A manufacturer combines 2 monitors into a set and wants to make everyday life easier with it. The simple but brilliant idea raised 2 million euros on Kickstarter.
In everyday life, many people rely on multiple monitors. Whether for work or gaming, two monitors make many tasks easier or more comfortable. This was also thought by the company Mobile Pixels Inc. Why attach two monitors to a mount when you can just connect 2 monitors into one?
The exciting idea was successful after just half an hour and raised more than 2.1 million US dollars (around 2 million euros) on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
Two monitors are combined with a hinge
What initially looks like a large monitor is actually a system of two individual display units. Geminos and Geminos X are screens with a hinge in the middle. The system consists of two 24-inch monitors arranged one above the other.
The stand also includes a USB hub. A webcam is also built in. The multifunction system is then connected to a computer or laptop via an HDMI cable.
The areas of application are incredibly diverse:
Twitch streamers can play games on the upper monitor while monitoring their chat or controlling their streaming software on the lower display.
Creators can arrange their important projects directly on top of each other and keep everything in view without having to change their angle of view.
Gamers can play on one monitor while having Discord open on the other.
What does such a model cost? The price is reportedly around 1,000 US dollars. The better and higher resolution X variant is expected to cost 1,300 US dollars. However, those who want to order this item in Germany should remember that import fees will apply.
The project of the company Mobile Pixels Inc. seems to be in high demand. The project raised more than 2 million euros from over 3,000 supporters. Meanwhile, the first buyers can enjoy their new “toy”. A tiny console on Kickstarter was also a huge success back then.
Alternative to 2 monitors: MeinMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann has now parted ways with a dual-monitor setup and switched his 2 monitors for a large display. He now believes that he will not need any other setup for everyday life. You can read all the details directly on MeinMMO:
A partner company of ARK developer Studio Wildcard has spread the information that ARK 2 will be released only in spring 2025. Now the developers clarified how this information came about.
Who made the claim? The company “Digital Domain” specializes in the representation of special effects in various media, including films and video games. For the horror title “The Quarry,” the company, for instance, created numerous recordings of bodies and faces.
Additionally, Digital Domain is collaborating with Studio Wildcard, the developer studio behind ARK 2 and the team working on the survival title.
What error did the company spread? In an annual report from Digital Domain, the company talks about the ongoing collaboration with Studio Wildcard and mentions in a parenthesis that the game is supposed to be released in spring 2025 – this would mean another delay (via hk.digitaldomain.com). Currently, the release of ARK 2 is dated for the end of 2024.
Start video
ARK 2: Watch the 4-minute announcement trailer for the survival sequel
Has ARK 2 been delayed again? No, the last delay of the ARK 2 release happened on March 31, 2023, when the survival game was postponed to the end of 2024. There was no official delay to spring 2025.
Moreover, the online magazine gamesradar reported that a spokesperson from Studio Wildcard said regarding the statement that ARK 2 will be released in spring 2025, that he has no idea where this information came from.
In another email, the Wildcard spokesperson added that it was probably just a typo. Therefore, the release of ARK 2 is still planned for 2023.
How did the players react? Shortly after the publication of Digital Domain’s annual report, the information also circulated in the ARK community. A Twitter account that posts news about the survival game shared the information before it turned out to be false (via Twitter).
Overall, over 220,000 users saw the tweet, which was shared over 300 times. Many users reacted in the comments with memes expressing a kind of despair. The community seemed shocked, although many wrote that they would not be surprised by another delay.
In any case, ARK fans will have to wait a while for the release of the successor. In August, a remaster will first be released, which has been controversially reviewed by many players and received a new price shortly after the initial announcement.
Since fans have been able to play the beta of Diablo 4, numerous improvement suggestions have come to the table at Blizzard. Many of these concern features that are different in the new installment compared to its predecessor. In a particularly heated case, players are demanding a zoom factor, but one fan explains why it’s not as easy as many think.
What function is being discussed? In a large thread on Reddit, a fan is calling for Blizzard to allow further zooming out in Diablo 4. This means: the camera should be able to be pulled further away from the action.
Compared to older installments, the camera in Diablo 4 is a bit closer to the action, but automatically zooms out further during battles against a world boss. However, much more happens there, and significantly more players are involved.
The problem with the current zoom factor is that relatively little is displayed on the screen, but in greater detail. If you want more information, such as which enemies are shooting at you from far away, you have to move closer to that direction.
In our hub, you will find all the information about Diablo 4. In the fight against Ashava, you will see how the camera zoom changes:
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Diablo 4 features huge bosses like an MMO – And they drop really good loot
Why is it not that easy? The frustration about the zoom is quite high, leading to reactions such as those suggesting that enemies should just leave others their wish. One user explains in detail why this feature probably won’t come.
The entire world was designed around this camera. Camera view, distance, field of view, all of this has a huge impact on level design. The maps are built around this camera. Also content recognition, the visual understanding of players, and so on. […]
Maybe it’s okay to zoom out a bit here; I didn’t make these levels. But I suspect that leads to problems. I’ve worked on RTS games, and damn, everything depended on the camera. […] Diablo has a similar camera to an RTS.
The user receives a lot of support with hundreds of upvotes and comments agreeing with him. Whether Blizzard will decide differently and indeed add a zoom feature remains to be seen.
However, one of the biggest criticisms was the design of certain characters, specifically druids and necromancers. While the necromancers look oddly but somehow suitably sickly and frail, many fans simply find druids too fat. Blizzard has already answered questions about this:
Otherwise, the tests were received extremely positively overall, and many fans are looking forward to the release, despite small flaws. Some even claim that they have lost the joy of other games between beta and release. Fortunately, there is still one last test for everyone, during which there will even be new rewards:
The best loot comes from the simplest content. Every character in World of Warcraft should seize it quickly – it’s worth it.
With Patch 10.1 Fury of Neltharion, the loot system of World of Warcraft Dragonflight has changed significantly. Almost all items can now be upgraded, so even weak quest items can turn out to be really useful gear in the end.
But one quest rewards you with such strong gear for minimal effort that even current mythical raid rewards pale in comparison.
What quest is that? The quest “Fighting is Its Own Reward” can be accepted in Valdrakken, from the NPC Kemora at coordinates 35 / 28. It replaces the previous weekly dungeon quests where you had to obtain items from end bosses.
The new quest asks you to complete 5 current Dragonflight dungeons on heroic difficulty.
You heard right: Heroic. Heroic dungeons are comparatively easy and do not even require a full group of 5 people with current gear. Tanks can probably handle the dungeons alone. With a full group, it should take no more than an hour to sprint through the dungeons.
What reward is there? For completing the quest, you can choose between 2 different rewards. You can:
Choose a random champion item at level 415 that can be upgraded multiple times.
Alternatively, you will receive a “Shadowflame Insignia of the Dragon” that you need for upgrading items.
For most, the champion item will be interesting. Because you can easily upgrade this item to item level 424. In the coming weeks, you can even increase the upgrade to item level 437.
This item is already as strong in its base version as loot from the still-current raid “Vault of the Incarnates” on mythical difficulty. With enough upgrades, this item level will be significantly surpassed.
By the way, you also gain reputation with all Dragonflight glory factions, including the new “Niffen of Loam” from the Zaralek Caves.
Due to the high reward, this quest is also perfect for equipping alt characters immediately with powerful items, giving them a good start in season 2, which begins next Wednesday.
You should make sure to complete this quest by Tuesday evening at the latest – the item could provide a really strong boost to ease your start into the season.
The new MMORPG with the picturesque name Bellatores targets PC enthusiasts with its medieval world in the new trailer. Here, the developer boasts about PC exclusivity and the presumed advantages in graphics. Whether it outshines the (upcoming) competition, which has now established a firm foothold in the console cycle, you can find out here.
What makes the PC MMORPG Bellatores special? The new MMORPG is set in the Middle Ages and begins its story with the death of the mad King Heinrich. The kingdom plunges into chaos, much to the delight of those who now vie for power in bitter wars.
Graphically, the game resembles MMORPGs like Black Desert Online or Throne and Liberty. However, Bellatores aims to surpass its predecessors.
See for yourself if it can succeed and watch the trailer that focuses on the graphical finesse:
Start video
Bellatores: Environment and Graphics – Trailer
Graphically, the PC MMORPG Bellatores is of high quality
How does Bellatores fare in graphic comparison? At first glance, the game really looks damn good. Especially the flora and fauna are impressive. In the end, however, it will have to be shown whether the trailer and reality match.
But even if that is the case, PlayStation 5 and others have no need to fear Bellatores, as the competition is already on the starting blocks. For example, there is significant competition in the form of Chrono Odyssey, which also looks just as good.
The creators of this MMORPG have also released gameplay material.
For comparison, here is the trailer for Chrono Odyssey:
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Chrono Odyssey – Gameplay Trailer
We can definitely expect some powerhouses in the MMORPG section, like Chrono Odyssey, Throne and Liberty, or Ashes of Creation. In the end, competition famously stimulates the business – one has to wait and see whether Bellatores can establish itself here.
What is your opinion on this? Do you think that system exclusivity creates advantages and often also automatically a prerequisite for prettier graphics?
Other titles, such as The Elder Scrolls Online, have also held a special place among players for years. Furthermore, the graphic style, despite all graphical features, can ultimately be the decisive criterion for players to give it a chance.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In League of Legends , the Dane Rasmus “Caps” Winther (23) has recently been on an unusual run with the champion Nautilus. He plays the support champ in the midlane and has had much success: In SoloQ, he has a win rate of 92%, having already won 2 games with him at the MSI tournament. Now, allegedly, the biggest midlaners in the world, like Faker, are practicing the pick to showcase it at the MSI tournament.
What kind of champ is Nautilus?
Nautilus, “the Titan of the Depths,” is actually a relatively cumbersome supporter who runs around with a huge anchor.
With his ability Q, he can throw out his anchor: If he hits an opponent, he pulls the opponent towards him and throws himself at them. If he only hits terrain, Nautilus pulls himself towards the ground.
Normally, Nautilus is played as a supporter on the bot lane, where he stays close to his ADC, absorbs damage, and sets up kills. In the hands of a weak supporter, Nautilus is an immobile punching bag who constantly dies, but in the hands of a master, he appears as strong as a tuna – and they are known to be able to kill lions (via youtube).
Start video
A spectacular video about League of Legends has now 138 million views – Shows how huge LoL is
What’s going on with the midlane? In 2019, the Chinese team “FunPlus Phoenix” played an outstanding tournament at the Worlds and became world champions. In the final, they defeated Caps with G2.
Doinb was able to collect many kills with offensive champs but could also play defensive champs like Nautilus and act as a setup for his brilliant jungle partner Tian, who would then play more offensively.
This is so unusual because in the midlane, mages and assassins are usually played. Defensive characters or supporters belong in the top lane, jungle, or bot lane – just not in the midlane, where usually “the killers” of a team play.
In 2023, Caps is now copying this style from 2019 and is enormously successful:
Caps plays Nautilus as a mage and builds the champ in such a way that he lowers the magic resistance of opponents (via dexerto)
His jungler Yike plays an AP carry like Nidalee, who deals even more damage when Nautilus weakens the opponents and sets them up
A supporter as a midlaner – Caps gets 30 assists in 2 games
How is he being successful with that? Caps has already dominated the solo queue in Europe with Nautilus as a pick. Out of 12 games as Nautilus, he won 11 – a win rate of 92%.
Now at the international MSI tournament, Caps has played “Nautilus Midlane” in 2 games and has garnered an incredible number of assists with the champ. In Match 1, Caps went 1-3-20, in Game 2 1-3-10.
In both cases, Nautilus operates like before with FunPlus Phoenix: Nautilus is the assist generator, his jungler gets the kills.
Doinb has already noticed this. He sees it as a homage to himself and his playing style from before and says that when he is no longer playing professionally, he would like to train G2. They remind him of the good old days.
A fantastic play by Caps:
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This is how his supporter comments: The supporter of G2, Mikyx, says that they have now trained with Nautilus and oriented themselves towards Doinb and his 2019 World Championship. Nautilus recently received buffs, Caps is dominating with him and the pick has worked in scrims.
In all modesty, Mikyx completely takes the credit for Caps’ current success with Nautilus. Caps initially struggled quite a bit, but he then showed Caps how to play Nautilus correctly, he says with a smile, and now it works.
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What consequences does that have? As Dexerto reports, some midlaners who will be playing at MSI have actually been caught training with Nautilus. Among them are Nisqy, Yagao, and even Faker himself.
Perhaps Caps has managed to set a strong trend all on his own here.
By the way, from the old G2 team of 2019, only Caps and Mikyx are still around, and even that has a strange reason:
Enshrouded is the new survival action RPG title from the creators of Portal Knights and is set to enter early access on Steam later this year. The game is particularly interesting for co-op fans, but also friends of creative building and crafting might get what they are looking for.
In Enshrouded, it is possible to explore the vast world alone or in a group of up to 16 players, fight monsters, or just build an entire village. The setting is a continent shrouded in deadly fog with safe spots. At these, it is possible to gather, build, and most importantly: survive.
The first, 2-minute trailer visually reminds one of Valheim. An adventurer awakens in shorts with “nothing but his will” before embarking on his journey.
Here you can see the first trailer:
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Enshrouded: Trailer
This is what Enshrouded offers:
Character Development: with the help of a detailed skill tree, it is possible to develop and enhance various abilities
Survival: to survive, it is necessary to protect oneself from the deadly fog, solve puzzles, and uncover secrets
Dynamic Battles: magical attacks, spells, various weapons, and shields aid the character in the fight against different types of monsters and bosses
Mobility Options: by using wingsuits and grappling hooks, it is possible to reach special areas
Biome Diversity: deserts, mountains, caves, and dungeons encourage exploration of the open world
Crafting: an extensive crafting system offers creative possibilities for voxel-based base building and equipment upgrades based on recipes and blueprints
The “Flameborn” hunts in the trailer with a bow and arrow, chops down a tree, and grills his food by moonlight at the campfire. It becomes clear that this is not the end, as the character soon acquires additional armor and weapon types and encounters various foes. Besides block and evasive techniques, he uses magical attacks as well as his surroundings in combat.
The described “rough beauty of the game world” is reflected in various biomes, which the adventurer utilizes in the gameplay. He mines stones to access further areas and sneaks through the mysterious fog. In between, the “Flameborn” flies through the air with a wingsuit and swings with a kind of grappling hook through ruins.
To build a base, recipes, blueprints, or a block-by-block construction method can be used, which one is familiar with from other survival games. According to the developers, creative possibilities like in Minecraft are possible – but with a mature look.
A brief look into the skill tree shows several class abilities. Among other things, one sees a mage and a warrior branch. However, at the beginning of the game, one is not forced to choose a class. Instead, one can specialize in different play styles.
Similar to Valheim, food only serves to strengthen the character. Thus, according to developer Antony Christoulakis, one cannot suffer damage or die from hunger.
Christoulakis is always “ready for an open world, base building, and the idea of a co-op PvE adventure where one can venture into a dangerous world or spend some time quietly tinkering in one’s house.” However, there is currently no concrete release date.
The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is one of the largest and most popular in its genre. A player on Reddit has recently gained attention for quitting the game. The reason? It is simply too little MMO.
What is the player complaining about? A post in the MMORPG subreddit recently went quite viral and gathered over 330 comments within just 24 hours. A heated discussion arose about what drives a former fan of Final Fantasy to feel this way.
He writes that he loves the MMO aspects of FFXIV, but they are simply not easily accessible. To play the things that are meant to be fun, you have to slog through hundreds of quests, which the thread creator Cumulonimbus has labeled as boring and too easy.
He mentions that he spent nearly 150 hours in the MMORPG and has only just played the beginnings of the first expansion, Heavensward. He only really had fun in the Crystal Tower, as he describes.
But instead of taking this experience as an opportunity to continue playing to have more such moments, he set the game aside. He writes that it annoys him to hide such a good quest line behind a mass of main quests. Which, according to him, aren’t even that good.
Start video
Final Fantasy XIV Trailer for Update 6.3
Where is his problem with the story? In detail, he is dissatisfied that Final Fantasy XIV not only prioritizes the “RPG aspect over the MMO aspect” but even feels as if it places the “TV series aspect” above everything else.
At the same time, he criticizes that the story, at least at the beginning, does not offer enough. He argues that the main quest and thus the story are really good but are not well told. Too many annoying side tasks interrupt the actually good story and prolong it unnecessarily, according to the thread creator.
To at least score points on the gameplay side, the main quests and dungeons are then also too easy. “If you just want to tell a story, just make a Final Fantasy series,” he writes in his last point.
“I only play FFXIV for the story”
How are people reacting? In fact, the user receives a lot of support in the comments but, of course, also some backlash. However, the latter often argue that the story will get really good later on. His general frustration with the base story, namely A Realm Reborn, can even be understood by fans of the game.
Some people also point out that you can pay to skip parts of the main story, to which the thread creator wonders why “MMO content” is hidden behind a main quest and not behind a certain level.
What are people saying? To give you a sense of the mood, we would like to present some of the comments that have come up under the post (via Reddit):
TheVagrantWarrior writes: “It’s not an MMORPG. It’s much more a visual novel with MMO-lite gameplay.”
Puppetmaster says: “There’s a psychological decision behind it. If a person plays through the whole long story, they’re more likely to build a connection to the game and sign up for a long-term subscription. […] I personally only play FFXIV for the story and enjoy it.”
Varnn writes: “FFXIV is designed to be played by Final Fantasy players who have never touched an MMORPG before. You best catch them with the story. […] And to answer your question as to why everything is locked behind story instead of level – Spoilers.”
rtrs_bastiat says briefly: “Then the game is just not for you, that’s okay. It’s not for everyone.”
So far, there hasn’t been a clear point to the discussion, feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO how you feel about Final Fantasy XIV and the statement of the user, we look forward to your opinions!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
More power, more efficiency – the best of the best. That is the goal for many players. But that kills the fun of the game faster than you can blink.
In MMORPGs, most want to be “the best.” Especially in games like World of Warcraft, personal performance is important for the group’s success.
Guides for one’s own class are studied, “BiS lists” for the best gear are checked, and every new item is first run through the simulation to see if it provides an improvement.
This mindset led me to lose interest in World of Warcraft a few months ago – at least regarding PvE content like dungeons or raids.
I had to weigh: Do I want to play the mathematically “best” shadow priest or do I want to play one that is fun for me? Do I want to try out new trinkets for a while or would I rather look up if it’s a damage loss or gain for me?
For many, the answer is probably quite simple, but it wasn’t for me. In the back of my mind, I always have a competitive thought, which naturally includes team aspects. I want to be useful to my raid group and as useful as possible. That means I should actually pick a clear set of talents and see which items are “Best in Slot” for me or which trinket “simulates best”.
I chose to go against the “optimal” playstyle. I picked the talents that I personally enjoy – even if the numbers at the end are not that impressive and I could be one or two ranks higher on the damage meter.
“Be perfect” or have fun? They don’t always go together.
The thought that you kill the fun of the game when you try to play a game too efficiently is, of course, not new. The creators of Civilization figured this out years ago and said: “If you give players the opportunity, they will optimize the fun out of a game.”
A truth that the rather analytical YouTuber Josh Strife Hayes often emphasizes:
If you want to kill your love for a game, be efficient. Unfortunately, that is the truth. If you want to kill your love for a game, if you want to suddenly hate your hobby, be really efficient at it. (…)
The process of finding something optimal can be fun. The process of figuring out what works and why it works. That in itself is a fun process. But note that I am saying: The process.
If you just tell someone what works, that’s not part of the process. That’s just you saying: “Hey, I did that already. I’ve done all that. Here’s what you should do.” That’s why it’s usually a bit boring.
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The path to achieving the best playstyle with the greatest efficiency is fun. However, just copying that efficiency from guides – that leads to a loss of fun.
And of course, these boundaries vary by game. Looking up a guide for a raid boss in a game like World of Warcraft I still see as a necessary condition for a raid night.
But when I notice how players around me have to run simulations on their character for every loot distribution to see whether the new trinket is a 1.2% or 1.4% increase, I roll my eyes internally.
I also see it every time a new patch is released. Immediately, acquaintances install addons that mark all treasures and secrets on the world map with explanations so that they can check them off quickly. Then for one night, you get the good feeling of being “done” again – and wonder two nights later why there is actually so little to do.
It helped me to sacrifice my quest for perfection for the fun of the game in WoW. Does that make me a slightly worse group member? Mathematically definitely. But the alternative would be that I am no group member at all because I have optimized the fun out of the game.
Do you share this view? Or do MMOs and other games only bring you joy when you can get the maximum out of them and delve deeply into guides?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The next live-action adaptation of an anime seems to have been ruined. Even prominent actors can’t help – childhood dreams are stifled in their infancy.
Some of the best stories in entertainment media are told in anime and manga. Therefore, the film industry keeps trying to turn these works into blockbusters that are supposed to be successful at the box office. But fans know that this has almost always been doomed to fail in recent years. And the same fate has now befallen “Knights of the Zodiac” – a series that many might still remember from their childhood.
What is “Knights of the Zodiac” about? In the world of “Saint Seiya” or “Knights of the Zodiac,” the goddess Athena is reborn among humans every few centuries to protect the world from impending disaster. She is supported by the titular “Saints” – humans who are elevated to the legendary status of a Knight of Athena. The series follows the protagonist Seiya, who is assigned exactly such a role.
The manga of “Saint Seiya” has existed since the 1980s. Anime adaptations appeared shortly after, with the latest currently available on Netflix.
Start video
Knights of the Zodiac Trailer
Here is the criticism of the film: The film has already been released in Japan and the first reviews are mostly devastating. It is even compared to the “Dragonball Evolution” film – in the anime scene, this is considered the worst adaptation of all time, which was rated 2.2 / 10 on IMDb. As stated on 3D Juegos Latam:
Knights of the Zodiac repeats the same mistakes as Dragonball Evolution and feels like a film from 15 years ago. (…)
[There are] plenty of meaningless action sequences, special effects from the early 2000s, and a script with lousy character development. (…) The more the film progresses, the more one notices the absence of a coherent narrative. (…) For some, just seeing Seiya training with Marin or building the armor may be enough to justify a cinema ticket. But those are just brief emotional bursts in a slow, boring production that is far from what one remembers from their childhood.
Not even the fact that they managed to recruit prominent actors like Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings) seems to save the film.
It’s almost ironic that “Knights of the Zodiac Movie” is abbreviated to “Kotzmovie” – by the way, that’s also the title of the official website for the film.
In Germany, the film will only be released in theaters on May 16. Until then, you have plenty of time to weigh whether you really want to see this adaptation.
Why do adaptations mostly fail? It is difficult to pinpoint exactly. One of the biggest problems is the representation of drama. In manga, anime – and generally Asian entertainment – drama is often pushed to the extreme. Internal, long monologues and seemingly “exaggerated” reactions are more reminiscent of theater performances than of Western films, which are usually told in a more sober manner.
Additionally, anime adaptations almost always have a rather “cheap” touch. This is often due to the costumes, which try to capture the colorful original, but just work better in animation. Outdated special effects then ensure that many of these films often feel more like an episode of “Power Rangers.”
That live-action adaptations of popular anime are doomed to fail and often turn into a “cringe-fest” will likely remain a reality. But fans of Death Note or Cowboy Bebop can sing a song about it by now…
Will you still go see the film in theaters and give it a chance? Or are you afraid of tarnishing the beautiful childhood memories?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Pokémon GO has introduced the third Hero Event. This time, you are to help Candela, and in return, you will receive a rare Ponita. The release of Mega-Pinsir will also take place during this event.
What kind of event is this? In the past weeks, Niantic held the event “A Wise Hero” featuring a special Lapras, followed by “An Intuitive Hero” with a special Elekid. Next up is the event “A Daring Hero” featuring a special Ponita.
We show you in the overview the candy bonuses, the new Pokémon, and why this event might be worth it.
Event Overview “A Daring Hero”
When does the event take place? From Thursday, May 11 at 10:00 AM until Wednesday, May 17 at 8:00 PM local time.
New Pokémon: For the first time, Mega-Pinsir will be available in Pokémon GO. You will encounter it in Mega Raids. At the same time, the shiny version of this Mega Evolution will also be activated. Some trainers have been waiting a long time for the release of this Pokémon.
What bonuses are there? The bonuses of the event will affect your candies. Niantic states the following changes:
Double the amount of candies for catching Pokémon
Twice the chance for trainers at level 31 and above to receive XL candies when catching Pokémon
Rare Shiny Chance: As with the last two events of this kind, you can expect a special research task this time as well. You will be rewarded with a Ponita that carries an accessory (a scarf) in the style of Candela. You have the chance to catch this Pokémon as shiny. This season, it is your only chance, and therefore this Pokémon is rare for now.
Raids: During the event, you will encounter certain bosses at various difficulty levels of raids in Pokémon GO. These are:
Level 1: Hisui-Fukano, Galar-Ponita* and Hoothoot*
Level 3: Galar-Flunschlick*, Shardrago*, Hisui-Washakwil* and Hisui-Arktilas*
Level 5: Kapu-Kime*
Mega: Mega-Pinsir*
(Pokémon marked with a star * may be encountered as shiny)
Research: A Timed Research task awaits you, rewarding you with a Fast TM and a Charged TM. Some field research tasks that you receive during the event will reward you with stardust, revives, hyper potions, and Ponita encounters.
What do you think of the preview for the new event? Are you satisfied with the candy bonuses or would you prefer something else instead? Let us know your opinion here on MeinMMO in the comments and exchange views with other players.
We are giving away one of 100 day tickets for gamescom for Thursday and Friday. Here’s how you can participate.
The gamescom will once again take place as a physical fair in Cologne this year. From August 23 to August 27, 2023, the gamescom will open its doors again and invite all gaming enthusiasts. And you can also be a part of it!
Because we are giving away a total of 100 day tickets for Thursday, the 24th and Friday, the 25th of August. You just need to enter our contest, and you have the chance to grab one of the tickets. Since we know not everyone may be available on both days, we have divided the action into two sub-contests. There are 50 Thursday tickets and 50 Friday tickets.
This way, you can freely decide whether you want to enter the lottery for tickets on both days or if you are only interested in winning a ticket for a specific day. If you can attend both days, just enter both contests.
Important: If you are drawn as a winner, the prize is valid for the day on which you entered. Therefore, the likelihood of winning a ticket for both days, even with a double entry, is very low.
The contest ends on May 8 at 08:00 AM. We will draw the winners shortly after the contest ends. All winners will be contacted by us via email.
Important: The tickets are for private visitors. These tickets do not grant access to trade visitor areas.
Anyone who does not want to rely on Fortune’s blessing and wants to buy a ticket as a precaution or plans to visit gamescom on the weekend can secure a ticket now from the official ticket shop .
There you will find all types of tickets, as well as prices and possible discounts and group rates. You can also find information on age restrictions, directions, and ticket support there.
We look forward to your participation, wish you good luck, and maybe we’ll see you at gamescom 2023!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The beta of Counter-Strike 2 only granted access to a few players. Now, some of the lucky ones are reporting that they are being kicked from the servers.
Valve created a buzz among players of the popular tactical shooter with the major announcement of Counter-Strike 2. Then, the development studio launched a testing phase, and many players hoped they would gain access to the beta to test the revamped version of the shooter.
Now, all of a sudden, some players are reporting that they can no longer play.
Start video
Counter-Strike 2 heralds a new era – The most important changes in the video
CS2 asks players to deactivate the beta version
What are the players reporting? A post appeared on Reddit on May 3rd, where a user asks if their access to CS2 has been revoked. He shared a screenshot showing an in-game message that says: “Matchmaking cannot be started because the Counter-Strike beta version is running on your client, please deactivate the Counter-Strike beta version and restart.”
The post garnered attention in the Counter-Strike subreddit, collecting over 1,200 upvotes and 147 comments within a day.
We embed the user’s Reddit post here:
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Reddit user jalalinator about matchmaking errors in CS2
In the comments of the post, other users reported similar experiences. One wrote: “I got the same error message yesterday (via Reddit).” Another user added that he and a friend were experiencing the same thing.
Additionally, some players speculated that the testing phase of Counter-Strike 2 might be over and the servers shut down.
Is CS2’s release imminent? A near release of CS2 seems rather unlikely at this stage. There is no indication that a potential release of the CS:GO successor is on the horizon.
So it is quite possible that it may take some weeks or even months. Initially, the developers will likely analyze the findings of the testing phase and address some bugs or issues.
The popular “Battle Royal” shooter Apex Legends is set to receive a fundamental change to its weapon system with Season 17. There will be weapon XP, levels, and rewards. The goal is to increase the long-term motivation of the game.
What changes will be made to the weapon system? The developers of Apex Legends announced that the shooter will receive a so-called “Weapon Mastery” system.
This system will have individual weapons that possess their own levels, in which they can progress.
Weapon Mastery will be the first long-term progression system in Apex Legends, alongside account levels.
Start video
Apex Legends – Stories from the Outlands – “Encore”
What are the effects of weapon level? With the new weapon level, you will have the opportunity to earn a range of rewards.
You start at level 1 and then unlock a challenge every 20 levels that tests your skills with the weapon being used.
If you pass the test, you will receive a reward. One such challenge could be, for example, to down an enemy with the Flatline from at least 25 meters away while aiming through the weapon’s scope.
There will not be any disadvantages associated with weapon level for you. This means, for example, that it will not be necessary to reach a certain level to use a weapon or attachment.
In total, you can complete five challenges with each weapon and earn the corresponding reward. The maximum level of a weapon is 100. If you reach this, you have mastered the weapon and will receive some final rewards.
According to Respawn, the final rewards for weapon mastery include weapon-specific badges, lifetime performance trackers, legendary weapon mastery banner frames, and a guaranteed legendary skin.
How can a weapon level up? A weapon levels up when you collect weapon XP. You get weapon XP when you actively hold a weapon, deal damage with it, or achieve kills.
The respective level of your weapon will also remain permanently and will not be reset with the release of a new season – it is tied to your account.
In addition to the weapon level, Apex Legends will also receive a pistol with Season 17 that was already feared in Titanfall.
The US President wants to impose higher taxes on crypto miners and companies, as they otherwise would not generate any benefits for society. The initial proposals involve around 30% taxes.
The government under US President Joe Biden has proposed a new tax aimed at taxing cryptocurrency miners more heavily. This is referred to as a DAME tax. Specifically, it states: “The DAME tax encourages companies to better account for the damage they inflict on society.” The first draft from the White House is titled “The DAME Tax: Crypto Miners Pay for Costs They Impose on Others.”
“Societal benefits of cryptocurrencies are not yet in sight”
What is it exactly about? The acronym DAME stands for Digital Asset Mining Energy, which means “Energy for the mining of digital assets.” in English.
This DAME tax is intended to force companies to pay a tax of 30% on the cost of the electricity they use for mining cryptocurrencies:
The main goal of the DAME tax, which is expected to raise approximately $3.5 billion over a period of 10 years, is for the crypto economy to assume its fair share of the costs imposed on local communities and the environment.
This would massively reduce the profits of such companies in the end and, in the worst-case scenario, could even wipe them out completely.
What is the idea behind it? According to various sources, the aim is to avoid extreme price fluctuations. Because when crypto companies need a lot of electricity, the local authority has to supply it. In other regions, however, the prices for electricity would then rise.
According to the US government, cryptocurrency mining is already the fourth largest consumer of electricity in the USA:
Number 1 is refrigerators and freezers.
Number 2 is lighting
And number 3 is television
The White House also states that it doubts the societal benefits of these currencies:
Apart from these known costs and risks, cryptocurrency mining does not yield the local and national economic benefits typically associated with companies that consume similar amounts of electricity. Instead, the energy is used to generate digital values whose broader societal benefits are not yet in sight.
Also, due to rising electricity prices in the USA, many mining firms are becoming independent of the domestic supplier and are relying on their own energy supply. However, one company has now gone too far and used an old drill hole for its purposes. This made the residents anything but happy:
Redfall (Xbox, PC) was supposed to be a hit for Xbox, Bethesda, and developer Arkane. Instead, the new co-op game with vampires has launched poorly and is crashing on Xbox and Steam. Phil Spencer has now spoken up to explain what went wrong – and what’s next.
What kind of game is this? In Redfall, you play as one of four heroes and must free the city of Redfall from vampires, either alone or with a team of up to 4 players. Following an incident, everything has become tainted, the sun is dark, and many surviving humans are now cultists.
At its core, Redfall is a loot shooter where you find progressively better gear. Your characters also have special abilities that allow them to fight vampires and explore the area.
In various missions and special activities, you collect more loot, become stronger, and discover more of the world and the story. You’ll also face powerful vampire bosses that you are supposed to take down in epic battles.
The Metascore for PC is 57, and for Xbox, it is 62
User scores range between 1.9 and 2.6
On Steam, the game is “mostly negative” with 30%
The biggest criticism consists of technical issues. Low FPS, graphical glitches, and stuttering are among the most common complaints. However, some players also criticize that the world is simply too empty and boring. There’s little to do, enemies lack challenge, and the sense of a dangerous “vampire city” is completely missing.
The high price of a whopping €70 for the standard version is particularly painful. That’s simply too expensive for a game that apparently isn’t even finished and has bugs.
Start video
Redfall – Official Launch Trailer
A delay would not have helped
Here’s what the boss says: In the Kinda Funny Xcast, the moderators invited Xbox head Phil Spencer for a discussion (via YouTube). There, Spencer talks extensively about what went wrong with Redfall and what could have gone better.
He begins by stating that he is, of course, not satisfied. He hates disappointing the Xbox community, and he is unhappy with himself: “Nothing is harder for me than to disappoint the Xbox community and see them lose trust.” They promised 60 FPS and were unable to deliver. Such a thing is unacceptable.
They are working on the technical problems and want to fix them soon. They have already proven with Sea of Thieves and Grounded that such efforts are their aim. But what a delay would not have fixed is the idea of the game itself, which isn’t necessarily well-received either:
What I will not do is work against the creative ambitions of our teams. […] I am a huge supporter of Arkane Austin; their track record is excellent, and I love many of their games. [Redfall] is one where they did not meet their internal goals. It may be oversimplified to say: “If you had just delayed it by 3 months, the core idea of the game would have delivered something different than what it was.” […]
If we have more bugs than we should, we are open to delays. But at some point, we need to have a creative vision and release the game. Then reviewers and players tell us what they think.
What could have been done differently? Spencer says he wants to give teams the freedom to do what they want, even if the games that result are not what one would expect from this studio. Redfall is such an example, as Arkane is primarily known for single-player story games like Prey and Dishonored.
Later, Spencer takes the blame on himself and Xbox as a whole: “We did not do a good job of interacting with Arkane Austin and helping them understand what it means to be part of Xbox. We just let them work on the game.” However, Spencer admits they should have been more supportive of the team.
But all of this is no excuse for what happened earlier; it’s just an explanation. Spencer himself seems quite affected by the recent days and states that he can’t adopt a positive outlook right now. His mind is too full for that.
What MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider thinks of Redfall can be read here:
A player of the MMORPG Oldschool RuneScape (Steam) made a reckless bet on reddit. He proposed an extremely painful bet because he thought an MMORPG player could not possibly find a rare pet the next day. He was wrong.
What was the bet?
In the MMORPG Oldschool RuneScape, there is a player known on reddit as “crazy penguin guy”. The user “heytomsmyname” began on October 5, 2022, a grind to get a rare pet: the “Giant Squirrel”, a giant squirrel.
Anyone who completes an “Agility” course with penguins in Oldschool RuneScape has a chance of 1:9779 to get this pet. The penguin course has the best chances for the pet; other agility routes have a chance of 1:35,609.
So the player decided to run this course 100 times a day and post a “Penguin Fact” on reddit daily.
Start video
3 MMORPGs that are still played a lot even 20 years after release
“If you find the pet tomorrow, then …”
What was the bet? The reddit user TessaHolly responded to one of these “Penguin Facts” with the bet:
If you get it tomorrow, my fiancée will spray hot coffee into my asshole.
That was on May 1st. Unfortunately for the reddit user, the crazy penguin guy actually got his pet on May 2nd.
Fiancée beamed with joy when she heard what she could do to her fiancé
This is how the bet concluded: On May 2nd, the player finally published the post he had been waiting for 200 days: He found the pet and can now escape his “icy prison”.
The player says he ended up running 25,000 rounds in the course, and still had a few “Penguin Facts” left to share.
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Did the reddit user fulfill his bet? Yes, he did. After people on reddit encouraged him to definitely fulfill his bet, it was time. As seen in a clip, he actually gave himself the coffee enema and reacted accordingly (via reddit).
In an interview with the site gamesradar he says his girlfriend was excited about the idea of spraying coffee into his butt. He says the look on his fiancée’s face lit up as if it were Christmas, and she said, “Okay!!!! Can I show it to my friends afterwards?”
Ultimately, his fiancée was less concerned about his health, but about the risk of a neighbor seeing the action. The neighbor always smokes on the balcony.
When asked how the coffee felt, the reddit user said: About the same as how the roof of the mouth feels after eating pizza that’s too hot.
Every day, people make trivial and quite crazy bets in MMORPGs or online forums. Here, someone actually fulfilled such a bet.
The EA servers seem to be having issues right now. Anyone who wants to play some of the popular games from the publisher on PC, PS5, or Xbox has no access to online modes. Especially frustrating: even single-player games are affected.
What is going on with EA? Apparently, EA’s servers are currently unavailable. Anyone trying to play FIFA or Apex Legends or buy a game will be greeted with errors or a timeout. Downloads seem to work but are extremely slow.
The official support from Electronic Arts has confirmed on Twitter that there is an outage that is currently being worked on. In the meantime, one cannot access online modes or log into their account.
When will the servers be back online? This cannot be said at the moment. The team has been working on a solution for several hours already, but there is still no update on the situation. As soon as we know more, you will find an update here.
Update at 6:10 PM: According to EA, the servers are back online (via Twitter), but users are still complaining that they cannot log in. For some, it took longer than the message; others still cannot play.
Also affected: The new Star Wars: Jedi Survivor:
Start video
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Trailer Game Awards
“That’s why we need offline modes”
But it’s not just multiplayer games that suffer from the current server down, but also solo games like Sims or the new Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. Both games require a connection to the EA servers and have no offline mode.
This frustrates many fans who are already annoyed by the constant online requirement. RedGamingTech writes on Twitter: “And that’s why offline modes for single-player campaign games, for which we… well, paid, are very welcome?”
Jedi Survivor just came out on April 28, and many fans want to play now. The PC port is already facing major technical issues, which the server down will likely contribute to further bad moods. And exactly on May 4, the international Star Wars day.
Accordingly, many users are frustrated under EA’s tweet. There are complaints that nothing is still working. Some are trying to create some distraction with their art or are demanding free weekends for the new Star Wars game.
The topic of offline modes and single-player games has been following the industry for a long time, most recently with the upcoming Diablo 4. However, the EA chief has a clear position on this:
Destiny-2 players have not forgotten and have now launched a moving action to honor their lost hero Commander Zavala at the Guardian Games 2023.
Why are Guardians planning this action? In March 2023, Lance Reddick, the voice of Commander Zavala and “John Wick” star unexpectedly passed away at the age of 60. At that time, the Guardians, especially the Titan class, showed their condolences in-game with vigils, remembering a great actor who was one of them.
It was during those days that the idea arose to set up a memorial for Lance Reddick at the Guardian Games 2023. Because if the Titans win, Bungie will honor this with a gold plating of the Titan symbol on the Guardian Games statue for 1 year.
This week the Guardian Games are underway, and the players have not forgotten their plan.
Start video
Destiny 2: Lightfall – Trailer to the Guardian Games 2023
Guardians call to participate in the action: Well-known Destiny 2 streamers, like GernaderJake and Uhmaayyze, already believe in a victory for the Titans. Others, such as Knitehawk, encouraged actively realizing this tribute under the motto “We do this for Commander Zavala”.
We do this for Commander Zavala! I am participating in the Guardian Games Cup as a Titan. You can expect the best TITAN content you’ve ever seen!
Even players who are not typically Titan mains want to participate and honor Reddick’s memory by playing as the class in the game that represents Zavala.
But is the Titan even the right class? Some Guardians pointed out that Lance Reddick was actually more of a Warlock player. There is a video showing the actor playing Destiny 2 with his Warlock.
However, if you look at Lance Reddick’s profile at Bungie and his gameplay history, it becomes clear that in Lightfall it was indeed the Titan he spent the most time playing. For him, it was like many other Guardians: They play the class that is strong or brings them the most fun.
But it can be said: Lance Reddick was still a true Titan. Because as Commander Zavala, he touched the hearts of Guardians more than once – and this was also outside of his official job at Bungie.
Every line of Commander Zavala has been voiced by Lance Reddick since 2014 – and more
What does this mean for the Guardian Games 2023? The call to play only one class could have implications for the Olympic competition in Destiny 2 this year. Because the games could become a pure homage to Commander Zavala and Lance Reddick.
The Titans are currently in the lead. But whether this will hold for the next 3 weeks of the event is uncertain:
Some fans fear that playing only one class might decrease the chances of winning in the Guardian Games 2023.
Others argue that it is more important to honor Commander Zavala and unite the community than to care about the competition.
What do you think about this? Should Guardians in Destiny 2 play only the Titan class at the Guardian Games 2023 to honor Commander Zavala? Or should they try to win in every category with their favorite class at all costs? Please share your opinion in the comments.
By the way, the Guardian Games in Destiny 2 can be played for free by everyone:
Season 17 of Apex Legends is starting soon, but the developer studio has recently fixed an annoying bug from the current season. A single line of code caused massive audio issues – the source was a new weapon aptly named “Nemesis”.
The fact that a developer studio had to conduct weeks of detective work to find a small bug is something Apex studio Respawn probably didn’t anticipate. The problem: grenades that don’t explode, weapons that don’t fire, damage without an apparent source.
Here you can see the story trailer for the new Apex Legends hero of the upcoming season:
Start video
Apex Legends – Stories from the Outlands – “Encore”
At the start of the season, the studio received reports about grenades that did not explode but still added damage to players. In live gameplay, it was hard to reconstruct the sequence of events, as the cause was not always visible in the player’s field of view, according to Respawn community manager Amy Thiessen in a Reddit thread from May 3rd.
After a preliminary investigation, it turned out that the main culprit is the system used by our servers to send start/stop commands for various effects (like explosions and physical impacts).
Amy Thiessen in the Reddit thread
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During gameplay, the server limit for particle and sound effects was overloaded, causing some sounds to be discarded. The conclusion was that the requested effects were overwhelming the engine. With each seasonal update, thousands of changes to codes, scripts, and levels were added.
Amy Thiessen compares the search for the bug to finding a needle in a haystack.
Respawn faced a complex problem that had never occurred in this form before, as despite detailed reports, it was difficult to reproduce the sequence of events but had enormous effects on the community.
In a tweet on April 26th, Respawn addressed the community’s frustration:
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Tweet translation: A fix for significant audio and effects issues that have occurred since Season 16 launched has been provided by @PlayApex. We share your frustration. While this won’t resolve all the issues raised by the community, we are committed to improving the “experience” on the battlefield.
What happened next? Respawn decided to test the theory of overloaded effects on the Apex Legends servers, which they intentionally damaged. In a test, they spawned 50 characters who simultaneously fired their weapons and used their abilities until the server practically collapsed. It worked.
This allowed the team to reproduce the audio drops described by players. However, how it happened remained a mystery. According to the community manager, this is “proof that the sound effects drop, but only in completely unrealistic test situations.”
Respawn found that the reports about the sound issues tended to come from high-level players. The idea of providing a server update to track new metrics in games led immediately to a breakthrough.
With the completion of the server update, we found it. A single line of code was identified as the main cause of the problem: the new weapon from Season 16.
Amy Thiessen in the Reddit thread
The new energy assault rifle named “Nemesis” features a unique mechanic. The weapon “charges” with each burst and can shoot faster as indicated by an energy indicator on the barrel. However, this charge drops when not triggered.
And here’s the catch.
According to Respawn, every player on the server with an uncharged Nemesis created a stop effect of the charge with every frame, even if the weapon was not equipped at all.
Interestingly, this was also the explanation for why the audio drops occurred more frequently with high-level players. “14 users with a Nemesis in their inventory and a framerate of 180 FPS would be enough to cause the sound issues.”
A patch provided last week was able to eliminate the bug once and for all. One benefit is certainly that an annoying audio bug with a complicated cause can help Respawn recognize similar bugs before they reach players. At least they want to keep this in mind.
Amy Thiessen concludes the Reddit thread with the note: “One minute of players playing Apex is equivalent to 10 testers playing the same game for a year.”
(Ironically, Nemesis is the name of the Greek goddess of vengeance. The term primarily refers to retribution, compensatory justice, or just punishment in today’s language.)
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
