In the live stream of the Sandpark MMO ArcheAge, which is currently in the next open beta, the delicate question suddenly arose as to how far Community Manager Evan Berman is willing to go for ArcheAge.
During an information-packed Twitch livestream about Closed Beta, Open Beta, and the future of the game (we will report in detail tomorrow), the conversation also turned to what is probably the most feared topic among PR people. At least among those who promote a product in the gaming sector: “Hot Pepper Gaming.”
This is a popular YouTube format where representatives of a game or unfortunate journalists must highlight the strengths of a game or criticize it after eating ultra-hot chili peppers or other foods dipped in one of these treacherous sauces with a six-figure Scoville rating. The catch: Only images of the game are shown when they talk about the game and do not rant about the chili that then takes over their entire consciousness. The appearance lasts only as long as they can manage without the neutralizing milk. And they must refuse all “reliefs” offered to them. This form of “competitive eating” is common in certain parts of the USA and is not without a certain sadism.
Community Manager Evan “Scapes” Berman: He might soon lose his laughter:
While the Product Manager of ArcheAge waved off at the mere mention of “Hot Pepper Gaming” and ducked out of the picture, it seems to affect Evan Berman. He is the Community Manager at ArcheAge and oversees the forum and social media there. As “Scapes,” he is the voice of Trion Worlds to the community. Berman seems to have already accepted his fate. The special honor of presenting ArcheAge at Hot Pepper Gaming will likely fall to him. Every day, according to Berman, he passes by a store that sells ultra-hot chilies and thinks, “So this is what awaits me in my future.”
His only hope is that the packed schedule of ArcheAge leaves no room for this painful promotional appointment. The schedule includes another Closed Beta until Wednesday, for which over a million invitations were sent out (as mentioned in the stream). After that, something special is planned to be announced at PAX Prime in Seattle, and then it could almost be time for the open beta, unless another closed beta event is planned beforehand. The Trion employees did not comment on this during the stream.
To give you an insight into this PR torture, we have picked a video of how Stephan Frost, one of the leading minds behind WildStar, tortures himself through an episode of “Hot Pepper Gaming” for his MMO.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In the business report from mail.ru, a trio of MMOs appears as bearers of hope: Skyforge, World of Speed, and Armored Warfare are expected to deliver.
The Mail.ru Group reports, according to a report from the Russian site cnews.ru, good growth for the first half of 2014, but problems have arisen in the second quarter of the year. Here, growth has decreased. This is attributed to the difficult geopolitical situation and the economic development during this period.
Mail.ru aims to focus on gaining more “paying” customers
In the second half of the year, higher growth is expected in the MMO sector. Efforts are focused on gaining more paying customers. Here, more emphasis will be placed on the so-called “Community IVAS”, which stands for “Community Internet value-added services” (the rest of the industry refers to this as microtransactions, freemium offers, or an in-game cash shop).
From the future, mail.ru expects a lot from a new trio of MMOs. Skyforge, World of Speed, and Armored Warfare are all already in advanced stages of development and are expected to enter their respective open beta phases in the coming months. While open betas for Skyforge and World of Speed are planned for Q4 2014, the open beta for Armored Warfare is still expected to wait until Q1 2015.
As a special success, mail.ru records their mail service “mymail”, which launched under the brand my.com in November 2013. The mail service has established itself as an alternative mail client on iPhone and Android. Most customers come from Germany, Brazil, France, and the United Kingdom. Mail.ru expects growth of 12-18% for 2014. In 2013, the group recorded a growth of 29.6%.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the aftermath of Gamescom, some established designers commented on the “Indie” hype. Among them was Michel Ancel, whose presentation of the new PS4 MMO WiLD had caused quite a stir at Gamescom. Ancel is still working for Ubisoft but co-founded an indie studio called Wild Sheep.
According to the online site vg247, Ancel engaged in a conversation after the official Sony press conference, questioning what even constitutes Indie:
Can an indie studio have over 100 people? We shouldn’t say “indie” game anymore today, but rather talk about innovative games. It’s about more than just the price. An indie game is a game made by real people with passion and dedication. Indie means that developers have the freedom to pursue their artistic vision. That is indie.
Other established developers from big studios are reportedly supporting Ancel’s arguments, citing Nirvana from music as an example that “Indie” can also work with a big budget.
Mein MMO says: Apparently, every creative prefers to see themselves in the underdog role and insists on their creative freedom, regardless of how many people work on a project and how many marketing studies and authority opinions they must consider. Great commercial success, a big budget, innovation, and passionate fans are not mutually exclusive. However, they do not necessarily imply one another either. It is completely understandable if established designers feel that their creative contributions are not sufficiently appreciated when fans and the press rave about how innovative this 8-bit sandbox is. Surely, many indie developers would trade the applause and recognition of fewer fans for a regular paycheck.
For Michel Ancel, the topic is currently quite sensitive. In the past, he has created titles for a global audience with Rayman and Beyond Good & Evil for Ubisoft. For his new project WiLD, he co-founded a new indie studio called “Wild Sheep”. The graphics and production quality showcased in the trailer do not suggest a small team and budget. The trailer simply looked too good, and the dimensions of the title are too vast. In the coming months, we will surely learn more about the background of the game and Ancel’s situation.
MMOs are usually considered a death zone for indie developers due to their enormous production and ongoing costs. Therefore, the MMO sector remains relatively unaffected by the rampant indie movement. Some say that exactly these pushes and ideas from the indie scene are lacking in the rather sluggish MMO genre.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The developer responsible for the adventures in WildStar, Matt Tobiason, answered community questions on Tuesday during the weekly “Nexus Report”, and although he couldn’t answer everything, a few interesting details came to light that we want to share with you.
Firstly, it should be noted that there are no set dates for any of these announcements. They do not want to commit just to end up disappointing someone.
The upcoming adventures will definitely provide better loot to players than the current ones – they are intended to be, just like dungeons and solo content, a key part of the equipment acquisition for players. However, the old adventures will not become useless, as they want to give players incentives to revisit the original four adventures; whether this will take the form of a weekly quest or prestige rewards, such as housing items, has yet to be revealed.
We could also learn quite a bit of small information about upcoming adventures that are slowly but surely forming a complete picture: The next adventure will be significantly shorter but also noticeably harder than the previous ones and will be “soon” ready for testing – possibly already on the next PTR? In the medium term, one of the upcoming instances will thematically revolve around Wildrun and the Torine sisterhood based there.
Generally, players’ decisions in adventures are supposed to have a greater impact than they currently do, and the path choice should play an even stronger role than it does, for example, in “Trek through Jochgrab”.
“War of the Wilderness” is, by the way, the most popular instance among both players and developers, and plans for the future include more comparable group content.
One highly desired quality-of-life feature will also be making its way into the game, allowing players to “soon” view the current medal status of an adventure without having to memorize the various conditions or rely on an add-on to check them.
Finally, the announcement was made that there will only be one livestream per week from now on, instead of two. “WildStar Weekly” will be integrated into the “Nexus Report”, but will retain its length of about an hour. The reasons given were the high effort required for each stream and that they did not want to keep the various developers away from their actual work for so long anymore. There’s a bitter aftertaste that such an announcement comes shortly after the release of relatively disappointing player numbers.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The MMO shooter Destiny is actually set to be released on September 9 on major consoles. The developers at Bungie demonstrate with the unusually early release of a launch trailer, just 3 weeks before release, that they are ready. Ready for the release of Destiny, a highly anticipated title that, according to an analyst’s estimates, will sell over 20 million copies.
In just two and a half minutes, the creators showcase the advantages of the sci-fi shooter, which they underscore in the video with praise from well-known magazines. Talks of an exciting new franchise, a forthcoming hit. No wonder: It is already known that Destiny has more pre-orders than any other game with a new IP before.
In just a few weeks, we’ll find out if Bungie and Activision’s online shooter meets the extremely high expectations. In the meantime, check out the impressive launch trailer, which at least shortens the waiting time a bit – exactly by 149 seconds.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The fantasy MMO Guild Wars 2 seems to be the victim of a DDOS attack right now. Since shortly before 5 PM, the servers have been unreachable, and the forum is down.
DDOS attacks are now part of the unpleasant reality of public life on the internet. A hacker group has apparently specialized in targeting large MMO providers and basking in the resulting public attention. While the servers are down, the group continues to make some comments on Twitter. In the forums for the MMOs, there’s a consensus to not give this hacker group additional publicity by naming them. We agree with that.
It seems there were attacks on Guild Wars 2 and the forum last night as well. This DDOS attacks resumed and intensified around 4:40 PM our time. Both the homepage of Guild Wars 2 and the servers were unreachable for about half an hour.
Update 5:20 PM: ArenaNet apparently quickly got the problem under control according to a tweet and has brought the servers back online.
Update 10:20 PM: The hackers are on the move again, boasting that they are attacking multiple MMOs simultaneously.
Update 10:30 PM: The official Twitter account of GW2 states that they are aware of the causes of the server issues and thank everyone for the numerous hints regarding what may be causing the servers to be down. The official technical term from Guild Wars is “Connectivity Issues.” ArenaNet goes a step further than we do, not only withholding the name of the hacker group but also that it is a targeted DDOS attack.
Update 11:30 PM: It apparently does not only concern Guild Wars 2 but also other NCSoft titles like WildStar. Also in the crosshairs of the hackers: Jagex with Runescape; and the Icelandic MMO EVE Online.
Update Friday 3:55 PM: Next DDOS attack is underway.
Update 5:30 PM: Yet again, NCSoft is hit with Aion, Guild Wars 2, WildStar, etc.
Update 9:50 PM: Again Guild Wars 2. This has been going on for long days now. The times when the servers are down are becoming shorter at NCSoft. Let’s just hope that the issue can be resolved long-term soon. Certainly a difficult situation for the technicians.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The SF-MMO WildStar aimed to deliver new content every month. According to an interview with game designer Megan Starks, that is about to change soon. The next content patch “Corruption” may not be released at the beginning of September, but could take several months.
WildStar started with the promise of bringing new content every month in the form of a “drop.” They had planned 16 months in advance. The first patch in July introduced two new PvE zones, and the August patch included, among other things, a new PvP battleground. However, it seems that they will have to deviate from this plan. According to Starks, the overall planning will not change, only the schedule may need to be adjusted. It appears they no longer want to adhere to strict deadlines, but rather take more time to refine and polish the content.
WildStar wants to take more time, first polish the content
In an interview with mmorpglife at Gamescom, which can be found on YouTube, Sparks said:
Now that we have released two major patches, we have taken another look and rethought things. We are sticking to our plans. We still know exactly what we want to deliver and are working on it. But for example, with the next patch, which is on the test server, we are addressing bugs and evaluating the feedback from our players. Now it is important to polish and refine it before we truly bring it into the game. Therefore, we have decided to work on the patch until it has a quality that we are really satisfied with.
They plan to release the patch in the next few months. This is the better alternative than hitting a deadline and then delivering what they have at that moment, even if they are still dissatisfied with it. This applies not only to the current patch but also to future ones.
Will Carbine’s bold statements turn into a boomerang?
Mein MMO says: This is quite a bombshell that has not yet made it public, even though the interview is a few days old. The video interview was conducted by a small site and seems to have been somewhat overlooked in the excitement of Gamescom. This will surely change in the coming days. It will be exciting to see if the interview gets commented on by those responsible when the topic – as expected – heats up in the WildStar forum, Reddit, and on the major gaming sites.
Just last week, NCSoft’s financial report revealed that WildStar’s sales figures were rather mediocre. A few days later, it was announced that one of the two weekly live streams would be closed. Now, it seems that moving away from the central promise of delivering new content monthly is feeding the critics and skeptics of WildStar.
The breakneck pace that Carbine promised for the continuous development of the game raised concerns from the beginning about whether they could maintain this speed over a longer period. After all, all theme park MMORPGs face the problem of not being able to deliver content quickly enough, resulting in players getting bored. The most prominent example is WoW, which requires content pauses of over a year between expansions to then deliver regularly.
However, fans repeatedly heard from Carbine to trust them. They had it under control and knew what they were doing. Several teams worked in parallel on the patches, and they would do everything possible to meet the deadlines. “No bullshit” was one of the mantras leading up to the launch. They would promise nothing they could not keep.
This deviation from one of Carbine’s central promises just three months in will be hard to sell, although initial reactions from fans do not appear to be so negative. After all, polished content does have its advantages. The interview with senior game designer Megan Starks can be found below.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
The European servers for the fantasy MMO Final Fantasy XIV are currently still in Montreal, Canada. That might change very soon.
In the aftermath of Gamescom, more and more scattered information about various games is gradually emerging. Magazines from all over the world had extensive discussions in Cologne, and occasionally there is still a hidden gem that is revealed a bit late. This is also the case here.
As Naoki Yoshida, the producer behind Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, said in an interview with a French site on the sidelines of Gamescom, European players might soon look forward to servers closer to home. When asked if FF XIV would follow the example of The Elder Scrolls Online—after all, European players of FF XIV were also demanding a move just as those of The Elder Scrolls Online had—Yoshida replied, “I have good news for your readers.”
They are currently in the cost analysis phase for moving the EU servers to Europe. At the moment, Final Fantasy XIV is consulting with all parties involved in such a decision.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new Naxxramas cards bring movement to the metagame of Blizzard’s free card game Hearthstone. The dark horse is one that hardly anyone expected.
As the new cards of Hearthstone were gradually introduced, experts raved about several low-mana drops like the Deathlord, the Echoing Oozeling, or the Nerubian Egg. The Tomb Raider was also considered an early favorite for the title of the new MVP, Most Valuable Minion. However, it seems that an outsider has secured the inside lane and is passing the favorites. Of all cards, the “Mad Scientist,” dismissed by experts like Trump with a “Meh,” is rising to become the dark horse of the new meta game.
He shines in a Hunter deck. The Mad Scientist, a 2/2 minion for 2 mana, brings a secret from the player’s deck directly into play with his deathrattle. Many people think of secrets first in relation to the Paladin or the Mage. However, pro-gamer Reynad has devised a wicked Hunter deck and packed traps into it. With two Explosive and two Freezing Traps, which bring his Mad Scientists into hand for free and without tempo loss, he keeps the opponent’s side of the deck clean without tempo loss and converts his own tempo gain into dominance.
According to technologytell, the rankings are therefore full of Hunters. Reynad explains his “Mad Hunter” deck in this video, and we have also provided a detailed deck list in the sources.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
In the SF MMO Star Trek Online, Cryptic Studios has now revealed plans for the captain’s life after level 50. There are new titles, new abilities, some goodies, and still things to improve at level 60.
The journey from level 1 to 50 is far for every Starfleet officer, Romulan, or warrior in the service of the Klingon Empire. But it is worth it: With each level, the officer becomes a bit stronger, gains new skill points, gets promoted from time to time, and can still accumulate and invest expertise at level 50.
With the “Delta Rising” expansion announced for October, the maximum level is being raised for the first time. What is changing?
Star Trek Online raises the maximum level, introduces new titles and skill trees
At level 55 and again at 60, juicy promotions await. Federation members and Romulans will first be promoted to “Rear Admiral” and then to “Fleet Admiral.” In the Klingon Empire, the highest ranks are called “General” and “Dahar Master.”
For level advancements beyond 50, there are not only new abilities and packages awaiting instead of just a wet handshake. At level 55, a bridge officer awaits you, and at level 60, there is another trait slot for your captain. At 52, 54, and 57, STO presents you with the choice to improve certain skills.
The special twist: Every captain receives new specialization trees into which they can invest the points earned from level 51 to beyond level 60. The points that you would actually receive after reaching the maximum level do not go into the old skill tree but rather into the new one.
This form of “skill points after maximum level” has been adopted recently by some MMOs and is spreading further in the genre. The usual goal is not to make characters more powerful after reaching the maximum level, but rather more versatile.
At the Penny Arcade Expo Prime (PAX Prime) in Seattle, Trion Worlds is planning a very special announcement. It is still unclear whether it will be about the release date for the sandbox MMO ArcheAge or the date for the Rift expansion “Nightmare Tides”.
As mmorpg.com reports, the folks at Trion Worlds are planning a special announcement for PAX Prime in Seattle. They invite attendees to drinks, food, and general festivities, promising exciting news. Allegedly, the teams from Trove, ArcheAge, Rift, and Defiance will be there to answer questions. There will be thrilling news about the games and a “very special announcement”.
It is still completely unclear what this could mean. The expansion “Nightmare Tides” for the fantasy MMO Rift is supposed to be released this year, the pre-patch is already live, and a date is due. A release date for the sandbox MMO ArcheAge is likely to be even hotter, as fans are currently flocking to its closed beta. However, ArcheAge still has an open beta pending. So this is certainly not something that could happen overnight, and it will definitely take a few weeks of lead time.
The PAX Prime will take place from August 29 to September 1. Speculations about an upcoming release date for ArcheAge are plentiful, especially since Steam listed September 16 as the date, and the fourth closed beta phase of ArcheAge began just a few days after the third. Nothing is confirmed at this moment.
Mein MMO says: Of course, it could also be something completely different. Trove, a voxel game, is currently in alpha and could then go into beta or early access… but that might not be as exciting. Everything is essentially settled with Defiance, and there should be nothing to announce at this point. It can really only come down to ArcheAge or Rift or both. ArcheAge will probably be released sometime in the fourth quarter, and “Nightmare Tides” will set sail as well, unless Trion Worlds wants to break its promise. A specific date could be learned as early as next week.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A major patch is coming for Guild Wars 2 in September, and GW2 is gradually unveiling the individual features. The commander system is now being addressed.
We reported a few days ago that there will be several colors in the future with which commanders can mark themselves – in addition to blue, also green, yellow, and pink. The developers at ArenaNet had already revealed this at Gamescom. At that time, the plan was that players would have to choose one of the four colors, and the commander tags would be unlocked for the entire account, with each color costing 300 Gold. Additionally, it was said that existing commanders would be marked with the blue color, and if they wanted new colors, they would have to unlock them for 300 Gold.
The feedback was negative. In Guild Wars 2, Gold is a sensitive topic, as it can be purchased with real money through an indirect method – costly new features always have a certain taste, as we say in Swabia. The negative feedback seems to have led ArenaNet to rethink and change their plans. Now a “compendium” will be available for 300 Gold that contains all commander colors and is valid for the entire account. Anyone who is already a commander will not need this compendium, but will have account-wide access to all four colors.
In the GW2 community on Reddit, this change of plans is met with joy. Players feel that ArenaNet has responded to their feedback. They are pleased. Those who are not yet commanders, as the general consensus goes, should buy the commander title for 100 Gold now, before it becomes three times more expensive in September.
The feature patch is planned for September 9.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Last night, the head of the fantasy MMO The Elder Scrolls Online, Matt Firor, released one of his letters to the fans. In it, he discusses the future and current development of The Elder Scrolls Online.
The approximate timeline of The Elder Scrolls Online extends beyond 2015 and outlines features
The most important thing is mentioned by Firor at the end. He organizes the major features that are planned and announced for the coming months on a rough timeline. He makes it clear that the plans will extend beyond the end of the year.
“Relatively soon,” says Firor, fans could expect an improvement in group formation and new facial animations. Additionally, issues that currently separate players in a shared group will be addressed.
“Soon” or “in a while,” the introduction of the Imperial City and the Champion System will be on the agenda.
“A bit later,” as Firor puts it, players could then engage with the justice system and spell weaving. The justice system, the ability to crouch and then steal or kill, received the biggest applause at Quake-Con.
For the fifth update, there are plans for a revision of the combat system. According to Firor, fights should become more responsive. The first step has already been taken with the new weapon switch. The head of The Elder Scrolls Online does not provide exact dates apart from the change in the combat system.
Included in Update 4 is the Serpent’s Trial – designed for 12 players – and the final trial in this storyline.
Let’s think aloud for a moment: Since the Patch 1.4. is already on the test server and addresses some of the group issues, perhaps even the new facial animations could find their way into the game for 1.4. The fix for the “Madame Tussaud” syndrome looked so good at Quake-Con that not much polishing might be needed here.
By the end of the year, there would still be enough room for two more patches. For 1.5., perhaps the Champion System would be appropriate, and for 1.6., by the end of the year, the Imperial City, which might shake up PvP. But these are speculations. Equally sensible would be a thought process like: “1.4. was PvE, so we make 1.5. PvP and bring the Imperial City, and then return to PvE with 1.6.” Or with 1.5. there could be a more casual flavor patch, similar to 1.3, to buy time for significant changes later in the year. The content amount that the team is currently designing every 6 weeks is enormous.
The Elder Scrolls Online rewards loyal souls and resets the leaderboards
In new information, Firor announced that they want to introduce a kind of “loyalty bonus” to reward players who have an uninterrupted subscription. As the first gift, he promises an ice spirit. The loyalty system is set to be further developed. Players should recognize from afar: “A veteran is approaching me.”
Furthermore, they plan to reset the leaderboards for the trials. There have been exploits in the past that they have now identified. In the future, the group will presumably have to defeat all bosses in a trial to make it onto the leaderboard, as stated in Firor’s letter. This aims to exclude certain manipulations by Zenimax.
This was just a summary of part of the letter. We have only filtered out and compiled the new information. You can find the entire letter from Firor, in which he also discusses what has been done so far and what will come in 1.4., on the website of The Elder Scrolls Online.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Last weekend, publisher NC-Soft held the third Closed Beta Event of the upcoming fantasy MMO ArcheAge. I was invited again this time and was able to play the game myself. In this video, I would like to share my first impressions and talk a bit about the various mechanics. This ranges from simple movement to the combat system to the hotly debated item shop.
Basically, ArcheAge, which was already released on January 15, 2013, in Korea, is a free-to-play title once it comes to the European market. However, this did not stop the developers or the publisher from offering an item shop as well as a founders pack, which grants early access to the game and a few nice items (e.g., gliders) in the game.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content from YouTube that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Another week has passed and so it is once again time to express my discontent. Once again, my frustration is directed at WildStar, because the developer behind the cooking system of this game should urgently invite me to dinner, I have a lot to discuss with him!
If the bug has no bug meat…
In retrospect, I can’t say exactly why I decided to level the hobby “cooking” in WildStar to the maximum rank, probably to fulfill my “completionist craving” – back then I didn’t know what was in store for me. To briefly explain the system to the uninitiated: You master cooking by crafting each recipe in the game at least once. That sounds simple at first, but is complicated by the fact that almost half of all recipes must first be discovered on a coordinate system, as is common with professions in WildStar.
Every arrow is a failed attempt…!
However, every attempt already costs the crafting materials, so it can happen that theoretically you should only have to craft “seasoned Girrok Kebab” one more time, but in reality you still need to find 20 Girrok meat to really discover that last recipe. That would have been manageable if not for the fact that some types of meat have a drop chance of under 3% – and this as a survivalist, who should actually be acquiring more cooking utensils. The real kicker, however, is a very special type of meat, the “Hookfoot Meat”, which can only be obtained from exactly one enemy in the open world. No, don’t get me wrong, not from a type of enemy. One single elite opponent with a 10-minute respawn timer drops it at around 15%. This means about one item per hour. As you can imagine, there were many long nights, thanks to the semester break.
The Kitchen of the Enemy
Halfway to my goal, I wondered why certain recipes seemed impossible to obtain – a little internet searching revealed to me that a handful of recipes are only accessible to the Dominion, which made completing the cooking profession impossible. One must positively note that Carbine reacted to this issue, but negatively how it was handled.
[quote_right]The cooking exiled community is being ripped off![/quote_right]
Under the radar, without it being mentioned in the patch notes, the missing recipes were made tradable: The first Dominion players who noticed it could list the cooking textbooks in the auction house by the hundreds and rip off the cooking exiled community (I’m a little proud of the wordplay!) that depended on the goodwill of the opposing faction.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love WildStar like I did on day one, but probably because I invest so much passion in this game, I can get so wonderfully worked up about it. Especially since I suspect that in one to two patches, the drop rates for meat will be revised so much that the whole thing can be completed in one evening. But don’t worry, then I will surely get worked up again. I simply enjoy doing that too much.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Perfect World, a company specializing in Free2Play MMOs, is in the black. Responsible for this are not only strong licenses and mobile titles in the Asian market, but also the two MMO games playable in the West, Swordsman Online and Neverwinter.
Perfect World is making solid profits, as indicated by the financial report of the last quarter. The April/May/June quarter went well and stayed at the upper end of expectations, says Robert Xiao, the CEO of the publisher. The new “flagship” title Swordsman Online has been highlighted as a pillar of success. The extremely lucrative license for Dota 2 in the Chinese market was also explicitly mentioned.
Big plans for Neverwinter
Interesting for European players: Neverwinter, developed by Cryptic Studios, is also mentioned positively in the financial report. The title is particularly interesting for Perfect World as they plan to port it to Xbox One by the end of the year. This extension of the portfolio is an important step for Perfect World to position itself more broadly. Furthermore, Neverwinter, being an originally western title, is set to make its way to Asia, while most of PW’s games follow the reverse path.
In recent months, PW launched and established its own platform called “Arc” for their Free2Play games. The individual titles under the umbrella of the Chinese manufacturer often face accusations of being too focused on monetization and having the players’ wallets in mind. The term “Pay2Win” frequently comes up in fan forums and discussions regarding PW. Recently, there was outrage over the Free2Play MMO “Neverwinter”, which introduced the “Dragonborn”, a new prestige race that can only be purchased in a package at a price for which one would normally get full-price titles. Local players mostly deal with the North American branch of the company, Perfect World Entertainment (PWE).
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In the aftermath of Gamescom, some reflective words from Blizzard’s Tom Chilton emerge. It is important not to discourage new players with ever-increasing expansions for World of Warcraft. Belief in growth is probably not very strong anymore. With a shift away from cute pandas, towards the blood and sweat of earlier days, they aim to win back former players. Is World of Warcraft (WoW) taking a new old direction?
“With each expansion,” Chilton said to MVUK, “the threshold that new players need to overcome to return to the game rises.” Therefore, they have now offered players an instant start at level 90 to break down these barriers.
However, Chilton probably does not really believe in growth anymore. While it is not ruled out that World of Warcraft might grow again, it is not something they expect urgently. But that is not the point; much more, Blizzard is focused on delivering the best content that is possible.
World of Warcraft gives away Mists of Pandaria or at least sells it cheaply
Chilton’s statements also align with reports from the USA, where former WoW players are offered the chance to receive MoP for free if they reactivate their account. A fan site reported this. The news was hotly debated. Especially since some currently active players resented why they weren’t given something like this. They felt they deserved it much more because of their loyalty. While calmer heads wisely said that this is simply clever behavior by Blizzard. Former players might buy one expansion, but it would be difficult with two. The likelihood of a WoW veteran finding their way back to Azeroth decreases with each missed expansion.
Whether this “We’re giving away Mists of Pandaria” action will also appear in Europe is currently unclear. But it is known that the price for Mists of Pandaria has been permanently reduced to just under ten euros. Meanwhile, in an unrelated turn of events, the British now have to pay a few more pounds per month – their subscription expenses are nearing ours.
With Warlords of Draenor, Chris Metzen made it clear during the trailer presentation that they want to take World of Warcraft in a different and harder direction again. To focus more on the “War” in “World of Warcraft”. They have had enough of cuddly pandas.
The strategy probably looks like this: they want to spare players who felt discouraged by pandas and the peaceful scenario in Pandaria (with farming, zen talk, and Pokémon pets) from this now. Instead, they want to win them back with Old-School Warcraft. The first images of the animated series “Lords of War” confirm this impression.
Oops, unfortunately this affiliate widget is no longer available.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fantasy MMO Final Fantasy XIV focuses on the newly introduced hunting mechanics in the latest patch and makes life easier for crafters with new daily quests.
Final Fantasy addresses with patch 2.35 the two basic principles that have provided us humans with saber-toothed tigers and the associated vegetables for thousands of years: hunting and gathering. Or rather, what one makes from the gathered stuff through crafting.
The new daily quests of the Ixal tribe do not revolve around the usual “find and kill” things, which quest givers seem to be so obsessed with. Instead, it will be about hauling crafting materials. This will also allow leveling of the jobs that have been neglected while focusing on finally leveling that damned caster class X to obtain the coveted skill Z with the main class Y, whose absence always annoys one in raids.
Additionally, patch 2.35 deals with the hunting licenses that were recently introduced and have faced some criticism. This concerns mainly respawn timers and more lucrative rewards when taking down such a beast.
New information has surfaced about the fate of the PlayStation 4 version of H1Z1. It will come out later than the PC version. At the moment, no one is working on the PlayStation 4 version because the technical work needs to be done for the Planetside 2 port to the PlayStation 4. They want to save that for H1Z1.
The H1Z1 boys let the Planetside 2 boys do the work for them
Gamezone had a brief chat with studio boss John Smedley on the sidelines of SOE Live in Las Vegas. He explained why the PlayStation 4 version of H1Z1 will come after the PC version and why no one is currently working on the PS4 version: “H1Z1 and Planetside 2 both use the Forgelight engine. 80% of our work for H1Z1 is therefore done when Planetside 2 is first released for the PlayStation 4. Then the entire technical aspect of a PlayStation 4 port is finished. The remaining work will take a few months.” However, a date for Planetside 2 for the PS4 is still unknown. They are still planning for 2014.
Planetside 2 – an MMO shooter from Sony.
Smedley’s statement clarifies the confusion caused by a recent interview with another H1Z1 designer. Adam Clegg stated in a conversation with gamingbolt that no one is currently working on the H1Z1 version for the PS4. Now we know why. This information caused a stir because the PlayStation 4 is from Sony, and some gaming fans assumed that SOE was developing H1Z1 exclusively for the PS4. That is not the case.
Most of the staff working on H1Z1 actually come from the Planetside 2 team at Sony Online Entertainment and are therefore well acquainted with the Forgelight engine. This also explains the rapid progress that H1Z1 is making. The idea for the survival MMO was conceived only in December while they were actually working on a World War FPS MOBA.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
During GamesCom last week, the new intro cinematic of “World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor” was released. As usual, the sequence is outstanding and perfectly sets the stage for the upcoming expansion: A whole bunch of Orcs, a lot of warmachines, a big demon exploding, and a large portal.
Anyone familiar with the story will now have furrowed their brow a bit, and those who have played the old strategy classics Warcraft 1-3 will also be confused. Has Blizzard thrown the existing lore out the window and replaced it?
Of course, they haven’t, but the developers are playing a bit with the timelines, so clarification is needed. Don’t despair, ask a succubus! I will explain the connections of the story and tell you why one should not drink demon blood.
The “old” story
For the explanation, you should momentarily forget the trailer, and we will start right from the beginning, even before “Warcraft 1”.
Thirty-five years ago, the leaders of the Orc clans gathered on Draenor – they had conquered this world and apart from fights among themselves, there was nothing left worth fighting for. But Gul’dan, a former shaman and now the first orc warlock, had learned from the voices from the Nether that there were other worlds to conquer. If the Orcs drank the blood of the demonic pit lord Mannoroth, they would become incredibly strong and be able to open portals to other worlds to conquer them.
This exact thing happened, but the consumption of demon blood had further side effects: From now on, the Orcs were tormented by a demonic blood frenzy that further enhanced their wild nature, and their skin color changed from brown to a shade of green. Furthermore, they were now little more than pawns of the Burning Legion (the demons) and could be wonderfully abused as war tools.
As Mannoroth planned, the Horde invaded Azeroth shortly after the opening of the Dark Portal and caused the great wars (Warcraft 1&2), although they were split into many clans. Only a few Orcs remained untouched by the corruption and stayed back on Draenor, including the son of Grommash Hellscream: Garrosh. But Draenor was changed by the opening of the portals, the magic of the Nether caused the world to shatter, and the once beautiful place was henceforth called “Shattered World”.
Many years later (Warcraft 3), the Orcs, under the leadership of Warchief Thrall, crossed from Azeroth to Kalimdor in search of a new homeland, but were once again confronted by Mannoroth. Thrall and his good friend Grommash (short “Grom”) rebelled against the command of the oppressor and faced him in battle. Although Grom succeeded in killing the pit lord, he was gravely wounded in the final explosion of the demon and died – however, he had freed his people from the blood frenzy and returned their freedom.
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
Many years later, Thrall encounters Grom’s son, Garrosh, in the Shattered World, leads him to Azeroth, and ultimately appoints him as the new Warchief of the Horde, dedicating himself to shamanism. During “World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria”, Garrosh evolves from an assertive conqueror to a tyrant, turning even the other races of the Horde against him. The current expansion ends with his imprisonment – but he vows revenge. Revenge on his enemies and also on his former allies, whom he now sees as nothing but weaklings.
Back to the film…
The cinematic of “World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor” shows the crucial point in the story of the Orcs, as they drink the blood of the demon – but this time, something is different. The Orc leaders were warned of the consequences, and Grom chooses to refuse the blood. Mannoroth obviously does not tolerate this, and a battle ensues. The demon is struck down much earlier this time, but it does not cost the Orc his life – he is saved by his son, Garrosh. How does everything fit together now?
Recommended editorial content
At this point you will find external content that complements the article.
I consent to external content being displayed to me. Personal data can be transmitted to third party platforms.
Read more about our privacy policy.
It sounds more complicated than it is: The deposed Warchief of the Orcs, Garrosh Hellscream, travels to the past with the help of a dragon. In Draenor, he prevents the Orcs from being corrupted by the demon blood, saves his own father from death, and brings plans for warmachines from the future. He succeeds in convincing the many Orc clans to act as one – he forms the Iron Horde. These Orcs are weaker, not driven by blood frenzy, but their numbers are significantly higher, and their martial knowledge from the future makes them a serious threat. And this Iron Horde is what Garrosh now wants to invade the Azeroth of present day through the Dark Portal, seeking revenge on both the Alliance and the Horde.
It is important to mention that this change of the past does not affect the overall timeline; they essentially live on a different timeline but are now set to invade “our” world.
And what do we learn from this? Well, not much, except that one should not drink demon blood if one does not want to be saved by their own son, who is older than oneself. However, if a nice succubus offers you to drink her blood, you should accept. If anything is still unclear, let me know in the comments – you should all go to bed smart!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Warlords of Draenor: What went down in the cinematic?
