Paradox testing new subscription based service
Paradox Interactive, known for awesome strategy games such as Europa Universalis IV and Hearts of Iron IV, are testing a new subscription service for EU4. The game has a great amount of DLC which can be bought through Steam, and buying it all at the same time can cost hundreds of Euro’s. A few gamers found out about the code in the new update for EU4, and Paradox’ marketing team leader acknowledged that they are indeed working on a subscription based service for EU4. The amount of DLC can be discouraging for newer players, and therefore Paradox would like to offer newer players the service to try out bits and pieces of the game, without having to buy the entire bulk of DLC at once.
More than 36,000 Flash games are now playable offline
Flash based games have been part of many childhoods, and many of those childhoods partly died when Adobe announced back in 2017 that all support for Flash would end in 2020. Many online games have since taken the step to Unity or HTML5, but many more are becoming at risk to be forgotten forever. Since 2018, BlueMaxima is trying to save those games. With the help of many contributors, they have since saved over 36,000 games on the downloadable platform Flashpoint. Through Flashpoint, you can download specific games, or the entire collection. BlueMaxima is far from being done with the archive (see the list of games already saved), and you can also request new games being added to the archive!
Fans aren’t happy with the reforged version of Warcraft 3
Back in 2018, Blizzard rolled out a big update for Warcraft 3. Later, they also stated the intention to bring out a big reforged version of the 2002 classic. Blizzard promised they were going to do more than to make it a more pretty game, they would also revamp the voice-over, and give it a more modern MMO feel. However, Blizzard did not deliver on those promises. Many fans claim that the new camerawork and animations are not up to standard, the voice-overs are still clunky and it just doesn’t live up to the hype promised by Blizzard. Furthermore, many players experience connectivity issues with the new launcher, which you cannot uninstall when you have installed the reforged edition, even after going back to the original game. The community also seems upset about a change in the terms and conditions of the game, which seems to put a part of the ownership of the large amount of custom game modes with Blizzard instead of the players. Read more on Polygon.
Ubisoft creates VR-experience of ancient sites
In combination with the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art’s exhibition ‘Age Old Cities’ Ubisoft have created a virtual reality tour of five sites in Palmyra, Mosul and Aleppo. The exhibition organized by the Arab World Institute focusses on ancient sites which are difficult to visit due to conflict. Using 3D-renders by the UNESCO supported start-up Iconem, Ubisoft made the renders available for the public. Most sites are presented in their current condition (i.e. destroyed), but the Temple of Baalshamin in Palmyra has been partially reconstructed with aid of the University of Lausanne. Ubisoft, of course having more experience with using 3D-renders of monuments in their Assassin’s Creed games, seem to take a more preservation stance than ever before. They continue to express their desire to also collaborate and contribute more to cultural and historic heritage preservation. The VR-experience is also available on the Steam VR store. Read more on the Ubisoft website.
Board-game piece shows life on Lindisfarne during the early Viking period
The recent finding of a small glass board-game piece gives insight of the beginning of the most turbulent periods of English history. The island on the eastern coast of England, also known as the Holy Island, was the location of the first Viking raid in England in 793 CE. The piece is dated around this period and might have been dropped by a Viking raider, or wealthy monks or traders played with it before or after the raid. It shows the influence the Norse culture already had across the North Sea, even before the start of the Viking Era. The finding also is another victory for the crowdfunded and public excavation by DigVentures. It shows that excavation can also be done by volunteers, when properly managed and supervised. Read more in this article by The Guardian.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Aztez free on Epic Games Store!
From the 13th until the 20th of February, Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Aztez are free on the Epic Games Store. Both being bloody games, Kingdom Come takes the player back to the Holy Roman Empire, with a story-driven RPG, fighting in first person. Aztez combines map & turn based strategy with a 2D beat-’em-up combat. Set in the Aztec Empire, you can expand your empire, and fight stylized battles. Even though both are older games (2018 and 2017 respectively), buying both games on Steam would still cost you around €35 or €45 (Kingdom Come also can be bought for 50% off on Steam, making the price €15 instead of €30).
First snapshot of Minecraft 1.16 ‘Nether Update’
Mojang rolled out the first snapshot of the new 1.16 update to Minecraft, also known as the ‘Nether Update’. The update adds three different biomes to the Nether, as well as new blocks and ores such as Netherite. It can mined through the Ancient Debris ore deep in the Nether, an can be used to make diamond armor lava proof! The full update is set to release somewhere in 2020.