Peter Molyneux Wants To Bring His Next Game To Nintendo Switch
Peter Molyneux’s name may stir conflicting emotions for some players, but you can’t deny the fact that he’s been involved with some groundbreaking video games, including Populous, Black & White and Fable. He’s currently plying his trade at 22cans, the studio he formed after leaving Microsoft, and has already released Godus and The Trail, the latter of which made it to Switch last year.
Molyneux is currently working on a game known only as Legacy, and has remained tight-lipped about it over the past few years. We were lucky enough to sit down with him recently to discuss his career and his future projects; the former feature was published at the weekend and we’ll be running the second piece later this week.
However, in the meantime, we thought it was worth highlighting that Molyneux seems keen to bring his new game to Switch:
Legacy is certainly a big departure from what I’ve done before. And more so than ever before, you need to think a little bit more agnostically about platforms. I would absolutely say that there is a really strong chance of it going onto Switch, but there are two gates that can stop that happening. The first is you have to get permission from Nintendo, that’s one gate. And the other gate is, are we, as a company, passionate about putting it on Switch? I would absolutely say yes to that, because Nintendo – of all three consoles – it appeals to the audience that I find most fascinating. Those are the people that perhaps haven’t been gaming for decades – although I love those people as well – they’re people who would love to play computer games but find them inaccessible, and I find that absolutely fascinating. So yes, absolutely.
It’s hard to get too excited about a project which, so far, hasn’t been properly revealed, but Molyneux’s assurance that this is going to be a ‘big departure’ is interesting, as is the fact that he really seems to be a fan of Switch.
The board game version of Legends of Andor has been around for a number of years. It was designed by Michael Menzel, who is better known for his wonderful and prolific work as a board game illustrator, rather than as a game designer. Andor is a cooperative fantasy game in which a band of heroes work together to complete quests and defend the realm.
The thirteen scenarios follow a linked narrative. Cleverly, as you progress through the quests new features are introduced, which means that you can start playing the initial quest with hardly any rules to worry about. A large part of Andor’s charm is the way that the story develops allowing you to constantly discover new stuff. With this in mind, I will do my best to ensure that no spoilers pass my lips, although this may mean glossing over some of the game’s more advanced elements.
The cooperative nature of Andor means that you can enjoy a pass-and-play game with each person controlling their own character, or you can play solo, taking control of multiple adventurers. There are four characters and they fall into the usual fantasy stereotypes. There’s a frenzied dwarf, a fighter, a sneaky archer and a mage; pleasingly, you can also choose the sex of each adventurer. Your heroes only have two characteristics; willpower is a measure of health and also helps determine the number of combat dice rolled (as you get weaker you roll less dice) and combat strength increases the power of your attacks. Each character has their own unique special ability; the wizard can flip combat dice whilst the dwarf can sacrifice willpower to enhance attacks. Characters can also improve their abilities by purchasing extra equipment from a merchant.
Although the landscapes are often littered with monsters, the biggest threat to your party’s success turns out to be the tight time constraints. Each day, your party members will each have only have seven hours in which to perform their actions. Moving to a neighbouring area of the map costs an hour, as does a round of combat (I guess our heroes must fight in super slo-mo). When needs must you can squeeze out a few more actions, but this will cause a drop in willpower and should be avoided whenever possible. Progress in the game is measured by an event track; this marks the deadlines for completing sub-quests and the overall objective. Once all of your characters have completed their actions for the day or you defeat a monster, a marker will progress along the track, giving you less and less time to complete your mission.
Combat is straightforward; each hero rolls their six-sided combat dice, chooses the best result and then adds their combat strength. The party’s total combat value is then compared to their opponent’s and the difference in values is the amount of damage applied. A bow will allow a hero to attack a monster in an adjacent territory, whilst a helmet increases the combat strength of dice rolls that show doubles. It is a fast and simple system that is easy to understand but can be quite ruthless. It might not be the stuff of legends but most of the monsters are tough and the best strategy is usually to go into combat mob-handed.
If you are used to playing games where the aim is to rush in and defeat as many monsters as quickly as possible, then you really will need to realign your thinking. Fighting burns up an entire day so often discretion is the better part of valour. Sometimes your objective means that you will have to fight and at other times you will need to battle in order to stop your home city from being sacked. The added perk of defeating a monster is that you will earn extra gold or willpower.
The graphics, being the work of Michael Menzel, are excellent and for me, the app worked smoothly, perfectly capturing the feel of the board game. This is especially true when you zoom in from the overhead view and switch the angle, revealing all of the 2D standee models in their full glory. The major issue is that at the time of writing Andor does not work on all devices. I have had no problems whatsoever playing on my iPad Pro and I know that the developers are hard at work fixing the issues.
However, it’s hardly a satisfactory situation and must be very frustrating for many customers. Other issues are relatively minor. The tutorial feels a little long-winded and once you have reached the story’s end there isn’t really that much incentive to play through again. Also, the way that the game works means that the heroes do not develop as the story progresses. Each new quest will see all statistics and equipment resetting, which may leave some players feeling hard done by.
Initially, Andor appears to be all about rolling dice and beating up monsters, but you will soon realise that the game is actually much more puzzle-based than that. You are forced to manage your precious time and coordinate the actions of your individual heroes, which often climaxes in a tense showdown. One massive advantage of the digital version is that you can start playing straight away. Setting up the board game is time-consuming and involves scanning the map for specific locations and then placing the relevant monsters and other objects.
Legends of Andor may be an older game but its appearance on touchscreen makes perfect sense. There is a generous amount of content (the original game only had five quests) and it plays brilliantly solo. The slow drip-feed of new ideas shows a designer at the top of his game.
Please refer to the comments section for the latest information regarding the technical state of the game.
Halftime has concluded for the 2019 Super Bowl, where the New England Patriots faced the Los Angeles Rams. And while CBS offered a halftime show featuring Maroon 5 and Atlanta's own Big Boi, WWE delivered something completely different--shirtless people punching each other.
The resident wrestling nerds of GameSpot could not have been happier about this, as WWE's Halftime Heat aired on the WWE Network, along with YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. And if you're someone who frequents GameSpot, then you know Mat Elfring and Chris E. Hayner are going to talk about wrestling. Just like any PPV, we're going to review the match.
You can watch the match for yourself below. Halftime Heat starts at 3:34:29.
Aleister Black, Ricochet & Velveteen Dream vs. Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano & Adam Cole
Wow… Triple H kicks off the whole thing by saying, "If you are all in as a fan, then NXT is for you." Shots have been fired, and they didn't need to be. Or maybe I'm looking way too much into the "all in" aspect of his line, which was the largest independent wrestling shows of 2018: one I got to attend. The atmosphere is bizarre, considering this is taking place inside the Performance Center and the crowd isn't as big nor as rukus as a normal NXT crowd. Sure, it got better as it went on, but it didn't start off too hot. Velveteen Dream feels so out of place in this match, in the best way possible. His NFL-inspired ring gear is awesome, and he's the only wrestler on his team who is 100% personality. He rounds out the group really well. Then, there's Ricochet, who I could watch flip around the ring all night. The dude is a complete innovator.
Around the 10 minute mark, I noticed I've turned into a morose mouth-breather as my jaw has been completely dropped after a series of insane high spots. As this match progressed, we got some amazing spots, and Adam Cole became the whipping post for Team Dream. I wasn't surprised by the outcome of this, by any means. It delivered exactly like I thought it would and was the perfect counter-programming for CBS' halftime show.
The only real problem--for me--with Halftime Heat was that the in-ring storytelling aspect of wrestling wasn't really as solid as it could have been. It was primarily tons of high spots to get new folks engaged with the product, which is perfectly fine. This match played as more of a Greatest Hits than a full-fledged wrestling match. I guess the only real question I have for WWE is, "Who is watching Halftime Heat that already isn't super familiar with the WWE and NXT products?" Regardless of my nitpicking, this was a blast, and I hope WWE does this again next year.
Side note: Hey, WWE Network. Work on your app on Smart TVs. During a 16 minute match, it crashed on me three different times, including during the finish.
-- Mat Elfring (9/10)
When WWE announced that NXT was going to have its own Halftime Heat event, it was great news because I don't really care for Maroon 5. That said, it also meant the brand would have to deliver the absolute best it has to make for a compelling Super Bowl alternative. Thankfully, NXT delivered in a massive way and had to make a few new fans tonight, between airing live on the WWE Network and across the company's streaming platforms. Right from the start, it was clear that the small crowd at the performance center was made up of die-hard fans that were ready to be loud, as each NXT Superstar--six of the brand's top names--made their way to the ring.
What followed was an exciting six-man tag match loaded with high spots, everyone getting in their signature moves, and an actual story. It was all set up at the end of TakeOver: Phoenix, when the three heroes and three villains had a pull-apart brawl, something that overflowed onto Halftime Heat. I honestly can't say enough about how great this was, even with some shaky production work at the beginning of the broadcast. It's hit some highlights, though.
Velveteen Dream's football-inspired attire was amazing, as were the tackles he doled out early in the match.
Having a female referee preside over Halftime Heat was so smart. Those who watch NXT already know women are referees for some matches. However, for non-fans, having a female in charge helps to show how much the role of women in WWE has changed over the last few years.
Shawn Michaels joining the commentary team for the show was the right move. He's clearly super passionate about NXT as one of the brand's trainers and it showed in how he spoke about the action. Honestly, they should utilize him in that role more.
If this didn't make you a believer in Ricochet and his ability to do literally anything, I don't know what will. That said, he defies gravity regularly and I love it.
Something this match did was allow each talent to show off their style of fighting. For Aleister Black, this means kicking as hard as he possibly can and itlooks so painful for his victim each time.
I know wrestling fans are split on the overuse of the superkick. I love it and loved how it was on display here.
I love Tommaso Ciampa and think he's a great NXT Champion, but find me a better heel than Adam Cole, I dare you.
Blockchain Skills Are in Demand: Take Advantage of Hyperledger Training Discounts Now
If you ask some people, they’ll tell you that blockchain technology — an entirely reimagined approach to records, ledgers, and authentication that is helping to protect trust in transactions — is as dramatic as the creation of the Internet. Countless organizations across industries are aligning around it and there is huge demand for training and certification focused on the tools and building blocks that drive the blockchain ecosystem.
The Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger Project has created many of these key tools and is providing leadership around these complex technologies. All of which is why it’s worth noting that the Linux Foundation is now offering 30 percent off all of its Hyperledger training and certification offerings.
At top business schools ranging from Berkeley to Wharton, students are flocking to classes on blockchain and cryptocurrency. Additionally, job postings related to blockchain and Hyperledger are taking off, with knowledge in these areas translating into opportunity.
“In the span of only a year or two, blockchain has gone from something seen only as related to cryptocurrencies to a necessity for businesses across a wide variety of industries,” said The Linux Foundation’s Clyde Seepersad, General Manager, Training & Certification, in introducing the course Blockchain: Understanding its Uses and Implications. “Providing a free introductory course designed not only for technical staff but business professionals will help improve understanding of this important technology, while offering a certificate program through edX will enable professionals from all over the world to clearly demonstrate their expertise.”
Hyperledger offers numerous other training and certification options, and its certifications are respected across industries. The project has just introduced a new certification for Hyperledger Fabric and also offers certification for Hyperledger Sawtooth—with both platforms playing central roles in the blockchain ecosystem.
The following courses are key to building your blockchain and Hyperledger skills:
Blockchain: Understanding Its Uses and Implications (LFS170) — Understand exactly what a blockchain is, its impact and potential for change around the world, and analyze use cases in technology, business, and enterprise products and institutions.
Hyperledger Fabric Administration (LFS272)— This course will provide a deeper understanding of the Hyperledger Fabric network and how to administer and interact with chaincode, manage peers, operate basic CA-level functions, and much more. Here is how you can get trained to pass the Certified Hyperledger Fabric Administrator (CHFA) exam.
Hyperledger Sawtooth Administration (LFS273) — This course offers insight into the installation, configuration, component lifecycle, and permissioning-related information of a Hyperledger Sawtooth network. Here is how you can get trained to pass the Hyperledger Sawtooth Administration exam.
Note that Hyperledger offers bundle prices if you are interested in both an exam preparation course and certification. These courses are also well worth looking into and available at the discounted rates through February 11, 2019.
Now is a great time to learn about Hyperledger and blockchain technology. Take advantage of these training discounts and start learning from the blockchain leaders now.
Grab your bike and hit the rails in FutureGrind, a stylish stunt-racer all about tricks, skill, and speed. Think you have what it takes? Test your limits while grinding to the bass pounding beats of an original soundtrack by bignic.
A royal decree from Princess Persephone has prompted the gathering of the realm's greatest explorers to the floating city of Maginia. Their goal - uncovering the mysteries of the archipelago of Lemuria, home to a great Yggdrasil Tree. Recruit explorers from 19 classes spanning the entire Etrian series, including the brand new "Hero" class, before setting out to Lemuria in search of treasure and glory!
Sharing Xbox One Screenshots And Videos Just Got Much Easier
Sharing screenshots and videos from Xbox One has been notoriously difficult throughout the console's life cycle. Thankfully, Microsoft has listened to people's concerns and made it a little easier, though you'll need to use a separate app to take advantage.
The Xbox App--known earlier in its life as SmartGlass--has been updated, and it can now share media from your Xbox One to social networks and your smartphone directly. Xbox director of programming and community figurehead Major Nelson shared the news on Twitter with a screenshot that showed Instagram, Discord, iMessage, email, and Twitter as some of the sharing options in the newly updated app.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 02-04-2019, 07:46 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Xbox Live Sign-In Errors Impacting Xbox One [Update: Fixed]
It's been something of a rough week for Xbox Live, which has encountered issues on multiple occasions (including one particularly severe incident). That's again the case today for Xbox One and PC owners, as sign-in issues have emerged on Friday that Microsoft says it's working to resolve. [Update: Microsoft now says these sign-in issues have been resolved, so you should be able to get online and start playing without any further problems. That said, not everything is working as it should, as Microsoft confirmed that you might have trouble buying things: "Previous issues with sign in should now be resolved. We're aware of users also running into issues with purchasing new content over Xbox Live and teams are actively engaged on that as well. We'll have additional updates to provide soon."]
While sign-in problems sound somewhat innocuous, that can mean you're unable to get online to play games like Fortnite or to even access certain content. In a tweet, Microsoft's support account stated, "If you're running into errors attempting to sign in or access previously purchased content, our teams are aware and working to identify the cause. We'll update here when we have more to provide."
A subsequent tweet provides a further update, stating, "We have teams actively engaged on issues related to sign in and accessing previously purchased content. We'll update again when we've identified the cause. Our status page will also have updates related to these issues."
The Xbox Live status page doesn't offer much more information, except to confirm that both Xbox One and Xbox services on Windows 10 in the "core services" category are impacted. Besides the sign-in problems, you might also have trouble creating or managing an account right now.
There's no word on exactly when the problems will be resolved; as always, it could be a very short wait or a matter of hours. Some small consolation is that these problems don't appear as serious as those earlier in the week, which caused some users to receive a black screen when powering the system on. This rendered it completely unusable, though some reports suggested that disconnecting the system from the internet would allow offline functionality to resume.
We'll report back with any further details as Microsoft shares them.
Wargroove Will Receive Regular Updates, Free Content And DLC
To celebrate the release of Wargroove this week, the team at Chucklefish held a Reddit AMA. One of the most commonly asked questions was if the game would receive post-release support.
The good news is the team are “definitely interested” in supporting Wargroove with ongoing updates in the future, but wanted to first take in all the feedback provided by the game’s community after the big launch. The CEO of Chucklefish reiterated this, mentioning how free content and quality of life improvements were definitely on the way. One idea in mind is to possibly add a ranked mode in the future, to satisfy the game’s competitive community:
“We’re waiting to see how the online play evolves and whether or not a ranked mode would fit. We don’t want to divide the playerbase right away, but it’s on our maybe list.”
The Chucklefish CEO was happy to reveal there would eventually be downloadable content for the game as well but said the team couldn’t reveal anything about it just yet. A physical release is also in consideration, but once again, there’s nothing to officially announce right now.
Have you tried out Wargroove yet? What do you think of it so far? Tell us below.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Balance Isn’t A Concern For Masahiro Sakurai
Competitive games can be an absolute nightmare to balance due to a number of different factors in play. In the case of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you would think it would be near impossible to keep each fight fair when there are now 75 playable characters.
Apparently, though, each of the fighters in the game are pretty evenly matched. In his latest column in Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, Ultimate’s Director Masahiro Sakurai shared some interesting data about the game’s win and loss rates to help prove this.
According to the translation, courtesy of Kotaku, Sakurai used King K. Rool as an example – stating how the main antagonist from the Donkey Kong series wasn’t actually the “noob smasher” many players made him out to be:
“His win rate is over all 51.9%… In VIP matches it’s 48.9%.”
VIP matches are a reference in North America to Elite Smash – a ranked mode for top tier players with a high enough Global Smash Power.
The remainder of the column reinforced how Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was a very balanced game overall. Sakurai further elaborated on this by explaining how one on one victory rates for every fighter within the game are no higher than 60 percent and no lower than 40 percent:
“No fighter is below 40%, and no fighter is above 60%… As for one on one matches among VIP players, the lowest win rate for any character is 43.7%. The highest win ratio is 56.8%.”
When combining all of the above data, all of the fighters fall “within 40% and 54% win rates” and fighters with “a win rate of 45% or higher” account for 90 percent of the total.
In terms of popular characters, Cloud and Ganondorf are the community favourites at the moment. Cloud is most commonly used in standard play and Ganondorf is the most used in VIP matches. Despite this, “Ganondorf’s win rate is only 47.9%” which keeps him at the lower end of the battle rankings.
Going off battle data alone, Sakurai believes there’s seemingly no reason to tune the balance of the game. In saying this, he realises if it isn’t adjusted, some players are likely to feel “stressed out” by the lack of change.
How have you found the fighter balance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate so far? Tell us below.
