Epic starts the new year 2018 with a limited-time mode intended to bring variety to Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC, PS4, Xbox One). In the new Sneaky Silencer mode, you will find only pistols (with a new variant) and submachine guns. And bushes, so many bushes!
After the chaotic days with the High-Explosives mode, things are now literally “suppressed.” A new mode is on the way that is meant to reward tactical and calm play.
The new Sneaky Silencer mode starts on January 5, 2018, and ends on January 8, 2018. So there isn’t much time left – don’t miss the chance to try out the new mode in Fortnite: Battle Royale!
The Sneaky mode brings a new suppressed pistol to Fortnite: Battle Royale
Specifically, only two weapon categories will drop – suppressed pistols and submachine guns. The suppressed pistol is new and has been in the game since January 2.
This can only drop in epic (purple) and legendary (gold) quality. You can find the weapon in treasure chests, supply drops, and randomly on the ground.
With the silencer, fights are no longer as audible from afar, so the game turns into a nerve-wracking hide-and-seek game – with bushes!
Because the drop rate of bushes will be massively increased for the new mode. So those who have always considered themselves a passionate sneaky player will find their luck in this mode.
Furthermore, traps are disabled. Epic does not plan any downtime for the launch of the mode. You should be able to start directly on January 5.
For those whose ears are still ringing after the chaotic days around the High-Explosives mode, things will be calmer in the coming days. The Sneaky mode promises many close-range fights.
Whether the Sneaky Silencer mode will be played solo, in duo, or in squads is still unknown.
Update 01/03/2018: Another item will find its way to Fortnite: Battle Royale – the crackling campfire!
Campfire romance in Fortnite: Battle Royale!
The campfire allows for area-effect healing, enabling multiple allies to regenerate health. The possibilities for use are currently being discussed lively on Reddit:
Will the campfire produce smoke that is visible from afar?
What happens if the campfire is activated indoors?
How can it be prevented that players in self-built forts can continuously heal?
The campfire is regarded as very strong without further information. We are curious as to how Epic will balance around the campfire. However, exciting possibilities arise for the Sneaky Silencer mode:
As a bush disguised, you can (hopefully) settle down next to a campfire unnoticed and regenerate health in peace
Depending on whether the campfire is visible to other players from afar, it can be excellently used as bait. Simply position it at a safe distance and take out attacking enemies.
The crackling campfire is of legendary quality (gold) and is expected to appear next week – that is, between January 8 and January 14.
What do you think about it? Will you play the Sneaky Silencer mode? What do you think of the campfire?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Soon you will be able to dive into the adventures of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite with your smartphones. The Pokémon GO creators from Niantic have announced a release window. It is expected to be in 2018.
The developers of the popular mobile game “Pokémon GO” are planning their next release for this year. This will involve the magical adventures of Harry Potter, which fans will experience in combination with the real world.
Wizards Unite release in 2018
John Hanke, the CEO of “Niantic”, the developer of Pokémon GO, spoke with the Financial Times about the future plans of the developers. In the conversation, the topic turned to the upcoming AR game Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
Hanke believes that this game has the potential to appeal to many generations. Just like Pokémon GO, which is played by men and women, boys and girls of various age groups.
According to John Hanke, Niantic is now in a “significantly better position” than it was at the launch of Pokémon GO. When the Pokémon game was released in the summer of 2016, there were significant server issues that made playing impossible. The upcoming release of Wizards Unite is now being looked forward to positively.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is planned for the second half of 2018, so a release could happen as early as July 2018.
Magic fits into the (AR) world
Games that merge with the real world through augmented reality should also “somehow” fit in.
“The ‘Muggle’ world and the wizarding world are only separated by a thin veil,” says John Hanke. “It is easy for us to bring this kind of magic into everyday life. Much harder would it be to bring a Star Wars game into augmented reality that doesn’t just seem like a gimmick,” Hanke added.
As a player, you learn different spells in Wizards Unite and use them against legendary beasts. You can ally with other wizards and fight strong opponents together.
Gigantic televisions have become a common sight in the rooms of many gamers. But what LG Display wants to showcase at a trade show makes even the largest TVs look like tiny gadgets.
If you want to give your own TV an inferiority complex, you should show it the 8K OLED from LG.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, LG Display will introduce the monster: The 88-inch television sets a new record. The previously largest OLED measured only a meager 77 inches and could only display 4K.
LG Display is considered a leader in this field; even though other brands offer OLED technology, their panels come from LG Display, according to Engadget.
One problem with the giant thing is definitely the price. The 76.7-inch monitor was already priced at 20,000 US dollars and could only handle 4K. For the 88-incher with four times the resolution, it will likely go comfortably beyond 100,000 US dollars, speculates GameStar, assuming the giant even makes it to market.
A lot cannot really be done with an 8K television right now, as there is hardly any content available for it. Many TVs that people actually have at home are still struggling with UHD. Only in 2020, with the Olympic Games in Tokyo, can such giants finally shine in everyday life. The games are expected to be broadcast live in 8K.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Sony released a TV commercial in Japan for Monster Hunter World (PC, PS4, Xbox) that may seem a bit strange to us in the West. Nevertheless, it showcases an important element of the action RPG.
In Japan, it is tradition to give children some money at the turn of the year. This also applies to young adults who are already in their twenties.
Sometimes even young employees receive some money for New Year’s from older colleagues or the boss. In a new advertisement from Sony, the Japanese actor Takayuki Yamada plays an employee who surprises three of his younger colleagues with money for New Year.
Excited, the three young men start discussing what they will buy with the money. Yamada grows angrier as things like “a new watch” or “saving the money” are mentioned. With each suggestion from his colleagues, Yamada contorts his face into a strange, exaggerated grimace, reminiscent of those found in anime or manga.
As the three joyfully reach for the money, Yamada holds it tightly in his hand and shouts at his colleagues that the money is ONLY for Monster Hunter World. He wants to go on a monster hunt with his three colleagues.
There’s more to the TV spot than just strange grimaces
Takayuki Yamada has become almost the face of the PS4 in Japan and appears in various TV spots for the console as the gamer. Primarily, the advertisement aims to induce laughter, and Japanese humor may seem a bit strange to us.
Nevertheless, the advertisement manages to capture one of the most important core elements of Monster Hunter World in just a few seconds: Playing together.
However, Monster Hunter World is designed as a multiplayer experience, and the hunt is particularly exciting and fun in a group. The monsters are designed to appear intelligent, and players can come up with strategies on how to utilize the group for hunting. One can distract the beast while another hunter poisons the monster and the third sets a trap. The fourth then strikes the monster with his great sword with all his might.
The coordination of the team adds a special charm, as does the shared celebration when the beast finally falls. In the advertisement, Yamada is probably aware of this. He wants to play in the group so much that he would even finance the gaming enjoyment of his three colleagues and only hand out the money for Monster Hunter World.
The latest season in Overwatch has begun. We reveal what changes in the hero shooter with Season 8.
With the start of the year 2018, a new beginning is also imminent in Overwatch – namely in the ranked game mode. The 8th season of Overwatch has begun.
As in previous seasons, it is again mandatory to complete 10 placement matches first. This gives each player a starting rating and assigns them to the appropriate division.
Overwatch Season 8 changes skill rating rules
However, with the start of Season 8, there have also been a few changes that should lead to a better gaming experience.
Overwatch now ensures that players within a team do not have too large a discrepancy in skill rating.
Previously, these restrictions already applied to groups. Players within a group had to be within 1000 skill rating points (for example, between 2000 and 2999).
These restrictions are now being expanded so that they affect the entire team. Thus, the entire team will now be within a certain range of skill ratings.
The ranges in skill rating are now as follows:
Bronze to Diamond: 1000 skill rating
Master: 500 skill rating
Grandmaster: 250 skill rating
Blizzard hopes that this will improve the gaming experience for all players.
This time, rewards also include display images and spray logos when you complete the placement matches or reach the top 500 in a region.
A date for the end of Season 8 is not yet known.
What do you think of these changes? Is it a good thing that the skill rating range is getting smaller? Or is this adjustment unnecessary?
Actually, the Diablo 3 event was supposed to kick off on January 1, 2018, at midnight. However, it is not really active. The reason for this is communication problems.
To celebrate the anniversary of the Diablo series, the developers hold an annual anniversary event in Diablo 3. It is called “The Darkening of Tristram” and is intended to bring a touch of nostalgia to the community with a special old-school dungeon.
In the blog post, the Diablo team mentioned the start on January 1, but instead of fully launching, we are currently only in first gear and stuck there.
Cultist Pages are here – where is the portal in Sanctuary?
The anniversary event evokes memories of past Diablo adventures with a special dungeon. A pixel filter and special animations provide an extra dose of “retro” while you slice through the 16 levels full of monsters.
In the event announcement, the Diablo team writes that the event starts on January 1, 2018, and will be active until January 30.
The anniversary event begins on January 1 at midnight and ends on January 30 at the same time. Enter the dungeon, claim your rewards, and survive the terrors lurking there – or die trying and be lost forever …
However, one must read between the lines. Many players have already noticed that there is currently no portal to be found.
Currently, only a kind of “pre-event” is active. This means: While adventuring in adventure mode, you will find writings from cultists that give you hints about a portal. However, the portal is still not active.
Finding the Tristram Portal, when does it start?
Community manager Nevalistis responded to the community’s feedback in the Diablo forum. So far, only the pre-event is active – The portal to old Tristram will open on January 4.
Due to the misleading announcement, the community assumed that the portal would also be available at the start of the event. However, players will have to wait a bit longer for this. A specific time for when the portal opens has not yet been communicated. We will pass that along as soon as we have it.
Chronicles of Elyria (PC) is undoubtedly one of the most interesting MMORPGs currently in development. It is as ambitious as Star Citizen and aims to offer a kind of simulation, creating a second life alongside the real one. But there are also doubts.
Chronicles of Elyria is one of those games that can be well advertised with individual ideas and concepts:
Such news and individual ideas have circulated around Chronicles of Elyria in recent months and years. We at Mein MMO have been reporting on the game since September 2015. However, Chronicles of Elyria is still not graspable for many.
Chronicles of Elyria aims to herald a renaissance of role-playing
At its core, it is an MMORPG simulation: the goal is to build a realistic, functioning fantasy world. To throw players into it and allow them to interact with the world and everything in it.
In a video “What is Chronicles of Elyria?” the team at Soulbound Studios described its mission: The team aims to spark a renaissance of role-playing. To create a game where players can embody a role. This is the mission they have set for themselves.
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Elyria, like Star Citizen, is a crowdfunding title, relying on the trust of its most loyal fans and backers who accompany and finance the MMORPG in its early phases. Their feedback is to be used in the development process. Chronicles of Elyria is intended to be created in close collaboration with the fans.
Chronicles of Elyria – Pre-Alpha, in the middle of the dream phase
This is supposed to change in 2018 and 2019 – by a planned release at the end of 2019, gradually more players are expected to join.
However, the release is still a long way off, but the community is already active. There is an active German fan site for Chronicles of Elyria. And as seen in the video, the landed nobility is already playing “Game of Thrones”, recruiting followers and distributing the yet undeveloped world.
In the vision of fans and developers, Chronicles of Elyria is certainly on its way to becoming a huge, ambitious, and groundbreaking project. Just like Star Citizen. But unlike Star Citizen, the funding is lacking.
Doubts about whether Chronicles of Elyria can achieve all this
While Star Citizen has over 170 million US dollars and hundreds of employees, Chronicles of Elyria is operating on a smaller scale.
Jeremy Walsh, known as Caspian, the game’s leader, sold land for his planned dream house to get Chronicles of Elyria off the ground. Through Kickstarter and crowdfunding, approximately 3.4 million US dollars have been raised to date. That’s a lot, but not enough to accomplish what they aim for.
Who is going to pay for this?
Apparently, Chronicles of Elyria has been trying to find a publisher or investor in recent months. However, they hesitate to invest in a sandbox game or want concessions that cannot be made in Chronicles of Elyria: keywords being loot boxes and microtransactions.
The debate significantly dampened the mood at Elyria in December 2017. In a live chat exclusively for backers, the leader expressed his frustration about the search for a publisher. This was supposed to stay internal. However, it then went into the forum and to the public.
The debate then raised doubts about whether Chronicles of Elyria can be the game that is expected if apparently the funds are lacking.
The leader then intervened and stated: “Guys, this is harmful to our business. We are a crowdfunded game, we need to make a good impression and not scare anyone away.”
Numerous parallels to Star Citizen
The parallels to Star Citizen are indeed extensive in Chronicles of Elyria:
Amazing high ambitions
fantastic concepts and ideas
interconnected and sophisticated concepts
an enthusiastic community
and skepticism about whether it can really be implemented as planned
What will happen in 2018 with Chronicles of Elyria? When will beta and release start?
2018 is set to be a crucial year for Chronicles of Elyria.
The next patch of World of Warcraft could go live soon. Patch 7.3.5 may arrive sooner than expected.
The current raid in World of Warcraft, Antorus, the Burning Throne, is not yet fully available in LFR, but the next patch is already making progress. Patch 7.3.5 has been on the PTR for a few weeks. Data miners suspect that the update will be released in the coming weeks.
The reason for this assumption is two mounts that can be acquired during the micro-holiday “Call of the Scarab”. The ruby and sapphire mounts are temporary mounts that will only be available during the event and will disappear afterwards.
Call of the Scarab takes place from January 21 to January 23, which is why data miners and fans suspect that the patch must be released before then.
Although Patch 7.3.5 is only a “minor interim patch” for World of Warcraft: Legion, it holds some significant changes. Possible dates would be Wednesday, January 10 or January 17 – so in one or two weeks.
Patch 7.3.5 brings a revision of the leveling phase
The most important change is the overhaul of the leveling phase. All areas in World of Warcraft will now scale with the player’s level up to a certain point. This allows players to experience stories from Westfall and Duskwood even at level 58, although those areas were originally designed for levels 10-30.
The system was previously active on the Broken Isles and is now being expanded to the entire game world at the request of the players.
Patch 7.3.5 will be the last patch for World of Warcraft: Legion. The next update, Patch 8.0, will already be the pre-patch for Battle for Azeroth, the next expansion. However, there is currently no release date for Battle for Azeroth, but the closed beta should start in the coming weeks.
Will everything get better in 2018 in Destiny 2? Here are our 5 biggest wishes for the new year!
2017 was a turbulent year for Destiny. With the Age of Triumph, many players saw their Guardian journey in Destiny 1 come to a quiet end. In the fall, it resumed: Destiny 2 was released, sending Guardians on new adventures and sparking massive discussions in the following weeks and months.
Beforehand, players were tantalized with visually stunning trailers and grand promises about Destiny 2, leading to immense expectations for the sequel.
But after the launch, disillusionment set in quickly: Once the story campaign is mastered, Destiny 2 shows glaring flaws in the endgame. Content is lacking, incentives to play the MMO shooter are missing, and motivating endgame mechanics are absent. Destiny 2 was torn apart on social media, and the press pounced on it with devastating headlines.
By the end of the year, Bungie promised improvements. They wanted to be more transparent, respond to Guardian feedback, and enhance the endgame. In 2018, significant changes are to be expected. Soon, Bungie intends to reveal their plans for 2018. Community Manager DeeJ tweeted on January 1 that there is much to discuss in 2018.
But what actually needs to change for everything to get better in 2018? Many Guardians would answer this question: “Fix the endgame!” But what does this mean concretely? Here are our 5 biggest wishes for how Destiny 2 should change in 2018.
Strike-specific loot for Destiny 2
“Strike-specific loot” is a wish that has often been mentioned on social media and still is. In Destiny 1, it was indispensable: Each strike had an individual loot pool, containing items that could only be obtained through that strike. If you wanted a perfectly rolled Imago Loop, you would repeatedly play the “Immortal Spirit” strike (or the Echo Chamber).
So each strike felt special—an activity that dropped unique loot and not just a set number of Vanguard tokens. Many Guardians want that feeling back.
The strikes in Destiny 2 are excellently designed. They are large, expansive, and offer various end boss mechanics. The only thing missing is incentives to play the strikes. Compared to other activities, the reward per time is relatively low—especially since the reward mostly comes in the form of tokens. Although the “Heroic Strikes” milestone has increased the value of the strikes, it is still far from sufficient.
Strikes need specific loot
Heroic Strikes need fun and challenging modifiers
The Nightfall Strikes could also be enhanced with their own loot
In general, the loot from other activities could also be more unique and exciting. Raid and strike items should have their own perks that make them special and allow for a new gaming experience. Guardians don’t want to play with the same weapons with merely different skins.
The best MMO of 2017 was chosen by you. We will announce the winners and reveal which games made it!
The gaming year 2017 had plenty of highlights for MMO players. In addition to some new releases, older titles were also maintained by their developers, leading to a lot of content. At the end of last year, we asked you, which MMO / online game you consider the best of 2017. Over three thousand participants took part in this poll.
A total of 32 MMOs were available for selection – and you made the choice! We now present the three winners, who will be crowned the “MMO / Online Game of the Year 2017”.
Rank 1: World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft with its current expansion Legion was chosen by you as the MMO of the year 2017. It thus receives the Mein-MMO Award for “best MMO / online game”. 15% of all voters gave their support to the MMORPG veteran from Blizzard.
The Mein-MMO Award for “best MMO / Online Game” goes to World of Warcraft!
There are many reasons why World of Warcraft was able to captivate so many players in 2017. The latest expansion “Legion” had already been released at the end of 2016, but for many, it was still fresh. The developers at Blizzard succeeded for the first time in nearly a decade in keeping a promise: regular patches. Every 2-3 months, there was a larger patch that brought new dungeons, raids, areas and quest lines. Even the smaller updates contained something for all players: pet battles, micro-holidays, or new animations for the classes.
Meaningful changes to existing systems, such as world quests or weekly progressing campaigns (Suramar, Argus) occupied players for many months and ensured that there was always something new to discover in Azeroth.
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A worthy first place in the vote for MMO of the Year 2017.
Rank 2: Destiny 2
Fans had to wait a long time for Destiny 2, but 2017 finally brought the long-awaited title. After the game first released on PS4 and Xbox One, PC players had to wait a while until they could finally chase after the best weapons again. Once again, the Guardians were needed – and they answered the call for help and voted enthusiastically for Bungie’s MMO shooter. About 12% of the votes give Destiny 2 the 2nd place in our vote for MMO of the Year 2017! If the content had lasted longer, it could have been even better.
Rank 3: The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online was also able to stabilize further in 2017. The year started well because in TESO players can now acquire their own homes and truly indulge in housing. Otherwise, the developers rely on giving existing fans exactly what they want: fun in the “Elder Scrolls” universe. This was especially successful with the Morrowind expansion, which also hit big last year.
The plan apparently worked: With 10% of the votes, The Elder Scrolls Online lands in 3rd place in our vote for MMO of the Year 2017.
Ranks 4-10
Although the following games did not make it to the podium, voting was still enthusiastic. Here are ranks 4-10!
Rank 4: Guild Wars 2 (8%)
Rank 5: Final Fantasy XIV (8%)
Rank 6: Warframe (7%)
Rank 7: Black Desert (6%)
Rank 8: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (6%)
Rank 9: The Division (5%)
Rank 10: Overwatch (4%)
Did your favorite win the vote? Who did you give your vote to? Do you share the community’s view regarding World of Warcraft, Destiny 2, and The Elder Scrolls Online?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMORPG Bless Online is one of the few new PC MMORPGs that will definitely appear in the West in 2018. The release is announced. But will the game also be good? There are enough warning signs.
Fans of classic MMORPGs have been waiting for the Korean AAA MMORPG Bless Online for years. While newer Korean MMORPGs like Black Desert tend to lean towards the sandbox direction, Bless is a traditional theme park MMORPG like WoW, which has so far been denied success in Korea and Russia.
That is supposed to change in 2018 with a global Steam release.
Bless Online looks like a modern WoW…
Bless was announced in 2011, developed with high production value and great visuals. It runs on the Unreal Engine 3. Bless has great graphics, superb sound, and incredibly cool trailers. Star composer Hans Zimmer has contributed the soundtrack – he usually provides soundtracks for Hollywood blockbusters.
The gameplay concept is oriented towards World of Warcraft – there are two realms at war with each other. The setting is a world that resembles the European Middle Ages.
A World of Warcraft with modern graphics and a slight Asian touch. This potentially appeals to a lot of people. They will be curious and eager about Bless when they see trailers and concept art.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKJMIWi3F78
… but hasn’t been able to captivate many players in the last 3 years
However, when the game was actually playable in 2015, there was criticism from the beginning regarding gameplay and performance. Against competitors like ArcheAge or especially Black Desert, Bless didn’t stand a chance and went under. This phase dragged on for two to three years: 2015, 2016, 2017 – none of these were good years for Bless.
The game was already playable in Korea and Russia but hardly captivated any fans.
By 2017 it looked very bleak. The European release fell through, and for a few days it appeared as if the game was dead for good, but Neowiz stood by Bless despite all the problems and decided to continue investing.
Neowiz then recalled and revised Bless. They wanted to get rid of the major weaknesses. Neowiz now plans to release Bless in a “Rebuilt” version globally on Steam in 2018. This will also bring Bless to the West.
The new version is expected to convince in the West in 2018
However, there are still many question marks surrounding the title. YouTuber Nocht has been dealing with Bless for a while and summarizes the questions and concerns about the game.
The most important changes in the new Bless
For instance, the gameplay and combat are not as dynamic as in Guild Wars 2, Black Desert, or ArcheAge, but are more oriented towards World of Warcraft – during the overhaul, only the static skills were toned down and the more dynamic ones emphasized
the skill system is now significantly more complex – you can upgrade abilities and slot the appropriate skills onto the hotbar
the inventory is much tidier than before, inspired by Black Desert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqQbhYX5skQ
The big question marks surrounding the release of Bless
For Nocht, the big question is whether Bless will launch with all classes – other versions started without Mystic and Ranger, two popular classes that bring a lot of variety
There are also still questions regarding the cash shop, as newer versions have a mechanic to upgrade pets – this could fall into the “Pay2Progress” category and cause issues
It is also questionable whether Neowiz can adequately promote the game here in the West to raise awareness among a large player base for Bless and to keep them
As for localization, German as a language is confirmed, but it is assumed that the audio will only be available in English
Nocht expects that the Early Access date for Bless will be around March 2018 – with a later release in the year
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The question ultimately with Bless is: Can the game establish itself here in the West or will it quickly fade and only appeal to fans? 2018 will bring answers to all these questions. Either way.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In 2017, Skyforge was released on Steam, and a PS4 and an Xbox One version also saw the light of day. The Revenant class was introduced, and you got to experience adventures on the moon.
Since the past year was so good for the developers, they are now putting even more effort into 2018.
Simultaneous Updates and an Improved Interface
It is planned that updates will be released simultaneously on all platforms (PC, PS4, and Xbox One) in the future. Supporting three versions of the game, all with different states, poses some challenges for the developers. Therefore, developing a system that enables all versions to reach the same state and receive updates simultaneously is one of the priorities.
Players can also expect a revision of the interface. While it works well currently when playing with a mouse and keyboard, some improvements are needed with controllers. The developers want to tackle this this year so that players can enjoy Skyforge properly on all platforms. Especially newcomers should benefit from this and find their way into the MMORPG even more easily.
PvP will be revised
Many players of the MMO are wishing for improvements in the PvP area. And they are expected to receive them in 2018. The team has already developed some interesting ideas that will enrich the PvP experience. The developers will talk about what those are at a later point. The developers of Skyforge have planned much more for this year. Details and dates for the updates will be shared by the team over the coming weeks and months.
On Steam, 12 games stand out that generated particularly high revenue in 2017. Among them are the online games Warframe, ARK, and PUBG. Some titles may surprise you!
The year 2017 is behind us, and many developers and publishers are taking the time to release some statistics about their games. The Steam platform by Valve is also presenting a small selection of games that generated the most profit in 2017.
Please keep in mind that the list is not strictly sorted from “1st to 12th place,” as neither Steam nor the developers provide such precise information. Nevertheless, the data offers a good overview of which games performed well in 2017.
Steam games with the highest revenue in 2017
The following 12 games generated the highest gross revenue (on Steam) in 2017:
The Witcher III Wild Hunt
DOTA 2
Rocket League
Warframe
Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Rainbow Six Siege
Grand Theft Auto V
Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
ARK: Survival Evolved
Divinity II: Original Sin
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands
H1Z1
The list once again shows that Free2Play titles (like Warframe or DOTA 2) generate significant profits even if the base game is free. The skillful monetization through microtransactions ensures that these games are also successful.
It is also particularly noteworthy that The Witcher III Wild Hunt is included as well. The game originally came out in 2015. The fact that it still counts among the top sellers of the year in 2017 showcases once again what a masterpiece the developers at CD Projekt RED created.
But there are also fresh cards for the other 7 classes – thanks to 10 free card packs, even skeptical players can first get an impression.
Additionally, the update brought the new format system, which you may already know from Magic or Hearthstone. Only the last 5 card sets can be used in the ranked mode quintuple, but older cards can still be used in the “Unlimited” mode.
Shadowverse: Free2Play or Pay2Win?
The big question with free-to-play titles is of course: What does the in-game shop look like? Is the game pay-to-win? Can you still have fun and be successful as a “free” player?
The short answer: Yes, as a free player, you can have fun.
A pack contains 8 cards!
The longer answer: It depends. Those who always want to have the “best” deck will have to resort to buying numerous card packs or invest a lot of time in the game. However, Shadowverse immediately comes up with many free packs at the beginning. At the start of a new expansion, each player is offered 10 free packs of the latest expansions – without any time limit. So those who start with the game now can open about 70 card packs, which already provides many cards.
Shadowverse rewards the player at almost every corner. There are always rupies (“gold”), tickets for free card packs, arena accesses, or crafting materials to create desired cards directly. However, players already obtain a solid base of basic cards through the story campaigns.
At least after a few days of playtime, Shadowverse seems to have a very solid and fair offer in the shop.
Especially the ability to buy a solid starter deck for a few euros is something you miss in other games (*cough* Hearthstone).
Critique Points – Minor Flaws that Can Be Tolerated
Despite all the praise, Shadowverse is not a perfect game, although the points of criticism can all be categorized as “minor”.
The menus are partly confusing. Maybe I just handled it clumsily, but if I first have to search on Google for how and where I can pick up my “free card packs”, then that does not speak well for the menu navigation.
Shadowverse with German Texts and English Voiceover
Another point of criticism is the translation in the story mode with English voiceover. Occasionally, it does not match the German texts at all.
This is because the German texts were directly translated from Japanese, while changes were made for the English voiceover adaptation. Therefore, the characters occasionally say things that look completely different in the written text.
Shadowverse Review: Who Needs This? I Need This!
Cortyn says: Honestly, I had little desire for Shadowverse at first. My first (very superficial) impression was: “A Hearthstone with anime characters – who needs that?” But after about 3 hours in the game, I was clear: I need this.
Shadowverse not only impresses with its great anime style but also manages (at least currently) to banish Hearthstone far, far from my consciousness. Meaningful mechanics like development, which add additional tactical elements to the match, and the fair reward system make Shadowverse a top-notch virtual card game.
If you are tired of Hearthstone and prefer to spend your time with waifus, you should definitely check out Shadowverse.
Are you looking for a reasonable card game, but Hearthstone is not your thing? Then Shadowverse (PC, iOS, Android) might be worth a look. In our Shadowverse review, we reveal to you why the game rocks, whether it is available in German, and how you can start the download.
There are now many digital card games, but really successful ones are few. One of those successful titles is Shadowverse. It combines the proven gameplay principle of collectible card games with anime aesthetics and has thus chosen the “manga freaks” as its target audience – or simply all who want to play a well-thought-out card game.
Since Hearthstone by Blizzard is currently the market leader in the field of digital card games, we cannot avoid some comparisons. However, this nicely shows what Shadowverse does better than Blizzard’s title.
Proven Gameplay Principle with Meaningful Additions
The gameplay principle of digital collectible card games should now be familiar. In Shadowverse, the turns of the players are also separated. In other words: Player A completes his turn first, then it’s Player B’s turn. Intervening in between is not possible. Some players might miss this, but it guarantees a smooth course of the game.
The special feature of Shadowverse is the ability to develop minions (or “servants”) from the 5th turn. This makes the characters stronger (normally +2/+2), can attack opposing minions in the same turn, or benefit from other effects. This turns every card into a double threat. Should one leave the weak 1/2 minion on the battlefield? He is no threat, but if he is developed, he could eliminate my 7/3 minion from the field…
Each player only has a limited number of developments available, which makes tactical planning essential.
Arena Mode – Like in Hearthstone, but Less Frustrating
There is also an arena mode in Shadowverse. For an entry fee, which can be paid either in in-game currency, “ticket rewards”, or real money, you can buy in. Three of the eight classes are available for selection in each run. Then, 2×2 cards are offered each time, a total of 15 times – so you build an arena deck from a total of 30 cards.
In the arena, you always choose from two pairs of cards.
With the fresh deck, you then play 5 matches against other players – no more, no less. After 5 matches, however, it is always over and the deck is destroyed. Depending on how many victories were obtained with the deck, there are different rewards. This ranges from card packs to in-game currency, so that you can also earn the next arena round again.
This is surprisingly fun! Because with each deck, you are guaranteed to complete 5 games, a loss is also not as frustrating as it can be in Hearthstone’s arena.
The Story Behind the Characters
What stands out about Shadoverse is that each of the now 8 classes has its own campaign. The story is told in the style of a visual novel and is completely voiced – either in the original Japanese or in English.
Anime fans may roll their eyes at the clichéd archetypes of the characters from time to time, but the campaigns are entertaining, free to play, and can even be completed with the standard decks that do not require additional cards, although this can become quite tricky in the later missions.
In addition, the campaigns serve a clear purpose: You fall in love with the characters and thus also with the game. The images of the respective hero are therefore much more than just the “skin” of a character, but one can identify much better with them. It is simply much more fun to play the little crazy necromancer Luna when you know her backstory!
New Update: ChronoGenesis Brings 8th Character Class
Just a few days ago (on December 28, 2017), Shadowverse received a major update that even brought a new class.
The hero Yuwan, with his Machinae set, relies on a new mechanic called “Resonance”. Resonance triggers additional effects on cards and is only active when the player of Yuwan has an even number of cards in his deck. Through various effects that mix new cards into the deck, one can activate or deactivate resonance at will.
Since Yuwan is a new hero, he also receives particularly many cards in this set to catch up with the already existing characters.
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But there are also fresh cards for the other 7 classes – thanks to 10 free card packs, even skeptical players can first get an impression.
Additionally, the update brought the new format system, which you may already know from Magic or Hearthstone. Only the last 5 card sets can be used in the ranked mode quintuple, but older cards can still be used in the “Unlimited” mode.
Shadowverse: Free2Play or Pay2Win?
The big question with free-to-play titles is of course: What does the in-game shop look like? Is the game pay-to-win? Can you still have fun and be successful as a “free” player?
The short answer: Yes, as a free player, you can have fun.
A pack contains 8 cards!
The longer answer: It depends. Those who always want to have the “best” deck will have to resort to buying numerous card packs or invest a lot of time in the game. However, Shadowverse immediately comes up with many free packs at the beginning. At the start of a new expansion, each player is offered 10 free packs of the latest expansions – without any time limit. So those who start with the game now can open about 70 card packs, which already provides many cards.
Shadowverse rewards the player at almost every corner. There are always rupies (“gold”), tickets for free card packs, arena accesses, or crafting materials to create desired cards directly. However, players already obtain a solid base of basic cards through the story campaigns.
At least after a few days of playtime, Shadowverse seems to have a very solid and fair offer in the shop.
Especially the ability to buy a solid starter deck for a few euros is something you miss in other games (*cough* Hearthstone).
Critique Points – Minor Flaws that Can Be Tolerated
Despite all the praise, Shadowverse is not a perfect game, although the points of criticism can all be categorized as “minor”.
The menus are partly confusing. Maybe I just handled it clumsily, but if I first have to search on Google for how and where I can pick up my “free card packs”, then that does not speak well for the menu navigation.
Shadowverse with German Texts and English Voiceover
Another point of criticism is the translation in the story mode with English voiceover. Occasionally, it does not match the German texts at all.
This is because the German texts were directly translated from Japanese, while changes were made for the English voiceover adaptation. Therefore, the characters occasionally say things that look completely different in the written text.
Shadowverse Review: Who Needs This? I Need This!
Cortyn says: Honestly, I had little desire for Shadowverse at first. My first (very superficial) impression was: “A Hearthstone with anime characters – who needs that?” But after about 3 hours in the game, I was clear: I need this.
Shadowverse not only impresses with its great anime style but also manages (at least currently) to banish Hearthstone far, far from my consciousness. Meaningful mechanics like development, which add additional tactical elements to the match, and the fair reward system make Shadowverse a top-notch virtual card game.
If you are tired of Hearthstone and prefer to spend your time with waifus, you should definitely check out Shadowverse.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The perhaps more exciting news is that, there should be a new “Chapter” in 2018, which means an expansion that brings 30-50 hours of fun. The chapter is likely to include a new large area, similar to Morrowind in 2017. Fans can also hope for a new class and maybe a new feature.
Spell Weaving – The feature that could change The Elder Scrolls Online
In Morrowind, the battlefields were the new feature in 2017. After years, they found their way into the game. Another enduring topic in The Elder Scrolls Online is “Spell Weaving.”
It was once conceived as an idea that players could relatively freely assemble their abilities and spells.
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This feature was first introduced by Zenimax in the summer of 2014 as a “long-term idea.” That was during the great upheaval in The Elder Scrolls Online, when everything was questioned after a rocky PC launch. The first draft back then, three and a half years ago, sounded adventurous and interesting, like a mix of crafting, treasure hunting, and morphing.
Gradually, Zenimax indicated that: Spell Weaving would take a while longer. It is not high on our priority list.
The pros and cons of spell weaving are clear: It has a lot of potential and gives players freedom. But it could become difficult from a balance perspective.
Spell crafting is an important part of the Elder Scrolls series, and many fans would love to see it. Perhaps 2017 is the time when ESO is ripe for the feature. Depending on how it is implemented, it could give ESO more of the freedom that fans love about the franchise.
Spell weaving is definitely the feature that most fans want for the 2018 expansion.
New Area?
When you listen among the fans, there are two favorites for the new area where the expansion should take place:
The swamp landscape Murkmire – home to the lizard-like Argonians. Nagas are expected there as enemies.
The second major wish is the Summerset Isles. The homeland of the Altmer, the High Elves.
Both are areas known from the Elder Scrolls series, and there are hints that ESO could expand there.
Will a new class come to The Elder Scrolls Online in 2018?
Morrowind brought a kind of druid class to The Elder Scrolls Online with the Warden, which wasn’t expected. Similarly, the outlook for 2018 is: No new class is really expected.
There seems to be no clear favorite or wish among the players for a new class. The ideas vary. Some want a kind of “dark sorcerer” in the direction of necromancer, others would like the classic monk or an illusion mage.
One can be curious about what awaits us in The Elder Scrolls Online 2018. Around spring, we should learn more about which features the expansion will hold for ESO 2018. That’s how it all started in 2017 with information about Morrowind.
A player of League of Legends (LoL) has set a new record for account level. He is now level 300. He achieved this in a highly effective and yet boring way.
For years, the maximum level in League of Legends was set at 30. That changed at the end of 2017, when Riot Games lifted the level cap and allowed leveling up. The inspiration here was indirectly the reward structure of Overwatch.
A nolifer in LoL in action
A player named “Nolife Raphael” has already pushed himself to level 300 in the last few weeks. The current second-ranked player globally is at level 244, and the third-ranked player is hanging around at 191.
“Nolife” is a term used for someone who only plays video games, does nothing else, has no job or social life, and channels all their energy into the game. “Nolife Raphael” seems to be living up to his self-chosen name.
He has reached level 300 in the probably most boring yet effective way imaginable:
He does not play on the standard 5v5 map of League of Legends, but on the small 3v3 map.
And he does not play against humans in PvP, but against bots in coop matches. So, the PvE/training mode of League of Legends, if you will.
To that, he reportedly uses two purchasable EXP boosters from the cash shop.
He describes his strategy: You play against “medium bots”, one stays on the top lane, while two others push the bot lane, for example with Tristana and Jinx. That gives about 300-330 XP.
Nolife Raphael averages just over 8 minutes to take down the opposing bots and secure a win. He seems to prefer the champion “Jinx”. That way, he plays about 30-40 matches in a row until he mixes in two or three normal LoL games for variety.
Reddit users have calculated that one needs about 791,152 experience points to level up from level 30 to 300. This corresponds to 2509 matches against bots and nearly 334 hours, excluding queue time and loading screens.
Riot wrote to him: We need a bit more time to get the rewards into the game that are due to you
Nolife Raphael leveled up so quickly that a Riot employee wrote him an email to inform him that there are no rewards in the game yet for the new level he is about to reach. They will be added later.
When asked why someone would put themselves through so many bot matches, Nolife Raphael said: At first it was boring, but over time it felt good not to have so many toxic players in the game.
A similarly intense grind was experienced by a player in Black Desert:
The new year is here and promises new, exciting MMOs and cool updates for existing online games. Here we have 5 games that will sweeten your start into the new year.
The year 2018 lies ahead of you and lures with fun online games. Here you will find a selection of 5 MMOs that we particularly recommend in January 2018. We have compiled a colorful mix of action MMOs and MMORPGs for you. Enjoy!
PUBG – It’s finally here, also for the Xbox One!
The immensely popular battle royale shooter PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) has finally officially released! The basic gameplay hasn’t changed yet. Still, 100 players parachute over an 8×8 kilometer map. There they search for weapons and gear to slaughter each other. Depending on the game mode, the last survivor or the 2-player or 4-player team that remains wins.
New maps, weapons, climbing, and Xbox release
Of course, there were a whole bunch of innovations at the launch of PUBG 1.0. Along with the obligatory bug fixes, a few features have been added that players have long wished for:
A new map called Miramar. Here you play in a desert region reminiscent of Mexico. There are more mountains and rugged terrain. Additionally, you can find special new weapons.
You can now also climb over low obstacles and vault over fences and railings. This makes the game more dynamic, allowing you to advance or take cover more effectively.
Additionally, the long-awaited early access of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on Xbox One began. Finally, console gamers can play a battle royale game besides Fortnite.
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The lead designer of the raids from Destiny 2 talks about a terrible boss fight he just designed and how boss fights in an MMORPG like The Elder Scrolls Online differ from a shooter like Destiny 2.
In the early raids of Destiny like The Vault of Glass and Crota’s End, former journalist and WoW junkie Luke Smith was the lead raid designer. He was promoted after his good work and is now the game director. The current raid lead of Destiny 2 is Joe Blackburn.
The current raid lead of Destiny 2 comes from The Elder Scrolls Online
Before his job at Bungie, Blackburn was a designer for Zenimax and worked on The Elder Scrolls Online. His job at ESO was to design the biggest and most important PvE encounters – for both groups and solo players. He has been with Bungie since February 2015 and works on the shooter.
In a series of tweets shortly before Christmas, Blackburn explains how he had to rethink to design bosses for shooters. It becomes clear how the boss design of Destiny must differ from that of The Elder Scrolls Online to make the bosses enjoyable.
He says: The most important thing is the perspective. In MMOs, players can see everything. In shooters, they only see what is in front of them. Players need to be able to see the enemies to win. So it is crucial where players are positioned and where their enemies appear.
Blackburn had the idea for a boss fight in Destiny: In the middle of the room was the boss, and servitors spawn in the four corners of the room. They would run toward the boss. When they reached the boss, bad things would happen. Players would have to position themselves to keep an eye on the corners to spot and stop the servitors immediately.
The problem: Now there was a fight where players were constantly staring into the corner, losing sight of the boss and getting shot in the back by him.
This way, the guardians couldn’t see anything of the boss and his cool attacks because their attention was elsewhere.
Positioning and field of vision are everything in a shooter
The solution was to: Change the shape of the room and the positioning of the guardians. The boss room should no longer be a square with four corners, but a rectangle. Players on one side, enemies on the other. The servitors were arranged behind the boss.
This way, players always had the boss in their field of view and the servitors.
Now, whenever I was asking players to look at some dumb object to shoot, there was a good chance the boss was in frame. And as long as I spawned my combatants on the boss’s side of the room, both the boss attacks and my objects should be in their periphery. pic.twitter.com/blyRKAicZA
For Blackburn, this was an important lesson on how boss fights work in a shooter and that it is always important to consider what the players can really see. Today, Blackburn is convinced that the environment in a boss fight is incredibly important.
Fans may have suspected: The story is apparently about the boss fight against Vosik in the Destiny 1 raid “Wrath of the Machine.”
Apparently, Blackburn knows his craft: The raid part of Curse of Osiris is considered a highlight of Destiny 2 so far:
With Seed, the developer studio Klang Games is working on an online game that aims to offer a novel gameplay concept. Seed represents a mix of Civilization and MMORPG.
Seed takes place about 1,000 years after the Earth has been destroyed. Humanity wants to settle on a new planet and build civilizations there. And you belong to these settlers.
Not a Standard MMORPG
Seed plays differently than what you would expect from “traditional” MMORPGs. For one, you do not take on the role of a hero, but of ten. You assign actions to these ten characters. As a side effect, this is also intended to minimize grinding in the game:
One character collects resources,
another is resting,
the third is exploring a new area,
the fourth is selling goods,
the fifth is building a new structure,
the sixth is farming, and so on.
Since each player embodies ten heroes, the game world is supposed to be populated by a large number of characters.
When you start Seed for the first time, you have the choice of either joining an existing player group or trying to build your own civilization from scratch. The first option is particularly suitable for beginners, as it allows them to join a group immediately and receive tasks.
However, it is necessary to deal with the rules and laws of this group. If you want to found your own civilization, you essentially start from scratch and have to work everything out for yourself. This means you collect resources to build structures and must try to convince other players to join you.
The Sims in MMORPG
It is also important to keep an eye on the mood of your characters. Here comes a “Sims” aspect into play. If a character is constantly on the ground and cannot lie comfortably in a bed, their mood drops and they become less effective. This can even lead to alcoholism and result in laws being broken. This, in turn, can have serious consequences. If one of your characters ends up in prison, you might have to manage with one less character for a longer period. If your heroes are satisfied, they also act more effectively.
By the way, your characters will carry out their tasks even when you are not in the game. Therefore, you should always make sure that everyone is satisfied before you log out. Those who are satisfied rarely do something foolish. If something extraordinary happens, you will receive a notification, for example, via email, so you can intervene quickly.
Players Run the Economy
The developers are currently considering an interesting payment model for Seed. You pay a certain amount for each life of your character and can purchase implants. Implants and perks grant your character specific bonuses. However, these items should also be tradable on the player-driven market. This is intended to create a self-contained economy. Supply and demand will determine it. This brings a bit of the feeling of an EVE Online.
There will be battles in the game, but they are not yet implemented. The team is still working on how health points will work. The combat system will be built on that. However, combat is not the only way your character can meet their end; there are also deadly diseases in the game.
The MMORPG features a unique graphic style with few textures and low polygons.
Very Ambitious Goals
Seed is a very ambitious game. You are actively involved with a group of ten characters in founding, expanding, and developing civilizations. Your characters also act independently, and you must ensure they are satisfied. Eventually, the entire planet is expected to be dotted with civilizations managed by players, including an economic system. Seed is planned to be released in late 2018, according to current plans.
A new Fortnite version caused great trouble on December 27. In addition to missing inventories, some players also had VBuck purchases not completed. Now, Epic has responded with a statement.
Some players were quite surprised on December 27, when after installing a new Fortnite build the entire inventory was missing (currencies and blueprints are excluded). Some players also had the problem that VBuck purchases were charged, but the currency was not credited.
On top of that, there was also a problem with the Storm Shield Storage. Epic has now addressed the players in a statement – and promised compensation!
“We messed up” – Epic apologizes
The issue was caused by a faulty update. For a few players, the inventory was inaccessible, and the game overwritten old saves with the missing inventory.
Epic could not roll back the update, as this would have led to millions of players losing their progress in the meantime.
Epic admits in the statement, “to have messed up.” Such errors are the worst that can happen in a loot-based game.
Epic compensates all affected players
Even though Epic was not able to restore the missing items immediately, every affected player will receive a large number of items, based on the hours played. By December 30, every player should have their missing stuff back.
The non-processed VBuck purchases have also been handled. Epic has even given out more VBucks than were purchased.
Solutions are expected to be presented soon for players affected by the Storm Shield issues.
