News on the Hour
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Written by Alleine Dragonfyre | Reported by Asclepius | PC Games by Drizz Dragonfyre
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NEWS ON THE HOUR November 29 2023
Local News
It’s the Avatars Radio 🛍️Sonic Shop Grand Opening, and all station merch is 20% off until December 8th, including limited edition Avatars Radio Holiday Ornaments and Beer Steins. Our most popular items are back, too: Chaotic Radio T-shirts, eco-friendly soy candles, a gorgeous mousepad, a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, and more. Visit www.avatarsradio.rocks/shop right now, and remember, shopping at Sonic Shop supports independent in-game Radio!
The Robot Overlords have announced a sheet music hunt event in Shroud of the Avatar that commenced on November 13th and will continue until a winner is found. Participants search for music sheets with a twist. Ten specific sheets of music are now listed on the official forums. Finding one makes you eligible for the grand prize. Discovering five or more earns an additional special reward. Players must post a screenshot of the sheet on the forum thread and its drop to claim victory. Happy hunting!
Download the FREE MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar today.
In Haven Ridge, an exciting month-long fishing event is happening until November 30th. Participants have a chance to win big in multiple categories, including a Grand Prize for the Largest Lava and Saltwater Fish with a combined length of 2000 COTO's, 200k Gold, an in-game Gold Fishing Trophy & a sealed Shroud of the Avatar Video Game Box Set! There are prizes for the Largest Lava and Saltwater fish as well. Submit catches via In-Game Mail to Lebu Lionheart or use the Turn-In Chest near the main dock. Haven Ridge is just beyond Castle Atos in Shroud of the Avatar. Best of luck to all participants!
Developers, friends & fellow Avatars, please honor the residents of Immortal City with your attendance at The Deca-Yule Ball celebrating 10 years of Shroud of the Avatar. The party, celebrating past and present SOTA Developers, will be toasting their hard work in bringing monthly updates to the game. Our celebration is about the SOTA community, too, for without Avatars, there would be no Novia! The Ball is on Friday, December 15th, in Immortal City and will be timed to commence shortly after the official Developer Twitch Livestream. DJ Alleine Dragonfyre of Avatars Radio is emceeing the Ball that will be simulcasted on TV at www.twitch.tv/avatarsradiorocks. Formal or fantasy attire is required. Visit the official Shroud of the Avatar forums for updates.
General Player Event Info:
For more information about player-run events, developer game updates and more happenings in Shroud of the Avatar, or to have your events broadcasted during NEWS ON THE HOUR for free, visit the official Shroud of the Avatar forums and the Avatars Radio Discord at www.avatarsradio.rocks/discord
For information about advertising your in-game business, guild or gaming-related products and services on Avatars Radio, visit avatarsradio.rocks/patron.
Metaverse News
Sony's Game-Changing Patent: Emotion-Adaptive Gaming Unveiled
Sony aims to revolutionize gaming with a patent detailing an emotion-aware system. The document, titled "Player Selection System and Method," reveals plans for games to adapt in real-time to players' emotions. Sony proposes leveraging PlayStation VR2's eye tracking and PS5 DualSense controller's haptic sensors to detect emotions like anger or joy. The patent envisions tailoring gameplay based on emotional data, suggesting calming games for stressed players or competitive titles for those in a competitive mood. While promising, concerns about privacy and unproven effectiveness linger. Sony continues to push the boundaries of player-centric, emotion-aware gaming. Will this be enough to woo PC gamers over to consoles? Only time will tell.
Gamescom and BIG Festival Unite: Latin America's Gaming Triumph
In a significant development for Latin America's gaming scene, Gamescom and BIG Festival join forces for Gamescom Latam, scheduled in São Paulo, Brazil from June 26 to June 30, 2024. This collaborative venture, Gamescom's second spinoff after Gamescom Asia, positions Brazil as a key hub for global game developers.
Felix Falk, MD of the German Games Industry Association, emphasizes Brazil's emergence as an exciting market. The event, backed by Koelnmesse, Omelete Company, and São Paulo's government, promises an unparalleled gaming celebration, showcasing BIG Festival as a global indie arena.
Sci-Fi Gaming Trends: Insights on Age, Preferences, Engagement
Quantic Foundry, known for its Gamer Motivation Model, recently shared insights from a survey conducted between February 2022 and October 2023. Focused on sci-fi settings in gaming, data revealed that older players aged 35 and above favor this genre. Whether sci-fi or sci-fantasy, shooters or strategy, it remains "extremely appealing" to most respondents. Motivations vary: sci-fi attracts gamers seeking a fantasy of being someone else somewhere else. Shooter fans engage in the story, while strategy enthusiasts prioritize plotting and destruction. Age influences preferences, with a significant appeal for hard sci-fi among those 35 and older. Gender differences are minimal. In strategy gaming, males are twice as likely to find sci-fi extremely appealing. The survey emphasizes the importance of aligning genre and thematic settings for player engagement.
The Free Radical Design team, pictured in December 2022
Free Radical Design Faces Closure: TimeSplitters Future Uncertain
TimeSplitters studio Free Radical Design, part of Embracer Group, faces potential closure on December 11, 2023. Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors privately acknowledged this in an email amid company-wide cuts. Over 900 employees were let go during the restructuring plan in Q2 2023. Free Radical's fate is subject to a 30-day consultation period, and employees are exploring new opportunities, with over half indicating job-seeking on LinkedIn. The closure's impact on the TimeSplitters series revived in 2021, remains uncertain. Nearby studios offer interviews, and third-party interest could save the studio.
Skull and Bones: High Seas Adventure Sets Sail
A leak acquired by Insider Gaming suggests that Ubisoft's long-anticipated pirate game, Skull and Bones, is set to launch on February 16, 2024. Initial hopes for a 2018 release were unmet, and despite previous delays, a new leaked date has surfaced.
The report indicates an optional pricier edition with early access on February 13, 2024. Ubisoft has not officially confirmed the date, but the announcement is expected in the coming weeks, possibly at The Game Awards 2023 on December 7. However, given the game's history of delays, fans remain cautiously optimistic.
Dead by Daylight Surpasses 60 Million Players Milestone
Dead by Daylight, the asymmetrical multiplayer horror game, hits a milestone with 60 million players globally, a 10 million increase since March 2022. Developed by Behaviour Interactive, the game's success is credited to strategic timing, player feedback incorporation, and a commitment to innovation.
Mathieu Cote, Behaviour's producer, emphasizes their 300-strong team's dedication to player choice in monetization. While acknowledging imperfections, they promise ongoing improvements. The future holds exciting projects, including a movie with Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, a Supermassive Games collaboration, and an internal co-op game showcasing Behaviour's forward-looking approach,