Pokémon GO is approaching the next season. And it is becoming increasingly clear: Dynamax Pokémon will likely be a part of it.
This is the new teaser: As part of the Pokémon World Championships, various announcements about Pokémon have been made. This includes a new teaser for Pokémon GO.
In it, there is a woman on the beach who is about to catch a Krabby. A “breaking news” alert appears on her smartphone, which she quickly swipes away.
But then suddenly the sky darkens. The cloud cover breaks open and a strange energy is unleashed. You hear heavy stomping footsteps and a giant shadow looming over the scene.
Additionally, the thirty-second teaser is under the motto “Something big is coming in Pokémon GO.” All of this fits with the already much-discussed Dynamax phenomenon, but you should see it for yourself:
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Pokémon GO: New teaser shows something ‘big’
What’s new with Dynamax in Pokémon GO?
New information about the release: Alongside the teaser, a brief post was also published on the official info blog for Pokémon GO. It contains a short retrospective that over the last eight years a lot has been discovered in Pokémon GO, but there is still new content.
Then it discusses the new “season” that starts on September 3, 2024:
A new season brings many things with it: big changes, big battles, and… big Pokémon? What will await you in your next Pokémon GO adventure…
Description on the official Pokémon GO blog (via Pokémon GO Live).
What does this mean? The Dynamax phenomenon was already found by data miners some time ago, which is why many expected that it would come to Pokémon GO sooner or later. However, with the teaser, it is now confirmed that it will actually appear in the next season of the game.
How exactly it will affect the game is the question. Data mining revealed information such as new raids and attack effects, plus the Dynamax emblem can already be found in the Pokémon collection filters. So there will likely be certain Pokémon that can undergo Dynamax.
The hope is that this feature is something for collectors looking for giant forms, as well as for fighters who could receive strong new monsters. Depending on how significantly this feature affects gameplay, it could become one of the most exciting seasons in Pokémon GO for a long time. Especially since another new feature has already been announced: Morpeko will likely appear in the game soon and bring a new form change capability. As always, we will keep you updated!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The head of Baldur’s Gate 3 has already influenced his son during pregnancy – with constant gaming and of all things World of Warcraft.
“The developers probably don’t play themselves at all.” This is an accusation that often comes from players when they disagree with a game or cannot understand the developer’s decisions. However, no one seems to doubt that the head of one studio is a “real” gamer: Swen Vincke from Larian.
The head of the studio that created Baldur’s Gate 3 is even worried that he has already infected his son with a dangerous passion for video games while he was still in the womb.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 is 1 year old and to celebrate the creators share your dirty secrets
What did Vincke say? In an interview on the BAFTA YouTube channel, Swen Vincke answered a whole series of questions, all revolving around different games from his life. Starting from his first games as a teenager in the arcade to his long-lasting favorites. Vincke also mentioned that he and his wife passionately gamed during the pregnancy with their son – namely World of Warcraft:
When I started playing World of Warcraft, my wife was pregnant. So we played together throughout the pregnancy while the baby was growing. When he was born, he just sat on our lap and we kept playing.
And now he has quite a significant gaming addiction problem that we probably caused.
You can see the relevant passage in the interview starting at minute 01:49:
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World of Warcraft was, alongside StarCraft II, also the game that Vincke was said to have played the most. But that might be similar for many gamers, as both games were the best in their field, and there was almost no way around them.
Does Vincke mean that seriously? However, Vincke says this with a laugh – the statement seems to be rather ironic and does not allow any conclusion as to whether his son really has a “gaming addiction” or is just a passionate gamer like himself.
However, one thing becomes clear from the interview: Swen Vincke is a real gamer and has always been. He talks about numerous games from the past that have significantly influenced him. He is praised in the comments on YouTube for this, as it is noticeable that Baldur’s Gate 3 is “made by gamers for gamers.” This is a rarity in today’s time – even if some endings in the game cannot be reached at all.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The venerable MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies still has so many fans that a popular private server even struggled due to the high number of players this weekend.
What happened this weekend? Star Wars Galaxies Legends is not the only private server for the Star Wars MMORPG, which has been discontinued since December 2011, but it is certainly one of the largest and most well-known. This very server recently reached an impressive milestone.
Since August 17, 2024, the Omega server from SWG Legends has been online longer than the official live servers from Sony Online Entertainment (abbreviated as SOE). This was celebrated with the weekend event “SOEclipse,” which featured the Battle of Restuss, gifts, competitions, an in-game party, and numerous in-game bonuses for experience and much more.
SWG had to make way for the new MMORPG Star Wars – The Old Republic in December 2011 – here is a trailer for the younger online role-playing game for the popular Sci-Fi franchise:
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Star Wars: The Old Republic – “Deceived” Cinematic Trailer
So many players as never before
How did the event go? Bree Royce from massivelyop.com was on site and wrote in a report:
With such rewards, I expected many people to be online, but nothing prepared me for the reality, as already half an hour before the event, hundreds of people had gathered in the Legends Cantina in Cloud City on Bespin, and the number of players had already exceeded the peak from the COVID era.
I couldn’t even get one of my toons into the Cloud City zone because it was so quickly overcrowded, and the developers began redirecting players to the other capitals (Mos Eisley, Theed, and Coronet) to distribute the load.
Bree further reported that in 21 years she had never seen so many people in Star Wars Galaxies (including the official version) as at this event. At times, almost 3,000 characters were logged into the private server to claim the gifts. A record for SWG Legends. And too much for the servers, which were working at their limit and even went offline at times.
Later, one of the community representatives explained on the official Discord channel of the private server that the previous record for event participants was 295. This time the peak was said to have been 1,797 active accounts at the same time (plus numerous side characters).
Scrubs is not only an important series for many viewers, but also for many actors who spent years of their lives with their colleagues. 14 years after the last season, Zach Braff, the actor of J.D., explains how tough the last season was, but also what he misses about it.
Scrubs was a huge success. Between 2001 and 2010, the comedy series about the doctors at Sacred Heart Hospital aired. Scrubs captured the hearts of many viewers because it blended the drama of hospital series with quirky characters from a workplace comedy.
The series was a good mix of drama and comedy. Especially the chemistry of the actors was an important aspect. As Zach Braff shares in an interview, the last season was a significant effort for everyone, but he doesn’t regret it.
That T-Mobile Home Internet Feeling – 2024 Big Game Day Commercial
We were all kind of exhausted
How does Zach Braff describe working on the last season of Scrubs? In an interview on Inside of You (via YouTube), he describes how exhausted all the actors were after 9 years of Scrubs. According to him, they started repeating jokes. Everyone was supposed to be quite worn out. Life outside the series was said to be severely restricted.
We were all kind of exhausted. […] We would work insane hours, which people don’t do anymore. We didn’t have much of a life outside of that. So we were just exhausted.
Despite the enormous workload at the end, Zach Braff does not regret the work. He misses seeing his friends every day and laughing with them every day. He would be happy to see all these people again in a possible reboot.
What does Braff say about a possible reboot? The actor does not talk about a planned reboot, but he explains under what conditions he would be interested in stepping back into his character.
He explains that he wouldn’t want to make a big series with long, hard contracts anymore. However, as a limited thing, he would definitely do it. The idea of having his old crew together again, laughing together, and getting paid well for it just sounds really good to him. The actor that made Zach Braff laugh the most was: Scrubs: Zach Braff explains which actor made him laugh the most
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The fans of Diablo 4 are constantly giving criticism about the game – often even constructive. And often, this leads to truly improved features. However, one warns that one of the latest demands for new content from Season 5 would threaten the fun of the game.
In the community, there has been a recurring call for boss materials to be obtained from Infernal Hordes. So far, they are scattered everywhere, and you mainly get them from Hell Floods.
You need the materials to summon Uber Bosses. From them, you get important loot specifically for your builds, which makes them popular farming spots.
This is why the demand is a bad idea: The suggestion that boss mats should drop in Infernal Hordes keeps coming up. The idea behind it is that you only need to visit the new content and can ignore everything else if you want. Currently, one is “forced” to play other content.
The user yxalitis on Reddit argues against it: This is a really bad idea. It’s like shooting yourself in the foot:
Let’s assume you can collect boss mats from Infernal Hordes. Then your gameplay consists of: Infernal Hordes → Infernal Hordes → Infernal Hordes → Infernal Hordes → Boss → Infernal Hordes → Infernal Hordes → Infernal Hordes → Infernal Hordes → Boss.
And then, after one or two weeks, you are fully equipped with 12/12 completed Mythics and you complain here about how boring the Infernal Hordes are because you have nothing left to do. You are your own worst enemy. The game keeps getting more content, and you want it to become redundant.
The community is shortsighted with their feedback. There’s nothing wrong with grinding for an item. After all, you’re playing an action RPG, not Candy Crush. Diablo 4 is already “disgustingly easy”, but players just can’t get enough.
Diablo 4: The gameplay trailer for Season 5, the season of the hell hordes
Make Diablo just a clicker game
The user received over 800 upvotes for his contribution and has thus created one of the most popular current posts in the subreddit for Diablo 4. Many fans agree with him and cynically say: You could just turn the game into gambling.
You could simply set up a room with a lever. You pull it for a chance at loot – and ideally, you even choose what you get beforehand.
A more constructive critique is that boss mats could at least be in whispering chests. They are currently quite useless. Or they could drop in the pit – but more sources would at least be welcome.
The friendly hero Link from The Legend of Zelda repeatedly saves the residents of the world. However, a human NPC can die.
When thinking of the various “The Legend of Zelda” titles and thus the hero Link, one immediately recalls Deku Sticks, Master Swords, or fairies in bottles. Although action and adventure have always been part of the game, Link was a rather classic hero – because he saved the NPCs of the game world from all sorts of dangers.
Generally, only monsters and dark creatures, created either by Ganon or some other nasty being, were “killed.” All “humanoid” NPCs, especially in the towns, were never killed, at worst only defeated and knocked out – with one single exception.
A new Zelda was introduced just a few months ago:
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Nintendo has introduced The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Which NPC is being discussed? We’re talking about Sakon. He is an NPC from the game “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask,” which was originally released for the N64 console. Sakon is a thief. He lurks at night for the owner of the bomb shop and attacks her to sell the loot on the black market and make a living.
How is Sakon killed by Link? Link has several options to stop Sakon, but some of them do not end well.
If Link hits the thief with the sword, he drops his loot and flees, which ultimately rewards Link with the Bomb Mask for saving the loot. X-user ZeldaAnecdotes shows, however, that there is another possibility:
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If Link resorts to arrows or the hookshot to stop Sakon, then Sakon’s loot explodes – after all, they are bombs. In that case, not only is the loot destroyed, but Sakon also dies.
Why was this special? That Link can actually kill NPCs, especially humans, is extremely unusual for the Zelda series, as Link is generally portrayed as heroic and not brutal.
However, “Majora’s Mask” also had the peculiarity that a decision was never permanent. The whole game is about Link reliving the last three days of the world over and over again, and all events reset at the end of the three days – with the exception of the most important earned items.
Therefore, even if one inadvertently blows up the villain Sakon, it is only a temporary offense. Because after a little song on the Ocarina, time is turned back, and Sakon is once again ready to ambush the old lady. Nowadays, other things surprise in Zelda – such as a cooking pot.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Many modern stories, ranging from The Last of Us to Logan and The Mandalorian, likely have their roots in one of the best mangas. It inspired many comics like Daredevil and Sin City.
What is this manga? Lone Wolf and Cub is by Koike Kazuo and Kojima Goseki and was published from 1970 to 1976. The story is considered one of the best mangas of all time. On MyAnimeList, the manga is rated 8.64 out of 10 by 7,430 users, placing it at 76th place.
Ittou Ogami works as the chief executioner of the shogunate. However, the Yagyuu clan wants to steal his position of power and accuses Ittou of betrayal.
Ittou not only loses his job but also his family. The Yagyuu clan has his entire family murdered, including his wife Azami. Only Ittou’s child Daigorou is spared.
He travels through the country with his son, making a name for himself as a hired killer. His goal: the complete destruction of the Yagyuu clan.
The story reflects Japan’s transition from feudalism to modernity, focusing on the decline of the samurai.
The story is concluded with a total of 28 volumes and has been retold in 6 films. The motif of the wandering man with a child in tow will be familiar to many fans of films, series, comics, and video games. This story has served as an inspiration for many well-known works.
Blue Eye Samurai may also have been inspired by Lone Wolf and Cub:
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Blue Eye Samurai – Trailer for the revenge series about a samurai in the 17th century
Lone Wolf and Cub had a great influence on modern works
Which stories were inspired by Lone Wolf and Cub? The work of Koike Kazuo and Kojima Goseki is reflected in many modern works. The American comic book artist Frank Miller revealed that Lone Wolf and Cub had a significant influence on his works.
In particular, the brutality of the manga can be found in Sin City, Daredevil, and The Dark Knight Returns. The motifs of revenge and honor also appear in some of his works. Miller emphasized that “Japanese mangas open a new perspective on graphic storytelling and the depiction of violence.”
The hired killer and his child.
Yet the elements can be found in many other productions:
In The Last of Us, Joel fights through a cruel and brutal world. He is accompanied by Ellie, a teenage girl. She becomes his adoptive daughter.
The Mandalorian is about a lonely warrior who has a strong sense of honor. He is accompanied by Grogu, a small child.
Wolverine takes a job in Logan to escort a young girl named Laura. Between them, a father-daughter relationship develops. For the director, the Batman trilogy was a source of inspiration (via Movieweb), which in turn was influenced by Lone Wolf and Cub.
Quentin Tarantino revealed that Lone Wolf and Cub influenced him. The fights in Kill Bill, for example, can be attributed to the manga (via PopMatters).
Although the first two works did not explicitly name Lone Wolf and Cub as a source of inspiration, the subsequent influence from the manga may have contributed to part of the story.
What is special about the manga? Lone Wolf and Cub is characterized by its complex narrative and historical context. The action-packed scenes are also well integrated, contributing to a unique atmosphere.
Additionally, the manga features high-quality illustrations. The landscapes and the clothing of the characters are intricately drawn. Therefore, anyone interested in the manga can read it today without hesitation.
Pokémon GO has introduced a new Pokémon. And its special ability has a feature that could change battles in Pokémon GO.
What kind of Pokémon is this? In a 30-second teaser, Pokémon GO announced the debut of Morpeko. According to the announcement, the monster is expected to appear in the game “soon” – possibly for the new season starting in September.
Similar to Pikachu, Morpeko belongs to the electric rodent Pokémon, combining the Electric and Dark types. The special thing: The little mouse is known as the “Ego-Pokémon.”
It is known for falling into an angry form due to its infinite hunger. In this hungry, angry form, its special attack “Aura Wheel” takes on the Dark type. When it switches back to the full form, the attack takes on the Electric type.
And this form change can be seen in the new teaser, which you can watch here:
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Pokémon GO: Morpeko can change form
Why is Morpeko’s form change so significant for Pokémon GO?
The special thing: There are a few monsters in Pokémon GO that take on different forms. To do this, you usually have to spend resources like candies or similar items, and then the monster transforms into the form it retains for a while. These include monsters like
For Morpeko, it’s different: It changes forms in the middle of a battle when you use Aura Wheel. This can be observed in the video both during Rocket duels and in the PvP battle league.
Such a form change has not been possible until now, but it could occur repeatedly starting from the Morpeko debut. The team behind Pokémon GO states in the announcement:
Soon, Morpeko will unleash its fickle nature in Pokémon GO, turning the existing battle system upside down! Certain Pokémon like Morpeko can change their form during battle using a charged attack, which offers you and your team entirely new possibilities. More information about the electrifying debut of the Ego-Pokémon will be released soon, so keep your eyes open!
Announcement on Morpeko on the official blog (via Pokémon GO Live).
Consequently, more monsters will also be granted such form changes. Whether this only applies to new Pokémon or also retrospectively to certain form changers is currently unclear.
Here, it’s a matter of waiting until the new information is released. Nevertheless, Morpeko’s debut is very interesting, as the form changes bring a component into Pokémon GO battles that hasn’t existed before. And since it currently looks like the Dynamax phenomenon will also appear in Pokémon GO in the upcoming season, we can hopefully expect an exciting future for the game.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In 2023, the latest movie in the Mission Impossible series was released. In M:I – Dead Reckoning, Ethan Hunt and his crew face a modern villain. Originally, this villain looked different and resembled the main antagonist from TheLord of the Rings.
Who is the villain in Dead Reckoning Part 1? The seventh installment of Mission Impossible primarily deals with AI and the dangers associated with it. This time, the villain is the entity, an intelligent AI that thinks independently and has hacked all the intelligence agencies in the world.
The respective intelligence agencies did not want to destroy the entity. Just as people are known to be, every organization wants to utilize the entity for significant advantages over other countries. Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise, is not pleased with this at all. He turns against his organization and attempts to destroy the AI. However, its original appearance was changed before the release.
German trailer for Mission Impossible 7 – Dead Reckoning Part One
I just changed the eye from red to blue.
Why was the AI changed? In the film, the AI is often portrayed on screens as a kind of blue eye. However, originally, the AI was red. This resembled too closely the main villain from The Lord of the Rings. Christopher McQuarrie, the film’s director, had to change the color afterward.
The graphics of the entity were initially red. And I gave it this twitching eye movement. At an earlier screening with friends and family, people said, “That’s like the eye of Sauron in Lord of the Rings.” Well, no, it’s not, because the eye of Sauron does not move. In my mind’s eye, it was extremely static.
Christopher McQuarrie on the entity in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (Source: Empire)
Although he perceived his eye differently than Sauron, he ultimately changed the eye from red to blue. After looking at Sauron again, he recognized the similarity. I just changed the eye from red to blue.
Despite the change, the eye still functioned in that way. It created the effect that the entity seemed to be everywhere. He wanted to create something with the entity that does not look people in the eyes but studies them. It should be hungry for more.
Films about artificial intelligences have existed for decades. Iconic films like Blade Runner or RoboCop have already dealt with the topic. But newer films also find approaches to the subject. Her is an emotional film about loneliness and AI, and The Creator is a fantastic sci-fi film that deals with the topic on a moral and spiritual level. The Terminators are also solidified in film history as evil AI. Soon there will be more to see from that: Legendary sci-fi film series gets its own anime on Netflix
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The new European server for Lord of the Rings Online is well received by players. Thanks to the data center in Europe and 64-bit technology, the MMORPG plays smoothly and lag-free like never before. However, there is a catch.
What is that catch? Currently, the only newly released legendary server, Mordor, is running on the European data center, where you are only allowed to play with an active VIP status. The associated subscription costs nearly 13 Euros per month, 27 Euros for three months, 54 Euros for six months, or about 90 Euros for a year.
All EU servers of the free-to-play version of Lord of the Rings Online are still located in North America – in early 2016, the highly criticized move of the servers to New Jersey occurred. Currently, there are no concrete plans to move these worlds to the new EU data center. However, at some point, all game worlds are supposed to run on 64-bit servers (via lotro.com).
With the last expansion, a new class arrived in Middle-earth, here is the trailer:
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The Lord of the Rings Online DLC lets you set sail with a new class – Watch the trailer here
“Finally smooth gameplay”
How does the new location affect the game? Servers in Europe and 64-bit technology – this significantly impacts the gaming experience.
Gankeros raves on Reddit: “I really enjoy the new EU-based server. Finally, the gameplay is smooth because there is no lag!”
velvetline is also thrilled (via Reddit): “I can finally play a class that was nearly unplayable due to lag before (Warden).”
crnppscls sees room for improvement despite the enhancement (via Reddit): “The delay is still there, but it is better. Sometimes it can take a second for a click on a resource node to register. I’ve experienced some rubberbanding and have seen people lagging/desynchronizing in the overworld.”
In a second post, crnppscls mentions specific numbers (via Reddit): “Here in the UK, I had a ping of 130 ms with NA servers, but now on the legendary server, it is 30 ms.”
What else do the legendary servers offer? The legendary servers allow you to experience the chapters of the Middle-earth adventure in chronological order for the first time or once again, while new challenges bring fresh air to the leveling experience.
Gradually, the developers are expanding the available content with new levels and regions. Currently, 50 is the maximum level in Angmar and Mordor. Once the maximum level of the live servers in Angmar is reached, the developers want to offer a move to non-legendary servers of your choice. Mordor is to remain live as long as it is financially viable. More on this: Leveling in the MMORPG of Lord of the Rings is particularly fun right now, thanks to the Nazgûl
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The gamescom is coming up and, as in previous years, will be opened by the Opening Night Live. We will tell you which games will definitely be showcased at the opening show.
What is the Opening Night Live? The Opening Night Live (short ONL) is the opening show of the gamescom and takes place on Tuesday evenings starting at 20:00. You can watch the ONL on Twitch, YouTube, X.com (formerly Twitter) as well as on the official gamescom website.
If you want to get in the mood, you can tune in from 19:30. The pre-show will already be running from then. This year’s ONL will be hosted by Canadian video game journalist and host Geoff Keighley along with Belgian TV host Eefje Depoortere.
The Opening Night Live has its own trailer, which you can see here:
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The gamescom shows in the trailer what you can expect from the Opening Night Live
Brand new trailers for the most anticipated games
What games can we expect to see? The opening show not only marks the opening of the fair but also features many trailers for the most anticipated games. Some of the titles that viewers can look forward to at the ONL are already known.
The following games will be showcased at the Opening Night Live:
There has also been the first cancellation. According to a post by the host Geoff Keighley on Tuesday evening, the game Hollow Knight: Silksong will not be seen (via X.com). However, the host announced on X.com that there will also be new game announcements during the opening show.
The evening will also be filled with conversations with prominent guests as well as impressions of the fair and what you can expect there this year.
What happens after the Opening Night Live? After the ONL, gamescom opens to industry visitors on Wednesday. From Thursday, ticket holders can then explore the halls.
For some, Black Myth: Wukong (PS5, Steam, Xbox) is already a contender for Game of the Year. In some reviews, this action-adventure receives dream ratings. However, on reddit, a purported restriction for streamers and reviewers is being discussed, which is clearly false, but has created quite a stir.
How is Black Myth Wukong performing in reviews? Very well: The action RPG currently has 82% positive ratings on Metacritic.
The German GameStar gives a preliminary rating between 80 and 85%
The usually strict PC Gamer awards 87% and praises especially “the expressive combat system”
Black Myth: Wukong: The final trailer for the action RPG from China
Black Myth Wukong is the biggest topic on reddit, but for the wrong reason
What is being discussed on reddit? While Black Myth Wukong is currently the biggest topic on reddit, it is not about the quality of the game.
They are discussing an article by Don Parson about the free platform “Medium“, which claims:
There is a streaming agreement for Black Myth Wukong
Developer Game-Science has distributed keys to YouTubers and Twitch streamers, but imposed some prohibitions on them
For example, they are not allowed to discuss: Politics, violence, feminist propaganda, the Chinese Covid policy of isolation, or anything related to China
What is the catch? Meanwhile, some have come forward and said: This is a total hoax. Such instructions simply do not exist.
However, the original article led to a heated discussion on reddit:
The original thread that shared the Medium article received 1,500 comments and 1,300 upvotes
The follow-up thread, arguing that the article was untrue, received 2,600 upvotes and 509 comments
In the original thread, many criticize that such an unbelievable source receives so much support because the rumor feeds the prejudices of reddit users against China. Reddit users are largely located in the USA, and there are strong reservations against China.
And the exposure of this story as false is now sparking a heated discussion because it is claimed that there is supposedly an “anti-China” sentiment being stirred up on reddit. The moderators of the subreddit are especially criticized for not intervening more firmly.
Update 19.8, 10:05 AM: As it has been reported, the guidelines for discussion seem to be real after all. However, they were not sent to journalists, but only to content creators. The guidelines seem to be more of a recommendation, as Forbes reports. Acceptance of the guidelines was apparently not linked to receiving a review code for Black Myth Wukong. It is currently unclear how many content creators received these guidelines. You can read more about the topic here.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Steven Seagal had great success in the 1990s. However, despite playing the lead role in this movie, he was not seen for a large part of the runtime.
Which movie is it about? Under Siege is one of Steven Seagal’s most famous films. In English, it is titled Under Siege. It was released in 1992, the decade in which Seagal was probably at his most successful.
Under Siege is even the commercially most successful film of the actor. It grossed around 156 million US dollars worldwide (via boxofficemojo.com).
Ironically, Seagal plays the lead role, but he is only seen for about 41 minutes in the film, which has a runtime of 98 minutes.
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Steven Seagal in the trailer for his most successful film: Alarm Red
The Villain Steals the Show
Why does Seagal have so little screentime? Seagal plays Casey Ryback in the film, who must fend off an attack by terrorists on a US Navy ship. Due to this role, Seagal even made it into the game World of Warships. The main antagonist and Ryback’s opponent is William Strannix, played by none other than Tommy Lee Jones.
Compared to Seagal, Jones is seen much more often. According to Nick de Semlyen and his book “Last Action Heroes,” the reason was simple: Seagal was initially not really convinced by the project and doubted whether he should even sign on for it.
Thus, the villain and therefore Jones was given more space in the script. For his performance, Jones received much praise and his own career was boosted. Just a year later, he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film The Fugitive.
But despite his low screentime, the film was worth it for Seagal. Not only did it gross a lot of money worldwide, it made the actor even more popular. And ultimately, in Hollywood, it is not really important how long one is seen on screen.
Some major actors won their Oscar even for roles where they were only seen for a few minutes. A well-known example is Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs.
Seagal did not receive an Oscar for his portrayal in Under Siege. However, he went down in film history and is considered one of the great action stars of that time. Who is now considered the biggest action star was decided by viewers in a poll – read on MeinMMO to see who made it to first place.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
For the upcoming alpha test of Ashes of Creation, the developers at Intrepid want to sell new access and address the criticism from the community.
What is going on with the alpha accesses of Ashes of Creation? When the ambitious MMORPG finally launches, it will adopt an unusual payment model with mandatory subscription, in-game shop, and no purchase price. Those who want to get in early must either be very lucky (and snag a free access somewhere) or invest a considerable amount of money.
During the first Kickstarter campaign in May 2017, which raised $3.271 million, interested parties could purchase crowdfunding packages worth up to $10,000. Back then, one needed to invest at least $400 for an alpha-1 access.
Plenty of gameplay for the mage class from Ashes of Creation:
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Ashes of Creation presents the mage archetype in 30 minutes
What is the current status? In September 2023, the developers announced that they would not sell pre-order packages for the time being starting January 2024 (via support.ashesofcreation.com).
This once again led to a lot of criticism, for example on Reddit. Studio head and creative director Steven Sharif responded to this and clarified (via ashesofcreation.com) that all three first-wave bundles would also include access to beta tests, each one month of subscription time, as well as in-game currency Embers worth $15.
The adjusted alpha packages for Ashes of Creation.
How does the community react to the changes? After there had always been a lot of enthusiasm and anticipation during the latest gameplay presentations regarding the progress of Ashes of Creation, one notices in the current discussions that many interested parties remain disappointed by the paid alpha accesses.
Shezzerino summarizes the fundamental problem succinctly (via Reddit): “You are still paying to test the alpha version of a game. That is ridiculous. […] If they do this, what will they do later?”
DoomRevenant claims to be a developer himself and writes (via Reddit): “From a developer’s perspective, all of this tells me that the developers are either completely incompetent and should not be in the industry, or, which is far more likely, they are just greedy and trying to commercialize the alpha of their game and use it as an excuse to entice whales, rather than actually using it for its intended purpose.”
GM_Jedi7 is also disappointed (via Reddit): “The fact that they even tried the first method should be a warning signal. That they are moving away from it is nothing to applaud.”
There are only two things I do not like. First, the health system of Ashes of Creation in PvP, and second, the way interested parties have been charged so far to test the MMORPG in alpha and beta rounds and give feedback. My recommendation, as always: Wait for the finished (then free outside of the subscription) game before spending money.
However, the truth is that Ashes of Creation would never exist in this ambitious form without continuous crowdfunding. The Kickstarter was over seven years ago. While other companies are laying off people left and right, Intrepid continues to hire – about 200 developers are now working on Ashes of Creation. Accordingly, the project burns through a considerable amount of dollars every month.
What would the alternative be? Western publishers have not ventured into such ambitious MMORPG projects for many years. The current consolidation phase is likely to have worsened this. When companies are willing to spend a lot of money on comparable games, it is the Tencents and Neteases, i.e., Asian megacorporations, that do not enjoy a very good reputation here.
Due to the regular developer updates and visible progress, I am also sure that Ashes of Creation is not a scam attempt, will be finished in the foreseeable future, and already has the potential to become a really good MMORPG.
With Baldur’s Gate 3, the Larian Studios team has won numerous awards and achieved what is arguably the biggest success of the development studio. However, for the head of the developer, Swen Vincke, a completely different title is the highlight of his career.
What is his highlight of the career? In an interview with BAFTA, Swen Vincke, the founder of Larian Studios, shared some details of his career so far. He also revealed a small secret about their current hit, Baldur’s Gate 3.
With all the awards that Baldur’s Gate 3 has won, one might think that this title is also the highlight of his career. But for Vincke, a completely different title is the milestone in his life. He reveals that the release of Divinity Original Sin is the highlight of his career.
You can see the successor to Divinity Original Sin in the following trailer:
Start video
Divinity: Original Sin 2 Trailer
Divinity Original Sin made the studio’s dreams come true
Why was the release of Divinity Original Sin his highlight? Vincke explains that the title was the first major breakthrough for the development studio. With Divinity Original Sin, they won both the BAFTA Award and the Game Award.
Thanks to the success of the game, Larian Studios was finally able to do what they had wanted to do all along. The release changed everything for the developers, and they felt a sense of relief. You can see his full answer at 5:32 minutes in the following video:
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What is Divinity Original Sin? Divinity Original Sin is the fourth game in the Divinity series developed by Larian Studios. It is the prequel to all previous Divinity games and was released in 2014 for PC. The sequel is one of the best RPGs on Steam.
It shares many similarities with Baldur’s Gate 3. We travel through an open world with other players or NPCs with pre-made backstories. There are several decision-making options in NPC conversations that lead to different outcomes. Additionally, there are turn-based battles that require a lot of tactics.
However, there are also some differences: In Divinity Original Sin, there are no DnD dice that you know from Baldur’s Gate 3. Instead, hit chances and successes are indicated by percentages.
So-called ‘intimate scenes’ are repeatedly causing problems on video game sets. That’s why actresses are now demanding measures to improve working conditions.
What is the problem? Intimate scenes are no longer rare in video games. This includes consensual sex scenes, but also those depicting sexual violence.
Some actresses report unfavorable working conditions on such shoots. For instance, it is often announced at the last moment that intimate scenes are planned at all. This is due to the secrecy surrounding these projects, which is anything but ideal.
The actresses involved are caught off guard by the intimate scenes and are unable to prepare for them. This leads to psychological stress. The union Equity, which represents the interests of performers, is therefore demanding measures to improve the situation for everyone.
A game that did it better: Baldur’s Gate 3:
Start video
Launch Trailer for the Role-playing Game Baldur’s Gate 3
“Disgusting” scenes, but without announcement
What do the actresses report? Jessica Jefferies worked as a motion capture performer for video games before she began working as a casting director. From her time as a performer, she recounts that she often did not find out until the shoot what she would have to do.
Once she learned on set that she was supposed to reenact a sexual assault in an explicit and, in her opinion, “disgusting” manner.
Jefferies found the scene completely unjustified and was also the only woman on set. So she refused to perform the scene and expressed her concerns. This had an impact; the scene was not filmed.
Another voice actress shares a story about a sex scene she knew nothing about:
I had to [vocally] adapt to the scene, and through the glass in the booth, the entire team, all men, was watching me. It was terrible … at that point, I had been in the gaming industry for a while and had never felt so shaken. What upset me about the situation was the fact that I was put in an embarrassing position, and no one thought to ask me if I was okay with it. And no one checked afterward if I was alright.
Are there positive examples? Yes, there are. Baldur’s Gate 3 is specifically mentioned as a game that handled intimate scenes in a model manner. The team took them seriously, and an intimacy coordinator was used on set. The role of the intimacy coordinator is new and is increasingly used in film. This is to ensure that processes in a sex scene are discussed first and all involved know exactly what is going to happen.
In the future, it should also become standard that actresses receive a precise script in advance, including the intimate scenes. This is intended to improve working conditions and prevent shocking experiences. The conditions in the video game industry are not always ideal for employees off-camera either – people who have worked for Blizzard report questionable practices.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The great rewards from World of Warcraft: Remix will soon disappear. Get everything you need now, as it may never return.
For almost 3 months, the event “WoW Remix: Mists of Pandaria” has run, and aside from some frog issues at the beginning of the event, it can likely be considered a huge success for Blizzard and the community. You could not only level characters quickly but also grab a lot of cosmetics in the form of transmogs, mounts, or toys.
However, the event will end in a few hours – so this is your last chance to grab some rewards.
Start video
WoW Remix: Mists of Pandaria – All Features at a Glance
When does the event end? WoW Remix: Mists of Pandaria ends for us on August 20th at 8 PM – that’s tomorrow evening. Until then, you should stock up on all the rewards you definitely want to have. Because it is still not known if there will be another “Remix: Pandaria,” and some of the rewards may remain exclusive for years.
How to quickly farm Bronze? Bronze is the primary resource to buy rewards in Remix. If you want to collect some last-minute Bronze, you should accept the daily quests for dungeons, scenarios, and raids and also play every available content in the group finder at least once (each a random scenario, heroic scenario, dungeon, and heroic dungeon).
If you still need more, join groups for the heroic raids – they are very easy and grant between 7,000 and 20,000 Bronze each.
If you still have Bronze, spend it now!
Aside from that, you can now also throw any gems you might still have into the “shredder” to obtain more Bronze. Legendary gems give 270 Bronze, epic 90, rare 30, and green 10. Since the gems will serve no purpose after the end of the event, you can easily shred them.
Also ask your friends if they have any leftover gems they can give you. Because the gems are tradable, your friends or guildmates can also send you some Bronze to snag a few more items. We have more tips for farming Bronze here.
Which rewards should you prioritize? That probably depends on your personal taste. If you have no preferences, you might want to buy the items that are exclusively offered in “Remix.” These are mainly:
The exclusive class sets and weapons.
The various mounts.
If you have already grabbed everything from those categories, you can of course buy the various tier sets or also toys that you just had no luck farming.
Even though it is a bit sad that WoW Remix: Mists of Pandaria is now coming to an end, you can look forward to using the characters soon in “normal” WoW and then also jumping right into the new expansion The War Within.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
In August 2024, the Spotlight Hours will be back in Pokémon GO. We will provide you with all the important information about the events.
What kind of event is it? The Spotlight Hours are small events lasting 60 minutes, taking place every Tuesday. During this time, a featured Pokémon will appear in high numbers.
In addition to the Pokémon, each event will have a bonus active for that time, which can grant you extra experience points, stardust, or candies.
All Spotlight Hours in August 2024
When do the Spotlight Hours take place? The Spotlight Hours occur every Tuesday, starting at 6:00 PM and running until 7:00 PM. You can find out the dates for the various Pokémon and bonuses in August 2024 in the following table.
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? Rotomurf, the Ground Pokémon from Generation 5, will be featured during the Spotlight Hour on August 6. It has an evolution: Stalobor.
What bonus is active? During this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double the amount of experience points for catching Pokémon, regardless of which Pokémon you catch.
Is the event worth it? With the evolution of Rotomurf, Stalobor, you will obtain a very strong Ground attacker that can also be found in the list of strongest Pokémon in Pokémon GO. Therefore, you can take good advantage of this event to catch a few strong specimens.
The Shadow variant of Rotomurf is already available as well. You can thus use the Spotlight Hour to gather some candies for it.
Can you catch Shiny Rotomurf? Yes, you can also find the Shiny variant of Rotomurf if you’re lucky.
Spotlight Hour on August 13
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? On this day, you can encounter Liliep during the Spotlight Hour. The Pokémon is from Generation 3 and has the types Rock and Grass. You can evolve it into Wielie.
What bonus is active? If you catch Pokémon during this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double the amount of candies for them. The bonus applies not only to Liliep but to all Pokémon you catch.
Is the event worth it? While Wielie is still just about in the top 100 of the Super League, it doesn’t matter in the other leagues. Unfortunately, Liliep and its evolution are not worth using in raids either.
The catch bonus could be interesting here, especially if you have Pokémon collected from field research rewards that you’ve been waiting for this kind of bonus.
Can you catch Shiny Liliep? Yes. If you’re lucky, you may encounter the Shiny variant of Liliep during the Spotlight Hour.
Spotlight Hour on August 20
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? Menki, the monkey-like Pokémon from Generation 1, will be in the spotlight during the Spotlight Hour on August 20. The Pokémon has the Fighting type, and it can evolve into Rasaff and then into Epitaff.
Epitaff has the Fighting type as well as the Ghost type.
What bonus is active? If you transfer Pokémon during this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double the amount of candies for them. This bonus can be very useful if you’ve accumulated Pokémon for such a bonus or if your Pokémon box is full.
You can also pre-mark Pokémon with a tag before this Spotlight Hour to make it easier and quicker to send them during the event.
Is the event worth it? For use in raids, Menki and its evolutions are unfortunately not very strong. However, its final evolution, Epitaff, can show its full strength in the battle league.
On the ranking of PvPoke, Epitaff is ranked 53rd in the Master League and even 27th in the Ultra League. If you want to get the most out of Epitaff, you should use it in the Super League, where it ranks 3rd and is only surpassed by 2 other Pokémon.
Additionally, the bonus of double Transfer Candies is very strong. Therefore, you shouldn’t miss this Spotlight Hour.
Can you catch Shiny Menki? Yes, you can also find Shiny Menki if you’re lucky.
Spotlight Hour on August 27
Which Pokémon is in the spotlight? Magnetilo, the Electric and Steel Pokémon from Generation 1, will be the focus of this Spotlight Hour. It can evolve into Magneton and then into Magnezone.
What bonus is active? If you evolve Pokémon during this Spotlight Hour, you will receive double the amount of experience points for it.
Is the event worth it? If you evolve Magnetilo into its final form, Magnezone, you can look forward to a strong Electric attacker for your raid teams. Its Shadow variant is even stronger. During this event, you can also collect a lot of candies for it.
For use in the battle leagues, Magnetilo and its evolutions are not worth it. You should rely on other Pokémon for this.
If you’ve accumulated many Pokémon that you want to evolve, you can also use the event to double the experience points gained from it.
Can you catch Shiny Magnetilo? Yes, Magnetilo is already available as a Shiny Pokémon in the game. With a bit of luck, you may encounter it in this form.
What do you think about the Spotlight Hours in August 2024? Are there any that particularly interest you? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments and discuss it with other trainers here. If you want to know what else is coming up this month, take a look at our overview of events in August 2024 in Pokémon GO.
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
The Twitch streamers Mowky and AnniTheDuck are in a verbal clash. Once they were close friends. Mowky even appeared in an ARD documentary to explain to everyone how great AnniTheDuck is. But now, both are shooting at each other in a series of YouTube videos and statements. In a new statement from 18.08, Mowky takes the next round, with support from Rezo as an authority on such matters.
It broke apart in May 2024. Mowky said she had suffered for 5 years under the friendship. AnniTheDuck had launched a defaming campaign against her. She no longer wanted to have anything to do with “this person”.
AnniTheDuck stated that many accusations from Mowky were false, as she was accused of attending sex parties. Additionally, screenshots of conversations were edited unfavorably to portray AnniTheDuck as extremely heartless and cold.
The conflict surrounding AnniTheDuck, who had previously maintained a flawless image, began in May 2024 with the statement from her former partner Reved:
Start video
Reved explains on Twitch how much she suffered in the relationship with Anni The Duck
Mowky talks about an embarrassing deflowering party
This is what Mowky says now: In a new, nearly 40-minute video, Mowky responds again.
Essentially, she reaffirms her version of events and accuses AnniTheDuck of having simply lied in some instances. Mowky claims she never threw a chair – this accusation is only meant to portray Mowky as impulsive and uncontrolled. The accusation is untrue.
In other instances, AnniTheDuck contradicted points that Mowky never made. No one spoke of a “sex party” or “orgy”.
Mowky clarifies: The event was about a party in honor of a person who worked for AnniTheDuck and who lost her virginity before the celebration. This defloration was to be celebrated at the party. Even Anni herself ironically referred to it as a “terrible idea”.
The party was, however, extremely uncomfortable for the person involved, as Mowky explains, supported by testimonies:
This one person knew nothing about this party. It was decided for this person that they would suddenly be at this surprise party concerning their virginity. This person was supposed to sit down and participate.
Mowky (here in green) shares a screenshot of a conversation about the party with an employee of Anni.
AnniTheDuck also said she only spoke with “close friends” about Mowky’s mental state. This is untrue; they discussed Mowky’s health details with people who were completely strangers until then, which caused irritation given that such personal details of a third person were discussed so openly.
Mowky accuses her former friend of having completely ignored many accusations against her, such as mistreating the cats. Other accusations, such as that Mowky sexually harassed multiple men, are simply untrue. None of the men felt that way. Anni, as an uninvolved third party, simply brought up and disseminated such a “serious accusation”.
Rezo serves as a spokesperson for anonymous sources, the credibility of which he has verified in a conversation.
Rezo adds more credibility to Mowky’s statement
This is what makes the video special: Unlike AnniTheDuck, Mowky can present several witnesses who confirm her view, including former employees of AnniTheDuck.
As a special gag, she enlisted the streamer Rezo to read statements from participants who wish to remain anonymous.
Rezo says he spoke to the people for about an hour each beforehand and considers their statements plausible. Since his videos against the CDU, Rezo is seen as what comes closest to an investigative journalist in the German influencer scene. Rezo repeatedly emphasizes that he was not present during the described incidents and does not intend to evaluate the statements of the witnesses.
Mowky repeatedly underscores that the dispute is not about Mowky vs. AnniTheDuck, but that a large number of people have expressed negative opinions about AnniTheDuck, yet she has only reacted to Mowky. This does not reflect the reality of the conflict.
Mowky brings in another expert when it comes to an allegedly manipulated audio recording in AnniTheDuck’s latest video.
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Mowky: “Hopefully Anni doesn’t make another video again”
What impression does the video leave? Mowky seemed to have always been very burdened by the topic. For her first major accusatory video, she took months to prepare, emphasizing how difficult it was for her.
Once again, you can feel how little joy it brings her to delve into individual sentences and statements so detailed.
In the end, she states that she does not understand why AnniTheDuck made another attack with so many easily refutable statements. Mowky hopes this topic is now over.
I hope that Anni finally addresses these accusations. I hope she doesn’t make another video where she only addresses a fraction of the accusations or completely ignores them or distorts and changes the accusations so that one doesn’t grasp which accusations it is actually about.
Currently, a new era of “exposings” has begun in Germany and the USA: Some of the biggest streamers and YouTubers are under criticism. In the USA, for example, DrDisrespect and Mr.Beast have been caught. In Germany, this exposing has gained a unique dynamic because the avalanche started rolling through a small donation: How a €2.50 donation caused chaos in German Twitch and led to the careers of 2 influencers ending
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Even with a luxury electric car, an old solution helps when almost nothing works: “The first step of a technician”
The cover image is a symbolic image.
What kind of electric car is this story about? The “hero” of this experience, where its battery, toxic charging stations along the way, and ultimately its reset function play the main roles, is a Rivian R1S. This is a seven-seater electric SUV that costs at least €70,000.
The owner of the Rivian and narrator of this self-experienced tech horror story is Marco Arment, a software developer and podcaster. In an episode of “Accidental Tech“, he recounts how a journey through the sprawling border region of the USA and Canada almost turned into a nightmare.
Start video
In Germany, there are over 400 USB sticks protruding from walls – What is the ‘Dead Drops’ project?
Weak performance, but simple solution with the electric car
In the middle of nowhere, it happened: just as he was leaving a rest area where he had breathed new life into the struggling batteries through fast charging. A warning lit up on the display, something was wrong with the battery. At the same time, acceleration ceased, the powerful SUV was crawling along the road – several hours from home or a technician.
What did Marco Arment do? Lacking any real alternative, he resorted to the oldest trick of all PC users – even as a programmer with thousands of hours of experience.
Turn it off and on again. That is the first step of any technician for diagnostics.
Because ultimately, such an electric car is a computer on wheels.
So just turn the “ignition” off and on again? No, because shutting down the engine and its systems corresponds more to a “standby” than a “shutdown” in modern cars. To really reset the Rivian and reboot it, he had to press a button on the steering wheel as well as a hidden one on the roof of the car. And it worked.
After the car restarted after about five minutes, the engine delivered the expected performance again – without any fuss or noticeable problems while driving.
Did the problem reappear? Yes, unfortunately. During the trip, the bug occurred after each charging session. Thus, there were a few more resets. Marco Arment and his Rivian survived the trip well – and hopefully, the problem has since been resolved by an auto mechanic.
Can such a reboot also help solve problems with other E-cars? Yes, that is a possibility. And as long as you have the opportunity to safely perform such a hard reset, it is probably worth a try. With Tesla, you can either just restart the screen or turn off the car via the touch panel and reboot it. You can read here at Tesla how to do this.
