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Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC Bundles Are Quite Pricey

By
Aletheia
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0
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The latest Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield presentation may have primarily focused on the game’s Crown Tundra DLC, but the presentation also revealed that the titles are set to have physical versions as well that are scheduled to be launched within the year.

The physical versions will have the base games, of course, along with the full expansion pass. This makes these physical editions a perfect purchase for those who haven’t bought either one of the titles yet.

Back then, The Pokemon Company didn’t release any information regarding the pricing of these physical versions. However, pre-orders for Pokemon Sword + Expansion Pass and Pokemon Shield + Expansion Pass were recently discovered by fans on Amazon. Based on the information found there, the Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC bundles are scheduled to be released on November 6, 2020.

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If you look at the US prices, these bundles cost $89.99. If you check Nintendo’s official store, the standalone versions of each title still retail for $59.99, while the Expansion Pass is priced at $29.99.

So if you do the math, the bundles aren’t necessarily that different price-wise than if you buy the base game and DLC separately. In any case, some retailers may be selling a copy of either Pokemon Sword or Pokemon Shield at a much cheaper price, since these two games have been out for nearly a year now.

As such, those players who want to save as much money as possible should just say goodbye to these DLC bundles if they’re willing to pass it up. However, we completely understand if you’re dying to get your hands on the DLC expansions such as the Crown Tundra DLC.

After all, the DLC gives you the chance to battle and catch every Legendary Pokemon to have made an appearance in the series thus far. Not only that, but there will be a lot of returning Pokemon as well, Dragonite and Garchomp being two of them.

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You’ll also encounter the Legendary Bird trio and their new Galarian forms. If that’s not enough to win you over, the DLC features an all-new tournament that allows you to be partners with either a rival or a Gym Leader in 2v2 matches.

As far as we know, the Expansion Pass only contains two DLC pieces and these are the Crown Tundra and the Isle of Armor. The latter was launched near the beginning of the year.

However, some fans have been speculating that a third DLC is currently being developed. The rumors say that the unannounced DLC will be set in the Kalos region, which is a region from Pokemon X and Y.

That said, this is merely rumors at this point and there are no indications that it could be true, although time will tell. Speaking of rumors, there have been numerous rumors about Pokemon’s 25th anniversary, which is taking place next year.

Some say that Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver could be ported to the Nintendo Switch, while others hope for full-on remastered versions of all the previous Pokemon titles. Given how complex the latter is, it’s very unlikely to happen.

Twitch Streamer Reckful’s Death Officially Ruled as a Suicide

By
Aletheia
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0
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Last July, Byron “Reckful” Bernstein passed away at the young age of 31. He was well-known as a video game streamer on Twitch as well as a World of Warcraft player in the pro scene.

During that time, his cause of death wasn’t confirmed yet, but his loved ones implied that he took his life. Now, after the Travis County medical examiner’s notes were made public knowledge, it has been ruled that Reckful’s death was, in fact, a suicide.

According to TMZ, the medical examiner’s report states that the streamer was already pronounced dead on the spot after he could no longer be resuscitated by the emergency responders. However, we don’t know how much time passed between Bernstein taking his own life and when the emergency responders made an appearance.

Before his death, Bernstein made some pretty troubling tweets that understandably worried his friends, family, and fans. One of his tweets said, “ahh, i feel bad for anyone who has to deal with my insanity.”

He made a follow-up to this tweet saying “please just know in these situations the insane person does not feel in control of their actions.” Shortly after he sent out those tweets, reports started circulating that the beloved streamer was no longer with us.

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This was later confirmed by his ex-girlfriend who is well-known by her online handle ‘BlueGoesMew,’ as well as by another streamer known as NymN and esports journalist Rod Breslau.

Bernstein was never afraid to talk about his mental health and how much he struggled with it. As such, his fans were already pretty aware that he grappled with depression. He also made an appearance on the HealthyGamerGG show, which is where he revealed to the world that he was diagnosed with Bipolar Type 2 as a child.

The death of Bernstein was definitely a shock to the Twitch streaming community, which led to numerous content creators talking about it and making a statement about it. He was mostly known for playing World of Warcraft, as such, the community was also heartbroken by the news.

To mourn the loss of Reckful and to show gratitude for all he has done for the community, countless World of Warcraft players from all over gathered together to host in-game memorials.

Blizzard also paid tribute to Bernstein’s passing by adding him to World of Warcraft as an NPC. You will be able to interact with an NPC named Reckful once World of Warcraft: Shadowlands gets released.

Reckful was known for primarily using a Rogue character in World of Warcraft, so it makes sense that Blizzard decided to make the NPC a Rogue Trainer. That being said, this wouldn’t be the first time that Blizzard included him in the game.

In 2018, Blizzard added a character named Byron Burnside to World of Warcraft, and this character was based on Bernstein. The fact that even Blizzard paid tribute to the streamer just goes to show just how much he meant to people and how his passing impacted the community.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal ideations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to someone or contact the National Suicide Helpline at 1-800-273-8255. You’re not alone and you never will be.

 

Riot Games Reveals First Look at New Agent 13

By
Aletheia
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0
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With the end of Episode 1 Act 2 fast approaching, Riot Games has been slowly revealing new details about Valorant’s upcoming third Act. Recently, the studio revealed a brand-new map called ‘Icebox,’ which is set in a frozen-over dockyard.

Now, Riot has given fans a sneak peek at the new Agent they’ll be adding once Act 3 goes live. Although, at the time of writing, the Agent’s name, abilities, as well as lore still remain a mystery.

As for everything else, the company has given a pretty thorough description of what players can expect in Episode 1 Act 3.

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According to Riot’s news update on the Valorant website, they’re “closing Episode 1 with a banger of a finish.” Asides from the new Icebox map, you’ll be met with fresh content as soon as Act 3 goes live, such as a new 50-tiered Battlepass as well as some changes to the competitive mode.

As for the thirteenth Agent, players will be able to meet the new character two weeks or one patch cycle after the beginning of Act 3.

New Map

The new map where you can show off your aim and skills is situated in an abandoned research facility somewhere in the arctics. As an Attacker, you must first pierce the thick blankets of snow so that you can plant the Spike.

If you’re on the side of the Defenders, you can make use of the ropes and zip lines scattered across the area in order to reach areas that you can use to your advantage. Icebox will be available in Unrated matches on October 13, while Competitive matches will be seeing it on October 27.

Because of the fact that Riot is releasing a new map earlier than expected, this is why the new Agent will be delayed a little bit. This decision will only benefit the game as a whole, as delaying Agent 13 gives the developers enough time to fix any stability issues.

Competitive Refresh

You will find that there will be changes made to the way ranking works in Valorant’s competitive mode. According to Riot, they are working “on the long term health of organized team play.” Here are the following changes you can expect in Act 3:

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Act III Battlepass

As expected of every new Act, players can also look forward to a new Battlepass this upcoming October 13. Riot also confirmed that there have been some improvements made to Act 3’s Battlepass.

For instance, you will notice that Act 3’s weekly missions will progress much faster in order for you to quickly unlock content and “additional epilogue tiers.”

If you get the Act 3 Premium Battlepass, you will be able to get your hands on exclusive Valorant items such as the “Disco Ball” Gun Buddy, the Ruin Vandal, and the Surge Bucky.

Middle East and North Africa

Middle Eastern and North African players can now welcome and embrace low pings as they try to rise above the ranks towards the Radiant throne.

If you log into Valorant on October 28, you will be able to obtain the Dallah Gun Buddy as a celebratory gift from Riot.

New Agent

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At the moment, Riot Games hasn’t revealed anything about the new Agent except for pictures. Right now, we only know what Agent 13 looks like, but we don’t know what their lore and abilities are.

Stay tuned though, as we’ll surely keep you posted on any new Valorant updates.

What You Need to Know About Pikmin 3 Deluxe Co-Op Mode

By
Aletheia
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0
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Just today, Nintendo had a Treehouse Live event covering two highly-beloved titles: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Pikmin 3 Deluxe. Undoubtedly, Age of Calamity fans have a lot of things to be excited about, but Pikmin fans can look forward to many exciting things as well.

Even though Hyrule Warriors itself is relatively new, the fact remains that it’s a combination of Legend of Zelda and Dynasty Warriors – two old yet highly-acclaimed franchises that are known to have numerous installments.

On the other hand, a remake of Pikmin 3 is a truly rare occurrence. After all, the wonderful and colorful world of Pikmin, along with its unique mechanics, can only be experienced with fresh new eyes every couple of years. Even though the franchise doesn’t release as often as other Nintendo titles, Pikmin has a strong grip on the hearts of fans and there’s a reason for that.

In the Nintendo Treehouse livestream that took place today, Nintendo showcased a bit of Pikmin 3 Deluxe’s gameplay. This came with the announcement that starting today, long-time fans and potential ones can download the free demo for the title.

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Those who do decide to try out the free demo will be able to transfer their saved data over to the main game. Doing so will allow you to unlock content for the game. Among other things discussed during the live event was the co-op mode and how to unlock it, since it’s not readily available when you start the game.

Unlocking Pikmin 3 Deluxe’s co-op mode is easy – all you have to do is find and then rescue Brittany. When you start the game, you will have crashed on the planet of Pikmin playing as the character Alph.

From there, you just need to find Brittany who happens to be nearby. Initially, you won’t have access to all the Pikmin characters just yet. However, there’s no need to worry because the red ones are more than enough for this rescue mission.

After ensuring the safety of Brittany, you will be given the ability to go in and out of the singleplayer campaign at any given moment. By doing so, more than one player can act the part of Alph and his squad.

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Of course, it’s great that players have the option to choose between different characters for the multiplayer mode, but we don’t know how this will all fit in the story. It’s highly unlikely that there’s any significance or major changes if you choose a character over the other.

After all, the Pikmin series focuses more on solving puzzles rather than the choices you make in-game. On another note, the character Olimar and Louie will be featured in the side stories, and if you get to unlock them, they will become playable characters as well.

From what we’ve seen on the gameplay video, Pikmin 3 Deluxe follows the footsteps of the previous titles wherein ensuring the safety of the Pikmin is still as cute yet as stressful as ever.

In any case, it’s definitely time to mark your calendars, as Pikmin 3 Deluxe will be released on October 30, 2020.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Uses Same Hyrule Map From Breath of the Wild

By
Aletheia
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0
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Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is slowly turning into a true Breath of the Wild prequel, as it has been revealed during today’s Nintendo Treehouse Live event that the upcoming title will be using the same map from BOTW along with other features you may find familiar.

The development of Breath of the Wild meant that Nintendo had to take a few risks, given the fact that it meant making some changes to the unfailing formula implemented in the other Legend of Zelda titles.

Fortunately for Nintendo, the game was a huge hit, so much so that some fans would even go so far as to call it their favorite Zelda game or the best one they’ve played so far. That’s really saying something, given how there are so many installments in the Legend of Zelda franchise, each being awesome in their own ways.

Due to its success, a lot of players have been looking forward to more content set in Breath of the Wild’s timeline. Nintendo decided to indulge the fans by creating a whole sequel for the game instead of just a simple DLC pack.

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A few months ago, fans were scouring the internet and nitpicked Nintendo Direct live streams for news and updates regarding a possible Breath of the Wild sequel. Instead, they were met with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, much to everyone’s pleasant surprise.

That being said, Age of Calamity will remain different from the original Hyrule Warriors game. Even though the hack-and-slash mechanics and the ability to choose multiple playable characters will remain, Nintendo has made sure that it will be a prequel to Breath of Wild.

Excited fans were able to get a closer look at the upcoming Legend of Zelda installment today during the Nintendo Treehouse live stream. The event revealed that familiar features from Breath of the Wild will be present in Age of Calamity, as it turns away from its Hyrule Warriors predecessor in more ways than one.

For one thing, Breath of the Wild and Age of Calamity will have the same Hyrule map. Even though the map will contain new and improved graphics and animations, it still contains the same familiar locations.

In addition to that, players will be able to make trips to a blacksmith to upgrade weapons. The great news is that this time around, Link’s weapons, along with the other Champion’s, will not break.

Just like the sequel, cooking and resources will continue to be a huge part of Age of Calamity. Not only will these resources be used to upgrade and improve weapons, but they can be used to gain access to new areas as well.

When it comes to the cooking aspect though, the Treehouse livestream hosts revealed that different characters will have their own favorite dishes in the prequel title, so finding out and collecting the different recipes should be a fun event.

The rune system from Breath of the Wild, such as Stasis and Magnesis, will also be included in Age of Calamity. Also, it appears that each playable character, like Urbosa and Purah, will be able to take advantage of these runes to help them in battle.

PlayStation 5 Trophies Will Have New Look and More Levels

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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0
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Sony is currently rebuilding the PlayStation Trophy system in time for the release of the PlayStation 5, greatly expanding the Trophy levels.

PlayStation Trophy levels are scheduled to undergo a massive increase as Sony is reconstructing the system in preparation for the release of the PlayStation 5 in November. The Trophy System’s update is just one of numerous critical adjustments that the company is implementing to the console’s ecosystem in preparation for the launch of the next-gen console. This includes a premium addition to the PlayStation Plus subscription that allows players to access 18 top-tier PlayStation 4 games.

The PlayStation Trophy system was Sony’s reply to the triumphant achievements from the Xbox360. The system was first revealed in 2008, three years after Xbox’s Achievements were first introduced. While the Trophies were not as famous as their counterpart, they have become successful over time and have been more relevant today compared to others.

Sony has revealed that they are going to revamp the Trophies system when the PlayStation 5 releases next month. The update will significantly change the way Trophy levels will be calculated. As of writing, players can reach levels ranging from 1 to 100.

However, this will change soon so that the range will be expanded between 1 to 999, with levels of players being remapped automatically. There will also be 10 new badges to be released alongside the additional levels which Sony states that progressing through the levels will be more satisfying and rewarding. Past Trophies achieved from the PlayStation 3 and 4 will also be carried over into the upcoming system as well.

It has been a busy month for Sony so far. Not only has the company revealed improvements to the PlayStation Trophy system but it also published a comprehensive teardown video of the PlayStation 5 on their official YouTube channel.

The detailed video gave fans and critics a glance at the internal components of the next-gen console and show how easily it can be dismantled. However, the video still gained criticism about the complicated method in which the PlayStation 5’s stand has to be detached, something that Xbox was quick to make fun of via a post on Twitter.

The fact that Sony waited this long to upgrade the PlayStation Trophies makes a lot of sense. After all, doing a considerable change along with the release of the next-gen console aids in establishing a new era for the platform.

It is also not that shocking that Sony is reconstructing the Trophy system considering that it has barely changed since it was released in 2008. Hopefully, the improvements will mean gaining Trophies becomes a more memorable experience and simpler to track.

Developer Reveals More Details About PlayStation 5 Exclusive Astro’s Playroom

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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0
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Sony’s next-gen console, the PlayStation 5, is set to be released in less than a month and everyone that purchases the device is getting a free game. Astro’s Playroom will be packed inside every PlayStation 5 console, with the title acting as a kind of tech demo to showcase the powerful new features of the PlayStation 5 and its DualSense controller. Now, Astro’s Playroom’s creative director, Nicolas Doucet, has spilled deeper details about what players can expect from the free PlayStation 5 packed game.

As announced by the game’s creative director in a recently conducted interview by Famitsu, Astro’s Playroom will have at least four hours of playtime which isn’t completely bad for a free game. The game will have four unique worlds for players to play around which are called the Memory Sky, SSD Speedway, GPU Jungle, and Cooling Resort.

These worlds are reportedly full of collectibles and PlayStation easter eggs for players to discover. However, it’s uncertain if the four-hour playtime is in reference to one playthrough or 100% completion.

Even if players have already finished Astro’s Playroom’s main campaign, the game still has plenty of things to offer. It has been announced that the game will have a mode called Time Attack which will surely increase its replay value as well as an integrated online ranking system.

While it wasn’t literally announced, it’s quite probable that Astro’s Playroom will contain PlayStation 5 trophies, though it remains to be seen whether or not fans will be able to unlock a Platinum trophy for playing the game.

Usually, small-scale PlayStation games do not have a Platinum trophy that players can unlock but there are exemptions. Astro’s Playroom having a short playtime means it’s more likely that it will just contain low-tier trophies as opposed to a Platinum trophy. But then again, Sony is making significant changes to the PlayStation 5 trophies, so players will have to wait until the console is released to try the game personally to be sure.

While fans are still waiting for Astro’s Playroom and the PlayStation 5 to be released, they might want to take their time between now and the next-gen console’s release to play other games from the series. Astro’s Playroom is preceded by The Playroom and its VR edition which is also free for PlayStation 4 users.

Astro’s Playroom will be released on November 12, 2020, which will be exclusively for the PlayStation 5.

The Evolution of Sports Video Games

By
PVP Team
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0
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Think of a sports video game and your mind probably goes to the hyper-realistic graphics and gameplay of the latest FIFA or Madden NFL. These days, playing one of these console games is almost the same as the real thing. So much so, in fact, that many sports fans have turned to video gaming to fill the gap left by the temporary halting of all major sports leagues in 2020.

It has not always been this way, of course. Older gamers well remember the more primitive graphics and limited functionality of the sports games of yesteryear. Here we take a look back over the evolution of sports video games, starting with where it all began.

The Birth of Video Games

It may not technically be the earliest video game, but Atari’s iconic table tennis simulator Pong was the first to be widely played. The height of cutting-edge sophistication at the time, the game captured the imaginations of young and old alike. Starting life as a training exercise for designer Allan Acorn, nobody could have predicted how popular it would become. First released as an arcade game in 1972, the home computer counterpart brought it to a wider audience three years later.

Inspired by the success of Pong, the rest of the 1970s saw several other sports-themed titles hit the market. In competition with Atari were Sega and Taito, which both produced games attempting to simulate tennis, football, hockey, and various other sports. Few of these were actually recognizable as such, but the fans enjoyed them. A new innovation of the time was racing games, notably Taito’s Speed Race which employed a scrolling graphical screen for the first time.

Consoles Take Over

During the 1980s, video games moved from the arcades into our homes. Many studios vied for pole position in the home console market, including Atari and later Mattel’s Intellivision. Mattel liked to focus on improving the visuals on sports games and released many popular games including versions of baseball, hockey, basketball, and both kinds of football.

Around this time, AI started to be used in video games, improving the experience considerably. Sports themes continued to prove marketable, and everything from wrestling to rock climbing had a game to its name. AI came into its own in 1987 when Electronic Arts released Earl Weaver Baseball, the most realistic sports game to date. This was closely followed by the first of the Madden series, which started to hit its stride at the start of the 1990s. Now the name EA is associated with some of the finest titles in the genre.

Slot Games Enter the Ring

It seems incredible, but the first virtual casinos actually came about in the mid-1990s. While the early casino games were table classics like roulette and blackjack, it wasn’t long before the software developers started creating virtual versions of the favorite slot machines.

Soon enough sports themes started to find their way into online slots, and another type of sports simulator game was born. These days, players are spoilt for choice when it comes to slot games with a sports focus. Many of these are created by some of the biggest games studios in the slots world, including Playtech, Microgaming, and NetEnt.

Players can find some of the most in-demand sporting slot machines at PayPal slots sites, meaning those that accept the popular online payment method. These include horse racing with Frankie Dettori, football Top Trumps featuring some legends of the British game, and a whole series from Microgaming that covers tennis, basketball, cricket, rugby, and hockey.

Prime Era for Sports Video Games

Around the same time that these online casinos started to proliferate, sports video games were also multiplying and diversifying. Many of the titles from this time are still recognizable and beloved to gamers to this day. The new generation of consoles arrived, first PlayStation and Nintendo 64 followed by Sega Dreamcast and finally Xbox in 2001.

Along with the new systems came a flood of sports games, now vastly improved by the inclusion of advanced motion capture. The athletes on the screen could move realistically, which opened the door for pro skating and snowboarding games to come to the market. The SSX series from EA was an early-2000s staple.

In the middle of the decade, gaming companies started to claim their exclusive rights to produce official games for major sports leagues. EA signed a deal with the NFL in 2004, cementing Madden as the only NFL video game in production. Similarly, 2K Sports secured baseball for themselves.

Nintendo Perfect Motion Activated Controls

Another game-changing moment came in 2006 when Nintendo released the flagship Wii console. Previous attempts had been made to produce a motion-activated control, but until that point, nothing had succeeded. With the Wii, players could now immerse themselves in games like tennis, golf, and bowling in a realistic simulation of the real thing.

Early players encountered some expensive mishaps with the new gear, with many inadvertently hurling the control directly at their screens. Despite this, the console was a resounding success and added a hitherto unimaginable dimension to sports video games.

Looking to the Future

Many gamers opine that the golden age of sports games was during those mid-2000s years. Modern iterations, it is suggested, have failed to add much of substance and some of the newer features are less than desirable. Fans point to in-game advertising, technical glitches, and microtransactions as some of the aspects that are frustrating about the newer generations of games.

However, it’s not all bad. Most new releases do in fact provide significant improvements in graphics and game simulation. EA releases a new FIFA, Madden, and NHL every season, and the continued popularity of the games proves that they must be doing something right. Many games have embraced career mode and online multiplayer functionality to great effect. Critics agree that the 2018 version of NBA 2K is the best so far.

The exclusivity deals have not always been to the benefit of the games, since a lack of competition allows developers to rest on their laurels and often results in a lackluster title. This seems set to change, with 2K striking a deal with the NFL to rival EA. How this deal will affect Madden remains to be seen, but opening up the market for other contenders is sure to be good for gamers in the long run.

Genshin Impact Streamer Bashed For Spending More Than $2000 To Get Five-Star Character

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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0
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A Twitch streamer by the username Lacari has spent more than $2000 while playing Genshin Impact in order to get an ultra-rare five-star character. Even though Genshin Impact is free-to-play, a lot of players are spending hundreds, and even thousands of dollars just to get high-tier characters.

This is the traditional gacha system usually featured in free-to-play games like miHoyo’s Genshin Impact. Getting high-tier characters isn’t required in finishing the full main story of Genshin Impact, but the system behind this can be addictive to several fans.

Lacari, who has been streaming his journey inside Genshin Impact, has promised his viewers that he will be unlocking all the available characters in the Chinese game. Several characters are given for free to players as they start their journey as well as several free rare characters with in-game wishes and accomplishments like getting to Adventurer Rank 20.

Alternatively, most of the four- and five-star characters in the game can only be received by using the gacha system. Collecting them all is near-impossible but Lacari was committed to doing it anyway. After wasting $1500 in Genshin Impact’s gacha system, fans watching the stream began making fun of him in the chat.

One asked if the streamer knew that he only has a .6% chance of getting a five-star character. Viewers continued to bash him and call him a loser for wasting so much money for an in-game character until Lacari finally got the ultra-rare character he was after – Keqing, an Electro sword wielder. However, he still has seven more missing characters to complete the list.

This gacha system usually found in free-to-play games has been an issue along with loot boxes which most players blame for adding in-game transactions with random prizes and items on top of the title’s main price tag.

Games like Genshin Impact are free to play but it is a player’s choice if they want to invest in the game grinding for dozens of hours or easily buy powerful items to make them stronger. It’s only once a player reaches the endgame that four- or five-star characters may become necessary.

Even if money is dedicated to getting Wishes, there is no assurance that a player gets a high-tier character. There’s an incredibly low chance of receiving a five-start character in Genshin Impact so players must think things thoroughly before following Lacari’s path and spend a couple thousand dollars.

Overwatch Will Be Free to Play Next Week via Nintendo Switch Online

By
Christian Allen Tandoc
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0
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Overwatch will be free to play on the Nintendo Switch for one whole week beginning October 13. The event is to celebrate the first anniversary of the famous online shooting game’s arrival on Nintendo’s hybrid console.

Blizzard has had a long-running history of giving free trial periods for its popular first-person shooter, and it’s simple to see why. Overwatch is one of the gaming studio’s most successful titles and it even remains one of the most prominent games in eSports.

Overwatch has inspired the birth of the hero shooting genre such as the new famous shooter Apex Legends which is being developed to add a crossplay feature soon. Free trials are a great way for developers to increase a game’s player count and give fans a taste of the game before they invest time and money into it as well as the possibility of getting them hooked on the concept. It is a tried and proven business strategy.

And it’s one that Blizzard is trying to enforce again, in a somewhat more exclusive capacity. The official Twitter account of The Nintendo of America has revealed that Overwatch will be free to play for a week exclusively for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers starting October 13 until October 20, 2020.

This month is specifically effective for free trials like this such as the time when Overwatch held an extremely successful Halloween event which is now being celebrated every year since it was launched. While this year’s Halloween rendition has not been revealed yet, Nintendo Switch users are hopeful that they can join the festivities during the duration of the free trial.

It’s intriguing that this new free trial event is exclusively for the Nintendo Switch because the game is available on all other consoles and the PC. The Switch port for Overwatch received mixed reviews when it was released last year, so this might be a way for Nintendo to recover their sales from a frustrating launch.

On a more optimistic side, Overwatch’s developers have revealed that they are open to including characters from the game appearing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Following the reveal of Steve from the Minecraft game as the next expansion character and his coincidental release at the beginning of Overwatch’s free trial, the identity of the next featured character is up for grabs.

Accommodating the Overwatch free trial can be a way for Nintendo to increase interest in the game among Nintendo players in anticipation of one of Overwatch’s heroes appearing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s roster.

Whatever reason Nintendo might have for hosting this free trial, it is still a great chance for Nintendo fans to enjoy the classic online game. Overwatch might have decreased in popularity during the past years since its release in 2016 but it is still a good game. Hopefully, this free trial week will give Overwatch the fan base it deserves.

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