Xbox has officially launched Project Amplify, a new video series that "aims to magnify Black voices within Xbox to inspire, educate and motivate youth across the U.S. to aspire towards careers in the gaming industry through real-life storytelling from Black leaders and employees across the Xbox ecosystem."

IGN and it's community discuss whether the developer or publisher is more important when buying a game.

As part of IGN’s State of Streaming event, we’re taking a fresh look at the major streaming services and what they offer subscribers in 2022. You can check out our initial thoughts on the Peacock streaming platform as of 2020, and see what’s changed (for better or worse) in this updated review.While certain streaming heavyweights have been around long enough to get their driver’s license, Peacock has barely finished teething. Launched in 2020 as a sort of dumping ground for NBC content, Peacock’s greatest selling point was that it was the new home of “The Office” – and yes, that meant it was clawing that prize back from Netflix. This was met with the kind of groans you’d expect; in short, it was not a very exciting proposition, and many people were bummed to find they needed to shell out for yet another streaming app. But the last two years have been kind to our feathered friend. Peacock has all but abandoned its free-to-watch ambitions, expanded its catalog of original content, and carved out a niche for itself as the home for WWE, Bravo, Real Housewives, and more programs with cult followings. Oh, and it has The Office.Peacock’s TV Shows and MoviesWhile its selection is still relatively modest compared to heavyweight competitors like Hulu, HBO Max, and Netflix, Peacock has carved out a niche by bringing together some of the most fiercely loyal fanbases around. Its catalog has a large variety of reality television and sitcoms, a small but interesting collection of originals, and a robust WWE hub. It also has a smattering of live sports, including golf, rugby, Premier League games, and NFL games. That ever-expanding list of original movies and TV shows includes The Resort, Meet Cute, Vampire Academy, Below Deck: Down Under, Vengeance, and Love Island: USA, among many others. It also features one of the funniest shows on any streaming platform: MacGruber. Here's what we said about Peacock when it first launched in 2020.IGN's David Griffin gave the Peacock a 6/10, saying, "NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service boasts an impressive library of new and classic movies and television shows, as well as live sports, to keep it competitive with the growing field of rivals. At the same time, flexible pricing tiers, including an ad-supported free option we haven’t seen the likes of since Hulu went subscription-only, make it a viable competitor in the Great Streaming War. Where Peacock’s plumage isn’t as vibrant, however, is its inability to provide basic features like 4K, HDR, and downloading options for offline viewing – things most other services offer. There’s also the lack of curated carousels to help viewers discover what kinds of programs are available to watch. There’s little doubt that most, if not all of these technical and interface shortcomings will be fixed in future updates, but it’s still disappointing to see a prestigious company like NBCUniversal fail to provide some of the basic features we’ve come to expect from a modern-day streaming platform at launch."Peacock shines brightest through the aforementioned NBC sitcoms, which include the full runs of The Office, Psych, Parks & Rec, 30 Rock, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Modern Family, to name just a few. It doesn’t stop there – Peacock has created exclusive extended episodes with new bonus scenes, which it has lovingly dubbed “Superfan Episodes.” There’s also a bizarre 24-hour broadcast channel called “Office Shorts,” which is filled with – you guessed it – clips from The Office. And because NBC Universal owns Peacock and The Office, there’s little risk that any of this will disappear from the service anytime soon.On top of that, it also includes a slew of hidden non-comedic gems, such as Trey Edward Shults’ 2019 drama Waves, Robert Eggers’ 2022 film Northman, or the incredible and riveting horror mystery The Invitation, also from this year. That’s a strength that isn’t played to, though; many of these will likely remain hidden as Peacock’s interface doesn’t do a great job surfacing them.Peacock’s User InterfacePeacock’s interface is similar to many of the others we’ve seen, consisting of a large carousel of featured content at the top and individual-themed lockers, like “True Crime Junkies” and “Drama Kings & Queens” below. But in 2022, Peacock is also uniquely stark and static by comparison. There are no auto-playing videos on the homepage, a vast majority of its lockers are manually curated (not algorithmic), and there’s no way to tell Peacock that Leeds United is your favorite Premier League team so that you’ll see more about them and less about Manchester United. Its interface is also slightly different depending on which device you use. For instance, on all devices, there is an important toggle button that filters between on-demand videos and a sort of TV-lite broadcast network called “Channels.” On the iPad, this toggle floats near the bottom of the screen. But on a desktop in a browser, it’s situated in a row alongside the top navigation—which is doubly confusing because the toggle functions differently than the buttons it sits alongside. When you repeatedly run into these tiny nuisances as you use the app their effect is cumulative.There are a number of small ways the interface irritates like this. On the browser, you must press search and then click the actual search bar before you can start typing in your search. Switching between Browse and Channels occasionally takes a weirdly long time to populate. Returning to Peacock.com on a browser nearly always required me to log back in, no matter how little time had passed. Search is separated between “Results” and “Clips” – which is confusingly worded and unintuitive. When you click a special “Extras” button on a show or movie, all you’ll often find is a trailer. Again, this is all minor stuff, but when you repeatedly run into these tiny nuisances as you use the app their effect is cumulative.Peacock’s PricePeacock is among the cheapest streaming services around, weighing in at $4.99 a month for its ad-supported plan (Plus) or $9.99 for its ad-free plan (Premium Plus). There’s also a current deal to get 12 months of Plus for $1.99 a month. Customers of Comcast (which owns Peacock and NBC) and eligible partners like Cox and Spectrum can also access Peacock Premium at no additional cost.You can sign up to watch 10,000 hours of select (admittedly limited) Peacock programming for free But you can also sign up to watch 10,000 hours of select (admittedly limited) Peacock programming for free – and best of all, you never even need to give them your credit card. While the free content is limited to a small percentage of movies and pilot episodes, it is an excellent way to get a feel for the app. This seems like the right time to point out that I completely and utterly hate ads – there’s rarely an ad-free plan I won’t sign up for given the opportunity. But even I had to admit that Peacock’s ad-supported plan is pretty unintrusive – a 30-minute episode of MacGruber gave me only one or two 60-second ads. But this really depends on the show you’re watching, as Chicago P.D. had four ad breaks in a single 42-minute show and The Voice had a staggering 10 ad breaks in its 84-minute season premiere.

Check out the new hot daily deals to get your weekend started, including new markdowns on TCL 6-series 4K Mini LED gaming TVs with HDMI 2.1 (75" model now added), a sweet looking 70" TV stand with fireplace insert and illuminated glass shelving for only $250, a sale on controllers for your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, and more.55" TCL R646 4K Mini LED QLED Google TV for $599.99, 65" for $799.99HDMI 2.1 for 4K @ 120HzThe 2021 TCL 6-series 4K TV boasts a Mini-LED panel, which allows for better control of black levels and thus a higher contrast ratio. At the same time, it features quantum dot technology (QLED), which offers higher brightness levels and better color reproduction as well as full-array LED backlighting with 240-zone local dimming and wide color gamut.The TCL 6-serise also has gamers covered. It has a native 120Hz panel and two HDMI 2.1 inputs. That means it can pass true 4K @ 120Hz on PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles and RTX 30 series equipped gaming PCs. The TCL R646 also supports variable refresh rate (VRR), which is this TV's version of adaptive sync technology, as well as auto low latency mode (ALLM), where the TV automatically switches to a lower latency when it detects gameplay.Ameriwood Home Lumina Fireplace TV StandThis unique TV stand normally sells for about $350 on Amazon, but today it's dropped down to $260. There's a lot going for it at the price, especially since you don't see this kind of TV stand very often. The stand measures 65" long and supports up to 120lbs of weight on the table top. The most distinquishing featuree is the 23" wide electric fireplace insert that isn't just for show; it's warm enough to keep a 400 sq ft room nice and toasty. If you prefer to just enjoy the lighting effects, you can turn the heating element off separately. On either side of the fireplacement insert are self-illuminated cubbies that hold tempered glass shelving (each shelf holds up to 20lbs). There are over 7,000 reviews on Amazon with a 4.7/5 star rating, and keep in mind that nearly all of them paid more for this stand than will.50% Off Horizon Forbidden West Collector's EditionThe Horizon Forbidden West Collector's Edition for PS5 and PS4 is normally $199.99, but today Amazon has it for only $99.99. Not only do you get the game itself, you get the very awesome Tremortusk statue (which measure an impressive 14" tall), a smaller Aloy figure, digital soundtrack, digital comic book, and a bunch of cosmetic DLC for your character.Xbox Controller Sale for Series X and Series SWe can always use an extra controller, whether it's for local multiplayer, or if your old one is starting to break down. At Amazon, you can get a sale on a new controller for your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S for under $50, which is not bad considering how expensive controllers have gotten lately. Plus, you can choose between gray, white, or red depending on your mood.Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat Cabinet for $199Starting today at Walmart, the Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat has been marked down to just $199. Arcade1Up is known for releasing high-quality recreations of your favorite arcade games, and the Mortal Kombat cabinet (or is it Kabinet?) is no exception. This is a 4-foot tall cabinet that's flat packed for easy (and free) shipping. Fortunately, assembly is very easy. In addition to the classic Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, the cabinet comes with 9 other games on board.Arcade1Up Turtles In Time Arcade Cabinet for $449.99Turtles in Time is one of the best arcade brawlers of all time, and even though the game is a part of the recently-released Cowabunga Collection, hardcore Turtles fans can bring the game into their homes in an even bigger way with the Turtles In Time Arcade1Up cabinet. It features support for four simultaneous players, and comes with Turtles In Time and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Wireless Gaming HeadsetNeed a new headset for your PlayStation? Look no further than the Stealth 600 Gen 2 from Turtle Beach. This comes with a high-sensitivity flip-to-mute mic, long term durability with its headband and hinge design, glasses-friendly ear cushions, and more. With a 15 hour battery life, it can handle even the longest marathon gaming sessions.Razer Anzu Smart Glasses for $49.99The Razer Anzu smart glasses are back down to the lowest price we've ever seen. They normally retail for an admittedly ridiculous price of $199.99, but today they're 75% off, down to only $49.99. The Razer Anzu glasses comes with two types of interchangeable lenses; blue-light filtering lenses for PC use and polarized lenses for outdoor use. They also feature a built-in mic and bluetooth speaker for hands-free calling.Officially PS5 Certified: WD Black SN850 M.2 SSDToday Amazon has the 1TB WD Black SN850 PS5-compatible SSD with heatsink for just a tad over $100. The WD SN850 is currently the most popular and one of the best SSDs to get for your PS5 storage upgrade. It's also the only SSD that's officially certified for the PS5 console. It's blazing fast drive with transfer speeds rated at up to 7,000 MB/s and a PCIe Gen4 interface. This model even includes a heatsink that fits in the PS5 slot and is more robust than most other preattached heatsinks from other brands.Alienware Aurora R10 RTX 3080 Gaming PC for $1574Amazon has the best price on this RTX 3080 equipped Alienware Aurora gaming PC. The RTX 3080 is your best bang for your buck for 60+fps 4K gaming. It's significantly more powerful than the RTX 3070 or the RTX 2080 Ti. In addition to the powerful RTX 3080 GPU, this PC boasts a liquid-cooled AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-core processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.New Lowest Price Ever: 42" LG Evo C2 4K OLED Gaming TV for Only $1146.99The 42" LG Evo C2 OLED TV has hit its lowest price ever on Amazon. The 42" replaces LG's 48" as the smallest 4K OLED TV on the market. The only OLED TV that matches this size is the Sony A90K, which costs $150 more at the moment. It performs just as well as its larger sized siblings as a gaming TV and its perfect for a smaller space, but where it really shines is as a gaming monitor for your PC. The 42" size is a better size than the 48" for most of us when we sit only a few feet away from our monitors. The C2 is LG's newest 2022 model and it is jam packed with features, like the new Evo panel with a higher brightness rating, HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K @ 120Hz on the PS5, Xbox Series X, or RTX 30 series gaming PC, VRR, ALLM, 4:4:4 chroma sampling, G-SYNC, GeForce Now and Stadia streaming support, sub-1ms response time, near infinite contrast ratio and black levels, and more.New Release: $9 Off Apple AirPods Pro 2nd GenIt has been almost three years since the 1st gen Apple AirPods Pro was released, so the 2nd gen AirPods Pro have plenty of upgrades under the hood, even if it hasn't aesthetically changed one bit. The biggest upgrade is the new Apple H2 chip, which promises better audio quality and improved active noice cancellation. There's also a new feature called "Adaptive Transparency Mode". This mode actually amplifies the ambient sound so that you can hear your surroundings better. In-ear earbuds traditionally have very good noise suppression even without active noise cancellation enabled, so this is a great way for people to listen in on the outside world without having to remove the earbuds.Ring Fit Adventure for SwitchRing Fit Adventure is great for gamers who want to get some exercise in but don't actually enjoy working out. Ring Fit incorporates a huge variety of excellent workout exercises disguised as an RPG game. An epic adventure awaits you slaying monsters and dragons, tackling new levels, traversing different environments, acquiring powerups and skills, all the while toning your abs and burning calories.Nintendo Switch Game SaleThere are plenty of smaller, under-the-radar Nintendo Switch games that can be great for family game night. From creating levels together in Super Mario Maker 2, to playing classic tabletop games virtually in Clubhouse Games, these discounted Switch titles will make nice additions to any Switch library.Nintendo Switch OLED for for $303Amazon Store UK has the Nintendo Switch OLED with White Joy-Cons for only $303. That's only $3 more than the cost of the Nintendo Switch non-OLED model. The Nintendo Switch OLED features a larger, more vibrant OLED touchscreen display, an upgrade to the terrible OG kickstand, an ethernet port on the docking station, and an exclusive white Switch shell and matching Joy-Cons. If you have the budget to spring for this one, we definitely think it's worth the upgrade over the vanilla Switch.Note that since this is shipped from Amazon Store UK and not Amazon, you'll be receiving the UK version of the Switch OLED. The Switch OLED is not region locked, so you'll be able to play US games without any hassle. However, you'll be receiving a UK plug. You'll need to get a UK to US plug adapter in order to charge your Switch here in the States.Preorder The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for Nintendo SwitchThe sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild now has a title and a release date. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out on May 12, 2023. That's a long ways off, but Amazon already has it up for preorder. BotW is one of the best Zelda games ever, and we expect Tears of the Kingdom to be another must-buy for the Nintendo Switch console. Amazon's Preorder Price Guarantee means that if the price ever drops below the amount you preordered for, Amazon will automatically honor the lower price.Apple AirPods Max Headphones (Apple Certified Reconditioned) for $369.99Today, Woot has a pair of Apple Certified Reconditioned AirPods Max headphones for $369.99, a hefty $170 (33%) price drop from the original MSRP of $549. Woot states that these Apple Certified refurbs appear practically brand new and are shipped in a custom padded brown box. They include a 90-day limited Woot warranty. Woot itself is owned by Amazon, so you can get free shipping if you're an Amazon Prime member.New Release: Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Core for Only $129The Xbox Elite Series 2 Core is fundamentally the same controller as the older generation Xbox Elite Series 2 controller at a much lower MSRP. The Elite Series 2 Core controller features pro gaming features like adjustable-tension thumbsticks, wrap-around rubberized grip, and shorter hair trigger locks. Microsoft was able to significantly cut the price by removing some of the accessories that the original Elite controller came with. Specifically, the Elite Series 2 Core does not come with the extra paddles, thumbsticks, and d-pad. These accessories are still compatible with the Elite Series 2 Core, but if you want to get them, you'd have to buy them separately.Apple iPad 10.2" 64GB for $279.99This is the lowest price we've seen for the newest Apple iPad (it was $299 on Amazon Prime Day). Apple's latest 10.2" iPad is a great option for school, work, or simply relaxing with your favorite movie, book, or streaming service. It features the new Apple A13 Bionic chip for fast CPU and GPU performance to tackle just about anything, and the large 10.2-inch Retina display ensures everything is bright and crisp during use. iPad also features both a front-facing camera for voice chat, and rear camera for taking photos and videos.Preorder the Sega Genesis Mini 2 from Amazon JPThis is one the only ways to get your hands on a Sega Genesis Mini 2 preorder, which releases in late October. This is the new and improved version of the Sega Genesis Mini that was released back in 2019, with better hardware, a small footprint based on the Sega Genesis Model 2, and and over 50 preloaded games including Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Shining Force CD, Virtua Racing and more (not all games have been announced). Note that there will be a $21.99 overseas shipping charge.40% Off HBO Max When You Prepay For a YearGame of Thrones' House of the Dragon Premieres August 21Pay for 12 months of HBO Max and get 40% off your order total. HBO Max is normally $9.99/month ($119.88/yr) for the ad-supported plan and $14.99/month ($179.88/yr) for the ad-free plan. Instead you'd be paying $69.99 for 1 year of the ad-supported plan or $104.99 for 1 year of the ad-free plan. That's technically a savings of 41.6%.This is the perfect time to sign up for HBO Max. The highly anticipated Game of Thrones' House of the Dragon premiered exclusively on HBO Max starting August 21. Set 200 years before the events of the original Game of Thrones TV series, House of the Dragon covers the fall of House Targaryen. In addition to Game of Thrones, HBO Max is host to the entire collection of DC movies (including The Batman), Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings and movies like Dune, King Richard, Free Guy, and much, much more.Newest Apple TV 4K 32GB and 64GB Both on SaleThe Apple TV 4K happened to be one of Amazon Prime Day's hottest sellers. Today the price has dropped down to the same as what we saw on Prime Day. The newest Apple TV features two major upgrades. It boasts an A12 Bionic processor that boosts graphics performance, video decoding, and audio processing and delivers high frame rate HDR with Dolby Vision. It also includes a new Apple TV remote. The overall build quality is better than before, but the biggest enhancements are a 5-way clickpad, mute button, and dedicated power button that works for your TV, receiver, and Apple TV.

Netflix’s Tudum showcase has now officially wrapped, but not before sharing a ton of new information about several upcoming films and TV series including Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, The Witcher Season 3, and more.