Since early December, the weather at Pokémon GO has also played a big role. But bright sunshine was far from all. The biggest black cloud over the players’ heads has now been fixed.
For a few weeks now, the dynamic weather has been displayed in Pokémon GO and adjusts to the real environment. Pokémon that correspond to the weather then appear more frequently: Water Pokémon, for example, on rainy days. Their values are also increased, resulting in more Stardust at the end.
Danger is imminent! Or is it not?
However, the weather adjustments had a drawback, especially in the USA: When a real weather warning was issued by the weather service, Niantic immediately switched to extreme and disabled the weather spawns. That meant: No Stardust bonuses and no increased spawns of the corresponding species.
Well. Maybe one should not venture outside when a nasty blizzard is raging. However, the weather warnings were too sensitive and not one hundred percent accurate. Weather warnings were triggered even when one was out in the most beautiful sunshine. The players still faced the disadvantages.
The fix followed swiftly
This protective mechanism is a good thing in itself, especially in the USA, where many companies need to protect themselves from certain legal consequences. However, it is also simply annoying when it is triggered over the smallest snowflake.
However, Niantic quickly listened to the fans and added a useful feature. From now on, you can mark yourself as “safe” during a storm warning and thus avoid the disadvantages.
So if a storm is predicted in your area, even though the little birds around you are chirping in the sun: Don’t worry, the rescue button is ready!
Players in PUBG who gain an advantage with cheats like aimbots or speedhacks annoy the “fair” players in matches. In a competitive environment, one does not like to match up against cheaters.
To combat the cheaters, the anti-cheat service “BattlEye” is in place for PUBG. This confirms that most cheats in the battle royale shooter “PUBG” come from China. However, the developers will not act as radically as the community wishes.
Players want China ban, but PlayerUnknown is against it
Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene spoke with Kotaku about the cheater problems in PUBG.
“BattlEye has tweeted, I believe, that about 99% of the cheats in the game come from China,” Greene said. “There is a huge market for cheats worldwide, not just in China. However, it seems to be more accepted to cheat in video games there,” he adds.
The increase in cheaters in PUBG over the past months has brought the sellers of this cheating software to creative ideas. They show players directly in the game how the hacks work and what they provide.
Players who are really annoyed by the many cheaters wish for bans for all players from China. This player in the PUBG forum suggests a China ban (here’s the link to forums.playbattlegrounds.com). “Chinese players should only be allowed to play on China servers and should be blocked when using VPNs,” is the user’s suggestion.
However, Brendan Greene thinks this is not a good idea. Even though the majority of cheats come from China, it does not mean that every Chinese player is a cheater. He does not want to ban an entire country because of a few black sheep.
The Chinese PUBG community is large. “They love the game,” Greene says. “Why should we stop them from playing on certain servers? I just don’t understand some people’s attitudes.”
With the police against cheat sellers
Apparently, measures are already being taken in China against the sellers of cheating software. Tencent has reportedly set up an anti-cheat team that works with the police. So far, there have been 120 arrests against sellers of illegal cheats.
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With automated countermeasures against hackers, the number of PUBG cheaters is to decrease in the future. These systems are still being worked on and are continuously improved. According to Greene, the plan is that soon there should hardly be any cheaters in PUBG.
At the moment, it is important that the cheaters in the game are reported. “Anyone who tells me that they have seen 50 cheaters in a game throughout the day should hopefully also report them in the forum. We look closely at the numbers and reports. When players encounter cheaters, they should report them. If they are not reported, we can do nothing about it.“
So, you should continue to diligently report the cheaters in the future.
The approximate date for the major graphic update 1.0 of the tank MMO World of Tanks has been set.
In March 2018, it will finally happen, as the popular game will receive a graphic makeover that will make it look like a modern online game. The developers are currently overhauling more than 25 maps, which will then shine in a new light. The new core engine developed by Wargaming itself will be used, which raises the version number of the title to 1.0 and replaces the previous Bigworld engine.
World of Tanks with better graphics
With the new engine, you will experience a significantly prettier look. This includes improved physics and graphics effects that the old engine simply could not represent. The water looks significantly more realistic, and the grass almost invites you to have a picnic there – which, of course, no tank commander should do in combat.
The blades even react to the pressure waves created when the cannon is fired. A new lighting system ensures a more realistic atmosphere.
Although the new graphic engine applies to the entire game, initially only – as mentioned before – over 25 maps will receive a real adjustment. This means that some of the maps will be removed from the new version 1.0 of World of Tanks. These maps must first be adapted for the new engine. Once this is done, they will find their way back into the game.
Hardly increasing system requirements
Besides the graphics, the team is also overhauling the audiovisual experience in the game. Over 40 musicians are contributing music tracks.
If you fear that your PC won’t handle the new, improved graphics, you can download a self-running demo. This uses the new engine and you will see immediately how the revamped World of Tanks performs on your system. The developers also explain that the minimum system requirements will not significantly increase due to a focus on performance optimization.
Do you want to lose yourselves in fantastic role-playing worlds this winter? Then grab these titles in the Steam Winter Sale 2017 that are sure to captivate you!
Shortly after Christmas, most gamers are on vacation and have plenty of free time. But how can one best fill this time? Of course, with an RPG in which hours can be sunk! How convenient it is that Steam is currently hosting its Winter Sale 2017 and offering many great role-playing games at a reduced price. We have compiled a top list of the best role-playing games to help you get through the cold season.
Tales of Berseria
The “Tales of” series has experienced many highs and lows, but with Tales of Berseria, critics agree that it is an absolute highlight of the series. Buyers can expect an exciting JRPG with an action-packed battle system, a dramatic story, and a protagonist who does not conform to the typical cliché of a heroine.
If you want to lose yourself in a fantastic fantasy world and are always eager for the next cutscene, now is the time to take action. Tales of Berseria currently costs only 19.99€ instead of the usual 49.99€, making it a steep 60% off.
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Hardly any single-player title has received as much attention in recent years as The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. This is not surprising, as the game has become a masterpiece that offers an open world along with an exciting, dense story. The developers remain true to their line and present a cruel, harsh, and adult world.
Thanks to many customization options and different abilities, each playthrough feels different, and even after 18 months, fans continue to discover new details. The “Game of the Year” edition, which includes the two story DLCs (providing an additional 50 hours of gameplay), currently costs 19.99€ instead of 49.99€.
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In the “Final Fantasy” series, there are many games that can be recommended to your best friends. But especially Final Fantasy IX hails from the “golden era” of Final Fantasy and is regarded (alongside part VII) as the peak of the series.
Even though the graphics of the game from 2000 have become a bit outdated, Final Fantasy IX still unfolds its charm, enticing players with a great story, an exciting battle system, and a vast world. Besides the nearly 80 hours of the main story, you can easily spend another 100 hours on side quests and mini-games. The perfect time sink for the chilly winter days!
Final Fantasy IX currently costs 10.49€ instead of the usual 20.99€, making it 50% off. Additionally, Cortyn will force you to play this game.
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Long-winded story-telling and turn-based battles are not your thing? Would you rather slash enemies like in Diablo? Then we highly recommend purchasing Torchlight II!
Although the game is a few years old, not much can surpass this hack ‘n slash masterpiece. Whether alone or in multiplayer, the game offers fun for many hours. If you prefer a classic experience, you can even use the LAN mode and bunker down with some friends in the same room – it creates a nostalgic atmosphere!
For only 3.79€ instead of the usual 18.99€ (a discount of 80%), you can’t go wrong.
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Do anime faces seem too cheesy and bloody witchers too serious for you? Then South Park: The Stick of Truth might be just the thing for you! Along with the typical rough humor of South Park, the gameplay is also convincing and provides a lot of fun. If you enjoy outrageous parodies of other fantasy games and lots of politically incorrect humor, this is for you.
The first part is rated significantly better than the sequel, which is why we recommend it. For 7.49€ instead of 29.99€ (a discount of 75%), you can’t go wrong.
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One of the great RPG successes modeled after Baldur’s Gate was Pillars of Eternity. With six different races and a variety of character customizations, Pillars of Eternity offers a pure role-playing highlight that is loved by fans and press alike. However, the story was also convincing and ensured that Pillars of Eternity remained in the memory of its players for a long time.
Because it is a great game and my boss forced me to include it in this list (“How can a top RPG list be without PoE?!”), I just wanted to mention it here briefly!
Pillars of Eternity is currently 40% off. Instead of 27.99€, you only pay 16.79€!
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In Destiny 2, it is possible to play in third-person perspective. However, you need a feature from the Dawning event for that.
Destiny 2 is a first-person shooter. At least most of the time. Because there are also some cases where you control your Guardian in third-person view – that is, the camera is behind your character, so you see it completely from the back. This is common in social spaces or when you activate a super or use a sword:
A pretty Titan in third-person
When you shoot with your firearms, you are always in first-person perspective:
However, a glitch has now been discovered that allows you to shoot with firearms in third-person as well. Since this glitch is considered “harmless” and “fun”, and only works in patrol zones and strikes, we will show you how this trick works.
This Warlock is shooting in third-person
Nothing works without snowballs
The third-person glitch is said to work on all platforms. However, some Guardians report that it can lead to crashes on consoles. If you want to try it, you have been warned. Here are the requirements:
You need a Warlock with the Stormcaller subclass.
You need a fully charged super.
You need a snowball pile – the glitch only works during the Dawning.
Now, you just need to pick up a snowball and shortly before it is picked up, activate the super. Throw the snowball in your hand away and you will remain in third-person view. Now you can continue playing in this perspective.
This trick does not work every time, as the right timing is necessary. However, the super meter remains charged, so you can try it again immediately.
The third-person glitch will end when you die or activate the super.
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It is definitely not a “game-breaking” glitch, as it cannot be used in PvP and does not offer major advantages. Because during the third-person view, you only have an inaccurate reticle and cannot activate your super, so the glitch can be seen more as a fun alternative.
Some Guardians write that there should be a standalone PvP mode where you can only play in third-person. One might doubt that this will ever happen. But a fix for the glitch will probably also be absent. After all, the “problem” resolves itself when the Dawning ends in early January.
Will you keep your hands off it, or will you shoot a bit in third-person in the coming days?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In 2017, several online games were released and competed for the favor of players. But which of them was your favorite? Participate in the Mein-MMO Awards and vote for the most popular MMO that was released in 2017!
Fans of MMOs, online games, and games with a “Games-as-a-Service” approach were also pleased in 2017 with a few promising newcomers. So, if you wanted to try something new, you had more opportunities in 2017. Some players even got permanently hooked on a new online game. But which new MMO was the highlight for you in 2017 that you cannot miss anymore?
Vote for the Best Newcomer of 2017 in MMOs
Here you will find a selection of MMOs that were released in 2017 and are still online. The lineup includes games that we or at least the manufacturers call “MMO” and which are not in a closed, alpha-like beta state. You can expect a diverse mix of action RPGs, MMORPGs, survival games, and shooters!
Take part in our survey in the embedded window below and choose the game that brought you the most joy as a newcomer in 2017. But choose wisely, as you only have one vote!
Vote here for the MMO / online game of the year 2017! The survey will run until December 31, 2017. Until then, the results will remain secret. Based on the voting results, the online game that you think was the best newcomer of 2017 will be chosen at the beginning of 2018. There will then be a specially designed award for the game! Have fun voting!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Riot has separated from the LoL mode URF because players stopped playing League of Legends (LoL). Everyone thought this mode would be the best.
It seems the community was mistaken about this fun mode. In a Q&A format, LoL developer Riot Games revealed interesting news about the URF (Ultra Rapid Fire) mode and explained that the mode is not as popular as many suspect.
The game mode regularly caused players to completely stop playing the popular MOBA.
What started as an April Fool’s joke became serious
The URF mode was first activated in April 2014 in League of Legends. It was originally supposed to be an April Fool’s joke, as the mode allows for
abilities to cost no resources,
cooldowns to be reduced by 80%,
the movement speed of all champions to be increased,
and a lot of gold to be earned so items could be bought faster.
In principle, League of Legends became an extremely fast faceroll adventure, where abilities were spammed as quickly as possible. Players apparently had a lot of fun with it and celebrated the mode. You can see the funny plays possible through this mode in the following highlight video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK3fwNN6Xhw
URF is dead, long live ARURF
After its initial activation in 2014, the URF mode appeared two more times the following year. After that, URF appeared less frequently. The developers created the “ARURF” mode, which randomly selected champions for players to use in the match.
In 2017, the URF mode was released as a Christmas edition. Players wonder: What actually happened to the “normal” URF game mode? They wish for the regular URF mode to return.
Players stopped playing League of Legends because of URF
The Riot team provides an answer in a blog post to the question of why the seemingly popular URF mode is no longer returning in its original form.
“URF causes players to stop playing League of Legends”
In the blog post, it states: “Every time we activated the original URF, we saw a strong increase in played LoL matches. However, the player numbers fell below the level that was reached before the URF mode began.“
It is not unusual for long-term players to leave League of Legends and new summoners to find their way into the community. However, in this case, it’s something very special. After a URF event, the North American servers lost twice as many long-term players as usual.
And once these players have left, it takes a long time to get back to the regular player numbers (and that doesn’t always happen).
These declining player numbers are the reason Riot experiments with this mode and brings new variants into the game. They are trying to make the best of the mode. After all, many gamers love this crazy LoL mode. Which version of the URF mode did you enjoy the most?
In FIFA 18 Ultimate Team, the TOTW 15 (Team of the Week 15) is known. These players will receive Inform cards in FUT 18 today. All information about TDW 15.
Right after the Christmas holidays, on December 27, the TOTW 15 will be released. It is the last Team of the Week in FUT 18 that will be released in 2017.
The highlight of the 15th Team of the Week is Messi with an outstanding card with a rating of 95. Aguero (91) and Kane (89) are also prominently featured. Here is the entire TOTW 15:
TOTW 15 – Ratings of the player cards in Ultimate Team
Starting XI:
Substitutes:
These were the predictions for the Team of the Week 15 in FUT 18
TOTW predictions are forecasts of which players deserve a spot in the upcoming Team of the Week. While these predictions never align 100% with the official TOTW, it is risky to act on the transfer market based on them; nevertheless, they provide a good overview of which players might receive the coveted special cards.
We provide an overview of forecasts from various FIFA sites.
David Nugent [ST] 71 > 77 – England – Derby County
Camillo Ciano [CF] 73 > 78 – Italy – Frosinone
Toko-Ekambi [ST] 76 > 80 – Cameroon – Angers SCO
What is the Team of the Week (TOTW) in FIFA 18 Ultimate Team?
Every Wednesday, EA Sports reveals the Team of the Week in the “Ultimate Team” mode of their annual football simulation. As in FIFA 18, players who performed outstandingly in real football over the past week are rewarded with special cards that have improved attributes.
You can pull the TOTW cards within a week from the sets that may contain Rare (Gold) players. However, the chance of this happening is considered low. Additionally, it is possible for you to buy them on the transfer market if they are offered by other players. However, the prices are often extremely high.
The Team of the Week 15 is available from December 27 at 7 PM until January 3, 2018, at 7 PM in packs.
Are you eager to race through a miniature version of the entire USA? Then you must be waiting for the online racer The Crew 2. Now you can sign up for the game’s beta.
In the upcoming racing game The Crew 2, you will use cars, motorcycles, airplanes, and boats to compete in thrilling races against other players across the USA. The open world offers you many opportunities to speed through diverse landscapes. You will continuously encounter other players and can challenge them to a race or race through locations with them.
The Crew 2 is set to be released in the first half of 2018 for PC, Xbox One, and PS4. However, the original release date of March 16, 2018 has recently been postponed. Before the official launch, you will have the opportunity to play through a beta. You can sign up here with Ubisoft now for this. You will need a Ubisoft account.
When is the beta release of The Crew 2?
During the registration, you will indicate whether you want to play the beta on PC, PS4, or Xbox One. Then you will provide all the necessary information. You will then be placed in a pool with other players and, with a bit of luck, selected. However, it is currently unknown when the beta will start.
It seems that the battle royale shooter H1Z1 is in crisis. Since the summer, the game has lost 75% of its users. Apparently, there is no longer room for the shooter between PUBG and Fortnite.
H1Z1 has a turbulent development history: Originally, it was a zombie survival MMO – launched in 2015 in a shaky early access. But alongside that, developer Daybreak Games took a new direction. They hired battle royale specialist Brendan Greene who recreated his game mode for H1Z1, which was later spun off as “King of the Kill”.
The actual survival MMO fell behind, quickly overshadowed by the battle royale mode of the game.
Many criticized: You only look at Twitch and neglect the actual development of the game. A planned port to PS4 and Xbox One has been absent until today. There has also been little heard since September 2016 about leaving early access .
Peak of success reached in July 2017 – parallel to PUBG’s rise
The big success came in summer 2017, as player numbers exploded, reaching their peak in July 2017. By then, former employee Brendan Greene had long ceased working on H1Z1 and was working for Bluehole on the then-new battle royale game “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.”
In August 2017, H1Z1 thought: “We can coexist alongside PUBG.” They were confident there was enough room for two battle royale games:
PUBG, Daybreak Games thought, leaned more towards simulation.
H1Z1 itself would lean more towards arcade.
But even though they initially fought bravely, PUBG quickly shifted into the fast lane. The new battle royale game broke all records – streamers who had previously streamed H1Z1 switched to the new game.
Average players of H1Z1 per hour on Steam – Source: Githyp
Compared to July 2017, H1Z1 now has 78% fewer players.
In the meantime, Fortnite: Battle Royale has emerged as an arcade alternative to PUBG and H1Z1 – which, along with PUBG, may have stolen the player base from the old-timer H1Z1.
Impressive success story likely coming to an end
Mein MMO says: It is a tough situation for H1Z1, as the enormous success has long masked the fundamental problems of the game.
H1Z1 has from the beginning, traits of a “quick shot”, was essentially a kind of mod, quickly put together to ride the zombie survival wave of the time, and has never really overcome those fundamental technical issues. Bugs and polish problems have existed from the start. They quickly ended the initial early access hype in 2015. Now, it seems they are facing the consequences compared to newer games.
Since 2016, many former fans have been angry at Daybreak Games because the successful battle royale part of H1Z1 has nothing to do with the game they promised them in 2014. The zombie part “Just Survive” undoubtedly suffers from its success.
However, those who have come to love H1Z1 for the battle royale part also complain about deficiencies in polish and further development of this part. Much developer time has likely gone into the “Twitch” component of development and not into the actual game.
Now that the Twitch fame has faded, the lasting problems of the game are becoming more apparent. However, it must be said fairly: That H1Z1 is still relevant in 2017 and even had a peak at this time is already a major success for the battle royale Twitch strategy. In mid-2015, hardly anyone cared about H1Z1 – it was on the verge of sinking into the early access swamp.
We want to hear from you! In which MMO do you have the most fun in the endgame and why is that?
MMOs work differently in many ways compared to regular games on the market. While single-player titles often culminate in a big boss fight at the end, after which the credits roll, the game in an MMO truly begins only in the “endgame”.
Many players actually play only for the endgame and find the journey there annoying and disruptive. For example, in World of Warcraft there is a large number of players who have no interest in leveling and questing and are only looking forward to the raids and dungeons at max level.
In Star Wars: The Old Republic, many players also find the story campaign tedious and prefer to engage in the battlegrounds at max level.
Many MMOs only start with the endgame
Once a character reaches the maximum level, the seemingly endless collection of gear begins in order to tackle increasingly tougher challenges. Whether that’s particularly hard raid bosses in raids or the best opponents in PvP, many games entice with lengthy tasks that can only be completed at the very end of a hero’s journey.
Often, a game is much easier until reaching the maximum level compared to the endgame content.
When participating in the survey, please keep in mind that you only have a single vote. Choose your absolute favorite from the list below.
That brings us to the question: Which game, in your opinion, has the best endgame?
If you still have time now, please leave a small comment and explain why the game you chose has the best endgame features and can engage you longer or better than any other game! Is it the exciting boss fights? The necessary coordination for large 40-man raids? The lengthy tasks to obtain the best weapons?
In Destiny 2, there are credible leaks about the second expansion. It is said to be called Gods of Mars.
Just before Christmas, we reported on a curious leak regarding the second DLC of Destiny 2. According to this leak, the expansion is said to be named “Heralds of Nezarec”, will lead to the ice moon Enceladus, and bring two new enemy races. The leaker also claimed to know large parts of the story, although all of their information sounded too good to be true. I concluded that it was likely just wishful thinking, fan fiction.
Now, a new leak has surfaced that could indeed be plausible. This is actually not a “new” leak but a confirmation of an old leak. Let’s take a look at this.
Gods of Mars is likely the second DLC of Destiny 2
As early as September 8, 2017, a Redditor discovered the name of the second expansion. This was listed in the Japanese PSN Store – “Gods of Mars”:
Since Destiny 2 had just been released a few days prior, players were much more interested in the new exotics, secrets, and the one-time shaders, this leak went unnoticed. Shortly thereafter, the name of the DLC was removed from the store.
Looking back at this leak, it seems credible. Because the first expansion is also displayed with the name “Curse of Osiris”. And when this leak occurred, that name was not officially known yet. It was only confirmed by Kotaku in the following weeks.
Now a new leak comes from the Indonesian PSN Store. Once again, Gods of Mars is mentioned:
Does a Mars DLC actually make sense?
An expansion that takes us to Mars may surprise some. After all, this official concept art for the 2nd DLC is known: In this DLC graphic, it looks “icy” and cold. Those who played Destiny 1, however, think of dry, red sandy landscapes when it comes to the planet Mars.
However: There are several hints that there is ice on Mars in Destiny 2:
During the Arecibo mission in the game, it is explicitly mentioned that there is red sand and ice caps on Mars!
In the end cinematic of the story campaign, when the Traveler sends its light into the universe, Mars can be seen briefly – and it shows areas with ice:
Additionally, the “real” Mars also has permanent ice caps at its poles. Ice on Mars is therefore not fictional.
And: In the background of the DLC graphic, Phobos, the Martian moon, is likely visible – another hint that the second DLC takes us to Mars.
So, presumably we will be drawn to the icy surfaces of Mars in the second DLC.
What else speaks for a Mars DLC?
In 2015, Kotaku reported that High Moon Studios would create a Mars expansion with strikes, a raid, and a social space. These contents have not yet appeared in either Destiny 1 or Destiny 2. However, we know that at Bungie, nothing gets wasted. This might also be supported by this old Destiny roadmap:
From the Comet expansion, “King’s Fall” was created, while smaller DLCs thereafter no longer appeared in Destiny 1. It is possible that “Vex Void” became the first DLC of Destiny 2, “Curse of Osiris”, and “Forge of Gods” is being reshaped into “Gods of Mars”. The god theme is at least present in both DLC titles.
Additionally, the Mars warmind Charlemagne could play an important role in the second DLC. He was supposed to have a greater significance in Destiny 1, but disappeared entirely from the final game. Perhaps his story will be revived now.
In Sea of Thieves, unexpected events are primarily responsible for ensuring that missions play out differently each time.
Sea of Thieves makes an interesting impression, and yet many players wonder how the long-term motivation looks. Many believe it could be fun to experience some adventures as a pirate with their crew. But what should motivate players to stay engaged in the long term?
Improvisation is important
A new gameplay video showing a crew at work reveals that it is not (only) the actual tasks that provide fun, but the things that happen along the way and that one does not expect.
If a crew sets out to find a treasure and this mission does not go as expected, then one must improvise. And that can lead to an adventure of its own.
Unexpected situations change the adventure
For example, it is important that the crew works well together to retrieve the treasure. Therefore, every crew member is important. It’s unfortunate when a pirate is thrown overboard during a sea battle, leading to a precarious situation while the remaining crew tries to win the battle and rescue the crew member, who is also trying to get back on board.
Such situations should change the course of a mission and essentially turn into a small adventure, making every task in Sea of Thieves unique and interesting.
Gaming Disorder has been recognized as a disease since 2018. But what does this mean for us gamers?
The phenomenon of gaming addiction is often debated. While many experts are convinced that it is a disease on its own, others dismiss this classification. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) has decided that as of 2018, addiction to video games and its associated symptoms are officially recognized as a disease.
The “Gaming Disorder” is classified as an addiction. One of the key criteria is that (like with almost all addictions) gaming pushes aside other aspects of daily life. If this behavior continues despite the individual being aware of its negative consequences, it is considered an addiction.
However, this does not refer to short periods of excessive gaming, but rather longer durations. Experts therefore make a secure diagnosis only after a year.
Vladimir Poznyak from WHO also clarifies:
“Most people who play video games do not suffer from a disorder, just as most people who drink alcohol do not suffer from one. However, excessive consumption can have detrimental effects.”
Video games and their impacts have been observed for over a decade, which in the opinion of WHO is enough time to recognize Gaming Disorder as a clinical picture.
Cortyn states: Essentially, it is not surprising that there is now an official clinical picture for gaming addiction and its associated symptoms. It could help raise awareness among doctors and counseling centers about the issue. However, there is also the danger that thousands of “normal gamers” will now be stigmatized and all gamers will be lumped together.
What do you think? Is it good that “Gaming Disorder” is an officially recognized disease? Or has this been clear for many years, and now it is just made official?
We present to you the most fun horror games of the Steam Winter Sale 2017, with which you can keep your body warm with adrenaline during the cold season.
The contemplative Christmas time means peace, quiet, and relaxation for many. However, for those who do not want to know anything about all of that, they might crave an exciting horror game for the dark and cold season. We have sifted through the Steam Winter Sale and present you 5 horror games from different sub-genres that every gamer should have on their plate!
The best horror games in the Steam Winter Sale 2017
We have picked the best deals for you. Maybe there is one or another title for you?
Outlast
Outlast is from the year 2013 and is therefore a bit older, but that does not take away from the terror of the game. Only armed with the weak light of a camera, you explore the gruesome goings-on in a psychiatric clinic – and they are not for the faint of heart. Currently, Outlast costs only 3.99€, which is an 80% reduction from 19.99€. Every horror fan should grab it.
Dead by Daylight
Dead by Daylight lures with exciting 4vs1 horror, in which 4 survivors try to escape from a killer. Meanwhile, the game has been expanded with many DLCs featuring new characters (both free and paid), so there are plenty of new killers, perks, and survivors. If you like to “hang out” a bit, you might find your luck on a butcher’s hook in Dead by Daylight – or at least the Entity. Dead by Daylight currently costs only 9.99€ instead of 19.99€, which is a 50% reduction.
Don’t Starve Together
With cuter graphics but tough gameplay, Don’t Starve Together is still a great game in its second year if you want to experience some frustration with friends. In a dark, cold world, you try to survive and find or build the essentials to avoid starvation. But hunger is just one of many dangers – madness, darkness, strange peoples, or poisonous food can also bring about a swift death. Don’t Starve Together currently costs only 8.99€, which is a 40% reduction from 14.99€.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
If you’re into psychological horror and also love visual novels and anime characters, then you won’t be able to pass by Doki Doki Literature Club! What starts as a typical dating simulation quickly takes dramatic turns and reveals a game that is simply terrifying on multiple levels. But the best part? Doki Doki Literature Club is completely free! You can’t go wrong with that.
Even though the zombie hype has slowly faded, the first The Walking Dead from Telltale Games from 2012 is still a masterpiece. In the dramatic story of Lee, who tries to save the little girl Clementine from the effects of the zombie apocalypse, there are plenty of dramatic decisions. Anyone who is easily moved to tears or has weak nerves should perhaps think twice about buying – all others can expect a great experience. Currently, The Walking Dead costs only 5.74€, which is a drastic reduction of 75% from 22.99€.
Is there something for you among these games? Or do you want to know nothing about horror at Christmas? Which horror games on Steam can you recommend?
Actually, Rockstar wanted to gift its GTA 5 Online players a car for Christmas, but this now takes money from the recipients’ pockets.
For Christmas, the team from RockstarGames wanted to surprise its GTA 5 Online community with a special gift: A new car was added to the online selection, which they made available for free to all players on December 25.
Although “free” was displayed in the pricing, players had a lot of money deducted. A bitter Christmas surprise.
Albany Hermes actually free – Expensive surprise
With the Christmas gift, Rockstar meant well. In GTA 5 Online, the community often gathers for races, shootouts, and illegal activities.
Those who want to stand out drive up in a flashy car. Regularly, the developers bring new rides into the game that can be tuned up by the community. Lowering, adding spoilers, upgrading transmissions, and installing a hissing turbocharger into the new mean machine. This makes the car race-ready and allows it to outrun opponents.
However, the new cars are expensive – often costing more than a million GTA$. So, for a car, one must invest several hours of gameplay or real money. 1.25 million GTA-dollars costs about 15€.
All the more wonderful was the surprise that Rockstar gave away the new muscle car, the Albany Hermes. Instead of 535,000 GTA$, the Hermes was free.
Players who logged in on December 25 could grab the vehicle at Southern San Andreas SuperAutos and click on the “Free” symbol. Then the Albany Hermes should be added to the garage for free.
But soon, the new muscle car owners noticed that now they were missing a chunk of money. To be exact: 535,000 GTA$
The forums are overflowing with reports from players who rightfully are angry with the developers. When they clicked on the free offer, money was suddenly deducted from them. So far, Rockstar has not addressed this issue. We hope they will soon respond and reimburse the amount that was wrongfully deducted from the players.
Meanwhile, Rockstar has officially addressed the problem and stated that they are working on a solution.
Update: Rockstar is now distributing the deducted 535,000 GTA-dollars to the accounts. There is currently no talk of repeating the action. However, players from the community report that they received the 535,000 GTA-dollars even though they did not purchase the car. So the car is free for players.
To the snow fans:
As Rockstar has now officially confirmed, the snow returns to GTA 5 Online for the New Year’s celebration. Presumably, the white stuff will lie on the streets from December 31 to January 1 and invite for drifting.
In Destiny 2, today, on December 26th, is the Weekly Reset, the weekly reset. New activities start, such as the Nightfall strike or the Flashpoint.
Today, Tuesday at 6 PM, not only the “normal” Weekly Reset takes place, but also the second week of the Dawning. This winter event started last week and has since spread festive cheer in the Destiny universe.
The Glimmer offer in Eververse is restocked. We will add the new inventory at the end of the article.
The milestone “We share the joys of the season with others” can be played again. This can be completed once per week and per character during the event. You may go back into the Cauldron and “fight for peace.”
Let’s see what else the new week brings.
Nightfall from December 26 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC
This week the Pyramidion is the Nightfall.
The modifiers:
Momentum: Abilities charge faster.
Timewarp: Zero Hour: The mission timer cannot be extended.
The challenges:
Complete the Nightfall with at least 5 minutes remaining.
Complete the Nightfall with fewer than 3 deaths.
Do not allow Brakion to be shielded for longer than 40 seconds before defeating him.
Ikora Rey has meditations for Frenzy, Sacrilege, and Omega.
Tess Everis sells the Exotics A Tale of the Star Light (ship) and Give (gesture) as well as the non-Dawning Exotics Grey Dove of the 14th Saint (ship), a Merciless ornament, and a Scarlet ornament. You can also buy the Dawning gauntlets, the Dental Floss dance gesture, and plenty of other cosmetics.
Exciting: After four years under wraps, the Music of the Spheres – a Destiny symphony – has leaked. The composers are thrilled! All info about it here:
A member of the notorious DDOS group Lizard Squad is now likely heading to prison. The group became infamous during an attack on the PSN and Xbox Live network in 2014. At that time, they shut down online gaming over Christmas.
It has been some time, but in 2014, a hacker group ruined online gaming for many players.
A group called Lizard Squad dominated the media for months with DDOS attacks on websites and companies. This was then commented live on Twitter.
Later, DDOS attacks targeted the games of Smedley’s company Daybreak Games. Smedley eventually stepped down from his position there.
Allegedly, Lizard Squad saw itself as “hackers for hire.” As reported by the Chicago Tribune, one could purchase an attack for 20 US dollars. The target person was then harassed and bothered. People were said to have received phone calls every hour, with a tirade of profanity on the other end waiting for the victim.
Two and a half years in prison if he cooperates
Now one of the founding members of Lizard Squad has been convicted. He pleaded guilty in a case of “conspiracy to cause damage to protected computers” – for that, there is a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The man is likely to only serve two and a half years in prison, provided he cooperates. This was announced by the prosecution. Part of the agreement also includes that he pays 350,000 US dollars to two US online gambling companies whose customers were victims of Lizard Squad’s actions.
The 20-year-old was arrested in October 2016 for a large number of cyber attacks that spanned over two and a half years. Until now, he was able to live with his mother. That will likely change soon. His sentence is expected to be announced only when it is ensured that he cooperates.
In 2015, a member of the group was already in court in Finland but received only a mild sentence. The then 17-year-old received two years probation and restrictions on his internet activities. This enraged his victim, John Smedley, terribly at the time.
MMORPGs playing on the go is quite interesting. Sitting under a tree on a sunny day, Nintendo Switch in hand, raiding with friends. A nice thought.
In 2018, the online features of Nintendo’s current console are set to be significantly expanded to support online gaming on a large scale. Therefore, MMORPGs would definitely be conceivable.
It should be noted that the mobile Switch does not possess hardware as powerful as what is found in current consoles and PCs. This mainly impacts the graphics. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at which MMORPGs we would like to see on the Switch.
1. The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim looks good on the Switch. Graphically, the version also looks appealing, and the controls with the controller work flawlessly. Therefore, there should be no problem playing ESO on Nintendo’s console. It is controlled with the sticks and buttons. Thanks to the motion controllers, this is even quite fun. The same could work just as well for ESO.
Graphically, The Elder Scrolls Online does not offer the absolute high-end experience. Due to its graphic style, the game still gives a very good impression even with slightly reduced options. Therefore, an ESO on the Switch is indeed conceivable.
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The upcoming port of the action-packed MMORPG TERA to Playstation 4 and Xbox One raises the question of whether a Switch version would be possible. According to testers of the console version of TERA, the MMORPG plays very well with the controller and is also enjoyable. The action-packed fights are said to feel great.
As far as graphics are concerned, it could very well be that TERA would have to be somewhat toned down for the Switch. The system requirements of the title mention 4 to 8 GB of RAM. The Switch has 4 GB, but this could prove to be a small bottleneck. Therefore, TERA may be a bit harder to implement.
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The sandbox MMORPG Albion Online is perfectly poised for mobile MMO entertainment, as the online game is already playable on tablets and the Nintendo Switch is based on Nvidia tablet technology. The controls would need some adjustments, but the touchscreen could be handy for managing the inventory.
Also, graphically, the developers don’t need to cut back much. Since Albion Online runs on a tablet, it will run on the Switch as well. However, the tablet version of the MMO is not yet fully optimized, but that should only be a matter of time. So it is quite possible to experience the sandbox adventures of Albion Online on the Nintendo Switch.
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For fans of cuter characters and classic RPG fare, Tree of Savior would be a case for the Nintendo Switch. Especially in terms of graphics and atmosphere, this MMORPG would fit excellently into the console’s portfolio. The mix of 3D and 2D graphics is not too hardware-hungry, which means the Switch should handle this well.
The adjustment of the controls might be a bit more challenging due to the classic gameplay. The controls themselves are fairly simple, but managing all the many skills, menus, and inventory with the controller is certainly not easy. But again, the touchscreen can come in handy and serve well. Tree of Savior would definitely do well as a classic MMORPG on Nintendo’s console.
5. Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV runs on PC and PS4. The special thing here: All players can play together on the same server. With a relatively high global cooldown and a well-thought-out gamepad control scheme, this MMORPG works with a controller. For the successful yet complex gamepad controls, the Switch Pro Controller, which is quite similar to the PlayStation controller, would be particularly suitable.
Final Fantasy XIV would be a fully-fledged classic MMORPG on the Nintendo Switch – suitable for both short breaks and extended gaming sessions.
Especially with the online services that will be prioritized next year, MMORPGs are a good fit for Nintendo’s Switch. Let’s see which ones we’ll get to see.
A boss in Antorus, the Burning Throne, the current raid of World of Warcraft was defeated by two players. Here you can see how it went!
The current raid of World of Warcraft is Antorus, the Burning Throne. In the final raid against the Burning Legion, players are required to defeat numerous bosses to reach Argus the Unmaker and unlock the cinematic that ends in the wound of Azeroth.
However, not all bosses in Antorus are as difficult as they seem.
A protection paladin named Darmondevil set out to fight for Eonar alone. However, he didn’t succeed completely, so he recruited his friend, the warlock Darmonevil, and tried his luck. Although the endeavor was only narrowly successful, they managed to complete the boss fight successfully – with just 2 players, where at least 10 players are normally required. You can see exactly how it went in this video:
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The fight for Eonar’s survival is quite a special case. It’s not about bringing down a big boss, but keeping the titan lady Eonar alive. Enemies approach from multiple sides that must be held back in time – the fight resembles a “tower defense” from classic strategy titles.
The fight against Eonar is therefore “something different” and many players appreciate that it is more easy than too difficult.
Nonetheless, it is a remarkable achievement to defeat a current raid boss with only two players.
What do you think? Is this a noteworthy achievement? Or is it just another sign that “WoW has become too easy”?
