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happy melon
Nov.3,2023
Asking for more money? "Rainbow Six" board game faced production difficulties and is requesting additional funds from backers! Originally born in Europe and the United States, board games have been immensely popular for several decades. Over the course of their long development, board games have become an essential social activity, perfect for family leisure, gatherings with friends, and even for business or casual occasions. They provide an ideal means of communication. Board games come in a wide variety of types, ranging from word negotiation games and graphic entrepreneurship games to map-based strategy games. Their content spans war, trade, culture, art, city-building, history, and more. As board games have gained increasing significance in the entertainment industry, many game companies have attempted to adapt their own intellectual properties (IP) into board games. For example, CD Projekt Red's "The Witcher" and Sony's "Bloodborne: Curse" have both introduced derivative board games. But can you imagine that a first-person shooter (FPS) game known for its immersive visual impact could one day be turned into a board game? Ubisoft's "Rainbow Six Siege" is a highly tactical shooter video game, and board games similarly test a player's intellect. The combination of these two gave rise to the "Rainbow Six Siege" board game. Renowned board game publisher Mythic Games obtained an official license from Ubisoft in 2021 and decided to release a derivative board game based on "Rainbow Six Siege." "Rainbow Six Siege" in board game form is nearly as rich in content as the video game. Operator abilities, breaching doors, reconnaissance, mission-based tactics, and more have all been incorporated into the board game, offering fans an opportunity to relive the video game experience. Mythic Games launched a crowdfunding campaign for "Rainbow Six Siege" on Kickstarter on June 3, 2021, offering three tiers: $69, $199, and $269. By the end of the campaign, "Rainbow Six Siege" had raised over $1.54 million in crowdfunding, with over half of the 10,884 supporters opting for the $199 tier or higher. The physical delivery of the "Rainbow Six Siege" board game to backers was originally scheduled for early June 2022. However, extensive production delays have prevented it from meeting the shipping deadline, largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As game development, production, and economic costs exceeded expectations, Mythic Games, on April 30 of this year, asked the crowdfunding backers to make an additional payment. The higher the tier chosen by the backers, the greater the additional amount required. If players do not make a decision within one month, they will be considered to have "forgone" the game. In the game's update log, Mythic Games also promised that this would be the only additional payment and would provide backers with extra rewards such as 3D modeling of operators, concept art, and more in the products delivered in October. If the minimum threshold of a 30% contribution is not reached with this additional payment request, all contributions will be refunded in full. Mythic Games blamed the international situation for the delay and excessive cost overruns for the "Rainbow Six Siege" product. They stated: "We did not anticipate the impact of the dual crisis of the new coronavirus and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which caused prices to explode across all areas. The estimates we relied on before and during the Kickstarter campaign are no longer applicable." The official explanation did not convince the players; rather, it kindled long-suppressed anger in everyone, and they felt that Mythic Games was taking advantage of the situation to "extort" money. In fact, this is not the first time Mythic Games has employed this tactic. In July 2020, they used a similar additional payment approach for their board game "Darkest Dungeon," citing the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and skyrocketing development and transportation costs. However, unlike "Rainbow Six Siege," the previous time Mythic Games and publisher Red Hook shared half the costs of the additional payment. This time, they seemed to have no intention of playing the "scapegoat" again. The second additional payment for "Rainbow Six Siege" has seriously damaged Mythic Games' reputation, and many players plan to cancel their original crowdfunding contributions and stay away from this controversial project. However, due to the limited monthly refund capacity set by Mythic Games, it may take several months to get a complete refund. Moreover, according to some backers who have made the additional payment, Mythic Games is attempting to impose additional charges in other ways, including the use of high shipping costs to compensate. Ultimately, the amount may reach twice the original crowdfunding contribution, depending on the region of the player. At this point, no one is concerned about the quality of the product; the focus is on how to get a refund from Mythic Games. While fans of "Rainbow Six Siege" eagerly anticipated the board game for two years, its bankruptcy is undoubtedly a source of disappointment. However, given Mythic Games' current attitude and reputation, it might be better for them to go out of business sooner rather than later.
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happy melon
Nov.3,2023
Who would have thought that after 20 years of making quality games, Arkane would falter after joining Microsoft! The latest installment in "The Legend of Zelda" series, "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," has officially been released today. The game currently holds a media rating of 96 on Metacritic, and several major media outlets like IGN, GameSpot, and VGC have given it perfect scores. Thanks to its outstanding quality and critical acclaim, "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" has undoubtedly earned its place on Metacritic's "Must-Play" games list. It seems that the only thing that can surpass "The Legend of Zelda" is its next installment. However, as the saying goes, "There are two sides to every coin." While some games enjoy the spotlight and praise, others become the subject of harsh criticism. The year 2023, with its numerous remakes and new releases, has experienced countless "gaming launch disasters" right from the start. Games that have garnered player acclaim are few and far between, and among those that have taken a plunge from the get-go, "Redfall," released recently, has taken the lead and shown that "Nintendo is not the only one capable of shaking up the industry." "Redfall" is an open-world, first-person cooperative shooter developed by Arkane Austin and published by Bethesda. It was officially launched on Xbox and Steam platforms on May 2nd. The game seamlessly integrates single-player and multiplayer options, allowing players to engage in solo adventures in a dark world or join forces with up to four players. In "Redfall," players face teleporting vampire enemies, essentially making it a "zombie-shooting" game. However, for players, whether it's shooting zombies or vampires doesn't make much of a difference because neither can overshadow the game's poor quality. The overall graphics and weapon handling in "Redfall" are on par with another Arkane Austin game, "Deathloop." However, the game's limited variety of weapons pales in comparison to "Deathloop." Additionally, "Redfall" has issues in almost every aspect, from level design to system features, leaving players with the impression that the development team may not have genuinely cared about making this game. When you add numerous ongoing bugs, a "locked 30 frames per second" limit, "always-online" requirements, and other debuffs, "Redfall" is immediately classified as a "garbage game." While some of these issues might be addressed through post-launch updates and optimization, the lackluster storyline and excessive homogenization of content are problems that immediately doomed "Redfall." Furthermore, Arkane Austin, which began recruiting for its next project shortly after the game's release, appears unlikely to salvage "Redfall." "Redfall" currently has over 1500 reviews on Steam, with a positive rating of just 32%. The abysmal game quality has landed it in the 14th spot on Steam's list of negative reviews. The setback faced by "Redfall" has had a significant impact on Arkane Austin, and many of the studio's employees have become the subject of ridicule from their peers due to the game's disastrous launch. In contrast to CD Projekt Red's "Cyberpunk 2077," where issues with bug optimization affected player perception, "Redfall" disappointed players due to its inherent lack of quality. In response, Phil Spencer, head of Xbox Game Studios, issued a public apology during an interview. He expressed that Microsoft conducts simulated evaluations for each game release, but the drastic drop in "Redfall's" reputation caught Microsoft off guard. The game fell far below their internal standards, and Microsoft acknowledges its responsibility in this regard. Phil Spencer promised to redeem the game's reputation through long-term updates. It's hard to imagine that "Redfall," with its poor reception, and the highly praised "Prey" both came from the same studio. When Arkane Austin presented "Prey" to players, it captivated everyone with its creative game design. Although "Prey" did not receive any awards upon its release in 2017, it had to compete in a year with top-tier titles like "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," "Nier: Automata," and "Cuphead." This left many players feeling regretful about the game's reception. Many players sincerely hoped that "Redfall" was an elaborate, delayed "April Fools' joke," but when the reality became evident, they had no choice but to accept it. Having experienced a disastrous launch, "Redfall" has become the lowest-rated game ever developed by Arkane Austin. This inevitably raises concerns about the quality of "Starfield." Microsoft has yet to release a major title since acquiring ZeniMax. "Redfall," developed by Arkane Austin, was expected to change this situation but ended up facing a critical failure. If Bethesda's "Starfield" also encounters issues, it could significantly damage Microsoft's reputation. It's worth noting that when Microsoft announced the delay of both "Starfield" and "Redfall" last year, they explicitly stated that they would "improve the quality of the games to meet player expectations." However, the final quality of "Redfall" shows that Microsoft did not fulfill this commitment. Nevertheless, "Starfield" remains one of the most anticipated titles by Microsoft. Hopefully, its release can help Microsoft recover from its recent setbacks. As for the outcome, we may have to wait until Microsoft's E3 presentation in June to find out.
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happy melon
Nov.3,2023
After all that hype, is this it? The Sony showcase was disappointing! Sony's highly anticipated PlayStation Showcase finally arrived as scheduled at 4 a.m. yesterday. Fans were hoping for some exciting announcements from Sony regarding games still in development. Regular Sony players are aware that the PlayStation Showcase is the largest of its kind, far surpassing the "State of Play" events. Moreover, it had been a year and a half since Sony last held a PlayStation Showcase, so anticipation among gamers was quite high. Perhaps Microsoft's recent underwhelming performance did not exert much pressure on Sony. Maybe the increased number of PlayStation 5 units provided Sony with confidence. However, despite a week of anticipation, the event did not deliver the excitement gamers were hoping for and left many underwhelmed. Nevertheless, there were some highlights in the event. Let's start with the positives. The centerpiece of the event was a 10-minute gameplay demonstration of the first-party title, "Marvel's Spider-Man 2." It showcased the skills and actions of Peter Parker's new Venom Suit, and the game seamlessly allows players to switch between Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Classic Spider-Man villains, Hunter and Professor Curtis Connors (the Lizard), also made an appearance in the trailer, raising expectations for an excellent gaming experience. After eleven years of waiting, "Dragon's Dogma 2" unveiled its first trailer, and with Capcom behind the game, fans hope that it will be a great success. While there is little information available about the game at this point, it's clear that the female character featured in the trailer is appealing, particularly in a time when gaming often adheres to political correctness. Rumored for some time, "Metal Gear Solid 3: Remake" was officially revealed at the event. As the origin of the "Metal Gear" series, fans have high expectations. However, the lack of a gameplay demonstration and no mention of the studio responsible for the remake raised concerns, especially given the departure of Hideo Kojima from the series and Konami's current state. Ubisoft's flagship IP, "Assassin's Creed," returned with a new installment, "Assassin's Creed: Infinity." After the "Mythology Trilogy," Ubisoft opted to return to the franchise's roots with a focus on parkour and assassination gameplay rather than RPG and exploration elements. Although Ubisoft is often teased for its "cookie-cutter" games, it has been three years since the last installment, and fans hope Ubisoft will deliver a compelling story as promised. The sequel to the classic horror game "The Evil Within" was unexpectedly revealed in the event. Even more surprising was the fact that a game published by Microsoft Studios made an appearance at Sony's showcase. "The Evil Within" is known for its immersive and suspenseful horror experience, similar to horror films in pacing and structure. According to the developers, even players who haven't experienced the previous game can easily immerse themselves in the story, promising a heightened horror atmosphere. For gamers primarily interested in the games, you can stop reading here, as we're about to delve into some criticisms. First, let's talk about the event itself. The one-hour presentation didn't feature many first-party Sony games. Even studios like Naughty Dog and Santa Monica weren't able to provide news about new titles. It was particularly disappointing given that Sony recently acquired several top-tier game studios. Having a few first-party titles was expected, but it was surprising that most third-party games were also underwhelming. Games like "FOAMSTARS," a PC version of "Splatoon," and "Towers of Aghasba," which looked like something from a Studio Ghibli film, didn't generate much excitement. Moreover, most of the games shown at the event had been previously announced, with new trailers as the only new content, and Sony was unwilling to reveal any new projects that are still in development. Perhaps the most ludicrous part of the event was the announcement of the "Cloud Console." Initially thought to be a joke, it turned out to be a streaming device, essentially a smartphone with an external controller. The only advantage is that it integrates with the PlayStation system, but it requires owning a PS5 to use and relies heavily on a stable internet connection, making it less appealing to those with unreliable internet. Due to the overall lackluster quality of the event, many players believe that this was the worst PlayStation Showcase in Sony's history. In a poll by Pushsquare, about 40% of players expressed dissatisfaction with the event. It might be the most barren year for Sony's game lineup. To add a touch of irony, shortly after Sony's event, Xbox announced that most of the games featured at the PlayStation Showcase would also be available on the Xbox platform, creating a feeling of Sony promoting games for its competition. Although Microsoft's performance was also underwhelming, with very few games officially launching, at least they were willing to create some hype. In contrast, Sony's event was lacking in surprises, except for the anticipated "Marvel's Spider-Man 2" and the enticing "Phantom Blade Zero." Games like "Death Stranding 2," "Silent Hill 2: Re," "Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth," and "Marvel's Wolverine," which had been rumored, were nowhere to be seen, leading to disappointment among fans. In conclusion, it appears that Sony oversold this event. Fans are now hoping for a new PlayStation Showcase with a stronger lineup of first-party games to restore their faith in Sony's ability to deliver exciting titles.
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happy melon
Nov.3,2023
Tens of millions of players boycotting together? The excessive monetization in "War Thunder" is pushing people to their limits! Reducing player benefits in online games to stimulate in-game purchases is a common practice among gaming companies. Typically, players have little choice but to accept these changes, as long as the core gaming experience remains intact, playing without spending money is still possible. However, it's a different story when it comes to "War Thunder." In this case, the players are showing the developers what it means to "mess with the wrong crowd." In recent times, "War Thunder" players from various regions have planned a two-week game strike starting on May 25th to protest the excessive reduction of in-game rewards by the developers. "War Thunder" is a vehicular combat online game developed by Gaijin Entertainment, a Russian company. It officially started open beta testing on November 1, 2012. The game is set against the backdrop of World War II, the Cold War, and modern counter-terrorism operations. It offers a highly detailed and personalized experience of driving and combat with various vehicles from different nations, including planes, tanks, and warships. Initially, "War Thunder" allowed players to engage in aerial combat, but as the game evolved, it introduced ground and naval combat vehicles. As of now, the game boasts an extensive collection of over a thousand vehicles, and the player base exceeded tens of millions as early as 2016. "War Thunder" has been known for its "hardcore" approach, focusing on recreating historical authenticity. Vehicles and crew are treated separately, and there are no fixed health bars; damage to one part affects the overall combat performance. To defeat enemies, players must understand their vehicle's performance, study enemy weaknesses and armor thickness, and consider firing angles to maximize damage. The game's "full-real mode" offers no targeting assistance, requiring players to rely on their observation skills. What makes this game even more impressive is the detailed information about real military vehicles it provides. However, the question arises: how does a gaming company obtain data on real military vehicles? The answer is, they often improvise. The trouble with "War Thunder" players started with a recent game update. On May 4th, Gaijin Entertainment released an announcement about the "New Economy Plan" intending to "completely change the game's economic system from scratch." As a free-to-play game, "War Thunder" relies on in-game purchases for its revenue. After more than a decade of operation, the company decided to significantly reduce player rewards to encourage players to spend more on in-game purchases. However, players quickly realized that this economic system adjustment amounted to a significant reduction in rewards. Based on the data from matches, if a player's KDA (Kill-Death-Assist) ratio falls below 2, they would not earn enough to cover their vehicle repair costs for the entire match. In other words, players needed at least three kills to break even, a challenging feat in a hardcore PvP game. It's no wonder that players were unhappy. To make matters worse, Gaijin Entertainment followed up with another announcement on May 12th, titled "Specific Value Adjustments in the New Economic System." They tried to justify their actions by claiming it was all for the players' benefit. However, instead of realizing their mistake, Gaijin Entertainment further irked the players. This led to a massive backlash, with players flooding the game with negative reviews from all over the world, starting on May 17th. On May 22nd, the game received over 20,000 negative reviews. After giving the game negative reviews, players from different regions even formed an alliance called "W.T.P.U" to defend their gaming rights. Their demand was clear: they wanted Gaijin Entertainment to roll back the update and ensure that a significant portion of the rewards would be restored to a reasonable level. After all, even "whales," or players who spend heavily on in-game purchases, found it challenging to balance their expenses. They were not happy to spend money only to get a raw deal. Initially, Gaijin Entertainment expressed dissatisfaction with players giving the game negative reviews and even mocked free-to-play players as "parasites on the server." However, on May 23rd, the official statement suddenly apologized and invited players to fill out a survey, promising a "more detailed update roadmap" by June 14th. At first glance, it seemed like the players' protest had succeeded. But upon closer inspection, it's puzzling. They were quick to reduce player rewards, but rolling back the update will take a much longer time, making it seem like they are taking players for granted. It's Gaijin Entertainment's stubborn actions that led to the "strike" lasting 14 days. Since the official developer wasn't listening to player feedback, players had to unite and take action to show that "going against the players won't lead to a good outcome." In fact, back in 2019, Gaijin Entertainment had started making minor adjustments to player rewards in matches. The changes were manageable at the time, and players mostly just grumbled. It's evident that the company felt players were compliant and, thus, took a more significant step to reduce player rewards, leading to the current player outrage. In similar past cases, game companies that attempted to "educate" players about such changes did not end well. Currently, the battle between players and Gaijin Entertainment continues, and we'll have to wait and see what the outcome will be.
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happy melon
Nov.6,2023
How did the invincible AI get defeated by "Tom and Jerry"? Undoubtedly, most of you are familiar with "AI art generation." Even those who may not be well-versed in this topic have likely gained a basic understanding through various related articles. AI art generation began to gain prominence in August of the past year, starting from the initial inability to produce human faces to now creating artwork that is indistinguishable from human-made art. The learning capability of AI in this field in the past several months has been nothing short of astonishing. Now, AI, which is becoming increasingly sophisticated, can transform just about any image into a beautiful girl, and this is the primary use for AI in creating art. After all, the wise internet users always abide by "Internet Rule 34," which means that anything seemingly unrelated to adult content will eventually be associated with it. As a result, most forums related to AI art generation are now flooded with posts requesting "AI to generate artwork." The requests for creating images of beautiful girls are diverse and often far from what you'd expect from human creativity. NovelAI is an AI art generation software based on the Stable Diffusion model algorithm, featuring both text-to-image and image-to-image generation capabilities. Since this software's image style is primarily two-dimensional, many users have employed NovelAI to generate explicit content. Although the images created using NovelAI are indeed visually appealing, there are significant drawbacks. Most AI-generated images share a highly similar style, and the faces of the beautiful girls all look as if they were carved from the same mold, which can become monotonous when seen in abundance. Furthermore, AI art generation often demands high-end computer configurations, and not everyone can afford the costs associated with a high-end RTX 4090 graphics card. Gradually, AI art generation has lost some of its popularity. However, let's consider why we can't resort to the entirely free "human-made" approach. The essence of AI art generation is an artificial intelligence program that encompasses numerous algorithms. If a computer can do it, so can the human brain. Therefore, adhering to the principle of "regaining control over our creativity," a group of internet users has officially launched a battle to "reclaim their dignity" from AI. Lately, NovelAI-related forums are filled with numerous posts about the "human-made team" challenging AI. The "human-made team's" responsibility is to create images that outshine those produced by AI art generation. Although the images created by the "human-made team" may lack the exquisite strokes of AI-generated art due to various reasons, the depth and uniqueness within human-created images are unmatched. Initially, the images that were sourced by the "human-made team" came from various places, as it's nearly impossible to rely on a single intellectual property for all the diverse requests. However, eventually, everyone discovered that one IP was enough to dominate the competition – "Tom and Jerry." "Tom and Jerry" has become an exceptional resource in the "human-made team." It appears that any unconventional image can find the perfect match in this animated series. Based on the achievements of the "Tom and Jerry human-made team," it seems that they have never failed. The images found by the "Tom and Jerry human-made team" not only resemble the original pictures but also match the smallest details of the characters' expressions and actions. They even correspond perfectly to multi-panel static images found within the "Tom and Jerry" series. As the "Tom and Jerry human-made team" continued to grow, everyone began to have varying opinions. However, regardless of personal views, the images found by this team became perfect answers to defeat the original art. Even abstract images can be reconstructed, and this is the absolute strength of "Tom and Jerry." When the "Tom and Jerry human-made team" established its reputation, users from various other forums also flocked to contribute images that matched their forum's IP. However, it's clear that only "Tom and Jerry" stands as the dominant IP, and other anime IPs could typically only accommodate one or two image requests, as the level of abstraction and inherent content couldn't compare to "Tom and Jerry." As of now, it seems that the battle on NovelAI forums clearly demonstrates the "Tom and Jerry human-made team's" overwhelming victory. Human-made images, without advanced algorithms and high-end hardware, have easily defeated an AI that was created by humans in the previous century. While AI can imitate art styles, languages, movements, and anything else that can be mimicked, it still falls short of human creators in terms of the unique "emotional connection." Perhaps, on some future day, AI might learn to emulate the thought process of human emotions. However, at the current stage, AI will always be a step behind, and it can never compare to "Tom and Jerry."
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