Gaming News

Benzino · 10-01-2017 7:56pm

Sonics2k wrote: »

A bit of gaming news that has since kept on going since it's announcement.

Nost did not reopen, however another group called Elysium was able to take the server information and re-open the servers, allowing people to keep their servers.

That's not the big news though. On the 7th of January Elysium opted to open a brand new server, which was reported by the likes of Unilad, but also EuroGamer and Kotaku, as well as other mainstream outlets.

On the launch day the queues peaked at approximately 25,000 people in queue whilst 10,000 were on just the new server playing it.

Taking into account all three servers, a conservative estimate of it's playerbase is in the region of 45,000 active players.
Astonishing to think Blizzard have gone silent since their meeting with the Nost team back in the summer.

I wonder if Blizzard are just taking their time. They tend to keep things close to their chest until they are ready to show people stuff, perhaps they are still doing internal discussions on it?

Running 2 versions of the same game, which are vastly different from each other would be a nightmare. So I understand why they are not keen on doing it. It's all grand with the players saying they don't expect Blizzard to maintain it, fix issues etc, but in practice that would never work as people are paying for it so they would rightly want game/balance breaking bugs fixed, and hackers/bots/gold sellers dealt with. Then of course there is Blizzard's high quality standard, they probably wouldn't want to leave the game as is even if players genuinely didn't care.

Sonics2k · 10-01-2017 8:06pm

Benzino wrote: »

I wonder if Blizzard are just taking their time. They tend to keep things close to their chest until they are ready to show people stuff, perhaps they are still doing internal discussions on it?

It's possible. They reacted to the news when Nostalrius was shut down by inviting the team to a meeting at Blizzard, which according to the Nost guys went very well, however since then Blizzard have gone totally silent on it.

Shougeki · 11-01-2017 12:29pm

Sonics2k wrote: »

On the launch day the queues peaked at approximately 25,000 people in queue whilst 10,000 were on just the new server playing it.

I downloaded the client, but haven't had the balls to install it as I know I'll be sucked in again. I absolutely loved Vanilla, and spending time to get the gear from the Devilsaurs, and making the potions that were required for your 40 man MC runs.... Oh the joys.

Venom · 11-01-2017 7:18pm

Deleted User wrote: »

AH I was, but I've seen some conspiracy theories in recent time that MS wanted the co-op in the game and for it to have monster hunter style elements and MS also have history in this regard and that Platinum were pushing back but who knows. Cuphead would be a recent example of a game being delayed a long time because of demands from MS.

Makes me question Crackdown 3 now , we've seen even less of that than we have of Scalebound.

A real pity and not good news for Xbox owners as I though Scalebound was one of the more interesting titles MS had going for it in 2017.

heebusjeebus · 12-01-2017 11:37am

Are there any games in in the pipeline for release along with Scorpio?

Retr0gamer · 12-01-2017 11:43am

heebusjeebus wrote: »

Are there any games in in the pipeline for release along with Scorpio?

Scalebound definitely isn't :P

Penn · 12-01-2017 11:46am

heebusjeebus wrote: »

Are there any games in in the pipeline for release along with Scorpio?

It'll be the same as the PS4 Pro launch. There's no exclusives as all Xbox games will be playable on XB1, XB1S and XBScorpio, but since it's launching some time around November, there'll be a ton of games released around the same period as well as updates for older games that will look better on Scorpio.

maximoose · 12-01-2017 11:48am

Penn wrote: »

there'll be a ton of games released around the same period as well as updates for older games that will look better on Scorpio.

Hopefully a fully Scorpio-optimized Red Dead 2

FAILSAFE 00 · 12-01-2017 11:54am

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Scalebound definitely isn't :P

I had forgotten about that game since seeing it at E3 2014.

By most accounts not a very popular game with 0 hype/anticipation. Most gamers I said it to this week didn't know what game I was talking about.

Stone Deaf 4evr · 12-01-2017 11:59am

heebusjeebus wrote: »

Are there any games in in the pipeline for release along with Scorpio?

I'd imagine Forza 7 will be the big one, the PC versions of 6 and Horizon 3 are supposed to be stunning.

Highly unlikely there will be anything from The Gears or Halo camps, both of those games are likely a year or two out respectively.

Maybe the new tomb raider game might be one? the past games have looked great, and that engine seems very capable.

Penn · 12-01-2017 12:01pm

maximoose wrote: »

Hopefully a fully Scorpio-optimized Red Dead 2

Sadly I'm still betting on RDR2 being delayed until spring 2018. Given how popular GTA:Online has been I'd say they'll want to make absolutely sure RDR2:Online doesn't have the same hiccups GTAV did at the beginning.

gizmo · 12-01-2017 12:15pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Scalebound definitely isn't :P

Too soon, man.

Otacon · 12-01-2017 1:47pm

Guerrilla Cambridge are being shut down.

Sony is closing the Cambridge branch of Guerrilla Games, GamesIndustry.biz has learned. All employees will be laid off.

Sony has confirmed the impending shutdown to us, saying that the compulsory redundancies are "regrettable". The decision to close the studio comes from a review of all current PlayStation projects and resources, with the platform holder concluding that "in order to deliver on our strategic objectives, it is necessary to make some changes to the European studios structure".

Very disappointing as both RIGS and Killzone Mercenary are excellent games. Hope the staff find new positions quickly.

ERG89 · 12-01-2017 2:10pm

Harsh on them Sony asked them to make titles for a small install base. Mercenary is probably one of the better Killzone games, if not the best.
Seems to be a weird time in gaming. Seeing Scalebound cancelled made me think were Microsoft were thinking of the likelihood of it not selling well and the cost of marketing at a high level is significant so cut their losses.
Some games like Dishonored 2, Watch Dogs 2 & Titanfall 2 all sold less than their predocessors (for a variety of reasons) which I think has frightened some.

Venom · 12-01-2017 2:25pm

ERG89 wrote: »

Harsh on them Sony asked them to make titles for a small install base. Mercenary is probably one of the better Killzone games, if not the best.
Seems to be a weird time in gaming. Seeing Scalebound cancelled made me think were Microsoft were thinking of the likelihood of it not selling well and the cost of marketing at a high level is significant so cut their losses.
Some games like Dishonored 2, Watch Dogs 2 & Titanfall 2 all sold less than their predocessors (for a variety of reasons) which I think has frightened some.

Titanfall 2 was launched between two of the biggest franchises in gaming, Battlefield and CoD so had no chance of being a huge seller. If EA had of released it at Christmas it would of gotten huge sales.

Retr0gamer · 12-01-2017 3:31pm

Game sales are just way down at the moment compared to the same point last gen, mostly due to the low total console sales. The truth is mobile is taking a major cut out of the market.

Dave_The_Sheep · 12-01-2017 4:43pm

Why?

Stone Deaf 4evr · 12-01-2017 6:22pm

Venom wrote: »

Titanfall 2 was launched between two of the biggest franchises in gaming, Battlefield and CoD so had no chance of being a huge seller. If EA had of released it at Christmas it would of gotten huge sales.

This 'release everything in november' is a load of old b0llix. if they staggered stuff out across the quiet months like february and march, things would sell fine. people only have so much money to spend on games at any one time.

Retr0gamer · 12-01-2017 6:26pm

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

Why?

It doesn't matter how crap a game is all you need is a low barrier of entry and Skinner box psychology.

I can't give you a real answer but then historically it's the exception rather than the norm when quality dictates how well something sells.

Varik · 12-01-2017 10:45pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Game sales are just way down at the moment compared to the same point last gen, mostly due to the low total console sales. The truth is mobile is taking a major cut out of the market.

You're comparing a time where the PS2 was nearing 150m (hit in 2010) and the Wii (67.45m at the start of 2010, 86.01m at the end). The potential sales would astronomically higher.

The PS4 and One are ahead of their predecessor in systems and consoles.

Retr0gamer · 12-01-2017 10:51pm

Varik wrote: »

You're comparing a time where the PS2 was nearing 150m (hit in 2010) and the Wii (67.45m at the start of 2010, 86.01m at the end). The potential sales would astronomically higher.

The PS4 and One are ahead of their predecessor in systems and consoles.

Nope I was comparing to the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360. PS4 is doing well but only because the One is doing so poorly.

Or at least that's what I heard. I might be wrong.

Penn · 13-01-2017 12:19am

Mobile gaming isn't harming console game sales. They're completely different audiences for the vast majority. Most people who would have played console games still would as mobile gaming doesn't cost anything (as an extremely small percentage of mobile gamers actually spend any significant money on them) and it doesn't take time as most mobile games are played on the move or out of the house. So mobile gaming hasn't split the audience in any way.

If anything is affecting console game sales, it's more likely the ease of other forms of entertainment like streaming tv/movies and general boxsets.

Venom · 13-01-2017 1:05am

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

This 'release everything in november' is a load of old b0llix. if they staggered stuff out across the quiet months like february and march, things would sell fine. people only have so much money to spend on games at any one time.

I think its more a case of EA just used Titanfall 2 to try and take sales away from CoD.

Retr0gamer · 13-01-2017 1:16am

Penn wrote: »

Mobile gaming isn't harming console game sales. They're completely different audiences for the vast majority. Most people who would have played console games still would as mobile gaming doesn't cost anything (as an extremely small percentage of mobile gamers actually spend any significant money on them) and it doesn't take time as most mobile games are played on the move or out of the house. So mobile gaming hasn't split the audience in any way.

If anything is affecting console game sales, it's more likely the ease of other forms of entertainment like streaming tv/movies and general boxsets.

The casual audience is what makes the real money. In Japan mobile gaming has near killed console and handheld gaming over there. It well be happening here as well.

Penn · 13-01-2017 12:17pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

The casual audience is what makes the real money. In Japan mobile gaming has near killed console and handheld gaming over there. It well be happening here as well.

I disagree. Mobile gaming has no legs and doesn't hold nearly the same interest here. People played Pokemon Go for about 2 months and the drop off has been huge. The people who tend to spend the most time/money on mobile games (which is a tiny percentage of the people who actually play the games) aren't ones who tend to be console gamers to begin with.

I don't think what happens in Japan is an indication of what might happen here.

Stone Deaf 4evr · 13-01-2017 1:02pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

The casual audience is what makes the real money. In Japan mobile gaming has near killed console and handheld gaming over there. It well be happening here as well.

not in a million years.

Varik · 13-01-2017 1:06pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Nope I was comparing to the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360. PS4 is doing well but only because the One is doing so poorly.

Or at least that's what I heard. I might be wrong.

By so poorly you mean still outpacing the 360.

Penn · 13-01-2017 1:10pm

Stone Deaf 4evr wrote: »

not in a million years.

Enough aspects of mobile gaming have already permeated through to console gaming anyway that would appeal to anyone who enjoys both mobile gaming and console gaming (particularly with loot boxes/crates, microtransactions, MGSV's upgrade/FOB/squad missions, games having different types of in-game currencies).

Retr0gamer · 13-01-2017 3:17pm

Penn wrote: »

I disagree. Mobile gaming has no legs and doesn't hold nearly the same interest here. People played Pokemon Go for about 2 months and the drop off has been huge. The people who tend to spend the most time/money on mobile games (which is a tiny percentage of the people who actually play the games) aren't ones who tend to be console gamers to begin with.

I don't think what happens in Japan is an indication of what might happen here.

Well I've heard it said what is happening in Japan is usually a good indication of where the west is going in a few years time.

Anyway people that play and like games enough to discuss them on a forum will turn their nose up at the awfulness of mobile games but they make up a tiny minority of the market. The market that actually matters who only buy one or two games a year are slowly turning to mobile for their fix and a lot of young kids as well are turning to mobile.

It might be the Darkest timeline but if Trump can get elected...

Varik wrote: »

By so poorly you mean still outpacing the 360.

I'm not sure how accurate this is:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/276768/global-unit-sales-of-video-game-consoles/

kunst nugget · 13-01-2017 3:23pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well I've heard it said what is happening in Japan is usually a good indication of where the west is going in a few years time.

Anyway people that play and like games enough to discuss them on a forum will turn their nose up at the awfulness of mobile games but they make up a tiny minority of the market. The market that actually matters who only buy one or two games a year are slowly turning to mobile for their fix and a lot of young kids as well are turning to mobile.

It might be the Darkest timeline but if Trump can get elected...

I'd agree with Penn in that I think it's streaming and video on demand that has probably more had an effect on console gaming and game sales than mobile gaming. It's definitely affected how time I have to play and in turn the amount I'm going to spend on games.

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