Blizzard has won a lawsuit against a Chinese copycat: they had brazenly copied the logo, design, and concept of Hearthstone .
As mmoculture reports, Blizzard and NetEase have prevailed in a court in Shanghai. The China-based developer “Unico” must cease distributing the game “Legends of Crouching Dragon”. Furthermore, they must financially compensate both Blizzard and the Chinese publisher of Hearthstone, NetEase.
Recently, mmoculture further reports, Chinese copycats and plagiarists are increasingly facing consequences. Other publishers have also legally acted against such practices. Recently we reported on a similar case where a Chinese company released a “Real-Life” version of Hearthstone, likely without Blizzard’s consent.
The card game “Legend of Crouching Dragon” is (or now better was) ironically a mobile game for iOS and Android. Blizzard is currently working on the port for the original itself. According to earlier reports from mmoculture, the “clone” includes about 800 cards and pads Blizzard’s concept with some elements from the world of “A Romance of Three Kingdoms”. The eponymous novel also provides the material for the “Dynasty Warriors” series.
According to reports from January 2014, Blizzard and NetEase had sued Unico for about 1.6 million US dollars back then. The amount that was ultimately settled is not known.
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The satirical animated series South Park tackles a hot topic in the MMO market in the latest episode: Free2Play games that are not as free as they claim.
Even today, the “Make Love, not Warcraft” episode of South Park shapes the image that many have of MMO players. The clip frequently resurfaces on the internet when it is supposed to ironically or not-so-ironically show what MMO addiction can do.
In the latest episode of South Park “Freemium isn’t free” from November 5th, the focus is once again on MMOs. But a lot of time has passed since “Make Love not Warcraft”. This time, the spotlight is not on the paid MMORPGs of the past, but South Park addresses so-called “Free2Play” mobile titles, which mainly include what are known as Facebook games or casual games (whose influence is now also noticeable in the MMO market).
In the episode, the Canadian government (the Prince of Canada and his sinister henchman, the Minister of Mobile Games) has launched a pretty cheap casual game to fill their empty coffers with US dollars. They explain the concept behind this supposedly cheap idea to the two angry Canadian celebrities, Terrance and Phillip. Here’s an excerpt:
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With all the exaggeration and cynicism, South Park is not alone in this portrayal. As extreme as the views of the creators may seem, the current free-to-play model in MMOs is under criticism – even experts who deal with the subject daily see the current trend in the industry critically. A slightly deeper insight is provided by this video:
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However, not every Free2Play game is automatically bad or condemnable. Even the extremely successful MOBA League of Legends or Blizzard’s free card game Hearthstone rely on a free-to-play model. They ensure that the items purchased with real money do not grant direct advantages in the game and can also be reasonably acquired without spending money.
In the superhero and supervillain MMO DC Universe Online, the new movement method “Skimming” is introduced. Like Mister Miracle, heroes and villains will soon be able to move through the world on two air discs.
Although it may not have a very strong presence in Europe, the heroes of DC remain somewhat in the slipstream of Marvel, at least in Germany. Apart from Superman and Batman, as well as the associated supervillains, the recognition of DC heroes in Germany is probably not very high. Most people are still trying to forget the last “Green Lantern” movie. And this is currently playing a remarkable role in DC Universe Online.
For the first time since its release, a new movement method has been announced in DC Universe Online. In “Skimming,” the hero or villain stands on two “Aero Discs” and can move through the world this way. Gameplay-wise, it’s not a big deal: Skimming shares a skill tree with “Flight.” Subscribers, or rather quasi-subscribers, get “Skimming” for free, while Free2Play players can obtain it from the cash shop.
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The Dark Fantasy and Conspiracy MMO The Secret World provides an outlook on the next update and proves once again that it is a completely different kind of MMO. While other games transport us to fantasy worlds, the Buy2Play MMO “The Secret World” introduces a twisted and contorted version of our world, where nothing is as it seems.
The Secret World is different. This can be seen time and again. For the world in which The Secret World takes place, as fantastic as it may be, is deeply rooted in our reality: A kind of funhouse mirror of what we can see when we turn on the news or step outside. And if you read the producer’s letter, which gives an outlook on issue #10 and introduces the key players of the update, you will read about a Jungian, hour hotels, and worn-out private detectives.
In issue #10, you will delve deeper into Kaidan, investigate the “Orochi” Corporation, and likely see only superficially attractive things in the erotic temple “Palace of Dreams”.
When the update will be released is still unknown. “Soon,” it says. The update is also expected to include an expansion of the AEGIS system. At the moment, The Secret World is inviting everyone: Halloween events are still running until November 13th. And if there’s an MMO you should visit this Halloween, it’s probably TSW.
You can read the producer’s letter to the fans here.
In the shared-world shooter Destiny , Xur, the Agent of the Nine and vendor of exotic weapons and armor, is once again offering a selection of exquisite items this weekend. In our Destiny News, you can read all about it.
You can count on Xur. Although tentacles peek out from under his hood, no one knows what he is really up to, and the guy has hours that would make even a degenerate mafia heir envious: At least he is punctual. On Friday at 10 AM, he reappears in the Tower and offers his wares.
He doesn’t care about daylight saving time; that’s a matter for us mortals; we must adjust to him. This means: In winter, he is around at 10 AM in Germany, in summer then at 11 AM.
Agent of the Nine is a reliable source for exotic weapons in Destiny
Recently, players discovered what Xur can sell. No one was disappointed. He offers all 18 exotic armor pieces available in the game for strange coins, the strange coins. Guardians can obtain them best by diligently completing the weekly strikes.
Regarding weapons, Xur cannot offer all exotic weapons from Destiny, but at least some. He sells in bulk: Depending on what exotic weapons he has available, the texture of the entire game and the balancing change. Since he offered Icebreaker a few weeks ago, everyone has been hoping for a Nightfall Strike to finally have the Solar Burn bonus. And after he sold Suros Regime, the power dynamics in the Crucible changed.
The rarest weapon in Destiny, the Fate of all Fools, was also available this week for a Guardian, but not from Xur.
Everything about Xur, the Agent of the Nine, on the weekend of November 7th to November 9th.
When does Xur appear in the Tower?
Xur comes on Friday, November 7th, at 10 AM our time. He stays until Sunday, November 9th, at 10 AM.
Bungie tweeted this at 9:53. Apparently, they did not mean “one hour”, but just 7 minutes. Phew, it seemed like there would be a delay.
Strange vendors taking strange coins for strange guns and armor. Tower. One hour. Gain power.
Where is Xur in the Tower (Xur Location)? Xur is at the Hangar. The location is made even clearer in this video:
What exotic weapons and armor does Xur have this time for Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans? This week, Hunters in Destiny can acquire an exotic helmet for 13 strange coins. The “Mask of the Third Man”. For Titans, there is once again a chest armor this week. However, not the Armamentarium as in previous weeks, but the Crest of Alpha Lupi. It’s available for 13 strange coins. For Warlocks, Xur this week has once again the Sunbreakers, exotic gloves, on offer. And he wants 13 strange coins for them. Dude, do you even praise the sun? For 17 strange coins, this week there is the exotic rocket launcher “The Truth”. And for 23 Light particles, he has an exotic helmet engram, from which one of 9 exotic helmets in the game can drop. The engram doesn’t care whether a Guardian, Titan, or Warlock opens it. So it can drop a helmet that the opening Guardian cannot equip.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Yesterday, the developers of Carbine finally decided on a definitive date for the long-awaited “Contendrop 3” to hit the megaservers of WildStar. The targeted date is Tuesday, November 11 – just in time for the carnival season. Regardless of this date, the content update “The Secret of the Primary Genesis” will likely also significantly decide the future of WildStar. Whether all masks will fall or the party will really get going will become clear in the coming days. In the meantime, we have the highlights of the patch for you here.
New Area: The Corruption
The new quest area for players at level 50 continues the ongoing storyline around Drusera, the entity, and the transmutation and is consequently located in the Gram Chamber. The new area features several small sub-zones, and it has been ensured that both solo players and fans of large events have plenty to do again. While monster hunting and collecting objects in the usual manner to gradually conquer the area, hints are piling up that dear Drusera might not have been as honest with you as one had hoped…
In the “Tormented Traverse,” a group of nearly 20 players is needed to master the public event. Here, it’s about keeping the “Terror Observer” in check and ultimately clearing the way to the Light Column so you can enter the OMNIkern.
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Above all, the main story is to be advanced substantially, mainly through the new solo instance “The OMNIkern.” This is meant to keep the players entertained for quite a while and represents that kind of content that “the developers have always wished for solo players.”
In addition to a dense atmosphere, a lot of story, fully voiced dialogues, and epic cutscenes, there is also plenty of loot waiting for brave adventurers who want to get to the bottom of Drusera’s origin and the disappearance of the legendary Eldan. And the best part: The story instance can be repeated, which is why there can also be different rewards each time!
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Housing is also fundamentally overhauled and improved. The limits for all decorations on the property are massively increased, allowing up to 2000 objects to be placed now. But that’s not all: Lights can now be turned on and off, you can actually sit on benches and chairs, and the music of the home can be freely chosen. Different textures for the floor and fade-in and fade-out grass round off the overall package and allow for even greater customization of the home. Undoubtedly, one of the best aspects of the game has been significantly improved once again.
Bug Fixes, Bug Fixes, and More Bug Fixes…
Especially for fixing errors in the game, a lot of time was taken this time, as the complete list of patch notes is over 100 pages long. That would be too much to list everything here; however, all the changes read as if WildStar is now the game that was hoped for at release.
Whether all this is enough to lift WildStar out of the seemingly endless swamp of negative news can only be shown by time – however, the date of the patch release is interestingly chosen, as two days later the addon for “World of Warcraft” is released and here it seems likely that the majority of the remaining players will be lost. We will keep you updated.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the MMO shooter Destiny , the exotic Solar scout rifle “Fate of all Fools” has now been gifted to a special Guardian. Its fate has moved Bungie and the community
Even the rarest weapons in Destiny, like the Vex Mythoclast, are now available tens of thousands of times. But the scout rifle with solar damage “Fate of all Fools” exists only once in the world of Destiny.
A few days ago, a story appeared in the English subreddit for Destiny that we read back then and that touched us as well. A woman recounts the severe illness of her husband. He had to undergo brain surgery seven times in eleven months. In three of the surgeries, parts of his brain were removed. He struggles with memory gaps and motor problems. Yet, one thing he can still do excellently: play Destiny.
The Doctor Prescribes Destiny
The wife describes emphatically how her husband truly blossoms while playing Bungie’s shooter – while she sits at the bedside and is using the PS Vita. The game is a ray of hope in these hard hours and days. His neurologist supports video gaming progressively. He even conducts studies that confirm how beneficial video games can be for the recovery of a person who has undergone brain surgery.
However, there is one thing that the brave man, who prefers to go as a Hunter, struggles with: He does not dare to tackle the raid with foreign players. He has difficulty articulating and communicating, and does not want to expose himself. The community reacts exemplarily: Several fireteams offer to go raiding with him. He receives a lot of encouragement and support in the following hours. This alone would already be a nice, albeit very private, story. But the happy ending has not yet been reached.
The Rarest Weapon in Destiny is Loaned, Not Found
Bungie’s community manager DeeJ is a frequent guest in the Destiny subreddit. He has also read the story and decided to make a very special gift to the Hunter: the exotic scout rifle “Fate of all Fools”. Body shots with the solar rifle increase the damage of the next headshot. The weapon had not been available in the game until now. It was suspected that it would find its way into the game with the event “Trials of Osiris” or a later DLC. This may still happen someday and then there will also be thousands of this weapon. At the moment, it is a unique item.
Update 8.11 17:30: The story has caused quite a stir – numerous sites are now reporting on it. In retrospect, there have been a few clarifications. The weapon “Fate of all Fools” was not introduced into the game through any trade system – as we know, that doesn’t exist yet – but through the post system of an “anonymous” benefactor. The Hunter is of course delighted with Bungie’s gift, and his wife has now posted a few more prettier pictures of the weapon in action, which we do not want to withhold from you:
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Our contest is going into the next round, this time we’re giving away a total of three codes for SMITE’s latest goddess: Nox, the Goddess of Night!
According to mythology, Nox (or also “Nyx”) is the mother of all things fixed in life: friendship and love, sunrises and dreams, but also misfortune: guilt, despair, and death. Like every mother, Nox loves all her children, and they are both her greatest happiness and her constant curse. Even the other gods respect and fear her – for the transition from sleep to death is fluid, and no one can escape the eternal darkness once Nox has unleashed it…
Double win: In addition to the standard skin, there’s also the alternative premium skin!
In SMITE, Nox earned her reputation as a “Mage Hunter” after just a few hours – because although she herself is extremely fragile, she makes life hell for other mages. Her own area spell has virtually no cooldown and can be spammed almost continuously, and her ultimate ensures that an enemy takes damage every time they activate an ability. Furthermore, she is extremely mana-efficient, as her passive ability allows her to cast a spell for free now and then. Nevertheless, Nox is not an easy goddess to play, especially since she has no escape options – mastering her is therefore a challenge. But those who succeed will have a lot of fun and deal even more suffering to their enemies.
Each of the three codes also unlocks her alternative look “Crimson Eclipse” – so participating is worth it doubly!
To participate in the contest, you just need to leave a comment under this article and tell us why the night is so much better than the day. From the funniest and most creative responses we will then select three winners. The deadline for entries is 10.11.2014, 9 PM. Good luck!
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[doptoggle title=”Important: Terms and conditions for the Nox contest:”]
Participation in the contest is free, starts on 06.11.2014 at 7 PM, and ends on 10.11.2014 at 9 PM. By participating in the contest you accept the rules of this lottery (the most creative and funniest answers to the question above, in our opinion). You should also be at least 16 years old.
Mein MMO has the right to exclude participants who violate the rules of the game, attempt to manipulate the contest, or try to do so. Each person can participate only once (Yes, we see everything!). Mein MMO will contact the winners via email within one day. The data will not be stored but will only be used for sending the prize. If the winner does not respond within 3 working days, the Nox code will be redrawn for another participant. Legal recourse is excluded.[/doptoggle]
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In a few hours, the northern continent Auroria will also open in Europe for the sandbox MMO ArcheAge . A rush for the Anya veins is expected in the first minutes after the launch. How can you benefit from this?
When the northern continent Auroria opens in a few hours (scheduled for 6 PM, but it might be earlier), the miners will be in demand first. 50,000 points are needed in mining to harvest the Anya veins. 1-4 pebbles can be obtained from one vein, and each guild needs 300 pebbles if they aim for a castle. This means: These items are in extremely high demand and will achieve record profits in the auction house. At least this seems very likely and corresponds to the experiences from the US servers yesterday.
For Lone Wolves and Guilds, the Anya Rush Begins
On the US servers, players managed to earn 2000 gold for 30 pebbles (approximately 10-15 veins). However, the pebbles are only valuable in the first few hours. Once the guilds have gathered a pack and cleared the castles, the value of the pebbles on the US servers of ArcheAge dropped enormously. The items are time-sensitive, similar to already spoiled halves of pig. After all castles were claimed, the price of pebbles fell to just a measly gold coin. Therefore, miners who are not gathering for their guild need to act quickly and purposefully. Provided we remain spared from the server issues in Europe that overshadowed the launch in the USA.
Life as a miner in Auroria is quite dangerous: It is an open PvP area. Guilds will fight each other for the veins and attempt to prevent newcomers from accessing them. Especially around the caves, fierce battles are expected. The veins are frequently found in them. Access can be bought dearly with labor.
Afterwards, the Rush for Properties in ArcheAge Will Begin Again
At the moment, it is assumed that in the first hour when the servers come online, the madness in Auroria will boil over quickly and reach a boiling point. It’s a matter of minutes and seconds here. The top guilds are already ready and in alert position. Many have logged out in optimal positions. It is determined at the pebbles who can complete a trade package first to secure an area. Once that happens, the next rush will occur: new building areas will be released.
Unfortunately, there is bad news from the USA. The areas were extremely quickly occupied by a few players. Rumor has it, things are not as they should be. So you either have to keep up or bite the bullet and pay a horrendous compensation fee for the property to someone who was faster (or used unfair methods).
As you can see from this humorous video, you really have to keep up:
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In the MMO shooter Destiny, players now have a complete breakdown of the loot, all drops, for the raid “Vault of Glass”.
It’s not easy to keep track of which items can drop from which boss in the raid “Vault of Glass”, and which items are in which chest. Fortunately, fans of the game have taken it upon themselves to compile the drops and organize them in a table. This way, you can quickly see where each weapon and which piece of raid armor in Destiny can drop: Where do raid helmets, raid legs, raid boots, and raid gloves drop?
Keeping track of the drops in the Vault of Glass is not that easy
The exotic fusion rifle “Vex Mythoclast” and the legendary jump ship “Aspect of Glass” are only available from the final boss Atheon on “hard” difficulty. These are two prominent drops – a real cult has formed around the Mythoclast – which are easy to remember.
The coveted Shader Chatterwhite and the legendary Sparrow “Timebreaker” are also available from Atheon, but also on “normal” difficulty. It drops the “Minuette of Glass” exclusively on normal mode, which is the non-hero variant of the special ship.
Exclusively in “Hard mode”, there’s also a legendary hand cannon with Fatebringer and a legendary pulse rifle with “Praedyth’s Timepiece”.
The chest before the Gorgons is the most valuable in the Destiny raid
It’s not easy to keep everything in your head. Therefore, a user on Reddit compiled the entire potential loot into a clear table. You can see the normal mode on the left, and the loot of the raid on “hard” on the right. The bosses include the Oracles (B1), the Templar as B2, the Gatekeeper as B3, and Atheon, the end of the raid, as B4. Additionally, there are five chests, with the third chest (C3) being a tricky one that’s not always guaranteed. The chest before the Gorgon Labyrinth turns out, according to the table, to be particularly attractive.
You can find the loot table for the raid “Vault of Glass” here in an Excel view. With a left-click, the image becomes clearer:
The table was compiled by the user idga_chuck on Reddit, who relied on data that the user JinormusJ had previously gathered. Of course, the table sparked some ridicule, like everything that involves Destiny’s loot system, and others published a table that essentially reset everything – except for “common items”, which were rated an 8.
So keep in mind: items can drop there, but there are no guarantees.
In the fantasy MMO Final Fantasy XIV the rumor that one of the next jobs would be a “Samurai” has burst.
It seems the wish was the father of the thought. Fans caught a glimpse of the computer of FF-XIV composer Masayoshi Soken during a live stream and spotted a folder titled “Samurai”. And since there is speculation about which new jobs will come to Final Fantasy XIV with the expansion “Heavensward”, the rumor mill was boiling. After all, the Samurai is a popular class in the Final Fantasy franchise. Both in Asia and among the Asia-affine Western audience, Samurais are still held in high regard and have many fans.
After the Dark Knight and the ominous “Gun” class, the Samurai would surely be the third new job, wouldn’t it? No, probably not. As the composer himself said in an interview, that folder has nothing to do with Final Fantasy XIV and is a coincidence. Apparently, it’s quite normal for Japanese to have a folder named “Samurai” on their desktop.
Here you see a Samurai in Final Fantasy XI in action:
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In MOBA Evolve, an asymmetric 4-vs-1 monster hunt, it’s about hunting, being hunted, and playing jump rope.
We at mein-mmo.de editorial team had an indecent amount of fun during the Alpha of the MOBA variant “Evolve” last extended weekend. In the game developed by Turtle Rock, the creators of Left 4 Dead, a team of four hunters chases a monster. The hunters are highly specialized and must work together according to their roles to bring down the monster as quickly as possible. The monster, in turn, has to hide, creep, and eat until it becomes strong enough to confront its pursuers and turn the tables.
Matches last between approximately 3 and 15 minutes and culminate in a fierce conflict filled with tension and adrenaline.
However, as it turns out now, we and thousands of others have been playing Evolve wrong all along and misunderstood the concept. In reality, a peaceful resolution of the conflict seems possible. In the end, is the monster Goliath just misunderstood? Does it just want to play? One might think so when watching this video where hunter and hunted pause for a moment and play jump rope with the medic’s healing beam.
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We will probably cover Evolve in more detail in the future. It is set to be released in February 2015 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. At Gamescom in Cologne, it has won several awards and was named Game of the Show.
Here is another video that does the game more justice:
http://youtu.be/N3ZVBBVrt8c
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Slightly Mad Studios show in their new gameplay trailer for World of Speed a hot duel between a RUF RK Coupe and a Mercedes SLS on the streets of Moscow.
The drivers engage in not only an exciting race but also try to complete various tasks on their way to the finish line.
Publisher my.com and Slightly Mad Studios are launching World of Speed, a free-to-play racing MMO with arcade elements. Players can join clubs and earn experience points through thrilling overtaking maneuvers and drifts for leveling up. True to the motto: “Everything for the club” – the focus of the game is not on the driving skills of an individual but rather on teamwork and strategy. Additionally, it should be possible to acquire racetracks and build a clubhouse there.
Moreover, a airfield as a social meeting point, unique missions and objectives in each race, real-time events, and player challenges are planned. With regular content updates like gameplay modes, tracks, and vehicles, you should keep your engine running at operating temperature.
Interested racers can now register for the open beta on the official website wos.my.com.
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In the sand park MMO ArcheAge , a seemingly annoyed farmer has now utilized the possibilities that ArcheAge offers in a classic way as a form of protest.
The many customization options in ArcheAge have been discussed frequently. Players can print their own logo on their sail, use it as a stamp, put on a mask, upload a picture from their computer and print it there, or compose their own songs. There are indeed many ways to express oneself in ArcheAge.
After the difficulties yesterday, a farmer reverted to the classic method, reached into the basket with seeds and capsules, and sent a message to Trion Worlds that can only be truly enjoyed from the air. A sort of fruit carpet, a fruit graffiti, a living work of art.
This form of “visual art” has a tradition in other MMOs as well. However, it is often not as easy to manipulate the environment as it is in ArcheAge. In World of Warcraft, for example, players shaped their corpses into a message to the developers or laid out a far more banal advertisement for a gold seller with their cadavers. In ArcheAge, one can truly leave traces, and leaving a message is significantly easier.
Ironically, the “living artworks” were likely destroyed within hours by uprooters. That happens to a fruit carpet reenacting the passion of Christ rather rarely. No respect for art, those philistines.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Yesterday, ArcheAge reacted to the issues in the USA. The long-awaited test server is now set to be launched. Additionally, low-level accounts will be denied access to the shop on the website.
Yesterday was not a good day for ArcheAge. The opening of the northern continent Auroria was overshadowed by numerous issues. Players were unable to log in for hours. As a result, the race for the four castles on each server was determined not by the skills of individuals or the cohesion of a guild, but primarily by chance and luck – in short, players were deprived of the opportunity to compete fairly against each other. The ongoing problem of players who could secure a large number of properties in a short time using supposedly unfair methods further spoiled the mood for players in ArcheAge.
The PTS server is supposed to help find errors in ArcheAge
Although the patch, according to Community Manager Scapes, was reviewed by internal quality control, the intention is to install a “Public Test Server” (PTS) in order to allow a larger number of players to test future patches. This was already discussed before the release of ArcheAge. Back then, players of the Alpha were assured that they would see their Alpha characters again on a test server if Trion Worlds decided that such a testing environment would be necessary. Apparently, it is needed. The PTS is primarily intended to help identify issues that only arise from large-scale testing.
A sensitive topic after yesterday is that of “compensation”, as Trion Worlds has shown willingness in the past to compensate players with bonus patron time for bad days. However, this is not the right time to discuss it. Yesterday, the focus was rather on solving the problems.
Trion Worlds is likely to curb money laundering
In another current announcement, Trion Worlds has announced that it is significantly restricting access to the web store for low-level players, i.e. players below level 15. They can neither purchase APEX nor in-game currency over $5. This aims to reduce the number of fraud cases and better protect players. The changes are effective immediately; currently, it can take up to 90 minutes after leveling up to level 15 for the restrictions to be lifted. Until the end of the week, it is hoped that this 90-minute delay will be eliminated so that players can act directly in the web store upon reaching level 15.
In the past, players below level 15 had already had their chat rights revoked to reduce gold spam.
My MMO thinks:Apparently, the measures now aim to prevent credit card fraudsters from buying credits in the web store, acquiring items in the in-game shop with them, which are then sold to other players for gold in the auction house, and then converting the gold back into real money through gold seller websites, all before the original credit purchase is reversed due to a chargeback. This cycle likely explains how massive price fluctuations for items from the in-game shop could occur in the past.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
All MOBA players who like to put down the keyboard and prefer to grab a controller can be excited: The third-person MOBA “SMITE” will likely be available to play on Xbox early next year, at least in the beta version.
The beta shouldn’t last too long, as the goal is to fully release the game in the first half of the year – the team is currently working hard on the necessary adjustments for a console version.
The announcement for a console version was made back in August of this year, but now with 5 million active players, it is “time for the next step.”
If you can’t wait until then or want to get an idea of the game, you can of course read our review of SMITE or enjoy the PC version – it is Free-to-Play. Newcomers should also check out our contest this evening, as we are giving away the latest goddess of the game along with her alternative appearance.
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On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Blizzard’s flagship MMO “World of Warcraft” the development studio has produced a documentary describing the long journey of the game. It features not only the developers but also many players who have been part of the community for a decade, sharing some of their experiences and explaining what makes WoW an important aspect of their lives.
During the BlizzCon starting tomorrow, the film titled “World of Warcraft: Looking for Group” will be available for viewing on Sunday at 2 AM our time via livestream. The stream of this film is free, unlike most other events for which a virtual ticket (30€) is required. After Blizzard’s house fair, “Looking for Group” will also be available on the game developer’s YouTube channel.
A first trailer can already be viewed and I must admit that it really gives me goosebumps – I am looking forward to the whole work:
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In the MMO shooter Destiny players have created a new trend: surfing on the Sparrow. This is how you can surf along.
It’s quite amazing: Millions of gamers play Destiny on four different platforms around the globe for three hours a day, and two months after release, they’re still finding new stuff to pass the time until Bungie finally releases new content.
This already shows how much effort Bungie has put into the world and that quite a bit more is possible than it may seem. The world is designed so that Guardians come up with ideas that Bungie never foresaw. And it shows that people are now specifically looking for such fun beyond Lootcaves, Exotic runs, Bounties, and Raids.
Many of these “side activities” in the world of Destiny surprisingly revolve around the Sparrow, the hover bikes. In the beginning, the thing was used like a kind of skateboard to perform stunts, with the Suicide Bike Timebreaker also providing some fun for Guardians who jumped over the Hivenest like on a stunt bike (and thousands followed him) – now the Guardians are surfing on the Sparrow while dancing.
And the nice thing is: You can do it too, even if you aren’t exactly a controller artist of the fifth Dan.
A youtube video explains what the new trend is about. It’s quite simple: while jumping onto a vehicle, you can use a “gesture,” one of the emotes, and it will continue executing even if you stay on the vehicle. Dancing works well as a long-duration gesture. The key is to get the timing right when you start the emote. Then nothing stands in the way of your career as a dancing surfer in Destiny, although the accident rate, as kotaku notes, is quite high… but well. There’s always something!
The video explains everything in detail. Pretty cool.
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The fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online rewards loyal fighters with in-game gifts. For half a year in Tamriel, there is now a Dwemer sphere as a recognition for the continued loyalty.
Zenimax, the creators of The Elder Scrolls Online, have a book that details whether you have been good or not so good – well, it’s probably more of a database. In any case, they keep track of how long players have had an active subscription for TESO. For one month and three months of loyalty, there were already gifts, and now there is a present for the six months. This is a Dwemer sphere as an in-game pet. To reach the six months, you do not need an uninterrupted subscription, as the months are added together, even if there were breaks in between.
The Dwemer have played a larger role since the release of Update 5. They provide a new crafting style. For the first time, it is not learned by collecting in a book, but for each item, a separate booklet must be found. Crafting styles in The Elder Scrolls Online work in such a way that you can decide while crafting which ‘skin’, which appearance, the item should have. It has no influence on the stats.
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At Turbine, the creators behind the Fantasy MMO Lord of the Rings Online, another round of layoffs could be on the way in the coming months.
The development studio Turbine is part of the Warner Brothers corporation. According to reports from GameInformer, CEO Kevin Tsujihara has announced further layoffs and cost savings across the company’s various divisions. The non-US branches of the company are also expected to be affected. Layoffs and savings will extend into the first quarter of 2015.
It is currently unknown whether Turbine will be affected by the layoffs. The gaming studio behind Lord of the Rings Online and Infinite Crisis had already reported layoffs in October.
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