The developers of Baldur’s Gate 3 have put in a lot of effort to make the sex scenes in the game feel particularly authentic. But how can you make an intimate scene involving several tentacles feel especially “realistic”? A “behind the scenes” tweet from Larian Studios reveals that it can be done with Oreo cookies.
How was the sex scene recreated? In Baldur’s Gate 3, with the right dialogue options, it is possible to spend some romantic hours with the mind flayer.
However, unlike the other, more human romances, the mouth of the mind flayer is covered by tentacles. To still be able to touch the lips of our beloved, a developer thought about how the tentacles could be incorporated into the lovemaking.
For this, Senior Cinematic Artist Elodie Ceselli used a pack of Oreo cookies, which he lovingly stroked. Larian Studios shared a short video of the cookie stroking, which another user compared to the original scene:
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In the clip, you can see the player tenderly stroking the tentacles of the mind flayer. If you have to think about stroking a pack of Oreos in the future, now you know why.
What do fans say about it? Many users in the comments are enthusiastic about the idea of using cream-filled cookies as a reference. CloakedOnyx is now wishing for a collaboration between Baldur’s Gate 3 and Oreo.
There are other intimate scenes that fans can experience. One of them even led to a ban from the developers:
Start video
Creators of Baldur’s Gate 3 show intimate love scene with a bear and get banned instantly
That’s why the fling with the mind flayer is worth it
The one-night stand with the mind flayer is also one of several lovemaking acts, which have no impact on your other relationships. So if you want to indulge in him without consequences, you can do so without worry.
The developers of World of Warcraft talk about a curious bug. A toy caused massive problems.
In the history of World of Warcraft, there were not only many new features, but also a lot of errors and bugs. While some are just annoying, others lead to absurd tricks that made Rextroy famous. Some are simply curious and so strange that one wonders how a bug could even occur.
One of these bugs has to do with the selfie camera in World of Warcraft. For it completely ruined PvP battlegrounds for a few days.
Start video
WoW: The War Within – Shadows Beneath the Surface
Where does the information come from? At gamescom 2024, we had the opportunity to talk to George Velev and Michael Nuthals, who are responsible for the combat system, class design, and content like the hero talents. We also asked them some questions, including about the most curious bug they have encountered in their careers in World of Warcraft.
What is the selfie camera? The “S.E.L.F.I.E. camera” is a toy that was introduced during the “Warlords of Draenor” expansion. As the name suggests, the toy allows you to take a camera in hand and snap a selfie of yourself and other nearby characters. While some have scoffed at the feature, many now use it for unique or funny screenshots. However, the selfie camera had a serious bug that occurred in PvP.
What kind of bug was it? The bug with the selfie camera caused an amusing problem in PvP. Rogues and druids lost their stealth when they were in the camera’s view:
It didn’t ruin the game, but it was just laughable. Not many people knew about it, but how it worked: We have a toy in the game, the selfie camera. With it, you can take a selfie. Some players then found out: When they take a selfie, everyone around them who is invisible suddenly becomes visible.
Then they went into battlegrounds, stood at the flag, and just kept taking selfies in hopes of revealing rogues or druids in stealth.
The bug is, of course, quite some time ago and was quickly fixed – but it did lead to some curious scenarios. For rogues or druids, it must have been quite surprising the first time they saw heroes of the opposing faction standing in the flag room posing for photos. Let’s hope that we are spared from such curious bugs in the new expansion The War Within.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
During the gamescom 2024, Christoph Hartmann, Vice President at Amazon Games, discussed the current status of major projects like the new MMORPG for Lord of the Rings.
What does Christoph Hartmann say? The Vice President spoke in an exclusive interview with IGN about the current state of games being developed at Amazon Games. It was clear that this included the MMORPG for Lord of the Rings announced in May 2023. Here are the key insights:
The MMORPG for Lord of the Rings is still in a very early development phase.
They are currently trying to find the unique angle or hook for the online role-playing game, as they do not want to simply copy Lord of the Rings Online or other existing games in the franchise.
Although Hartmann promised a timely presentation of the MMORPG by June 2024 (via variety.com), it will still take a while before the concrete announcement of the game is made.
One of the currently most important projects from Amazon Games – the MMORPG Throne and Liberty:
Start video
Throne and Liberty: New trailer reveals release date, introduces the fantasy world of Solisium
Amazon Games attacks as a publisher
Was there also a statement about New World and Lost Ark? During the interview, Christoph Hartmann was asked why the two MMORPGs could not establish themselves in the long term after their respective great starts. The Vice President’s response:
With New World and Lost Ark, we had some promising successes. These things are hard to maintain because people invest a lot of time and try new things, but then they quickly return to their evergreen franchises that they have always played, so we just keep going.
But yes, of course we want to have one of those big franchises, that’s what it’s all about. Anything smaller wouldn’t be interesting for Amazon; we are a larger-than-life company. We are not here to try it out and develop a few nice games.
What else did the Vice President reveal? According to Christoph Hartmann, they have not yet established themselves as a publisher, but they want to work on that with new projects. Lost Ark, Throne and Liberty, and Blue Protocol are just the beginning. However, they want to diversify increasingly and not only manage MMOs.
Fresh from gamescom 2024, the “Hack and Slash” co-op game King of Meat was introduced – more on this in the preview from the colleagues at GameStar. It is also already known for some time that Amazon Games is supporting the developers of Crystal Dynamics with the new Tomb Raider. In total, Hartmann mentioned in the interview that ten new games are currently in development.
During the conversation, the Amazon Games chief emphasized that Crystal Dynamics has reportedly been somewhat insulated from the turmoil at Embracer. Therefore, the development of Tomb Raider is expected to make noticeable progress.
The Twitch streamer metashi12 recently expressed his opinion on the presence of streamers at the gamescom. According to him, it is an obligation for influencers to appear personally at the fair, but without cameras.
Who is the streamer? metashi12 has been active on the streaming platform Twitch since at least 2016. Over the years, he has built a loyal and steadily growing community.
He is mainly known for his streams of the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft, which he has already streamed for an impressive 6,500 hours. The survival game Rust also holds a significant place in his content with over 2,000 hours streamed.
In the last three months, metashi12 has averaged 3,500 viewers per stream (via Twitchtracker).
Even though it is his main content, WoW has often been declared dead:
Start video
3 times World of Warcraft was declared dead
What issue is at hand? In one of his streams, metashi12 recently discussed the conversation that gamescom is increasingly losing its character as a trade fair for games and instead becoming a kind of streamer fair.
This has also been a topic for other well-known streamers like Gronkh. While he loves gamescom and supports its continuation, he is worried about the increasing number of visitors who come primarily because of the influencers. He believes this leads to real gamers having a hard time getting tickets, which he sees as a concerning development.
“Do you know what streamers without viewers are? Homeless”
What does the streamer think about this? metashi12 has announced two meet & greets at gamescom this year and clearly justifies this decision. “Every streamer can be as talented as they want. Do you know what streamers without viewers are? Homeless,” he explained in one of his streams. He emphasizes that a streamer’s success cannot exist without their viewers, and he considers it a duty to appear personally at gamescom and give fans the opportunity to meet him.
He criticizes streamers who spend all day in separate creator areas while fans wait outside. “I think, even if you’re in that position, you owe it to your viewers to at least be active for them in real life once,” he adds.
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Where does the streamer see the real issue? In the discussion with his community, a viewer expressed the opinion that gamescom is still a trade fair for games and not a streamer fair. “I think it should be about games, not people,” the viewer wrote in the chat.
metashi12 understood this viewpoint but explained that many streamers come to the fair out of personal interest in games or due to sponsorships. He does not see the actual problem in the influencers themselves, but in those who stream live on-site.
Despite the criticism and concerns, metashi12 looks back on his experiences at gamescom positively. Especially the meet & greet in 2023 is, according to him, one of the most beautiful moments of his streaming career.
About 150 of his fans participated, and the streamer still shows enthusiasm for the warmth and consideration of his community. For him, it was a moment he will never forget.
The eSports player s1mple is one of the most successful players in the history of Counter-Strike. Currently, he is taking a break, but he is no longer interested in it.
Who is it about?
The 26-year-old Ukrainian Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev is considered one of the best Counter-Strike players of all time.
In his career, he played for HellRaisers, FlipSid3 Tactics, and Team Liquid. However, s1mple reached the peak of his career at Natus Vincere (NaVi).
He played for NaVi from 2016 to 2023. During this time, he won several highly lucrative tournaments with the team, such as the Intel Grand in September 2021.
For his achievements in various competitions, he was also awarded as the best player of the year multiple times. He received the award in 2018, 2021, and 2022 and was also a title contender in 2019 and 2020.
On the evening of October 26, 2023, s1mple announced that he would take a break from Counter-Strike because he needs to fix some documents and take care of people in his life (via X.com).
Start video
Counter-Strike 2: Valve once again impresses with the launch trailer
“NaVi doesn’t need s1mple, Sasha needs NaVi”
What does this hint at? s1mple hinted at a possible return to eSports in Counter-Strike in a post on Telegram on August 19. Nearly 10 months after his break, he writes: “NaVi doesn’t need s1mple, Sasha needs NaVi.”
He subsequently explains that it is hard for him to understand that he is not part of the team. NaVi has, of course, hired a replacement for s1mple in recent months and seemingly has no room left for the once star player. However, he seems ready for his return: “I hope that one day I can come back, I’m tired of doing nothing.”
Some fans on Reddit believe that s1mple is in a difficult situation with NaVi. On one hand, it is evident that he would like to return to the team with which he celebrated his greatest successes. On the other hand, he wants to play but is not utilized at NaVi.
Some speculate that s1mple is still stuck in his contract and that the buyout clause is so high that only major eSports organizations could afford it. However, s1mple has not shown in the era of CS2 that he can still play at the highest level in the “new” game. After all, all his successes were in CS:GO.
Those who walk through the world of the Early Access version of Pax Dei will stumble upon numerous plots of inactive players. Now, the developers are taking a remarkable measure to address this problem.
Update from August 23, 2024: According to the developers of Pax Dei, the process of clearing inactive plots has been completed. In total, 7.8 percent of all plots have been removed. As a result, most of the full servers have switched to “High” status (via Discord).
What is the current state of Pax Dei? Since the start of the Early Access phase on June 18, 2024, quite a bit has happened in the world of the sandbox MMORPG. The developers at Mainframe Industries have implemented numerous hotfixes and optimizations to address the worst issues in Pax Dei.
Having achieved that, the team is now working on new content as well as expanding and improving existing systems and features – such as combat systems, PvP, social interactions, marketplaces, and PvE content for solo players (via Discord).
Strolling past all the abandoned houses and tools felt like walking through a graveyard of construction sites, which slows down the remaining active communities and hinders new players from finding a good spot for their own plot.
The world of Pax Dei is beautiful, here is the trailer for the Early Access launch:
Start video
Pax Dei: Trailer for the Early Access launch shows beautiful medieval world
Understandable but drastic measure
How are the developers addressing the problem? On one hand, the new content and expanded features are intended to lure back as many players as possible into the world of Pax Dei. On the other hand, the devs already announced via Discord in July that they wanted to conduct a cleanup operation in August to remove abandoned plots and thus create new space.
Now, the developers revealed the specific dates for the cleanup operation on their Discord channel:
On August 19, 2024, the plots that will be removed during the cleanup operation will be marked.
The actual cleanup operation is scheduled to take place on August 21, 2024.
All (!) of the following criteria must be met for a plot to be removed, according to the developers: The affected plots are those
whose owner has not been active since July 22
that have played less than 120 minutes in total
that have crafted very few items during this time (less than 50 in total, less than 20 in the past month, less than two in the past two weeks)
that have placed very few items on their plot (less than 40 in total, less than 20 in the past month, less than two in the past two weeks)
that do not belong to any clan with two or more members
Furthermore, the affected plots are those
that contain zero items and the number of items added in the past month is zero
that have produced zero items and the number of crafting events from the past month is zero
and whose owner does not belong to any clan with two or more members
If you are concerned that your plot might be affected, the developers have a simple tip for you: Log into Pax Dei before August 19 and place an item on your plot or craft something there.
How does MeinMMO evaluate the action? With the multitude of criteria that must be met at the same time, the developers ensure that only players who have been inactive for a long time are affected.
Nevertheless, the cleanup operation carries a certain stigma. After all, Early Access access costs between 40 to 100 Euros, depending on the edition, and a benefit of the founder’s package reads on Steam as follows:
You will receive unlimited access to the game for the entire duration of Early Access (i.e., until at least June 2025), along with a specified number of plots.
After 7 years, a new installment in the Alien franchise finally premiered last week with Alien: Romulus. Many fans were looking forward to a new sci-fi horror film, and the box office numbers prove it, as the film even managed to dethrone the big Marvel hit.
Thus, Alien: Romulus topped the box office charts in the USA. It dethroned Deadpool & Wolverine, which only grossed just under 30 million dollars (about 27 million euros) last weekend. It should be noted, however, that the Marvel film has been almost continuously at number 1 for a month and has already grossed over 1.1 billion dollars (about 900 million euros).
Even outside the USA, things are looking good for Alien: Romulus. Industry expert Dan Murrell shows this on his YouTube channel. Internationally, the new sci-fi film grossed almost 67 million dollars (about 60 million euros). Alien: Romulus was also number 1 internationally over the weekend. Number 2 was It Ends With Us, and Deadpool was back at number 3.
How does the film compare to other Alien films? As Dan Murrell highlights in his video, Alien: Romulus has the second-best opening of the franchise. Only Prometheus in 2012 did better with nearly 51 million dollars (about 46 million euros). However, these figures are not adjusted for inflation. If adjusted, Alien: Romulus falls to 5th place.
How well Alien: Romulus will perform in the coming weeks remains to be seen this weekend. With an estimated budget of 80 million dollars, the worldwide total of nearly 120 million dollars is a good sign for the franchise.
What does MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes think of the film? I love horror films and I love the Alien franchise, so I was really looking forward to the movie. The film is a great homage to the entire franchise and not just to the earlier parts of the series. The horror worked, the aliens have never been as disgusting as they are here, and the actors are really good. Especially Cailee Spaney and David Jonsson are truly great. How the new film ranks in a personal ranking can be seen here: All Alien films ranked.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The cooperative slicer Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is currently a pure PvE game, but the new Versus mode could provide plenty of variety. The beta for this game mode is back on Steam.
What game is it about? Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is a cooperative action game set in the Warhammer fantasy universe. The game was released on March 8, 2018, and has since been continuously updated with new content by the developers at Fatshark.
In Warhammer: Vermintide 2, you play as the “Ubersreik Five”: five heroes who must prevent nothing less than the destruction of the world. This became a step closer when the Chaos God-aligned Norsca and the Skaven – unusually large rodents – formed a dangerous pact.
In a group of up to four players, you embark on missions that last about 20 minutes. These are loosely connected through a main story. Before each mission, you choose a hero, while the others are either controlled by other players or the AI.
You can watch the trailer for the new Versus beta here:
Start video
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 brings back the beta for the versus mode on Steam
PvP battles instead of AI slaughter
What does the new game mode bring? In the Versus mode for eight players, four heroes face off against four pact sworn and their hordes of enemies. You can read all the changes made since the last beta on vermintide.com, the official website of the developers.
On the side of the pact sworn, the following classes are available:
As a nimble assassin, the Gutter Runner can charge at heroes from a distance and pin them in place.
The Poison Wind Globadier throws glass balls filled with poisonous gas that damages everyone in the explosion radius (except himself).
The Ratling Gunner provides suppressive fire with his heavy machine gun.
With his man catcher, the Packmaster can grab heroes and pull them away from their allies.
The Warpfire Thrower is equipped with a flamethrower and is particularly dangerous at medium range.
In each round, one player of the pact sworn has the chance to spawn as a Bile Troll. This boss can attack heroes with its deadly bile or a club.
How long will the beta last? The Versus beta has been running since August 21 and will be available until September 2, 2024. You do not need to own Warhammer: Vermintide 2 to participate. It is sufficient to request access to the beta on the Steam store page.
There are now several streaming services competing for users’ attention. Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, or perhaps another: Which services offer what, and which ones are worth it for me? MeinMMO presents the offerings, prices, advantages, and disadvantages of various providers.
If you want to watch a series or a movie after work or on the weekend, you can now choose from a large number of streaming providers, unless you reach for the DVD shelf.
MeinMMO introduces you to the most important streaming services that you should know about and can subscribe to in Germany. We present the offerings of the different services and discuss the advantages and disadvantages that you should consider before subscribing.
At the end of the article, you will find a table with all prices for all streaming providers. Here you can compare how much you currently need to pay for each service.
Note: Our list is not a ranking; all services are listed in no particular order.
[toc]
Netflix
This is what Netflix offers: Netflix is probably the best-known streaming service, offering a wide range of content, including series, movies, and documentaries. Netflix also produces original content known as “Netflix Originals.”
Netflix’s Offerings:
Movies and Series: Netflix offers thousands of movies and series across various genres and for different age groups.
Netflix Originals: Exclusively produced content that is only available on Netflix, including popular series like “Stranger Things”, “The Crown”, and “The Witcher”.
Documentaries: A wide range of documentaries on various topics, including social, political, and scientific issues.
Children’s Programs: A large selection of child-friendly content specifically offered for younger viewers.
Multilingual Content: Content available in various languages with subtitles or dubbing.
Netflix: Subscription, Price, and Who Is It Worth For?
Subscription and Price: Those who wish to use Netflix must take out a subscription. Prices start at 4.99 Euros for the standard subscription with ads, 13.99 Euros per month for standard without ads, and 19.99 Euros for the premium subscription.
Who is it worth for? Netflix offers a vast array of movies, series, and other products, and many of its original productions regularly win awards. Many contents are also available in multiple languages. However, keep in mind that Netflix regularly removes content from its offerings and some content is only available in specific countries (geoblocking). The new user interface is also not to everyone’s taste.
Pros:
Comprehensive Offer: A wide selection of movies, series, documentaries, and more, catering to all tastes.
Netflix Originals: Exclusive and high-quality content that is internationally recognized.
Personalized Recommendations: Tailored suggestions based on users’ preferences.
Offline Use: The ability to download content and watch it without an internet connection.
Multilinguality: Availability of content in various languages with subtitles or dubbing.
Cons:
Controversial Interface: The new design of Netflix is highly controversial among users.
Changing Content: The catalog changes regularly, with content being added or removed, which can be frustrating for some users.
Geoblocking: Not all content is available worldwide, which regularly causes frustration.
Overabundance: The vast selection can be overwhelming and complicate decision-making, especially as Netflix’s filters sometimes work better than others.
Amazon Prime Video
This is what Amazon Prime Video offers: Amazon Prime Video is part of the Amazon Prime subscription, which, in addition to streaming, also provides benefits like free shipping on Amazon purchases and access to Amazon Music. Besides the subscription, you can also permanently purchase movies digitally.
Amazon Prime Video can also be supplemented with additional channels, such as DAZN, Aniverse, BBC+, and many others for a fee.
Amazon Prime Video’s Offerings:
Movies and Series: A wide selection of movies and series, including many well-known classics and current blockbusters.
Amazon Originals: Exclusive content produced or co-produced by Amazon, such as “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and “The Man in the High Castle.”
Documentaries and Reality Shows: A variety of documentaries and reality shows from various genres and topics.
Rental and Purchase Options: Ability to rent or purchase movies and series that are not included in the Prime subscription for a fee.
Additional Services: Ability to subscribe to premium channels and additional services such as HBO, STARZ, or sports programming for an extra fee.
Amazon Prime Video: Subscription, Price, and Who Is It Worth For?
Subscription and Price: For Amazon Prime Video, you pay 8.99 EUR per month or 89.90 EUR per year. If you want additional ad-free viewing on Prime Video, you will need to pay an extra 2.99 Euros per month.
In principle, you can also use Prime Video without a Prime subscription. You can still rent or purchase movies and use them.
Who is it worth for? If you are already paying for your Prime membership, it might be worth browsing through the offerings of Prime Video.
Especially the rental and purchase options offer you a lot of flexibility if you want to secure series or movies for the long term. A disadvantage of Prime Video is that you theoretically have to pay for a lot of additional content if you want to see everything. This makes Prime Video significantly more expensive compared to Netflix. For the DAZN channel, for example, you will have to pay a hefty 44.99 Euros per month.
Pros:
Part of the Prime Subscription: Accessing Prime Video is included in Amazon Prime, which also offers other benefits like free shipping.
Amazon Originals: High-quality and exclusive content that frequently receives recognition and awards.
Additional Services: Ability to subscribe to premium channels and additional services and manage them directly through Prime Video.
Rental and Purchase Options: Flexibility to rent or purchase content not included in the regular subscription.
Integration with Amazon: Seamless usage with other Amazon services and devices, such as with Alexa or TV sticks.
Offline Use: Content can be downloaded and viewed offline.
Cons:
Additional Costs: Some content is not included in the Prime subscription and must be rented or purchased separately.
Changing Content: The catalog changes frequently, which can lead to content suddenly being unavailable.
Geoblocking: Some content is only available in specific regions, which can lead to frustrations for international users.
Overabundance of Additional Services: The multitude of additional services and channels can complicate selection and lead to high, additional costs.
On the next page, the next three streaming providers will follow for you.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Roblox looks back on turbulent days and weeks. First, Turkey blocked access to the popular but problematic gaming platform. Then, a new player record followed last weekend. And now #SaveRoblox is suddenly trending on X.
What is happening at Roblox right now? It all started with a report on August 7, 2024, that Turkey decided to block the popular gaming platform. This is a necessary measure to ensure the protection of children, according to an official statement (via reuters.com).
Despite this setback, the Roblox officials celebrated a new player record on August 17, 2024. 10,208,350 players were reportedly online on the platform at the same time, according to romonitorstats.com. This has never happened before. By comparison, the popular battle royale shooter Fortnite had a peak of 2,567,277 concurrent players on the same day.
Following the record, the next bad news came this week. Roblox has now reportedly started to block numerous problematic games specifically in the South Korean region – including many popular (and supposedly harmless) games like “Brookhaven RP” (via roblox.com). The result: Suddenly #SaveRoblox trended on X, with over 171,000 posts.
This trailer presents the virtual universe of Roblox:
Start video
Roblox – The Official Trailer for the Virtual Universe
Dangerous Wild West instead of a virtual playground for kids
In 2023 alone, Roblox reportedly reported more than 13,000 incidents to the “National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.” 24 offenders were reportedly arrested for child abuse (via gamesindustry.biz). And this on a platform that attracts more than 70 million players daily, about 40 percent of whom are said to be under 13 years old.
All of this is already bad enough. On top of that, there are further accusations. The Roblox management is said to systematically exploit the private developers of the countless games and pay them poorly. Additionally, the way the avatar shop and some game systems work is said to warm kids up to gambling systems at an early age.
How can the situation improve? Roblox has been around for over 20 years, and during this time, the game building system has become one of the most popular and successful gaming platforms ever.
However, the developers have struggled for many years to effectively moderate the large number of players and games in a timely and child-friendly manner and to establish measures that sustainably protect minors from abuse and toxic or concerning content.
That not only individual games slip through the cracks becomes clear when you search for something like the “Public Bathroom Simulator” in Roblox and sift through the numerous results. It is therefore not surprising that many posts on X with #SaveRoblox demand significantly improved moderation and welcome the bans imposed by Turkey until that happens.
By the way, Roblox responded promptly to the bans by countries. In their response to Turkey, they stated:
On August 7, we learned that Roblox was blocked in Turkey, and we are currently working with local authorities to resolve the issue. We are aware that millions of people use our platform in Turkey every day, including a vibrant community of developers whose businesses are built on Roblox.
We are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure the safety of our community, and we share the commitment of policymakers worldwide to protect children.
Roblox is supported by Latte Softwares, which uses its security net to detect users of cheats and bots. This week, numerous accounts were caught that will receive a ban during the next wave. Until then, these accounts have been renamed to “Latte_ImACheater.” Over the past 21 years, Roblox has produced many such concerning or bizarre reports. Here’s another one from June 2024: There is now an IKEA in Roblox that is hiring employees and paying a real hourly wage.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Package boom due to online shopping, but no truck drivers. Japan wants to test a 500-kilometer-long conveyor belt between Osaka and Tokyo as a solution.
What kind of conveyor belt is that? You can imagine a 500-kilometer-long belt running along or beneath a highway that spans the distance between Tokyo and Osaka. As of today, it would be the longest conveyor belt in the world. This would correspond approximately to the width of Germany from the Dutch to the Polish border.
Packages secured accordingly or anchored carts, in which packages are stacked, would lie on it. In the end, it is comparable to systems commonly used in factories, just on a scale never seen before – and perhaps even underground.
The thin black line marks the direct line between Osaka and Tokyo, the thick red routes are conceivable routes along highways. Image source: Google Maps
Why is this necessary?According to Japannews, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism sees the concept of the conveyor belt as a viable solution to a problem familiar to us in Germany: an increasing number of packages due to online commerce but a lack of personnel for transportation.
According to data from Japannews, the number of packages has more than doubled in the last 30 years. By 2030, it is expected that about one-third of shipments may no longer be delivered.
Start video
In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
The longest conveyor belt in the world, will it really come?
What exactly will such a conveyor belt look like? A panel of experts has developed the concept since February of this year, under which a conveyor belt will be installed either below or directly next to an existing highway. This will automatically transport packages or carts of different sizes between the metropolises of Osaka and Tokyo. Each pallet can carry about a ton of cargo of various kinds.
How much could be transported here? It is estimated that approximately 25,000 trucks per day could be replaced.
A graphic of the concept for the conveyor belt between Tokyo and Osaka. Image source: Japannews
Will the conveyor belt really be built? Whether such a conveyor belt will be installed underground or above ground has not yet been decided, but the plan seems to generally meet with approval from decision-makers.
The biggest hurdle would be the costs. For the underground variant, about 22 billion euros are estimated for the entire route. Older figures from similar studies, which Japannews refers to, estimate the necessary investment for an above-ground facility at around 10 billion in total, if we conservatively account for inflation since then.
[The project] will not only address the logistics crisis but also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. […] We would like to continue discussions on this matter promptly.
Tetsuo Saito, Minister for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Completion is expected by the year 2034. Currently, the ministry is looking for ways to involve private investors. It remains to be seen whether the longest conveyor belt in the world will really become a reality.
With every order that necessitates such projects, there is also the chance of not receiving what you ordered or even more. If you ever find yourself in the latter situation and do not know how to behave, we can recommend the following article: Amazon delivers more than ordered, what should be done? We asked a lawyer.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The 10th expansion of World of Warcraft is live. The early access for The War Within has begun.
The era of Dragonflight is officially over, as the starting pistol for the new expansion of World of Warcraft has fired – The War Within. Numerous players are already storming through the new intro scenario around the defense of Dalaran and are heading into the new areas to reach level 80 and master the hero talents.
Start video
WoW: The War Within – Shadows Beneath the Surface
Are the servers holding up? At the current moment, things look good, and most active characters have already ventured into the expanses of The War Within. However, when logging into your realm, there may be queues depending on how busy your realm is.
What can you play in Early Access? In Early Access, the story features of The War Within are already unlocked. This means that players can experience the complete main story and side quests, reach level 80, and experiment with the hero talents. We have explained what is possible and what is not in this article.
Is there an advantage in Early Access? Yes, but only a small one. Essentially, Early Access is designed for players to experience the story at a relaxed pace without having to rush. Strong equipment is not yet available, as almost all content – even heroic dungeons – is still locked and will only open after the official release of the expansion. Therefore, the advantage gained in Early Access is extremely small.
When can the rest play? Those who did not purchase the Epic Edition of The War Within, but only the Base or Heroic Edition, can start playing from August 27, 2024, which is next Tuesday. Then the official launch of the expansion will take place, and more content will be unlocked. However, there is no need to rush, as the first season of The War Within with raids and Mythic+ starts on September 11, 2024. There is plenty of time left to enjoy the story.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The streamer Norme stayed awake for 11 consecutive days and broke the record for the longest sleepless stream. An expert has now spoken out and reassured everyone.
What kind of stream was this? The YouTube streamer Norme wanted to break a record. His goal was to stay awake live in the stream for 264 hours and 24 minutes. That’s over 11 full days. However, his record attempt was not only physically demanding.
On two platforms, the streamer was banned during his attempt, as Dexerto reports. First, YouTube showed him the red card, then the streamer switched to Kick, where he was also kicked out after some time.
The streamer ended the self-experiment on the platform Rumble. The platforms probably did not want to endorse his dangerous behavior. During the stream, Norme reportedly collapsed multiple times and had to be kept awake by his friends.
Many viewers were worried about him. Now an expert has expressed her opinion and explained how dangerous the action really was.
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IShowSpeed gets the receipt for barking at a 6-year-old boy
“Won’t be too harmful”
How dangerous was the stream? Sleep physiologist Stephanie Romiszewski spoke in an interview with Dexerto about the exceptional situation. She knows a lot about such scenarios and holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) with honors in Psychology and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (via sleepyheadclinic.co.uk).
“The most concerning side effect of actively trying not to sleep are indeed the microsleep phases, which can make certain activities, such as driving, very dangerous. It is true that performance, the immune system, and memory decline without the regular cleansing and recovery system that sleep provides.”
Such microsleep phases would always occur, even in the best-studied attempts in sleep laboratories.
“If you do this regularly (trying to force yourself to stay awake for extreme periods, then ‘recovery sleep’, then again and again), it is likely that this will lead to more significant problems over time, as your body loses the predictable and regular opportunity for cleansing/recovery/rejuvenation,” she explains in the interview.
It also becomes serious for people suffering from mental illnesses or physical conditions, or those who regularly take medication. Sleep deprivation would often exacerbate their conditions.
“It is likely that a one-time attempt (for an otherwise healthy person) is not too harmful, aside from cognitive performance declining and not feeling 100% well. However, if you keep conducting this type of experiment repeatedly, regardless of your health condition, it has long-term effects on health, such as an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (like heart attack and stroke), obesity, and severe mental illnesses.”
What happened next for the streamer? The streamer completed the experiment and thus broke the record for the longest sleepless stream. The record for the longest sleepless time is held by Robert McDonald with 18 days and 21 hours (via Wikipedia).
However, after one record came another. The streamer wanted to achieve the longest sleep stream. These are streams where the streamer is just sleeping and not awake. Norme was able to break this record with his “recovery sleep” of 38 hours according to his own statements.
If this remains a one-time experiment, the streamer is likely to suffer no long-term consequences from the action. However, the expert believes that this experiment should not be repeated. Other streamers can also sleep for a long time, for example, Knossi, who almost got eliminated in 7 vs. Wild due to his long sleep: 7 vs. Wild Season 3: Because Knossi overslept, his whole team almost got eliminated
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The makers of the Steam hit The Finals presented their new extraction shooter ARC Raiders at the Gamescom 2024.
Webedia Gaming (GameStar, GamePro, MeinMMO) is accompanying the large gaming event as the official media partner of Gamescom 2024. It will be an exciting week for everyone making their way to Gamescom. But also on screen, as there will be further streams – for example the FYNG show from GameStar, GamePro, and MeinMMO.
What kind of game is this? ARC Raiders is a PvPvE shooter on Steam, focusing on action and survival. After the world was invaded by a “mechanized threat” called ARC, humanity retreated to the underground colony Speranza.
To get new supplies, they must regularly come to the surface, exposing themselves to the dangers posed by the robots. The people who gather supplies for the population call themselves ARC Raiders.
Behind the game are Embark Studios, who also developed the shooter The Finals.
Here you can watch the trailer for ARC Raiders:
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ARC Raiders – The trailer for the PvPvE shooter
ARC Raiders resembles The Division
What do you do in the game? As one of the ARC Raiders, your task is to search the surface for resources and make them available to humanity underground.
Along the way, you will constantly encounter mechanized enemies who want to prevent you from looting. But other people may not always be friendly either. Other players can backstab you to snatch your loot or help you tackle the mechanized enemies.
How does ARC Raiders play? The game is played from a third-person perspective and visually resembles The Division. Besides the PvPvE elements, you must escape from your rounds as typical for extraction shooters to secure your loot. Extraction shooters are currently popular, as evidenced by the biggest competitor to Escape from Tarkov: Free shooter considered a major rival to Tarkov starts next week.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
At gamescom 2024, a trailer for Borderlands 4 was finally presented. It doesn’t reveal much, but the community is already developing many theories. For many, it was clear who the person in the trailer is, but Randy Pitchford denies the fans’ speculation.
What do you see in the trailer? The gamescom trailer for Borderlands 4 was the first sign of life from the latest installment of the loot shooter series. Accordingly, many fans reacted positively to the new trailer. Especially after the disastrous movie, this is good news for fans.
The trailer actually doesn’t show much. You see a moon, possibly Elpis, and crystals that cause a meteor shower. At the end of the trailer, an unknown figure picks up the familiar Psycho mask with a robotic arm.
Many fans speculated that it was Handsome Jack. However, the head of Gearbox Software denies this theory.
Webedia Gaming (GameStar, GamePro, MeinMMO) is covering the big gaming event as the official media partner of gamescom 2024. It will be an exciting week for everyone making their way to gamescom. But also for those at home, as there will be more streams – for example, the FYNG show by GameStar, GamePro, and MeinMMO.
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Teaser trailer announces Borderlands 4
No Handsome Jack, but something much worse
Why did fans think it was Handsome Jack? In the trailer, there is a hidden chamber symbol that looks similar to the scar Jack got in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. The comparison was posted by the Borderlands content creator JoltzDude1 on x.com.
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Randy Pitchford, the CEO of Gearbox Software, denied the theory under the tweet and said: That is not Handsome Jack. That is something much more dangerous and eerie. Pitchford does not elaborate on the character, but in the comments to the response, it is noticeable that many wish for Jack to return.
Why is Handsome Jack so popular? In Borderlands 2, Handsome Jack accompanies the player from the beginning of their journey. He insults the players and regularly talks about how rich and great he is. However, he always does this in a sympathetic manner. He has a certain charm and is a contrast to many other characters on Pandora.
Handsome Jack was even so popular that players could play as his double in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.
What other theories are there? That the character in the trailer is Handsome Jack is of course not the only theory. The symbols in the trailer remind many fans of the Watcher. The Watcher is a character that appeared at the end of The Pre-Sequel and hinted at a great war. However, there was no trace of him in Borderlands 3. You can read more about the theory here: Borderlands 4 causes excitement with a 79-second trailer – Fans have the first theories
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Senna is a quite unusual supporter in League of Legends. Over the course of the game, she becomes stronger and, after a certain time, a strong DPS champion. Riot wanted to counteract this and improved her shields and healing. Apparently, that was too much of a good thing.
However, she should not work well with weaker players, as they want to play her as a classic support. Therefore, Riot made some adjustments.
Less attack speed increase
Critical hit chance from the passive has been reduced
The Q ability heals better now, no longer scales with lethality, but with AP
The duration of the slow from the W ability has been increased
The ultimate now provides more shield and scales significantly better with AP
However, this change seems to be too strong, as Riot wants to weaken Senna again in the next patch.
In the latest mode of LoL, you don’t have to worry about strong Sennas:
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Swarm – Trailer for the new LoL PvE mode
The changes have missed the target
What impact did the changes have on Senna’s statistics? Comparing her statistics on U.GG shows the success of the changes. In Patch 14.15, she had a win rate of only 48.84% in the ranks Emerald and above. Her pick rate was 4.4% and her ban rate was 1.3%. (As of: 22.08.2024)
In the current Patch 14.16, things look significantly better for her. She is currently the most successful supporter among Emerald and above, with a win rate of 52.96% and a high pick rate of 19.9%. She is also the most played supporter in these ranks. Her ban rate has also risen to a high 12.7%. (As of: 22.08.2024)
Riot thinks this is a bit too much. As Dot Esports reports, Senna will receive some nerfs to her new scalings.
Her Q is supposed to deal less damage, and the AP scaling will decrease by 20 percent
Her ultimate also has to suffer: The AP scaling of the shield decreases by 20 percent
The wish of many players is fulfilled. In a reddit thread, a player showed an enchanter build for Senna and how powerful her improved shield and healing are. The nerfs that Senna is experiencing now should make many players happy. Patch 14.17 is expected to go live on 28.08.2024. Until then, some planned nerfs or buffs may still change. Meanwhile, many LoL veterans are no longer playing the main mode: More and more players over 30 who log into LoL are not playing the classic LoL at all.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
A Reddit user wants to upgrade his gaming PC, but Amazon delivered more than ordered. This could happen to you too. Lawyer Christian Solmecke knows how you should behave.
What was in the Amazon delivery? Reddit user Frequent-Remove69 ordered two products from Amazon: a graphics card of the type Radeon RX 6750XT and a CPU from AMD, a Ryzen 5 7600.
However, when he opened the shipping box, he found two of each item. So two GPUs and two CPUs. He reported this in the subreddit pcmasterrace as well as in the subreddit pcbuild. Quickly, the two posts gathered more than 17,000 upvotes. (As of noon, August 20, 2024).
Did Amazon charge for everything? According to the poster’s reports, he only paid for what he ordered – the rest came unsolicited.
But what happens if you receive too much in Germany? We asked lawyer Christian Solmecke what you need to do. He works as a lawyer and partner at the Cologne law firm WBS.LEGAL. He operates in the fields of IT, media, competition, copyright, commercial, and internet law.
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In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
Expert opinion: The right way to handle an “over-delivery” in Germany
Do I have to contact the seller, such as Amazon, as a buyer?
There is at least no legal obligation to inform the merchant, as the over-delivery lies within his area of responsibility. Therefore, one does not have to actively contact Amazon, although courtesy would suggest it.
How long do I have to wait before I can keep the goods?
The claim for restitution by the seller or for payment of the purchase price does not expire until three years later. The deadline begins at the end of the year in which the claim arose. So anyone who receives an over-delivery today may still be claimed by Amazon for the over-delivery until the end of 2027.
What happens if I do not cooperate with the seller or no longer have the (additional) goods?
Even if one would like to keep the over-delivery, one has no right to do so. In such cases, one is considered to be “enriched” in a legal sense, without there being any legal reason for it. Therefore, one must help ensure that the goods return to the seller. If the customer remains obstinate, even criminal charges may be considered.
Who bears the return shipping costs?
The return costs (transport, packaging, etc.) are to be borne by the merchant in this case. After all, he made the mistake.
For gamescom 2024, there was plenty of fresh information about Vessel of Hatred, the first DLC for Diablo 4. As part of an announcement, it has now been revealed that you will soon be able to test the simultaneously launching Season 6.
What kind of announcement is that? On the platform X.com, Adam Fletcher, the Global Community Development Director for Diablo at Blizzard, announced a livestream. During this “Campfire Chat,” there will be new information about the changes to the progression system in Diablo 4.
A few hours later, Fletcher announced in a repost on X that they will also talk about a PTR for Patch 2.0, which is the DLC Vessel of Hatred.
In the Diablo 4 forum, Community Manager Lyricana provided a clarification: To clarify: There will be a PTR for Season 6, but not for VoH content, rather for permanent features that will be added to the base game.
During gamescom 2024 in Cologne, there were also a whole series of new announcements regarding the expansion. The video introduces some of them:
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Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred shows the new features and the new region Nahantu in the video
What is a PTR? A PTR is a so-called Public Test Realm. This is a publicly accessible version of a later-released video game content with limited functionality. For example, cutscenes, certain NPCs, or features may be blocked.
The goal of a PTR is to identify bugs and issues early, possibly gauge server capacities, and provide developers with proper user feedback. So this is similar to alpha and beta testing, with the difference being that PTRs are generally used for live-service games that have already been released.
When will you be able to test the season? Vessel of Hatred will be released on October 8, 2024 – so in just about 1.5 months. Season 6 will start simultaneously, making Season 5 the shortest so far. The PTR will surely go live with some delay from the release so that developers can process the feedback.
However, a specific start date is not known yet. According to Adam Fletcher, more detailed information will be provided on August 29 during the aforementioned livestream.
As soon as there are new updates on this, you will read them of course at MeinMMO. As already mentioned, there were a whole series of announcements for Vessel of Hatred during gamescom, including Blizzard showing you your 4 new best friends in Diablo 4.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
During the Devcom, the developer conference before gamescom in Cologne, the Cinematic Director Jason Latino spoke about his work on Baldur’s Gate 3. There was a scene in Act 1 that he did not want to include at all and explains why it still made it into the game.
What kind of scene is it? The scene in question happens in Act 1 right in the Goblins’ Camp. If you visit it and enter the ruins, you will encounter the Hobgoblin Ragzlin in one of the back rooms.
Ragzlin is standing over a dead Mind Flayer and is planning to extract information from the corpse using the spell Speak with Dead. When the scene is triggered, you and your group automatically become part of it and can influence the outcome.
The information for this article was gathered by MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski during her visit to the Devcom panel Chaos Menu or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Hug The Bear in Cologne. Together with the lead of the community management of GameStar, GamePro, and MeinMMO Marylin Marx, she summarizes the talk in the video:
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Cinematics in Baldur’s Gate 3 – This is how Bear Love was created and why a developer hates a certain scene
170 lines of dialogue, but no new information
Why does the developer hate the scene? Jason Latino talks in his presentation about how he hated the scene and that no one hates it as much as he does. There were various reasons for this:
170 lines of dialogue
No new information
One-time use of the larval powers
Change-resistant structure
No characterization of the Hobgoblin itself
Doesn’t explain the Absolute
Incredibly complicated to animate
Additionally, there was actually no budget for the scene, and it took them a total of 10 to 15 full working days to animate everything to full satisfaction.
What were the developer’s thoughts? Latino’s big concern was that the scene would not turn out well. They were a new team working with completely new tools. The scene might have been a good idea, but it came at a bad time.
What if Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t look finished after three years in Early Access? What if there is bad press because of that? And if the writing team sets a task that cinematics can’t handle, the cinematics team gets the blame.
Ultimately, Jason Latino also asked himself: What if I am not ready for AAA?
How did the scene make it into the game? For the Cinematic Director of Larian, a shift in perspective ultimately brought about the turnaround. Instead of thinking about their own problems, worries, and the logistics behind the creation, he asked himself what the player would expect: How cool would this scene be for the player?
With this new mindset, he and the team finally set out to implement the scene to the best of their knowledge and belief.
By the way, the team still works according to this mantra today: Baldur’s Gate 3 continues to receive regular small and large updates. Recently, there was even a teaser for a new evil ending: Baldur’s Gate 3 shows a new evil ending – and it is really dark
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In Black Myth Wukong behaves like Dark Souls. It tells you hardly anything and throws you into a world where you have to fight your way through. There are no quests, so you have to find your way yourself. For this reason, I’ll show you 7 tips that I wish I had known before my start.
What are these tips? These are beginner tips and information that you should know when starting Black Myth Wukong for a more relaxed experience.
In addition to newcomers, veterans of the Souls genre will also check it out, and before you adjust your builds and exploration with a sweaty mood, you should know a thing or two about the features of the game. With our directory, you can jump to and skim through individual points:
[toc]
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Black Myth: Wukong: The final trailer for the action RPG from China
Don’t collect green souls without guidance
You’re sure to have come across these green shimmering souls in the air in chapter 1. If you haven’t yet received guidance from the wise man, you’ll collect them and only receive a fraction of the spirit essence you would actually get. So it’s important to first speak with the wise man with the huge Gourd. He will enchant your Gourd so that you can absorb all these souls. This way, you receive the maximum amount of spirit essence.
Die as often as you want
If you are coming from Dark Souls or Elden Ring and believe Black Myth Wukong shares the same system where you lose your currency upon death, you are mistaken. The only thing you lose upon defeat is confidence.
Your spirit sparks and spirit essences remain intact, and you don’t have to touch a blood puddle to get them back. So let loose and fight recklessly and aggressively.
You can reset your lousy build at any time
If you think you are bound to your build like in other Souls titles, you are mistaken. You can get your invested spirit sparks refunded at any time and without rare resources. Just go to any altar of your choice and then select:
Self-Determination
Reignite Spirit Sparks
You can then get all your points refunded.
This is how you reset your spirit sparks
This way, you are not stuck with an unoptimized starting build. So feel free to try out new combinations and test until you find your playstyle.
Take your time exploring
The world of Black Myth Wukong is mystical and mysterious, hiding many secrets and NPCs in the corners of each chapter. It’s important that you take your time while exploring.
You might think that the bosses are the biggest highlight of the action RPG, but after over 10 hours in the game, I can tell you that it is much more the exploration of the areas and the discovery of new secrets that create excitement in the chaotic world of Chinese mythology. So take your time, or you might miss something.
Don’t defeat the final boss of a chapter right away
Each chapter features a main boss that you must defeat to proceed to the next chapter. However, before you set off and face this boss, you should first explore the area around you.
If you advance too quickly, it may happen that optional bosses and NPCs that you may need for trophies simply disappear, and you can only revisit them when you start NG+. So only defeat the final boss of your chapter once you have completed everything.
Forget fashion and pay attention to bonuses on your armors
The armors for your monkey fighter not only look good but also have strong stats that increase in power when you wear multiple pieces of the same set. You can recognize your set bonuses when you inspect them in your inventory. Usually, there are two-piece or four-piece bonuses.
Each armor has its set bonuses
So don’t mix just any armor pieces together to look good. Pay attention to the bonuses that you can extract from your armors and try to benefit from them.
Don’t forget your potions and mixtures
Another important feature that tends to get overlooked is the potions and mixtures that you can find on your journeys. These are connected to your Gourd and provide you with strong bonuses for your builds depending on your selection. More regeneration or a synergy of your spirit powers are possible if you have selected the right potion and the appropriate mixture. So feel free to mix some ingredients together and find the right combination for you.
These were our tips for a more relaxed start in Black Myth Wukong. What tips would you recommend to newcomers? Feel free to leave them in the comments! In the meantime, we will show you how to get silk: Black Myth Wukong: How to find silk to craft your armors
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
