The water in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is expected to look really good in the future. For this, the technology of a current multiplayer pirate game is being used.
The fun of playing in the battle royale shooter PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is beyond question. The game regularly sets new records and captivates many gamers. The latest milestone: 10 million sales.
The publishing deal with Microsoft makes the future look even brighter. This leads to important relationships like with the creators of Sea of Thieves, the developer studio Rare. They say: Great game, this PUBG, but the water, hey … we can help you with that!
Developers are in the same boat
PUBG is still in its early days but is coming to Xbox One later this year. There is a publishing deal with Microsoft that opens up further opportunities.
In an interview with GamesIndustry, PlayerUnknown (Brendan Greene) talks about interesting future plans. The water technology from Sea of Thieves will be integrated into Battlegrounds in the future.
Greene says, “… I was at a Microsoft event last night and spoke with the guys from Sea of Thieves. They said they love the game [PUBG] and play it a lot. However, they say ‘but your water.’
I mean, our water is not very good, but Rare has great water technologies.”
The Sea of Thieves team told him that they should share their knowledge with each other. Greene emphasizes that this is the advantage of suddenly being in such a studio network. PUBG gets the water technology practically for free and can share things from PUBG with the developers at Rare.
This advantage is invaluable for Greene, as the water in Sea of Thieves looks really good. Having it in the game would enhance the PUBG world, he says. We show you a glimpse of the water rendering technology in the following video. An image comparison would simply not do justice to the graphics.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
If you want to be beautiful, you have to play – or pay. That’s what Bungie says regarding the controversy over the shaders in Destiny 2.
In the last two days, shaders have been the top topic on the Destiny Reddit. Recently, a dedicated mega-thread was even set up to collect all important posts regarding the shader issue – in order to contain the flood of individual threads.
The reason for all the fuss: The shaders in Destiny 2 are consumable items. They can only be applied once to a single item. If you want to color your entire Guardian, you need a lot of shaders. And when you equip new gear, the fun starts all over again and you need new shaders once more.
Since the shaders can be obtained fastest through the Eververse, the in-game shop, this topic is currently boiling over. Now, Game Director Luke Smith has spoken up.
From level 20, there are more shaders, more motivation
In four consecutive tweets, Smith justifies the new shader system:
He emphasizes that shaders can be earned through gameplay: leveling up, chests, engrams, vendors. He believes that players will be showered with shaders when they play.
When you reach level 20, you will receive more shaders: through vendor rewards, endgame activities, and destination play.
Shaders are an ongoing reward for playing. Character customization motivates players to play. Each planet has unique armor and shader rewards.
Furthermore, they want to hear players say for Destiny 2: “I want to run the raid, play the trials, or go back to Titan to get more shaders from there.”
Regarding the topic of “Eververse,” however, Smith does not specifically address it. Instead, he emphasizes that shaders can be earned and that they can provide an additional incentive to log in regularly.
Guardians with shaders in Destiny 1
Additionally, Community Manager DeeJ shares that they will continue the conversation with the community. After all, the new journey has only just begun. You should continue to voice your opinions; Bungie is always listening.
However, it seems unlikely that shaders will soon become “permanent items” again.
Here you can find our previous articles on the shader issue with all the information:
The invasion points are a major feature of Argus in World of Warcraft. However, not everyone likes them.
With the second week since the release of the “Argus” patch, the so-called invasion points are now accessible in World of Warcraft. These are numerous different portals scattered across Argus, leading to various “alien worlds” also under attack by the Burning Legion. Players can traverse these portals and experience a small scenario in a few phases.
However, I am not really convinced by the concept.
You enter a scenario in an alien world to which you have no connection other than “Yes, ding dong, the Legion is here, smash everything” – and that is exactly what you do. Usually, there are three phases that essentially say: Kill X, kill Y, kill Z.
While this is core mechanics in World of Warcraft, it is not particularly excitingly packaged. The story of a dungeon and the connection to the plot are simply lacking.
Even the large invasion points, which serve as substitutes for world bosses, did not convince me in the first week. Sure, it is fun to rush against Alluradel with a “mismatched group” and watch as 70% of the raid gets taken over and the other players get butchered. But ultimately, the large invasion points are exactly that: world bosses. Nothing more and nothing less.
After a while, the large invasion points are the only thing that is still fun. At least I believe so, as they drop “world boss loot” – I got tired of the “normal” invasions after 3 days and only rush there when Lord Illidan needs waystones again.
Maybe it would help if players were directly put into a cohesive group within the same zone. Because currently, there is complete chaos. You enter an “instance” and see pure chaos before you. One mage hops around the map with 15 elite enemies in tow while three other solo players desperately try to control the mobs, constantly standing in some effect. A somewhat coordinated group of four fights the enemies “according to plan” and then gets surprised by the mage, who drags the wild horde into the group.
Sure, with just a few clicks in the group finder, you can also find a suitable group that approaches the whole thing sensibly. However, I find it absolutely puzzling why players are not immediately “obligated” to do so. This opens the door for some trolls to cause chaos in the instances with other players on their own.
Ultimately, the invasion points are just an additional world boss with annoying “fluff” for me – but I can’t like everything about Argus.
What do you think of the invasion points of Argus? A great thing or much ado about nothing?
In Destiny 2 there is no Xur today, on September 8th. Bungie released the roadmap for the coming weeks.
On the night from Thursday to Friday, Bungie’s community manager DeeJ regularly publishes “This Week at Bungie.” This tradition does not change with the release of Destiny 2. In the weekly newsletter to the community, there is always the latest information about the game as well as announcements for upcoming events.
Today there is a roadmap for September: What activities are planned for this month? The following graphic reveals surprisingly much information:
What is coming in the next few weeks
In the launch week, where we currently find ourselves, no major events are happening anymore. Exciting things will continue next week:
September 12: The weekly reset brings a new Nightfall strike as well as a Flashpoint on Nessus. Additionally, the Guided Games beta for Nightfall begins.
September 15: On Friday, September 15th, the Trials of the Nine begin. They replace the Trials of Osiris. Also, Xur. will be there.
September 19: The weekly reset brings a new Nightfall strike and a Flashpoint on Io.
September 22: The Trials of the Nine and Xur are up.
September 26: The weekly reset brings a new Nightfall strike as well as a Flashpoint on Titan. The Guided Games beta begins for the raid. Additionally, a Faction Rally will start.
September 29: The Trials of the Nine and Xur are coming.
Additionally, DeeJ announces that in October new challenges will be arriving. This includes the Iron Banner as well as new quests in the raid (probably raid challenges).
The Trials of the Nine are officially confirmed. They will be played in various modes and on different maps. However, more details about this PvP event are still missing.
At the end of September, a Faction Rally will begin. The symbols of the Dead Orbit, New Monarchy, and Future War Cult are depicted. What we can expect there is still unclear.
In Destiny 2, issues with the cash shop overshadow an otherwise pleasantly good start. We take a look at the issue with the disposable shaders. Why are players upset about such a small matter? There is more to it, believes our author Schuhmann.
We reported this afternoon about the issue with the “disposable shaders” in Destiny 2. What seems like a minor issue at first glance is annoying many players. For some, it seems strange: after all, they are just shaders.
We take a closer look. Why are shaders such a hot topic that some even call for a boycott?
Dyeing Items in MMO – From a Small Service to a Major Cash Source
The dyeing of items exists in almost all major MMORPGs – only WoW is an exception. Normally, this is called “Dyeing.”
The items used for this are called “Dyes” or “Tints” – in Destiny, these dyes are called “Shaders,” but it’s the same principle: an item receives a different color. This serves to customize the character.
Players are used to dyeing their armor in MMORPGs. This has been the case since the old MMORPG “Dark Age of Camelot.”
Dyeing comes in three different variants. One can see that this has evolved over time from a “nice service for fans” to a veritable cash source.
Level 1: Dyeing items as a standard service
In some games, players buy dyes from a vendor for in-game currency (Diablo 3) or create them through crafting themselves (Final Fantasy XIV).
After being used once, the colors disappear again – but that’s not a problem since they can be obtained again at will. For a max-level player, this poses no effort. Colors only cost a small amount. They are a typical gold sink to drain some money from the economic cycle.
This is a purely cosmetic decision that involves nothing else. Such a dyeing system is the standard 08/15 solution that no one really thinks about.
Players then dye their items in guild colors or according to their personal taste.
Level 2: Dyeing items as a mark of distinction for the player – Status Symbol
Level two exists in games like Guild Wars 2 or The Elder Scrolls Online. Here, dyeing is given significantly more importance, and the systems are much more complex.
There, dyes are not consumed upon use; rather, the color is “stored” and can then be applied to any item owned or obtained later at will.
The special thing is: in these games, it is relatively tedious to unlock one of the rarer colors. Players usually start with a catalog of “standard colors” – those who want more have to earn them.
In Guild Wars 2, some of the rare colors are linked to premium currency, which can also be earned.
The Guild Wars 2 solution …
In ESO, you have to unlock the colors through special achievements in the game.
Experienced players then recognize when they see an avatar in a special color: “Aha, they have accomplished this and that heroic deed in Tamriel.”
Destiny 1 also used this system. Shaders were tied to special achievements in the game. They were drops that could be reused at will.
Shaders as a “collection,” just like it is handled in The Elder Scrolls Online.
Level 3: Dyeing items as a revenue source for the publisher
The MMORPG Black Desert is a buy-to-play game that is continually developed and therefore requires revenue. Black Desert was the first well-known MMORPG in the West to consistently realize “dyeing” as a source of income. In fact, cosmetics play a significant role in the cash shop of Black Desert.
Similar systems are used by popular games like League of Legends with skins: those who want to stand out from others must use the cash shop. While the skins in that case also change the model slightly and are therefore generally regarded as more “valuable.” If skins do not change the model and only give the hero a new color, they are called “Recolor” – this type of skin is generally considered inferior and as something that should be available “cheaply” compared to the elaborate skins.
In MOBAs, skins are accepted as part of the monetization system.
The difference with Destiny 2 is that most games that rely on cosmetics are free-to-play titles or, like Black Desert, inexpensive buy-to-play titles that depend on the cash shop as their main source of revenue.
By focusing on cosmetics that have no impact on gameplay, a lot of money can be made without facing accusations of “pay-to-win.”
That’s why Destiny 2 players are upset about such a seeming minor issue
In Destiny 2, the community is so angry now because Bungie/Activision has switched from the “Level 2 Shader System,” which had no disadvantages for them, to one of Level 3.
Shaders in Destiny 1 were part of the reward system and were free. In part 2, shaders are part of the monetization system and belong to loot boxes.
Destiny 2 is a current full-price title. In the eyes of the players, it should not place so much value on the cash shop. Tolerance is lower here. Parts of the community see the shaders as a step in the wrong direction, with even more steps to follow.
Commercialization – the villain is not Ghaul, but Tess
The problem is: with the introduction of the cash shop in Destiny 1, new things entered the game. Now in Destiny 2, existing items that were originally free are packed into the cash shop – or at least near it. The loot boxes from which shaders come can also be earned.
Critics see this as further commercialization. It’s increasingly less about playing – players are confronted more and more with the cash shop.
Even if this is only a “minor issue” for many, the context shows that it represents a conscious monetization decision. Therefore, many gamers see this as a reason to take to the barricades now.
Let’s continue! In these days, EA Sports is gradually revealing the best players in FIFA 18 – based on their overall strength. In the last two days, the top 100-61 have already been published, and now the next 20 players are up.
Player Ratings FIFA 18 – Positions 60-41
EA Sports presents the player cards with the values as they will be in the “Ultimate Team” mode of FIFA 18. This time, Bayern stars Thomas Müller and James Rodriguez are included.
Position 60: David Luiz – Chelsea
Position 59: Sergio Busquets – FC Barcelona
Position 58: James Rodriguez – Bayern Munich
Position 57: Toby Alderweireld – Tottenham Hotspur
Position 56: Karim Benzema – Real Madrid
Position 55: Cesc Fabregas – Chelsea
Position 54: Isco – Real Madrid
Position 53: Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur
Position 52: Alex Sandro – Juventus
Position 51: Philippe Coutinho – Liverpool
Position 50: Radja Nainggolan – Roma
Position 49: Dries Mertens – Napoli
Position 48: Romelu Lukaku – Manchester United
Position 47: Thomas Müller – Bayern Munich
Position 46: Samir Handanovic – Inter
Position 45: Andres Iniesta – FC Barcelona
Position 44: Ivan Rakitic – FC Barcelona
Position 43: David Silva – Manchester City
Position 42: Gerard Pique – FC Barcelona
Position 41: Marek Hamsik – Napoli
What do you think of these player ratings?
Here are the official player ratings known so far for FIFA 18:
In Hearthstone many cards cause problems – and often it is the oldest ones that exist in the game.
Just yesterday, the developers of Hearthstone announced that there will be a number of adjustments in their card game – significant nerfs for some of the most popular cards. What is astonishing about these nerfs, however, is that they do not primarily affect cards from the new expansion “Knights of the Frozen Throne” – but rather basic and classic cards. Only one of the five adjustments affects a new card – the rest tinkers with cards that players have reliably used for several years.
It seems that Blizzard does not see the balance threatened by the latest expansions, but rather by cards that are permanently available in every game mode – that is, the classic cards from the “Vanilla” era.
Should basic and classic cards disappear?
The question that arises in the forum and on Reddit among players is clear: Why doesn’t Blizzard simply rotate Classic and Basic cards out of the game?
All other expansions are only valid for 2 years, after which they can no longer be used in the standard game mode (though they can still be used in the “Wild” mode).
Blizzard has addressed this topic in the past and wants to keep the basic and classic cards in the game so that returning players “always have a solid collection” and a “foundation of cards” to reacquaint themselves with the game.
But does this “swap” really make sense? Is it good to have a whole set of evergreens so that returning players and newcomers have it easier, only to continuously nerf these cards?
What do you think of Blizzard’s approach? Should these cards be permanently available in “Standard”?
Cortyn says: By now, I wish that the “old” cards would also disappear from the rotation. Sure, I would miss some favorites like Fireball, Shadow Word: Death or Animal Companion – but that would also make it more exciting. Current decks often use 50% or more of the very old cards. If every year I had to create completely new archetypes and redefine a class, I would find that very appealing. I would miss my Fireball – but at the same time gain 2 slots in my deck that wouldn’t be automatically filled by a Fireball because there would be no better alternative.
Info flood about The Division: Update 1.8 brings an increase in Gear Score, hidden caches, and gear optimization!
The State of the Game aired on September 7th, and it had a lot to offer: The developers discussed some of the new features of Update 1.8 that had not been revealed yet. We summarize the most important information here.
Skirmish – finally PvP without PvE
Initially, the developers showed footage of the Skirmish mode, which is introduced with 1.8. Skirmish is a standalone PvP mode where 4v4 battles take place. It is a pure team deathmatch: For each kill, there is one point, and whoever gets to 20 points first or has the most kills within 10 minutes wins. These victory conditions can still be adjusted.
To score a point, you must completely eliminate an opponent – it is not enough if they go down on their knees.
More information about Skirmish:
In Skirmish, you only fight against other players; it is a pure PvP mode. There are no NPCs.
The maps have been designed according to the developers for 4v4 battles. They are significantly smaller than the maps in “Last Stand”. You should run less and shoot more. Skirmish is supposed to offer an intense PvP experience.
After dying, you respawn about 10 seconds later. If a teammate has also died, you will spawn at the same location simultaneously.
There is a ranking system that is provisionally called “PvP Rank”. This rank shows your performance in Last Stand and in Skirmish, with a maximum of 99. After rank 40, there are better rewards.
As a reward, Classified Caches were mentioned – chests for the secret gear sets. In other words, in The Division 1.8, there will be more ways to acquire the secret sets.
The matchmaking in Skirmish takes into account the skills of the players. There are processes working in the background that track performance.
Gear Score increase and gear optimization
Update 1.8 allows for a higher Gear Score! However, there is no new world rank.
In the future, you can receive items with a Gear Score between 256 and 286 at “World Rank 5”. 286 will therefore be the new maximum.
According to the developers, the Gear Score will be calculated differently with 1.8. The key factor is gear optimization.
There will be an optimization station where you can optimize your weapons and armor pieces. This means you can push their stats and attributes to the maximum afterward. The further you optimize your items, the higher your Gear Score rises. Only with fully optimized gear can you achieve a Gear Score of 286.
To optimize your gear, you need Division Tech. You can already start collecting this now. The Division Tech will finally have a purpose again.
An example: You can use Division Tech on a ballistic vest to maximize its armor value. You can do this with all stats.
When asked whether this gear optimization would destroy balance, a developer replied: Tests have shown that balance is wonderful. Players will feel stronger and more powerful. This feels good in PvE.
More information from the State of the Game:
The new rogue system will be introduced next week. It was teased today that there will be no more friendly fire. Therefore, you cannot accidentally become rogue.
Stamina will be revised.
Recently, a lot of bans have been issued. Those who used the RPM glitch were banned. This glitch will be fixed with an upcoming client patch.
Are these realistic goals that the creators of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds are pursuing? They aim for player numbers similar to League of Legends.
No one in the gaming scene could miss the survival hype of the last weeks. Everyone has heard of PUBG, the battle royale shooter that breaks one record after another.
After even managing to surpass Dota 2 in one area, the team wants to aim even higher in the future. The big role model: League of Legends.
“We need to play our cards right”
Anyone who wants to survive in the gaming market must constantly improve.
PUBG is doing well so far. The game launched in Early Access on Steam in March 2017. Just a few days ago, there was the news that “10 million sales reached” – another milestone on the path of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
The lasting success is likely also related to the changed update plan of the game. The guaranteed weekly and monthly updates have been scrapped. PUBG focuses on quality over quantity.
In an interview with GamesIndustry, PUBG chief Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene explains that sales continue to grow. “They won’t be less.”
When asked how big PUBG could still become, Greene replied that a game like League of Legends, for example, is incredibly popular. “I just look at League of Legends. 100 million active users per month. I think something crazy like that?” he speculates.
“If we play our cards right, we might reach that level of players.”
Big goal – potential is present
Since League of Legends does not run on Steam, it is hard to find out how many players are playing the MOBA at the same time daily. Exact numbers are likely only known to the developer “Riot”. Nevertheless, the monthly user number mentioned by Greene for League of Legends is extremely high and a strong goal.
Optimization for weaker PCs could give PUBG a boost
Mein MMO says: It will be another tough battle for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds to reach such player numbers. The potential is definitely in the game, but to reach more players, optimization should follow soon.
If the developers manage to appeal to gamers with average PCs with the battle royale shooter, the user count could grow significantly.
The promised new content like the desert map is already a good outlook for the future. New content keeps the game fresh and prevents monotony.
The developers of the MMORPG Worlds Adrift have released a major update that opens up new creative possibilities.
With the Phase-1 update, players receive more opportunities to unleash their creativity via the “Island Creator Tool”. The island designers have new surfaces available that cannot be climbed on. Barbed wire and spikes add further challenges. With the new objects, it is possible to create interesting platform puzzles and new challenges.
Also new are the three turrets “Light Turrets” that target all players, “Explosive Turrets” that also attack ships, and “Tether Turrets” that pull players to the ground and then electrify them. Exploring the islands in the game has become even more dangerous.
More updates are coming
“With Worlds Adrift, we are creating a new title that allows our community to shape the entire game world according to their preferences,” says Bossa Studios CEO and co-founder Henrique Olifiers. “We are proud of two very different things that have allowed us to break the norm: First, the game content for Worlds Adrift is created before launch, and second, the Steam Workshop content will be integral to the game and not just an optional addition. The game world will be built by the players, rated by them, and the quality will ultimately be just as good as if an internal team had worked on it.”
The development team is already working on further updates that are to be released during the beta of the MMO Worlds Adrift. For example, a new civilization is planned that you can explore by utilizing all your skills and ingenuity.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In Destiny 2, you will face challenges and flashpoints. But what do these terms mean?
Note: This article contains story spoilers!
The open world of Destiny 2 has a lot to offer: There are adventures, lost sectors, high-value targets, and many treasures to discover.
During the campaign, you will unlock more open-world activities. These include the challenges and the flashpoints. What kind of activities are these?
Challenges in Destiny 2 – Only with Ikora Rey
After the attack of the Cabal Red Legion on the Last City, the Vanguard leaders Zavala, Cayde-6, and Ikora Rey have disappeared. You need to find and reunite them on the new worlds.
Once you have achieved this goal in the campaign, the characters will be available in the Farm. Your point of contact for the challenges is Ikora Rey. She will give you the task of completing three challenges.
But where do I find the challenges? Because they are not displayed directly on the map.
Challenges are available in all open worlds. Fly to a landing point and summon your ghost. At the top right of the screen, you will now see the challenges. For example, you need to loot a lost sector on the outskirts in the EDZ or defeat 5 Fallen servitors.
If you master these challenges, you will receive rewards – mainly in the form of tokens. The challenges are updated daily.
Flashpoints in Destiny 2
To unlock the flashpoints, you need to bring Cayde-6 back to the Farm. A flashpoint is an endgame activity in the open world that offers the best loot. Once available, it will be shown in your milestone overview.
A flashpoint is a weekly milestone, meaning you can only collect the loot weekly. Completing a flashpoint rewards you with “Powerful Gear” – that’s the stuff you need, to reach the max level of 300.
For a flashpoint, you need to complete several public events at a designated location. In the launch week of Destiny 2, the flashpoint takes place in the European Dead Zone. The designated location changes weekly.
In World of Warcraft, it will be a bit easier – at least the planet Argus is losing a few annoying traits.
Since World of Warcraft deployed Patch 7.3 “Return to Argus” about a week ago, the developers have been rolling out small hotfixes. These changed existing mechanics on Argus and made the hostile homeworld a little friendlier. Also during last night (09/06/2017), a new update was deployed that made minor changes. We have all the details for you:
WoW Hotfix from 09/06/2017
Argus
Fel Lava on Argus no longer damages companions
The number of required world quests for the Argus advance has been reduced from 4 to 3 – but only until next week, as new world quests for this faction will be available then
Classes
Druid
A bug was fixed that caused Starfall to have no graphic or sound effect.
Priest
A bug was fixed where the projectile from Void Eruption was incorrectly displayed on a target with Vampiric Touch.
Shaman
Elemental Overload should now correctly hit targets behind the Shaman.
Dungeons and Raids
Humanoids in lower-level dungeons should again have gold as loot.
Combat Pets
A bug was fixed where defeating Twilight Tail and Fin would grant achievement progress for each other.
Quests
The world quest “Core Mechanics” in Mac’Aree now requires only 8 defeated constructs (previously 20).
The Paraxis has now relented
Further changes have already occurred in the past days. The regular attack from the Legion ship Paraxis is no longer as annoying. Players had complained that it was basically just an enforced AFK phase, as they had to seek shelter and simply wait out the attack – otherwise it would kill them. Now players can at least dodge the projectiles from the Paraxis while continuing to quest.
How do you like Argus so far? Are you enjoying the three new mini-zones? Or is the setting annoying you?
What are the chances of catching a Mewtwo after a raid? The base catch rate has now been found in the code of Pokémon GO. This is higher than that of other legendary Pokémon.
In preparation for the new Mewtwo raids, something has changed in the code of Pokémon GO. The catch rate for Mewtwo has been set to 6% in the Game Master file. This is higher than that of other legendary Pokémon. However, a guaranteed catch is still far from certain with Mewtwo.
The first exclusive raids in Japan started a few hours ago, giving trainers the chance to defeat and catch the special Pokémon “Mewtwo”.
After the Yokohama event in Japan, trainers had high expectations for the Mewtwo raids. During the event, Mewtwo appeared in the game for the first time and rewarded successful raid participants with 50 Premier Balls and a 100% catch chance for the Pokémon.
This guaranteed the organizers a special reward for many trainers.
Due to this event, players in the community assumed that Mewtwo would have a relatively high catch chance when released for all trainers. This assumption is partially correct, as Mewtwo has a higher base catch rate than other legendary Pokémon. Nevertheless, it is only at 6%.
With the stated 6%, the experts from PokémonGOHub created a table where you can read your catch chances.
Studio Hi-Rez has entered into an exclusive partnership with Facebook for its hero shooter Paladins. The new Paladins Premiere League will be exclusively broadcast on Facebook’s new streaming platform “Watch”. The Premiere League is an eSports league founded by Hi-Rez together with the “World Esports Association” (WESA). You can find out how this partnership between Hi-Rez and Facebook came about here.
Together with the eSports association WESA, Studio Hi-Rez has founded the Paladins Premiere League. This is an eSports league that supports its professional players in their careers and pays a minimum salary. All revenue generated by the Paladins Premier League will be shared with the teams. 10 of the most well-known WESA eSports teams compete in the Premiere League, including Fnatic, G2 Esports, and SK Gaming.
With the Paladins Premiere League, Hi-Rez is now entering into an exclusive partnership with Facebook.
Starting in Fall 2017, there will be a Paladins eSports show on Watch every week. Watch is Facebook’s new service for shows and series, focusing on exclusive content. The show will feature top-tier gameplay, live coverage, and community-based features. Furthermore, there will be news, insights, and analyses from the competitive Paladins scene.
The CEO was surprised by the size of the Paladins community on Facebook
At Gamescom 2017, I had the opportunity to talk to Todd Harris, the CEO of Paladins.
I asked Harris how the partnership with Facebook came about. The idea emerged from the existing Paladins community there.
Todd Harris: “Facebook hit me like a ton of bricks. I looked around a while ago to see where our Paladins community was active. I stumbled upon a Facebook group for Paladins that was not set up by Hi-Rez. The group was twice as large as our Reddit, which we focus heavily on. That surprised me. We had a Facebook group created by the community that we had not shown any love to. So many people came together globally, we had to address that.
We first looked at what they were doing in the group – mainly posting memes. But that wasn’t all. On Facebook, people arranged to play together. They were looking for other players who wanted to play a few rounds or form professional teams. We don’t have that on our Reddit.”
Paladins CEO Todd Harris
Facebook has a growing interest in the gaming community
Also in the conversation was Patrick Chapman. He is responsible for gaming and eSports partnerships at Facebook. Facebook is also showing a growing interest in the eSports and gaming community.
Chapman noted that it is astonishing how many communities exist on Facebook that deal with games. This is actually still uncharted territory for the social media platform. Nevertheless, Facebook has about 800 million users interested in gaming. There are games played on Facebook, gaming groups, and pages. The gaming community is there.
When Facebook and Hi-Rez realized that there was mutual interest in further developing the professional eSports scene on Facebook, the Paladins Global Series was initiated.
The Global Series is a community league where amateur players can compete against each other in a professional, digital environment. The top matches of the Global Series will be streamed *only* via Facebook Live and will receive professional broadcasting. So far, the Global Series is the largest community eSports tournament in the world.
How do I get a Sparrow in Destiny 2? We will show you!
Every Guardian veteran must have wondered at least once after a few hours of gameplay in Destiny 2: “What is up with a Sparrow? Why am I walking all the time?”
In Destiny 1, it was a given that you traveled large distances with a Sparrow – a floating vehicle that could quickly take you from A to B. In Destiny 1, you got access to such a vehicle early in the campaign.
Destiny 2, on the other hand, is stingy with this means of transportation. You won’t get a Sparrow until you reach level 20 or successfully complete the story campaign.
Until then, you have to walk. Bungie ensures that you explore the worlds slowly before you race through them.
Note: The following contains massive story spoilers. Continue at your own risk.
Get / unlock Sparrow through the campaign
After the campaign, you will receive a guaranteed Sparrow.
A new social space will be unlocked, a new Tower. There you will find Amanda Holliday, who will give you a Sparrow for free as a thank you.
You can choose between these Sparrows:
Wayfarer Zero
Starchaser Zero
Moonrider Zero
After that, you can purchase more Sparrows from Ms. Holliday.
Receive Sparrows at Character Level 20 – Glamour Engrams
If you haven’t completed the story campaign yet but are already level 20, there is a way to get Sparrows earlier.
From level 20, you can receive Glamour Engrams and purchase them from Tess Everis for real money. These Glamour Engrams may contain Sparrows. However, there is no guarantee.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
If you really want to drive vehicles in Destiny 2 but still don’t have a Sparrow, keep an eye out for enemy vehicles. The Fallen, for example, sometimes come into battle with Mosquito Gliders. Take them from them and race through the open world.
An update for the F2P MMORPG WildStar (PC) is live and fulfills a long-standing wish of the players – huge plots of land that can be built together as a community.
Since last night (09.06.2017), the latest patch of WildStar is now live. The patch named “Homecoming” is now active on the game’s mega-servers.
At the heart of the update is housing. The already extensive housing of WildStar has been further expanded and now allows players to team up with like-minded individuals. This merges the plots (“Sky-Plots”) together, resulting in a much larger housing area that can be adjusted according to the community’s desires.
To showcase what the latest update has to offer, a small trailer has been released, in which the community participated with impressive houses.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Cortyn says: I think it’s nice to see that WildStar is still receiving updates, even though I wonder if it’s still profitable. However, it must be said that the “communities” feature was announced shortly after the game’s release. So the development time has been quite long – but at least it has finally been released. Some games with an announced dance studio could learn a thing or two from this…
Don’t you know Transformice, the mouse MMO with 70 million players? We didn’t know it either.
Transformice is an indie game that is also available on Steam, but there it only has about 1,200 players active at the same time.
In principle, it is a platformer where you play as a mouse searching for cheese. Within two minutes, you need to reach the fragrant piece and bring it back. But that’s not easy at all, as you are not alone. Hundreds of players are also trying to reach the goal. This leads to chaos.
Who is the fastest mouse?
Each of the five million maps in the game offers different challenges that you must master to reach the cheese. These include obstacles that you need to overcome, shortcuts that must be found, and somehow you should outsmart your fellow players to be the first to reach the cheese.
After that, it gets even more fun, as you need to bring the cheese back and are pursued by other players trying to take the good piece from you.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Additionally, one player plays as the Shaman, who has special powers and can create objects that place more obstacles in the way of some mice while helping others to reach the goal faster. He can also transform mice, for example into planks, to allow other mice to cross a chasm.
The more mice a Shaman saves, the faster he levels up and can unlock new abilities through his skill tree, providing him with more options in further rounds. Seven official game modes, 200 official maps, dozens of player-created game modes, and over 5 million player-created maps provide plenty of variety.
A fantastic start
Transformice was programmed by a small indie team in three weeks and has reached about 70 million players over the past six years. During the developer conference GDC 2017, developer Melanie Christin spoke about this immense success. In the video, Christin explains that one night in the house where she was staying, she heard noises coming from the walls while lying in bed. She imagined that mice were crawling over each other to overcome obstacles and reach a piece of cheese. This gave rise to the idea for the game.
In May 2010, the game launched and was only promoted with a link through a small French forum, reaching a few hundred players. The website SomethingAwful took notice of the game and reported on it.
The reaction was surprising, the server crashed under the influx of players. There was no money for additional servers, so the team had to rely on inexpensive advertising and donations from fans. The game reached around 80,000 unique visitors per day, allowing the developers to earn about $11,000 by the end of 2010.
A bumpy development
The success enabled the team to establish a development studio and quickly double the player numbers through full-time jobs. But then Google banned the company from the Adsense program, leading to massive financial problems. Through some contacts, this ban was lifted. The ban occurred because the ad banner was the wrong size, which the team had overlooked in the fine print. In 2012, after a business model overhaul, the first major success was achieved with revenues of $250,000 per month.
2013 again turned out to be a disappointing year, as the developers realized they had grown too quickly. There followed some restructuring, and in 2014, the situation improved again. In 2015, the game was released on Steam, which went chaotically and was associated with credit card fraud. In 2016, events followed that did not go too well. The team repeatedly had to make adjustments, especially regarding the monetization of the game.
In retrospect, Melanie Christin explains that the team was too small at the beginning but then grew too quickly, they had known too little, especially regarding monetization, and they had neglected the mobile sector.
Developing games is a constant learning process that continues to evolve because the market and many conditions are constantly changing – for example, Adobe’s Flash, which is slowly being replaced by HTML5, which the team also has to respond to. Yet all of this does not stop the developers from wanting to continue to bring innovative games to the market.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The sandbox MMORPG Albion Online has received a new update that disrupts the game’s economy.
The resource gathering plays an important role in Albion Online since the economy in Albion is player-driven. However, the developers have intervened and reduced the respawn rate of Tier 2 and Tier 3 resources. The respawn rates of Tier 4 resources, on the other hand, have been slightly increased. This aspect of the game returns to the times before the official launch of the game.
The update also brought some bug fixes, including a problem that prevented players from gaining fame through crafting.
Long-term effects are yet to be seen
The impact on the economy is clearly noticeable. The respawn rate of the resources affects the production of the items for which the resources are needed.
In addition, players are now finding runes and souls much more often in the chests. Additionally, previously obtained portal locks will be lifted if you teleport back to the safe region within a minute after traveling to the Outlands. All of this results in Albion Online feeling noticeably different to play.
Players are currently divided in the forum over these changes. However, it is still too early to foresee the medium- and long-term effects of these changes.
In Destiny 2, many Guardians do not understand that shaders can only be used once. A new system is needed, that is being demanded!
In the subreddit for Destiny, the international Destiny 2 community discusses the daily news. Shaders in Destiny 2 are currently the top topic.
Several threads complaining about the new shader system are at the top of reddit and are receiving agreement and thousands of upvotes.
But why are the Guardians up in arms? What is it about?
Criticism of the new shader system
The problem with shaders in Destiny 2: Each shader can only be used once. It is a consumable item. When you apply a shader to an armor piece, only that piece of armor changes color. For the next piece of armor, you need a new shader.
Shaders are purely cosmetic items. They allow you to customize the colors of your gear. However, the appearance of one’s Guardian holds great importance for many players – and the most efficient method to obtain shaders is the in-game shop. This is upsetting many players.
A user compares the new shaders to chromatics from Destiny 1: Bungie transferred the worst feature of chromatics to the shaders in Destiny 2 – namely, that they are consumed after use. And chromatics were not well received in Destiny 1.
In Destiny 1, shaders were permanent items. In a collection, you could access all previously earned shaders at any time and use them as you wished.
Destiny 2 has now introduced three important changes to shaders:
They can be applied to armor pieces and weapons.
They can be applied to each piece of gear individually – this allows you to freely combine shaders and customize the look of your Guardian. In Destiny 1, a shader affected all armor pieces. Many Guardians welcome this change.
The change that shaders are consumed after application ruins the new shader system for many.
Players Call for Boycott
A Reddit user writes that Destiny 2 has brought many “Quality of Life” improvements, but this one shader change is not in the spirit of the players. He sees the only advantage as the new shaders bringing more money into the developers’ pockets. Because those who want shaders quickly have to go to Eververse, the in-game shop.
Another user doesn’t just criticize, he calls for tougher measures: He urges Guardians not to spend a single cent on microtransactions until Bungie makes shaders “unlimited” again. His boycott is under the hashtag #MakeFashionGreatAgain. Currently (September 7th around noon), he has already gathered over 36,000 upvotes – it is the top thread in the Destiny subreddit by a wide margin.
The user lists several arguments:
Consumable items, even if they drop frequently, are no improvement over permanent rewards.
You collect numerous items in Destiny 2, and each requires its own shader. This leads many Guardians to wait until they find their “optimal gear” before applying shaders. Otherwise, the shader is wasted. Especially in the initial hours, when you equip new items after each mission, it does not make sense to apply shaders. And the purpose of shaders should actually be to be used.
Moreover, it is repeatedly emphasized that Bungie only wants to take money from Guardians with this new shader system. Although there are several sources for shaders – they can also be found in chests in the open world – those who want shaders quickly and efficiently have to knock on Eververse’s door. This is seen as a rip-off.
It is suspected that this system could become an even bigger problem with “raid shaders”. Until you have the right shaders, you would have to play the raid multiple times.
Currently, we have no statement from Bungie on the matter. However, it seems unlikely that the shader system will be changed anytime soon.
What is your opinion on shaders as consumable items?
We have addressed the topic of “shaders” in a comment here:
PC players are waiting for the release of Destiny 2 at the end of October. What similar games to Destiny 2 can help pass the time until then?
It’s frustrating! Destiny is once again the gaming topic in September of a year, just like in 2014 and 2015. And probably, Destiny 2 will remain the number 1 gaming topic for the next 5 or 6 weeks.
You can’t escape Destiny 2 right now: Daily tons of news on this MMO site, friends talking about how they spent another 6 hours in Destiny 2 last night, and the videos really do look like it could be fun.
Once again, PC players are left out of the Destiny 2 party.
So what to do to survive the painfully long weeks until then? We want to present you some alternative games that we think will scratch where Destiny 2 fans are currently itching – and no body part is meant by that.
Games like Destiny 2: Warframe
Warframe has always been considered by many fans to be the “better Destiny”. The free-to-play game shares the science-fiction setting and MMO elements with Destiny. There’s loot, and you can customize your character, a space ninja. As Warframe, you punch, shoot, jump, and dive through missions. You fight against dark alien races.
What speaks for Warframe: The game has a lot of content and is lovingly designed. You can dive right in and find yourself in action-packed battles against hordes of aliens. The movement system is particularly a highlight of Warframe. If you dive deeper, you encounter surprisingly complex systems and can spend days with the game – just like with Destiny.
What speaks against Warframe? Nothing, but there are differences. Compared to Destiny 2, Warframe is a third-person shooter, the aesthetics are different than Destiny. But Warframe is a super action MMO for PC that is being well developed further. Currently, regular players are waiting for an “Open World,” which is supposed to come at the end of the year, but Warframe already has a lot to offer every player.
