New York (CUNY), he has announced that the City College of New York (CCNY) will now offer the city’s first-ever bachelor’s degree in digital game design for a public institution, NYC.gov reports.

Ngozi Nwanji

May 17, 2022

Cxmmunity To Host Second Annual HBCU Esports League With Support From T-Pain, And More

Cxmmunity is still on a mission to make esports accessible at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Black-owned non–profit spearheaded by Christopher Peay and Ryan Johnson has announced its second annual HBCU Esports League Verizon Celebrity Pro-Am. Students will compete in Uno and Fortnite alongside celebrity figures including T-Pain, Brett Gray, Mike Evans, Erin Ashley Simon, Allisha Gray, Bas, Tarik Cohen, FaZe Swagg, Sonny Digital, and more. “We want to continue elevating and raising awareness around HBCU esports programs while showing these schools and these students that there are really cool people in sports, entertainment, and music supporting the gaming space,” Johnson told AfroTech exclusively. In addition to playing alongside celebrity favorites, students can also look forward to a prize pool of $10,000 with $2,000 for the Uno segment that will be donated to the school’s esports programs and $8,000 for the Fortnite tournament to support student...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 23, 2022

Why The Next Young Kid Can Dream Big And Know Anything Is Possible, Thanks To PlayVS' Delane Parnell

When it comes to the game of life, being one step ahead is vital, especially for PlayVS founder, Delane Parnell. As a founder, Parnell has carved his own lane in the esports industry, taking others along with him every step of the way through PlayVS, “where amateur esports happens,” according to its website. The company has changed the lives of high school students by equipping them with opportunities to not only play the game but also by opening the doors to hundreds of scholarships across North America, in turn, acting as an entryway into professional gaming as a way of life. Now the Detroit native’s story is being told through “Ahead of the Game,” written by Kevin J. Ryan to spotlight the young entrepreneurs’ unique journey and shed light on the impact that his company has had on youth across America. Parnell joined AfroTech to discuss why he agreed to go through with the book despite not initially thinking it was time, his love for esports, and the power that hard work has to...

Shanique Yates

Mar 14, 2022

Snoop Dogg Joins Esports And Entertainment Company FaZe Clan As A Member Of Its Board And Talent Network

Snoop Dogg’s ventures are still expanding! As AfroTech previously reported, the famed rapper celebrated a full circle moment after the acquisition of Death Row Records. Now, Snoop Dogg continues to prove he can do it all as he will join esports and entertainment company FaZe Clan as a member of its talent network and board of directors, The Hollywood Reporter revealed exclusively. “As the original internet kid and first generation gamer, Snoop more than anyone has always understood the cultural connection between music, lifestyle and gaming,” FaZe Clan’s Chief Strategy Officer Kai Henry said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Today, Snoop is a leading voice in the emerging Web3 community and we have tremendous plans to create together in the metaverse, driving new engagement opportunities for both of our fanbases.” It appears Snoop Dogg’s new role is long overdue. While Snoop Dogg has cultivated a relationship with the organization throughout the years, he has been into gaming...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 7, 2022

Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers, Xbox Open A State-Of-The-Art Gaming Lab Inspiring Kids To Dream Big

Xbox and the Los Angeles Lakers are expanding their partnership to inspire the next generation of athletes. In its latest efforts, it was announced that Xbox and NBA athlete Dwight Howard renovated the Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley, which will house the program’s Dream Space. Kids are welcomed to enjoy the multi-purpose gaming lab featuring new artwork, custom purple and gold Xbox Series S consoles, gaming PCs, and screens.

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 3, 2022

Usain Bolt Says Part Of His Olympic Success Is Due To Gaming, 'I Feel Like It Kinda Helped My Hunger'

Usain Bolt is arguably the greatest athlete of all time. The Olympic champion can flex eight gold medals and two record-holding spots for the 100m and 200m races, but what’s the secret to his success? According to a BBC interview, in which Bolt appears in a hologram playing virtually with reporter Steffan Powell, he cites his success on the field to the world of gaming. “ For me, those are the things that excite me about video games. Just learning and being the best at it. I feel like it kinda helped my hunger, I would say. To always want to win. But I feel like it, in a way, kind of helped out with the track and field, because now, when you get on the track, you have that same mentality as when you’re playing video games. You just want to win ,” Usain Bolt told BBC.

Samantha Dorisca

Dec 21, 2021

Chloe x Halle To Go Head-To-Head On Twitch In Partnership With Black Girls Code & LG

Chloe x Halle are coming to a Twitch near you! In a press release announcement, it was revealed that the multi-talented duo is taking part in an all-female-led livestream gaming event on Monday, Dec. 20 @ 7:30 p.m. PST as part of LG’s Only on OLED campaign, which has partnered with Black Girls CODE. This not-for-profit organization focuses on providing technology education for Black girls. Chloe x Halle will face-off in an exhilarating 90-minute Twitch battle and will be coached by Evil Geniuses Creator Collective stars Lisa Wallen and Aruuu. As part of the campaign, LG will also be supporting and highlighting the presence of women in tech. This gaming challenge follows LG’s Only on OLED Fortnite battle between Megan Fox and Grammy-winning producer DJ Khaled. Chloe x Halle has come a long way since their days of posting videos on YouTube. Since getting signed to Beyoncè’s label, the duo has become seemingly overnight sensations and has begun branching out their business model to...

Women-Led Game Studio Launches 'Insecure: The Come Up Game' Alongside HBO

HBO and Issa Rae’s “Insecure” isn’t going out without a bang! AfroTech first told you about Glow Up Games, an all-women of color founded game studio on a mission to create games made with Black and brown joy in mind, in March 2020. “Glow Up Games is a research and development studio centered around using AI, AR/VR, games, and other innovative technologies to tell diverse stories,” we reported at the time. “The tech company is founded by three women of color including Mitu Khandaker, Tara Mustapha, and Latoya Peterson. Glow Up Games prides itself on creating experiences that are relatable to players of diverse backgrounds.” Now the founders of color have announced that they’re ready to launch their free-to-play mobile game “Insecure: The Come Up Game” alongside HBO as viewers are halfway through the final and fifth season of the hit series. Glow Up Games The game, which brings the friendships, drama and misadventures of “Issa Dee” and her friends to life is now available after the...

Shanique Yates

Nov 30, 2021

Startup Providing 'Non-Intrusive’ Audio Ads Within Mobile Games Raises $14M Series A

Music can create an out-of-world experience transforming the landscape for video gamers. Tech startup AudioMob was created on this principle and allows advertisers to monetize their content through audio ads so gamers can play freely without interruptions. “For the past two years, we have been focused on listening to our clients, gathering feedback, and improving our audio technology and products. We understand that consumers don’t want to be interrupted, advertisers want their ads to be heard and game developers want to ensure monetization does not affect retention. And now we have built products which meet all three needs,” Founder Wilfrid Obeng said, according to EU-Startups.com. AudioMob — founded by Obeng and Christian Facey — has now raised $14 million in a Series A funding round, TechCrunch reports. The round was led by global venture capital firm Makers Fund and multi-stage capital firm Lightspeed Venture Partners. Sequoia Scout Program, Google and more also participated in...

Samantha Dorisca

Nov 9, 2021

T-Pain Teams Up With Twitch To Take The Service's Music Community To The Next Level

T-Pain has certified himself as one of the most versatile artists of our time through his career moves of nearly two decades, and the longevity of his career speaks volumes to his presence being needed for the culture. As the seasoned veteran continues to leave his mark on the industry, his new partnership with Twitch is set to take the streaming platform’s music community to the next level. In a press release provided exclusively to AfroTech, Twitch announced a collaboration with the music and Twitch legend, which aims to strengthen the Twitch music community and uplift its creators. T-Pain’s streaming presence has transformed into a space where upcoming artists are given the opportunity for him to broadcast their music. Along with providing a platform for musicians, the producer has also curated a unique stream that intertwines gaming, music and fan interaction. A mashup of this sort is unusual on Twitch, and has probably played a part in helping him become an amplified voice for...

Ngozi Nwanji

Oct 28, 2021