Regarding the MMORPG World of Warcraft, a 40-minute documentary by ZDF has been released.
It was actually impossible to miss the premiere. After all, the best time slot for the documentary was reserved (01:10 AM on the Digital channel ZDF Info). Nevertheless, there is now the possibility to watch the 40-minute documentary about the internet phenomenon World of Warcraft online and completely free of charge. If you don’t have time right now: The link should still be good for a year, until 12.2.2016.
The Korean MMO Black Desert is said to have earned nearly 2 million US dollars with its Cash Shop from Christmas to New Year’s Eve.
According to the site 2p.com, players purchased items worth 2.3 billion Korean won in the game’s Cash Shop during the second week of the Open Beta of Black Desert. That amounts to approximately 1.97 million US dollars. Black Desert started its Open Beta on December 17, with the second week falling between December 24 and December 31.
According to current information from Daum, 1.5 million players have registered for the Open Beta, and the game is running in 15,000 internet cafes.
The Cash Shop offers mounts, armor colors, pets, furniture, and other cosmetic items for purchase. Additionally, typical MMO services are available, such as the option to buy more character slots or change the appearance of the hero.
The following videos from Asia MMO specialist steparu provide insight into the Cash Shop.
In Hearthstone , the developers granted an interview to Chinese sites. The feared card Dr. Boom (in English: Dr. Boom) might soon face its end. In future expansions, “race” decks could play a role, and there might even be special “dragon” decks.
And it went Boom.
In a group interview with Chinese media, Hearthstone Executive Producer Hamilton Chu and his colleagues spoke about Dr. Boom among other topics. He may soon face the nerf hammer. At the beginning, not many players recognized how strong he was, but the longer it has been since the release of Goblins vs. Gnomes, the more frequently he is played.
Now the “Counter” phase has just begun: Hearthstone players are experimenting with ideas on how to defend against Dr. Boom; it is still early days. The outcome of this phase will be awaited. If Dr. Boom is still so strong afterwards, they will consider changing the card.
Here, the popular Hearthstone player Kripparrian explains in detail what “Dr. Balance” is all about:
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Race decks like Murlocs were already present in the base game. With “Goblins vs. Gnomes,” the “Mechs” were newly introduced. The question arose whether special race decks could be a direction to pursue in the future and whether more could be done here.
In response, they indicated, as far as the translation is correct, that this is a direction they could go and that they expect fun from it. At the moment, for example, they have nothing special with “dragons”; in future content expansions of Hearthstone, they could introduce something surprising so that the “races” could fully develop. They see Murloc decks not really as “tournament” decks but rather as “fun” decks.
Mein MMO says:
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Three Destiny employees were streaming last night, raiding “Crota’s End” with three community members. A comment towards the end reignited speculation about a secret chest in the Glass Chamber.
Once again, from our perspective at an ungodly hour, the stream ran. In the last week it was a PvP stream, this time it was the raid against Crota. Three Bungie employees were involved: The community and PR guy Eric Osborne (the redhead in the foreground of the picture, whose perspective you can also see in the stream), raid designer Gavin Irby (in the back) and Rob Adams, a Senior World Designer.
Thrall Passage and Bridge Encounter in Crota’s End
During the stream, there was a rare opportunity to hear Bungie developers firsthand:
The first part of the raid, the passage with the Thralls, centers around “Survival.” Players must work together and fight forward. It was important to the developers that it’s easier when players stick together and leave no one behind. Those who are selfish and activate the lamps too early harm their team. The reduction of players’ mobility creates a feeling of constant panic. The holes in the ground and the atmosphere contribute to this.
The Bridge passage is the most tactically challenging encounter of the raid. It takes the longest to explain. The encounter is designed so that each team member has a chance to shine. Furthermore, everyone should learn how to handle the sword here.
Bungie gives the woman instead of flowers.
Sniper Rifle Instead of Flowers
Even the Bungie employees avoid saying the “G” word, they refer to “the thing with wolfpack rounds.”
Osborne plays Warlock, while his wife plays Hunter on an account. When he wants to make her happy, he leaves her a nice sniper rifle – Patience and Time or Praedyth’s Revenge: That’s like giving flowers.
Ir Yût is as close as you can get to a gear check in Destiny.
The “G” is silent.
Bungie is Working on the Sword Bug and Almost Everything Else
Bungie is working on the sword bug in Crota. Generally, the Bungie employees experience all the problems players encounter as equally bad or annoying, as the developers also spend so much time in Destiny and suffer from the same issues.
It’s not that Bungie is stopping work on the raid in Destiny or doing less here, because they are balancing weapons. Two different teams at Bungie are working on these issues.
The Wrath of the Queen event did not work. Bungie found other PvE activities more interesting. That’s why they pulled it back and will revise it. In this or another form, or something similar could come back. However, they remained tight-lipped about inquiries. They want to leave that to DeeJ and the Weekly Update. In the past, they have often burned their mouths. Now they only want to announce things that are ready. The silence is difficult for many, as they are excited about their work and would love to immediately tell and show everyone what they are working on.
In the aftermath of the raid, a small comment at the end of the stream made the biggest waves and was picked up multiple times on reddit within a few hours. It concerns a “possible secret chest” in the raid “The Glass Chamber.” They questioned the raid designer if all chests had been discovered. While it was said, “There are always more secrets” and after asking if there is another chest, someone said “Yes,” it’s not clear whether that was meant seriously and whether he really answered the question. So we are as wise as before.
Update:We don’t want to be the party pooper, but well … here we go anyway: In the last 12 hours, since the run ended, some posts popped up with “6th Chest!” that’s what he said in the stream … Let everyone look again!
Now it’s clear: Osborne meant it as a joke, as he clarifies in a tweet: He knows no secrets, Easter eggs, or chests. And if he did, he would never reveal them. He was just having fun.
To be clear, I’m not privy to most secrets/easter eggs/chests in Destiny. If I was, I’d never disclose what I knew! #nofunallowed
Hints about the next Iron Banner have appeared in Destiny. The event could start as early as next week.
It seems that the PvP event Iron Banner is starting again next week. A timeline has been displayed on the Destiny homepage for a few weeks now. “Iron Banner” has been shown as the next event for a while, but without a date.
This has changed in the last few hours. Now it says “February 17th,” which is next Tuesday.
Main prize of the last Iron Banner: Sniper rifle Efrideets Spear, which can be valuable as a Void variant in the Nightfall Strike.
February Iron Banner likely begins with the next ID in Destiny
The Iron Banner is a special Crucible mode. Here, the equipment of the Guardians counts at least to some extent and is not normalized like in the other Crucible.
Furthermore, Guardians have the opportunity to obtain weapons that are at “endgame” level. The special feature is legendary weapons, which can increase to a damage of 331, and that can be “restructured” repeatedly thanks to a reroll feature. This is in the hope of getting the ideal damage type and a combination of abilities that results in a weapon that is still missing in the arsenal.
Additionally, in the past, there have been high-quality armor pieces that helped Guardians reach the respective maximum level of pre-DLC 30 or now 32 .
What loot might there be in February’s Iron Banner from Destiny?
At the moment, there are no further details available: Which weapons will be available this time, which armor pieces Bungie will release – and what light level they can reach at maximum. All of that is still unknown at the moment. The info page about the Iron Banner shows the same data as last time. It is unlikely that February’s Iron Banner in Destiny will be exactly the same as January’s Iron Banner.
In the Daybreak Gaming Company (H1Z1, Planetside 2, Everquest Next, Landmark, etc.) several employees were laid off on Wednesday morning US time. Among them was David Georgeson, the face behind Everquest, Everquest 2, Landmark, and Everquest Next.
Last week it was announced that Sony Online Entertainment is no longer part of Sony, but has been acquired by the investment firm Columbus Nova. At that time, it was still seen positively. They changed the name to “Daybreak Gaming Company” and aimed to continue independently with “more resources.” Studio head Smedley mentioned that he was excited to now also develop for the Xbox.
Today there were layoffs. As the Creative Director of Planetside 2 tweeted, it was quite a number:
Big round of layoffs this morning. Losing a lot of talented, hard working, irreplaceable people. Very sad day.
According to a source that has come to the US magazine kotaku, the employees had already learned shortly after the acquisition that layoffs were forthcoming. Management, however, tried to keep morale high and motivate the employees.
The studio itself issued a press release in quite a cool manner. They speak of strategic decisions and the redistribution of resources. These are needed to be able to grow in the future. The current games are not supposed to be affected.
As part of a strategic decision to rationalize the business, Daybreak Game Company announced today that it will eliminate positions in both its San Diego and Austin studios. This alignment of resources better positions the newly independent studio for future growth opportunities and developments, including delivering on its legacy of making top online games and establishing a solid foundation for future multi-platform success. These reductions will not affect the operation of current games and the company will continue on its mission to partner with its player community to drive the future and push the boundaries of online gaming.
Update 2/12, 11:00 AM: Some employees from H1Z1 and Planetside 2 were indeed affected. But the main concern is about the future of the Everquest franchise. Not only are dark clouds hanging over the future of Everquest Next. The already relatively small team of the Free2Play title Everquest 2 has been further reduced.
In the meantime, one of the laid-off producers from Planetside 2 addressed the community in a letter on reddit. He does not blame the investment firm Columbus Nova, but states: The numbers simply did not add up, and a “shake-up” was needed. He refers to Columbus Nova as the “White Knight.” This is a term from finance. It refers to a company that saves another from a hostile takeover or bankruptcy. This means that without the investment firm, SOE would no longer exist … That paints a bleak picture, much bleaker than analysts assumed a few days ago.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
With the official PS4 Remote App, only owners of a smartphone or tablet from the Xperia series were able to enjoy playing PlayStation games on a mobile device. Thanks to an unofficial port, all Android users can now install the app on the device of their choice. For example, the online shooter Destiny.
The official PS4 Remote Play app allows owners of a PlayStation 4 and an Xperia smartphone or tablet to connect the devices via the home network and then use PS4 games on the mobile device. This way, you can play blockbuster games like Destiny on your smartphone. However, unfortunately, Remote Play is only intended for Sony’s own Xperia smartphone series.
A developer from XDA named TheScriptedKitty has managed to port this Remote App for all Android devices. You can download the Android APK (installation application for Android) from the official XDA site. A root is not required for Remote Play on Android. You only need to allow installations from unknown sources in your smartphone or tablet settings and have Android 4.4 or higher.
Behind XDA lies an incredibly extensive portal dedicated to the development and modification of everything related to Android, mobile communication, and the corresponding hardware.
It has become a reality: The PS4 version of Destiny on a Samsung smartphone.
Tip: Even if you have Android 4.4 or higher, your smartphone or tablet should not be too weak. Flagship devices with a decent processing power provide the best conditions – otherwise, it can be choppy!
Once you have installed the app on your smartphone or tablet, you can control the game with the touchscreen or a DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller. The latter is recommended, especially for the sake of gaming comfort.
Destiny in Video on Smartphone
The YouTuber NightmareTacoGaming demonstrates in a video how the Remote App works and explains what to consider when installing.
But be careful: The application is officially not supported. Therefore, installation and use of the program is at your own risk. http://youtu.be/pel59oHl0Po
Conclusion: Nice to have, but not a must. First of all, it is great that developers take the time to port applications like the PS4 Remote App. However, one should be somewhat familiar with the Android matter when installing such APKs. With countless different smartphones on the market, things might not go smoothly for everyone. And since the app is not officially supported, you’ll have to help yourself in the end.
But with the example of the PS4 Remote App, we see that it is possible to play big titles like Destiny on a small device like a smartphone. This works well with Final Fantasy XIV, for example, if you don’t want to go into raids. However, you should definitely use a controller; otherwise, the controls are anything but innovative. But if you’re already at home, why not just continue gaming on your 50″ TV in the living room?
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The God MMO Skyforge now presents in an infographic how one thinks about values.
The value system today is actually just a “relic” from earlier Dungeons and Dragons days in many games. In World of Warcraft, it has been simplified to the point that only two “primary values” are needed: the class-relevant value of strength, agility, or intelligence, and the all-purpose value of stamina. The rest is found in secondary values.
Skyforge takes a relatively similar approach. In the world of Aelion, there are no “unnecessary” values that are important only for the warrior and irrelevant for the mage.
That would also be quite silly, as in Skyforge you will switch classes at the push of a button, so every stat must remain relevant for each class, or one would enter (as some games do) a gear-switching nightmare. Although the gear aspect seems not to be strongly pronounced in Skyforge, it only mentions different weapons that grant class-specific bonuses and rings. Both item types are supposed to be exclusively earned through adventures.
The values in Skyforge and what they mean
Stamina (Stamina): Stamina determines life energy, the health pool
Might (Might): Determines base damage
Strength (Strength): Increases maximum base damage, likely raising the damage variant, making it random instead of 1-8, then 1-12
Valor (Valor): Increases bonus damage; the healthier an opponent is, the more significant the bonus damage becomes
Luck (Luck): The more luck a hero has, the higher their crits are
Spirit (Spirit): The value determines the penetration power of charge attacks
Depending on the class, certain properties may be more attractive than others. For example, the Berserker (an advanced DPS class) will be able to give themselves a strong crit buff, making luck an appealing value to increase the damage of these crits.
The hero’s values can be enhanced not just through equipment, but also through the Ascension Atlas (the far-reaching skill tree of the game). There, specific passive abilities can be unlocked. Additional bonuses are available through the browser game-like mini-game with the Adepts and the Cult, which the god is gradually building. A bonus can then be activated for each region.
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Yes, I know. I’ve gone overboard again. The game has been out for less than 40 hours, and I feel like I’ve already spent at least 80 of those in Evolve. It’s just so much fun. Maybe even a bit too much fun. But still, there’s something here that bothers me immensely (ha, pun intended!)…
Everyone wants to be the monster
One has to admit that this was somewhat to be expected. Especially when you want to dive into battle alone, being a monster is certainly the better option. After all, you don’t have to consider anyone else or even communicate with a team. If you just want quick, “uncomplicated” fun, then being a monster is probably a good fit.
However, when a match requires a total of 5 players, and the feeling is that half of all evolution addicts only want to play as Goliath or Kraken, this leads to immediate problems that the game’s system doesn’t counter very well.
I’m in your game, idling around…
I personally enjoy playing the hunters too. Because only when you stand on the other side do you discover the strengths and weaknesses of all characters. Additionally, it is somehow very satisfying to push a “Stage 3” monster into the monster heaven with great effort.
Unfortunately, not all other players see it that way. Players regularly leave the lobby as soon as they see they are not the monster. Those who do will receive a harsh penalty of 60 seconds of waiting time before they can log back in (after all, the Wraith is female!).
60 seconds to grab a cola or simply read a rant Wednesday. In any case, this is a very minimal consequence. Even worse, however, are the bunch of people who simply go afk during the ongoing round and let a bot take over the control.
Heroes in the last second
The very special idiots then return to their afk state at the “last moment”, take back control over the hunter, and then celebrate themselves in the voice chat as the great hero who single-handedly took down the monster.
Especially in the higher “high-level” areas of level 25 and above, this behavior is particularly noticeable. I can only hope that players will be given more options to deal with such behavior – because unfortunately, it does not motivate me to continue taking up arms.
Why Evolve is still so good despite this little complaint that my eyes are now red, you will read next week in the detailed review. Until then: Don’t get eaten!
Perhaps most are simply overwhelmed with being the hunter and don’t want to let their team down. In that case, a look at our Evolve Hunter Guide might be worthwhile.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The upcoming addon Heart of Thorns for the MMO Guild Wars 2 is already making fans excited. With the introduction of a new PvP mode, the wait is getting worse. But what is hidden behind the Stronghold mode?
MMO meets MOBA
League of Legends and Dota 2 are well-known MOBA games where strategy wins… or so-called minions. With the Skrits, there are also minions in the new PvP mode of Guild Wars 2, constantly attacking the opponent and the enemy fortress. If you have an advantage in the number of your own Skrits, you will win the battle faster. The goal is to capture the enemy fortress (Stronghold). In an interview with pcgamer.com, John Corpening, the PvP team lead at GW2, confirmed influences from the predecessor Guild Wars and the MOBA genre:
They [the community] mentioned that it’d be cool if we had something that was like a condensed World vs World experience. They mentioned that we should try some more traditional game modes. People have been talking about their nostalgia for Guild Wars 1’s Guild vs Guild. People have suggested that we look at MOBAs, that sort of stuff. We took influences from all of those things (…)
John Corpening also states that the overview of the map will decide victory and defeat, not the specific experience of your own class. Nevertheless, every player in Stronghold will take on a specific role.
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In addition to the Skrits, there are also siege weapons and special NPC heroes. These are depicted in the video as particularly large and, according to Corpening, aim to make the PvP mode even more strategic. According to the PvP team leader, player feedback during the development of the Stronghold map and all its mechanics was of great importance. Ultimately, they bundled the best ideas that could complement each other and fit into the game:
Really what we did was we took all that feedback, and we looked at the mechanics that we’ve seen have worked for our game mode, and the mechanics that didn’t work for our game mode, and really looked to make something that was right for Guild Wars 2 and the amazing combat we have.
We hope that the Stronghold mode will differ from the current World vs World mode. But the teasers promise exciting battles and make the anticipation for the upcoming addon even greater. It is obvious that ArenaNet continues to try to establish Guild Wars 2 in the eSports scene. No wonder, as this is a very attractive market. It is only logical to introduce a PvP mode with MOBA elements. Will it succeed this time?
We definitely see this being the future of PvP for Guild Wars 2.
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In The Elder Scrolls Online, the last week of February has been targeted as the release date for the massive Update 6.
In the official forum of the soon-to-be Buy2Play-MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, there is now an initial assessment for the release of the huge Update 6 on the live servers. According to Jessica Folsom, the last week of February has been targeted. That would likely be the 24th or 25th of February.
We are aiming to get Update 6 out on the live megaservers the last week of February, yep. If that changes, we’ll let everyone know!
It’s about time for TESO as well. On March 17, they plan to switch to a Buy2Play-MMO as “Tamriel Unlimited” and want to have the patch on the live servers beforehand to allow for a bit of a buffer.
But it is also clear: It wouldn’t really surprise anyone if it took another week longer and it would only be ready on the 2nd or 3rd of March. Should the end-of-February date get postponed again, they will inform us at Zenimax.
Mein MMO thinks:This is already a significant patch. When you consider that some hoped it could come out as early as the end of December to stay within the “new content every 6 weeks” schedule, it also shows that Zenimax has made adjustments and will continue to adjust. One can only hope that the patch does not cause any issues.
In recent months, far smaller updates led to lengthy issues. They cannot afford that this time. On March 17, the MMO world (and parts of the gaming world) will be looking at TESO. They need to be polished and reasonably bug-free.
With the upcoming Patch 6.1 for World of Warcraft, a dream will finally come true for everyone who has been complaining for years about why you can only use a mount so late – at level 20, which takes about 4 hours. This timely content update will introduce a mount for level 1 – but not for everyone.
35 Heirlooms to the Motorcycle
The “Chauffered Chopper” is an account-bound vehicle and can be used immediately after character creation. However, this is only possible if the account owner already has at least 35 heirlooms in their collection, which will also be added with the upcoming patch.
Because in Azeroth, you only get the driver’s license at level 20, the motorized two-wheeler, as the name suggests, comes with its own chauffeur. He will reliably maneuver you through Elwynn or Tirisfal from then on.
But a lot of time will probably pass before you can call this fine piece your own. It can take quite a while to obtain 35 heirlooms – but then twinks won’t have to worry about their training anymore.
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In ArcheAge , the new zone Diamond Coast will soon be coming, meanwhile, players are upset with Trion Worlds and the cash shop policy. There they say: It is not always our decision.
Diamond Coast will be a PvP Zone
The official part first, the press release: Trion Worlds has today outlined the new zone “Diamond Coast” in Auroria in a post on the official site. Unlike the release on the Korean servers, PvP will be active here. However, not in the instances.
The library will probably become the main place where many players level up to 55. At least there they should have peace from others. When the Diamond Coast comes, more mobs in the surrounding area will also be leveled up.
The rather unofficial part of our ArcheAge news: There are issues. Peace lasted for 6 weeks in 2015, now some of the given promises are being retracted and restricted. The original plans probably pleased Trion Worlds better as well, but it seems that it has now been decided otherwise. Annoyingly, the plans had already been presented, creating a sense of “Now everything is changing”.
Fusciafin.
From Friday, players can obtain a new blue dolphin mount called “Cynafin”. This is a reskin of the world drop “Fusciafin” from the 10-man raid Sea of Drowned Love. It seems that this thing drops extremely rarely from the final boss Dahuta.
The blue dolphin mount will not be “Best-in-Slot”, but rather slower than the purple original. It can scout boats with the short sonar, sprint, and perform some tricks.
Why is there an issue with this? Well, Trion Worlds is putting it as a probably very rare reward in a new RNG box.
Cyanfin.
Loud part of the ArcheAge community rejects RNG boxes
Players, at least those who express their views in the forum, hate these boxes. The arguments in bullet points:
It is a mystery what percentage of the mount is actually in there.
There are too many blanks.
The expenses are unpredictable.
They have made it clear multiple times how much they hate these boxes.
Trion Worlds promised to communicate more openly.
They should offer the mount for a fixed price in the shop, that’s how it’s done in Korea.
Here is the blue dolphin mount in the Korean version:
http://youtu.be/l7ZjOnwXlXU
Furthermore, theories are now emerging that the original dolphin was intentionally made so rare that now more players would long for the blue mount and spend money on it. The loud reaction is: “So it’s just like before.”
Trion Worlds says: It is not our decision
The new producer of ArcheAge is trying to calm the situation. They communicated this in advance to clarify what players can expect from Friday. They are aware that players reject the RNG boxes. But it is not always solely Trion Worlds’ decision how such items are released.
I realize that supply crates are probably the least favorite marketplace sales method. My goal in telling you about this now is to set expectations of how it’s going to be available this Friday. Regretfully, it’s not always solely our decision as to how these items are released.
Our original goal was to move forward with highly desired supply crate items also being available for LP. We saw a much more positive reaction from that concept. It was determined that the LP store shouldn’t be used for supply crate items that already have a secondary drop method, which the dolphin does.
Mein MMO says: There is a reason why the collaboration between Trion Worlds and the Korean developers of XLGames topped our list of MMO Fails in 2014.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The asymmetrical MOBA Evolve has now received an Honest Trailer from Smosh Games.
The Honest Trailers by Smosh Games enjoy immense popularity. In the style of a Hollywood trailer, a game or movie is dissected.
This time it’s the fresh “Evolve”. And after yesterday’s official launch trailer , this one provides a nice contrast.
The narrator is clearly a fan of the monster. This seems to him the much more sensible alternative to working with “three strangers from the internet”, as one knows from LoL how well that works. Every “normal” person fulfills their childhood dream and becomes the monster.
Let’s see if Evolve actually joins Titanfall and Destiny in the lineup of games that we all play like crazy for a month and then forget that they even exist, as he says.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Korean MMO Black Desert is still in open beta and constantly evolving. Now, a new area called Media has been released.
5 out of 8 classes are already available in Black Desert, the sixth is expected to follow this month, and they are gradually completing the regions as well. An open beta for Asian MMOs is almost equivalent to a release, though it is still being developed. Now, with “Media,” a new zone has been added.
It offers 4 hunting grounds and 3 “regions”. 100 new monsters are expected to roam the area and will join the existing hordes of enemies already present in Black Desert. The 100 new monsters are in levels 51 to 55. They are also expected to require new combat dynamics.
The SF-MMO WildStar appears in the financial report of NCSoft, and the numbers look bad. The fantasy MMORPG Guild Wars 2, on the other hand, remains relatively stable.
Quarterly, the Korean software giant NCSoft publishes numbers that reveal how the publisher’s games are performing. Now the figures for the fourth quarter of 2014 are available.
The company itself is doing great. It’s been a record quarter, except for the fourth quarter of 2012 when Guild Wars 2 was released, as reported. Guild Wars 2 remains stable in sales compared to the third quarter. There has been little change. However, compared to 2013, they continue to struggle.
The big problem child is WildStar. In the fourth quarter, revenues have further declined. They now stand at one-third compared to the previous quarter. And that did not look good either.
In the fourth quarter of 2014, WildStar only generated about 29% of what Guild Wars 2 brought in. And this, despite still being in the first year, which is usually the strongest for an MMO.
Due to the weaker quarter for WildStar, the West represents even less of NCSoft’s revenue than in the last quarter. It now accounts for just over 10%. With a new president at the helm, that could change soon. She focuses on North America and Europe and studied in the USA.
NCSoft continues to generate significant revenue with so-called “legacy games,” meaning relatively old titles. In Korea, Lineage 1 continues to achieve record numbers. Aion is also performing well. Blade & Soul showed improvement compared to the previous quarter, attributed to its launch in Taiwan, as NCSoft reports.
This is the current state of Guild Wars 2, WildStar, and Blade & Soul
WildStar has already been affected by austerity measures in the past. However, Carbine states that NCSoft still believes in the game’s success and is allowing the studio time to further develop and restructure the game. For 2015, the SF-MMO plans a restructuring: WildStar aims to be more accessible and open.
At Guild Wars 2 and ArenaNet, the future looks somewhat rosier. In 2014, they remained stable throughout the year. In 2015, with Heart of Thorns, a new expansion is expected to give the game a boost.
Another MMO from NCSoft could soon be relevant for us in the West: In 2015, a Western release of Blade & Soul is expected. However, fans have been waiting for details on this for a long time. Apparently, NCSoft still lacks key employees for localization and distribution in the West.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the upcoming MMO shooter Tom Clancy’s The Division , New York will be at the center. In a blog post, one of the developers explains how he researches to capture this feeling.
New York will not only be the backdrop of the MMO shooter The Division, but will play a central role. Therefore, the Ubisoft team is currently spending a lot of time exploring the city and drawing inspiration from the “real” Big Apple for the virtual one they will create. To do justice to the dense verticality of the city alone, one must wander through the streets of the city that never sleeps, look up at its skyscrapers, and breathe in the city. This is what Martin Hultberg, the IP Developer of the team, believes.
In January they were in New York: “In a way, we were lucky. The weather at this time of year is similar to our game, and because of the upcoming Super Bowl, the security measures were strict. At some points, the city felt like it was under siege.”
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There are so many service providers and their vehicles in the city. Maintenance work must be carried out constantly. Police officers were managing traffic. Plumbers were taking care of water damage. What if these lifelines, these regulating forces, all disappeared? Most New Yorkers, according to Hultberg, live with an empty refrigerator. They are permanently in cafes, eating in restaurants. What if they all closed?
The first thing that struck him when he crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, he writes, is how small one feels in the face of so many skyscrapers: “I spent many hours thinking about disasters and how to survive them. And I can tell you: I do not want to be in a modern city when everything goes off the rails. So many places from which you can be attacked. So few places to hide.”
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In Destiny, the Titan ability “Fist of Havoc” creates spectacular situations in the Crucible, in the raid Crota’s End, and also in regular Strikes. The Super of the Striker subclass even provides for some creative cheesing.
Every class in Destiny has its quirks. The Hunter handles the knife excellently and uses the Golden Gun devastatingly, the Warlock is a Bomber who can rise from the dead. The Titan is a coveted bubble maker on one side, while on the other side, as a Striker, he already has some offensive potential with the “Fist of Havoc”. You can see in these videos how to creatively use this ability that has earned the Titan the nickname “Superman” more than once.
Ten Bounties at Once
Here, a particularly diligent Titan has selected 10 bounties and arranged them in such a way that he completes them all with a single Fist of Havoc. The moment is truly impressive. A lot of planning and time went into timing everything and saving the bounties. It could have been done differently – but it works with the Fist of Havoc.
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The Fist of Havoc is also used for a spectacular cheese or exploit in the raid Crota’s End. The stunt as “Superman” has entered the annals of Destiny’s history. It was discovered about two weeks ago. The “cheese” is so spectacular and creative that some are already asking Bungie to keep it in the game. Why is it called Superman? See for yourself …
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In Strikes, the Fist of Havoc is also used, as guardians use it for a particularly satisfying way to clear the hated strike boss out of the way. Here, Sekrion gets acquainted with the Fist of Havoc.
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And of course, the Fist of Havoc also plays a role in the Crucible. Just this week, there is a top 5 list of spectacular plays that revolve exclusively around the Super ability of the Striker Titan in Destiny. He has the ability to really clean up with the Super.
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In the survival MMO H1Z1, there are T-shirts, not real ones, but virtual ones.
“I survived Player Wipe 1” is printed on the front of the new T-shirt, and the back has three bullet holes. With this new cosmetic T-shirt, DGC aims to reward the most loyal players who have been playing since before the wipe.
The T-shirt was released today with the patch. The announced server wipe from a few days ago reset the game. Players had to adapt to new worlds afterward. Additionally, in H1Z1, each player can now only create one character per server.
What else was in the patch on February 10th is revealed in this video by ProNDC about H1Z1.
http://youtu.be/eG17h3nymAg
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
To Turtle Rock’s asymmetrical MOBA, the 4vs1 online team shooter, Evolve a launch trailer has been released.
Today, Evolve is officially out. “Officially” better said, the first people have been playing for a few days now.
As it happens in the first hours: People are orienting themselves, there are already the first reviews and it is also being analyzed which resolution is on the Playstation 4 and which on the Xbox One, where it looks better. It actually seems at the moment that the PS4 is ahead, but there will surely be more on that in the coming days.
For now, Turtle Rock is delighting us with the launch trailer for Evolve. Our favorite part is always the blurbs: When you take two or three words from a lengthy review and quote them. Someone must have stayed up all night to decide whether to lead with “Intense!” or “4.5 of 5!”.
If you want to know more about the game and see some initial guides, we recommend our Evolve theme page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
