An Alpha is upcoming for Black Desert. Why is it so hard to get codes?
Black Desert has long been a big topic for MMO fans looking for something different: Great graphics, interesting game ideas, amazing character creation, cute avatars. Some have been watching the game for a long time and are eager to test it.
In the West, it’s set to start soon. An Alpha begins on Monday. The invitations will be distributed via fan sites, but the complaint is widespread: “I just can’t get a code, they are gone in no time, there must be bots involved!“ If you take a look at where these codes end up, you can find them on German eBay: 30 Euros, 4 already sold, 2 still available, someone casually made 110 Euros by securing keys in bulk and now selling them. This must frustrate every “honest player” wanting to test the game.
The Lesson: If companies want to reach players’ pockets through “founder packages” at inflated prices (a practice that is now common), resourceful “private individuals” will take over.
Everyone is urged not to fall for such “bargains”. As long as there is a market for it, automated code giveaways will be misused for personal gain.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
EA has released an interesting infographic that impressively shows how much has really happened in the weekend beta of Star Wars Battlefront …
9.5 Million Players United by the Force
Long infographics that can only be displayed on 3 portrait screens at the same time are currently on trend and reflect the spirit of the times.
The beta of Star Wars Battlefront has been a few days ago, but EA and Dice did not hold back and created a comprehensive list of events related to this occasion – after all, it was the largest beta that EA has ever had. It’s best to take a look at the various figures yourselves.
The Emperor would probably be disappointed that only about 1 in 4 Darth Vaders scored a kill with Force Choke. Good personnel is just hard to find …
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
How long fans have to wait for an Overwatch beta in Europe has been uncertain. Now it has been surprisingly clarified: It starts next week!
Faster than expected
A few days ago, when the start date for the Overwatch beta was announced, the excitement was high. At least for a few seconds, because the test was initially only to take place on the American servers, which led to disappointed faces among European fans. Although it was promised that the European version would start soon, there was no specific date yet.
Now Blizzard has followed up with a cheerful message: The Overwatch beta version will start in Europe simultaneously with the American version on October 27, so already next week!
From October 28, the joyful hero activities begin. Will you snag a key?
Blizzard states: “We were able to set up and test the servers in Europe significantly faster than originally expected. (…) As a result, we are pleased to announce that the closed beta of Overwatch will start simultaneously on October 27 in America and Europe.“
Study for your exams while you still can. Soon there will be no time for that.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny, a player achieved a round with the sniper rifle Void’s Watch that commands respect even from experts.
Today, it’s a classic video, the kind that’s “as old as the Destiny community itself”: a sniper video from the Crucible. This one is only a few hours old and has earned a lot of respect from the hardcore players on Reddit.
No fluff, no nonsense, no over-editing, just a really good round!
The veterans of World of Warcraft rejoice: The audio play Allimania has been completed after many years. Tonight, the final part will be presented!
The Horst runs one last time
A significant piece of German World of Warcraft culture comes to life once more today and celebrates its grand finale. The audio play “Allimania” by Steve Krömer and a large cast celebrates the release of the 20th episode today. For over 10 years, Allimania has been parodying events in World of Warcraft and tells the story of the guild of the same name, which has to deal with various problems in Azeroth.
Since morning, the 19 old episodes have been repeated in the livestream, before the big release party takes place at 8 PM, where many voice actors are guests and there are numerous prizes to win. The last episode is so extensive that it will be divided into two parts: The first half will be played at 9:30 PM, the second half – quite traditionally – at midnight. Here is the livestream.
The production of the 20th part was financed through a crowdfunding campaign, where the original goal of €7,500 was exceeded by more than double.
Cortyn says: For me personally, Allimania is a big piece of my childhood. I still remember how I used to secretly stay up late on weekends to listen to the latest episode. On one hand, I am sad that this era is ending, but on the other hand, I am enormously glad that this project finally finds a worthy end. Thank you, Steve, for 10 years of entertainment.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The heyday of MMORPGs seems to be over. At least in the AAA sector. Should the genre return to its roots in order to reconnect with its past successes?
The first online role-playing games from the 1990s are hardly comparable to what we understand today under the term MMORPG. Neverwinter Nights from 1991, for example, only allowed for a handful of players. Meridian 59 increased this to about 250 players in 1996 who could experience adventures together. It was really just about exploring the world, defeating monsters, improving heroes, and acquiring better equipment. PvP battles were already present.
Everquest is considered one of the forefathers of theme park MMOs. World of Warcraft was heavily inspired by it.
Ultima Online offered a sandbox world for the first time in 1997, where significantly more was possible. Interaction with the world allowed players to learn various professions such as blacksmith or baker, which led to an economic system within the game world. In 1999, the genre changed slightly with EverQuest, as quests began to play a more important role. This was taken to the extreme in 2004 with World of Warcraft. WoW succeeded in compressing and combining the most successful elements of previous genre representatives, opening the genre to new target groups. Many subsequent MMOs attempted to build on WoW’s success, but none succeeded.
Are MMORPGs still MMORPGs?
A change in thinking followed. If the success of World of Warcraft could not be repeated, then new ideas were needed. Ideas that changed the genre. Guild Wars, for example, tried to focus more on PvP, while other MMO developers believed they had to go even further in a casual direction to be successful. Ultimately, all of this led to MMORPGs losing relevance.
At the last game fairs, there was virtually nothing to see from the genre. When speaking with MMO fans who have been around for a long time, you always hear that the genre should return to its roots. MMORPGs need to become MMORPGs again and not casual games that can be played alone. Teamplay must come to the forefront again. Anyone visiting a dungeon should not be able to rush through alone but only succeed in a group.
Success cannot be predicted
Would this return to the old virtues really work and bring about a second spring in the genre?
Looking at the development of computer games, it is extremely difficult to predict what will be successful “next”. The attempt to copy WoW did not produce the desired success. And few would have expected the successes of games like FarmVille or Candy Crush Saga. Also, MOBA games were more or less a surprise.
It was said that games needed to be “smaller,” the scope was too high. However, a game like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or The Witcher 3 shows the opposite. Therefore, it is not possible to say with certainty that MMORPGs can reconnect with their past successes if new games return to how the genre was in its early days.
Recently, many sandbox titles have been announced. This includes the German MMORPG Albion Online, which has some parallels to Ultima Online.
The preferences of players are changing, and it is difficult to predict what will be liked and what won’t. Would it be worth a try? Sure, if a game studio wants to take the risk, why not? But one can never guarantee success.
Currently, some games are in development – whether Camelot Unchained, Albion Online, or Shroud of the Avatar – where developers are actively promoting popular features from the past. However, it is still unclear whether this nostalgic approach will be accepted in the release version.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
This is exactly where Ubisoft continues with the weather and the time of day. All of this is supposed to adapt dynamically and not just be a gimmick, but have an impact.
The weather effects will influence the gameplay: When there is roaring wind and rain, aiming becomes much more difficult. This also applies to the enemies – they will also struggle when a storm rages.
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The latest mini-video about the day/night cycle is particularly impressive. At night, even in a setting New York, the lights come on. The various light sources will attract the attention of the NPCs. Small islands of light in a sea of darkness offer: strategic advantages and disadvantages arise.
This dynamic change of light and weather is supposed to provide increased replayability for individual missions. Agents must reckon with wind and weather if they want to be successful. The same mission at night is supposed to play out differently than when approached during the day.
Cheers to a hoppy refreshing drink with the developers.
If you say tonight: “I have an hour more time, I can go to bed later and check out Bree first!”, you will be rewarded.
Because the developers from Turbine shamelessly reward loyal players of Lord of the Rings Online! If you check out the test server “Bullroar” between 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM tonight, you will find a cheerful group of developers. They are testing the new data center and want as many players as possible to gather in Bree for a stress test.
The developers will talk with players and conduct events there.
If you log in between 11 PM and 1 AM, you have the chance to win:
a lifetime subscription
10,000 Turbine Points
1,000 Turbine Points.
Everyone who logs in is guaranteed to receive 100 Turbine Points. There are no restrictions regarding the region or the country from which players come. They also don’t have to be there the whole time; a few minutes are enough.
Additionally, 3 new regions, 2 epic battles and more than 70 quests and deeds for players level 100 and above will be included.
Players will face the Witch King and Grond head-on; defend the walls of Minas Tirith against giant siege towers. The troops must stay together, and adventures await in the regions of Fields of Pelennor, Talath Anor, and The WhiteCity.
Although there is no exact date yet for update 17 in Lord of the Rings Online, the city has already been introduced in a special and it has been said: It’s coming soon!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Destiny , players are searching for primary weapons with elemental damage. But so far without success. Even in the hard mode of the raid, there was nothing. Are the Trials of Osiris now the last chance?
What makes primary weapons with elemental damage in Destiny so desirable?
Elemental damage has two major functions in Destiny. On one hand, it allows you to eliminate enemies who have certain elemental shields much more easily. On the other hand, elemental damage on the primary weapon is desired when a Nightfall strike has a suitable kindling. Then they deal significantly increased damage.
Primary weapons are essentially the “standard” weapons in Destiny. Auto rifles, pulse rifles, scout rifles, and hand cannons are the weapon classes that are fired most often. There are no ammunition problems. However, primary weapons have only had “normal, kinetic” damage in the past except for a few exceptions.
The few exceptions have been the elemental primary weapons. They were considered the ultimate for PvE.
What was it like in Year 1 of Destiny?
It was an unwritten rule in the first year of Destiny: The best weapons for the PvE part of the game are primary weapons with elemental damage, and they are hard to obtain.
Does he drop raid primaries with elemental damage?
Or players had to reach Mercury in the Trials of Osiris to obtain one of the coveted weapons. Here too, the message: Those who master the hardest challenges will receive primary weapons with elemental damage.
But what is in Year 2?
Will never see elemental damage – not even in the HC version.
Where can you still find primary weapons with elemental damage?
But that wasn’t the case. The primary weapons from the hard mode of the raid do have higher attack values, reaching up to 320, but they also only deal kinetic damage.
The next possibility would be the “Trials of Osiris.” But it doesn’t look like there will be primary weapons with elemental damage for the PvP elite there.
Bungie: No legendary primary weapons with elemental damage anymore
As Game Director of “King’s Fall” Luke Smith has now announced, they are retiring the primary weapons with elemental damage. They are separating from them. They had the negative effect of severely restricting the arsenal of Guardians, limiting weapon choices to just a few exemplars.
Bungie wants players to have a wide selection and not feel forced to always play with the same weapon just because it deals elemental damage.
Furthermore: If primary weapons do not fulfill this function, special and heavy weapons become more important.
The one exception currently.
There is one exception in Year 2 so far: The Zhalo Supercell causes arc damage as an exotic primary weapon. Some players hope Bungie will bring such exotic exceptions for solar and void damage into the game. Because Smith only talks about “legendary weapons,” not exotic ones. They have also often been exceptions to the rule.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Star Wars Battlefront, EA has now introduced the iconic starships of the Star Wars universe: the Millennium Falcon and Slave 1.
Something went wrong: EA published a post introducing “Hero Vehicle,” which they then deleted. But… it’s the internet, someone cached the post, so we can report on it.
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Millennium Falcon and Slave 1 are the heroes among the starships
The Hero Vehicles operate similarly to the “Heroes” Leia, Han, Darth Vader and the others. So, you can’t just say: “Guys, make way, it’s me. I’ll take the Millennium Falcon!”, but you have to earn it by picking up a specific boost in the mode “Fighter Squadron.” Only there, in the dogfighting mode of Battlefront, are these hero ships active.
Boba Fett’s ship “Slave 1” is heavily armed with proton torpedoes and ion cannons. With a jammer, you can also remain undetected, thus preventing those pesky missiles from locking on.
The ships were designed to be really fun and cool, as can be read in the now-deleted EA post. Players are supposed to feel powerful. When you get into one of the ships, there should also be a short intro sequence where Han Solo or Boba Fett do something that makes Star Wars fans say: Yeah! That’s how I know them!
Some people simply cannot be stopped by obstacles: a Korean soldier drew the entire Hearthstone game.
Armed with paper and pencil
Hearthstone is undoubtedly one of the games that can develop a high addiction factor, at least for a short time. That Blizzard’s card game can also engage players in the long term is now shown by an example from Korea. A young man was drafted into the military (in Korea, all men must serve 2 years), unfortunately, playing Hearthstone was also taboo during his free time.
A true fan is not easily deterred. The aforementioned soldier grabbed numerous college notebooks, half a kilo of pens, two other recruits from his unit, and set to work to pursue his ambitious goal: they drew all Hearthstone cards.
The game is fully playable in its current form, and the guys have already had some duels. For random effects, dice are traditionally used.
Necessity is the mother of invention. Although I don’t understand why Korean soldiers are not allowed to play Hearthstone, but can take photos and upload them to the internet. Different countries, different customs.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The bosses of Activision Blizzard have made a decision: The company will grow into an eSport sector and is receiving prominent leaders.
eSport is the sport of tomorrow
Activision Blizzard has now announced that one of the most influential game developers in the world will continue to grow. The company will now open its own department that will focus exclusively on eSports.
For the top positions, they have selected the best possible personnel: the chairman will be Steve Bornstein, the former president of the sports channel ESPN. The vice president position will be held by Mike Sepso, one of the co-founders of MLG, the largest organizer of eSport tournaments.
They have essentially brought someone in from “the old media” who knows how to build a structure to market, monetize, and popularize sports. And they have brought in someone who has a similar skill set but comes directly from eSports.
Will games ever be as popular as football matches? Activision Blizzard believes so.
Activision Blizzard sees big things in the future of professional gaming and believes that digital sports could eventually pose serious competition to real sports, but so far it still lacks widespread media attention.
“Every weekend, millions of people watch football games without ever having played football themselves. (…) Gaming can evoke the same fascination; however, you only experience eSports if you specifically look for it,” Sepso says.
One task of the department will consequently be to attract a broader audience to eSports. The potential for this exists.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Tonight, the Hard Mode of the raid King’s Fall opens in the MMO shooter Destiny . Join in a live stream.
Today, on October 23rd, at 7:00 PM it is happening: The Hard Mode of the raid opens in Destiny. If you haven’t found a fireteam for it, you can choose the second-best option, take a front-row seat, and watch how a team of German-speaking Guardians hopefully progresses:
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What waits for the Guardians in Hard Mode of the raid in Destiny?
Currently, little is known about the Hard Mode. What loot there is is still unknown (the normal loot and especially the legendary raid weapons are already well known). They talk about up to 320 items, but the database has identified 330 as the new maximum level. Let’s see how it goes.
Whether new secrets will be revealed in Hard Mode, with special paths leading to unique rewards, remains to be seen.
Here is the first noteworthy loot: a Ghost shell with a defense value of 312.
As we know the Destiny community, it should only take a few hours until the first hot info comes to light.
We have another image of loot here: The rocket launcher The Tormented Frenzy of Elulim came with a whole 319 attack value – that’s quite impressive.
Bungie keeps its word – better loot, more difficult bosses
The first reports are coming in – regarding the loot, items up to 320 are being mentioned.
In the first encounters, not much has changed, but during the jumping puzzle, a checkpoint is missing in the middle.
The Warpriest shoots three times with a “Tracking Bolt.” And it is suspected that he may get extra attacks with each phase.
Golgoroth gets a new mechanic added, turning players into bombs that can take out nearby Guardians.
And the Daughters of Oryx seem to have even tighter timers than before.
At 8:11 PM our time, Bungie announced that a raid team has defeated Oryx in Hard Mode as the first team in the world. Unlike last time, these are mostly unknown players.
It’s official! Clan Forever LivE is the first team to complete King’s Fall Hard Mode! Congratulations!!! pic.twitter.com/dbvO6bNoBh
The creators of Evolve tease new information about the 5th Monster and raise new questions about the upcoming Hunters…
Project Name Gorgon
The creators of Evolve love to keep their community a bit in the dark. Instead of finally releasing the long-requested trailer for the 5th Monster, they have now published new sound files in which two people talk about a creature called “Gorgon”. It is beyond doubt that this is the new monster for the 4v1 shooter.
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Many community members are now speculating who the two speakers could be. The speculation goes that they are the new Hunters who are still pending for the Hunting Season Pass 2.
However, it is doubtful that the shown sound files will appear in the game, as the two discuss departing for Shear in the future. Since Evolve is entirely set on Shear, this may only be a teaser of the backstory.
Community Tournament instead of Weekend Challenge
To offer players a little more variety, they are moving away from the weekly Weekend Challenges. These will now only take place every other weekend. Instead, they are now holding a community tournament every two weeks on all three platforms (PC, PS4, and Xbox One). The tournaments are designed to be significantly more “casual-oriented” and should give all players the opportunity to participate in such an event. Those who make it to the semifinals can even look forward to a new skin.
You must reach the semifinals – a difficult task, then the “Taurus” skin for the Goliath awaits.
For more information about the game, beginner guides, and the test, you can find on our Evolve topic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The sandbox MMORPG ArcheAge now prohibits intentionally blocking other players.
For a long time, it was allowed in ArcheAge. They said: We are a sandbox and if players want to do that, then please: blockades. In practice, this looked like players with wagons blocking a bridge or a choke point, so no one could pass through.
Now, Trion Worlds has reconsidered this and came to the conclusion: This is simply no fun for anyone. Trion Worlds has decided to prohibit such roadblocks, regardless of how they are created, whether with ships, vehicles, or avocados. This ban applies in both “peaceful” and “contested” areas. Likewise, it is forbidden to prevent someone from interacting with fields, items, or NPCs.
This internal decision was approved by players in a vote. Of just over 1000 participating players, 67% voted for “Yes, abolish it.” So it’s quite close.
Anyone who engages in this now banned behavior from today on must expect temporary or permanent account penalties.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A player of WildStar has a special love for Nintendo’s plumber and has immortalized this on his property. The result is awe-inspiring.
It’s me, Mario!
The housing feature of WildStar not only invites you to create a cozy home but also greatly stimulates creativity. If you don’t just want to have a house, you can do all sorts of things with your property and let your muse run free. Particularly impressive is the house of player Dementia Ayuzawa on the European Realm Jabbit.
25 years back in time …
Right at the entrance, you are greeted by the face of Mario, which resembles the N64 version of the jumping hero. Through a long tube, you are guided over the property, where several levels and eras of the “Super Mario” series are recreated. Among others, you will find references to old classics, as well as newer games like Mario Party or Luigi’s Mansion. We have assembled a small selection of screenshots (click to enlarge) here for you.
I find particularly impressive how Dementia Ayuzawa combines various objects to achieve previously unseen effects. Those who want to experience the house in all its details can visit it starting from level 14; at the current time, it is accessible to other players. Allocate some time, as there are many hidden details to discover that will make any Nintendo fan’s heart race.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In MMOs, expansions like the one for Guild Wars 2 are a reason for many players to check back in. Does that apply to you too?
Times have changed, every statistic says so: While MMO players used to be monogamous, forever tied to a single MMO, they now hop from game to game. Therefore, big companies are competing fiercely in the race for the fleeting attention of players.
Currently, it is Guild Wars 2’s turn: With the new expansion “Heart of Thorns”, they are vying for the attention of the masses. Aiming to win back some former players, they have dressed up especially nice. For us, the question is: How do expansions or major changes affect you as a player? Do you take this as an opportunity to drop by for the big event in this specific MMO? Do you enjoy the chaos when there is so much happening? Or do you prefer it quieter and come by during “non-peak times” out of fear of lag and bugs?
Or do you not care about such dates at all because you say: I played that once! That time is over! It doesn’t matter anymore?
And particularly interesting for us: How is it now with Guild Wars 2?
This is often what the first days after an expansion look like in reality.
In theory, such big events are often nicer than in reality
Schuhmann says: For me, it is the case that it is always more wonderful in the “theory” than at the actual moment. Because even if I look forward to an “event” for weeks, whether it is a WoW expansion, TESO launch, WildStar reboot, or the GW2 expansion today: I always forget about the numerous problems that come with such a mass influx. And then I sit there, staring at patch bars, load screens, queues. Or I actually log in and the lag ruins all my fun. Then my enthusiasm quickly fades and I put it away for a week.
But as annoying as that is in the moment: Exactly these “I’m just sitting here waiting” phases will likely be erased from memory and won’t stick. So that the next time, I sit down at exactly 6:00 AM again, because that is when the servers on the East Coast go live. And suddenly, at 6:01 AM, the realization hits me unexpectedly: “Ohhhh … that’s right … Login server crash, that always happens at the start of an MMORPG!” Such a “significant experience” definitely sparks my interest because I still remember the early days as “super exciting and thrilling” – just like the early days of my first MMO, Dark Age of Camelot. I have more memories of the first 6 weeks of that time than of the many months that followed. And also the expansions, when suddenly you meet many old acquaintances and see each other, exchange ideas, and chat about personal stuff – that is a wonderful time!
Sounds great in theory and memory. In practice, I still rarely experience this but prefer to start a week later when the worst is over.
The three hadn’t seen each other for half a year until the Imperial City came out and everyone logged in at once…
What do you think? What do you think of such major events like launches, reboots or expansions? And does Guild Wars 2 currently excite you?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The action MMORPG Lost Ark has completed its first tests and is now planning more. The game is considered one of the most interesting new titles in the MMORPG market.
According to the developers, it is planned that Lost Ark will enter its first closed beta phase in the first half of 2016. More information about the game is to be released then.
It is surely one of the interesting current Asian titles and here in the West, some are hoping for a port and are watching Lost Ark with great interest.
Now it’s time! Heart of Thorns, the first expansion of the MMORPG Guild Wars 2, has launched and ArenaNet is releasing some interesting information about it!
We will report about the content of the Heart of Thorns expansion elsewhere, so we will focus here on the information provided by ArenaNet. On one hand, the game can now look back at more than 7 million accounts worldwide. According to an infographic, there are many more entertaining facts about the MMO. It reveals that players have explored the world 1,863,654 times.
If you received one Euro for each death, you would be richer than the Queen of England. 67,000 times a day, the capture points in WvW change hands and more than 3 billion supplies, which represent the currency in WvW, have been spent so far. If these were bricks, you could build a building larger than the Great Wall of China.
223,484,104 gifts have been sent through the game’s postal system – an amount that could delight all the inhabitants of Brazil and Chile. ArenaNet is also proud that players have spent over 1.4 billion hours in the game, which is almost as long as there have been humans on Earth.
New adventures await you!
Mike O’Brien, co-founder and president of ArenaNet, is also excited about the launch of the Heart of Thorns addon: “For ArenaNet and the Guild Wars 2 community, this has been a year we will all remember. With the announcement of Heart of Thorns as the first expansion for Guild Wars 2, we excited our fans. Since then, player numbers have steadily increased. Our community is known as one of the best and friendliest MMO communities.
Many of our experienced players gathered in the starter areas to welcome new players on the weekend when the free-to-play model of the main game Guild Wars 2 launched. We are excited to see how our rapidly growing community continues to thrive. We hope that our players enjoy the next part of the journey of Guild Wars 2 that the Heart of Thorns expansion has in store for them.”
If you are active Guild Wars 2 players, you will surely dive into the adventures of the Heart of Thorns addon from today and continue the story that now leads you into the jungle of Maguuma to take on a dangerous Elder Dragon. Let us know your impressions of the addon in the comments.
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