Music News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

It’s the end of the year, which means we’re rolling out our nominations for the best-in-category for various different platforms and denominations here at Destructoid. Today, we’re taking a look at our list of nominees for the Best Xbox game of 2023, and it’s an interesting pack.

Holy Wow’s weird and wonderful trombone-based rhythm-music game, Trombone Champ, has been updated with two new festive songs just in time for the holiday season, expanding the library of tunes to toot through. 

Let me level with you: 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is one of my very favorite films. You know how movie people like to wax poetic about how movies are magic? Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory made me believe it. Back in 1971, Roger Ebert’s four-star review of the film compared it to The Wizard of Oz, and that’s pretty apt — both films are landmark cinematic experiences, the kind that can change your life if you come to them at the right time.

At long last, the doors to the Hazbin Hotel are open, and the first demonic guests are ready to be rehabilitated. The long-awaited animated series comes from Vivienne Medrano, the animator behind the popular YouTube channel VivziePop and the webcomic ZooPhobia.

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Game developers have a problem with this year’s Game Awards.

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Walt Disney Animation’s newest movie, Wish, is the culmination of the studio’s celebration of its own centennial. That project stretched throughout 2023, through projects like the short Once Upon a Studio, specialized merchandise drops centered around each decade the company has been around, and the rebrand of the iconic Disney castle logo. But Wish leans so hard on celebrating the better Disney films that came before it that it doesn’t have much identity of its own. It’s openly a nostalgia-fest, pretty much on par with the other ways the company celebrated its 100-year anniversary.

Have you got your tickets? TheSoul Publishing has teamed up with gaming giant Kokku to bring us a virtual concert experience in Roblox. Starting today, you can attend the week-long Roblox Polar Concert and step into the world where gaming meets music.

Atlus has unveiled new details on Metaphor: ReFantazio, including amazing transitions from free-roam to turn-based combat, and how the RPG's social system works.

IGG and Dreamworks, two of the most successful entertainment companies on the planet, have teamed up for a two month-long Lords Mobile x Dreamworks Shrek collab event. 

Feral Interactive has announced that their stealth videos game Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal is now available on Android and iOS. The well-known stealth-action classic can now be enjoyed on mobile, with immersive gameplay and catchy music to give you company.

Epic Games has confirmed that Fortnite’s trio of new game modes are permanent additions to the free-to-play title.

If you have a lot of experience with video games, it can be easy to infer the basic mechanics of a game you’re starting for the first time. But sometimes those assumptions can be used against you. That’s something I learned first-hand during a recent interaction with a devious tanuki in an old-school roleplaying game.

Nowadays, wearable technology has drastically evolved and it has changed the way users monitor their health, fitness and much more. Earlier, when smartwatches were introduced, they were limited to some of the most basic features, but by 2023, we have seen huge amount of innovations along with improved smartwatch features and unique fitness tracking modes which we could only have once imagined. There are several smartwatch brands such as Garmin, Apple, Noise, Realme, etc who have launched a wide range of smartwatches with top-notch features, however, there is a brand named Amazfit which has continuously introduced innovative features to their smartwatches which are user-friendly, unique, stylish in design, and filled with a variety of feature which a user demands in a fast-paced, technologically dominated, environment. Amazfit has some of the best activity tracking smartwatches in the market. If you are someone who is looking for a wide variety of Amazefit smartwatches then you are at the right place, because we have compiled a list of all the best smartwatches from the brand which may be a right fit for you. Check these top 10 Amazfit smartwatches including Amazfit GTS 4, Amazfit T-Rex 2, Amazfit GTR 3 Pro, and more.

Following scrutiny from developers, The Game Awards founder and host Geoff Keighley has said he agrees the allotted speech time for each winner was too short this year.

Google searches of 2023: Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived. Well, actually, the world's. On Monday, the California-based tech giant released its “Year in Search,” a roundup of 2023's top global queries, ranging from unforgettable pop culture moments (hello, Barbenheimer ), to the loss of beloved figures and tragic news carrying worldwide repercussions.

A Florida man who has tattooed his face heavily to resemble Batman character The Joker has claimed that GTA makers Rockstar owe him money for drawing on his likeness in the first GTA 6 trailer.

Adrian Monk has always been consistent. He’s never been a fan of germs, heights, loud noises, crowds, elevators, milk, or plenty of other things. But he knows how to solve a murder. Monk, the 2000s USA Network procedural centered around the fictional detective played by Tony Shalhoub, was not as consistent; after a few seasons, the show seemed to reverse-engineer its mysteries from the most uncomfortable situations they could put Monk in for an episode. The quality of the show suffered for it, but Shalhoub’s compassion and meticulous care always tethered the show to something.

Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, considered one of the best games ever made, has seen a complete "revamp" made with Unreal Engine 5 technology and now has received support for NVIDIA's DLSS 3 Frame Generation.

Fortnite Festival is a brand new triple-a rhythm game from Harmonix, creators of Rockband, and it’s available now. It features two special modes: Festival Main Stage and Festival Jam Stage. Main Stage is your classic Rockband mode where you can perform songs with your band while Jam Stage is where you can chill and, as the name suggests, jam.

By Wes Davis, a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020.

Fortnite Festival's music tracks have a surprising second function as they can be taken out of the new mode and used as emotes during Battle Royale matches.

Fandom might be something people participate in during their spare time, maybe in the privacy of online communities or convention halls, but it undoubtedly has an impact on the wider world. In the past few years, the types of strategies deployed by politicians and those leading social movements have increasingly started to look like those used in fandom. This is particularly true of tactics pioneered within the digital and physical fan spaces in order to increase visibility and impact. All the while, fandom itself is continuing to change and evolve.

Fortnite players aren't happy about the high costs of car skins in Rocket Racing, with one Diesel Bundle currently running you back 4,000 V-Bucks.

Best Redmi phones under 10000: In today's tech-driven world, smartphones have become an essential part of our lives. However, not everyone can afford the latest flagship models, which often come with hefty price tags. This is where the budget segment, particularly smartphones under Rs. 10000, comes into play. These pragmatic devices offer a fair range of features and functionality at an accessible price point to make smartphones accessible to people. And one of the major brands that cater to this consumer base is Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi. The company has many options for buyers who are looking for budget smartphones. These smartphones typically do not contain the highest specifications in any aspect, but they innovate the segment enough to bring features that are often daily needs for people. This is how they have become one of the top-selling smartphone brands in India. So, check out the best Redmi phones under 10000 in this list.

By Antonio G. Di Benedettoand Brandon Widder

By Andrew Webster, an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.

Pebble, a technology brand founded in 2013, has consistently focused on user-centric, seamless blending of innovation, technology, and design in its products. The brand has delivered smooth and worry-free technology experiences and in its latest collaboration, it has joined forces with Pepe Jeans London, one of India's fastest-growing smartwatch brands, to introduce a special edition Bluetooth Calling smartwatch. The Pebble X Pepe smartwatch represents a fusion of fashion and technology, offering a limited edition piece that reimagines the appeal of denim for the wrist. Featuring denim-leather and silicon sporty straps, an eye-catching infinite 1.39” HD display, and 600 Nits brightness, the smartwatch is priced at Rs. 1999 and is available on pebblecart.com, pepejeans.in, Flipkart, Myntra, and exclusive Pepe Jeans stores nationwide.

The Game Awards was once again a pretty terrific celebration of games last night, though the same can't really be said about the people that make them. More than any other year, organizer and host Geoff Keighley has come under fire for rushing award winners through their acceptance speeches, but he claims that "no one was actually cut off" during the show.

Game developers and actors protested outside of The Game Awards last night, calling on the industry to unionise. This comes after a year full of mass layoffs and many fearing that their jobs will be replaced with AI.

The Game Awards 2023 concluded last night, with Baldur’s Gate 3 taking home the trophy for Game of the Year. It was a big moment for Larian, and during the winner’s speech, studio head Swen Vincke took time to honor those who put in so many hours and work, especially those who couldn’t see this award.

One of the biggest criticisms of The Game Awards last night was that winners were played off the stage, and showrunner Geoff Keighley agrees that this is "something to address."

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage has offered a luminous example of how Muslim representation can be, along with its Arab, Persian, and broader SWANA representation. For one of the region’s most prominent religions, Islam, the game offers Muslim and non-Muslim players worldwide not only positive Muslim representation, but the depiction of an entire Islamic civilization. No one is the token Muslim. Islam is gracefully designed into the fabric of Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, from our Muslim protagonist Basim Ibn Ishaq, to various members of his society, to sprawling Masjids, architecture, and art covering 9th Century Abbasid Baghdad. While Islam is the main religion depicted in Mirage, other religious minorities like Christians also appear in the city, as Baghdad was a highly diverse city as well at the center of trade. The Silk Road spanned all of Asia, North Africa, and beyond, and the religions across the regions.

Although Remedy’s latest narrative-driven project didn’t end up bringing home the Game of the Year award at last night’s Game Awards, it did walk away with several other victories, including Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction and Best Narrative.

2023 has turned out to be the year of Baldur's Gate 3, RPG-wise at least, and it's easy to forget that no-one expected it to be this way. Many including myself expected the biggest and best game of the year to be Bethesda's much-anticipated Starfield, the first new series from the studio in decades and its first singleplayer RPG since 2011's remarkable Skyrim, one of the most beloved games ever made—and one that has had a unique afterlife thanks to mods.

The latest episode of VGC: A Video Game Podcast is now available for listening.

Square Enix has released Final Fantasy 16’s first story DLC and revealed a second expansion that’s coming to the PS5 game next year.

Hideo Kojima and Gonzo from The Muppets had just as much time on-stage at The Game Awards as the award winners themselves, who were hurried off-stage with a teleprompter reading "please wrap it up".

Alan Wake 2's New Game Plus mode now has a release date, and it's just days away. 

The Game Awards took place on Thursday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and delivered a host of exciting announcements.

Baldur’s Gate 3 was the biggest winner at The Game Awards 2023, taking home six of the eight prizes it was nominated for.

Epic Games Inc. on Thursday released Lego Fortnite, the first in a series of new titles from the closely held video-game giant as part of an effort to expand beyond its cartoonish shooting game franchise.

An avalanche of new game announcements hit at The Game Awards 2023, ranging from the return of classic franchises to the reveals of all-new worlds. For those of you looking for a rundown of everything announced, we’ve got you covered.

The new indie game Harmonium: The Musical was just announced at The Game Awards 2023, and it looks to champion beautiful and meaningful stories.

1. Game of the Year 2. Best Game Direction 3. Best Narrative 4. Best Art Direction 5. Best Score and Music 6. Best Audio Design 7. Best Performance 8. Innovation in Accessibility 9. Games for Impact 10. Best Ongoing 11. Best Community Support 12. Best Independent Game 13. Best Debut Indie Game 14. Best Mobile Game 15. Best VR / AR 16. Best Action Game 17. Best Action / Adventure 18. Best RPG 19. Best Fighting 20. Best Family 21. Best Sim / Strategy22. Best Sports / Racing 23. Best Multiplayer 24. Best Adaptation 25. Most Anticipated Game 26. Content Creator of the Year 27. Best Esports Game 28. Best Esports Athlete 29. Best Esports Team 30. Best Esports Coach 31. Best Esports Event 32. Player's Voice

One of the biggest surprises from The Game Awards this year is the surprise release of Final Fantasy 16 DLC titled Echoes of the Fallen.

There's a helpful hint for the December 8 (902) Wordle ready and waiting to be read if you're running out of rows and those green letters just aren't turning up—or aren't making much sense when they do. Or, if you have run out of rows and would still like to turn the whole game around, make sure you click through to today's answer.

The Game Awards are packed with eager looks at highly anticipated games, but the ceremony is full of plenty of surprises too. One of them is a flashy Metroidvania called Tales of Kenzera: Zau, the debut game from Surgent Studios.

Swedish studio 10 Chambers is moving on from GTFO (albeit with the release of a major update) towards Den of Wolves, a newly announced corporate espionage sci-fi heist shooter game.

If Alan Wake 2 didn’t completely melt your face, Poets of the Fall are back to finish the job.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 made an appearance at The Game Awards with a brand new trailer that confirms the game is coming 2024.

Harmonium The Musical is a new game developed by The Odd Gentlemen. The game, developed with inclusivity in mind, doesn’t yet have a release date, but is slated to come to Netflix Games and Xbox Game Pass. Check out the trailer below.

Thrasher, a new game from the team behind Thumper, is coming next year.

The Game Awards 2023 is almost here, and it’s sure to deliver a hearty dose of the things the show is known for – speeches, musical numbers, Geoff Keighley awkwardly reading ad copy, and, of course, new trailers and reveals. This year, the show is dropping the “World Premiere” branding for the new trailers and footage shown, but Geoff Keighley actually promises more reveals than usual.

Two days in and the GTA 6 trailer is nearly at 120 million views on YouTube. It’s become one of the most-watched video game trailers in history, but it’s not just benefitting Rockstar. It’s also seeing a revival of a music legend.

Nintendo has cancelled its upcoming fan event in Tokyo after "persistently receiving threats" against its employees.

The Game Awards 2023 will take place on Thursday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and you’ll be able to watch events unfold live right here.

A new rumor has come up in relation to The Game Awards.

When Elon Musk co-founded OpenAI in late 2015, he pledged to fund the non-profit lab with $1 billion of his own money; he had safety in mind and hoped to counter Google's stranglehold on AI research. That $1 billion never fully materialized, and Musk left OpenAI on bad terms.

Back in 2021 the rather unexpected news leaked that an Xbox-exclusive Wu-Tang Clan action RPG, codenamed “Project Shaolin,” was in the works. Back then, we got word that it would support 4-player co-op, and have replayable dungeons and other challenges, as well as seasonal content, almost making it sound like Wu-Tang-themed version of Destiny. That said, we haven’t heard anything about the project since those initial leaks. Was it all a figment of our collective imaginations?

Before GTA 6 has the chance to break the sales records we're all expecting it to, its 90-second trailer has been busy shattering a couple YouTube records. Since Rockstar Games posted the trailer on Tuesday it's racked up a staggering 110 million views.

The glacial backdrop of Arendelle will bring a touch of winter to Gameloft’s free-to-play kart racer Disney Speedstorm starting today, as the game’s latest season gets underway. Let It Go will bundle in a bunch of new racers, including Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Hans. As always, they’ll all have their own set of abilities and moves.

CD Projekt's live-action Cyberpunk 2077 offering won't be out until 2025 at the earliest. Not much is known about the preem project, except that it shouldn't be expected in 2024, according to the company's latest earnings call.

The official GTA 6 trailer upload from Rockstar Games is sitting at over 110 million views at the time of writing, and it's set multiple new world records along the way. Guinness World Records has officially recognised three world records set by the GTA 6 trailer, covering its first 24 hours of availability, likes, and views outside of the video game sphere.

First announced for PS5, PS4 during Sony's PlayStation Showcase earlier this year, it's been confirmed the psychedelic side-scroller Ultros will release on 13th February 2024. It's available to pre-order now on the PS Store for £17.99 / $22.49 with a 10 per cent PS Plus discount. Catch the latest trailer above to see it in action.

A large part of GTA Online’s ongoing fun is its inclusion of various illicit businesses you can run in order to earn money to fuel your Los Santos lifestyle. But while all eyes will be fixed on the announcement of GTA 6 this month, Rockstar isn’t planning to neglect its decade old sandbox – in fact, it’s plotting a new update this December which will add another income stream to your portfolio.

On the latest episode of the Game Developer podcast, we had a far-ranging chat with Strange Scaffold creative director Xalavier Nelson Jr. Nelson's outfit just put out its largest game, El Paso, Elsewhere, earlier in the fall, to significant critical acclaim. We talked a great deal about the game and its many inspirations.

When you’re a fan of certain franchises, you want nothing more than for someone to come out and say that there’s another mainline entry coming soon. It can make you hyped for what comes next while also letting you wonder what that “next thing” could be. For Devil May Cry fans they’ve been waiting in the wings for something new to arrive since the 5th entry was released in 2019. Yep, it was released over four years ago. Doesn’t that make you feel old? Despite the sales success and reception to the title, Capcom has been mum about what might be happening next.

The next title should revive a traditional mechanic that has gone ignored in recent games. Both can be considered a celebration of the franchise as a whole; they include hundreds of references to previous titles, and even revive and reinvent classic enemies to be scarier than ever before. Despite all this, however, some classic features are still missing from these games, with one particularly notable absence given the series’ history.

The churn of Netflix content makes it almost inevitable that occasionally disparate movies and TV shows will share similar titles. It’s decidedly less typical for two different films bearing the exact same title to arrive on the service at roughly the same time. But that happened in late 2023: One movie called Leo arrived on the service on Nov. 21, followed by another movie called Leo just a week later.

It’s pretty common to see long, elaborate videos show up in your YouTube recommendations — I’ve found myself watching multi-hour takedowns of obscure foreign series I’ve never watched before. One particular video, clocking in at just under four hours, has taken off on the platform, and is a hot topic of discussion on social media. Plagiarism and You(Tube), by Harry ‘Hbomberguy’ Brewis, digs into several important topics: reaction content, AI-generated media summaries, and of course, plagiarism.

The Coral Buddies are often found in hidden places around Fortnite 's map. They can be heard from a distance, as they sing a very calm and soothing song to draw players in. You won't get anything for finding them, except a nice musical number, of course.

I'm pretty certain my first ever exposure to Tom Petty came via GTA: San Andreas, whose K-DST radio station featured Runnin' Down a Dream on its tracklist of wall-to-wall dad rock bangers. Now Mr Petty's made a return as part of the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, which is soundtracked by Love Is a Long Road, and it looks like more than a few other people might have had their first encounter with the artist off the back of it, too.

As we bid farewell to another year of musical discoveries and nostalgic hits, we're thrilled to invite music enthusiasts to dive into their 2023 Recap page on the YouTube Music app. This personalized experience offers a comprehensive overview of your musical journey, featuring top artists, songs, moods, genres, albums, playlists, and more that shaped your year. Excitingly, YouTube has expanded this immersive experience to the YouTube app, presenting a dedicated Recap page showcasing the same insightful statistics and highlights available on YouTube Music. But that's not all – the platform has introduced several new features to enhance your year-in-sound retrospective, just check out the YouTube Music app 2023 recap.

Best headphones of 2023: We all are surrounded by sound in one way or another, be it listening to nature, traffic and neighbourhood noise, or sublime songs and music. The year 2023 has been excellent in rolling out some amazing earpieces. We have multiple options and therefore, picking a high quality headphone deserves a lot of time and attention. Why? Because it becomes an integral choice through which you can appreciate different sounds, music, and more. If you are someone who is looking for a headphone upgrade, then check out the list of best headphones of 2023 from top brands such as Sennheiser, Sony, JBL, and more.

The latest PlayStation 5 system software update is now available.

Within the first hour of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, you’re taking down a base in order to clear some of the map.