The Asia MMORPG Blade and Soul introduces a new class, the Pactierer. A trailer is now presenting it.
Blade and Soul has a whole lot of updates in store. That’s the advantage when the game has been on the market in Korea for so long: you start with a full hand and can continually add more when the release is hot.
In Asia, it was said at the time that the class would be introduced to attract “young players” in particular. They may be especially susceptible to the mystery touch, while alternative classes like the Summoner are rather cute.
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The game world of the anime Sword Art Online could soon become virtual reality – IBM is working on an implementation of the series success.
Dive into Aincrad
IBM has now announced a new project. With the name “Sword Art Online: The Beginning Project“, tears of joy should immediately well up in the eyes of every anime fan.
The anime is set in the future and deals with the video game “Sword Art Online”, where players can completely immerse themselves in the game world and control their characters using their thoughts. During this time, their thoughts are entirely trapped in the game, and their bodies in the real world are immobile. When the “Logout” button is missing in SAO, 10,000 players find themselves in a suddenly very brutal game for their own lives – because if the avatar dies in the game world, the player also loses their life in reality.
The “game”, as one might say, is being developed in collaboration with Kadokawa, Bandai Namco, and Aniplex, who are responsible for the anime of the same name and have also engaged the original voice actors of Kirito and Asuna.
While not much is known about the project yet, IBM is indeed attempting to make “Cognitive Computing” more practical for the future – that is, the ability to simulate human thoughts and allow computers to “learn” how a human reacts to problems and social situations.
At least in the trailer, it looks more like “only” a virtual reality with VR glasses and motion sensors. For the period between March 18th and 20th, they are already looking for 208 testers in the Greater Tokyo area to try out the basic concept.
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We will keep you updated on how the project develops.
Mein-MMO says: This is of course still to be approached with some caution. Even though the goals like “Cognitive Computing” sound incredibly good, it will probably take a few more years until that becomes reality. Just the thought of being able to experience the world of Kirito and Asuna in VR already makes every anime and VR fan jump for joy. If we are lucky, there might actually be a Logout button this time.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Ubisoft has high expectations for the launch of Tom Clancy’s The Division. According to John Parkes, the most successful launch of a new title may be ahead.
The Division is currently on everyone’s lips. Anyone interested was able to take a look at Ubisoft’s upcoming MMO shooter in the past days and form their own opinion about it. At the moment, nothing seems to stop the hype around this game.
Parkes highlights the various features that distinguish The Division: RPG, shooter, MMO, realistic setting in a beautifully recreated New York, and a great open world that can be played solo or co-op. Therefore, the game could have a very successful launch as a new title.
The hype around The Division is enormous
He adds that the trailers for The Division generated over 225 million views; that’s 30% more than the trailer views for Watch Dogs – about the same time before release.
Furthermore, Ubisoft is overwhelmed by the interest of players in The Division: the closed beta of the game had more registrations than all Ubisoft games before. Additionally, the number of players Ubisoft expected in the closed beta was exceeded threefold.
It won’t be long now until Ubisoft’s MMO shooter launches. March 8, the release date, is approaching quickly:
With the end of the 2nd beta test, Black Desert is heading straight towards its release. We have listed for you all the important dates on how the game will proceed.
A tight schedule until release
This morning, on February 22nd at 9:00 AM, the second beta test of the long-awaited MMORPG Black Desert ended, but fans will not have to wait long for the game to finally celebrate its release. The release will take place in stages, so there are several important dates in the coming days, creating a fairly tight schedule. We have listed how it will proceed until the release of Black Desert.
On Friday, February 26th, at 9:00 AM the pre-sale of Black Desert ends. Until then, there is still an opportunity to enjoy the pre-order bonuses (such as Early Access).
On Saturday, February 27th at 9:00 AM, name reservation will close. If you haven’t taken advantage of it yet, you should hurry so that this bonus does not simply expire!
On Sunday, February 28th at 9:00 AM, the redemption of pre-order items begins. If you purchased a Conqueror’s Package, you can use Early Access from this point on.
From Tuesday, March 1st at 9:00 AM, Early Access starts for all pre-order customers of a Explorer’s Package.
On Wednesday, March 2nd at 9:00 AM, the last Early Access wave starts for all buyers of a Traveler’s Package.
Finally, Black Desert will be officially released on March 3rd (Oh wonder: also at 9:00 AM). All buyers now have access to the game and at the same time the cash shop will launch.
As announced by developer RiotGames, the champion Vel’koz will also receive an update in the middle of the year in League of Legends (LoL) .
According to Riot, there are various mages that need an update, among other reasons, due to their poor mobility. In the official LoL forum, a list of mages was published that should be updated first. This allowed players to express wishes and ideas that the developers want to consider in the update.
No strategic champion in League of Legends
There have been many discussions about why this particular champion needs an update. The developers at RiotGames believe that while this champion has a very good theme, there is currently no strategic point to play Vel’koz. However, they are also aware that this character does not need a complete overhaul to fit back into the game.
The developers hope that the update will give Vel’koz his final polish so that he has his own role in League of Legends and is not just a mage with high base damage.
The changes to Vel’Koz in LoL
Properties of Vel’Koz that are likely to be retained:
The poke and kite ability he has through his Q+W abilities. Coupled with a strong combo/all-in with his ultimate ability.
Understanding the opponent gradually through building up the passive ability and dealing additional damage.
Harder targeting of objectives. With Vel’koz, it is more difficult to hit the backline targets – when you succeed, it should feel rewarding.
Properties that are attempted to be improved:
Farming minions in the midlane can be done “brain-afk” with the W ability.
His lack of role in the game was compensated by high damage. There will be a balancing here.
What is hoped for from the update
Creating a strategic point for why one should choose Vel’koz.
Clear difference from other artillery champions and supporters with very high damage.
Adjusting the damage better to his theme.
Keeping the poke/kite possibilities as well as the all-in potential.
LASER – A LOT OF LASER!
With this information, we can already get a rough idea of how Vel’koz will function in the future. Are there any additional points in your opinion that should be considered in the update of this champion?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Recently, the Iron Banner weapons and armor have received changes in the database. Weapons now have an attack value of 240-330. Armors also go up to 330 defense value. Not only the Iron Banner is affected by the changes, but also other items like the Gear from the Hardmode raid or the Adept weapon from the Trials of Osiris now have the increased values in the database, while other weapons remain on the lower 310 values, even though they can also reach 320 through infusion in the game.
In itself, this is not sensational news. Exotic items that could rise to 330 had already been found in the database for a while. However, there was no way for them to reach this higher value in the game. 320 was the limit. Meanwhile, the “330 Exotics have been capped back down to 310” again.
What does this find mean?
At the moment, this find is being controversially discussed among players. Just a few weeks ago, there was an announcement from Bungie,that they would significantly increase the Light value with the spring update. If this really only means “330”, it would likely be a reason for disappointment. If Bungie unexpectedly goes up by 10 points with the Light already now, players would have something to do.
Giving players 3 options to reach the new Light value: Iron Banner, Hardmode Raid, or Trials of Osiris flawless would somewhat align with the reward philosophy from the first year of Destiny.
At the moment there are numerous questions about how Bungie plans to design the spring update: How high will the Light value go? Are new enemies coming our way? What about the 7 missing Exotics?
Concrete announcements are expected in the coming weeks. We will keep you updated.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With Asker, Project Black Sheep, yet another MMO in Korea is closing its doors.
We have occasionally reported on Asker, a relatively new Korean MMO with a strong action emphasis. The game was introduced as Project Black Sheep in 2013.
According to 2p, the game is already finished. It is set to close in Korea next month, with no plans for a Western release. Asker launched in Korea in August 2015 in an open beta and has reportedly remained below expectations from the beginning. The maximum it ever achieved was a 50th place in the charts, according to 2p.
Asker was marketed in Korea as a “Ultimate Action MMO”, the MMO version of Devil May Cry – apparently, that didn’t help.
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At the moment, many experts are talking about an MMO extinction in Korea. Publishers are withdrawing from the PC market, pushing into mobile. Numerous MMOs from the second and third tiers are being left behind.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The development team of The Division made a significant effort in the graphic design of the MMO shooter. We look at 11 impressive details that you should not overlook.
The world of The Division is developed with great attention to detail. We have already reported on the graphics of this game, with the result that they are quite presentable, but will not set new milestones – not even the ultra-high settings on PC. One thing cannot be denied about the game: There are numerous impressive details that one should at least be made aware of.
Detail 1: Many fictional brands
The Division takes place in a post-apocalyptic New York. Anyone who has been to present-day New York can confirm that this world city is a stronghold for advertising. Not only is Times Square plastered with advertisements, but in every corner of the city, colorful posters and billboards can be found.
In The Division, one finds countless fictional brands that shape the city’s face with their advertisements. These include coffee shops, fast-food chains, soft drink manufacturers, and much more.
There are over 230 different advertisements, and each brand has its own identity, slogan, and advertising campaign that can be found throughout New York. The lead environment artist, Chad Chatterton, mentions that even plastic bags in the game point to certain brands and stores. The brands are meant to feel alive and go beyond simple billboards.
Detail 2: Excellent Graffiti
IGN speculates that the graffiti in The Division might be the best that has ever been seen in games. There are 320 unique graffiti artworks in the city, meaning not just a few were created and then carelessly copied and pasted throughout the city.
It is claimed that graffiti artists were consulted during the design of the city on how they would express their art if Manhattan were abandoned. The following image shows the answer. Thus, deserted scissor lifts can still be found in the city:
Of course, there is also vandalism and scribbles that have nothing to do with art:
Detail 3: Fictional Movies
Similar to the fake brands, there are also many fictional movies promoted in the New York of The Division. For example, there is the movie “Don’t tell Mom”, which looks like fun for the whole family.
The poor mom was disfigured on the following poster. The author of this alteration was probably not a fan of this movie.
Detail 4: Very realistic poster textures
Since we are on the subject of posters: it’s worth taking a closer look at them. When you get close to them, The Division reveals a texture that simulates printed materials. See for yourself:
Discover on the next page how detailed the destruction in The Division looks.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developers of the upcoming MMORPG Riders of Icarus have revealed new details about their game.
In an interview with MMORPG.com, the developers explained that mounts play a very important role in the game. You can count various creatures that allow you not only to move faster through the world but also to fly. Mounts grant your character access to certain skills.
For example, riding a horse gives access to a special skill that allows you to use spear and shield while mounted. Other mounts provide different abilities that make sense when using the corresponding mount.
On land and in the air
Riders of Icarus aims to enable flying through the air in almost all areas with creatures such as dragons, flying whales, or griffins. The developers ensure that it’s also fun. The controls must work well and be intuitive, and combat on a flying mount must function properly – therefore, there is an auto-targeting feature in the MMO.
However, you will not be flying all the time. There is much to do on the ground as well. You will explore dungeons and complete quests like in any other MMORPG. It also won’t always make sense to take your mount with you, so you’ll have adventures on foot as well.
Beta starting soon in Europe
In the USA and Mexico, a first closed beta of the MMORPG has already ended. According to the developers, they received a lot of positive feedback and some improvement suggestions, which they are now trying to implement. A beta is also set to start soon in Europe.
If you are interested in an MMORPG that represents a kind of “Pokemon meets MMO with aerial combat,” you should keep an eye on Riders of Icarus.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The massive space game Star Citizen is no fake. Chief Chris Roberts would have liked to do a few things differently.
There are people, who say Star Citizen is a total fraud. They claim it is not a game, but just a facade. There are supposedly no studios, but the pictures of ships are put together by Chris Roberts on his laptop while he sips drinks with umbrellas in the Caribbean with his wife and lights his cigar with the crowdfunding money. This is malicious nonsense, as Roberts, his fans, and the team have emphasized often enough.
They challenge people who say such things to come for a studio tour and see the daily work. Exactly that is what a film crew did now. And that a game is being developed and that a lot of effort is behind it is shown in the BBC video. There, they visited the 100-million-dollar project.
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Work on Star Citizen is being done “around the clock”
In 4 studios in 3 countries, in England, Germany, and the USA, designers, technicians, and developers tirelessly work to bring the project to fruition.
This “around-the-clock” work enables some interesting effects. One can give a task to the partner studio across the ocean just before heading home, making them much more flexible than other studios, a staff member explains in the video.
Where one studio is stuck and desperate, the others might find a solution with fresh eyes and approaches.
More money, more game, more time
Chris Roberts himself is addressed about the many controversies surrounding the game, about delays in the plan. Roberts says: Games are constantly being postponed. However, players rarely hear about it because it happens before the official presentation.
One thing he would do differently today, Roberts explains. There is a fundamental contradiction in crowdfunding: The more money you get, the bigger the game becomes, and the longer it takes to develop the game.
If he were to start such a project again today, Roberts says, he would spend more time explaining that.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Overwatch faced a lot of criticism, especially from fans who do not have access yet. Is Blizzard really only inviting streamers and the press to the closed beta?
Are only streamers and press invited to Overwatch?
Although since the resumption of the Overwatch beta significantly more players are hanging out in Blizzard’s hero shooter, the criticism from fans is still high. Only streamers and the press would gain access to the game, it is said. In the forums and on Reddit, frustrated players called the game “OnlyWatch”, meaning “only to watch”. Jeff Kaplan from Blizzard spoke with pcgamesn about these accusations. We have summarized the key points for you.
This assumption that only streamers would have been allowed into the beta is simply incorrect. According to Kaplan, “just under 1% of the approved players” are streamers and press. The perception of it is completely different.
“It’s just that, when you look on the internet and search for the Overwatch beta, what will you find? You will see the streamers playing the game and the assumption is immediately that they are the only people who have access. But that is absolutely not the case.”
Generally, Blizzard was surprised by this wave of outrage. Kaplan last had a beta running in 2008 with “Wrath of the Lich King”. Since then, expectations for a beta test have changed significantly. Players expect when they hear the word “beta” a free, almost finished trial version of a game that anyone can dive into.
Kaplan even retrospectively considers the closed beta a mistake. “In hindsight, I would have been happier if we had just called it alpha and put an NDA (“Non Disclosure Agreement”) on it. Then we could have avoided these negative reactions.”
Finally, he also sees something good in the whole issue. “If fans are angriest about not being able to play the beta themselves? I would prefer that over any other kind of criticism.” That’s understandable, because anyone complaining about not being able to play wants to – and in a few months they will be able to.
What would Hearthstone look like if it were released during the GameBoy Color era? A video provides the answer …
8-bit graphics and catchy tunes as music
When a game achieves such great success as Blizzard’s card game Hearthstone has, it’s not surprising that numerous parodies and fan works start to appear. Some time ago we had Hearthstone with Pokémon cards, and now a video is taking a similar direction – yet somehow entirely different.
The YouTube channel Roflstone has taken on the task and created a “Mobile Version” of Hearthstone – as it would have likely looked more than 10 years ago on the GameBoy Color. Clunky menus, wonderful tunes as music, and numerous funny references included.
Anyone who secretly played the first Pokémon games under the blanket at night will feel right at home …
For more news and articles about the game, you can find them on our Hearthstone topic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Evolve a new adaptation is on the way, this time it’s a monster again. The “Elder Kraken” lands on Shear and brings devastating area effects with it.
The Ancestor of the Kraken
At more or less regular intervals, the developers of Evolve release “adaptations” for existing hunters and monsters. This time it’s the Kraken that receives the alternative design “Elder Kraken”. This not only gives the monster a slightly altered appearance but also a change in its abilities. Let’s take a quick look at the changes:
Lightning Strike now covers a larger area than before – however, a target line now reveals where the Kraken activates the ability.
The Banshee Missile is larger and explodes in an area effect when it reaches its target.
Chain Lightning seems to be unchanged at first glance. After a channeling time, the Kraken causes damage to all enemies around it.
The Vortex has been replaced by Death Spiral. A large, tubular area is affected by the ability and causes persistent, low damage.
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Only on Friday, the open beta for PC was launched for Tom Clancy’s The Division. Reports are already piling up that some agents are using cheats.
Currently, numerous agents are roaming the post-apocalypse of New York: the open beta of The Division is live now for all supported platforms. Players can take a sneak peek into the upcoming MMO shooter, test some weapons, and explore the Dark Zone.
For some PC gamers, this is not enough: they have already hacked into the data, specifically the weapon data. It seems that these are stored client-side and not server-side. Both Reddit posts and YouTube videos point out these hacking issues.
In this video, an agent has infinite ammunition available ‒ and he doesn’t even have to reload.
https://youtu.be/lSai7kXiMSA
When asked by Ubisoft, the response was that nearly all PC cheats that appeared during the closed beta have been fixed. All other cheats, including those that occur anew in the open beta, will be addressed by the launch on March 8.
The developers will also be on the lookout for new problems during the open beta and will address them accordingly.
After all, this testing phase is meant to eliminate most potential issues in advance. Therefore, agents can only be advised to try everything possible and test so that nothing stands in the way of the launch of The Division.
Ultimately, we all want to enjoy the game. And no one wants to have their gaming experience ruined by PC cheats.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , the sniper rifle Icebreaker makes a comeback. This surprises Bungie and was not planned.
Two weeks ago, Bungie announced that they would shake up the Crucible. In certain modes, players should start without “special ammunition”. The goal was clear: The Trials of Osiris should no longer be a pure sniper paradise like in the last weeks and months.
At least the first round should take place without special ammunition.
Players bypass ammunition scarcity with Year-1 Icebreaker
But early on, players found a trick to bypass this. They used the Year-1 weapon “Icebreaker.” With the sniper rifle that regenerates its ammunition, sniper shots are possible after just a few seconds. There’s no need to wait for special ammunition. And a Icebreaker round to the head is still deadly. Especially in events like “Crimson Week”, which do not consider Light values, it proves to be absolutely deadly and renders the whole change absurd. Because it can still be “sniped” almost from the start.
http://youtu.be/sGmTj4hkSMQ
Deceptive: Players can regenerate ammunition with the Icebreaker or other weapons and then use it with another sniper rifle. One wonders: If players discovered this possibility just a few minutes after the changes were introduced, what does Bungie think about it?
Icebreaker was not intended
Apparently not much. As PvP guru Jon Weisnewski tweeted on Sunday, it is an “active issue” they are looking into. It was not intended for it to work this way.
@petexnasty hey! It’s an active issue we’re looking into. Definitely not the intended design for ammo economy
The latest trailer for the action MOBA Paragon promises… well… action. And in quite nice visuals, with damn cool effects.
With a fresh trailer, Paragon aims to grab players’ attention and seems to be succeeding. The latest impressions of the game promise exciting action with grand graphics, far from what players have been used to in MOBAs, while also introducing some new characters. Whether the balance between MOBA and shooter really works can probably only be judged when one has tried the game themselves.
Since Paragon relies on a “card system” for character development, comparable to that of Paladins, some fans were concerned that these card packs would be offered for real money. The accompanying worries about “Pay2Win” quickly grew loud. Epic Games reacted quickly and assured that “there will never be card packs for purchase,” as they are “aware that Pay-to-Win is a bad thing for competitive games.”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Black Desert the quest “Treasure Hunter” presents the first challenge for players. We provide you with a guide on how to proceed at step 5 and complete the quest.
If your experience is somewhat like mine, you’ll get through the first hours of the quests in Black Desert without major difficulties. By using “T” for auto-run and following clear descriptions, you can progress quickly, even though you may take longer for some quests because the enemies don’t drop and spawn as you’d like.
The first stumbling block occurs at the quest “Treasure Hunter.” The first 4 steps go smoothly, but then it gets tricky, and auto-run fails you. You need to place the two pieces of the treasure map side by side in your inventory, then you can combine them. If you right-click on the “new” map, a glow will be shown on your world map in the west of the city, right in Goblin territory. In the game world, this appears as a large beam of light.
If you actually go there, you’ll see that there’s nothing to see. The point you need to reach is underground. Now you need to head north and dive into the cave system at the coast, from there you can complete the 5th step of the quest and climb into a chamber where an NPC marked with a thick golden Q is waiting for you.
This video shows you the exact way:
http://youtu.be/OQ3cWrVwVvM
The 6th and final quest step is similar, you again need to assemble a map and activate it by right-clicking. This time the cave with an enemy and a clickable book is exactly where you expect it to be. On the “highest level”, when you also need to jump down a small ledge onto the plateau. This path is also outlined in the video above.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter The Division, there is a new daily mission from Ubisoft on Sunday, February 21.
Every day, Ubisoft encourages players of the beta of The Division to take on a special mission. Yesterday, players were tasked with taking down elite cleaners. It cost 11.8 million of them. A sign of how popular the beta is. For the effort, all players receive “multiple Dark Zone keys,” which can be collected from the reward vendor.
One player caught 82 of them and receives a unique reward.
The task, this time on the last day of the beta: loot as much gear from the Dark Zone as possible and then get it to safety. At the moment, it doesn’t look like the beta will be extended as it was last time. It ends on Monday at 1:00 PM. But the wait without The Division won’t be too long: the release is on March 8 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3OHAXz4HKw
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , a fan’s video highlights the shooting from a different perspective and extracts new aspects from the event.
80, 90 hours of work went into the montage “True Stories,” says creator Lorenlyr. Upon closer inspection, you can recognize some well-known names from the German-speaking scene. For instance, AUTer Space is involved, who have already drawn attention with their amusing videos.
The video tells small stories from the world of Destiny that one might not come across otherwise. A fan club pays tribute to Eris Morn, the loneliness in the hunt is celebrated, or there is slapstick with the ball.
A beautiful video that we would like to present to you.
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In the Open Beta of The Division, there is a reward vendor that provides you with fresh free items.
The Open Beta of Ubisoft’s upcoming MMO shooter has been running since Thursday or Friday. Most of the story missions have already been completed by most players. Now, the Dark Zone is becoming ruthlessly unsafe. However, it is still worth a visit to the Operations Base from time to time: Because there, the reward vendor is waiting for you.
This vendor has hidden himself quite well, so he is probably waiting in vain for a large part of the agents. When you enter the Operations Base, the Medical Wing is on the left, the Security Wing on the right, and straight ahead, when you go upstairs, is the Tech Wing. If you go straight ahead, past the stairs on the right, the reward vendor is there with some nice free items.
If you ignore or forget this guy, you will miss out on fresh resources. In the main game, you will find Uplay rewards at the reward vendor. According to YouTuber Arekkz, he will probably distribute the following cool skin if you have completed the Alpha and both Betas. However, this has not been confirmed yet.
But even now, in the Open Beta, he is distributing fresh consumables, like grenades or mineral water. And the best part: you get all this stuff for free. This is definitely to your advantage when you fight through the Dark Zone and engage in heated skirmishes.
So far, it is not exactly known how often this vendor restocks. When you pick up all the items, they are initially removed from the list. If you come back at a later time, there will be consumables available again. So make sure to check back in the back corner of the base regularly, as there may be free items. Arekkz speculates that the rewards are renewed about every hour.
You can watch this again in moving images in this video:
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