Star Wars Battlefront: Is it a sales flop?

The retail chain GameStop complained to its investors that Star Wars Battlefront had sold worse than expected. Electronic Arts sees it differently.

The sales giant GameStop stated in a comment to its investors that it shifted some of the blame to Star Wars Battlefront and held it responsible for potentially weakening numbers even in the winter quarter. They had “high expectations,” lowered the expectations for the release, and even these “lowered expectations” Star Wars Battlefront still underperformed.

This sounded so negative that Electronic Arts felt the need to release a statement. EA said GameStop’s comments were “interesting” and “a bit surprising.” They see no weaknesses in the title and are confident that they will meet the high expectations set forth to analysts, investors, and Wall Street.

These are the “marketing beats” EA hopes for:

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

At least there are “marketing beats” coming up. This likely refers to the movie. EA probably hopes that the film will help the game Star Wars Battlefront earn significant revenue again. Electronic Arts had expected to sell 13 million units, but they didn’t comment on the numbers.

Analysts had already stated to the US site Gamespot regarding the numbers that weak sales at GameStop could result from the fact that digital sales are increasingly rising.

Battlefront-Black-Friday

Black Friday in the USA had other winners

In this context, an interesting statistic was compiled by Infoscout based on the purchasing behavior of 250,000 Americans who use their apps. According to this, the big winner of Black Friday in US retail was the game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 3.” It received 10 cents from every dollar spent on video games. Star Wars Battlefront only ranked 13th in the statistics.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny: Spectacular Boss Kills – Someone has soloed Oryx, another has blind-Crota

In Destiny, there is spectacular content from the raid. Oryx has been defeated by a solo player.

Oryx, the boss of the current raid King’s Fall, is probably the most complicated boss fight in Destiny so far. Players have been trying for a while to defeat him solo on “Normal”.

Now the first one has succeeded.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

The Great Gatsby thanks the allies, competitors, and others who helped him come up with the successful tactic.

The typical comment from Destiny players upon seeing the video: And I can’t even do it myself often enough with 5 others!

Mom, Mom, look, I’m not even looking!

The boss before Oryx, son Crota, has not been a benchmark in Destiny for a long time.

Players keep coming up with crazier methods and impose harder handicaps on themselves to defeat him spectacularly. After the “Rock Drums”, it couldn’t really get much harder and more humiliating for Crota: Now a player has managed to do it blindfolded, that is, without seeing anything.

Well, with such weak performances, Dad Oryx probably won’t regard his son with any eyes anymore, right?

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Guild Wars 2: Schadet der eSport dem Rest von GW2? Chef spricht Klartext

The lead developer of Guild Wars 2 defends eSports with strong words – it’s about the future of the game itself.

Those who bet against eSports are betting against Guild Wars 2

With the expansion Heart of Thorns, Guild Wars 2 not only focused on exciting adventures in the jungle of Maguuma, but also implemented concrete plans for eSports. However, not all fans agree with this. Many fear that the emphasis will be too heavily placed on the professional scene, leaving other projects, such as bug fixes for the main game, by the wayside.

Colin Johanson, the game’s lead developer, has now countered these accusations on reddit. “Despite some crazy accusations, the PvP Pro League is mainly a matter for our marketing team and has virtually no impact on our developers.”

Guild Wars 2 PvP League
From a marketing perspective, eSports in Guild Wars 2 is a great success.

For everyone who hopes that the PvP league is doomed to fail, Johanson even had some harsher words. “If you want to see the game fail, I wonder what you are doing here at all. But betting that the league will be a failure is the same as betting that Guild Wars 2 will not continue to grow.”

With a stronger focus on PvP, they also promise to release a new patch once per quarter, mainly aimed at balancing the individual classes. While this is an improvement over the current approach, many players feel that this is still not enough. They believe that balance is never “perfect” and that more flexible adjustments should be made, such as every 3-4 weeks.

Just a few days ago, the first official PvP season in Guild Wars 2 started, enticing with prize money of up to $200,000 and also providing amateurs with incentives in the form of in-game rewards.

More on the topic: Guild Wars 2 Interview: GW2 aims to be an alternative to LoL and CS:GO in eSports

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

SMITE: Eingebildete Zicken und heiße Dämonen im neusten Patch!

The latest patch of SMITE is out and gives us plenty of hot skins – sexy succubi and conceited divas are waiting.

To have a hot Christmas …

Since Tuesday, patch 2.19 of SMITE is available, featuring the slightly sinful name “Divas and Demons”, which certainly lives up to its title. Alongside numerous cool skins, there are also a lot of balancing changes to rein in the latest player preferences in the meta.

Sexy succubi and iron beetles

The definitive highlight of the update (no discussion allowed) is the two demon skins that Serqet is granted. “Demonsoul” and “Ebonsoul” differ only in color, but also come in a bundle for 600 gems and are available for a limited time. Who hasn’t always wanted to spread the sweet poison of love as a succubus?

In Aphrodite’s latest appearance, there is clearly inspiration taken from Lady Gaga, as her “Diva” skin resembles the pop singer more than just a little. As part of the Odyssey, “Steel Scarab” skin from Khepri, transforms our favorite dung beetle into a large robot – to protect his teammates, of course.

Lastly, a new skin from Chronos awaits in the New Year’s chest. “Father Time” turns the ruler of time into an old man – if you like it, go for it.

God Adjustments

In addition to the countless skins, there are some adjustments to the gods to further manage balance. The biggest changes occur – as expected – with Chiron, who has clearly left his hunter colleagues in the lurch. The damage of “Training Exercise” is reduced, the cooldown of “Masterful Shot” is increased, and the slow is set at 25% on all ranks.

Smite Hel
Hel is in trouble – she heals a bit too well.

Even the Nordic goddess Hel feels the nerf hammer, as the ability “Repulse/Inspire” experiences an increase in cooldown from 10 to 12 seconds and the healing now only benefits 30% from magical power (previously 50%). Khepri receives his third adjustment in a row, with his “Rising Dawn” further clipped and reduces the damage taken by hit allies by 10% less at every rank. Sol’s “Stellar Burst” costs 10 more mana points and the slow now only lasts for 1.5 seconds (previously 2 seconds). Finally, the damage from Xing Tian and Xbalanque is slightly reduced.


For more about the game, such as our current Chiron giveaway, you can find it on the SMITE theme page.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. smitegame.com

Destiny: Server down and long maintenance on 3rd December [Update: Completed]

In the MMO shooter Destiny , long maintenance work is scheduled for Thursday, December 3rd. The servers will be unreachable this evening. Is there a patch?

As Bungie announces, extensive maintenance will take place on December 3rd.

  • Starting at 6:00 PM German time, players should no longer be able to log in.
  • From 7:00 PM, the servers for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation 4, and Xbox One will be taken offline for maintenance. Destiny will no longer be accessible.
  • The maintenance is expected to last approximately three hours. Destiny is expected to be operational again at 10:00 PM our time. However, such maintenance work has often been delayed and extended in the past.

Is there a patch or update for Destiny on December 3rd?

No information is available about a patch or update. Community Manager DeeJ tweeted on Monday that the date for the December update has not yet been announced, only ruling out that the patch would come on Tuesday.

Update 11:25: There is certainty, one of our readers has been in contact with DeeJ. He says: These are just maintenance works. The only update that will come today for Destiny will be the Weekly Update, the letter to the community.

The December update is likely to arrive next week or the week after. Then 15 exotic items will come into play, there will be adjustments to weapon balance and probably also a rework of the Titan class. We will keep you updated if there is still a patch or update coming to Destiny.

Update 21:12: Destiny is back online. It happened a bit faster than expected.


If you need reading material while you wait: In our “Best-off Guides” you can find all the important information about Year 2 Destiny at a glance.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny: Let there be light – Challenge Mode catapults Guardians to 320

In the MMO shooter Destiny, the challenge mode for the Warpriest went live yesterday. This leads to the first true 320 Guardians.

We have waited a long time for this, and now there are at least 3 Guardians with a light level of 320, the maximum value: 2 Titans and 1 Warlock have achieved this according to Destinytracker. To reach the round dream value, each equipment slot must have an item with 320 light.

This was not really possible until yesterday, as there was no artifact that could go up to 320 light. Players could only reach 320 light indirectly by never wearing or picking up any artifact – quite difficult.

Since yesterday, the artifact with 320 light is available. Just like weapons with guaranteed 320 light value. Before, one had to hope for such items.

Surprisingly: The items are now not only available “guaranteed”, but also quite easily.

Double Lottery Tormented the Guardians in Destiny – Now It Is Light

Because Bungie is being very generous with the Warpriest challenge mode. They had previously been stingy with rewards. Players have been complaining about a double lottery since the Taken King. Destiny has to first spit out the item that Guardians want (or at least the type of item), and then it has to come with a high light value. Otherwise, the loot is worthless.

Destiny-Hunter-Artefakt

The closer one gets to 320, the stingier the system becomes. Of course, if you have 310 light, you can be happy about any item, whether it has a light value of 311, 312, or 318. But as you go higher, the “hits” in the fun loot bingo diminish.

This is at least different for some items now. When in the next weeks Oryx and Golgoroth get their challenge mode, there could be other rewards.

In the forums, the discussion rages: Have they made it too easy for the players? Is the challenge mode, which was rather simple, worth this great loot? Or are only the 1% complaining while the rest is happy: Finally more loot. What do you think?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Lord of the Rings Online: Soon one can skip leveling, buy level 95

In Lord of the Rings Online you will soon be able to buy level 95 characters.

In the patch notes for the upcoming patch 17.1., there are all sorts of “normal” changes, quality-of-life changes. Minas Tirith is getting a crafting hall. In PvP they are changing this and that. Some complain: This is terrible. Others say: Finally, you are doing something right, it’s great.

HdRO-Minas

One change, however, is particularly noteworthy and surprising. They are introducing two new cash shop items.

  • The Blessing of Valar brings a character to level 95.
  • The Blessing of Valar (Upgrade) raises a character that is already over level 51 up to 95.

At the moment, we do not yet know the final prices. One can assume that the “Upgrade” will be cheaper than the normal blessing.

In the video from the test server, it is also set up a bit differently than in the patch notes. There is a buff at level 50 for 3995 Turbine Points, a buff at level 95 costs 5995. That would be approximately 35 Euros for the “small” buff and 45 Euros for the “large” buff.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content
HdrO.Blessing

The patch notes are for the test server Bullroar. We do not yet know when it will go live.

Mein MMO says: This is not a sin in the genre. World of Warcraft has had such a “pay instead of leveling” thing for years. For money, you can buy yourself up to “a bit below the maximum level” so that you can tackle the current game content without having to play the “outdated.”

It does not seem very kosher to outsiders. The abstract problem associated with this: Instead of making leveling more enjoyable and keeping old content attractive enough for players to enjoy tackling it, players are made to pay for not having to play.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. LOTRO Patch-Notes
  2. MO

Wild Terra: 100 Early Access Keys to Win

Juvty Worlds and Mein-MMO.de are giving away 100 keys for the sandbox MMORPG Wild Terra!

Wild Terra MMORPG

The sandbox MMORPG Wild Terra is somewhat reminiscent of Ultima Online. From an isometric perspective, you explore a vast game world where you can essentially do whatever you want. Survival aspects are at the forefront, allowing you to build your own structures and even create your own kingdom that you will need to manage.

Wild Terra is currently in an early access phase. If you are interested in the game concept, you now have the chance to win one of 100 keys! A key grants you access to the early access of the game and five premium days. Even after the early access, you will still be able to play with your key.

To participate in the giveaway, you just need to enter a valid email address in the Godankey field and hope for some luck in the draw. 

How to redeem your Wild Terra key!

If you are among the winners, you can redeem the key in the following way:
1. Visit the site: http://www.playwildterra.com/
2. Download the game client from this page: http://files.playwildterra.com/
3. Install the game and then start it.
4. Register for an account and then enter your key.

wild terra screenshot

German is spoken

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the external content

The MMORPG Wild Terra is also available in German. However, updates are released regularly, for which translations are also needed. The developers are therefore looking for gamers who might be interested in collaborating on the translation so that the German texts can be published promptly. Those interested can apply via this email address: [email protected]

The giveaway runs through Godankey, and data will not be stored for commercial purposes, but only used for the draw – it ends on December 6, 2015, at 2 PM. You should then check your inbox to see if you are among those selected at random. Participation is free, and legal recourse is excluded.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Hearthstone: Card Chaos with Changing Decks! (Update: Runs after Break)

The current card chaos in Hearthstone sets new standards in complexity – the decks evolve with every turn!

Update: The Tavern Brawl has been put on hold. It was active for a while at first, but it has been inactive since around 19:30. Blizzard is working on connection issues.

Update 23:50: It is now running again. Blizzard apologizes for the stability issues in Europe. It is not due to the server, but because the card chaos goes live in Europe first. These many problems are inexcusable, however. They want to test even more rigorously in the future.

The choice of hardships – what do I want to play with?

Exactly at 5 PM today, on December 2, 2015, the card chaos of Hearthstone started its next round. Under the name “Deck, switch yourself!” the developers are creating a new mode that is so complex this time that it even works only with its own help texts.

At the beginning, each player chooses a deck, which only determines the hero power. However, the deck contains only four cards in the first turn! At the beginning of each turn, you “discover” three new cards, but you can only choose one of them. This card then goes to your hand and later back to the deck. This way, players gradually build up a small collection. Because that alone wouldn’t be chaotic enough, at the end of your turn, the hand is completely exchanged – you draw new cards from the deck.

Hearthstone Card Chaos Deck switch yourself Gameplay
Spoiler: I have ruthlessly lost.

This sounds incredibly complicated, and it is in implementation as well. It will surely take several games to get the hang of the subtleties and tricks of this mode.

It is also important to mention that for the first win in the card chaos, there is a free classic card pack. The cards from it either complement your own collection or can be used in the form of Arcane Dust to craft desired cards. A game in this mode is worthwhile for both veterans and newcomers.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Black Desert: Off to Jail! – PvP Continent Encourages Mischief

Black Desert introduces a new PvP system where villains end up in prison if they are slain by “good” players.

Bad Guys in Jail

While in the West we are expecting the release of Black Desert next year, and the features for launch are already being prepared, work is still ongoing on the original version of the game in Korea. The latest update includes major changes for the continent of Valencia, where the existing “Karma” system is being slightly modified to encourage more conflicts between players.

Black Desert PvP Slaughter
Those who mow down innocents see their karma plummet.

Until now, the karma value indicated how righteous a player was – if one had neutral karma, one was safe. However, those who regularly committed crimes, such as getting caught stealing, saw their karma drop quickly into the red zone. This makes it quite dangerous, because if a player with negative karma is slain by their righteous counterparts, they can lose enchantments, gems, and other items in the process.

In Valencia, the “PvP-friendly” zone, these punishments are eased and expanded with some other ideas. Those who diligently send other players to the nearest cemetery still ensure that their own karma level continues to drop. Slowly but surely – depending on how many innocents one murders – the character becomes an outlaw. Exactly these players are the right prey for “good” heroes who like to possess positive karma.

If the lawbreaker is slain, they respawn in prison and must work in the sulfur mines until their debt is settled. Depending on how “bad” their karma was at that moment, this can take a while. But don’t worry: Skilled players can attempt to escape from prison early.

In Arequipa, the law enforcers live - people with negative karma are attacked by the guards.
In Arequipa, the law enforcers live – people with negative karma are attacked by the guards.

Along with this prison comes two new cities where the bad guys and the good law enforcers both have a safe haven to plan their next misdeeds or redemption offensives. In both cities, there are special quests that can only be completed if one behaves either particularly “good” or particularly “bad”. There will be plenty of incentives to fully explore one side to the extreme.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Patch week reduces loading screens, improves performance in PvP


In The Elder Scrolls Online there was a significant patch this week for PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.

PC Patch Improves Performance in Cyrodiil

TESO-Inventar

Performance issues have been plaguing The Elder Scrolls Online. The PC has always been a frontrunner, receiving the “current” patch approximately two weeks before Playstation 4 and Xbox One. This is because console patches must first be approved by Microsoft and Sony.

For PC, the latest patch was released yesterday, promising improvements to performance in Cyrodiil. Some buffs now only work for group members, no longer for everyone around.

The performance issues in Cyrodiil have been troubling TESO for a long time. Let’s see if the fix finally provides relief and alleviates the problems. Additionally, armor now degrades by 33% due to “normal wear and tear.” There is no change regarding degradation from dying.

There is a lot more, here are the patch notes for PC in German.

TESO-Schatz

Patches for Playstation 4 and Xbox One

The Xbox One patch was released yesterday, and the one for Playstation 4 will be applied today, on 2nd December. At this moment, there are only patch notes available for Xbox One, but the one for PS4 will likely be the same patch.

Here the issue with long loading screens for players who have “completed many quests” is being addressed. Some had already joked, saying, “In the time it takes to load, at least I have time to take care of my family… or read an 800-page novel.”

The patch is about 680 MB in size. For the patch notes for Xbox One in German, click here.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Skyforge: Pantheon Wars start today

All fans of the MMORPG Skyforge can be excited, as with today’s update “War’s Onset”, the Pantheon Wars are introduced in the MMORPG Skyforge.

Every god needs a temple, but there are not many of these objects, referred to as “Heavenly Temples” in Skyforge, in the game. Therefore, starting today, the Pantheon Wars for the Heavenly Temples will begin. These wars are divided into different phases:

Each war season lasts three months and consists of several activities that last a total of 28 days:

  • The Qualification Phase – 24 days – with the very first qualification phase only lasting 17 days due to time differences between Europe and North America.
  • The Auction Phase – 1 day.
  • The Battle for the Heavenly Temples – 3 days.
skyforge pantheon wars 1

Phase 1 – Qualification

In the qualification phase, players must master various PvE and PvP activities. This allows them to qualify for the silver, gold, ruby, and diamond leagues.

Phase 2 – Auctions

In the second phase, players must place bids to claim a Heavenly Temple for themselves.

Phase 3 – Battle for the Heavenly Temples

Phase 3 is the climax of the entire Pantheon War – the epic battle!

Your task during the season is to fight for resources. You will find these in Pantheon-controlled territories. With these resources, you may undertake a special global project that differs from season to season: the Wonder of the World!

Anyone who completes such a project can significantly influence the entire game. Additionally, one will receive statues and busts of their hero, who will thus be immortalized in the game. So, anyone who truly wants to make a lasting impact in the MMORPG Skyforge should participate in the Pantheon Wars, which are being introduced to the online game today with the update “War’s Onset”.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

What else the patch brings, such as class balance, you can read here:


Find out more about Skyforge in our game review.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The Division: Youtuber findet in offiziellem Video Hinweis auf Cash-Shop

In the upcoming MMO shooter The Division a YouTuber has found something interesting.

It was only visible for a tiny moment, but the well-known Division YouTuber “MarcoStyle” paid close attention. In a gameplay video, from a Q&A at the beginning of November, he discovered the dreaded word “Store” (it is at 0:55 in the video) directly in the interface of The Division.

This is still far from confirmed, but it seems to be an indication that the dreaded “microtransactions” will be featured in the game, also known as a “cash shop”.

http://youtu.be/nTuQb95R8YA

In doing so, a player pays money for “smaller conveniences”, whether they are cosmetics, new skins, or XP bonuses. More than this short clip in X-Files style is not known at the moment.

In the current climate of the gaming industry, such a cash shop would probably not surprise anyone, but it would likely upset some.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Final Fantasy XIV entices ex-players with 4 free days, while the Diadem is causing issues

In Final Fantasy XIV, players are offered 96 free hours, while the new PvE content is causing problems.

Square Enix is proud of Final Fantasy XIV. That’s why they showcase it regularly. Now Patch 3.1 is out, and they say:

Former players who have not had a subscription for more than 30 days can play for free for four days between December 1 and December 31.

Final-Fantasy-BOnusaktion

Among the 4 days counted: The day you log in again, and the three subsequent days until 11:59 PM on the third day after the login day. So you should start “as early in the day as possible,” otherwise you’ll have only 80 hours or so instead of 96.

Problems with Mass PvE in Diadem

Meanwhile, there is a bit of trouble with Patch 3.1 regarding the new large event-like zones. They have tried a new concept with many different groups in open PvE instances, on the islands.

And the mass PvE there does not work as smoothly as usual in the “Exploration Missions” in Diadem. In the first and so far only group of islands, groups are competing for the same monsters – this leads to conflicts. Up to 9 groups, 72 players, can land on one island together.

Players are complaining that some groups only hit the mobs and then just run away, not really helping to take them down.

Final-Fantasy-Dino

Furthermore, the 8 players within a group do not always have the same goal. In a hodgepodge thrown together by the Duty Finder, there are combat classes wanting to kill monsters, but there are also gathering classes who want to do their crafting there. The gatherers annoy the hunters.

Others say: Here are people in our group who play crafting professions, they play their gatherers – they don’t bring us anything. Why should we support them here? They aren’t hitting the mobs, we’re then doing too little damage to the creatures and going home empty-handed.

This topic has been concerning the FF14 community for some time now.

A problem noticed here within a group: Half of the group wants to “gather” special items with their crafting class, doing no damage to the mob. The other half of the group wants items from the mobs, but deals too little damage to get loot because other parties are dealing the main damage:

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

Auto-Matchmaking mixes fighters with gatherers – this leads to problems

There has already been a hotfix. Mastermind Naoki Yoshida spoke up last week, saying: It’s not that simple. If we come up with rules, they can be abused. This is a different concept than the content so far; everything is new now.

Yoshida assured that some problems would be solved “technically,” while for others, they hope for discussions within the group to find solutions. However, it is known that talking doesn’t always help.

Final-Fantasy-XIV-neue-Abenteuer

Square Enix is working on it but needs a little more time. They are considering that simply “hitting” is no longer enough, but you also need to deal a percentage of damage to receive loot. They are still struggling with a “kick system” because it could mean that “bidders on an item” could be removed. Furthermore, the gathering professions should also be able to do something; they cannot just be removed for kicking. It’s all quite complicated.

The best solution would probably be to separate gathering and combat professions so that they do not end up together in matchmaking. However, this is technically difficult, at least in the short term with Patch 3.1. Those who are bothered by this are recommended by Yoshida to manually seek a group.

Well, hopefully, returning players won’t have to deal with these difficulties.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

World of Tanks: Tanks in the Advent Calendar and Blitz for Windows 10

The military MMO World of Tanks lets players open doors. And the mini version Blitz is also coming for Windows 10.

You have to come up with something to not go under in all the competition. Tanks as reindeer wouldn’t really work. At World of Tanks, a calendar has been prepared for Christmas. Every day, a different door opens. Now the first 2 days weren’t really gifts, but “special offers” that were only valid for one day.

Here is the tank Advent calendar on the homepage of World of Tanks.

WoT-Blitz

Soon there will be 2 World of Tanks for Windows 10 – the big one and a small one

Valid for longer than just 24 hours will be “World of Tanks Blitz”, which is the mini version of WoT. Blitz was designed a year and a half ago: Intended for mobile devices, it found success on iOS and Android.

Now Wargaming is releasing the game in a Windows 10 version. Windows also powers some mobile devices – but you can also control it from the desktop cockpit with mouse and keyboard if you’re craving 7-vs-7 action, so to speak, like pocket tank billiards. Or you just stick with the big version.

There is currently no date for the Windows 10 port of Blitz.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Mecker Wednesday: Subscription Requirement in SWTOR for Full Story?

Actually, I wanted to vent today about all the crazy people who, once again, fought over a few percentage points off during Black Friday and sent others to the hospital. Luckily, you are spared from this, as the underdog Star Wars: The Old Republic steps in to create another topic of rage after the weakening of the companions. This time it’s about real money and story – the very things that make Star Wars so great.

Cortyn's wrath is boiling, as befits a Sith Lord.
Cortyn’s wrath is boiling, as befits a Sith Lord.

What has happened?

Last night, the developers of Star Wars: The Old Republic invited to a livestream to talk about the future of the game and to make a “big announcement.” The disappointment in the chat was quite large when it turned out that the reveal was just a bonus program for loyal subscribers.

Anyone who pays for the game every month will be rewarded with small gimmicks, such as special weapon skins, exclusive companions, or other “fluff” that brings prestige but does not hold back core aspects of the game. And no developer would come up with the idea of also including story chapters in such a program. … or would they?

SWTOR HK-55 Companion
The story chapter featuring HK-55 is only available if you subscribe for more than 6 months.

Rewards for longtime players – Exclusive story

The stream yesterday really angered me. I rarely come across developers this hypocritical. With statements like “With the rewards system, we want to thank all players who have been playing SWTOR as subscribers for years and have accompanied us for almost 4 years now”, I almost had my feminist good-human soy milk come back up.

While that sounds nice in theory, I do have a question for the joker: If you care so much about the loyal fans, why don’t you thank the loyal fans who have been around for 4 years, instead of those who will be from now on? The current plans state that only players who have a continuous subscription from January to August will enjoy the “bonus chapter.” So additional story.

No, SWTOR’s rewards program is anything but a thank you to the “loyal fans.” It’s a horrible, deceitful method to entice players into a subscription, as otherwise, they are simply deprived of what they love about SWTOR – story.

Flashed - The announcement has greatly diminished the desire for SWTOR.
Flashed – The announcement has greatly diminished the desire for SWTOR.

Personally, this angers me. While many fans might think, “I’d rather have a permanent subscription, otherwise I can’t see certain content,” I have the exact opposite reaction. “Without a permanent subscription, I can’t see the whole story when I jump back in later – I’d rather not see it at all.” Yes, my interest in SWTOR has just drastically decreased. But hey, if enough people complain, it might do something. I certainly won’t be subscribing for 7 months – not even for a single month now.

Will you do it? Or do you think these rewards are actually good? Let me know in the comments.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Destiny: Banshee-44 is the new Xur – here is what he has on 2.12.

In the MMO shooter Destiny , weapons master Banshee 44 has a Speaking Day on December 2nd again. He is almost the new Xur.

Xur appears on Fridays and rarely has anything surprising. Weapons can be obtained through quests, armor pieces through Three of Coins, at least those that are already in the game (15 other exotic weapons and armors are said to come soon).

There are rarely positive surprises. With Banshee-44 it is different; he has become the new Xur and may have outstanding rolls for legendary weapons.

If one has been obedient and tried the test weapons, ordering weapons from him.

The First Curse Destiny

Here are the 5 test weapons this week in Destiny

If you want to farm reputation with Banshee-44 to later get The First Curse, the class exotics Tlaloc, Pikass, or Fabian Strategy, you need to try these test weapons:

  • The auto rifle from Häkke craves turtle soup … well, Cabal blood.
  • The auto rifle from Suros needs precision hits.
  • The hand cannon from Häkke wants to try double kills.
  • The pulse rifle from Häkke longs for precision hits.
  • And the prototype of a sniper rifle from Omolon wants to take down Fallen captains.
Arminius-D

These 5 weapons can be ordered this week in Destiny

You can order these 5 weapons this week:

  • The auto rifle Arminius-D. This thing was one of Bungie’s statisticians’ “insider tips” for the Crucible. Maximum fire rate, high reload speed, large magazine. Can come with Counterbalance, Persistence, Half-Glass Full. Good for holding opponents in “Suppressive Fire.” Stats don’t lie, says: It’s worth ordering despite low range and impact.
  • The auto rifle Zarinea-D is a bit heavier than the Arminius, a bit more range and stability, a slightly slower fire rate. Can come with strong perks like Counterbalance. If pulse rifles get weaker soon, it might be a good investment.
  • The scout rifle SUROS Dis-43 is a killer at long range, there’s not much that can match it. The problem is a bit that every scout fan swears by the Disunity. You should still get it, just to hope for “Fully Automatic” and to have experienced that gameplay. Strong weapon!
  • The fusion rifle Thesan FR4 has exceptionally high impact and stability. If you want to play with fusion rifles, you should take a look here. In general, it’s still an “underdog” weapon type, but there’s little against the Thesan, maybe a bit boring in perk selection.
  • Last weapon from Banshee-44 is the Jungukogo-D, a Häkke shotgun, which is nothing exciting, resembles Strongbow closely, but has a smaller magazine. Can come with Last Round or “The Next One Please.” Currently probably not a very attractive weapon in Destiny.

In the video, there are the perks for the Kumakatok HC4, the Suros Dis 47, the Tuonela SR4, the Uffern HC4, and the Suros PDX-45. These are the 5 weapons that were available last week.

Recommended editorial content

At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.

I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy.
Link to the YouTube content

These weapons are available this week with strong rolls

Here we will present some rolls: weapons that you can pick up if you ordered them in one of the previous weeks.

This week there is the SUROS-PDX 45 with a killer roll. This is the pulse rifle that many swear by. It comes in roll 1 with the aim assist perk Hidden Hand, additional aim assistance. Plus, it has Perfect Balance … this is already a beast for PvP. Especially the aim assistance makes a lot of difference. Some, however, still want to wait for “Counterbalance.”

The Scout rifle Suros Dis-47 should this time come with Hammerforged, Fully Automatic, and Smallbore. This is already top quality. Even there, some say: Yes, but it could be more stable … true, but how likely is that?

The Kumakatok SR4 comes with the “Nihility-combination” Fireball and Roulette in roll 1 – roll 2 brings Roulette, Rifled Barrel for the range and Outlaw. Not bad.

An Arminius-D is available with Counterbalance and braced frame. Both increase stability. This is one to grab and shout “Here, here – I want!”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

World of Warcraft: Ship missions will be more profitable, less dangerous

A hotfix aims to make the ship missions in World of Warcraft more attractive – will it succeed?

More Loot, Less Loss

The ship missions in World of Warcraft are a double-edged sword. They were originally introduced to prevent players from being forced into the garrison as often while also enabling them to make more significant decisions. Unlike regular follower missions, where a defeat has no consequences, ships can be destroyed if a mission fails.

However, this is not the only problem that has existed. Most missions only provide experience points for the ships – exactly what players no longer need once they have completed their fleet. The special “rare” missions are so rare that even hardcore players may never see many of them.

World of Warcraft Ship Destroyer Horde
The ships will not sink as quickly anymore – but does that improve anything?

A new hotfix that is currently being tested is set to address this and will bring the following adjustments:

  • Rare ship missions will now appear more frequently
  • A high success chance in a ship mission now lowers the chance that a ship will be destroyed on a failure. At over 90%, no ships will be destroyed.
  • Seaboard blockades will now appear only every 7 days and will be completed faster.
  • The success increase from ship equipment and special crews (Humans/Pandaren) has been boosted by 33% – 50%.

These changes will definitely lead to all players experiencing the “rare” rewards more frequently. However, it also takes away the tension from the ship missions, and the often-praised feeling of “Risk vs. Reward” is significantly diminished.

What do you think about these changes?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

SWTOR: Und das große Geheimnis war …

In Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR), a major announcement was promised for Tuesday night. What was behind it?

Those who subscribe diligently will soon receive additional story content and a new companion in SWTOR.

The “big secret” is rather underwhelming

A warning upfront: The article contains minor spoilers; those who have not played Knights of the Fallen Empire should proceed with caution.

Last night, the “big announcement” for SWTOR was made, which had previously attracted considerable attention. What did the creators have in store? Plans for the next expansion? A dramatic event later this year? The announcement of SWTOR 2 or a console port? Not quite. It was about the future plans for “Knights of the Fallen Empire” and a rewards program for subscribers.

HK-55 – A Droid with Humor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O6lfj_jyJM

During the story of Knights of the Fallen Empire, players encounter the assassin droid HK-55. At times, he even accompanies the heroes but eventually parts ways with the group. Those who are subscribers on January 11 can bring the droid back into the team and have him as a permanent companion!

This is just the first step of a rewards program aimed at encouraging players to subscribe long-term. Every month, there will be some special feature related to HK-55 – this could include costumes that swap body parts of the droid for HK parts or something similar.

More Story for Especially Loyal Souls

Those who subscribe diligently receive an additional chapter.
Those who subscribe diligently receive an additional chapter.

Those who maintain a subscription continuously from January 11, 2016, to August 1, 2016, will receive a complete story chapter on top! In this chapter, players will not control the usual heroes but will operate as HK-55 to experience an exciting mission. Specific details regarding the release date of the bonus chapter have not yet been provided.

Chapter 10 Arrives in February

Rawr - Kaliyo has made a name for herself now.
Rawr – Kaliyo has made a name for herself now.

The tenth chapter of the ongoing story of Knights of the Fallen Empire, “Anarchy in Paradise,” will be released on February 11, 2015. According to the developers, players will encounter Kaliyo, a former companion of the Imperial Agent, who is now known as “Firebrand.” Players can recruit her and make at least two “significant” choices – one with immediate consequences and another whose effects will only become visible in later chapters.

Subscribers will receive 2 days of early access to “Anarchy in Paradise,” which will also bring improvements to crafting so that solo players can create slightly better gear.

SWTOR recently upset many players with changes to companions, but it could regain sympathy with the new companion.


Cortyn’s Mecker-Wednesday deals with exactly this topic: Subscription requirement in SWTOR for full story?

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. reddit.com/r/swtor/

Guild Wars 2 launches into the first PvP season of the new league – professional career possible

Today marks the beginning of a new era of PvP in Guild Wars 2, as the first PvP league has been launched.

Five Friends for a Brawl

Today, on 12/01/2015, the start of the first “new” PvP season in Guild Wars 2 has been proclaimed. Although it sounds formal, the new season aims to allow casual players to achieve success and gradually work their way up the rankings to earn various achievements and items.

Guild Wars 2 PvP

Those who wish to participate should grab four of their most talented friends and sign up with them in the Guild Challenge League. The ranking will be determined by an ELO rating, as is typical in this area, and can be viewed anytime on the leaderboard.

The first season will last a total of 7 weeks, providing enough time for all players to secure some of the rewards.

After the season, the top two teams will have the opportunity to rise into the ESL Guild Wars 2 Pro League. There, each of the 8 teams will compete for a prize pool of nearly $200,000, which should significantly increase the incentive for professionals.

Guild Wars 2 Interview with Mein-MMO.de: GW2 aims to be an alternative to LoL and CS:GO in esports.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.