For the past few years, we have worked on expanding Steam beyond games and software by building a video platform that supports paid and free video content. In reviewing what Steam users actually watch, it became clear we should focus our effort on offering content that is either directly related to gaming or, is accessory content for games or software sold on Steam.
As part of this refocus, we have retired the Video section of the Steam Store menu with an expectation that video content is discovered via the associated game or software store page, or through search, user tags, recommendations, etc.
Over the coming weeks a number of non-gaming videos will be retired and will no longer be available for purchase. Previously purchased content will remain available to owners.
This week at Bungie, the Drifter is preparing for a turn to lead the next season.
We’re nearing the end of Season of the Forge. Guardians have plundered the Black Armory of its secrets and weapons. Shaxx hosted Crimson Days and Lord Saladin is watching over the final Iron Banner of the season. Before the Drifter takes center stage, we’ll be hosting a Raid-Along livestream featuring Scourge of the Past. If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to build a raid from the ground up, this is your chance to peek behind the curtains here at Bungie.
Scourge of the Past Raid Along
Date: Tuesday, February 26
Time: 10 AM–12 PM PST
Members of the Raid Test team will be fighting the good fight, as designers, artists, producers and more lend commentary on taking an idea and creating the greatest challenge our game has to offer.
Alright, Alright, Alright…
To get Gambit primed for the Season of the Drifter, we have been working on some Quality of Life improvements We’re changing the way this little game is played, based on our own experience as players and a lot of feedback that we’ve collected since Forsaken launched. Today, Senior Designer Robbie Stevens is speaking on behalf of the team to take us through the changes you can expect on March 5.
Robbie: As we build on the Gambit theme in Season of the Drifter, we want to make sure to address some of the top feedback items for the base activity. Below is a sneak peek of changes we’ve made based on the community’s feedback. Expect more details and additional quality-of-life changes for Gambit when Season of the Drifter drops on March 5.
Changed the third round of Gambit to a Primeval rush sudden death. This will speed up Gambit matches overall and add a change of pace to the final round.
Overhauled how we choose the invader spawn location and increased the number of invader spawn points for each map. This should greatly reduce the chances of spawning very near or in direct line of sight of an enemy Guardian.
Implemented Idle Protection which means that players that remain dormant for too long will not receive end-of-match rewards or Infamy points.
The Triumph “Light vs. Light” can now be progressed by killing any Guardian using a Super, not just invaders. This makes attaining the Dredgen title a less daunting task.
Adjustments to Blocker types by deposit tier:
Small Blocker = Taken Goblin with less health than the previous Phalanx.
Medium Blocker = Taken Captain with more health than the previous Knight.
Large Blocker = Taken Knight with more health than the previous Ogre.
These changes arrive with the Season of the Drifter. To get you ready for the change in seasons, we’re enabling Triple Infamy for the final week of Season of the Forge.
Triple Infamy
Start: 2/26/2019, 9 AM PST
End: 3/5/2019
Are you looking to become a Dredgen and impress the Drifter? Or maybe acquire a few weapons to round out your collection? Wins, losses, and bounties will all reward you with increased Infamy throughout the week.
Back to the Sandbox
Alongside the Gambit quality-of-life changes, our Sandbox Team will be fine-tuning some weapon archetypes to refresh the gameplay experience in Destiny 2. The following is a quick preview of some changes coming with Destiny Update 2.2.0, with developer commentary from Sandbox Designer Victor Anderson:
Linear Fusion Rifles
These Energy weapons have dominated Gambit for quite some time. First came Sleeper Simulant. Then came the Queenbreaker. We’ve made them less forgiving so we can enjoy a change of pace.
Linear Fusion Rifle aim-assist values will receive an adjustment to reduce effectiveness at very long ranges.
While Queenbreaker has high aim-assist values by default, we discovered an issue where it was not honoring aim-assist values that applied to other Linear Fusion Rifles of the same archetype. This resulted in Queenbreaker having over double the intended aim assist.
Linear Fusion Rifles will receive a 10% damage increase in PvE to compensate for the above changes.
Shotguns
In Season of the Drifter, we’re making a few changes to rapid-fire Shotguns, and the Full Auto perk. We’re doing this for a few reasons, one of them being that the Full Auto perk feels far too important to Shotguns in PvE. This perk effectively doubles the damage output of any given Shotgun due to the rate of fire increase.
While we believe it is important to have useful perks on your weapons, the efficacy of this was so impactful that rapid-fire Shotguns became the only Shotguns worth considering for PvE. When the following changes release in Season of the Drifter, we hope you might be inspired to equip an aggressive Shotgun or maybe even take a slug Shotgun for a spin in a PvE activity.
Shotguns will receive a damage multiplier in PvE activities, effectively doubling their damage.
The Legend of Acrius is an exception to this.
Full Auto rate-of-fire bonus for Shotguns is now +10%, down from +100%.
In addition, it no longer increases the Shotgun pellet spread.
Default rate-of-fire values for have also shifted:
Aggressives are 55 RPM, up from 45 RPM
Precisions are 70 RPM, up from 55 RPM
Lightweights are 80 RPM (they were erroneously stated to be 90 RPM previously)
Rapid-Fire 140 RPM, down from 200 RPM (they were previously natively 100 RPM, but due to the intrinsic full auto, actually had 200 RPM)
Also reduced base damage for Shotguns across the board to align with their new rates of fire on a per sub-archetype basis.
Ammo reserves for Shotguns were re-evaluated due to the increased efficiency of having more damage per shot.
We also took the opportunity to slightly adjust Shotguns for the Crucible. While Shotguns will remain effective in the Crucible, we have toned down the range at which Shotguns could secure a one-shot kill.
Additionally, the team has some information regarding balance changes for the One-Eyed Mask Exotic, which will release with Update 2.2.0:
One-Eyed Mask
In various combat situations, One-Eyed Mask has been too effective, and has become a non-choice Exotic for Titans in PvP environments. After implementing the following changes, we believe the Exotic will still be potent if used well, but there will be more opportunities to counter it.
The duration of the Mark of Vengeance has been reduced from 15 seconds to 8 seconds
The way players refill health after a successful kill has changed. Before, it restored all of your health and the overshield refilled over time. Now, the health refills over time alongside the overshield. This should give a leg up when encountering situations where multiple people are fighting one person with the One-Eyed Mask equipped.
Vengeance will no longer trigger for players in Super. This was making Supers far too potent.
A new season means a new reality in combat. Keep up the chatter, and we’ll keep curating the Sandbox so that Destiny adapts to the way you play!
They’ll Be Your Guide
Navigating the various destinations of Destiny can sometimes be difficult, whether a snag occurs when following a quest line or an enemy fails to appear in the world. The Player Support Team is here to shine a light on the right path forward so you can get you to the loot you’ve been hunting.
This is their report.
Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0 Resolved Issues Preview – Part 2
Following the conversation from last week, here’s the second batch of player-impacting issues that we expect to be resolved with Update 2.2.0 in early March.
“Mint Condition” Triumph: The “Mint Condition” Triumph is not unlocking.
“Forged in Fire” Triumph: The “Forged in Fire” Triumph is not unlocking.
“Master Smith” Triumph: The “Master Smith” Triumph is not updating for Rare research frame completions.
“Calculated Trajectory” Triumph: The “Calculated Trajectory” Triumph and medal do not trigger in Iron Banner.
“The Eternal Return” Emblem: The emblem “The Eternal Return” is not updating each time players conquer Dûl Incaru in the Dreaming City.
“Senior Recruiter” Emblem: The emblem “Senior Recruiter” is not updating for Refer-a-Friend referral completions.
“Black Armory Devotee” Bounty: The “Black Armory Devotee” bounty does not progress when using non-frame Black Armory weapons.
Check back next week for our third and final Resolved Issues Preview for Update 2.2.0. For the full Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0 patch notes when they are available, players should monitor our Updates page.
Relics of the Golden Age
Also resolved in Update 2.2.0 is an issue that has caused confusion regarding the “Relics of the Golden Age” quest for Sturm.
Currently, one of the steps in this quest directs players to “decrypt” five Legendary engrams and one Exotic engram. In Update 2.2.0, this quest description will update to direct players to “pick up” these engrams, which aligns with Year 2 world-drop engram behavior.
To set the correct expectations, here are special cases that players should be aware of when completing this step:
Prime Engrams do not count toward this quest step.
Vendor rank-up rewards and Cryparch-purchased engrams do not count toward this quest step.
Fated Engrams and direct-purchase Exotics from Xûr do not count toward this quest step.
Engrams left in activities that recover to postmaster do not count toward this quest step.
Year 1-style Legendary and Exotic engrams that slot into players’ inventories and require manual decryption do not count toward this step. These are very rare, but are still available from some sources.
As always, players who encounter gameplay issues should report them to the #Help forum.
Take A Seat
Whether it is a group of Crucible Legends or a single Titan taking down a raid boss, we’re always excited to see what the community brings to the table for the Movie of the Week. Watch as Chaperones, Whispers, and a Midnight Coup dominate their enemies in the clips below.
Movie of the Week: Destiny Fun Police—Born Again
Honorable Mention: Making Us Proud
If you’d like a chance at the Lens of Fate emblem, be sure to submit your footage to the Community Creations portal on bungie.net.
With just 12 days between you and Season of the Drifter, the team is hard at work dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on Destiny 2 Update 2.2.0.
Before we go, I wanted to share a quick preview of something that the Hunters among you have been asking for. If you ever found yourself thinking, “It would be awesome if I could see my entire cloak when previewing shaders,” we have some good news for you. Update 2.2.0 will make a slight change to your view when inspecting cloaks in the character screen.
We’ll have more patch note previews leading up to Season of the Drifter. Until then, have a great weekend, and we’ll see you in the wild.
Cheers,
dmg04
P.S.—Shoutout to every single Guardian among you who has completed the Shattered Throne Dungeon solo. I was finally able to conquer this challenge on Tuesday. In other words, the bread has been baked.
Yonder shipwrecks players on the vast island of Gemea, a land enshrouded in an evil murk. By exploring the land, joining forces with the locals and contributing to their community through optional talents like farming, crafting, cooking, fishing and brewing, adventurers can help the island flourish.
Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime retires, Bowser taking over
Reggie Fils-Aime is stepping down from his post as president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America after 13 years in those roles and over 15 years with the company as a whole.
Doug Bowser, the company’s current SVP of sales and marketing, has been tapped to take over for Fils-Aime as the president of Nintendo of America following his official retirement on April 15.
“Nintendo owns a part of my heart forever,” said Fils-Aime in a statement. “It’s a part that is filled with gratitude – for the incredibly talented people I’ve worked with, for the opportunity to represent such a wonderful brand, and most of all, to feel like a member of the world’s most positive and enduring gamer community. As I look forward to departing in both good health and good humor, this is not ‘game over’ for me, but instead ‘leveling up’ to more time with my wife, family, and friends.”
Fils-Aime got his start with Nintendo of America back in 2003, in the very same role that Bowser now vacates to take on the position of president. After just three years with the company he then stepped into the role of president and COO, a position he held through the lifetimes of several Nintendo systems like the DS, Wii, 3DS, and, most recently, the Nintendo Switch.
A press release from the company specifically calls out “strong and affable personality,” a trait that endeared him with both the industry and Nintendo’s fanbase.
Bowser, meanwhile, started with the company in mid-2015 as the VP of sales and, a year later, the SVP of sales and marketing. He notably led the company’s marketing efforts for the Nintendo Switch in the West, a system that has sold over 32 million units since its early 2017 release.
For the love of gaming, we are sharing Xbox One deals on consoles, accessories, and more! Starting February 17, you can save $50 on any Xbox One bundle, including Xbox One X, the world’s most powerful console, and Xbox One S, the best value in gaming and entertainment. And there’s no shortage of amazing bundles to choose from at a participating retailer near you.
Experience true power with the brand-new Xbox One X Metro Saga bundle, released today. Embark on an incredible post-apocalyptic journey and save $50 on this hot new bundle starting February 17. The bundle includes full-game downloads of the entire saga: Metro 2033 Redux, Metro: Last Light Redux, and Metro Exodus.
Join the worldwide Fortnite phenomenon with $50 off the Xbox One S Fortnite bundle and get ready to battle to be the last one standing. This bundle includes a full-game download of Fortnite with the Eon cosmetic set download and 2,000 V-bucks. Also included in Fortnite is Battle Royale, a 100-player PVP mode where you fight to the end. Build and destroy environments and join intense PVP combat on Xbox Live, the fastest, most reliable gaming network.
Get $50 off the Xbox One S Battlefield V bundle and enter mankind’s greatest conflict: World War II. Join the ranks with a full-game download of Battlefield V Deluxe Edition containing paratrooper apparel for your Company of soldiers, special assignments, and weekly Airlifts. Plus, enjoy an outstanding Battlefield experience with full-game downloads of Battlefield 1943, Battlefield 1 Revolution, and one-month EA Access.
Looking for the world’s most powerful console? Save $100 on the Xbox One X Fallout 76 bundle and explore, quest, build, and triumph in a post-nuclear wasteland. Prepare for an epic adventure in the prequel to the award-winning Fallout RPG series. Journey alone or with friends in a new and unique Fallout adventure, and for the first time ever, Vault Dwellers can team up online on Xbox Live!
And if you need more accessories for your arsenal, starting on February 17th, you can save $10 on select Xbox Wireless Controllers.
Equip yourself with $10 off the Xbox Wireless Controller Phantom Black and sense victory within; or elevate your game and save $10 on the Xbox Wireless Controller Grey/Blue edition, featuring a dark grey design with light grey and blue accents. There’s plenty of other controllers to choose from as well, so be sure to size them all up and choose wisely!
And to top it all off, save $10 on a 3 month or 6 month subscription to Xbox Live Gold where you can play with the greatest community of gamers on the world’s fastest most reliable gaming network!
Now is the best time to jump in with Xbox One. Enjoy over 100 games right out of the box with Xbox Game Pass, and access all your favorite entertainment through apps like YouTube, Netflix, and more. Watch 4K Blu-ray movies and stream 4K video on Xbox One S, and experience immersive true 4K gaming on Xbox One X—the world’s most powerful console.
Whether you’re playing games, watching your favorite shows or streaming gameplay, Xbox One delivers brilliant graphics with HDR technology, premium audio, and the fastest, most reliable gaming network. Visit Xbox.com to learn more.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 02-23-2019, 11:50 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
GameStop PS4 And Xbox One Deals: Pro Days And Tax Sale Discounts Detailed
GameStop has announced another "Pro Day" sale, with special deals and discounts reserved exclusively for its reward members. In the same announcement, the shop also announced this year's "tax sale," running for the week just after Pro Day, in case that tax refund is burning a hole in your pocket.
Pro Day will take place on Saturday, February 23. It includes $100 off a Fallout 76 Xbox One X 1TB bundle, $50 off Xbox One S bundles, and a download code for Gears of War 4 with any Xbox One. You can also snag some good prices on software like Assassin's Creed Odyssey ($20), Black Ops 4 ($30), and Battlefield 5 ($25). There's also a buy-two-get-one-free offer on used PS4 and Xbox One games. Plus accessories, Xbox Live memberships, and collectibles will be discounted.
The Tax Sale, which lasts February 24 through March 5, has similar deals on Xbox One hardware, and some of the same software deals. You can pick up Red Dead Redemption 2 and Fallout 76 for $40, alongside some of the deals that Pro members had access to before.
Check out the list of promoted deals below.
Pro Day (2/23)
Save $100 on new Xbox One X 1TB Fallout 76 bundle
Save $50 on new Xbox One S Bundle
Free full-game download of Gears of War 4 with purchase of any new Xbox One console
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: $19.99
Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII: $29.99
NBA 2K19: $24.99
Madden NFL 19: $19.99
Battlefield V: $24.99
WWE 2K19: $24.99
Just Cause 4: $39.99
Save up to $60 on select headsets
Save $10 on Xbox wireless controller
Save $10 on 3-month or 6-month Xbox Live Gold membership
Get 3 months of Xbox Live FREE with purchase of 6-month of Xbox Live
40% off board games and puzzles
30% off apparel and apparel accessories, collector boxes and all lighting
25% off select toy collectibles
$10 T-shirts (excludes clearance)
Buy 2 Get 1 Free on pre-owned Xbox One and PlayStation 4 games (coupon valid 2/25 – 3/3 and will be in visible in Active Offers on 2/25. Must be PowerUp Rewards Member)
Get 10% more credit when you trade games and accessories
Get an extra 10% off pre-owned games and accessories
Tax Sale (2/24-3/5)
Save $100 on new Xbox One X 1TB Fallout 76 bundle
Save $50 on new Xbox One S Bundle (plus Battlefield V deluxe edition bundle)
Save $10 on 3-month or 6-month Xbox Live Gold membership
Red Dead Redemption 2: $39.99
Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII: $39.99
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: $19.99
NBA 2K19: $29.99
Madden NFL 19: $24.99
Battlefield V: $29.99
Fallout 76: $39.99
Just Cause 4: $39.99
Save $10 on select Xbox One wireless controllers
Save 20% off on SCUF performance accessories when you purchase any new Xbox One Elite Controller or PS4 SCUF Vantage Controller
Save up to $20 on select headsets
Buy 1 Get 1 50% off all POP! vinyl figures
Buy 1 Get 1 50% off all apparel and apparel accessories
Super Kickers League Trailer Shows Off Outlandish Team Abilities
The above trailer for Xaloc Studios’ upcoming soccer game, Super Kickers League gives us a far better look at the previously announced title, including special team abilities, plus a ‘spring’ 2019 release window.
The team acknowledges Super Mario Strikers (or Mario Smash Football in PAL regions) and Soccer Brawl as strong influences, with a fun approach to the beautiful game and its rules. The trailer shows that each team has a specific ability you can employ against the opposing side, including a Fortnite-like move which causes them to break out some impromtu dance moves.
With three different modes available – Teams, Kickers and Retro – that last one has our interest particularly piqued. According to the official blurb, Retro mode “allows you to play the game with an orthographic camera and pixel art graphics, transforming the graphics into a much more ‘classic’ format.” Intriguing!
So, while it’s still a game of two halves where a bunch of people try to kick a ball into a net, it seems that flaming meteors, teleportation and irresistible dance beats add a lighthearted layer of strategy.
Like the look of this madcap take on the beautiful game, or do you prefer a more serious intepretation of the sport? Share your opinion below.
Sony And Microsoft’s Gaming Bosses React To Reggie’s Retirement
It’s fair to say that the news that Reggie Fils-Aime – who has been Nintendo of America president since 2006 and joined the company itself in 2003 – would be retiring in April caught plenty of people off-guard.
He’s certainly one of the industry’s most recognisable characters and his willingness to get in front of camera and laugh at himself has endeared him to millions of gamers, not just Nintendo fans.
Reggie’s popularity is evidenced by the fact that the news has been followed by a flood of positive and supportive comments for the big man – most notably from his rivals at Sony and Microsoft.
Mike Ybarra – Corporate Vice President at Xbox – also had something to say about the news:
Reggie famously appeared on-stage with both Spencer and Layden at the 2018 Game Awards, and host Geoff Keighley added his voice:
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 02-23-2019, 05:46 AM - Forum: Lounge
- No Replies
Despite Apex Legends, Fortnite Wants You To Know It's Just Fine
The popularity of Fortnite is something truly remarkable. It has long since eclipsed that of its inspiration, PUBG, growing into a cultural sensation that transcends the typical confines of what's possible for a video game. Its massive success (and that of PUBG) has prompted numerous other companies to try their hand at the battle royale genre. 2019 has brought notable new competition in the form of Apex Legends, an excellent take on the genre from Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment. Epic Games wants you to know Fortnite is doing just fine, though.
With much being made about the player figures Apex has amassed since its release--more than 25 million players and a peak concurrent count of 2 million in its first week--there has been speculation that this success will surely cut into that of Fortnite. Seemingly in response to this, Epic has released some updated figures of its own, revealing Fortnite had its best day ever in terms of peak concurrent players (meaning the number of players online simultaneously) earlier this month.
During the DJ Marshmello concert on February 2, Fortnite had 10.7 million players, the game's biggest day ever. It followed that up more recently with 7.6 million players on February 16, which Epic says was the game's best non-event day ever.
This would all suggest that Fortnite is not struggling due to Apex. Certainly, numerous other game companies have--in the interest of alleviating investors' fears--stated that Fortnite is growing the market, rather than simply stealing players from other games. They'd likely claim the same is true of Apex, which will continue to grow with its first-ever Battle Pass in March and the recently added Havoc gun.
That said, there is a caveat to keep in mind. Epic recently announced that you can earn the upcoming Season 8 Battle Pass for free by completing new Overtime challenges right now. Some saw this move as an attempt to stop bleeding players drawn to Apex by giving them the opportunity to avoid having to drop about $10 (or spending previously earned V-Bucks) to gain access to exclusive challenges and rewards during Season 8. That record day on February 16 was the first Saturday during which the Overtime challenges were available, and it seems fair to assume the Battle Pass freebie played a major role in that big day.
Whatever the rationale behind giving away the Battle Pass for free, it seems clear that it's having the intended effect. And however big Apex may grow, don't expect Fortnite to go anywhere in the near future.
