Yesterday, the F2P MMO “Dragon’s Prophet” received a content patch that should provide players with some entertaining hours again. Not only has the current level cap been raised to level 105, but a completely new zone has also been introduced, where there are numerous tasks to tackle.
Sitheran, the “Gate to Evil”
Starting at level 102, all veterans can dive into the new area “Sitheran” to take on the resident Shax and Blood Devils. However, no one will feel truly at home in the dark lands, as the region is almost overloaded with enemies. In addition to plenty of quests, two new adventure dungeons, and even a new raid, fresh dragons are also waiting to be tamed in the new zone. For those who find that not enough, they should be satisfied at the latest with the new armor pieces that can be obtained during their stay.
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For those who haven’t yet formed their own picture of “Dragon’s Prophet”, they can download it completely for free from dragonspropheteurope.com and take a look. You can find more information about the dragon MMORPG on our themed page for Dragon’s Prophet.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fifth week of the “Blackrock” expansion of Hearthstone has begun, and the last wing is now opening. This time, it goes into the “Secret Laboratory” to defeat the last four opponents that Nefarian can throw at the adventurers – including himself (once again). In terms of story, the Secret Laboratory corresponds to the “Blackwing Descent” from World of Warcraft, which is why the mechanics of the bosses are also heavily based on their MMORPG counterparts.
Final Stretch: 4 bosses that require solid planning
First, you face the Omnotron Defense System. As in WoW, the 4 colleagues are activated in different sequences and have different effects on the battlefield. Arcanotron grants both players +2 spell damage, while Toxitron deals 1 damage point to all other minions every turn.
Next, you need to defeat Maloriak, the head alchemist of Blackrock. His passive ability ensures that all minions start with swapped health and damage values, turning harmless 1/7 tanks into serious threats. The penultimate opponent is the blind dragon Atramedes, who grew stronger in the raid the louder the players were – in Hearthstone, this means that each card played improves the dragon’s weapon. One or two “Acidic Sludge” could be useful…
The final boss is, of course, Nefarian himself, who dominates the battlefield with a whole lot of his own cards. Especially in heroic mode, you can expect many attempts if you want to put the lord of Blackrock in his place.
New Cards: The Highlights at the End
Truly effective dragon decks will probably only emerge from this week. For the finale, Blizzard has saved four dragons, which you will see more frequently now.
The “Vulcan Dragon” becomes cheaper for each minion that has died this turn. If you have cleared the board effectively, you might be able to play the 6/4 monster for free.
The “Drakonid Crusher” is quite solid with its 6/6 for 6 mana, but becomes a true monster with an additional +3/+3 if the opponent has less than 15 HP.
Buffable classes like Priest, Druid, and Paladin will benefit from the “Dragoncaster“, which has stats of 3/5 for 4 mana and gains +1/+1 each time the owner casts a spell on it – including all “Spare Parts” from the previous expansion.
The “Corruptor of Blackwing” is not a dragon, but benefits if you have one in hand. Its battle cry ensures that the 5/4 creature deals three damage to a target of your choice for 5 mana.
As a legendary card, there is the black dragon “Nefarian“, which costs 9 mana in line with the other great dragons and has a respectable 8/8. Additionally, it gives the player two random spells from the opponent’s class. Finally, you can get back at the priests for their mind control!
Finally, paladins receive their class challenge and thus the card “Devout Watcher“, which allows the owner to draw 2 cards for 5 mana. Each minion killed in that turn reduces the cost by 1, which can quickly lead to free card drawing with the many recruits of the Silver Hand.
Do you already have great deck ideas in mind? What card combinations do you find particularly interesting? And most importantly: How did you enjoy the adventure?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Blizzard’s MOBA Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard may cautiously hint at the next battleground. It seems that this time, Diablo and Tyrael, or rather their universe, are at the center. Or are they just commenting on the fight of the century and outshining it with the fight of eternity?
It’s hard to say what to make of it, whether it’s a pure PR gimmick alluding to the boxing match this weekend or if there’s more behind it, perhaps a new battleground for Heroes of the Storm. Blizzard tweeted the following photo from the HotS account:
This shows the “Fight of Eternity”: Tyrael against Diablo. On May 2, the Mayweather – Pacquiao boxing match will take place in the USA, which some consider the fight of the century. However, the Twitter photo also shows the “June 2”: The release date of Heroes of the Storm. And it could be that, on this occasion, a Diablo-based battleground is being introduced. There were certainly clear signals from Blizzard at the last Blizzcon regarding this. There, the legions of hell are to clash with those of heaven.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
What exactly caused the problem (it surely can’t be the women?), is not disclosed by DGC. However, parts of the new patch are already playable on the test server. With the next update, a server and player wipe will come, then everyone starts over again. Only items directly associated with the players’ accounts will be retained. So it’s kind of like an apocalypse.
Oh: And there will be a T-shirt for everyone who gets wiped out with the stylish new DGC logo.
The MMO shooter Destiny is being revamped with the DLC “House of Wolves” for its PvP, the Crucible. Here, the focus is mainly on how loot is distributed.
Now the reason is also known: Bungie had already given an exclusive interview to the US site IGN beforehand. They had already revealed the essential facts before the event. The site then released the information collected after the livestream. Here’s the summary of the most important points:
The Crucible will overall be significantly more lucrative: Bungie doubles reputation gain, tokens, and experience
They are also increasing loot chances: “You will see a lot more blue items. And, I believe, we have introduced 12 new legendary items”, said Crucible lead designer Lars Bakken
The new item “Etheric Light”, which players will need to upgrade legendary items to the new maximum values of 365 damage/42 light, can be found “for sure” at the Iron Banner, you will receive an Etheric Light when you reach Levels 3 and 5 (this does not apply to the current Iron Banner, but only when House of Wolves is out)
When upgrading legendary items, you do not lose any progress, but you must “finish” leveling the weapon if it was not fully upgraded previously
If players complete the daily Crucible task, they receive a kind of faction package that should help with the Trials of Osiris with “Passage Coins”, which can be used to buy the new buffs. There is also a chance for Glimmer and Light particles
The mode “Elimination”, which comes with Trials of Osiris, is also to be introduced as an additional “normal” mode in the Crucible. Here, players can train for serious situations. Or they can just play without pressure if they like the mode
With articles on the new Crucible maps and other details about Trials of Osiris and how loot is distributed there, you can expect more throughout the day.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the fantasy MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online, Update 16 brings a new instance group. It takes place in the city of Osgiliath. The Fellowship is searching for Faramir.
The instances are intended to be a love letter to the old Lord of the Rings Online, as stated by the developers in a dev blog. Players requested it to be “nice and tough,” and that is what they aim to deliver.
There are two instances for 3-players and one for a full group. The instances scale from level 50-100, and they are available at levels 1, 2 and as a challenge. The first level should be achievable by all, they believe: “But on the second level, nothing will be given to you for free.” In the instance cluster, the group looting mode returns.
In the dungeons, players are expected to work their way up from the bottom. The first instance “Sunken Labyrinth” begins in the sewers under Osgiliath. In “the ruined city“, the heroes hunt a stranger in Faramir’s tattered cloak. In “Star Dome“, they face a special Nazgûl, surrounded by an army.
Above all, the secret lies in where Faramir, Boromir’s brother, son of Denethor, has gone. The new instance groups and Update 16 are expected to be released soon.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMO shooter Destiny will have a live stream on Twitch tonight starting at 8:00 PM. It will cover the new Crucible maps and the event “Trials of Osiris”. Both will be introduced with the DLC House of Wolves. We will provide updates in German.
It will start again at 8:00 PM. There will be the next round of information about “House of Wolves.” You can watch the first live stream here, which covered upgrades and the new social space, the Reef. Today, the focus will be on PvP, and next week on PvE with the Prison of Elders. There might still be a mysterious 4th round afterwards.
Here is the recording of the live stream from Wednesday evening:
We will accompany the live stream with a hopefully entertaining and informative live ticker in German.
7:00 PM: 4 Crucible maps are expected and especially a lot of information about the new extended weekend event: What we know about Trials of Osiris has already been presented here. There is enough material for an entertaining 45 minutes. Two PvP specialists from Bungie are supposed to be present, and they might reveal information about general changes to the game mechanics.
7:15 PM: Rumormongering runs rampant. Data miners have uncovered an incredible amount of material about Trials of Osiris. 8 weapons and 33 armors are associated with it. Additionally, Fate of all Fools, the exotic scout rifle. People are already eager to discover the quest steps. Then there are 2 sparrows, 6 ships, 3 emblems, and 5 shaders. None of this is really certain. Much of it dates back to October. The findings will likely not interest anyone in an hour and a half. Then we hope to replace it with facts.
7:30 PM: Here is the teaser for tonight. There isn’t much to see. Maybe a few new armors, but they are actually known from the golden picture. The intriguing question is whether community representative triplewreck will address Bungie just as much as Golathion did last week. His first words were “no raid”; this time it could be something like “fix lag.”
7:55 PM: The stream last week broke records on Twitch. Last time was about upgrades, which concerned everyone. This time the topic is PvP – which will probably not interest as many people. It will start in 5 minutes.
8:04 PM: There was a 4-minute intro, now there should be a teaser. It should start now. Oh, this time with an audience and DeeJ in a game show host suit.
8:05 PM: 3vs3 – no respawn, the team must revive you! 8:06 PM: TripleWreck plays Hunter with Thorn and Felwinter – for that, one might be spat at in some corners of the internet.
3v3 Elite PvP, out after 3 losses
8:08 PM: The entry ticket also serves as a scorecard. After 3 losses, one is out. Ah, there are not only the “boxes” as rewards, but also items that can be bought with 6 and 7 victories. Legendary weapon and armor.
8:10 PM: Trials of Osiris is designed as elite PvP, where one has something to lose. It should be very intense. Teamwork is important; every kill counts. Sounds a lot like an “Arena” mode. A match between two teams of 3 consists of several rounds. The rounds last 2 minutes. Whoever wins 5 rounds first wins the match. Trials of Osiris takes place on a different map every weekend. But only on that map.
8:17 PM: Exciting action. Two Bungie developers and Triplewreck against a team of Bungie testers. The fifth round brings heavy ammo.
8:19 PM: At the end of the match, one of the 3 winners received a legendary armor piece. So, you can get them like that; you don’t necessarily have to buy them from Brother Vance. However, this is not the Egyptian set, but a second one that starts at light level 36 and must be upgraded.
Only pre-made 3-person teams allowed; Intense action in 2-minute rounds
8:20 PM: Trials of Osiris will only be open for pre-made 3-person teams. Like the Nightfall. There is no matchmaking that shuffles players together: “We will find you enemies but no friends.” So, it’s a team versus team battle. 8:26 PM: It is definitely much more intense than the rather drawn-out PvP in Destiny. It could fill a gap for players who care about PvP and have wished for a tougher experience.
8:31 PM: During matchmaking, care is taken to ensure that players have a suitable connection. They want to bring players together in a way that provides a good gaming experience.
8:35 PM: Is it just me, or are kills with “The Last Word” simply a bit more satisfying than all the others? This time, heavy ammo was in round 4.
8:39 PM: Offensive spawns a flag or cap point late in a round. If you capture it, you win as well. 8:39 PM: It is rumored that significantly more items will drop across all Crucible modes when House of Wolves appears.
A little birdie named @lars_bakken tells us that ALL Crucible modes will be much more generous once House of Wolves drops. — Bungie (@Bungie) April 29, 2015
8:42 PM: In contrast to normal Crucible matches, Trials of Osiris has significantly increased Twitch entertainment potential. Destiny might have been lacking this in PvP.
Two sets for each class – Item level counts – Maps change weekly
8:45 PM: There are also Grimoire cards. Now the gameplay is likely finished, and it goes to the loot.
8:46 PM: Oh, there seems to be NO weekly lockout, but players can play all weekend. The rounds don’t really last 2 minutes; after 2 minutes, this cap point appears that you can capture.
8:49 PM: When you reach rank 8 (meaning 8 victories before being eliminated), you can buy everything up to that level, and probably can buy multiple times. The event starts Friday evening at 7:00 PM and lasts until the weekly reset, which is Tuesday at 11:00 AM (our time).
8:50: There are two sets for each class. The Egyptian set is sold by the vendor, starting with a high light level of 42. The other set is found in matches and must be upgraded from 36 to 42 with Etheric Light. The items from Brother Vance change every week – just like the map. As in the Iron Banner, level advantages are active. This means: One should go in with leveled items.
8:51 PM: Here is the Warlock helmet Hood of the Exile; it has 3 perks: You can throw grenades further, grenade kills fill super energy, and the melee cooldown is reduced when picking up orbs. And it also looks really cool.
8:52 PM: If a team has won 3 rounds, heavy ammo comes in the next round. The first map will be “Burning Shrine”, the second map is not revealed yet. Let’s keep it a secret.
Summary of the live stream for Trials of Osiris
8:54 PM: Summary. 3v3 arena deathmatches. Only for pre-made teams. Whoever wins 5 rounds first wins the match. If you lose 3 matches, you’re out. You have to win as many matches as possible to be able to buy strong loot. Maps and vendor loot change. If you win, you can instantly get items from another, second set (not the Egyptian one) on the reward screen right after the match.
There is no lockout; teams are supposed to compete against each other in a way that they have a good connection. The event runs from Friday evening until Tuesday morning. No information was given about: Fate of all Fools or which weapons and armors there exactly are. Ironically, the auto rifle that until now was thought not to be in the database was shown. So completely different weapons could also come out than those, that were previously assumed.
8:55 PM: 107,000 people were watching at the end. A lot of gameplay this time. Next week, the Prison of Elders should be presented.
We will polish the ticker again, see if we can track down some more information and screenshots, and wish you a pleasant evening. PvP haters won’t be drawn into the Crucible now either.
But for those who enjoy it anyway, it could be an interesting thing, and it seems to be lucrative as well. It surely depends on whether it feels like they have a chance or if they feel like getting run over by a bulldozer.
9:45 PM: One more addition, to buy the 3 buffs, you need “Trial Coins.” You get them when you play Crucible playlists or at the end of a Crucible match. All 3 buffs can be active in a Crucible round. We have introduced them in this article. The entry fee for a round of Trials of Osiris is 100 Glimmer.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The update cadence of EVE Online has increased in the past month. Every month, CCP brings new content to the vast New Eden universe. With the Mosaic update, players can finally make their ships shine in different colors.
Mosaic brings many small changes
The ship skins are the highlight of Mosaic. Furthermore, PvE fans will enjoy the new burner missions, which are incredibly tough with the wrong ship. A stylish 3D star map will also be integrated with Mosaic. This makes navigation through the expansive star system a bit easier. In addition to these new contents, there are balancing changes to T3 destroyers and the nullsec and lowsec ores. A complete list of past and upcoming changes can be found below in the sources.
Permanent ship paints: Over 100 impressive ship paints give players the opportunity to customize their EVEOnline experience
Serious burner missions provide new PvE challenges
New animation build effects for deployable structures
Balancing of nullsec and lowsec ores
New effects for control tower force fields
Tech 3 destroyer balancing
Improved user interface for corporations
Two-factor authentication for increased account security
Enhancements to nullsec infrastructure
Changes to the balancing of battlecruiser warp speed
Updates to the sensor overlay
What does the future bring?
The next patch is expected to go live on June 2, according to CCP. This will bring the long-announced changes to the sovereignty mechanics, which will fight the stagnation in New Eden. In this context, alliances will also be able to submit their own alliance logos again.
In the fantasy MMO TERA players can now earn an extra character slot for free for two weeks if they log in. The reason is the arrival of the Arcane Engineer, a lady with a slight weapon fetish.
US sites have introduced the new class “Arcane Engineer” in the past few days and could not take their eyes off the extravagant, well-rounded, oversized weapon she carries. Bigger than the heroine herself, US journalists report in amazement. In gameplay, she relies on movement, movement, movement.
The local publisher of TERA, Gameforge, also promises movement from the new heroine. And they do not want to stand in her way: players should have space to try out the lady with the gun. Therefore, everyone who logs in from April 28 to May 12 will receive an additional character slot. Even hero collectors can benefit from this, collecting heroes like others do with surprise eggs… or achievements. The previous maximum of 12 created characters will be increased to 13 accordingly.
Players will receive an item with which they can unlock a slot between 3 and 13. They can create any character they want on this slot. So it is not exclusive to the Arcane Engineer. Players are advised by Gameforge to pick up the item on the server where they wish to create the additional character. The item will be located in the item delivery and can be activated by right-clicking.
If anyone is curious about the new class in TERA: Gameforge has also dedicated a section on the game’s homepage to present it in detail. There you will gain insight into the new skills, glyphs, and hairstyles of the Arcane Engineer.
In the MMO shooter Destiny the mysterious vendor Xur arrives for the Guardians on Friday, May 1st. Is there a prediction for his inventory this time?
The flow of wisdom (rather a data stream), from which players have gained information about Xur’s inventory in recent months, has turned into a trickle in the past weeks (the weapons were still known), and now it seems to have completely dried up. Last week, there was no information at all.
There are also no hints for May 1st regarding what Xur might have in his inventory. Therefore, it will be exciting again. If it goes like last time, one can assume that he will not have a weapon that is so rare that it would have warranted a special mention by data miner Megaman. Many indications suggest that the “old plan,” which was previously predicted, is still in effect. Only in the meantime, some inventories were deliberately exchanged to contradict the predictions or to prevent Guardians from rampaging through the Tower with laser torches and electronic pitchforks.
In a thread on reddit, the two prominent data miners congratulated themselves for having helped the Guardians obtain a “Red Death” and also some rare armor pieces. Allegedly, Xur’s inventory had been much worse before; during the period in question, the MIDA Multi-Tool was offered 3 times (today we know: he still sold it twice). But how it all really was, what was behind Bungie’s decisions, and whether the data miners influenced the inventory change, will likely never be known.
Could Xur have this in a month? No idea, data miners are silent. This should be the new Warlock helmet: The Ram.
For the next appointment on May 8, the flow of wisdom is supposed to gush… perhaps for the last time: The changes that Bungie brought with patch 1.1.2 seem to have taken effect. The predictions we still have all come from before these changes. With House of Wolves, it could mean that the predictions will come to an end once and for all. That would surely please some.
Fortunately, Steam comes to my rescue again this Wednesday to protect me from acute topic loss. But who is surprised that one draws the wrath of many thousands when something self-evident is suddenly placed behind a monetary barrier that was neither desired nor necessary. Our Andreas has already diligently reported on the mod topic at Steam.
Skyrim: Mods for Money
For the single-player RPG “Skyrim”, there are countless modifications. This ranges from a multiplayer mode to new campaigns and a changed skill system, to the infamous nude mods from the nymphomaniac dreams of some players. “Surely, a dollar or two can be made from this,” thought the people at Steam and allowed mod providers to sell their works to make a living.
And since the Steam people are naturally kind-hearted, they only wanted to keep a meager 75% of the earnings for themselves. As compensation for the fact that the mod developers bear all legal risks, they still get a hefty 25%, essentially the lion’s share. Fair and understandable. Charity can sometimes be so simple!
Accomplished Facts: People Hate Them. Me Too.
In recent years, it has become fashionable to put people before accomplished facts. Sentences like “Only complain about the law once it’s there” are increasingly heard from politicians, and in the gaming industry, decisions are often simply waved through to wait and see what happens. Could one have foreseen the great outrage of the players? No. Could one have avoided it with a simple discussion in the forum on the topic? Definitely.
I can absolutely understand that not every little thing wants to be discussed with the players, as this can often stifle creativity. However, when it comes to changing existing systems that have worked perfectly and satisfied everyone, one must be cautious. Moreover, one could simply omit this whole thing and implement the long-demanded “donate” button for modifications in Steam. But since they probably wouldn’t get 75%, that’s of course not an alternative…
A Good Example to End With
Crusader Kings 2 by Paradox
To end on a slightly more positive note today, I would like to briefly highlight a studio that engages very thoroughly with its fans’ opinions and addresses their wishes. No, today for a change not Carbine, but Paradox. Games like “Crusader Kings”, “War of the Roses” or the woefully underrated “Leviathan Warships” are often real hidden gems because the developers actively participate in the forums and discuss decisions with the fans.
As already mentioned, this is not always a guarantee for good conclusions – but better than hiding free mods behind a “paywall” that primarily serves the game platform rather than the developer. See you, my slaves dears.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Free2Play business model is regarded by many game studios as the Holy Grail. Core gamers, on the other hand, see it as a rip-off. Now there are two different opinions from the industry.
Klaas Kersting, CEO of the mobile games company flaregames, believes that Free2Play is still successful. It is not the business model, but the quality of the games that is crucial for a company’s success. However, it is very complex to develop a Free2Play game, as one must invest much more in areas like analytics, monetization, product management, and performance marketing. Therefore, the model is not very suitable for young, emerging game companies because one needs a lot of experience in these areas. However, the games must also be continuously developed to keep players engaged. Then one can be successful—even if one is not constantly in the top 10 of the most played online games.
Thomas Friedmann, CEO of the online games company Funatics, sees it differently. The company, founded in 1988, which became known through games like The Settlers and Cultures, has relied on the Free2Play model in recent years and has also achieved some successes with it. For example, with the browser game Cultures Online. However, they are now withdrawing from this market and plan to return to the classic Buy2Play model. Thomas Friedmann explains that it is simply a gamble to be successful with a Free2Play game. One cannot plan what revenues will be generated. Developing a Free2Play game is like playing the lottery. Moreover, it has become so that gamers are no longer willing to constantly face paywalls and have to spend money repeatedly for various contents. It has become immensely difficult to be successful with a Free2Play game, as the top positions in the market are occupied by large competitors.
Both Klaas Kersting and Thomas Friedmann believe that the market will soon self-regulate. Many providers of Free2Play games will disappear, leaving only those who can truly convince with their games and the model.
Just yesterday, we reported on the statement of a Gameforge employee that the B2P model is associated with significant risks and that the F2P model would therefore be better. Interestingly, also in this context is a F2P study by SuperData, which states that revenues from Free2Play models will increase in the coming years (at least for the MMOs):
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
But until now, it was all foggy theory and some of it hard to imagine. The developers now explain in a producer video what has changed with 1.7a in ArcheAge. The video is in English but has German subtitles. A bit like Arte, only with more pirates and fewer French.
http://youtu.be/-lje9POwYL0
For those who prefer written information, here are the extensive patch notes in German. And for those who want to experience it first-hand: they can also just log in to the free-to-play MMO with a pronounced cash shop and experience the Prophecies of Horror live.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Star Citizen enhances its funding through crowdfunding and a shop with yet another model. From now on, players are offered a subscription in the still quite early development phase that provides exclusive rewards and bonuses.
Update: There was a mistake at pcgamesn that we had adopted: The subscription model has actually existed for a while. However, it is new that the offer has been expanded, which is why the news remains open for discussion.
For true Star Citizen fans
“Centurion” and “Imperator” subscriptions are the available subscription models. They represent another way to support Chris Roberts and his team in the development of the space simulation.
“If you’re interested in going above and beyond to support Star Citizen’s development,” says Cloud Imperium, “there’s no better way.”
What do you get for it? With the $12 Centurion subscription, the (additionally) paying customer gets access to the magazine “Jump Point” and has access to The Vault, a folder containing concept art and graphics. There will also be in-game items for subscribers, such as goodies for their hangar and a currency called REC, which allows temporary access to certain ships and weapons in the Commander module. Roberts Space Industries also hopes for supporters who will stick around long term: Subscribers who stay for more than a year are promised a mention in the game and fancy stickers for their ship. There is even more for fans who take the $24 Imperator Prime subscription. They get all the benefits of the basic subscription and additionally receive an extra ship, more of the REC currency, a larger number of goodies, and discounts in the shop.
Well, a game costs money to develop, especially a blockbuster like Star Citizen. But the question remains: How much more do they need until release, and what can they implement properly by then? In addition to the over $70 million gathered so far through crowdfunding, the game also has an item shop. Here, a ship can easily cost over $250 – so it is more of a luxury than a small gimmick. And now, of course, there is the monthly subscription.
As an Alpha, already 3 business models
Currently, Star Citizen is still in an alpha version. The focus seems to be not only on the development and completion of the game but also heavily on monetization: How can we make money with it? I don’t want to accuse Chris Roberts of not developing a fantastic game, but the business practices are sometimes a bit dubious. Funders receive emails with offers for horrendously expensive ships. Once someone has paid, they may be inclined to spend even more.
Let’s see if the team comes up with another monetization opportunity… it will be interesting to see. After all, there seems to be a demand, and if enough people are willing to pay so much, why not?
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In the survival MMO H1Z1 tomorrow, Thursday, April 30th, is a patch-and-clean day. The servers will be wiped, and the world will end.
It will probably be around noon when the world of H1Z1 dies again. The new patch wipes servers and the world. It is supposed to be quite a large update: It brings female player models, first-person battle royales, and the Steam marketplace. Additionally, some typical minor changes to the interface and crafting models will be made. They are also offering a t-shirt for this server wipe.
The most noticeable change in H1Z1 will surely be the female models. Bb then there will be a bit of variety on the servers. Until now, there was only one player model, admittedly it was recently replaced with a better one.
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John Smedley, president of DGC studio and head of MMOs such as H1Z1 or Planetside 2, believes that the days of pay-to-play MMOs with long raid nights like in World of Warcraft are a thing of the past.
Sony Online Entertainment has a new name and a new logo, but otherwise, much remains the same. Studio president John Smedley, who calls himself a “Loudmouth”, gave interviews explaining his vision for his company, which made waves many years ago with Everquest. For a long time, it was just one of many departments at Sony. Now, under the investment firm “Columbus Nova”, it operates somewhat independently.
At Sony, one never felt completely at home, but had special conditions with American Express
Overall, they are satisfied to be away from Sony. Even though they were treated well, it always felt a bit odd. They were essentially the PC division there. They couldn’t develop for XBox and mobile. This made them feel disadvantaged, and they want to change that:
It was the case that we could publish on fewer platforms compared to our competitors. That has changed; now we will eat them for breakfast.
John Smedley could keep his dog.
However, there were also numerous advantages to being a sub-department of a sub-department at Sony. The reputation was solid. In every job interview, candidates knew they would be paid on time. They had special conditions with American Express. All competitive advantages. In this regard, they are starting from scratch again.
The layoff of long-time employees during the restructuring hurts Smedley. It was necessary due to a financial imbalance that needed to be corrected. Smedley wants to rehire as many of the old comrades as possible as soon as possible, saying: “We do not want new employees; we want the old ones.”
Who raids every night anymore?
The future of his field, MMOs, the Everquest creator sees in games like H1Z1 or Planetside 2: “I firmly believe that the days of WoW-style MMOs are over,” he says.
If you look at H1Z1: It is an MMO, yes. But the average life expectancy of players is 45 minutes. And that is exactly what they want. How many people do you still know who raid every night in World of Warcraft, Everquest, or Everquest II?
The willingness of players to invest time has changed, and as developers, they must respond to that: Luckily, they have long bet on this trend, as Smedley puts it, and are now in a favorable position. They are sitting in the front of the bus.
DGDC focuses on free-to-play MMOs, invests 30 million dollars in the PS4 port of Planetside 2
As a goal, they are focusing on free-to-play MMOs on consoles PlayStation and XBox. They see this development still in its infancy: “When you get a console for the first time, it is normal to see what is offered for free.” Currently, there is not much competition in this area. Daybreak Game Company benefits from that. A name that should signal a departure, but also makes it clear that gamers are indeed active at night.
When asked what a AAA MMO needs to trigger the free-to-play rush on consoles, Smedley replies: “I will be able to tell you soon,” he responds, “we are putting 30 million into Planetside 2 on the PS4. We are not just talking; we are also backing it up with our money.”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny the Iron Banner event started tonight at 7:00 PM. Players had to wait a long time for the April Iron Banner. These are the new items.
Every month, Lord Saladin comes and sells armor and weapons when players successfully stand their Guardian in the PvP event Iron Banner and earn the right in his eyes to purchase these items. This month he has the following for Guardians:
What’s available at the Iron Banner in April
At Rank 3, he sells a Chest Armor for each class (with version 1 you can carry more ammo for fusion and automatic rifles, with version 2 more for shotguns and scout rifles). At Rank 3, there’s also the sniper rifle Efrideet’s Spear: Solar, find more ammunition, Firefly (!).
At Rank 4, there is the Iron Banner Helm (version 1 reduces melee attack time on grenade hits and generates Super energy; version 2 increases melee attack speed and generates Super energy when defeating minions of the Darkness).
At Rank 5, Guardians receive the hand cannon Timur’s Lash: Kills grant bonus damage and reserve ammo.
As a random reward for completing Crucible matches in the Iron Banner, the two weapons can also be obtained that were sold last time. These are the machine gun Jolder’s Hammer and the automatic rifle Similar’s Wrath.
These are the features of the weapons and armor at this Iron Banner
The special thing about the armors: Both the helm and the chest armor can be upgraded to light level 36. That is enough to bring Guardians to the current maximum level of 32. And this can be done without needing to use Radiant Shards. They can be upgraded with Ascendant Shards. The helm was the last Iron Banner piece that was still missing. Now players can look like in this article. Also: It is now possible to reach the maximum level of 32 without raiding and without exotic items.
The Efrideet’s Spear, the sniper rifle, is already very strong from the vendor. It should not be remade unless one really wants a different elemental damage. The hand cannon, however, should probably be rolled again. Those who want a hand cannon with high punch and favorable perks should.
And this is how you reach Rank 5 in the April Iron Banner in Destiny
To reach Rank 5 in the Iron Banner, there are some tricks and things you should know.
You should always buy the “Hardened” bonus for 1 Light particle. It lasts for 12 hours and can be activated repeatedly. The later in the week, the stronger the buff becomes. This allows players who only start on the weekend to still reach the high ranks.
For victories, you get 50 reputation points, for losses a coin that you can exchange for 40 reputation points after a win. As long as you don’t lose too many times in a row, everything is fine.
You should buy the emblem, shader, and class item from Lord Saladin at ranks 1, 2, and 4 and equip them immediately to gain reputation faster in the Iron Banner.
Our friends at ProNDC are thoroughly covering the Iron Banner in April in this video, along with the loot and the properties for the armors and weapons.
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In the MMO shooter Destiny, there is a new video promoting tomorrow’s live stream on Twitch and the Trials of Osiris event.
Tomorrow, on Wednesday, April 29th, at 8:00 PM, the next live stream of Destiny will take place. Here, another part of the DLC “House of Wolves” will be showcased. This time, the PvP event Trials of Osiris is in focus. Bungie also plans to highlight the new Crucible maps. And who knows what else there will be.
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We at mein MMO will embed the live stream tomorrow at 8:00 PM and accompany it with a live ticker in German. This was received quite well last time. We warmly invite you to be our guest.
A major tournament of “Heroes of the Storm” was broadcast on the sports channel ESPN2 in the USA. Not everyone agreed with that.
“If ESPN ever forces me to cover it, then I’m quitting right away. I sold bait in a fishing village instead,” said Colin Cowherd on the ESPN show Follow the Herd. The sports reporter then mockingly, and perhaps with a hint of enjoyment, pokes fun at the players, announcers, and the whole spectacle of Heroes of the Storm. It is being aired because the station ESPN has a deal with “Blizzard”.
When the announcers talk about which team gets the top chest and which team gets the bottom chest; that it is crucial who grabs the third tribute, Cowherd has only ridicule for that: “Someone should lock the basement door at mom’s house and not let them out.”
http://youtu.be/Dll8eMJnTEE
My MMO thinks: Admittedly, the jargon sounds pretty ridiculous to outsiders. But “Uh, the Broncos need a touchdown; the Colts’ defense has switched to a blitz and is putting tremendous pressure on the quarterback, hopefully he can avoid a sack and throw the Hail Mary” is not far off from “If you get the third tribute, your buildings will be cursed and can no longer fire.”
Moreover, ESPN has significantly contributed to making poker a major sport in the USA and the rest of the world. The broadcast of the World Series of Poker in 2003, with the win of then-amateur Chris Moneymaker, gave the “bar game” a huge boom and also established poker as a kind of sport. So the criticism could have started 12 years ago. It seems to lie in the social context with which poker and Heroes of the Storm are associated.
For some, poker is that tough men’s thing from the Wild West with cigars and whiskey; and Heroes of the Storm is for pimple-faced Dungeons and Dragons fans and math nerds. Some opinions will be washed away by time. 20 years ago, comics, Star Wars, mobile phones, and the internet were also just for supposed nerds.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Anyone who releases a game for 60 dollars without charging additional fees is missing out on huge opportunities. At least that’s what Tim Campbell, Vice President of publisher Gameforge, thinks in a conversation with pcgamesn.
If you offer a game for 60 dollars and the player spends thousands of hours in it, it’s understandable from a business perspective to say, as Campbell does: “Damn! We just gave away tons of content!” From the customer’s point of view, of course, this looks different. You pay for a product and use it as long as you want, just like you’re used to with other products. However, Tim Campbell of Gameforge is very critical of this Buy2Play model, especially since the console business has suffered from it.
If people don’t buy your game at retail, it goes to Gamestop and is sold as used over and over again – as a publisher who has paid 30, 50, or 100 million dollars for the development of the game, you see nothing from these sales in the used market. (…) How do you generate revenue to finance further cool developments (…). That was a big problem we dealt with for a long time.
According to Tim Campbell, Free2Play would solve these problems. In the past, it was often overdone, and there was a lot of criticism, but Free2Play would minimize the risk for development studios and publishers. If you launch a high-budget game for 60 euros and it flops, then you have a problem. Eventually, it ends up in a sale for 10 euros, and players then spend hundreds of hours or more on it. As a developer, you gain nothing from it. In fact, this could lead to a lack of funds for future games.
However, if you remove the entry barrier, that is, the purchase price, many more players will take a look at the product. If they like what they see, they stick around, and you can recoup costs through an in-game shop. Free2Play is a fair system, says Tim Campbell, because everyone can invest as much as they want. Some only invest time, while others also spend money.
MMOs like TERA can cover development costs through regular shop revenues. This model is now also to be applied in other genres.
This makes sense especially when continuously developing products, which is regularly the case in the MMO area. World of Warcraft does it well. The MMORPG generates a steady stream of revenue – and has been doing so for many years. However, the subscription model only works these days for a few exceptions. According to Campbell, Buy2Play and other business models pose a great risk, as they also jeopardize the development of further games. Is Free2Play the panacea?
Andreas says: Free2Play has a bad reputation. In the early days – and sometimes even today – players were simply charged for things they needed to actually play properly. While this has improved since then, many gamers still view Free2Play games very critically. Shedding the bad reputation is a huge task. It is counterproductive to say that Buy2Play is a business model that no developer likes to use because it provides too much for too little money. Buy2Play also has its place in the gaming market.
Of course, every company wants to make as much money as possible over a long period, because that is the goal of most firms. However, you must always treat customers fairly. This can certainly work with a Free2Play model. But exactly here, more effort is needed to show players that you are not trying to rip them off, but that you are also offering them something. League of Legends, for example, illustrates that a Free2Play model can work well if you deal openly and fairly with customers. However, many developers still have to learn this. It is also clear that a few mistakes will be made during this learning process.
Buy2Play? Works with GW2.
Buy2Play remains the fairest model, because here you pay money for a product and then use it in most cases without restrictions. If a game does not sell well at release, you should not blame the customers but yourself. In the MMO sector, one can argue that the games are continuously expanded with new content and improvements. But here, ArenaNet shows with Guild Wars 2 that the Buy2Play model can work in the MMO genre.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
