The company Zenimax, which is behind the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, has laid off employees who were directly involved in the development of TESO.
After the launch, fewer employees are needed
In response to Gameinformer, Bethesda stated that Zenimax Online has laid off employees who were involved in the launch of The Elder Scrolls Online, either as developers or in customer service. On Twitter, rumors of layoffs at Zenimax had already circulated.
In an email, they informed the online magazine that this is part of the normal process for such games. They needed a large workforce for development and an expanded support team to handle all the inquiries they expected after the launch. Now, after half a year, the game is running smoothly, and the community has flourished. Therefore, they have adjusted the size of the team to current needs. However, the workforce is still large.
Development of The Elder Scrolls Online reportedly unaffected
Bethesda assures that the ongoing operation and development of The Elder Scrolls Online are not endangered or restricted by this. They continue to invest heavily in the development of TESO, are committed to the game, and are “committed.” They are continuing to develop content for PC, working on the implementation of The Elder Scrolls Online for consoles, and planning to expand into important international regions for the company.
At this moment, nothing is known about the scale of the layoffs. On Twitter, some industry insiders spoke of “large layoffs,” which could be translated as mass layoffs. Colleagues expressed their sympathy on Twitter or even offered job opportunities – as is customary in the industry. Bethesda’s need to confirm the layoffs to several gaming magazines (including joystiq) suggests that this is not just a few employees, but rather a larger number of staff.
Already in June, reports emerged that 300 employees on fixed-term contracts in the Zenimax branch in Galway, Ireland, were laid off from customer support. They were also meant to cushion the expected surge at the release.
Gameinformer does not provide any numbers but expresses sympathy for the employees affected by the layoffs. We at mein-mmo would like to join that sentiment.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The warplane MMO War Thunder has recently been making waves. For Gamescom, a World War II tank was transported to Cologne.
War Thunder is primarily an aerial combat MMO, with battles taking place over burning Europe during World War II. Recently, however, it’s also been hitting the ground: with Ground Forces, a tank expansion is on the way. At Gamescom in Cologne, War Thunder was not only present with uniformed ladies but also showcased a fighter aircraft, a Messerschmitt BF 109 K-4, on display. Additionally, War Thunder had a real tank, the SU-100, at its booth.
How to get such a colossus, a Soviet tank destroyer weighing 31.6 tons, to Cologne is now demonstrated by Gaijin Software in a video. More about War Thunder’s appearance and its rival World of Tanks can be found in this article.
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In the SF-MMO Star Trek Online (STO), the expansion Delta Rising also brings some familiar faces from the TV series “Voyager” on board the MMO.
Tim Russ (Tuvok) and Garret Wang (Harry Kim) were already known to adorn the next expansion “Delta Rising” in Star Trek Online. Now, the game’s homepage has announced further additions. Ethan Phillips (Neelix) and Roberto Picardo (the Holo-Doctor) will reprise their roles. And Jeri Ryan (Seven-of-Nine) is also on board.
Soon, the fans can expect a detailed presentation of the crew members and their new roles. The eternal ensign Harry Kim was recently promoted in a ceremony. Seven-of-Nine, it is heard, has committed to the Daystrom Institute, and Neelix is likely still serving as an ambassador.
More about Star Trek Online and the planned expansion Delta Rising can be found on our thematic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the upcoming zombie and survival MMO H1Z1, the infection with the eponymous virus likely brings both advantages and disadvantages.
At Gameinformer, they had the opportunity to play the current version of the survival MMO H1Z1. And they became acquainted with the new “infection level.” Because now one must not only watch out for hunger, thirst, and HP, but also for the H1Z1 virus.
Smells good, looks bad: An infected person. (Smells good – only meant actively, not passively.)
The tester writes that he intentionally allowed himself to be bitten by a zombie to reach infection level 4. At level 5, one dies. Just before the zombie exit, however, his character developed special abilities. Thus, he could already scent other players from a distance on a “pheromone” trail. However, such a high infection level also brings disadvantages: Vision becomes blurred. Not to mention the impending death. Probably, one transforms into a zombie upon reaching the level and thereby loses control over the character.
In a stream about the game, SOE President John Smedley had already talked about how the infection level will likely rise through contact with infected individuals or the consumption of contaminated food. It can be lowered by penicillin, an item in the game. Learn more about H1Z1 on our topic page.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
And once again, a study has been published that focused on video games. This time, it is not about the terrible influences of video games, but about the distribution within the population: Which groups of people play the most, and what is the distribution between men and women?
Eye catcher: There are more adult female gamers than teenage males
One of the biggest highlights of the study is the finding that there are now more adult women who count video games among their hobbies than there are underage male players. Overall, the young men only make up 17% of the total player base, while adult women account for a substantial 36%, which is more than double! Fascinating… or maybe not?
Player distribution: Only a small difference between women and men
Source: The Entertainment Software Association (theesa.com)
According to this study, men only have a slight edge in terms of their pure numbers, as women now make up 48% of the player base, and men only make up 52%. This may sound surprising to just about every reader, as a look at the servers of WoW, SWTOR, or WildStar reveals a completely different picture, which is why further clarification is needed: Any type of video game declares a person as a “gamer” – at least in this study. This also includes all mobile, smartphone, and Facebook games.
My opinion: I don’t find the results of the study surprising at all. It seems rather like an attempt to desperately find some sensational news. The mere statement “More adult women play than male teenagers under 18” makes me roll my eyes a bit. In a larger group of people, more individuals play than in a significantly smaller group. Well, who would have thought that! Since seemingly everyone who plays “Minesweeper” or “Solitaire” once a month has ended up in this statistic, I am not surprised at all. Just because someone eats salad once a month doesn’t mean they are a vegetarian.
That there is no distinction made between players who invest several hours in a game daily and “gamers” who play a round of “Snake” on their phone definitely does not reflect positively on this study. Nevertheless, I am glad that there is more engagement with the topic – even if no exciting results come out of it.
I can absolutely understand Carbine’s decision. Many realms are currently relatively empty, and large raid groups form only rarely due to the high demands placed on players. There is practically no competition for “World First Kill,” even though a few dedicated guilds are certainly doing their best.
The Warplots will likely gain popularity due to the server merge. So far, only a few have seen a warplot.
Also, the big feature of Warplots is still rarely used – acute player shortage is often a reason, since not everyone is keen on PvP and certainly not in such a large, coordinated group.
The mentioned problems can be resolved by megaservers, I see that. And yet I could cry.
… but you will get surnames! And new people!
A small downside: New players could soon take a seat at the tavern.
I hear the little voices in the role-playing forum desperately trying to point out the positive aspects that such a megaserver can have for role players. It could bring new people because if everyone is on one server, the chance is high that newcomers will become enthusiastic about RP. Sure, this is a valid point. But for every new role player, there will also be ten trolls who just enjoy ruining the fun for others, and that is very easy to do in role-playing.
A second point is that surnames are supposed to be THE realized dream of every role player. Short and sweet: They are not. My Cortyn is already named Leafshade, whether that is displayed above her head or not is completely irrelevant. A nice feature that could already be had through addons if one really wanted it. I don’t want it. I don’t want all the rest either.
WildStar takes what it gave me
I am currently playing on “Toria”, the German RP-PvE realm and it is quite empty.
As a role player, a somewhat empty server is a blessing, as it has led to interesting developments. “CREDD” cost about 1-2 platinum in the first weeks, without wanting to brag: I will play WildStar completely for free this next year due to this low price. When I hear stories about how CREDD costs 50 platinum or more on other realms, I can only smile in satisfaction. That will end.
On Toria, it feels familial: “Everyone knows everyone”.
A second beautiful advantage of a half-empty RP server is that you know almost all players. I know almost all players and at least every guild on the realm is known to me. It’s hard to put into the right words, but it feels like a large circle of acquaintances united under the realm name Toria. Everyone knows everyone, both in the Exiles and in the Dominion. That will end.
It is this feeling of togetherness, the feeling of a community that has formed over the last three months that is being destroyed by packing all players together with a flood of “Olololol-epics!” people. No, I do not consider myself and all role players to be better, and I cannot speak for everyone, but I simply have different expectations of a game. And role-playing without the appropriate environment is difficult. Because RP is not just “what you make of it,” but also strongly dependent on the environment. And try playing tennis on a soccer field while two teams are kicking against each other. It doesn’t work.
My idea: A bit naive, perhaps underdeveloped
My option may be a bit too romantically idealized, but let me explain: Why not merge all servers except the RP servers? Let us live in peace with our little, perfect world! We don’t want large PvP groups or super raid competitions; we are already delighted if we can sit on a chair with a click! Yes, I can already hear your counter-arguments that there are also PvE players who are on an RP server and they too want to experience content. Let them transfer for free, as is already the case!
I really have no choice
I know it’s never as hot as it’s cooked, you shouldn’t praise the day before the evening, and don’t distribute the wild until it’s caught. But all those wise sayings don’t help me right now to cope with simply being incredibly gloomy about this decision. The last months of role-playing were so grand because there was hardly any harassment from “non-role players” because you could simply RP right in the capital without being ridiculed from the side about how silly you behave.
xXxShàdôwhúntâxXx comes running. For RP players, the rule is: Better hide before it’s too late.
That will come to an end, and at the latest when xXxShàdôwhúntâxXx hops across my screen for the first time, my Cortyn will suddenly pay more attention to the housing item “Rope”. Whether she will soon be hanging from one of her beloved trees can only time tell.
After reading through this column a second time, I realize that I haven’t written so negatively and so melancholically in a long time. WildStar and the role-playing have become a matter of the heart for me – please don’t ruin it for me. Please, Carbine, please.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Blizzard’s free online card game Hearthstone, new heroes might soon find their way into the game. However, new classes are not to be expected.
In an interview with mmorpg.com, Eric Dodds, the lead designer on Hearthstone, ruled out the introduction of new classes for the foreseeable future. While the Death Knight and Monk enjoyed some popularity in World of Warcraft, Hearthstone already has nine classes, and those are currently enough with all the combinations they offer.
This is also related to the number of match-ups, as certain classes perform against others. New classes are not something that is ruled out forever, but players should not expect them in the near future. From now on, anything is possible, and they will always keep an eye on what fans currently desire and look forward to.
Garrosh is the villain – also in Hearthstone
Responsible: Garrosh Hellscream.
Dodds had better news for all those tired of having to play Garrosh Hellscream when they crave their warrior deck: “Sure, we have heard from the fans that not all of them are big Garrosh fans. Some even think he is quite the bum, which I find to be a completely reasonable assessment.” The introduction of “skins” or alternate heroes for the existing classes is definitely a direction they are looking into and discussing internally.
What does Blizzard think of the current meta-game?
With Naxxramas, they have achieved their initial goal and significantly shaken up the existing meta. In the future, they will keep an eye out to ensure that the game does not become too complex. Currently, there are some combinations with deathrattle that are a bit too “crazy” for Blizzard’s taste.
One reason for the Hunter flood: The Mad Scientist.
In the meta-game, Dodds also noted a rise of Hunters. Before they balance this, however, they want to wait and see. Dodds does not seem convinced that the Hunter flood indicates a sustainable trend. Nevertheless, the Hunter is currently stronger than Blizzard had anticipated. They did not expect such a rise.
He also commented on the invasion of Warlocks with Zoo decks. This is primarily a problem at the mid-rank levels. At the top, Zoo Warlocks appear hardly at all. Like everything else, they will also keep an eye on this and react as necessary.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For the last time before the release of World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, the buff “Black Prince’s Blessing” is active on players. Furion once again proves to be particularly benevolent and grants all players a reputation bonus of 100% with the faction “The Black Prince”.
At the same time, all of his enemies are dropping the coveted quest items “Secrets of the Empire”, “Seal of Wisdom”, “Seal of Power”, and “Titan Rune Stones” much more frequently. Anyone who has not yet claimed the legendary cape should seize the opportunity and tackle this now.
Since the cape not only has a unique visual effect, but the questline also describes one of the most exciting developments within World of Warcraft, filled with many scripted events, completing it is worthwhile from several perspectives.
The buff lasts for exactly two weeks, until September 16 – take advantage of the opportunity before it expires!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The luxury MMO Destiny will probably have to wait a while for the first complete test reports.
As the magazine Polygon reports, potential buyers of Destiny will apparently have to decide for or against buying Destiny without a test from their trusted magazine. Polygon explains that the press can only start testing one day before the official release. Given the short time and the immense scope of the game, it is impossible to provide readers with a reasonable review.
There won’t be any tests for Destiny initially, but there will be live streams
In response to this news, the PR department of Destiny reportedly contacted Polygon. Later, it was mentioned that the game would not be received on Monday as initially assumed, but rather on Friday afternoon. However, this is of little help because the servers would only be opened for the press on Monday morning (which would be Monday afternoon our time). However, there is no video ban. Therefore, it seems that the first live streams of the game can be seen from Monday morning US time.
Other media outlets have also dealt with the delayed review copies. Normally, as Gamezone writes, such a situation is a sure sign of a flop. They mention SimCity, which the press also did not get to see in advance. The publisher probably feared that potential buyers would be deterred by the reviews. However, Destiny, as Gamezone continues, has a huge beta behind it, allowing for a deep insight. And Destiny is an online game. Here, a preview test on empty press servers would not convey the true gaming experience either.
Update: The delay in tests will likely lead to more attention, not less
Update Thursday 1:30 PM: Reports are now coming in on how the major gaming magazines are handling this news. A trend is emerging that will likely please Bungie: The game is so big, many magazines are referring to it as the “biggest release of the year,” that Destiny is receiving special treatment.
Many sites want to stream Destiny extensively and discuss it at the end of each day. Ign.com mentions a roughly week-long coverage with 4 hours of streaming a day and discussion rounds afterwards. Other sites also want to stream intensively at least. It seems that the delay in tests leads to more attention rather than less.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The current flood of information regarding the upcoming feature update in September for Guild Wars 2 mainly concerns the hero wardrobe and the new, simplified customization options. We have summarized the key changes for you:
What am I wearing today, what will I wear tomorrow…
The first improvement concerns the equipment wardrobe in general. Armor sets and skins are now clearly separated, making it easy to see at any time whether you are dyeing something, viewing a particular equipment set, or need to use transmutation charges to make the changes visible. Speaking of viewing: No matter whether you have unlocked a specific armor set or not, in the preview you can try on all clothing sets – even if they are still locked, the interface will indicate whether they are currently available or offered at a reduced price.
Finishing Moves: Now also in the Wardrobe
The well-organized wardrobe of today also has finishing moves ready, which are now listed in the wardrobe as they are considered part of character customization.
In addition to listing your existing finishing moves, you can also see ones that you do not yet own. As with the clothing sets, you can also preview each type of amusing execution when you send your enemy back to the next waypoint in a PvP round – regardless of whether you already own the finishing move or not.
Miniatures: Available account-wide starting in September!
The biggest change likely occurs in the area of miniatures (“Minis”), as these can now be permanently unlocked for an account, thereby destroying the corresponding item. Once unlocked, any character on your account can access this mini, and the corresponding slots in your bank space will be removed once you collect the minis. If you do not want to bind your minis permanently, you can still use them by double-clicking and keep the item in case you want to sell the little companion. As expected, you can preview all miniatures even if they are not yet in your possession – this is especially handy when wanting to check out a previously unknown miniature in the trading post.
In the coming days, there will be more information on the topics “Collector’s Passion” and “Trade 2.0”. You can find the original post from the developers as usual in our sources.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The science fiction MMO WildStar is transitioning to four mega servers. German, French, and English servers will be merged. Roleplayers are hit hard as they lose their roleplay-marked servers and have to make do with a chat channel.
There will only be four servers worldwide for the SF MMO WildStar. Two for PvE, two for PvP, separated by North America and Europe. This follows the model of The Elder Scrolls Online. Guild Wars 2 also took this path just in April.
WildStar sweetens the merger with free realm transfers
The transition from the current system to “mega servers” is confirmed. Game Design Producer Stephan Frost recently mentioned in an interview that they want to ensure solutions are presented for the issues associated with a server merge. Players should feel that such a merge brings benefits. It seems Carbine has found that solution, as once again, the Director of Operations Cougar was sent to deliver the news.
Carbine does not provide a schedule for the transition. However, until the mega servers arrive, all realm transfers will be free.
No more combined English, French, and German servers
To combat the “Tower of Babel” problem where suddenly three different languages are spoken on one server, they want to implement different language channels. Roleplayers should also find their place here. Three separate “RP” channels will be established for them, divided by language.
While the boundaries between individual servers that unite into a mega server will disappear, they will still exist between the four mega servers themselves. Players will not be able to switch from EU-PvP to EU-PvE or vice versa. The regional lock remains in place.
This is how WildStar wants to solve the problems associated with a server merge
WildStar aims to solve persistent issues with server merging as follows:
Identical character names should not cause issues; with the server merge, surnames will be introduced.
If guilds on different servers that are being merged have the same name, the oldest guild with an active leader will retain it. The other guilds will be marked for now until a solution is found later. They will likely need to rename themselves.
Previously, players could have 6 characters on one server; this number is now increasing to 12. Those who have even more characters on their account after the merge can keep them, but they cannot create new ones.
The friends list will remain intact and will be updated.
The reasoning for the merge is, at least indirectly, attributed to the rush at the launch of WildStar. The “increased capacities” that were needed for that are no longer necessary.
The aftermath of the guest passes?
“You must get involved with WildStar!” – Many friends were invited through guest passes.
My MMO thinks: This was probably inevitable. WildStar relies on active servers. Cougar states: “This in turn allows for more characters, more groups, more activities, and more raids … more of what makes WildStar so exciting.” He is absolutely right. Just to keep the raid operations going, which is one of Carbine’s crown jewels, a well-populated server is essential.
At release, players were invited to the servers with guest passes. This caused an incredible influx at the beginning, which faded and left ghost servers behind. The situation, as Carbine must have seen, likely would not have dramatically improved in the coming months.
The server merge now referred to as “mega servers” is likely a result of this “guest pass” decision at launch. Initially, they were pleased that they had to add numerous servers in the early days because the queues on the PvP servers became too long. The aftermath of that action has been seen in recent weeks.
Most players, especially in the USA, should benefit from the server merger and find a significantly more vibrant WildStar in their environment after the transition.
Roleplayers and non-English speakers will likely be hit hard
There could be understanding problems between roleplayers and non-roleplayers.
Roleplayers, who depend on their neighbors thinking like them and everyone adhering to certain rules, are hit hard.
Also, us Europeans who insist on speaking different languages might be demanded to make compromises with the transition to the mega server. However, the core clientele of WildStar likely shouldn’t have issues communicating in English. Those who started playing WildStar solely because it offered roleplay servers or was playable in German might turn away from the game in frustration. The number of players who would abandon the game due to excessively empty servers is likely much higher.
Raid guilds will be pleased with the increase.
Short-term, WildStar will certainly hear some mockery from critics and have to endure one or another “free-to-play” jab. In the long run, this transition will likely be the right, if not the only right decision. And it is better to communicate it early and clearly than to hide it for a long time and delay the inevitable merge.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the luxury MMO Destiny, Activision has come up with something clever to keep the fire simmering and the fans engaged. With the Google technology from Street View, it’s already possible to reach the stars.
With Google to the Stars
Okay, this is something new. A week before the release, fans of Destiny can already embark on a journey to Mars, Venus, and the Moon. Destiny uses the Google technology that is also behind Street View and Google Maps. In everyday life, it’s used to see what the vacation spot you visited as a child looks like today, or to check if Rome is still standing.
Bungie uses the technology for different purposes. With PlanetView, players can pass the time until the MMO shooter launches on September 9th. Bungie ensures that fans do not lose sight of Destiny. Considering the marketing budget with TV spots and massive billboards around the world, this is hardly surprising.
With PlanetView, travel to the Moon, Mars, or Venus – in the Destiny edition
In Destiny, the player (even in German) is invited on a tour of the planets Venus and Mars, and you can also stop by the Moon. However, the tour guide is surprised: “What? No weapon? Well, if you say so.”
As the publisher Activision states, PlanetView gives fans just a small taste of the vast world of Destiny that will be available to explore starting September 9th. Players could gain insights into the backstory of the planets, useful gameplay tips, or even hints on hidden items.
PlanetView is set to expand later as new locations are added in DLCs
PlanetView was created in collaboration between Bungie and Google and utilizes Google Maps technology. The project intends to continue later. This likely means that more locations will become accessible in PlanetView when they find their way to Destiny through DLCs.
That at the start, only three locations—the Moon, Venus, and Mars—are available for viewing is a cause for complaint among some critical fans: it suggests that the scope of Destiny is smaller than it was made to appear.
The campaign is additionally introduced with a trailer, which we will present to you afterwards. You can find the PlanetView here. However, loading takes a bit even with a fast internet connection, so patience is advised. This is true for both this and while waiting for the release of Destiny.
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The MMO shooter Destiny will be released on September 9th for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. A PC version is not yet confirmed, but it is considered likely.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The sandbox MMO ArcheAge has disappeared from the Steam store for several days. The community manager explained in the English forum reddit that this is due to technical reasons.
Shortly before ArcheAge disappeared from the Steam store, complaints in the internal forum of ArcheAge increased that players were unjustly charged for a founder’s pack. Additionally, players complained that the packages purchased on Steam did not allow for a founder status.
In the official forum of ArcheAge, community manager Evan “Scapes” Berman commented and said only that they are aware that ArcheAge is currently not being offered on Steam. However, they are in talks to resolve this and bring it back. He did not address the reasons. The information situation remains extremely thin. Neither Steam nor Trion Worlds are commenting on their social channels.
Mein MMO believes: Transparency is always a delicate issue. While developers today often speak freely about trivial matters in one-hour streams and large AMA sessions, they suddenly hit a wall of silence on something as important as availability on Steam. It would be especially important here to give potentially unsettled fans a clear signal.
In a stream following the Open Beta, “Scapes” and other Trion Worlds staff discussed that they are currently working on a critical piece of software that needs to be ported from the Korean original to their own system. This piece of software governs the account and billing systems. It determines who is considered a patron in the game and who is not. It is conceivable that there could be issues with this if it also involves integrating information from Steam into this system.
The launch of the game today would certainly be under a better star if the Steam issue were clarified by then.
In World of Warcraft, the expansion Warlords of Draenor is upcoming. The namesake Warlords, all potential raid bosses, are exclusively Orcs. Is there an Orc overkill looming? Are we feeding into World of Orccraft?
Attention: This article contains spoilers about the raid content in Warlords of Draenor. Read on at your own risk.
“When in doubt, add trolls”, fans have speculated for years that this must have been a creed in Blizzard’s raid design. Whenever there was no pressing idea, a troll instance was simply added. Whether it was Zul’Gurub, Zul’Aman, or the Throne of Thunder, not to mention the 5-man instances – somehow over the years, it often came down to trolls.
Now it seems that in Warlords of Draenor, everything revolves around Orcs. All Warlords are Orcs, and they are guaranteed to appear as raid bosses in WoD. Anyone who knows Blizzard knows: The Green-skinned Brown-skinned will also be present in the instances.
World of Orccraft? – Oh please, every Orc is different.
In an interview, World of Warcraft’s lead designer Tom Chilton addresses the fans’ concerns and reassures them that it won’t just be about Orcs. For example, the first instance, Highmaul, is more of an ogre raid. In the end, players will have the opportunity to face Mar’gok, the High King of the Ogres. They will play a significant role in Draenor anyway.
And what about the Orcs? Blizzard is making efforts with the “Lords of War” comic series to clarify to players that not every Orc is just an Orc. With the series, players will get the chance to see the story from the perspective of the Orcs and Ogres.
And what about the final boss, don’t we already know him well enough?
Chilton also has quite a bit to say about the final boss of the last raid, Grommash Hellscream. He is a real veteran, players remember him from the strategy titles. Chilton does not see his narrative potential as exhausted: “Grommash is a central figure in World of Warcraft, he was built up as a character even in the strategy titles. We have seen his bloodthirsty, demon-tainted side. And we have experienced him quite differently when he first slew Mannoroth. Now we are discovering another possible side to Grommash: What if he had united the Orc clans and set out to conquer a world?”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MOBA League of Legends is set to fill a stadium with 45,000 spectators at an event.
The man in charge of eSports at Riot Games is Dustin Beck. He believes that the next World Championship for League of Legends will be even bigger and more popular than the last one. And that’s saying something: The final of the 2013 World Championship took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This is where the basketball teams of the Lakers and the Clippers usually play. 12,000 spectators watched the professional League of Legends players here. The final attracted 32 million viewers on screens at home, with 8.5 million tuning in at the peak.
32 million watched the last World Championship final
Now, they are upgrading from a basketball arena to the dimensions of a football stadium. Riot has booked the Korean Sangnam Stadium. Here, the semifinals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup were held in South Korea. Germany defeated the host nation 1-0.
When football is played at the Sangnam Stadium, it can accommodate 75,000 people. When the LoL stars are on stage and Riot Games has set up all the equipment and stages, 45,000 spectators can still fit. Dustin Beck is confident that they will fill every available seat. They also aim to boost viewer numbers through streaming. The final will take place on October 19.
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Photos of the sales box of the luxury MMO Destiny have leaked onto the internet. It reveals that Destiny will require 40 gigabytes of storage space.
For the Xbox One version, 40GB of free hard drive space must be available.
Destiny is already one of the biggest titles of all time, and fans were expecting a hefty amount of space that the title would claim on their hard drives. Photos of the sales box that have now appeared on imgur suggest that a nice game requires space. Up to 40 gigabytes, it is written on the Xbox One version’s box, should be kept free by players when they start the installation of the game. With the DLCs that are still expected, players should get used to clearing space on their consoles for Destiny.
Destiny will be released in a week for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. It is already shaping up to be one of the biggest launches of all time. Analysts predict a huge potential for the game exceeding 15 million and attest that the game has the quality to be a real bestseller. The high production costs are also drawing mass media attention.
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In Hearthstone, players were almost taken to Karazhan. The cult instance from “The Burning Crusade” could have been the setting for the first expansion, as is now clear from an interview.
Hearthstone is here to stay. Blizzard is definitely counting on ten years. This requires a lot of ideas for possible expansions. The first adventure took players to the horror necropolis Naxxramas. It could just as easily have gone to Karazhan, the 10-player raid from “The Burning Crusade”. This would have suited producer Yong Woo, as he mentioned in an interview with IGN.
Karazhan back in the idea pool for Hearthstone
He himself was part of the team that would have preferred Karazhan over Naxxramas as the setting for the first expansion. He loves the instance personally. Since content is needed for ten years anyway, that’s no problem. Karazhan as a possible location for an expansion has not been discarded but merely postponed. The idea has just returned to the pool and is waiting for its time. The pool is well-stocked. Given that we can look back at ten years in World of Warcraft, there is no lack of options.
The nice thing about a game like Hearthstone, Woo says, is that you don’t need boxes and aren’t limited to one expansion per year or every two years. For Hearthstone, the team plans to release 5 new contents at regular intervals. Fans should be patient for a while, and then they will see.
Mein MMO thinks: For the next expansion, one can probably assume that Blizzard will not orient itself towards a raid instance. These are probably more suited for adventures with bosses. For the next expansion, which is supposed to bring over 100 fresh cards in booster packs to Hearthstone, you don’t need bosses but a lot of story, mobs, and faces. Perhaps they will draw from the quest and story lines of Burning Crusade, leave out the raid instances, and maybe map a few 5-player instances instead?
As for the adventure expansions, Yong Woo is surely right: In ten years, many cult instances have accumulated. Whether Hearthstone players will go to Karazhan, Icecrown Citadel, Black Temple, or Ulduar in the next adventure remains to be seen.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The DDOS attacks on WildStar, Guild Wars 2, Hearthstone, EVE Online and other MMOs are likely attributed to a group that tweeted about these attacks on Twitter. According to their own statements, they have now disbanded.
What began with some DDOS attacks on servers of NCSoft, CCP, and Jagex, affecting especially players of Guild Wars 2, WildStar, Runescape, and Eve Online, reached a first bizarre peak when the “group” of American Airlines announced that they had heard one of their planes might have a bomb on board.
Popular President of Sony Online Entertainment Main Target
Unpleasant aftertaste: Since the incident, Smedley’s Twitter account has been inactive. It is suspected that Smedley has lost the desire for too much transparency after recent events.
The “group” took pleasure in being referred to by some media as a “threat to national security” during this incident.
Twitter account steadily grew, targets became larger
But not only MMOs or airplanes were affected by their actions: The group put Battle.net under DDOS pressure, interfered with the Playstation Network, attacked the servers of League of Legends, and entertained themselves with their constantly growing Twitter account. While they brought Twitch down, they encouraged users to write the name of the group on their foreheads, then they would let Twitch run again.
These actions were repeatedly accompanied by “joking” comments, pretending that the FBI was at their door, as if they were about to be arrested or acting on behalf of the terrorist organization ISIS.
Fact situation extremely unclear
The information about what is true and what is nonsense is extremely sparse. Other members from the so-called “hacker” scene on Twitter claim certain “successes” for themselves.
The fact is: The group has been silent in recent days. They tweeted that two of the group members had been arrested. They also referred to a homepage where they presented themselves as a sort of modern version of “Robin Hood and the Merry Men”. They are not terrorists, merely a gang of guys who have too much time. But now the stressful everyday life has caught up with them and they have to stop after two eventful weeks. They even made fun of a media site that had particularly inflated the threat posed by the group.
Mein MMO says: Whether the “Someone was arrested” tweets are true is unknown. They had tweeted this a few times before. And whether the group really disbanded permanently is also hard to say. We somewhat doubt whether it was really a “group” or just one single guy. After all, the Twitter account had regular 8-hour breaks. Quite conceivable that despite the announcement, things will continue in a few days: Typically, people find it difficult to step away from such a lot of attention. Or we might hear from them again when the FBI is not just knocking on their door in funny tweets, but seriously.
That the group, after initial media reticence, was mentioned by almost all news sites by name with links and direct quotes, that the number of their Twitter followers steadily increased, and how powerless those attacked were against their DDOS actions, should leave many with a bitter taste in their mouth.
Whether one should really label the group, as many media did, as “hackers” is questionable. As one user said in a tweet to the group: “The most intense thing you did was the bomb threat to American Airlines. And that requires no hacker skills, just a payphone.”
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMO shooter Destiny is so huge that it is no longer just gaming media reporting on it. Major mainstream media have also taken notice. And what are they reporting on? Well, about the size.
Similar to the SF film spectacle “Avatar” a few years ago, Destiny is making waves outside its own industry just with its gigantic size. The Guardian, one of the world’s most renowned newspapers, sends a journalist for a quick visit to Bungie.
Huge dimensions, huge attention – Destiny has the formula for success
The numbers are simply too big, the dimensions too immense, the effort too enormous, the world too foreign, to not be amazed. Similar to the film “Avatar” or a luxury cruise ship with 13 different restaurants on board, just the required logistics for Destiny grabs the viewer’s attention.
It wasn’t always like this: With five people, an employee recounts in a conversation with The Guardian, they started thinking about the basic principles of the game. Now, 500 people are working on Destiny. But how do you coordinate all of this? Space became tight. When a multiplex cinema near the office was for sale, they jumped at the chance, installed a cooling system on the roof of the building, and converted it. The walls between the cinema halls were torn down. Now, developers are working on Destiny across an area the size of two soccer fields.
How can Destiny remain creative with such dimensions?
With the size, a new hierarchy and new workflows became necessary to continue working efficiently and creatively. No one has an office at Destiny; the desks have wheels for mobility. Visibility is also important; nothing in the room should be taller than 1.80 meters. If a crowd of employees stands around a PC, it should attract the attention of others. Because something terrible or something genius is happening there. Both must be noticed.
A manager remarks, looking at all the developers in front of their monitors: “These guys must be incredibly clever and full of dedication. They never fall asleep at their work. Never.”
In MMOs, there is no “Too big to fail,” not even for Destiny.
Mein MMO says: The irony of the articles currently appearing in mainstream media about Destiny, which will certainly increase in the coming days, is that the game itself is not the topic, but merely the gigantic dimensions it has now assumed. In this regard, such a super-prestige object is valuable in its own right. Such attention from mass media is worth its weight in gold. Smaller titles without an IP would kill for such attention. Destiny receives it for free.
Attention is therefore present, now Destiny as a game must also convince and not just as a monumental Herculean task. And the game must convince in gameplay, not in size. Because the “Too big to fail” rule does not apply to video games.
Update Tuesday 20:00: A preview of how Bungie intends to maintain interest in Destiny can be found here. Apparently, they have teamed up with Google Maps for a very special form of city tour.
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This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A new trailer for the sandbox MMO Black Desert, this time from the Russian publisher, gives viewers a look at the impressive world of the Korea MMO.
In May of this year, Black Desert found a distribution partner for the Russian market: GameNet will publish the game. An initial beta is expected to start by the end of the year, with a final beta phase beginning in early 2015. We in Europe and North America can only envy the Russians for such a timeline: Our first beta phase is expected to start in 2015, the publisher here seems to rely on an Asian beta model, with a release in the West likely not before early 2016.
The Russian Black Desert seems to be heading its own way anyway. According to mmosite, GameNet plans to offer both free-to-play and pay-to-play servers with different PvE and PvP settings. That seems to be getting interesting.
The trailer – accompanied by a very masculine Russian voice – provides a glimpse into the open world of Black Desert. Unlike Western MMOs, there are no dungeons or instances here, and bosses can also be found in the open world.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Backgrounds on Warlords of Draenor Lore
