In the MMORPG Guild Wars 2, players and developers are currently down

Guild Wars 2 initially wanted to inform players about the future of the MMORPG through a live event. However, since August 30th, the mood in the forums and on reddit has been poor. This also affects the developers.

Why is the mood poor? The announcement of the Living World Season 5 titled Icebrood Saga was supposed to be a nice event. More than 30,000 players watched the event live on Twitch.

However, the mood leading up to it was somewhat tense. There were concerns about:

  • lack of support from ArenaNet for raids in general and the community tournament in particular
  • as well as a prolonged content drought

Nonetheless, many fans of Guild Wars 2 entered the announcement with positive feelings.

After the end of the livestream, however, some of them were left disappointed. While the announced content was not necessarily bad, something significant was missing that would have justified this event.

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Why did players expect more? In the lead-up to the event, the developers of Guild Wars 2 promoted the announcement with several blog posts, giveaways, and a 48-hour countdown on Twitch.

There were also statements from Game Director Mike Zadorojny announcing addon-like features for Living World Season 5.

However, a major innovation or announcement was missing from the event. Nearly everything mentioned at the event either already existed in previous seasons of the Living World or had already been announced in a roadmap in spring.

guild wars 2 Raven Lens Barrier

Community longs for openness

How are players reacting now? Fans of Guild Wars 2 express their disappointment on reddit and in the forums. Many do so constructively, discussing improvements to the game or explaining why the event was overly elaborate.

The biggest criticism from players is the communication from ArenaNet. Reddit user Kyouji writes:

But they do not speak openly with us about what they are working on and what the future holds. By remaining silent, they only reinforce the negative sentiment the community currently has. [..]

The stream on Friday was the first glimpse into the future of the game since the last patch in May. This is unacceptable for an MMO studio. Not talking about the future for months is a great way to turn the community against you.

The desire for communication was also the top thread in the Guild Wars 2 Reddit for several hours. Players do not expect a fully fleshed-out roadmap, but simply regular behind-the-scenes insights.

Is disappointment turning into anger? Alongside constructive criticism, there are also fans who are crossing the line. Currently, there are reddit threads open where NCSoft’s VP of Marketing, Mike Silbowitz, is personally insulted.

Players are also increasingly attacking developers and community staff on social media. Content Marketing Manager Rubi Bayer has also been a target.

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Personal attacks hurt the people behind GW2

How are the developers reacting? On Twitter, Rubi Bayer published a thread addressing individual reactions to the announcement.

She points out that people who insult others because the game is not developing in the desired direction have crossed a line. This is no longer about passion for the game.

Who else spoke out publicly? Former developer Matthew Medina, who is no longer part of ArenaNet since the layoff wave in February, also spoke out on Twitter.

He finds the community’s reactions incomprehensible. Despite almost a third of the studio having to leave, ArenaNet, in his view, put on a great event:

Honestly, the team can recover from this heavy blow and comes forward with such an announcement, so well prepared and presented, it’s a small miracle.

Yes, expectations were high and the hype train rolled, and maybe you were hoping for more. But man, the team deserves every applause and every support you can give them.

GW2 - HoT -Engineer - Guild Wars 2

Expectations vs. Communication

What issues does GW2 face? Since the release of the MMORPG in August 2012, it has struggled with the high expectations of players. Many refer to Guild Wars 2 as a rough diamond that was never properly polished.

However, the following aspects are frequently highlighted:

  • The combat system
  • The dynamic events and world bosses
  • The positive social component (No stealing loot, EXP, etc.)
  • No item spiral

Since release, there have been continual changes in the release structure. Initially, innovations were released that did not remain in the game permanently.

Later, they reached an agreement on a Living World in its current style. However, the Living World was interrupted by the release of purchasable expansions.

During these transitions, various areas of the game were neglected or only received small updates, as is currently the case with PvP and WvW.

However, instead of openly discussing mistakes and issues and involving the community, ArenaNet often stays silent.

What went wrong with communication? In many MMORPGs, players complain about a lack of communication from developers. However, Guild Wars 2 has experienced many extremes over the years.

There have been phases when everything was communicated and even hyped by the developers. The meme of the smiling Game Director Colin Johanson circulated around the announcement of Heart of Thorns.

Conversely, there have also been periods where players heard nothing from the developers for months.

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In the past, there have also been many promises that were never or only fulfilled years later. These included both content innovations and the regularity of updates that were not maintained.

Recently, several PR disasters have worsened the situation:

Guild-Wars-2-Path-of-Fire-07

What happens next? Game Director Mike Zadorojny, who took over in August 2017, will likely address the heated situation in the coming days.

He has previously tried to clarify and ease the situation with various contributions.

However, it is clear that both players and developers are unhappy with the current mood. Both parties simply want Guild Wars 2 to be enjoyable for everyone involved.

This is how the second quarter of 2019 went for Guild Wars 2:

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Pokémon GO: Event with Icognito and Shinys started – All about the Johto Journey

In Pokémon GO you now have increased chances for Icognito. They come from 10 km eggs. Additionally, there are new raid bosses in September and new shinies. All information about the event “Johto Journey”.

What kind of event is this? Trainers, the first week of the Ultra Bonus in Pokémon GO has started. In this week, there are special raid bosses, new shinies, and Icognito from eggs.

What is the name of the event? Johto Journey
How long will it last? From September 2 at 10:00 PM to September 9 at 10:00 PM
What bonuses are there? Icognito hatching from 10 km eggs, incubators are twice as effective, new shinies, new raid bosses

It’s worth playing a lot now, especially if you are missing some special Icognito forms.

Which Icognito are available at the event?

These Icognito are hatching: If you’re lucky, you’ll hatch the forms “U”, “L”, “T”, “R” or “A” from the 10 km eggs. In the following image, you can see the variants of this species:

How high the chances are that this Pokémon hatches from the eggs is still being researched by the trainers.

The new raid bosses in September 2019

What has changed? In line with the Johto Journey, there are new bosses in the gyms that you can defeat alone or with friends. We show you in this table which they are:

LevelBosses
1Wiesor*
Sonnkern*
Kramurx*
Snubbull*
Hunduster*
2Alolan Exeggutor*
Tangela*
Scyther*
Sneasel*
Flunkifer*
3Alolan Raichu*
Pottrott*
Keifel
Panzaeron
Donphan
4Alolan Marowak*
Ursaring
Despotar
Absol*
5Entei*
Raikou*
Suicune*
Deoxys (in EX Raids)

Bosses marked with a star (*) can appear in their shiny form.

Raikou Counters

The best counters against Raikou are:

  • Groudon with Mud Shot and Earthquake
  • Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earthquake
  • Rhyperior with Mud Slap and Earthquake
  • Walrein with Mud Slap and Steam Roll
  • Rhydon with Mud Slap and Earthquake

Entei Counters:

The best counters against Entei are:

  • Rhydon with Rock Smash and Rock Throw
  • Kyogre with Waterfall and Hydro Pump
  • Garchomp with Rock Smash and Rock Throw
  • Feraligatr with Waterfall and Hydro Cannon
  • Gyarados with Waterfall and Hydro Pump
  • Rhyperior with Rock Smash and Rock Throw

How to defeat Entei in Pokémon GO with two players, you can find out here.

Suicune Counters:

The best counters against Suicune are:

  • Raikou with Thundershock and Volt Switch
  • Electivire with Thundershock and Volt Switch
  • Magnezone with Spark and Volt Switch
  • Luxray with Spark and Volt Switch
  • Zapdos with Thundershock and Thunderbolt
  • Roserade with Razor Leaf and Grass Knot

How to defeat Suicune in Pokémon GO with three players, you can find out here.

We will show you all counters to the new raid bosses in Pokémon GO here:

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The new Shinies in the Johto Week

Which Shinies are new? For the first week of the Ultra Bonus, Niantic released the shiny forms of Wiesor and Skorgla in Pokémon GO. You can see what these shiny Pokémon and their evolutions look like in the following graphic:

Pokémon GO Shiny Wiesor Skorgla

What happens in week 2 of the Ultra Bonus? After this event ends on September 9, week 2 of the Ultra event will start. Then regional Pokémon will hatch from eggs, Deoxys will appear outside of EX Raids, and incubators will be effective again. All information about it:

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FIFA 20 vs. PES 2020 in Graphic Comparison – How Different are the Player Faces

FIFA 20 vs. PES 2020 – which game has better graphics? With this graphics comparison, you can form your own impression and answer this question for yourself.

Where does the graphics comparison come from? While the demo of PES 2020 has been available to all players for several weeks, where you can thoroughly evaluate the graphics, Gameplay material for FIFA 20 has been widely available online since gamescom 2019 in mid-August. As for the FIFA 20 demo, you still have to wait a little.

Some content creators have compared images from PES 2020 and FIFA 20 to showcase graphic comparisons in videos. A highly regarded graphic comparison comes from TFVGaming | Rohan Trehan, which we embed here:

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Which player faces look better?

You can see this in the video: The video compares gameplay scenes and player faces.

The kickoff in comparison:

fifa 20 gameplay
PES 2020 (left) – FIFA 20 (right)

A free kick in comparison:

free kick
FIFA 20 (left) – PES 2020 (right)

Player faces in comparison: Every year, the comparison of player faces between the annual football simulations is particularly exciting. FIFA 20 is always on the left in the following images, PES 2020 is on the right.

  • Fred (Manchester United):
fred
  • Smalling (Manchester United):
smalling
  • Suarez (FC Barcelona):
suarez

In this video by AF Gameplays, there are many more face comparisons to see – from players of Juventus, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Barcelona:

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And the YouTuber MGH compares the Arsenal players in FIFA 20 and PES 2020:

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This is what fans say about the comparisons: In the comments, most fans write that PES 2020 is the clear winner in the face comparisons. While Smalling does look like he has a massive hangover in PES, one user laughs, overall the PES faces look more realistic in comparison.

One user summarizes:

  • PES has prettier stadiums and the faces look better due to more detail like sweat, muscles, and veins.
  • But FIFA 20 has much better facial expressions, mouth movements, much better jerseys, and fans, and more realistic hair movement.
  • He argues that both games offer quite a bit graphically and receives nearly 200 upvotes for that.

Otherwise, as expected, there are many comments praising either FIFA or PES to the heavens or disparaging the other game. Moreover, one must consider that in the videos mainly players are compared whose clubs Konami has a partnership with and where they could conduct new, high-quality scans. EA Sports, on the other hand, has face scans of significantly more players from various leagues.

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And a fan writes: “Who cares about graphics, just give me high-quality gameplay.” Many agree with him.

What do you think about the graphics comparisons? Is there a clear winner for you?

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„We are really sorry“ – Battlefield 5 apologizes to frustrated fans for Chapter 4

The General Manager of DICE has addressed fans and apologized for the frustrating experience in Chapter 4 of Battlefield 5 .

Where does the info come from? The apology comes from the top – from DICE General Manager Oskar Gabrielson. He reached out on Twitter in a sort of open letter to the community and publicly asked for forgiveness.

What does DICE say? Specifically, it concerns the current Chapter 4. Gabrielson says: “Battlefield Community: I know you are frustrated and disappointed with the experience in Chapter 4. We are truly sorry.”

Battlefield 5 title weapon Tommi Gun

After this apology, he talks about some criticized decisions of recent times: “We are now taking a step back (in the release of outstanding content) to improve the quality of Battlefield 5 and as a consequence, we are making necessary changes to the planned roadmap. We are postponing some content originally planned for Chapter 4 and have decided to halt the development of the 5vs5 mode to focus our efforts on the overall experience in Battlefield 5.”

He then explains the approach: “It was not an easy decision, but we believe it is the right one and had to be made to improve the quality of the game.”

Battlefield 5 desert

He concludes his open letter to the Battlefield fans with the words: “I hope our work on Star Wars Battlefront II has shown that we feel connected to the gaming community in the long run. We will soon get Battlefield 5 back on track and make it the great shooter that you all deserve to play.”

What exactly is the reason for the apology? Many things went wrong with Battlefield 5 around Chapter 5 – including:

  • Content (such as weapons) and patches (Update 4.4) have been postponed
  • Content has been scrapped (5vs5 mode)
  • Incorrect information – also displayed in the game
  • There was chaos around the roadmap, where DICE did not come across as very happy. Fans waited for content that the developers knew nothing about.
  • Overall, in the eyes of the community, there was far too little new content in Chapter 4 for that reason.

Many fans were frustrated and disappointed with DICE’s post-launch content policy. At least the studio has now publicly apologized to all the fans for that.

What’s next for Battlefield 5? Numerous fans are looking towards the fall and hoping that things will improve with Battlefield 5 then. Because Chapter 5 with the iconic Pacific scenario including new maps and factions, as well as the Private Games (Private Servers) are planned for the fall, which many fans have high hopes for.

How do you currently see Battlefield 5 and what do you think of DICE’s apology? Do you believe they can still turn things around with Battlefield 5?

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Playing WoW Classic is like reading a good book for the second time

Since WoW Classic has celebrated its release, our author Benedict spends most of his free hours diving back into the 15-year-old adventure. He finds that playing Classic is like reading a good book again, even though you already know it.

What does Classic have to do with books? Games and books have many things in common for me. Both take me into their world, both allow me to immerse myself in another character, and both tell me great stories.

Books allow my imagination to run a little freer, while games continuously reward me with new items, great events, or simply more story. This is one of the reasons why people play games at all.

It is precisely these stories that, at least in role-playing games like WoW, ensure that they feel like a book you already know when played a second time.

Many great moments come back – but I also notice new nuances that I didn’t see or appreciate the first time.

What is so great about playing Classic a “second time”

This is how the story captivates me a second time: As I relive the game I started playing about 14 years ago (yes, I started playing WoW after its release), I keep noticing moments that I had before.

It often happens that I come across a character who offers me a quest, and I think: “Oh yes! That was that quest line where I was so desperate back then. Will I do better this time?”

https://mein-mmo.de/en/in-wow-sylvanas-is-supposed-to-be-the-great-genius-but-nobody-understands-what-she-is-doing,345302/
Once again, Calvinius has made me help him.

Even though I already know what to do and how I can master it best, I look forward to experiencing it again. I am less interested in whether I can really do this quest better, but more whether I notice details that I missed before.

They are simply moments connected to emotions from back then that resurface. As if they had been stored somewhere, only to come back with the same strength once again. Cortyn has such moments in WoW Classic as well.

That’s why the “second time” is so important: What captivates me so much about the game on the second playthrough are the details and quests that I previously paid no attention to.

Many of these quests hint at events that occurred in later expansions of World of Warcraft.

WoW All Addons title

Only with the knowledge I now have after the long history of seven expansions of WoW do I even understand what it’s all about.

Stories from WoW from today – already back then

In many stories, I probably still run past them – simply because they are told by NPCs with whom you never have to talk. Other stories are hidden in quests and remain relevant even today.

First quest – Battle for Azeroth: One of these quests is “The Third Fleet” for the Alliance in the Wetlands, at the harbor of Menethil. A sailor reports that he was a member of the third fleet from Kul Tiras when something terrible happened.

The Third Fleet is part of Kul Tiras’ armed forces and of the “Lost Fleet” – which also includes the ships that Jaina Proudmoore saves from the fog in Battle for Azeroth:

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There is much more history tied to the fleet. One of the sunken ships, from which the drunken sailor talks, belonged to Derek Proudmoore, Jaina’s brother. He is later manipulated by Sylvanas for her plans as an undead, but rescued by Baine.

Second quest – Cataclysm: In another quest, which comes from a long dungeon quest line after receiving an undelivered letter from Edwin Van Cleef in the Deadmines, there are hints about Cataclysm hidden.

After the letter is delivered, the Master Spy of SI:7, Mathias Shaw, investigates a bit further. Eventually, he ends up with Elling Trias, a cheese merchant. At the end of the quest, he says:

The Brotherhood of the Defias, you say? Well, you really are the bearer of wonderful news, aren’t you? Next, you’ll tell me that Deathwing is still alive and attacking the city.

WoW Dragon Glory Deathwing
Deathwing – or back then still known as Deathwing – was already predicted in Classic.

By the way: Elling Trias himself is probably a relative of Lucian Trias, who owns a delicatessen in Dalaran. Here he serves as a liaison for the Rogue class hall in Legion. So there’s another hint.

Third quest – Wrath of the Lich King: The third quest that stood out to me during the second playthrough is the quest line “Nothing But the Truth” for the Horde in the Swamp of Sorrows.

A human spy, Marksen, apparently has important information regarding the Alliance and the Horde. However, before he can reveal anything, Apothecary Faustin and Deathstalker Zraedus ensure that he gets poisoned. As he dies, Marksen says:

I believe the Forsaken are misleading the allies of the Horde… Wait… I’m feeling so… dizzy…

This sentence can predict two historical events from WoW:

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Such connections, as they already exist in Classic, could not be understood by players 15 years ago. Many of the old quests have also vanished with Cataclysm and the reshaping of Azeroth or simply been forgotten later.

Now that Classic can be played again in its old form, I find it exciting to relive all of this and understand how much history WoW already contained in Vanilla. And even some skeptics are convinced:

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New Fortnite update is coming today on 03.09. – what’s included

Like every Tuesday, today, on 03.09., a new update (Content Patch 10.20) for Fortnite arrives on all platforms (PC/Mac, Xbox One, PS4, Switch, iOS, Android). What will the new update offer and what about maintenance work? MeinMMO has the answers.

What will happen today in Fortnite? With Season 10, Epic has seemingly chosen Tuesday as the new patch day. In the past, new updates were always released on Wednesday or Thursday.

In recent days, Fortnite has faced some issues. Thus, the robots had to be temporarily disabled.

It was even worse on Sunday, when the game seemed to be completely offline. Will Epic implement countermeasures with today’s patch to avoid such problems in the future?

fortnite-supply-llama

The good news for today: You will not have to endure any maintenance work. After downloading and installing the update, you can dive right back in. When the update will arrive and what content you can expect, you will find out now!

Update 2:00 PM – The patch is now active and brings the floating island and the zapper trap

Content Patch 10.20 – When will it arrive and how big will it be?

When will the update be available for download? At 2 PM German time, you will be able to download the patch. This time is approximate and may shift by 10 minutes forward or backward. Since there is no maintenance, you can get back in relatively quickly.

fortnite-bauarbeiten-titel

How big will the update be? If we look at past comparable patches, you will likely have to download several hundred megabytes of data.

What’s in update 10.20 for Fortnite?

This is new in Battle Royale: The zapper is back! Only the absolute veterans will remember the trap from the early days of Fortnite: Battle Royale. The electric trap dealt damage to players who got too close and will now return to the game enhanced.

Fortnite loading screen week 5 and 6
Source: Dexerto

Additionally, the map is likely to change again, Fatal Fields will likely be the victim. Presumably, the changes will result in the well-known cube Kevin making a comeback.

Furthermore, as already mentioned, there will likely be the usual bug fixes and stabilizations.

What’s new in the Save the World mode with update 10.20: As the current roadmap ended last week, we do not yet know exactly what features the PvE faction can expect. However, the update this week will likely be underwhelming.

What do you think about the return of the zapper? Are you excited for the trap?

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Next update in Fortnite will probably change the map again – Here’s what we know

A new rift has appeared in Fortnite . In Season 10, a new rift means a change to the map. The next update is likely to affect Fatal Fields.

Where does the rift appear? A rift and a machine appeared in the middle of Fatal Fields, similar to what we saw at Neo Tilted and Retail Row.

It seems that we might be able to expect changes as early as tomorrow, September 3, or at the latest Thursday, in the new update.

Fortnite Rift Zone Fatal Fields

New Rift in Fortnite – Is the floating island returning?

What could the rift cause? So far, rifts have always brought back old areas. For example, Dusty Depot returned and Neo Tilted became Tilted Town, an old western town. Retail Row became a zombie town.

However, Fatal Fields has never been changed, so there is no way to bring back an old location. Is the floating island returning now?

A few dataminers leaked the limited-time challenges for next week, and one of the challenges is “Visit a floating island and a meteor” (via @Lucas7yoshi).

Additionally, the loading screen for next week was found, showing a floating island over Fatal Fields. You get the loading screen when you have completed 3 weekly limited-time challenges.

Fortnite Loading Screen Week 5 and 6
Source: Dexerto

What’s the story with the floating island? The floating island is known to most of you from Seasons 5 and 6. It started in Season 5 with the cube that the community calls Kevin.

A large cube that wandered through the map until it sunk into Loot Lake. After that, it rose into the air along with the island. Thus, the floating island was created, which moved throughout the map. It is set to return over Fatal Fields.

When will there be more info? In the past, whenever a new rift appeared, one could expect changes with the next update.

So, with the next update that is supposed to come between Tuesday and Thursday, one can expect to discover the new rift zone.

What do you think? Would you be happy to visit the floating island again?

This article is by Eilyn Rapp from the MeinMMO community

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Of all things, WoW Classic pulls Activision Blizzard’s stock out of the crisis

At Activision Blizzard, the stock had recently fallen after a sobering financial report. Now it is on the rise again: Responsible for this are the success of WoW Classic, first reactions to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and rumors of a Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.

A month ago: Less than a month ago, on August 9, the outlook for Activision Blizzard was bleak. The financial report for Q2 2019 painted a sobering picture for the publisher:

  • Nothing significant happened in Q2 – player numbers were stable, but revenues were significantly lower than the previous year
  • Activision Blizzard also gave a sparse outlook for Q3, which fell short of Wall Street expectations
  • Additionally, President Donald Trump had just warned about violent games
  • Activision Blizzard was in a state of upheaval, had laid off employees and had hardly any new games on the horizon
  • and somehow there was a sense of danger in the air that trouble could arise due to loot boxes – something was brewing
WoW Azshara Smug Face
Did not look good at all – a month ago for Activision Blizzard.

The stock price of Activision Blizzard fell by 3% after the financial results – they had already come from difficult waters, having laid off their financial chief at the turn of 2019, lost the Destiny franchise, and lost considerable value on the stock market.

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WoW Classic makes Activision Blizzard look like geniuses

That’s why everything is different now: In recent days, the tide has turned. Now the positive attributes of Activision Blizzard are emphasized and praised. Analysts suddenly give buy recommendations:

  • WoW Classic is a hit, and that for a subscription-based game. Profits are now expected here – the queues, which are so annoying for games, delight analysts. The Twitch numbers are also seen as an important indicator for analysts
  • In addition, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare seems more and more like a hit as it releases in October. The first reactions to the PS4 beta were positive, as analysts note
  • Moreover, there are rumors of new announcements at BlizzCon for Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2 – these are also being favorably noted
  • Furthermore, Activision Blizzard has announced, to disclose loot box chances by the end of 2020 – addressing investor concerns
  • 2020 anyway marks the beginning of the new console generation, from which investors expect profits
WoW Night Elf Druid happy classic title 1140x445

This is how analysts now see Activision Blizzard: Although not much has changed compared to early August, there is now a different perception of Activision Blizzard.

It is said: All signs point to a surprising turnaround for the stock.

The stock has risen by 7% in the past week, and experts believe the stock still has massive potential. It is still missing 40% compared to last fall.

Activision-Blizzard stock
How strongly the tide can change in a month.

Here’s what analysts say:

  • Analyst Matthew Thornton estimates that Call of Duty will be a hit, also because it faces weaker competition. He believes Activision Blizzard’s earnings per share will rise by 15% – and sales numbers will climb by 10% each in 2020 and 2021.
  • According to analyst Michael Olson, World of Warcraft Classic is an important puzzle piece that can lead to accelerated revenue growth for Activision Blizzard in 2019 and 2020.

At the moment, it seems as if WoW Classic will mitigate or even completely end Activision Blizzard’s weak phase.

The irony is that “WoW Classic” is considered a game that Blizzard didn’t even want, but was forced upon them by the fans.

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Adventure Sync announced for Wizards Unite – What it means for you

Finally, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is getting the “Adventure Sync” feature. Fans have been wishing for this for a long time. We will show you why this feature is so good.

What was announced? A few weeks ago, Niantic announced the “Adventure Sync” feature. Now, emails are being sent to players stating that the feature is about to be released. So it won’t be long before Adventure Sync is enabled for all players.

Wizards Unite Adventure Sync Mail
Source: Reddit

A release date for when the feature will appear is still pending. Players are excited about the announcement on Reddit, saying “My battery is very grateful for this” or “Finally, I won’t have problems opening the portal chests anymore.”

What can the feature do? The predecessor of Wizards Unite, Pokémon GO, has had this function for several months. It uses data collected by Google Fit (Android) or the Health app (iOS) to credit to the game.

This is how it looks in Pokémon GO when you receive rewards through Adventure Sync.

Players no longer need to have Wizards Unite open for the distances traveled to be credited to the game. This works with Adventure Sync even when the app is closed. When logging back into Wizards Unite, the data will be synchronized with the fitness apps and added to the game.

Collecting kilometers to open the portal chests will therefore become much more convenient.

Why Adventure Sync is so important

How long the wish has existed: Since the release of Wizards Unite, players have been expecting that they could also use the function from Pokémon GO in their Harry Potter game.

In June, we already reported that fans want Adventure Sync for Wizards Unite so that steps and kilometers are counted even when the app is switched off. Players wondered at that time why collecting kilometers in the game was so difficult and demanded help.

Players became impatient: At the beginning of August, a new update for Wizards Unite was released. It received decent feedback, but players kept asking for the special feature:

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von Noah Struthoff
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

After weeks of silence, Conan Exiles surprises with a cool PvP feature

Conan Exiles suddenly awakens from its summer slumber with several announcements – including a cool new feature for PvP fans. The developers announced this in a brief post.

What is this feature? In a blog post, Funcom introduced the new feature of “Battle Standards,” or battle banners. These are a new placeable object specifically for PvE servers.

Standards are large, placeable flags with two crossed swords that allow for a PvP zone on a PvE server.

This is how you can use the standards: A standard allows PvP within its area, but simultaneously makes all buildings in its vicinity and itself immune to damage from players. According to the developers, the usage works as follows:

  • You build a combat arena to your liking.
  • You place the standard in the middle of the arena.
  • The standard and buildings can no longer be destroyed by players. New building parts can no longer be placed.
  • PvP is activated within the arena, even on PvE servers.
conan exiles battle standards

Once you enter the arena, you will be warned. If you want to participate, you can confirm this. By default, you lose no loot if you die in an arena. The standards also follow specific building rules to prevent other players from being disturbed and to prevent too many arenas from being placed on top of each other.

The contents of “Blood and Sand”

These new contents are coming: In addition to the banners, Funcom announced a new DLC, which is included as the second content of the Season Pass for 2019 . Funcom showcased some of the contents of the new DLC “Blood and Sand” in a one-hour dev stream:

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New building parts are included that are specifically designed for the aforementioned arenas so you can build even nicer settings for combat. Arenas and gladiators form the main theme of the DLC.

The new armors, on the other hand, are all inspired by Age of Conan:

Additionally, with the upcoming Update 37, two new weapon types will be introduced: Great Axes and Short Swords. These and the older weapons can be enhanced with new weapon oils and mods.

Blood and Sand is set to be released on September 3 alongside Update 37 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One simultaneously.

What’s next: Shortly after the update, on September 6, the decay timers will also be reset to the standard time. In the course of a summer break for those who want to take a vacation, these were extended in July.

The upcoming updates are also planned to be released simultaneously across all platforms rather than, as previously, first for PC and then later for consoles.

If you want to pass the time until the next update, why not quickly get a cool new armor:

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von Benedict Grothaus
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Is Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Suitable for Beginners?

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is just around the corner. Our author Larissa wonders if the addon is even suitable for newcomers.

Starting from September 6, fans can battle new monsters in the new addon Iceborne. But should only seasoned hunters do this, or is Iceborne also suitable for newcomers? After all, you need nothing more than hunter rank 16.

From level 16, everyone, including newcomers to Monster Hunter World, can travel to the snow-covered Hoarfrost Reach. You reach this rank by completing the main story. It is a low requirement and no additional missions are necessary.

The 3 big questions:

  • Can newcomers jump straight into Iceborne, or are the challenges awaiting them too difficult?
  • How good does the equipment need to be to tackle Iceborne properly?
  • How high must the skill level be to face the challenges without getting frustrated?
A group of hunters against a Barioth.

Gifted equipment is strong, but hunters remain inexperienced

What about the equipment? Every player will receive the “Guardian” armor set for free on September 4. This will make it considerably easier to get through the low rank and probably also through the high rank in Monster Hunter World.

So equipment isn’t a problem for entering Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.

But is this armor a curse for players or a blessing?

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What about experience? In the base game of MHW, players had to earn their high-rank armor and learned many useful things about the game along the way. And this gifted set could actually spell doom for newcomers.

This armor is a carry armor. It carries newcomers through, and in Iceborne, they don’t understand how the game works.

Jan on Facebook

Due to the easier difficulty, many experiences are missed that would otherwise have been collected. Especially in the missions that come after the main story, players usually gain essential combat experience.

He must be seen through in Iceborne: The Nightshade Paolumu

These important experiences would be missed by the players:

  • Monster behavior: The move sets of many monsters are very similar. When players have already faced many battles, they can better assess new monsters and defeat them more easily.
  • Items and their effective use: Many items in Monster Hunter World make the hunt easier for you. For example, there are knives that cause status effects or special powders that can save your life in tight situations.
  • Learning from other players: By playing with other hunters, you also learn useful tricks. This includes, for example, the sleep trick in Monster Hunter World, where you can place bombs in front of the monsters’ noses.

How important is the equipment in this regard? My long-standing experience with the Monster Hunter series has often shown me that it’s not just the armor that leads you to success.

Monster Hunter World Iceborne new weapons and armor
Such powerful weapons and armor can look in Iceborne.

If you master your weapons in Monster Hunter World well and can anticipate the movements of the monsters, it is possible to have a tough battle even without armor. But that requires practice.

If you breeze through your story too easily, you miss many valuable player experiences that will help you in tough fights.

Iceborne promises tough challenges

In Monster Hunter World, I usually take down most monsters with my favorite weapon, the bow, in just a few minutes, but that will surely change with Iceborne. The newly introduced Master Rank plays an important role here. This new difficulty level is also supposed to make life hard for seasoned veterans.

Monster-Hunter-World-Iceborne-Kampf
A hunter against a Banbaro

What do the developers say? This was already evident during the play sessions at Gamescom. There, players could get a first impression of Iceborne. Our author Leya also took this opportunity and received further information directly from the developers in an interview. You can see more about this in the following video.

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Watch Monster Hunter World: Iceborne with the lead developers of MONSTERSANDEXPLOSIONS on www.twitch.tv

Should newcomers stay out?

This does not mean that absolutely no newcomer should play the Iceborne addon in Monster Hunter World. However, one should probably prepare for a high frustration curve. The motto is not to give up immediately, but to persevere.

Some good players might not have any problems at all, but one should not get overconfident due to the strong gifted armor. In Monster Hunter World, experience counts more than equipment:

  • Anyone planning to start with Iceborne as a newcomer is well advised to perhaps play a few rounds in the main game first.
  • Anyone familiar with “Monster Hunter” as a franchise will likely be able to succeed with the “gifted armor,” even if they haven’t perfected the main game yet.

In any case, I am looking forward to the new challenges and hope to meet many of you in Iceborne.

Here you can find out how to prepare well for Iceborne:

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von Gastbeitrag

What is your opinion on the topic? Do you think one should already get started with JR 16 in Iceborne?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Best Trainer in Pokémon GO does 50 raids a day, approaching a huge milestone

For many players, Brandon Tan is considered the best player in the world in Pokémon GO. He is now close to a major goal: one billion experience points.

Who is he? The player Brandon Tan is well-known in the Pokémon GO community. He invests a lot of time into Niantic’s mobile game and thus reaches impressive milestones. In December 2018, he broke the 100 million Stardust milestone, which he earned in 2 years.

How much does Brandon Tan play? The exact hours he spends on Pokémon GO each day are unknown. However, it must be a lot, as in 2018 he told Nick from TrainerTips on YouTube that he completes 50 raids a day. Whether he does this every day or if this number varies is unclear.

Pokémon GO Brandon Tan Car

What makes him the best player? Based on the experience points he has earned in Pokémon GO, Brandon Tan ranks among the top players. In addition to over 100 million Stardust, he has already accumulated over 999 million experience points.

This is over 49 times the amount of experience points needed from level 1 to level 40. Many trainers in Pokémon GO still have not reached level 40, even three years after the release.

1 billion experience points – the great milestone

When will he reach one billion XP? On Twitter, Brandon Tan keeps his followers updated on his journey in Pokémon GO. On August 29, he wrote that he was less than one million experience points away from the billion mark.

He added that it would take him 2 days to achieve this. Now, players are eagerly waiting for him to release a new update.

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For the player and the Pokémon GO community, this is a huge event. So far, no other player is known to have collected as many experience points. Another successful collector of experience points is KingCuso (Twitter) – he currently has about 720 million XP.

This is why the player is controversial

What is the problem? When reading about Brandon Tan, one cannot miss the negative comments from other players. In September 2018, the player was banned by Niantic for 30 days in Pokémon GO. No exact reason was given at that time. However, Brandon Tan offered a catching service.

https://twitter.com/JohnPokemon1987/status/1167776016779173890

Trainers transferred a certain sum of money to the player and received legendary Pokémon in return, some with guaranteed good IV values. This violated Pokémon GO’s guidelines, which may have led to his ban.

The fact that he had violated Pokémon GO’s rules is a recurring topic whenever this trainer is discussed.

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny 2 makes a silly secret about Sunshot – Now it is solved

In Destiny 2, it is now known what the Sunshot buff looks like. Bungie kept the Guardians in suspense for a long time.

What is the Sunshot buff about? A few days ago, community manager dmg04 revealed that Bungie is working hard on sandbox changes for Shadowkeep and that the Exotic “Sunshot” will receive a buff. Shortly after, his colleague Cozmo tweeted that the weapon will have more shots in the magazine.

The “Sunshot” is a hand cannon that was one of the first Exotics for many Guardians in Destiny 2. Besides a cool design, the weapon features the Sunburn perk, which triggers explosive rounds and marks hit enemies.

It’s actually a great weapon that many Guardians would love to play with. But there are currently much better alternatives, which is why players have been demanding a buff for Sunshot for quite some time.

Now it’s finally happening, a buff is coming. Playfully mocking, the players express exaggerated joy with slogans like “Praise the Sun” and other exclamations – to show Bungie: It was about time, the buff is long overdue.

Destiny 2 Sunshot

What mystery did Bungie create around the buff?

How strong will the buff be? The developers didn’t reveal that for now. But dmg04 posted a picture of the Sunshot on August 31 with the question of how many shots it will hold in its magazine:

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One day later, on September 1, he responded to this tweet with: “The answer is” – and kept the community guessing how many bullets fit into the magazine.

Hours later, dmg04 gave a hint: “It starts with a T”. Players speculated, it would be 10 (Ten), 12 (Twelve) or 13 (Thirteen), while others even hoped for “three hundred”.

About an hour later, dmg04 wrote: “There are several “E”’s in it”. This ruled out 10 (Ten). Some Guardians became impatient and wrote: “Dylan (that’s the name of dmg04), just tell us already!”

The solution to this silly riddle was found a little later in the background of a picture that dmg04 shared on Twitter. He shows himself together with Cozmo and wrote about having fun at PAX West. In the background, the stats of the Sunshot can be seen – it has 12 shots in the magazine starting from the Shadowkeep expansion.

dmg04 apparently had a lot of fun creating a mystery around the shot count.

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12 shots represent an increase of a hefty four bullets. Previously, it had 8 shots.

What does the community say: “You have no idea how happy I am about this,” replies one on Twitter in the comments. This news has also already garnered over 2,500 upvotes on reddit. People are glad that the Sunshot will be significantly improved, as it is still one of the coolest weapons in Destiny 2. “Ohh, that’s good, very good,” comments a user.

Moreover, they celebrate dmg04: “What a way to reveal this,” writes a user laughing.

Are you satisfied with the new 12-shot magazine?

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
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6 new items are coming to Apex Legends – Here’s how to get them for free at the event

In Apex Legends, the new Voidwalker event is starting, offering new items. We will show you what you can get and how to obtain it.

What new items are there? A total of eight new rewards are coming with the new Voidwalker event. Six of them are new items that you can earn:

  • Voidwalker Badge: Play the new “Armed and Dangerous” mode
  • Armed and Dangerous Badge: Win the new mode 5 times
  • Wraith Login Screen: Win any mode
  • Wraith Music Pack: Win 3 times with different characters in any mode
  • G7 Skin “Paint the Planet”: Complete 7 daily tasks during the event
  • G7 Skin “Outside the Lines”: Complete 14 additional daily tasks
Apex Legends Voidwalker unlockable items

Additionally, there are 30 crafting materials for 30 headshots and another 30 materials for 60 additional headshots.

These items are also available: If you are not satisfied with the earnable items, you can also purchase a total of eight new items through microtransactions. These include:

  • Skins for Wraith, Bangalore, Lifeline, and Gibraltar
  • Skins for the Prowler and the RE-45
  • A banner frame for Wraith
Apex Legends VOidwalker purchasable items

The Wraith skin costs 1800 credits (about 18€), the frame costs 1000 credits (about 10€), and the other skins cost 500 credits (about 5€).

The Voidwalker Event and the “Armed and Dangerous Mode”

What kind of event is this and how long does it last? The Voidwalker event starts tomorrow, on September 3rd, and runs for two weeks until September 17th. During this time, you can earn or buy the new items. It is a follow-up to the Iron Crown event and the solo mode.

During the two weeks, the “Wraith Town Takeover” will also take place. Some bandit groups have settled in areas of King’s Canyon and occupy research stations of the Wraith Project.

Apex Legends Voidwalker Teaser

In the game itself, you will find an experimental portal during this time that is supposed to bring players immediately to the ground or away from there. Furthermore, clues to the story are likely to be scattered everywhere, probably related to Wraith and her origin.

Moreover, Respawn seems to have learned from past mistakes. After a huge backlash regarding loot boxes during the Iron Crown, the developers decided to make event skins purchasable. This is already the case at the beginning of the Voidwalker.

This is how the new mode works: In the limited-time mode “Armed and Dangerous”, loot on the map is drastically altered. You will only find sniper rifles and shotguns.

apex-double-pump

However, the distribution of loot is generally very limited. The weapons you can find are also rarer.

There’s more in the event: There will also be a Double XP action during this time. From Friday, September 6th, to Monday, September 9th, at 7 PM CEST, you will receive double experience for your account and the Battle Pass if you finish or win a game in the top 5.

A transition to Season 3?

What comes next: The way the Voidwalker event is currently integrated into the game roughly aligns with the first event, the Legendary Hunt of Season 1. This event initiated Season 2 back then.

Season 2 started a few days after the end of the event. Since we expect Season 3 to start in early October, it seems plausible that Voidwalker also serves as a transition. The villain from Season 2 will apparently become the new legend in Season 3:

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
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Teamfight Tactics wants to reduce randomness in loot by making everything more random

The distribution of items in Teamfight Tactics is the biggest point of criticism from many players. Riot Games aims to address this with Patch 9.18 by introducing more randomness into the game.

What will change about the item distribution? In addition to the 11 new items that are set to be introduced with the update, developers also plan to revise the loot boxes from NPC creatures.

This means that NPCs will drop boxes of varying rarity. These boxes will contain items, gold, champions, and the item Neeko’s Help.

Why is this change being made? Lead Designer Mortdog explained in the forum that this change aims to make TFT more exciting, but also fairer.

The reason for this is a newly adjusted loot table which will provide developers with greater control.

More control leads to more fairness

What changes will be made to the boxes in general? There will be three types of boxes in the future:

  • Common boxes contain: gold, champions, or Neeko’s Help
  • Uncommon boxes contain: item components, gold, champions, or Neeko’s Help
  • Rare boxes contain: spatula, complete items, gold, champions, or Neeko’s Help

The rarer a box is, the better its contents will be. Players should be able to tell when a box drops whether they can look forward to opening it or not.

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What changes will be made to the loot tables for the boxes? In the current version of Teamfight Tactics, it can happen that after the first 3 PvE rounds you have 9 gold and not a single item.

The new system is supposed to provide more control because developers will adjust the tables and also because more items will be in the boxes. Overall, this should reduce blowouts, where a player can have 6 items after 3 PvE rounds.

Moreover, Mortdog mentions that an early 2-star Kennen could have even more impact on the game in the mid-game than a new item.

Kennen LoL TFT Champions

When will the changes be implemented? The changes to NPC boxes are planned for Patch 9.18. Accordingly, you can already test the adjustments on the PBE.

The release of Patch 9.18 is scheduled for Wednesday, September 11. It will be released two weeks after Patch 9.17, which brought us Pantheon.

On Mein-MMO, you will find various guides on TFT. In one of them, we reveal which items stack and which do not:

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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
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Why it’s particularly worth buying an SSD now

In the past, SSDs were very expensive. However, they are now available at very low prices. If you have always wondered what the difference between an SSD and an HDD is and whether it is worth buying an SSD right now, we explain it in this article.

They were once a rarity, but today they are almost everywhere: Solid-State Drives or SSDs. But when and for whom does it actually make sense to buy an SSD, and when is a conventional hard drive (HDD) still worth it? In the following, we explain to you…

  • Why are SSDs actually so cheap?
  • What is the difference between a conventional hard drive and an SSD?
  • What are the advantages of an SSD?
  • What are the disadvantages of an SSD?
  • When does an SHDD provide a sensible alternative?
  • What is an M.2-SATA and for whom is it usable?
  • SDD vs. SHDD vs. HDD
  • For whom is the purchase of an SSD worthwhile?
  • Which SSD or SHDD is recommended?

Why are SSD prices dropping so much?

The major manufacturers like Samsung or Micron produce much more flash memory than the market can buy. Therefore, since the end of 2018, the prices for SSDs and flash memory have been falling. Some manufacturers are trying to reduce production.

Prices are expected to continue to drop further by the end of the year: In 2018, you paid around 250 euros for a 1-terabyte SSD, while in 2019, you will pay less than half for the same capacity.

The SSD is a large format USB stick

A Solid State Drive or SSD is a data storage device that roughly functions like a USB stick. Both rely on flash memory chips. The computer stores data on these.

Magnetic disk vs. flash memory chip: This is the biggest difference between an SSD and a conventional hard drive. Imagine a turntable: Just like with a turntable, there is a rotating disk and a read head in an HDD. A hard drive consists of a magnetic disk, and the head can also write data.

Slower and faster storage: The enormous advantage of SSDs is speed. If you use an SSD, your computer starts significantly faster than with an HDD. In addition, games like Destiny 2 can benefit from a fast SSD.

Source: Computerbase

For example, in Far Cry 4, the enormous speed advantage of an SSD compared to a conventional hard drive is evident. However, note that more expensive SSDs are naturally faster than inexpensive entry-level models.

The boot process of a Playstation, on the other hand, is not influenced by this since the system is on the internal memory and not on the additional hard drive.

Durability: A difference that is often overlooked is the durability of hard drives. Here, HDDs generally have the advantage. But what is the reason for this? Conventional hard drives can theoretically write their data to the magnetic disk an unlimited number of times. In contrast, with SSDs, the flash memory wears out over time as individual blocks fail. Therefore, very cheap SSDs often have a significantly shorter lifespan than more expensive storage.

TBW for an SSD?
TBW stands for Terabytes Written and indicates the guaranteed total write capacity of the hard drive. With particularly cheap SSDs, the TBW values are usually significantly lower than with expensive drives.

What special features should be considered with an SSD?

What do I need to consider when using an SSD? Recovery from a broken SSD is significantly more complicated and difficult than with an HDD. A backup is generally advisable, especially with an SSD – particularly if valuable data is stored on it.

No defragmentation with SSDs: Avoid unnecessary write and delete operations and do not use defragmentation programs. Defragmentation originates from the era of classic hard drives, as data is written differently here. With flash memory chips, defragmentation is irrelevant and may even harm your SSD!

Advantages of an SSD

  • Cheap price for performance boost compared to a new purchase
  • More robust and shock-resistant compared to conventional hard drives, especially suitable for mobile devices
  • Less noise
  • High operating speeds
  • Lower power consumption than HDDs

Disadvantages of an SSD

  • Data recovery is significantly more difficult than with a conventional hard drive
  • Shorter lifespan compared to HDDs due to flash memory
  • In price comparison, SSDs are still significantly more expensive than HDDs
  • Partially much cheaper flash memory of lower quality is available on the market

Are M.2-SATA-SSDs a special alternative?

M2-SATA from WDGreen
This is what an M.2-SATA-SSD looks like using WD Green as an example. On the right, you can see the typical M2-SATA socket.

What is an M.2-SATA? M.2-SATA drives are smaller than conventional SSDs and use a special socket. The M.2 interface is compatible with both PCIe and SATA just like SATAe. An M.2-SATA does not require a cable and only needs the designated socket.

Who can use them and how?

Modern motherboards for desktop PCs now almost all offer an M.2-SATA socket. Even very cheap motherboards can feature this. However, you need to be careful with laptops. Check either in your manual, where all available sockets are listed, or look closely before purchasing: M.2-SATA sockets cannot be retrofitted.

  • Desktop PC owners: Older motherboards can be upgraded with PCIe adapters for around 10 euros to use an M.2-SATA-SSD.
  • Notebook owners: Check carefully if your device has the corresponding M.2 slot. Not all manufacturers include the appropriate interface, especially for budget consumer models. It’s best to consult the user manual.

Form and technology of an M.2-SATA

Different sizes for desktop and mobile: M.2-SSDs come in different sizes. The most common size is 22×80 millimeters. But be careful: Notebooks use smaller formats, with 22×42 millimeters being common.

SATA and NVMe: Especially the small M.2-SATA-SSDs use SATA. The normal sizes (22×80) generally use the significantly faster NVMe protocol. However, keep in mind that your motherboard must also have the appropriate interface. However, it is always worth spending a few euros more for the faster NVMe protocol if your PC supports it.

Who benefits from installing an SSD?

If you regularly transfer large amounts of data, then an HDD is generally the better choice. However, if you do not want to miss the high speed of the SSD, then either buy a high total write-capacity SSD or purchase an SHDD.

SHDDs as a secret tip for large amounts of data

SHDD as a worthwhile alternative
An example SHDD from Seagate.

HDDs with flash memory: SHDDs are HDDs with a smaller portion of flash memory, on which frequently used programs are stored. An intelligent algorithm ensures that frequently used data ends up in flash memory. Another advantage: The flash memory relieves the magnetic disk, which positively affects its performance and noise level.

SHDD attempts to combine the advantages of HDD and SSD: With an SHDD, many programs start quickly, and you can store a lot of data without having to compromise on longevity. SHDDs are usually only slightly more expensive than conventional HDDs, which quickly makes them an attractive alternative.

  • The operating system starts faster
  • Programs are loaded faster
  • Flash memory relieves magnetic storage, saving power, producing less noise, and keeping the hard drive cooler.
  • Playstation also benefits from flash memory

SDD vs SHDD vs HDD

How fast does an operating system boot?
How fast does my system boot with SSD, HDD or SHDD? Source: Gameswelt

What do the tests say about the storage? With an HDD, your system takes the longest to start. The SSHD or SHDD takes several boot cycles before it writes important files into its flash memory. Therefore, boot times are significantly reduced after several boot cycles. The SSD performs the best here. Here, pure flash memory is present, without the mechanical “disadvantages” of an HDD.

240, 480 or rather 1 terabyte for an SSD?

How big should an SSD be? For SSDs, the rule of thumb is: The larger the capacity, the greater the increase in price. For mobile devices that only have one hard drive slot, large capacities are worthwhile.

If you own a desktop computer, 480 gigabytes of capacity is completely sufficient for the operating system, programs, and several games. HDDs still offer a better price-performance ratio in terms of capacity and durability – especially if your computer is stationed at home and never leaves the house.

Best option for the desktop: SSD as a complement

For gamers: The best option for a desktop PC is still an HDD with an additional SSD. The SSD usually contains the operating system and the most important programs. All other data are stored on the HDD. Games also do not necessarily benefit from being placed on an SSD. For movies, images, or MP3 collections, the speed of an HDD is usually sufficient.

For image and video editing: During image and video editing, a lot of data is copied. Especially with large images or very many editing steps, an SSD is put under more stress. Here, it might be worth investing in faster RAM rather than an SSD.

For mobile users: If you are often on the go with a laptop, then definitely buy an SSD! If your device only supports a hard drive or you do not want to give up a DVD drive, then buy a large storage. Currently, a one-terabyte SSD is also within a reasonable budget. Especially since laptops are subjected to movements and fluctuations while in use, an SSD is particularly recommended here.

Is it useful to install an SSD in a Playstation?
When is it useful to install an SSD in a Playstation?

SSDs in a PS4

When does a Playstation benefit from an SSD? The Playstation benefits from an SSD when the game has to write a lot of data to the drive. Check the minimum requirements on your game packaging: If a game only requires space in the megabyte range, then the game is loaded from the Blu-ray and not from the SSD.

Many download games with the PS4? If you mainly rely on download games here, then you will benefit from the fast write and read performance. A slow hard drive limits download speed since the hard drive can only process/write a certain amount at a time.

In summary: For whom does an SSD make sense?

  • For gamers, an additional SSD for the operating system is worthwhile
  • For mobile users, an SSD with a large capacity is sensible
  • If you mainly play download titles on the Playstation, an SSD is also recommended

What should I consider when buying an SSD?

Cheap and affordable vs. expensive and durable: Very cheap SSDs usually offer significantly worse flash memory than the expensive products. Cheap SSDs often use TLC-NAND (Triple-Level-Cell): This allows the drives to provide high capacities at a low price, but durability and speed suffer.

TLC memory cells have the lowest durability: In TLC memory cells, a single bit is written three times. Hence “Triple-Level-Cell”. The problem: The higher the bit density, the greater the risk of individual flash cells failing, eventually resulting in a total failure.

3D NAND:
3D NAND flash does not affect the quality of flash memory and simply means that the ratio between capacity and physical space is improved.

Prefer MLC and SLC memory: Here, a single bit is written only once or twice. Therefore, the memory is more expensive at large capacities than with TLC but also lasts significantly longer, as individual memory cells are not under such heavy load.

When buying, it’s best to look at which memory a manufacturer uses.

Which SSDs are currently recommended?

Performance winner – The Evo series from Samsung: Samsung’s standard SSD is slightly more expensive compared to competitors but offers by far the best flash memory and thus the best durability. If you want to check this or a larger SSD from Samsung, you can easily do so on Amazon at this link:

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Good all-rounder – The MX and BX series from Crucial: The MX and BX series hardly differ from each other. The BX series offers a few additional features for a few euros more. Otherwise, both drives provide a decent option in the affordable entry segment.

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Affordable entry – The SanDisk-Plus series from SanDisk: Compared to the competition, SanDisk offers the slowest flash memory and thus the lowest speeds for an SSD, which is still significantly above an HDD. However, hardly any SSD offers so much storage for so little money. If you just want a significant performance boost for little money, you can opt for the SanDisk-Plus series.

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Hybrid drive as a combo solution: The hybrid drive from Seagate is an affordable alternative to the SSD and can also be easily installed in a Playstation. The Seagate drive offers 8 GB of flash memory. With the Compute and Gaming series, Seagate provides an affordable solution and another option for those who want to get more out of an SHDD.

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Recommended M.2-SATA-SSDs

M.2-SATA-SSD for Desktop: The M2-Sata from WDGreen is a standard size of 22×80. It fits into any desktop PC. The M.2-SATA from WDGreen offers a very good price-performance ratio, but it is somewhat slower in writing than the competition. If you want something a bit better and have a larger budget, you can also opt for the EVO series from Samsung.

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M.2-SATA-SSD for Laptops: If you have a laptop with an M.2-SATA socket, then you should check out the M.2-SATA-SSD from Transcend. This is a fast and very affordable M.2-SATA-SSD for laptops with the size of 22×42.

The smaller laptop sizes are somewhat more expensive than the normal M.2-SATA-SSDs. The Transcend model stands out mainly for its high write and read speeds.

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If you need not only a new hard drive for your computer but also a new processor, then check out our report on the new Ryzen processors from AMD:

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von Benedikt Schlotmann
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Twitch streamer escapes police in GTA 5 by braking cleverly

The streamer Summit1g was in a 20-minute chase with the police in GTA Roleplay (GTA 5). With a clever maneuver, he shook off the cops. The viewers are celebrating it.

Who is the streamer? The streamer Jaryd “Summit1g” Laza is a well-known face on TwitchTV. For a long time, he played Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and built a large community over the past years while playing various games such as Sea of Thieves and GTA 5. He has been faithful to the roleplay of GTA 5 for some time now, showcasing entertaining scenes repeatedly.

The roleplay in GTA 5 brought the game back to the top of Twitch in 2019.

Why was he chased by the police? In his stream on August 30th, Summit decided with a few friends to rob a small store in GTA 5. In their roleplay roles, they executed this heist. Summit kept looking out the window to check for the police.

Suddenly, a patrol car appeared and raced into the parking lot in front of the store. Summit ran to his getaway car, waited for his friends, and then sped away.

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This is how Summit shook off the police: For over 20 minutes, this chase between Summit’s gang and the cops went on. He tried to shake off the police officers, but he didn’t succeed. At one point, he thought about using a braking maneuver to lose the police car that was closing in on him.

He hit the brakes, the first police car drove past him, was rammed by Summit, and then rolled over. The second patrol car could not avoid the accident and rammed police vehicle 1, which was sliding on its roof at the time.

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In the getaway car, they wondered, “Okay, how could that work?”

Summit1g also tried the popular WoW: Classic. But it has its challenges:

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Streamer Summit1g desperately struggles with the ‘stupid’ mechanics in WoW Classic, wants to break through the wall
von Patrick Freese
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WoW Classic: 1st player to level 60 is carried on hands through Stormwind

Player Jokerd has managed to be the first player to reach level 60 in WoW Classic. He celebrated his success exuberantly on his stream – and dozens of players with him.

This is how the milestone was celebrated: After Jokerd reached level 60 in WoW Classic on Friday evening, August 30 as the first player, many players on his server celebrated this event with him.

He even started a small parade in Stormwind, first on his mechanical mount, then on foot, so that everyone could join. With a cheerful “Run, run together!” they traveled loudly shouting and casting spells to Goldshire.

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There was already another surprise waiting: Dozens of other players lined the street in honor of the level 60 gnome. They lined the road to the small village and elicited a slightly incredulous: “What the fuck?!” from the streamer.

All this was accompanied by “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang and other hits from the 80s, culminating in Jokerd wanting to delete his character. However, he was not allowed to do that, as the community repeatedly sent him letters preventing the deletion.

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WoW Classic: First Player at Level 60

Did everything go fair? Despite all the celebration, there were comments from other players on some Twitch channels and also in the game, that Jokerd reached level 60 with partly illegal means or otherwise cheated. It was claimed that he

  • shared his account with his brother
  • used an addon that Blizzard had banned shortly before
  • constantly switched layers in WoW Classic through group invitations
wow classic jokerd first lvl 60

However, so far, these are just rumors. What is certain is that Jokerd chose a strong class for leveling as a mage. If you want to reach level 60 quickly yourself, you can find 10 tips for leveling quickly in WoW Classic here.

Level 60 – And now? So far, there is nothing new from Jokerd. He has not participated in the “World First Race” for defeating the “new old bosses”. However, that already ended shortly after his success.

The guild Apes defeated Ragnaros on the night of August 31 to September 1.

All of this happened on the First Try. Some players of the raid apparently had not even reached level 60, as that is not a requirement to enter the Molten Core in WoW Classic.

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von Cortyn
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In FIFA 20 you can pass with your back – 12 new, crazy passing skills

In FIFA 20, you can pass and shoot in completely crazy ways. We present some “Fancy Passes” – including backheel passes.

What are these passes in FIFA 20? In FIFA 20, you have significantly more tricks and animations available than in FIFA 19 to show off stylish dribbles, passes, or shots on the pitch.

This is mainly due to the major innovation in FIFA 20: The Volta Mode, which brings street football back. On the street, skill moves and pretty flair shots and passes are essential, which is why EA adds some new tricks.

However, you can perform the new animations not only in Volta mode but also on the big field in 11v11. The EA game-changer Kazooie94 now presents some “Fancy Passes” in the video, which we show you below:

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Fancy Passes can be performed by almost all players in FIFA 20

Who can perform these cool passes? For the Fancy Passes, the only requirement specified is one star in skill moves. This means that any player can perform them – even the goalkeeper. However, some pass animations require the “Flair Trait,” which only a handful of players possess.

How to perform the “New Back Heel” pass: Hold L2 (LT), press X (A) and push the left stick back. Then the player pulls the ball back with one foot and passes it with the heel:

hacke-pass

How to perform the Knee Pass: Hold L2 (LT), press X or Square (A or X) and push the left stick forward. The player then passes the ball directly with the knee:

kniepass

How to perform the “Fancy Lob 90 Outside Foot” pass: Hold L2 (LT), press Square (X) and push the left stick left or right. The player lifts the ball with one foot and kicks it with the other foot:

fifa 20 pass 1

How to perform the Back Pass: Hold L2 (LT), press X or Square (A or X) and push the left stick back. The player then receives the ball with his back and passes it on:

rücken-pass

How to perform the “Fancy Volley Medium” pass: Hold L2 (LT), press X or Square (A or X) and push the left stick back. For this pass, the player continues the ball like this:

pass fancy

How to perform the “Fancy Volley High” pass: Hold L2 (LT), press X or Square (A or X) and push the left stick back. For this pass, the player performs the same acrobatic movement as the previous pass, but in the air:

luft pass

How to perform the “Outside Foot Pass”: Hold L2 (LT), press X or Square (A or X) and push the left stick forward. The player passes the ball with the outside of the foot:

pass außenseite

How to perform the “Rainbow Pass Forward”: Hold L2 (LT), press X (A) and push the left stick forward. The player traps the ball between both feet and passes it on similarly to the rainbow trick:

rainbow pass

How to perform the “Back Heel Pass High”: Hold L2 (LT), press Square (X) and push the left stick down. The player passes the ball high backwards with the heel:

hoch hacke

How to perform the “Rainbow Pass Backwards”: Hold L2 (LT), press Square (X) and push the left stick down. The player then passes the ball with the heel backwards, initially lifting it in rainbow style:

rainbow hacke

How to perform the “Fancy Lob 90”: Hold L2 (LT), press Square (X) and push the left stick left or right. The player pulls the ball back and lifts it with the heel:

lob

How to perform the “Ball Hop Pass”: Hold L2 (LT), press X (A) and push the left stick forward. The player hops the ball between his feet upwards and passes it high in rainbow style:

ball hops

All these crazy passes in moving pictures can be seen in the video above. Keep in mind that the animations are triggered depending on the context. You must always hold L2 (LT) and pass the ball with X or Square (A or X). You cannot directly influence which animation will be triggered.

Other key combinations that you should know in FIFA 20 can be found here:

Such passes are probably not useful or sensible in all situations. But you can surely surprise the opponent or at least give your play style a personal touch.

What do you think of these stylish passes? When the demo for FIFA 20 is released, you can try them out directly. All information about it here:

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WoW Classic eliminates exploit – you level up slower now

Blizzard has fixed a bug in WoW Classic that gave many higher-level players an advantage while leveling. This makes the game feel “more like it used to.”

What was fixed? It’s about an incorrect calculation of experience points in raids, meaning groups of players of six or more. Those in a raid were previously receiving more experience than intended.

Actually, raid groups were supposed to have their received experience drastically reduced. Due to a bug, however, group members received significantly more XP and could defeat enemies much faster – after all, they were more.

WoW-Classic-voll
Many players defeat enemies faster.

This allowed players to level unexpectedly quickly. However, that is no longer possible.

If you still want to reach level 60 quickly, you can find 10 tips in our leveling guide.

In Vanilla, there were not so many XP

No “punishment” from Blizzard: The developers emphasize in the forum that this is not a punishment for players playing the game “incorrectly.” In 2005, in World of Warcraft, players actually received less experience in larger groups:

We want to note that this fix does not represent a change or balance adjustment.

In original WoW, there was an XP penalty in groups of 6 or more players. A temporary bug has eliminated this penalty and it is now fixed.

Community Manager Kaivax in the forum

Blizzard is therefore only fixing a bug that was exploited. WoW Classic is thus becoming “more like it used to be.” Some changes from the original version, such as trading loot, have been controversially discussed in advance.

This is how the exploit was used: In WoW Classic, instances do not have a limit of five players, allowing raids to visit low-level instances like the Scarlet Monastery.

Scharlachrotes-Kloster-WoW-Classic-Gamepedia

Players exploited the bug to level quickly. They repeatedly visited these instances to benefit from the large group and high experience points. This was particularly useful for larger guilds and groups.

One guild was able to defeat Ragnaros first within just a few days. However, it is unclear whether the guild APES used this exploit. However, it is certain that their experience from private servers helped them:

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von Schuhmann
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Source(s):
  1. Dexerto