Journey developer thatgamecompany have announced the PC early access release date for their social MMO Sky: Children Of The Light. Having already built up a substantial community on both mobile and consoles, PC players will now be able to join in on April 10th on Steam. There will be some special PC-themed goodies available to celebrate the occasion, too, including a Companion Cube prop from Portal, a Journey cosmetic pack, and double rewards for sending Heart gifts to other players.
Activision has threatened to ban any Call of Duty Warzone player who uses so-called ‘boosting services’ to inflate their Skill Rating (SR).
Recent weeks have seen an uptick in reports of ‘bot lobbies’, or boosting lobbies. Boosting services, which have been a problem for competitive multiplayer games for years, create boosting lobbies in which cheaters can make significant gains in their skill rating and boost up the ranks.
This problem has hit Warzone hard recently, with some saying the top of the leaderboards are filled with cheaters who used boosting lobbies to achieve their rank.
There is a Chinese boosting service offering Resurgence Ranked bot lobbies. https://t.co/0SKDgCWekp pic.twitter.com/yeUXULUP29
— OMiT Brax (@Braxtvnn) March 25, 2024
Now, Activision has responded, issuing a statement that revealed its TeamRicochet had issued multiple ban waves that resulted in 29,000 recent bans. Then came a stark warning to those using boosting lobbies: “Artificially inflating SR won’t be permitted. Accounts engaging in this behavior will be banned.”
Activision also vowed to take down the people who provide boosting lobbies: “We will consider all available technical and legal options for shutting these illicit services down.”
Activision recently launched Call of Duty Warzone Mobile, which includes cross-progression with Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone on console and PC, but not cross-play. Season 3 launches alongside Rebirth Island on April 3.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Palia, a cute-looking life sim MMO inspired by e.g. Stardew Valley, has been in beta since last year, but now it’s officially out on Steam, where many more people can download and play it. With this launch comes a pretty substantial update – Patch 0.178, full notes here – which adds a new questline and Temple to explore, new furniture, and a bunch of new spring flowers and trees to grow in your garden. There is also a giant plushi frog, listed under ‘Adjustments’. The patch notes say simply “What does he want? Does he come in peace?” which makes him sound way more sinister than I think he is, but as you can see from the screenshot, he isn’t not sinister.
Gameloft has announced Asphalt Legends Unite, an expansion to 2018’s Asphalt 9: Legends that marks the arcade racing game series’ debut on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Asphalt Legends Unite, out July 17, 2024, is an expansion for Asphalt 9: Legends, which is already available on the App Store, Google Play, Microsoft Store, Steam, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Its launch on PS4 and PS5 alongside a unified cross-platform experience, an upgraded graphic engine, a “modernized” art direction “tailored” for console players, a reimagined garage that carries over game progress and previously unlocked vehicles, and a redesigned user interface. Social features and customization options are currently in the works, Gameloft said.
“We are committed to expanding the game to deliver the definitive Asphalt experience,” commented game manager Ignacio Marin. “Today, we take the first step towards a new era for the Asphalt series, and we will soon offer players a glimpse at its future via the release of a roadmap. Dropping the number in the title is our statement: this is Asphalt, uniting all our players, now and for the future.”
It’s a busy time for Gameloft, which developed and released Disney Dreamlight Valley, and is also now working on a Dungeons & Dragons survival role-playing game life sim.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has released a new patch for the game that makes arc weapons and stratagems safe to use again.
Last week, Arrowhead told players not to use the Arc Thrower, Arc Shotgun, and Tesla Tower because they caused game crashes. At the time, the developer promised a patch addressing this would be released early this week, and now it’s out.
In releasing patch 1.000.104, Arrowhead issued an updated list of known issues it’s working to address. The list includes various issues involving friend invites and cross-play, and a problem with Hellpod steering, which is currently disabled in a large area around large or important objects.
If you’re looking for more on Helldivers 2, check out IGN’s feature on the Let Me Solo Her of Helldivers 2, a player who has answered over 100 SOS Beacons as part of a mission to help others. Helldivers 2 has become one of the surprise hits of 2024 since launching in February, topping the charts on Steam and reportedly selling around three million copies. According to at least one analyst, it’s still growing. Check out IGN’s Helldivers 2 review to find out why it’s going down so well.
Fixes
Game no longer freezes when firing arcs from the following
Known Issues
These are issues that were either introduced by this patch and are being worked on, or are from a previous version and have not yet been fixed.
🔹 Cross-platform friend invites might not show up in the Friend Requests tab.
🔹 Players cannot unfriend other players befriended via friend code.
🔹 Players cannot unblock players that were not in their Friends list beforehand.
🔹 Players cannot befriend players with Steam names shorter than 3 characters.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
“Things are… wheely taking off”.
The free-to-play title LEGO Fortnite receives a “wheely” exciting update on 26th March, adding vehicle building to the game.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
The final update “Fully Yoked” has also been detailed.
In case you missed it, Xbox is now releasing some of its games on other platforms. The next one coming to the Nintendo Switch is the survival and crafting multiplayer title Grounded on 16th April 2024.
Alongside the eShop release, Limited Run Games has announced it’s releasing a physical “Fully Yoked Edition” of the game for $39.99, with pre-orders now open until 28th April 2024. Limited Run will also be offering a Collectors Edition for $124.99 which comes with all sorts of goodies. Here’s a look at both versions up for grabs:
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Sonic Heroes on Switch’s successor is the latest claim.
Sonic the Hedgehog’s 3D platformer Sonic Heroes could reportedly be making a comeback in the future.
This latest rumour follows on from the blue blur’s recently leaked mobile game ‘Sonic Toys Party‘. This information stems from a report by Universo Nintendo, with the site claiming a remake could be in development for the Switch successor.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Hi, everyone! Wynn here again. Welcome back to another Xbox Insider Team interview. Today we’re sitting down to talk with Shawn—a 3rd Party Studio Support Specialist on our team.
How’re we doing today, Shawn?
Feeling good Wynn. Excited for the interview.
Excellent! Let’s dive right in. Give the audience a little backstory.
Let’s see. I mean. I’ve been playing games my entire life. My parents got me started with an Apple //e where I was playing the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy text adventure.
Wow. That’s pretty OG.
Yeah, I had the monitors that were only green interface and everything.
I missed that initial wave of early computer gaming. The closest thing I have now are some Apple II floppies for a game called Nox Archaist that was made as if it was an old Apple II game.
It was a great system to start off on. I’ve moved through pretty much all of the systems over the years, but I think my favorite is still the Sega Genesis.
Ahh, you were the Sega kid on your block.
Absolutely. I did what Ninten-kids-don’t.
Haha. I think that joke still lands 30 years later.
The Genesis was just so cool. The games, the SoundBlaster, just a lot of cool tech. I still have my 32X and CD attachments hooked up.
The true Voltron of home consoles.
Exactly! It was brilliant. But I had pretty much every system up until the original Xbox launched. I remember going into my local GameStop and seeing the advertisements for Halo. I pre-ordered it, the console, and a memory unit on the spot.
Oh, so you were like, all in all in.
100%. I loved the original Xbox, the Duke, everything, and I’ve never really looked back. Been fully immersed in the ecosystem ever since. It’s funny. That trip to GameStop sort of kicked off my main professional career down the line.
Pray tell.
Well, I hung around that GameStop a lot just talking games, and at some point, the manager kind of looked at me and goes, “You kind of like already work here. Do you wanna actually work here and get paid?”
I started the next week.
I had a pretty similar onboarding to my GameStop career. I kept coming in all summer and when they finally had a position the manager asked me, “Tell me 5 games coming out this year,” and I told him the next five games. Hired on the spot.
Yeah, I ended up staying with GameStop for about four years. Slowly grinding myself up the ladder until I got to Store Manager. But I was looking around trying to figure out what’s next and I really like the idea of like “taking the show on the road”. So, I hit up some of the Xbox field reps and figured out which companies had Microsoft contracts.
I knew a few of the field reps back at my store too. They always seemed like they enjoyed the job.
It was a super fun gig. When I first started, they didn’t have a Microsoft position available, so I ended up doing brief stints selling tablets in Best Buy and dog food inside of PetSmart. But when an Xbox gig eventually opened up, I got to do a big Super Bowl event literally at the Super Bowl.
So, the wait was worth it, then?
Definitely. The job itself was great too. I’d drive around to all the GameStop’s, Fry’s, and Best Buy’s in my area and just make sure Xbox was being represented properly. When the Microsoft Stores opened, I would stop by there as well just to chat with everyone. Which is actually how I got my first role at Microsoft. I was chatting with the Store Manager, and he mentioned a new position was coming out called “Gaming Expert”. It’s like, of course, I’m going to apply for that.
Oh, I remember when Gaming Experts became a thing in stores. Really cool for community events.
Yeah, some of the tournaments we ran were a lot of fun. League of Legends, Gears, Halo. Lots of great memories from my time there. I rode that position until the stores closed in 2020.
Ahh, so you moved over to DSS along with Evie and Vanessa?
Yup! I was mostly focused on the education side of things, and then was one of the 10 lucky former retail employees selected for the Xbox CSM position.
It seems like those original 10 CSMs were a super tight knit group.
We kinda got put in the crucible a little bit, so we were brought together as we all made the move from retail to corporate life. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite things about my time since I joined Xbox. Seeing how all of us have grown—and continue to grow—in our various roles. It’s been personally really inspiring, and I’m really grateful to have worked with all of them.
That’s so heartwarming, man. I love it.
My next question was going to be about your favorite moment in time since joining, but I guess that about covers it.
Well, if you want a more discrete example, I have another tear-jerker from my time in retail. We did those League tournaments every weekend for like 18 months, right? Well, at one of the first ones, we have this son and dad come in a join a team. They were playing well together and doing like post-match analysis. The next day after the tournament, the dad comes back in and starts thanking us profusely for the opportunity. Apparently, his relationship with his son hadn’t been the best the last few years and the son wanted to come to the tournament. It was the first time they had connected like that in a long time. After that, I think they showed up every week until we stopped hosting them in-store.
Dude. That’s incredible. I’m about to tear up over here.
Stuff like that really solidified to me that we were doing good work in the stores, and that I wanted to continue in that sort of field where I could have that impact.
I had a few of those like “Oh, this is why we do this,” moments at retail as well. Some of them I still use to guide me today.
Speaking of, and this might be a bit of a whiplash segue, do you have a game that’s had that sort of foundational impact in your life?
Haha. No, perfect transition!
When I was younger it was easily all about Sonic. Even to this day, Sonic & Knuckles is just one of my favorite games of all time.
You can tell you were primarily a Genesis kid. I think you’re the first one who has mentioned Sonic.
I played Mario too! But something about the speed of the game and just the vibe I guess appealed to me more.
I grew up totally on the SNES but one thing that’s undoubtedly better on Genesis is the music. Like, Lava Reef Zone of Sonic & Knuckles 3 is one of my favorite tracks from that era. It’s up there with Down the Tubes from Earthworm Jim for me as just a showcase of the Genesis’s style and power.
Are you a purely retro guy or do you have any recent favorites?
Oh, my current gen pick is the Borderlands series. It doesn’t matter how many remasters, remakes, bundles, or whatever they have, I’m getting it. I don’t know what it is about watching multi-colored guns explode out of enemies, but I just cannot get enough.
Well, pivoting back to music for a moment, do you have a particular album or track that you jam out to?
I kinda go through phases of music where I’ll listen to like a lot of classic rock, or like right now a lot of EDM/techno influenced stuff. So, my favorite I’ve had on repeat lately has been Woman Worldwide by this group called Justice.
Oh yeah. I really like † by Justice. Their song “Let There Be Light” is phenomenal.
I’ve been partial to Heavy Metal x DVNO currently. The drop is sick. So yeah, that’s my current pick. But I can always listen to my all-time favs like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Gorillaz as well.
Fersure. Any favorite movies or shows?
I’m into more of the sci-fi angle, so I’ll throw on X-Files in the background sometimes. But, for a show or movie that I can just always watch no matter what, that would be Futurama and The Fifth Element.
Excellent choices. The Fifth Element is such a blast. Like that movie should absolutely not exist or have the star power it does, but I’m glad it does.
Right? The practical effects they were doing in the 90s on that are so mind blowing.
Top 10 movie easily.
It’s a movie that’s held up well too.
Let’s move outside of the realm of entertainment. What’re your hobbies that don’t include electricity?
One word: Dodgeball.
Like, if you can dodge a wrench?
The very one. It’s just been a passion of mine for a long time. I also collect all kinds of weird like non-official pressed coinage. So, like those flattened pennies, car wash coins, casino coins. Stuff like that.
I have a small coin collection too. I have every US penny back to like 1944 or something like that. All just entirely found through getting change. Never went out and actually “hunted” or anything.
Wow! That’s pretty sick.
Thanks! Well cool man. We’re about ready to wrap up.
I meant to ask earlier. I know you work on a lot of hush-hush projects, but is there anything you’re working on currently you can share with the Community?
Yeah, nothing directly that’s not under NDA unfortunately. But I hope that everyone has been enjoying the Partner Previews we’ve been doing. Lots of really cool stuff to come there.
Dude, the trailer for The Alters was SO sick from earlier this month.
Any last thoughts for the Xbox Insiders?
Mainly, just that I hope everyone is stoked for what’s coming in the future. Like, I think about when I first started out gaming and how almost secretive it was. Now, video games are the highest grossing industry in the world, and it’s completely pervaded pop-culture. The next few years are going to be incredible. Get ready for the ride.
That’s what we like to hear. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat, Shawn.
Anytime!
Xbox Insiders, be sure to be on the lookout for more content all throughout February including more interviews from the team, a trip down memory lane, and so much more. All of our 10th Anniversary content can be found on our Hub Page.
Until next time! Wynn/
The post Get To Know Our Team: Shawn – 3rd Party Studio Support Specialist appeared first on Xbox Wire.
It’s easy to roll your eyes and say that MMORPGs are dead if you, ya know, don’t play MMORPGs. But 20-year-old World of Warcraft still seems to have plenty of spring in its step, according to Warcraft general manager John Hight. Its latest expansion, Dragonflight, has more subscribers now than it did at launch, and one intrepid content creator thinks they may have extrapolated roughly how many: over 7 million.
Speaking at the Game Developers Conference, Hight explained that World of Warcaft historically has a very predictable pattern of subscriber churn. When an expansion comes out, there’s a surge in subscribers that slowly declines over the course of an expansion, with small bumps at each new patch. It hits a low point at the end of each expansion, then surges again when a new one is released. World of Warcraft: Classic disrupted the pattern somewhat by creating another series of peaks connected with its own releases. Hight described it as a “constant inflow and outflow” with “almost as many new players coming in as other players going out.”
However, something changed with World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. Initially, the game saw a predictable surge of players at launch, but as time went on, the falloff became increasingly pronounced as fans expressed their dislike of the expansion story and content. Then, when Dragonflight released, the surge in players wasn’t nearly as high as expected. “A lot of that was attributed to people losing their interest, and even in some cases their trust in us, during Shadowlands,” Hight said.
However, he continued, Blizzard responded by reaching out to the community and sifting through feedback, and over the course of Dragonflight, was able to turn things around. It helped that Dragonflight itself was well-received and largely course corrected many of Shadowlands’ biggest issues on its own. Its setting, tone, characters, and gameplay all directly addressed issues players had during Dragonflight, such as complaints about “borrowed power” and a distancing from the actual “World” of Warcraft. But Hight said the team took additional steps, such as sharing content roadmaps and increasing the cadence of updates, that kept players engaged. As a result, subscriber numbers continued to climb throughout Dragonflight rather than dip. And now, for the first time in World of Warcraft history, those numbers are higher than they were at expansion launch.
While Hight’s visual aid, pictured above, did not include specific subscriber numbers, one content creator thinks they’ve extrapolated actual rough numbers based on his squiggly lines. Bellular Warcraft shared a video over the weekend cross-referencing the last actual subscriber number reporting Blizzard gave (back in Legion) with other disclosed financial changes and Hight’s graph. Bellular’s estimates put current World of Warcraft subscriber numbers at roughly 7.25 million, after hitting a low of 4.07 million during Battle for Azeroth and 4.5 million during Shadowlands (a bit higher, with WoW: Classic helping out). Though none of this is exact science, it may not be far off. And it’s especially impressive given the game peaked in 2010 with 12 million subscribers during Wrath of the Lich King. For a game that’s been around 20 years, that’s wildly impressive.
Hight concludes his talk by sharing the lesson Blizzard learned from all this: it’s good to let your players be involved.
“These communities are deeply invested in the games, and they don’t want to leave your game,” he said. “Don’t give them a reason to leave. Give them a reason to stay. And community sentiment during Shadowlands was a real wake up call for us. What our players wanted had fundamentally changed, and we hadn’t recognized that. So we had to throw out our old playbook that had worked for us for 18 years, at that point. And now we’re crafting a new playbook, but our players are co-authoring with us.”
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
