Morrowind, the new chapter addon for The Elder Scrolls Online launches today for PC players in early access. Those who qualify can download the new chapter addon this afternoon and travel to Vvardenfell. Find out everything here about the download of Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls Online Morrowind – Early Access Requirements
Two whole weeks before the official launch of Morrowind on June 6, selected players of The Elder Scrolls Online can play the first major addon to ESO. However, the early access is only valid for a certain portion of the player base. You must have pre-ordered one of the following versions of The Elder Scrolls Online Morrowind:
Digital Upgrade Edition to Morrowind
Digital Collector’s Edition as an upgrade
Physical Collector’s Edition. This must be unlocked through a workaround. You can find out exactly how under the provided link on the official ESO page.
Very important: Early access is ONLY valid for the PC version of Morrowind. Players on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One will unfortunately have to wait until June 6.
The Elder Scrolls Online Morrowind – 7.5 GB Early Access Download Started
If you meet the necessary requirements, you only need to start the ESO launcher and download Morrowind. But beware, as is usual with The Elder Scrolls Online, the download is not exactly small.
You have to download a whopping 7.5 gigabytes, which could take some time, especially on slow connections.
Once you have downloaded everything… there will be a second phase where around 50 gigabytes of The Elder Scrolls Online must be “redistributed.” That happens relatively quickly.
After that, you can get started with Morrowind.
The early access version of Morrowind grants you all bonus items from the pre-order editions. Additionally, you can play all the content of the release version, including the new Guardian, the PvP battlegrounds, and the complete story. There will be no wipe until the release.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will soon receive its second monthly update with new content, including a special sniper rifle that kills completely silently and has a built-in scope.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds receives a substantial update once a month, which introduces new content in addition to bug fixes and improvements. Recently, there were motorcycles and the Vector SMG. This month, a heavier weapon is on the way.
The new weapon will be a sniper rifle, ideal for stealthy players and assassins.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – VSS Vintorez – From Speznas with love!
The new wonder weapon in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is the VSS Vintorez. This weapon dates back to 1987 and is a compact sniper rifle that features a built-in suppressor as well as a standard scope. This makes the Vintorez almost completely silent and is still favored by special forces like the Russian Spetsnaz for covert operations.
In PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, the weapon is very suitable for players who like to sneak around unnoticed and take out enemies from ambush.
However, keep in mind that the VSS Vintorez is so quiet because it fires particularly powerful subsonic ammunition. This means that your bullets will soon succumb to gravity, making shots at long distances a pure gamble. Hitting targets over 200 meters away is quite rare with the new weapon.
So, if you prefer sniping at long distances, you should choose another weapon. But if you want to assassinate at medium range – especially with the camouflage suit – then the Vintorez is ideal. Also cool: The Vintorez can fire both semi-automatic and fully automatic.
In Destiny 2, there is gameplay and information on three exotic weapons: Sunshot, Sweet Business, and Riskrunner. Perhaps one of the 3 exotic weapons will be the “Gjallarhorn” from Destiny 2.
As Luke Smith stated, Guardians in Destiny 2 can look forward to plenty of new weapons, armor pieces, and Exotics. The particularly exciting question is: What do the Exotics bring to the table? How “unique” are they?
Three exotic weapons have already been playable during the gameplay premiere. These were assigned to classes:
Sunshot is a hand cannon used by the Hunter
Sweet Business is an auto rifle that the Titans could use
The Sunshot is an exotic hand cannon with an interesting look: The drum magazine glows brighter as the magazine gets lower.
The Sunshot in Destiny 2 deals solar damage, which is why it is carried in the energy slot. It also has a magazine size of 8 and a fire rate of 150. Since the bar display for the other stats is new, little else can be said about the values. The handling is at least nearly maximal.
The weapons at the gameplay premiere could not be inspected, so only the perks that were shown in the preview are known:
Sunburn: Creates explosive rounds that highlight enemies (they start to glow)
Second perk, name not known: Enemies killed with the Sunshot explode in solar energy
So, it has potential as a Fatebringer!
Sweet Business in Destiny 2
Sweet Business is an exotic auto rifle that deals kinetic damage and therefore is carried in the kinetic slot. It has a fire rate of 360. Additionally, the base stats for range, handling, and especially reload speed are very low.
The known perks are:
Payday: Hip-fire accuracy is increased and the magazine is larger. 90 shots are in the magazine.
Second perk, name unknown: When holding down the trigger, range and fire rate are increased. Additionally, ammunition goes directly into the magazine when you pick it up.
What makes this “auto rifle” special is: It is essentially a Gatling gun – an automatic weapon with a rotating barrel. According to some testers, it is extremely fun to use. The idea behind Sweet Business is to keep the enemies under constant fire.
Maybe Sweet Business will be the next “exotic weapon” in Destiny to earn a legendary reputation. In the first part, it was the “Gjallarhorn” that became legendary and built a cult around it. Admittedly, the Gjallarhorn had a completely different function…
Riskrunner in Destiny 2
Riskrunner is an exotic submachine gun. It has a fire rate of 750 and a magazine size of 40.
The known perks are:
Arc Conductor: When you take arc damage, the “power of the weapon” increases
The other perk causes the weapon to shoot chain lightning while Arc Conductor is active, while regaining ammunition.
The range of the SMG is very low, making almost every shot outside of optimal range wasteful. But at close range, it sizzles through enemies.
The Riskrunner has some similarities to the “Zhalo Supercell” from Destiny 1.
In this video, you can see the three Exotics in action:
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Allods Online, the classic online role-playing game from Russia, receives another major update called Creation after the big “Immortality Upgrade” last winter. This update focuses on the birth of a new archmage, and there are new instances and items as well!
Allods Online is already about seven years old, but the Russian MMO is still being developed and supplied with content by the makers of Skyforge. For example, in December 2016, when the big “Immortality” upgrade was released and introduced a new race called “Aoidos” into the game.
The story of the Aoidos continues in the next major update “Creation”.
Allods Online – Creation Update – Story and Celebrations
With the birth of the new Dominus, a new era begins for the Aoidos, and to honor the events surrounding the new ruler and archmage, there is a completely new storyline. In this, you are meant to dive into the secrets of the universe and explore unforeseen mysteries. In addition to the story, there are celebrations in the form of athletic competitions. These competitions consist of chariot races, gladiator fights, and a descent into the labyrinth of the Minotaur.
Additionally, there are further goodies from the new upgrade:
You can loot new artifacts from raids. These can be upgraded up to five times with resources from the raids.
You will automatically receive a first artifact, the “Mirror of Freedom”, when the update is released and you possess two legendary items.
Some legendary items are now craftable with the new update.
Your labyrinths will receive a new rating system. Well-protected labyrinths will appear more often in the lists and will therefore be attacked more frequently.
Update 8.0.1 Creation will be released for Allods Online on May 23, 2017.
This MMO was built in Minecraft. It features over 100 unique quests spread across a large map and has cool leveling areas.
Over four years of work have gone into this massive Minecraft project. In an area of 4000 x 5000 blocks, you can experience an MMO adventure on the Wynncraft server. In various regions like the forests Nivla Woods or the bay Pirate Bay you can level your character and experience many stories.
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The Wynncraft server is said by the developers to be the largest MMORPG in Minecraft and is free to play. All you need to play is an internet connection and a Minecraft account. Your adventure starts in a small place and extends across the massive “4000 x 5000” block map, where there are impressive constructions to discover.
The Steampunk City “Corkus City”
On this special Minecraft server, you will experience typical MMORPG adventures with all the features that come with it:
Level Up: By playing the adventure, you gain experience points and level up. While exploring the world, you will continuously find powerful weapons and items that improve your character.
Unique Map: The map of the server was created by a building team that designed every house, cave, and the entire environment in detail. You can view the complete map (with zoom function) here: Zoom Map on map.wynncraft.com
Quests: To learn about the exciting story behind this map, the Wynncraft server offers you over 100 unique quests.
Guilds: Over a million unique players are registered on the server. In guilds, you can join other adventurers.
Monsters and Bosses: While completing quests – and exploring the map – you must always expect to encounter creepy monsters. If you kill these dangerous creatures, rewards await you.
If you want to dive into this adventure, you only need an active internet connection and a Minecraft account. On the official website, you will find the IP address to join the multiplayer server. Here is the official website on Wynncraft.com
Although there is always criticism regarding the development of the space online game Star Citizen, the crowdfunding campaign continues unabated.
Star Citizen has now exceeded the mark of 150 million US dollars in crowdfunding. The number of backers has risen to 1,812,654. That would be a good population for the game, provided everyone actually populates the online universe at release.
The developers are proud that the fans remain so loyal and continue to believe in the project, even if the development may not be progressing fast enough for some.
New $275 spaceship boosts financing further
150 million dollars is an impressive figure that many development studios would wish for their project.
And with the announcement of the new stealth bomber AEGIS Eclipse, the number will rise even further. Because you can purchase the spaceship for 275 dollars, 250 dollars in the War-Bond version. This discounted price is only valid until June 2. Afterwards, the spaceship will cost 335 dollars or 305 dollars (War-Bond version).
The spaceship was specifically designed for covert operations against the Vanduul and possesses significant firepower.
Alpha 3.0 is coming
Cloud Imperium Games is currently continuing to work on the game and is – according to current plans – set to release Alpha version 3.0 on June 29. Among other things, three new moons will be introduced, on which you can even walk around freely thanks to the “Planetary Tech” system. In the later game, there will be many planets you can enter. There, adventures or PvP battles await you. As of now, there is no release date for Star Citizen or the single-player spin-off Squadron 42.
A fox lady caused the downfall of a dynasty – and that very being is now coming to SMITE: Da Ji.
It is once again time to release a new goddess for Hi-Rez’s god MOBA SMITE. As usual, the ladies are not shy about their charms, but at least for this goddess, it is quite in line with her story.
The emperor of the realm was so in love with the goddess Nu Wa that he pursued her repeatedly and eventually even snuck into her temple to deface the sacred walls with love poems. Nu Wa then created a being to distract the emperor – Da Ji, a cunning and sly fox lady.
She seduced the emperor and became his concubine, but took pleasure in the suffering of the subjects, bringing ruin to the entire realm. Ultimately, the subjects revolted and killed the emperor – however, Da Ji escaped and still torments the world today with her creative torture methods.
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In SMITE, Da Ji is a fragile assassin from the Chinese pantheon, but she can quickly deal large amounts of damage. Let’s take a look at Da Ji and her skills in SMITE:
Her passive ability Torture Blades ensures that automatic attacks leave a bleeding effect on the opponent, dealing damage over 2 seconds. Stacks multiple times.
Da Ji’s first ability is Horrible Burns. It buffs herself so that her next successful automatic attack deals additional damage and sets the target on fire for 3 seconds, which also deals additional damage.
With One Thousand Cuts, Da Ji strikes four times at all enemies in a cone in front of her. Da Ji can move during this time with increased movement speed, is immune to slows, and takes reduced damage from behind. These hits apply the bleed from her passive ability.
Trickster Spirits is Da Ji’s mobility ability. She can select an allied or enemy god and will teleport to that god after a short delay. Upon arriving at an enemy, she deals damage that also transfers her passive effect.
Da Ji’s ultimate is Paolao. She summons a massive, burning pillar from which she is immune and looks down on her enemies. Three times she can throw a chain that binds affected enemies to the pillar and deals minor damage. After a short delay, all affected enemies are pulled to the pillar and take high damage. Da Ji then jumps from the pillar to a chosen target location.
Da Ji is expected to arrive in the live version of SMITE later this week.
In The Division, the update 1.6.1 is on the horizon. What new features does it bring?
Initially, update 1.6.1 was announced as a purely quality update. It was supposed to bring only bug fixes and tweak the balance a bit. However, it actually brings more – including: Loadouts!
The update 1.6.1 will be released on May 23rd. Here’s what you need to know.
Loadouts are coming
The biggest and most important new feature is the loadouts feature. Loadouts in German are “Bewaffnungen” and allow agents to save their builds and quickly switch between them.
From now on, you no longer have to swap each item individually to switch from one build to another. Instead, you can save up to six loadouts and switch between them at will outside of combat.
Loadouts are the biggest, but not the only new feature of update 1.6.1. Also new is a better group management in Last Stand.
Last Stand, or in German “Letztes Gefecht”, is the PvP mode in The Division that was introduced with 1.6. With 1.6.1, you can inspect all 8 members of your team and mute them separately.
Proficiency Marks in Last Stand
Another new feature in the “Letztes Gefecht” mode are the Proficiency Marks, which are called “Leistungsabzeichen” in German. These reward players who excel in a particular aspect during a match. For example, a badge for the best K/D has been frequently mentioned.
The Proficiency Marks grant you extra points and thus more rewards, with a player able to earn multiple badges per match. On a scoreboard, you can see live during the match who is leading in the requirements.
Landmarks in the Dark Zone become more lucrative
With 1.6.1, there are new rewards when you clear landmarks in the Dark Zone. On one hand, you get DZ experience and DZ currency, but on the other hand, also a non-contaminated item. This will immediately land in your inventory, so you don’t have to extract it.
Additionally, some areas in the Dark Zone have been restructured to minimize unfair encounters.
Bug fixes and balancing
The update 1.6.1 brings a host of bug fixes and balance adjustments. Examples:
Aim assist while hip firing with a controller is removed
Today, May 22nd, the complete patch notes for 1.6.1 are expected in the late afternoon. There you will find all the bug fixes. Update: Here are the patch notes.
There is some information about the PC version of Destiny 2. There are now statements regarding expected issues with cheats and the aim control. Also, the CrossSave for Destiny 2 is now clear.
Destiny 2 on PC is not developed by Bungie itself
In an interview with PC Gamer, Bungie is somewhat sparse with information about the PC version, but there are some details:
The PC version of Destiny 2 is not developed by Bungie itself, but by the Activision studio Vicarious Visions in Albany, New York. In December 2016, Bungie announced that they would collaborate with them. It is emphasized that this is not “outsourcing.” They consider the New Yorkers as an extended part of their own dev team. They are in regular contact with them, and it is a strong partnership.
Regarding cheats, it is said: They know that there are significant differences between PC and consoles. They have dealt with many things that do not exist on consoles. And they want to consider as many of these things as possible as quickly as possible.
Maybe you’ll be able to take your console Guardian – maybe not
Bungie also knows that some veterans would like to take their PS4 or Xbox One Guardian to PC. Here, they have no answer yet on whether this will be possible. Bungie understands the desire. It is something they have in mind, but there is no answer yet. It is a marathon, not a sprint.
System Requirements: You don’t need a supercomputer for Destiny 2
There are still no exact details on the system requirements. You might expect some at E3. However, it sounds like the system requirements are moderate. You don’t need a super-modern PC to run Destiny 2 smoothly.
Destiny 2: Crosshair sits higher than on PS4/Xbox One
There are some changes in the shooter gameplay. Destiny 2 is supposed to not feel like a console port on PC. On consoles, the crosshair is slightly below the center of the screen. On PC, it is exactly in the center of the screen.
The way recoil works has also been adjusted for PC. The developers have reportedly invested “a lot of work” so that Destiny 2 plays like a great PC shooter.
According to initial reports from Destiny 2 YouTubers, it might have been successful – (the gameplay in the video is not from the PC version, so the crosshair is a bit lower).
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Destiny 2 on PC will not be capped at 30 FPS. The demo version ran at 60 FPS with 4k. In the retail version, it is expected to go up to 144 FPS. According to Bungie and some YouTubers, the jump from 30 to 60 FPS does not greatly affect the gaming experience. However, what changes the feel of the game significantly, is the switch from controller to keyboard and mouse. Destiny 2 with mouse and keyboard seems to be a lot of fun. The game is described as “smooth.”
So much for the information from the interview with PC Gamer.
Destiny 2 Cross-Play/Cross-Save: Can I play Destiny 2 with friends on other platforms?
What fans can probably completely give up is the hope of some that “Cross-Play” or “Cross-Save” between the various platforms will be possible in Destiny 2.
“Leak” right before the release was nonsense
A supposed leak, a few hours before the reveal of Destiny 2, had raised hopes. It was said that thanks to Crosssave, one could play the same Guardian on PS4 and PC. The leak was especially pounced on by German gaming sites like a fat kid on a pack of Choco Crossies.
But the leak was nonsense, as we now know. The leak had promised not only Cross-Save but also 60 FPS on consoles. That was also nonsense.
Cross-Save will not happen, as Usgamer reports.
Anyone who wants to play with friends on other platforms will face difficulties. Bungie somewhat unhelpfully notes that new friends could be found through “Guided Games.” Thank you for the tip, Bungie!
Frontier Developments, the developers of the space online game Elite Dangerous, held a short film competition and have now announced the winner.
The short film competition CTRL+ALT+SPACE 2017, organized by the developer studio Frontier Developments, astonished the developers. They stated that they did not expect such creativity and skill in producing high-quality videos. Therefore, it was not easy to select a winner.
The winner truly deserves first place
The task of the contest was to create a short film using game footage. This could be a trailer, a small short story, or something else that could not exceed five minutes in length.
Among all the submissions, the video by Turjan Starstone, titled Stardust, particularly stood out. He explains that he created the video in memory of his mother, who passed away in 2015. While he believes his mother would have accused him of being too sentimental, he is proud of what he has created and believes that his mother would also be proud, although she cannot see the video anymore.
Elite Dangerous offers many adventures
As a prize, he is now looking forward to a video capture card, a headset, a keyboard, a gaming mouse pad, and some in-game goodies. In the video, which you can watch here in the news, Commander Turjan shares stories about his mother, who was also a spaceship commander, and the adventures she experienced in the galaxy. As you can see, with some imagination, great adventures can be experienced in the space online game Elite Dangerous.
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Legendary Rings in Patch 7.2.5 for World of Warcraft grant players a new talent. We have listed all the talents.
With Patch 7.2.5, there will be a new batch of legendary items in World of Warcraft. These do not come with unique effects that change gameplay, but have a different strong power inherent to them: a talent. These talents are already present in the regular talent trees, but allow for two talents in the same row to be selected. We have listed all the new rings and the talents they grant for you.
In the MMORPG Dark and Light, the pet system will function a little differently than you would know from other genre representatives. Because you “build” your companions from parts of various creatures.
Pets are usually useful companions that you can assign tasks in some MMORPGs, and they support the heroes, for example, in battles. In most MMOs, you find these pets in the wilderness, tame them, and then travel with them. These can be small animals like foxes, but sometimes even gigantic dragons. The MMORPG Dark and Light will also have these companions, but the system works a little differently.
Frankenstein’s Monster Pet
If you find an animal, it is possible to only take a part of it with you. Over time, you will obtain several individual parts of different animals and creatures and build your own personal pet from them. Sounds pretty cruel, but it is effective. Because this way, your pet not only gets an individual appearance but even quite special attributes.
Summon your own Elemental
In addition, you will find the so-called Elementals in the world, but you should only approach them when you are already an experienced adventurer. Because if you manage to defeat an Elemental, then you can harvest its “core”.
These cores are useful for creating high-level items or spells. If you collect the cores, it is possible to summon an Elemental that will then fight by your side.
As you can see, the pet system of the MMORPG Dark and Light is quite interesting. When the online game will be released is still uncertain. An early access phase is planned for later this year.
Destiny 2 will do without Grimoire cards. Instead, the developers focus on in-game lore.
There are different opinions about the Grimoire cards in Destiny. Some people can’t relate to them at all, while others enjoy collecting them and curiously reading the short stories hidden within.
The Grimoire system serves two purposes:
As a kind of progress overview: For example, if you find Dead Ghosts or achieve specific goals in Destiny, your Grimoire points will increase. The higher your score, the more you have accomplished.
As the only way to get detailed info about the lore, the background story of Destiny.
With the story missions of Destiny, Bungie has not distinguished itself. There is a lack of coherence, strong characters, and information on what it is all about. Anyone wanting detailed information about the Destiny universe or its characters has to wade through the texts on the Grimoire cards. Many Guardians did not bother with that.
As has now been officially confirmed: There will be no Grimoire cards for Destiny 2.
Hawthorne – a new character in Destiny 2
Goodbye, Grimoire Cards
In an interview with Forbes, Bungie’s World Lead Steve Cotton was asked whether Grimoire cards would play a role in Destiny 2. And the clear answer was: “No.”.
According to Cotton, the answer is “No” because Bungie wants to integrate the lore directly into the game. Guardians should discover the lore in-game. In Destiny 2, the story will be told through Adventures (short side missions), through the characters in the world, through the campaign, or through scannable objects that can be found everywhere in the worlds.
Additionally, during the gameplay premiere, a menu display was discovered, which apparently allows you to display the lore:
Is this a step in the right or wrong direction?
Essentially, it is a welcome change to pack more lore directly into the game. Many Guardians have never looked into the Grimoire cards and thus never really understood what Destiny is all about (although there are still many, many questions left unanswered). Therefore, it is a step in the right direction to tell the lore in-game.
On Reddit, many Guardians are now asking: Why can’t both exist? They express that they enjoy reading the short stories on the Grimoire cards. That is an experience and a source of information they do not want to miss. There are fears that the lore in Destiny 2 will become significantly shallower. Because so much information as is on the Grimoire cards can never be conveyed in-game.
By the way: Cotton only speaks of the Grimoire cards. Whether the Grimoire points will also be absent has not been explicitly stated. However, no display for the Grimoire points was discovered at the gameplay premiere. Whether a new points system will potentially be introduced is unknown:
What do you think of this news? Are you glad that the lore is finally being told in-game, or do you already miss the Grimoire?
Jeff Kaplan reveals 6 secrets about the Tanks of Overwatch related to the game’s development.
During the development of the hero shooter Overwatch, many stories unfolded at Blizzard that ultimately led to the creation of the characters. In a video from IGN, Jeff Kaplan, the Game Director of Overwatch, revealed a “secret” for each tank hero about how each character was completed.
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D.Va is the character with the most bugs in the game. This is mainly because she essentially consists of two standalone characters, and the engine has a hard time handling that. Whenever there is a new patch, D.Va is the problem child that requires particularly extensive testing and adjustments.
Orisa did not start her life as a robot but as Gothic Zarya with Bastion’s weapon! At least during the internal testing phase, she was programmed that way before anyone designed the robot.
Reinhardt was planned as a little girl
At an early stage of development, Reinhardt was from Numbani and was planned in red coloring. He can be seen in one of the early concept drawings. This clarifies that the “red character” will not be a future hero but is already included in the game. By the way, the “red Reinhardt” was controlled by a little girl – he was just a combat mech.
The red one in the middle – that was Reinhardt.
Roadhog was initially just part of a concept drawing. He belonged to the organization of “Junkers” – in a completely different game (presumably the planned but never released “Titan”). When looking for ideas for Overwatch, the concept art was seen, and it was thought that it would be a shame to let these characters go to waste as opponents – thus Roadhog was born.
Zarya was created from the simple idea of making a video game character that does not conform to the female stereotype of many other games. For this reason, the developers were excited to design a lady who resembled a bodybuilder – Zarya is quite strong anyway.
There was also only a concept drawing of Winston at the beginning. And everyone on the team thought, “Yes, I absolutely want to play this character!” even though he might not perfectly fit into the universe. Then it was said, “Okay … and he can talk too!” to which everyone replied, “Yes … that … is still cool, let’s do it!” And when everyone finally hoped that was the end, he added, “And by the way … he is from the moon.” In the meantime, Winston has become something of a boundary marker – one doesn’t really want to go further.
Jeff Kaplan reveals 5 secrets about the supporters of Overwatch that were lost during development.
During the development of Overwatch, there were many changes and discarded plans that ultimately never saw the light of the internet. Jeff Kaplan has now revealed 5 of these secrets in a video from IGN – we will show you the video and present the 5 things.
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Ana was originally named “The Alchemist” and could brew various potions and salves that she threw at enemies and allies. It was only when the concept of the sniper healer was on the table that her current playstyle and ability kit were formed.
Lúcio‘s first ultimate slowed down time – for all players except Lúcio. While other players moved in slow motion, Lúcio could move at normal speed, shoot people, and push them around. However, this felt quite strange when you suddenly got slowed down while running back from the spawn room – so this idea was discarded.
Mercy originally did not carry her name – but Pharah was named Mercy! Then Pharah was referred to in the code as “Rocket Dude”, shortly thereafter renamed to “Rocket Queen” and finally received the name Pharah. This caused funny incidents internally at Blizzard, as it took a while for the developers to get used to it. They often logged in Pharah when someone told them to play Mercy. By the way, the original name of Mercy was simply “Angelika”.
Symmetra could already use a teleporter in her first iteration, but had to place both the entrance and the exit. This led to many players never finding the entrance. That’s why they discarded the concept, and the entrance now always stands in the same place in the spawn room of the respective team.
Zenyatta was the second healer programmed and initially had the unremarkable name “Cyber Monk”. The idea behind him was to be able to provide healing to people without being in immediate proximity, in contrast to Mercy. Thus, the various orbs for Zenyatta were created.
What do you think of these ideas and old concepts? Funny things or good that they were never in the finished game?
A trailer featuring Zavala has been released for Destiny 2. It shows how the Last City was formed and what defines the Guardians.
For many Guardians, it was the highlight of the gameplay premiere for Destiny 2: The trailer that kicked off the event and showcased the beginnings of the Last City.
Though this trailer may not seem to relate to the story of Destiny 2 at first glance, it provides (finally) more background regarding the Last City and Zavala, showing what significance the Traveler, the city, and the Light hold for him and the Guardians. And why it affects Zavala so deeply that Ghaul takes everything from him.
Here is the trailer for you in German:
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The trailer begins with Zavala being revived by his ghost. He mentions that he does not remember the past. The first breath returns life, but not the memories.
As a Guardian, one is irresistibly drawn to the Light. One fights, one dies, and one awakens again. And a Guardian knows that they have not been chosen by a higher power for no reason: By the Traveler.
In the trailer, we see Zavala setting out towards the Traveler. Beneath the Traveler, a new community begins to emerge. The speaker is visible, as is Lord Shaxx. The city grows and becomes a new home for many people. However, the city also attracts Fallen, against whom it must be defended. This is why the Guardians have been chosen, Zavala tells, to fight for the future, to protect the future.
The Last City is just the beginning. A symbol that shows what the Guardians are and what their destiny is. But the time will come when they will be tested. When everything that the Guardians are will be in danger. Then it will be revealed whether the Guardians can fulfill their destiny.
A persistent game world and an active in-game shop for an unfinished game? Apparently, more and more developers are reluctant to label their games as “released.”
A traditional release is difficult for an online game because this type of game usually evolves over years. Therefore, more and more development studios are opting for a so-called soft launch or setting the game world to a persistent status before the game officially starts.
What does “soft launch” mean for MMOs?
“Persistent status,” “no-wipe status,” or “soft launch” means here: the progress that players make in the game is preserved. There will be no more wipes.
This has happened, for example, with Skyforge or Revelation Online. The selective multiplayer RPG Shroud of the Avatar also achieved a persistent status since July last year, but the official launch is not expected until at least the end of 2017.
A typical example is the military MMO War Thunder. It started in November 2012 in an open beta. War Thunder celebrated its release only in December 2016. For 4 years, War Thunder remained in an “open beta,” even though it was playable, no more wipes occurred, and the cash shop was running.
Everything has advantages and disadvantages
The soft launch brings both advantages and disadvantages.The advantage is that fans are not kept waiting any longer before they can “properly” start playing without constantly fearing that a wipe will reset the game world and characters.
Especially in an MMORPG, it is important that the achievements gained through hard work are preserved and not reset due to frequent wipes. Another advantage is that players can already play actively, but the game is still considered unfinished, which should help protect against negative reviews.
Some are waiting for a release that never comes
A disadvantage is that some players only join after the official launch has occurred. Many do not want to enter an unfinished game but wait until at least the base product is “finished.” Therefore, player numbers during a soft launch are often lower than during the official release.
Moreover, a soft launch that occurs a long time before the actual start gives the impression that the developers are starting the game but do not dare to call it an official release because they are dissatisfied with their own product but need money now.
Since the soft launch usually also comes with the in-game shop going live. This means that, although the game has not yet officially started, the developers want players to spend money. In principle, it is an unfinished product that should not be rated yet, but for which players are already being asked to pay.
Unfair criticism?
This may sound somewhat unfair. Smaller development studios that set big goals often struggle with financial problems. Developing an MMORPG costs a lot of money, often more than small development studios can envision at the beginning. Therefore, it is important to secure additional revenue early on. And that’s why it is also understandable if these developers want to make their game accessible as early as possible and to launch an in-game shop. But is that okay? Is it acceptable to charge money for an unfinished product while trying to evade reviews?
Anyone who is asked to spend money would want to know if the product is worth the price, regardless of its condition. Of course, one must be aware during a soft launch that it is not yet the finished product. But the question is: Is it already fun in its unfinished state? Is it worth it for me to invest money?
Those who want money should also accept being rated and tested
These are questions that everyone must answer for themselves. But it would be fair only if a product is rated at the time when money is being asked for it (and this without developer complaints). If a developer studio does not want this out of fear that the unfinished state will lead to a bad rating, then it should simply wait to sell it or to launch a cash shop.
As one can also see from Steam’s Early Access program, it often seems to be exploited to sell completely unfinished products and then hide behind early access to avoid negative reviews in the press.
What do you think? Should unfinished games, for which money is already being asked through early access or a soft launch with an in-game shop, be evaluated harshly but fairly? Or do these products still enjoy a “puppy protection”?
A game that celebrated an early “release” and had to endure a lot of criticism and negative reviews was Marvel Heroes. They used a trick to get rid of this problem:
Tencent is really huge. More than 7 billion dollars was generated by the Chinese giant at the beginning of 2017. In just 3 months they made more revenue from online games than Ubisoft and Take-Two combined earned in the entire year of 2016.
Tencent generates four times as much revenue as Activision Blizzard in Q1 2017
The results from Tencent for the first quarter of 2017 are here. There was a hefty increase of 55% compared to Q1 2016. The company’s revenue amounts to 7182 million US dollars. In comparison: Activision Blizzard made “only” 1730 million US dollars during the same period. That’s less than a quarter of that sum.
Not only is the revenue massive, the profit is also impressive: 2793 million US dollars. This number has increased by 44%.
When considering only the revenue from online games, Tencent achieves 3.3 billion US dollars in Q1 2017. The revenue here has grown by 34%.
This is more than the two Western publishers Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed, The Division) and Take-Two (GTA V Online, Borderlands) combined made in the entire calendar year 2016, notes Asia expert Daniel Ahmad.
Tencent’s Online Games Division generated revenues of $3.3bn in Q1 2017.
The CEO of Tencent says that they made this revenue in Q1 2017 with a diversified offering: mobile games, PC games, advertising on social media, and much more.
The revenue particularly soared during the Chinese New Year celebration, which took place on January 28.
Strong in various gaming genres
Tencent claims to be a leader in various genres for PC: League of Legends is the largest MOBA. In China, they also make a lot of money with sports games unknown in the West: FIFA Online 3 and NBA 2k Online.
In the shooter category, they are at the forefront with Crossfire and Call of Duty Online. In action role-playing games, Dungeon Fighter Online holds the Tencent flag high.
But Tencent is not just a pure PC company. They are also well-positioned in the mobile games sector, having launched a variety of hits.
Completely different dimensions in the gaming market Asia: And they are buying in the West
Mein MMO thinks: For us in the West, it is hard to comprehend how the Chinese earn so much money when we have mostly never heard of their games: the West is a different gaming market than Asia. In the West, consoles like PlayStation 4 or Xbox One play a big role – in China, there is practically only the PC and mobile.
Normally, only these big purchases make headlines, but it doesn’t stop there: Just a few weeks ago, Tencent invested 90 million US dollars in the mobile games publisher Pocket Gems from San Francisco. The Chinese now pay this from their pocket change.
Time and again, in thought experiments, a scenario appears where the Chinese gaming giant could easily swallow a large Western publisher like Electronic Arts or Ubisoft. Looking at the numbers, this is becoming increasingly likely.
A final reminder for all players of Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch who may have forgotten or suppressed this: Only until Monday, May 22, 2017, the “Nexus Challenge 2.0” takes place in Heroes of the Storm.
Players have the opportunity here to earn various goodies that will be available in Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm afterwards. Over the course of four weeks, quests have been unlocked, and there is a reward for completing them. Those who have not participated so far can still complete all quests in a continuous run now, as all missions are available in the last week.
Each task requires you to complete 5 games with a friend from your friends list. These matches can be played in “Quick Play” or ranked mode. The following rewards are available for completing the individual quests in the correct order:
Quest 1
Reward in Overwatch: Oni-Genji skin, Oni icon, and Oni spray
Reward in HotS: Orochi portrait, Orochi banner, Orochi spray, and Orochi hovercycle (mount)
Quest 2
Reward in Overwatch: Officer D.Va skin
Reward in HotS: Busan Police hovercycle (mount)
Quest 3
Reward in Overwatch: Officer D.Va icon and spray
Reward in HotS: Officer D.Va portrait, banner, spray, and Overwatch Nexagon (mount)
Quest 4
Reward in Overwatch: 10 loot boxes
Reward in HotS: 10 loot boxes
Those who have not participated yet must complete 20 games to unlock all rewards – a considerable task with less than 2 days left!
Paladins has already recorded over 2 million players on PS4 and Xbox One. Together with the PC version, this brings the hero shooter to a total of 11 million players.
About two weeks ago, Paladins went into open beta on PS4 and Xbox One. During this time, over 2 million players registered on the consoles. This brings Paladins to a total of 11 million players, when including the PC players.
Paladins is a hero shooter developed by Hi-Rez Studios. For a shooter, Paladins has strong MOBA elements. With a deck building system, players can customize the abilities of their champions and strategically influence the game.
Paladins PS4 Review – Is the team shooter worth it?
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Paladins was already a hit on Steam – Are consoles catching up?
Paladins arrived on Steam in September 2016 and quickly became a huge success on PC. On Playstation 4 and Xbox One, the MOBA shooter seems to be building on this success now. Todd Harris is the CEO of Hi-Rez Studios and gave a positive assessment of Paladins on Reddit.
Here, he announced that the team shooter currently has 11 million players and that the number “continues to rise rapidly.” Of these, there are currently 9 million PC players and 2 million on PS4 or Xbox One. These numbers do not yet include Chinese players.
The many players help Paladins continue to grow
According to Harris, the success of Paladins has contributed to further developing Paladins on a large scale. In 2017 there were:
Paladins follows the “free-to-play” model and is available for free download on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. This makes Paladins the first shooter to be offered for free on consoles.
Todd Harris provided insight into the next six months in Paladins in his Reddit post. Updates will be released faster on PS4 and Xbox One in the future. Additionally, the focus will be heavily on bug fixes, lore, and gameplay improvements.
