It could be that gaming fans will soon spend more time in the Wild West.
An MMORPG in the Wild West is a bold yet interesting decision. The developers could hit a nerve with the players, as Red Dead Redemption 2 is already highly anticipated and supposedly Ubisoft is working on a new Far Cry game, which is also set in the Wild West.
Something new in the West
The newly founded developer studio 612 Games wants to give you a lot of freedom with the upcoming sandbox MMORPG Wild West Online. You can work as a gangster in the huge open game world and rob other players or banks, or you will become the sheriff and defend the towns.
However, Wild West Online is supposed to be more than just a kind of “cowboys and indians” game, where it’s only good versus evil. If you want to make a living as someone who searches for resources in the wilderness, you can also take this path.
For example, it is possible to look for a mine and mine gold that you sell in town. But the mine will eventually attract bandits, so it is advisable to pay players to protect you with the money. This is how a player-driven economy in the game world is supposed to emerge, as crafting will also play an important role, which works through recipes.
PvP is the focus
Wild West Online will also allow gangs to organize, take hideouts and plan their next robberies from there. Wars can break out between the different gangs. Bounty hunters and sheriffs will then try to take down these gangs. By the way, there will only be fights between players. NPCs will not come to collect the bounty for a player. Player interaction is supposed to be at the center. Currently, there are also no quests planned, but this could still change.
To bring a bit more excitement to the game and to protect it from overpopulation, the servers are limited to about 100 players.
Currently, some game elements have not yet been fully worked out, such as how to improve the character and what consequences the death of a hero has. A Kickstarter campaign for the game is planned for the end of the month, through which at least 250,000 US dollars are to be raised.
Some stretch goals are already set. At 400,000 dollars, female characters will be introduced, and at 1.75 million dollars, train robberies will find their way into the game, which will be a kind of raid.
Release as a competitor to Red Dead Redemption 2
The base game is definitely scheduled to be released, regardless of whether the Kickstarter campaign is successful or not. This is only meant to secure additional financial resources with which more features can be implemented.
The release of the base game Wild West Online is even planned for the end of this year. Then it will also be decided whether players prefer to play the online mode of Red Dead Redemption 2 or Wild West Online.
Andreas says: Wild West Online looks excellent and could have a good chance of exciting many players. The setting is new and fresh, and many of the ideas sound good. I am still a bit skeptical for two reasons:
The focus on PvP and few PvE contents may only appeal to a small portion of MMORPG fans.
The game will have a hard time competing with Red Dead Redemption 2, whose online mode will likely follow a similar approach.
We will see how Wild West Online and RDR 2 differ from each other. There is definitely room for two western online games in the market.
Online role-playing games exist for many popular fictional universes and franchises. However, not all of your favorite worlds have an MMO set in them. Therefore, we want to know: From which universe would you like to see an MMO?
Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Conan have one thing in common: There is an online role-playing game based on each of those universes that allowed you to dive into your favorite world online. However, many franchises and narrative worlds are still untouched by online games.
MMOs for Dark Fantasy – Game of Thrones or The Witcher
Many narrative universes would be the perfect stage for online games. For example, the world of the TV series Game of Thrones (or the book series “A Song of Ice and Fire”). This dark fantasy world would be ideal for building a sandbox MMO. There would be foundations for PvP by joining one of the many factions in the throne war. You could undertake raids against the White Walkers in the North beyond the Wall. And for those who want to explore an unknown world, they travel East to explore the Dothraki plains, the Slaver’s Bay, or even the smoking remains of Valyria.
It would also be cool to have an MMO in the world of witcher Geralt from the “The Witcher” saga. This world is well explained in the underlying books and games and still has enough blank spaces that could be filled with content in an MMO. And unlike Game of Thrones, there are many fantasy races, monsters, and magic in the Witcher world, so not everyone has to play boring humans without special powers.
SciFi-MMOs – Mass Effect Andromeda and Borderlands Online?
As a single-player game, Mass Effect Andromeda fell short of expectations for many players. That’s why the once highly successful series is currently on ice. But how cool would it be if there were an MMO offshoot of Andromeda? The setting is perfect because when MMOs do one thing well, it’s creating a large game world that can be explored. And the theme of venturing into a foreign galaxy suits it perfectly.
For people who prefer a less serious approach but still enjoy SciFi, a Borderlands MMO would be top. The game would strongly resemble WildStar but if done right, a good MMO could surely emerge from the setting. And the eternal hunt for better loot – an important part of Borderlands gameplay mechanics – fits perfectly with an MMO. The Vaults scattered everywhere would also make for cool raid instances. Fun fact: A Borderlands Online was once supposed to be created in China as a free-to-play shooter, but was canceled in 2015.
This list could go on much longer, as numerous franchises would provide good MMO worlds. But what do you think? Is there a narrative world you would like to see as an MMO? Or do you have a completely different opinion and do NOT want an MMO that distorts your favorite story? Let us know in the comments!
For detailed information about Season 2, visit For Honor. This is how your Gear Stats will change.
In recent months, there have been many complaints about the Gear Stats in For Honor. Especially the endgame is not fun as the bonuses on armor pieces and weapons become too powerful. It’s not the skills but the stats that determine the fights. The revenge system was particularly criticized.
With the start of the second season on May 16, the Gear Stats will be overhauled. New stats and new items will be added, and some values will be removed.
The gap between high-level and low-level gear is decreasing
Currently, if a player with top gear meets another player just starting with their hero, the newbie seldom has a chance. To reduce this gap between high-level and low-level gear, the following changes will be made:
Standard gear will receive stat bonuses. Items that previously had no bonuses will receive, for example, +2.3% defense and +3% attack. Thus, when testing new heroes, you won’t be completely at a loss.
The stats will increase faster for lower gear qualities than for higher qualities. Therefore, those who start a new hero can more quickly come close to the heroes with high-level gear. Here is a graphic for this:
Changes to the stats
These stats will be removed:
Damage resistance while blocking
Cooldown reduction for gifts
Throw distance
Sprint speed
Additionally, Revenge Plus through Defense and Revenge Plus through Guard will be merged into one stat: Revenge Plus.
A new stat will also be introduced: “Defense Penetration”. This new value reduces the opponent’s defense value. For example, if the opponent has 20% defense and you have 15% defense penetration, you will now deal only 5% less damage to them (instead of 20%). Since this new value already has quite high values at low-level gear, it is suitable for countering high-level opponents.
Moreover, the attack and defense stats will be divided across multiple items: All three armor pieces will have the defense value, and all three weapon parts will have the attack value. This results in the following distribution with Season 2:
In the future, you will also be able to see the percentage changes of each individual value clearly in the interface.
Epic Gear with Season 2
As of May 16, there will be a new gear quality: “Epic”. For each hero, there will be 4 epic weapons and two armor pieces of this quality. Here are a few examples:
The epic gear can drop for you only starting at Reputation Rank 5. From Rank 7, this quality will only be available. In this overview, you can see at which reputation ranks which gear qualities are available:
More information:
Crafting costs will be reduced
With the update 1.07, which launches Season 2, you will permanently receive +25% more XP after every match!
Additionally, at the start of the second season, all players will receive Champion Status for 12 days and 4 loot crates. Since you will likely have significantly changed equipment values after the update, you can use these gifts to immediately hunt for new items. Or you can start a new hero – like the Centurion or the Shinobi.
Electronic Arts is likely to put the franchise Mass Effect Andromeda on hold for now. We believe this is not really due to Mass Effect, but rather due to two other games.
As reported by Kotaku, Electronic Arts intends to suspend the “Mass Effect” franchise indefinitely. The team, BioWare Montreal, is supposed to help develop Star Wars Battlefront 2 and the new project “Dylan”.
Electronic Arts has semi-confirmed this – at least the part about BioWare Montreal collaborating on the two other games seems clear.
There are two ways to read this news …
There are two interpretations of this news in the community, depending on whether one liked Mass Effect Andromeda or not.
One is from fans of Mass Effect Andromeda. They say: Good, that was planned from the beginning. The Mass Effect franchise is not something that needs to be released every year. Long breaks are normal. The second part can easily take 5 years.
The other interpretation is clearly more negative. It says: Mass Effect Andromeda has failed, did not live up to the old trilogy – they want to bury the franchise for now.
I think a third interpretation is the right one
I believe: Both are somewhat correct.
I think:
The decision has less to do with Mass Effect Andromeda and whether the game was good or not, but rather EA needs more personnel for the 2 projects that BioWare Montreal is now working on. Because both projects are much more important to Electronic Arts than a Mass Effect.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Dylan are both extremely important for EA – more important than Mass Effect
We know that Star Wars Battlefront 2 is extremely important for EA. 14 million units are expected to be sold. The game is supposed to be much larger than its predecessor. And only a relatively short development time has been allocated. The shooter cannot be postponed. It must be ready for the theatrical release of the new Star Wars film, otherwise, millions will be lost.
And fan expectations are enormous. They do not want to be shortchanged like with the first part.
It is quite possible that Battlefront 2 needs more personnel and know-how to be finished on time.
The same applies to “Dylan”, the semi-MMO that EA is currently developing. This is a long-term multi-million project and of utmost importance for EA: Dylan is a central building block for the next 5 or 10 years. This has already been pushed back – perhaps they want to prevent another delay with the “influx of personnel” from BioWare Montreal and ensure that the game turns out really well.
It has to be good if it wants to succeed in this new trending genre of “MMO shooters”. And there are millions and millions of dollars to be made in the coming years. The direct “competition” from The Division, Destiny, and GTA Online has occupied 3 of the 5 spots in “Top 5 Console Games” in 2016.
Both projects and their success are immensely important for Electronic Arts in the short and medium term. Much more important than a “Mass Effect Andromeda 2.”
Apparently, EA currently believes that the resources of BioWare are more valuable elsewhere than in another Mass Effect.
Here you can find more information about the “pause” of Mass Effect:
In Destiny today, on May 12th, it’s Xur day. Where is Xur and what items does the Agent of the Nine have in stock? Location and inventory.
The Guardians are heading towards an exciting time: On May 18th, the major gameplay reveal for Destiny 2 will take place. Weeks ago, Community Manager DeeJ stated that there will be answers to all our questions regarding the sequel. It’s about time since after the “Destiny 2” reveal at the end of March, official information was scarce.
In the past few days, however, interesting information about Destiny 2 has come to light:
Until the gameplay premiere, you can enjoy the Iron Banner in May, which runs until May 16th. Long maintenance will take place on May 17th, and on May 18th, the day many guardians have been waiting for will arrive.
But today is only Friday, May 12th. That means: Xur is coming! Let’s welcome him together.
All information about Xur in Destiny on May 12th, 13th and 14th on PS4 and Xbox One
When does Xur come? When does Xur leave? – The times
Xur arrives at 11 a.m. to the Guardians. If you bring enough Strange Coins, you can purchase exotic items from him. On Sunday, May 14th, Xur will already have had enough of you and will head home.
Where is Xur? Location, today
Xur has specific positions at the Tower and the Reef where he likes to hang out. This time he is in the Tower Hangar, down in the bar.
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A fan’s wish was fulfilled with patch 1.06 in Mass Effect: Andromeda. A new weapon can now be obtained in the game.
When Mass Effect: Andromeda was released, there were, alongside some major issues (like the facial animations), also a few minor things that were an eyesore for fans. One of these was a special weapon model that was repeatedly used in cutscenes and was held up by the Pathfinder team at every opportunity.
In response to a fan’s inquiry on Twitter about whether this weapon was in the game, there was only a denial. It was mentioned that the X5 Ghost was merely a prop used in cutscenes and by NPCs.
The community’s wish was quickly expressed: They wanted this weapon in the game because it simply looks cool and fitting.
With patch 1.06, it finally became possible a few days ago, and the X5 GHOST can now be found and crafted in the game. Those who want to build it themselves should look for suitable weapons in the Milky Way research and craft one that fits their level.
There’s actually a little bit of story about the weapon: The X5 Ghost is a variation of the popular M-8 Avenger, which was modified by the Initiative technicians. That’s why the weapon also includes a “Black Box” so that one can better understand the deaths of failed researchers and Pathfinders – should that ever be the case.
Overall, the assault rifle is otherwise not a major standout and has solid stats across all areas. Those who have always wanted to feel like a real soldier of the Andromeda Initiative can confidently pick up this weapon.
Paragon, the glossy MOBA from Epic Games, is getting a new hero named Phase with update v.40 “The Era of Intelligence”. Additionally, there are changes to other characters and rewards.
The new hero arriving with update v.40 “The Era of Intelligence” is a bit more down-to-earth.
Paragon – Phase – finally a support character
The recent heroes in Paragon have mostly been damage dealers. There is nothing wrong with that; dealing damage is fun! However, the developers have had a heart for team players and created a cool support character with the new hero Phase. The exact skills of the young woman are not yet clear.
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In a reveal video, Phase can be seen as she incinerates enemies to bold music and drags them around. She also seems to be able to build a connection with her friends, which likely makes them stronger. So, Phase is undoubtedly useful, and her trendy undercut hairstyle suits her well.
Paragon – Update v.40 Era of Intelligence – Here are the changes
In addition to Phase, update v.40 “The Era of Intelligence” brings changes to other heroes and the game’s reward system. The addon along with Phase goes live on May 16 and includes the following features:
Hero Kallari becomes more mobile and can jump more frequently
Steel becomes tougher and is supposed to retain his shield better instead of throwing it away.
Murdock is improved as a ranged carry
Wolf friend and K-Pop girl Shinbi is expected to be more user-friendly
Greystone now blocks standard damage from a source every few seconds with the skill “Stoic” instead of receiving a health and armor bonus
The Fey deals more damage when she hits opponents with “Collecting Thorns” more often
There is a new skin for Greystone (Newborn Greystone)
There is a special event until May 23 where you earn double XP and win a special banner backpack after 10 games
Those who earn stars can draw items from the monthly treasure chamber every week. This can include a new gold key that guarantees rare or better items from chests
A shop has already listed the loot boxes from the birthday event of Overwatch . This allows us to deduce a start date!
The last event of Overwatch, the “Uprising” has only just finished a few weeks ago, but players are already craving a new event. Meanwhile, more and more hints are surfacing that confirm what most fans have been hoping for over the past few weeks. Overwatch is likely to host an event to celebrate its 1st birthday.
As so often, the latest information came through a leak, or rather an error made by the Xbox online shop. They have prematurely added the new loot boxes to their inventory.
On the trueachievements page, the “Overwatch Anniversary Lootboxes” have already appeared, extracted from the shop. According to the description, the loot boxes contain, as usual, skins, sprays, highlight intros, emotes, victory poses, player icons and voicelines. There are supposed to be more than “100 different anniversary goodies”. How many of those will be skins is not yet known.
Anniversary could start as early as May 16
According to the site’s information, the loot boxes will be available until June 5, 2017. If the anniversary event, like most other events, lasts for 3 weeks, then it would already begin next week on May 16 or 17.
Additionally, the current PTR was taken offline recently. The work on the next patch is therefore completed, which also speaks for a release next week.
However, there is still no final confirmation from Blizzard. At this point, that also seems unnecessary, the hints are quite clear.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, there will be several hours of maintenance next week. The servers are offline.
Two weeks ago, Bungie announced extensive maintenance with server downtime. However, there were issues, which forced the developers to postpone the date indefinitely.
In today’s “This Week at Bungie,” the new date is mentioned:
On Wednesday, May 17, at 7 PM our time, the servers will be shut down. The estimated downtime is four hours. During this time, you will not be able to play Destiny. Therefore, you should not schedule a raid before 11 PM.
Not only the Destiny servers will be down Wednesday evening, but also Bungie.net and the Companion App. While the maintenance will not bring changes to gameplay or game content, a problem with the Iron Banner statistics will be fixed on Bungie.net.
Destiny 2 – Gameplay Premiere next week
Exactly one day later, on May 18 at 7 PM, all eyes will be on Los Angeles, where the gameplay reveal for Destiny 2 will take place. In recent weeks, the community manager DeeJ wrote regularly that they are preparing to put on a big show. That they are extremely excited and can’t wait to drop the curtain.
This week, he is also whetting the Guardians’ appetites. The gameplay premiere of Destiny 2 is an important moment for the Guardians community. While we explored the worlds in Destiny, Bungie has been creating new worlds packed with action and mysteries.
Therefore, they hope you all will be a part of the audience. On Thursday at 7 PM, the stream will be broadcast live on Twitch. We will definitely cover it on Mein-MMO.de.
DeeJ emphasizes that a new Destiny adventure is coming – and every Guardian is needed.
Marvel Heroes is the first MMO offered natively on Nvidia’s streaming box Nvidia Shield. This allows you to conveniently play PC games on the couch. But how does Marvel Heroes work on the Android console? Is it really free and what the hell is actually an Nvidia Shield?
Marvel Heroes, the cheerful action-MMO with superheroes, is perfect for cozy gaming evenings on the sofa in front of the TV. It’s just annoying that the upcoming console version Marvel Heroes Omega only offers half of the 60 heroes from the PC version. Other content from the PC version is also missing.
I have to make a decision:
Do I want all the content and have to go to the desk?
Or do I want to play comfortably on the couch, but only have a slimmed-down console version?
You can’t have both! Or can you?
https://youtu.be/MeJrrJqxYUM
Nvidia Shield – The All-Purpose Streaming Box
Of course, you can theoretically place the PC in the living room, connect it to the TV and play from the sofa with a wireless mouse and keyboard or gamepad. But in most apartments, that wouldn’t be practical. A solution via Nvidia Shield is much more convenient.
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This is essentially a small computer that connects to a TV via HDMI cable and connects to your home network via (W)LAN.
Nvidia Shield – Stream Movies and Play PC Games from the Couch
On the Shield, you can watch movies through streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or media libraries. Additionally, the Shield offers the possibility to play PC games directly from the Nvidia cloud.
You don’t need to install the respective game. Just start the game and off you go! You can control either with a controller (a decent device is included) or a mouse and keyboard, which you can connect via USB or Bluetooth.
However, to play games from the Nvidia Cloud, you need to pay a monthly fee of 9.99 euros to Nvidia, but you gain access to nearly 60 free games like Tomb Raider, Saints Row 3 and 4, or Marvel Heroes. An additional 60 games are available as extra purchase options, including hits like The Witcher 3.
Nvidia Shield – Game Streaming from the Cloud or PC
Unfortunately, you also need to maintain the Nvidia subscription for purchased games; otherwise, you can’t play them. However, you usually receive another key for Steam, Origin, and others with each purchase in the Nvidia Cloud. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work the other way around; if you already have a game on Steam, you need to buy it again on the Shield.
Also annoying: Your save games (apart from online games) are saved specifically for the Nvidia version and cannot (yet) be synchronized with Steam, Uplay, or Origin.
As an alternative for people with an Nvidia graphics card, a good gaming PC, and (most importantly) a fast internet connection, there is another cool option. You can use the Nvidia GeForce Experience software to enable your installed PC games for game streaming and transfer the game as a stream to the Nvidia Shield.
This way, you can comfortably play your PC games from the couch on the TV screen. Unlike cloud streaming, this won’t cost you an extra cent! It works perfectly from a 50k internet connection and LAN cable, but for Wi-Fi, you should have a strong 5 GHz router to ensure smooth streaming.
Marvel Heroes on the Nvidia Shield – Console Gameplay with the PC Version
Unlike single-player games like The Witcher 3 or Tomb Raider, you share the player account with the PC version when playing Marvel Heroes on the Shield. What you achieve on the PC is available to you on the Shield, and vice versa.
You can play comfortably on the Shield, and in case your girlfriend wants to watch her favorite series on TV, you can switch back to the PC and continue where you left off on the couch.
Marvel Heroes on the Shield is the same game as on the PC. The controller support works perfectly. You move with the analog sticks and trigger your skills with buttons and combinations with the shoulder buttons. This may take some getting used to for pure PC players, but after a few attempts, it works perfectly with the pad, and eventually, you won’t want to miss it. The only annoying thing is the sometimes clumsy navigation of menus with the analog stick cursor.
Marvel Heroes on the Nvidia Shield – Console Gameplay with the PC Version
So if you have dealt with the controller gameplay, Marvel Heroes on the Shield is a blast. You can comfortably sit on your sofa and enjoy the game on the big TV. You don’t need a separate console or a version of Marvel Heroes Omega. And unlike the console version, you don’t have to wait for all PC features to be available. You have all the heroes, all the instances, and even the trading function between players, which was not planned for the console, right from the start!
Moreover, as Marvel Heroes veterans, you don’t have to level up all your heroes again, as you would with the console version. You simply continue from where you last left off on the PC. And unlike the PC version, you don’t have to install updates or configure your hardware. Just start the game and start playing! So, for those who want the best of both worlds – console gaming feel with the cool features of the PC version – the Shield is a great idea.
Marvel Heroes and Co. – Are Games on the Shield Worth It Despite the Paywall?
The only downside to the gaming fun on the Shield is the 9.99 euros that you have to pay monthly to play anything through the Nvidia cloud. But keep in mind that you get a bunch of other games for this price, and the Shield is an excellent choice for video streaming. Additionally, Nvidia plans to expand the game offerings soon and add more MMOs.
The MOBA Paragon is set to be available next without any additional costs in the Shield offering. Furthermore, a partnership with Ubisoft is planned for the near future. Then you can play all your Uplay games with the same account on the Shield. And if you’re considering a home control system like Amazon Echo: The Shield will soon support Google’s competitor product, Google Home. Interesting for gamers who like to stream via Twitch and Co.: The Shield supports streaming via app.
So, if you want to play PC games effortlessly on your TV, don’t yet own good streaming hardware, have an Nvidia graphics card, a gaming PC, and good internet, and ideally don’t have a console, then the Shield is definitely worth it! All others have to weigh whether the Shield features are worth 220 euros or more.
Interesting Alternative to a Console if You Don’t Have a PS4 or Xbox One Yet
Jürgen’s Conclusion: The Nvidia Shield is ideal for me. I previously only had my hefty gaming PC, which fortunately had an Nvidia GPU, and my internet is okay as well. Otherwise, I had neither a console nor a streaming device, and I am fully thrilled with the capabilities of the Shield. The small box has a lot of power and streams movies and games in top quality to the TV screen.
Action games like Marvel Heroes are a blast, and I’m already looking forward to Paragon and the planned partnership with Ubisoft. For Honor should be even more fun this way.
I definitely don’t want to miss my Shield anymore, and even my rather less tech-savvy girlfriend is delighted with the many streaming video portals like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play on the Shield.
Now, the game offerings need to expand and the Ubisoft partnership needs to be finalized, then I will be completely happy with the Shield and can also save on a console in the future.
While I will still have to do without exclusive titles from the consoles, I have managed just fine without them so far.
So the Shield is worth it for me. However, if you already have a PS4 or Xbox One and primarily play on it, you probably don’t need the Shield.
The Technical Specifications of the Shield
For tech enthusiasts, here are all the Shield specs summarized. There is the standard version for about 220 euros and the more extensively equipped Pro version for about 100 euros more.
Operating System
Android TV 7.0 Nougat, Google Cast
Processor
NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor, 256-core Maxwell GPU
RAM
3 Gigabytes
Storage Space
16 Gigabytes, external hard drives can be connected via USB, Pro version has 500 GB of storage and can be additionally expanded with an SD card
Video Output
4K, HDR, 60fps
Audio Output
Dolby Atmos and DTS-X surround sound via HDMI, high-resolution audio playback up to 24-bit/192kHz via HDMI
Connections
Wi-Fi 802.11ac dual-band, 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1 LE
The quarterly report for Q1 2017 from NCSoft is here and the numbers do not look very good. While Blade & Soul (B&S) remains stable, Guild Wars 2 and Aion are significantly weaker compared to the previous year. Lineage is even plummeting. The big hope now rests on the upcoming Lineage Eternal. In order for the game to be the expected success, the management of the development team has been changed.
As a publicly traded company, the Korean publisher giant NCSoft – known for games like Lineage, WildStar, Blade&Soul and Guild Wars 2 – has to release quarterly reports on revenues, sales, and profits for its shareholders.
However, the latest quarterly report for Q1 2017 is likely to shock many investors and shareholders, as the company fell far short of expectations.
NCSoft Quarterly Report Q1 2017 – Net profit down by over 70 percent!
According to the quarterly report for Q1 2017, NCSoft recorded revenue of 239.5 billion Korean Won. That’s approximately 195.3 million Euros. However, 260 billion Won were planned. NCSoft thus earned 20.5 billion Won (16.7 million Euros) less than planned. Furthermore, the net profit plummeted by a staggering 73.7 percent from 66.8 billion Won to a meager 17.4 billion.
Reasons for these declines, according to business sources, are stagnating games and increased wage costs. Salaries supposedly rose by about 33 percent, and NCSoft hired an additional 20 percent of staff to strengthen the mobile segment.
Quarterly Figures – Lineage and Guild Wars 2 at record lows
Lineage and Guild Wars 2 performed particularly poorly. Especially Lineage was until now the flagship of NCSoft and generated revenues of 118.414 million Won in Q4 2016. Now, in the first quarter of 2017, the former cash cow only manages 51.464 million Won. The reasons for this are a lack of new content (the last update came in September) and the planned mobile spin-off Lineage M.
This is set to be released soon, and many players preferred to wait for this title instead of investing in the original Lineage.
Guild Wars 2 is in a similarly bad position, as it has also not seen any major updates since the add-on Heart of Thorns in October 2015. As a result, revenues are at a record low of 14.226 million Won. While that’s hardly worse compared to the last quarter, a lot of revenue is missing compared to Q1 2016. Back then, they likely still benefitted from the aftermath of the expansion.
Even the MMORPG oldie Aion did not have a strong quarter compared to the previous year at the beginning of 2017. Revenues declined significantly. For the first time after a year, Aion now earns even less than Guild Wars 2.
The revenues of Blade and Soul are stable at the beginning of 2017 – those of WildStar are missing
NCSoft’s troubled project WildStar is still missing. Its quarterly figures are no longer reported.
Only the martial arts MMO Blade&Soul managed to improve. Revenues rose from 39.382 in the previous quarter to 44.560 million Won in Q1 2017.
NCSoft – Lineage Eternal and the mobile market must fix everything
Many experts see these poor numbers as further evidence that NCSoft must quickly shift its focus from PC games to mobile games. However, NCSoft itself stated that it will continue to operate in the PC sector and that mobile should not displace PC games. Rather, they want to cover both markets.
This concept aligns with the company’s big hope: Lineage Eternal. The action MMO is supposed to run on both mobile devices and PCs, thus covering both segments.
However, the first beta of Lineage Eternal was rather disappointing. Even the Koreans found it too unoriginal and grind-heavy.
In order for the big hope not to become a flop, the management of the responsible development team has been changed. Under the new leadership, Lineage Eternal is now meant to be the game that NCSoft needs to save itself. However, the mobile market in Korea is currently dominated by Lineage 2 Revolution, which NCSoft only earns royalties from. Whether NCSoft will be able to assert itself in the future remains to be seen.
What do you think of the numbers and the development of NCSoft and Lineage Eternal? Do you believe the game will be the big hit that NCSoft needs or do you see the publisher already going under? Let us know in the comments!
The crowdfunding campaign for the space MMO Star Citizen has surpassed 148 million US dollars. Chris Roberts, founder of the developer studio Cloud Imperium Games, did not expect this success, which has impacted the entire game.
In an interview with the New York Times, Roberts explained that he originally expected about 4 million US dollars. He would then have gotten additional money from investors. But his wife said they would raise 20 million, and investors were not needed. At that time, Roberts thought his wife was crazy.
Now the sum stands at 148 million dollars!
Star Citizen is no longer the game that was originally planned
Chris Roberts is aware that there is much criticism regarding the game’s development, which some believe is not progressing fast enough. However, he points out that the entire development has changed.
Star Citizen is no longer the game he would have made if they had only raised 10 million dollars.
And of course, he would take the opportunity to make a game much bigger and more extensive if he had the chance with much more money. He will develop the best game possible.
The game keeps growing
Star Citizen
Star Citizen was originally supposed to be released in 2014. The release date was then adjusted to 2016, which could not be met either. Now the game does not have a fixed launch date anymore.
Chris Roberts is continually adding more features to Star Citizen, including cinematic sequences and a game universe that keeps expanding and offering players more possibilities.
He also explains that Star Citizen would never have been taken over by a publisher, and the exact thought that players can participate in funding a game that no publisher would ever touch excites Chris Roberts.
His backers continue to support him, and he is determined to keep them satisfied. However, it will likely take a while.
Fans of GTA 5 are already looking forward to the Liberty City mod. The development team has now announced that the map will be released later than planned.
In the offline mode of GTA 5, you can use mods to enjoy variety and new content in the game. GTA fans are particularly excited about the Liberty City mod, as the modification is supposed to make the entire map of GTA 4 available in the current fifth installment. First images of the implementation have already been released and received positive reactions from fans.
Now the developers have announced that the release will take place later than originally planned. However, the release is still set to happen this year.
Delay Due to Lack of Time
As one developer of the mod announced on the GTAForums website, the release of the Liberty City mod has been postponed. In the forum, developer GooD-NTS writes that the mod is delayed. The reason is time issues, which currently do not allow the development team to dedicate many hours to the modding project. While all developers try to work on it every day, progress is currently slow.
Furthermore, GooD-NTS clarifies that there are (at least for now) no issues with the legality of the mod. Players suspected that the delay could be related to Rockstar Games, which could potentially interfere with the project. However, that does not seem to be an issue at the moment.
How Does the Project Work?
The OpenIV Liberty City mod adds the map from GTA 4 into GTA 5. The corresponding terrain from the old game is imported and not manually recreated. Many screenshots have already been taken in an alpha version. Here, we show you what Liberty City looks like in Grand Theft Auto V.
To avoid disappointing fans again, the developer did not provide a new estimated release date for the mod in the forum. However, the map is still planned for the year 2017. As soon as there are updates about the project, we will report on it.
What do you think of the Liberty City mod? Would you try it?
In the MMO shooter Destiny, Guardians show what can be done with a bit of creativity and a Sleeper Simulant: Sleeper Roulette!
Have you completed the Nightfall strike this week? Has the raid loot been cleared out and have you reached rank 5 in the May Iron Banner? What can you do now?
Before you start counting Xur’s tentacles, you can try this “sport” with your friends. Recently, a few Guardians showcased the so-called “Sleeper Roulette” on reddit – and many community members responded with comments like “This is awesome!”, “This is gold!”.
However, Sleeper Roulette is not new. Some Guardians play it regularly after raids, for example. If you’ve never heard of it, here’s a video about it:
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First, every participant needs the Sleeper Simulant. This is the heavy fusion rifle that’s tied to a detailed quest and deals massive damage. This weapon is particularly popular against tough bosses, especially in the Challenge Mode of Atheon.
In addition to the “Sleeper Simulant”, you need at least one Defender Titan who can create a bubble. The participants then gather in the bubble and either shoot simultaneously or one after another with the Exotic. Then it’s decided: Either you get killed by your own shot or you don’t.
Because the Sleeper Simulant has the special property that its laser can ricochet off surfaces multiple times. In other words, if you fire this in the bubble, the laser will whiz around you. If it hits you, you’re dead. Friendly fire is not possible.
Hence the name of the game “Sleeper Roulette”: Before the shot, you don’t know whether you’ll hit or not. Just like in Russian Roulette.
Have you ever played this yourself? Or did you decide while reading this article that you’d try it out tonight? Or do you have no time for such fun because the Iron Banner in May is calling and a few milestones are still missing in the new Triumph Seal?
The 1.6.1 update is still a while away for The Division. Massive is working on final fixes.
Just now, the State of the Game occurred on May 11th. It was quite brief. Community developers Hamish Bode and Yannick Banchereau addressed three topics: Update 1.6.1, ETF, and the Dark Zone.
When will the 1.6.1 update be released?
Yesterday, on May 10th, the public test servers closed, and the PTS for 1.6.1 ended. Now Massive is busy finalizing the patch. This means they are still putting together a few fixes and conducting internal tests. After that, the update will be sent to Microsoft and Sony, where it must undergo a certification process. If it passes, it can be deployed shortly.
Since Massive always releases updates on Tuesdays and the 1.6.1 update is confirmed to be out in May (this was reconfirmed today), there are only the dates of May 16th, May 23rd, and May 30th available. May 16th is definitely off the table, according to Banchereau. That date comes too soon. It is likely to be May 23rd, but they will inform us when the date is official.
ETF and changes in the Dark Zone
A few weeks ago, we reported that Massive is planning a new ETF, an Elite Task Force. Representatives from the community will be invited to discuss upcoming changes with 1.7 and 1.8 alongside the developers. All information about this ETF can be found here.
The invitations were sent out today. In total, 12 agents will now have mail in their email inbox.
Furthermore, the developers briefly spoke about the “Dark Zone” survey that has been online for a few days. The results and feedback that you can provide there will be used for future updates. Especially the rogue mechanic (becoming rogue) has not been touched since the launch of The Division. This is likely to be revamped in the future.
The PvP mode of Ghost Recon Wildlands probably features AI opponents. We are showing you a scoreboard and map leak from the data mining.
In the past few days, we have already shown you leaks about the PvP mode of Ghost Recon Wildlands. Data mining revealed five classes for multiplayer and a large arsenal of weapons that will presumably be used in this game mode. Furthermore, while sifting through the game data, hints of maps, AI opponents, and possible objective modes were found.
Keep in mind that these leaks are not guaranteed content for Ghost Recon Wildlands. Similar to a beta, content may still change before it is officially released.
Map – Overview of the Multiplayer Map
In the Farcrymods forum, user JRavens provided clues about the possible PvP map in Wildlands. The following image has often been used in the code and could become the battleground for the multiplayer battles.
In the overview, the map appears to be quite large. Four different paths lead directly to the enemy side of the map. The two halves are separated by water. Apparently, there are plateaus on both halves from which sniper classes may be able to overlook part of the battlefield.
In this second variant of the map overview, individual sections are marked in blue. These could be special tactical positions where certain objectives might be found.
Unfortunately, the scale of the map cannot be determined. How large is the map really? Are the green spots trees or bushes? If the developers stick to their statement and release the multiplayer in the “4 against 4” mode, the map should not be too large or the paths too long. Otherwise, it might take too long to encounter opponents.
You may also encounter AI opponents in this mode.
AI Opponents in the PvP Mode of GRW?
At the end of a multiplayer match, there will likely be a score screen, as seen in other games. The example image shows what JRavens found during data mining. In addition to the well-known kill/death ratio, points against NPC opponents are also displayed here. Therefore, if the score screen comes from the multiplayer, these could play a role in this mode.
Kills
Kills against players
Kills against NPCs
KD ratio
Team Support by:
Revealed players
Revealed NPCs
Revived allies
Resources
Military equipment
Medications
Com tools
Fuel
Loot actions
Through these various point categories, there is a suspicion that you will be competing for objectives like supplies in multiplayer and that you will presumably need to collect or defend them on the map.
Unfortunately, there is still no more detailed information available.
Surprisingly, the German Amazon page spoils a new novel. The first hint for the next WoW expansion?
In recent days, many theories and supposed hints about upcoming expansions of World of Warcraft have emerged. Now, for the first time, a solid hint seems to have appeared that surely contains a bit of truth. A paperback titled “World of Warcraft: The Troll Wars” by author Paul S. Kemp is already listed on the German Amazon page, scheduled to be released on November 13, 2017 – just after the next BlizzCon.
Only German Amazon lists the Troll Wars already
Since only the German version has been announced and there is still no sign of the English one, Amazon seems to have made a mistake there.
Rastakhan is still chilling on Zandalar.
The content is provided as follows:
“Following the legendary War of the Ancients, a group of Night Elf mages was banished from their people. In search of new living space, they landed on the shores of Lordaeron. At that time, humans were still a loose confederation of weak tribes, while the trolls had established a true high culture. The arrival of the foreign sorcerers and their alliance with the humans laid the foundation for one of the most consequential conflicts in Azeroth’s history, known as the Troll Wars.”
The story is set in the past, shortly after the War of the Ancients.
The possibility of an upcoming troll expansion is drastically increasing. This would also explain what Blizzard meant by “that Vol’jin’s legacy still holds history.”
Above all, the troll king Rastakhan has not yet appeared in World of Warcraft. Additionally, a “great gathering of trolls” takes place approximately every 6 years – the last one occurred with Cataclysm when Zul’Gurub and Zul’Aman were revamped. And – oh wonder – that was nearly 6 years ago. A corresponding expansion could include many islands of the southern seas, such as the island of Zandalar with the troll capital Zuldazar.
At the last gathering, Patch 4.1 was the result:
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However – and this should not be forgotten – it is also possible that Blizzard is simply bringing a new novel to further expand the story of Azeroth and bring the past to life. After all, the Troll Wars are far in the past and would have little to do with the “current” Azeroth.
We probably have to be patient for concrete hints of a new expansion or hope for a serious leak.
The Intrepid Studios tantalize with a new trailer for the MMORPG Ashes of Creation.
The Kickstarter campaign for Ashes of Creation is still going strong. Almost 1.7 million US dollars have already been raised. To further motivate fans, a cinematic trailer for the MMORPG has now been released, recorded with in-game graphics. You can find it at the end of the article.
The Beginning of a Siege
The trailer shows a thief sneaking into a city, moving unnoticed through the alleys, and finally stealing a magical stone. He then signals, and the army at the gates of the city begins the siege assault. All this is presented in a very action-packed and exciting manner. Whether all this will be possible in the game is something we will find out later.
Impressive Graphics Thanks to Unreal Engine 4
Ashes of Creation uses Unreal Engine 4, which allows for truly impressive visuals. What used to be seen as rendered cutscenes is now possible as in-game graphics. However, it is currently unclear how much of the trailer was post-processed. Nevertheless, the video makes you eager to finally play the MMORPG. However, it will take a while longer, as the release date is set for the end of 2018.
If you want to participate in the Kickstarter campaign, you can still do so until June 2nd and secure some backer-exclusive items, as well as help reach the game’s stretch goals. This includes a new race of underground beings.
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The Quest Rogue of Hearthstone remains the most popular deck – even though it doesn’t win that much.
The current Hearthstone expansion “Journey to Un’Goro” has been out for a while now and the developers look back on a successful time. In an interview with IGN, Mike Donais and Peter Whalen spoke about Un’Goro and the Quest Rogue.
When asked whether the developers had anticipated that the Quest would be so easy to complete, this was confirmed. The developers themselves “played many games with the Rogue in advance”. And the expectations of the developers have been met. They had hoped that the deck would go into matches with a “50/50” chance and that seems to correspond to the current results. At the beginning, it was a bit weaker (at 46%), but now the deck has recovered.
However, some are surprised that the deck is the most popular deck, even though it can only boast a 50% win rate.
However, it is also recognized that many players find the matches against the Quest Rogue laborious and exhausting, and the fun is occasionally lost. Cards like the “Dirty Rat” could help here and quickly put a stop to the Rogue. Only the massive exploitation of the “Charge” mechanic is somewhat unsatisfactory. Especially in combination with the return effects, this is often too powerful. Whether adjustments will be made (i.e., nerfed) is still undecided.
In general, the developers are more than satisfied with “Journey to Un’Goro”. It has been a long time since there have been so many different decks with all classes, all of which have a solid chance of winning. Therefore, they are quite proud of Un’Goro.
How have you liked “Journey to Un’Goro” so far? Are you satisfied with the decks?
ForThe Elder Scrolls Online will soon get the new chapter expansion Morrowind. But for some PC players, there is Early Access much earlier. Find out all the details about early access on PC and Mac here.
The Elder Scrolls Online will receive the long-awaited first major chapter addon Morrowind on June 6. There, you can expect a return to the alien-beautiful island of Vvardenfell, which captivated players 15 years ago in The Elder Scrolls Morrowind.
Unfortunately, there are still about four weeks until the release of the work, but players of the PC or Mac version may be able to get in earlier.
The Elder Scrolls Online Morrowind – Here’s how to get in two weeks earlier
If you can’t wait that long to start your adventures in Vvardenfell, instead of on June 6, you can start two weeks earlier, on May 22, in the new chapter of The Elder Scrolls Online. You only need to pre-order the PC or Mac version of Morrowind as a “Digital Upgrade Version” or “Digital Collector’s Edition” and you can travel to the island of the Dark Elves and Wraiths on May 22.
“Why only digital editions? I pre-ordered the bulky physical Collector’s Edition for a lot of money and want to play earlier too!” Don’t worry, we’ve thought of you. Those who have pre-ordered the physical Collector’s Edition can contact ZeniMax Support with a purchase receipt and should also get early access activated.
ESO Morrowind – Early Access without Wipe
Those who fear that ZeniMax will treat early access like a beta and erase game progress can be reassured. Although, according to the developers, changes to the game may still occur between early access and release, there will not be a wipe.
You can thus keep your game progress and try out the new guardian, the PvP battlegrounds, or even the new raid. Unfortunately, early access is only available for players on PC or Mac. ZeniMax does not offer early access for the PS4 and Xbox One consoles.
