Up to 40% of a game's total sales occur in the first month, according to the SSRN Electronic Journal. Consequently, the best strategy for s??tudios is to ensure their titles launch with a bang??. Some strategic marketing is necessary to achieve this. Piling up good reviews from critics and gamers is also vital, meaning it's essential for games to launch in a polished state.

Over the years, a few titles have missed the mar??k terribly, resulting in catastrophic launches. The following list contains some of the worst offenders in gaming history.

2024 addendum

To borrow a common internet adage, it's like Concord read this list and said, "Hold my beer." As such, we felt it would be a good time to add to this list. It felt as though it would remain incomplete without what is cu?rrently the most t??alked about crash.

But rather than slotting in Concord and calling it a day, I'm going to also add a couple of my favorite launch failures. Smangeliso already did a bang-up job o??n compiling some of the worst, so those are left untouched.

13. Trespasser - Jurassic Park

The move to 3D graphics was a painful one. Over-ambition was common, and nowhere was this more obvious than with Trespasser, a game based on the Jurassic Park franchise. The lead-up ??to the launch promised a game that used a real-time physics engine and artificial intell?igence that would make dinosaurs flock together and act based on their specific needs.

Trespasser was technically impressive when it launched. However, the game was rushed so urgently that every promised feature was only technically implemented. Dinosaur AI, for example, wasn't ready for prime time?, so the dinosaur's anger was cranked up to maximum, and that was it. The real-time physics and inverse kinematic animations resulted in the thunder lizards staggering arou?nd drunkenly. It's hilarious, it's easily one of my favorite terrible games.

12. SimCity (2013)

The first SimCity was released in 1989 and became one of the most influential games in the history of the industry. It practically created the city-builder genre and laid the groundwork for all kinds of management games. Makes sense that EA would be the ones to screw that up. The publisher decided that the once single-player city builder should have a multiplayer element, and that was enough to warrant an always-online requirement for SimCity (2013). Previous botched attempts at always-online had soured the already mixed feelings ??on the requirement, and it proved to be warranted when many players had difficulty downloading, connecting, and staying connected to play the game.

It didn't stop at the online issues, however. Many changes to the SimCity formula were not well received, such as an almost microscopic map size to bui??ld on and mindless traffic that players would put through veritable mazes of streets to demonstrate their insistence on taking the most direct path, rather than an easily acceptable and better alternat?ive. Three years later, EA would remove the always-online requirement, but at that point, it was far too late.

11. WWE 2K20

The WWE franchise has had a long presence in the gaming scene, and titles like Smackdown! vs Raw 2006 and SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain are memorable games that successfully?? replicate the testosterone-flooded actio??n of sports entertainment.

When WWE 2K20 launched in October 2019, day-one buyers ended up with a game sporting atrocious graphics that looked like they belonged on a PS3. The gameplay wasn't any better, and the numerous glitches made WWE 2K20 a pain to play. The game's terrible reception was one of the reasons WWE 2K21 was canceled. It was for the best, as when the franchise returned with WWE 2K22, it achieved double its pre??decessor's launch sales.

10. New World

Amazon's New World hit stores in September 2021, and the launch was nothing but chaos. Servers were flooded, resulting in players waiting for hours before they could start playing. When people w??ere eventually able to play, they discovered that while the core game was good, it was also plagued with game-breaking glitches. Since release, plenty of updates have been pushed out, and the game is in a better state, but it failed to be the enduring classic that Amazon was likely aiming for.

9. Anthem

When Anthem was announced, the flashy marketing successfully caught the attention of the gaming world. Unfortunately, when Anthem launched in 2019, it was immediately critically panned. Critics and gamers alike complained about many elements, including boring missions, technica?l glitches, poor performance, and excessive grinding. The game failed? to meet EA's expectations, and future developments for it were cut in 2021.

8. The Last of Us Part 1 (PC)

Though the PS5 version launched without any major issues, the PC port of The Last of Us Part 1 has been nothing short of a disaster. Players wer?e greeted with technical issues and absurdly long loading times, making the game unplayable for some. Since launch, many have pointed the finger at Iron Galaxy, the studio Naughty Dog entrusted with the port. It won't be the last time the studio appears on the list, so there may be some truth to the accusations.

7. Fallout 76

In 2018, Bethesda took Fallout online with Fallout 76. The game promised to allow players to explore dystopian settings with friends, which is an idea that has great potential. When Fallout 76 launched in November 2018, it was far from what gamers expected, resulting in the PC version scoring a measly 52 on Metacritic. Due to the bad press, many gamers stayed away, and as a result, Fallout 76 had lower launch sales numbers than Fallout 4 and Fallout New Vegas.

6. Batman: Arkham Knight (PC)

Arkham Knight's PS4 and Xbox One versions were developed by Rocksteady Studios, and the PC port was handed off to Iron Galaxy. This proved to be a mistake. When Arkham Knights launched on PC,?? it crashed constantly and featured technical issues that rendered it unplayable for many.

The situation got so bad that Warner?? Bros. Interactive Entertainment suspended sales of the Windows version of the game in June 2015 while developers worked on patches to fix the game. Though the game has improved ple??nty, the historically disastrous launch won't be forgotten any time soon.

5. eFootball

The free-to-play sports game eFootball was released in September 2021. The concept wasn't a bad one, though the executi??on left a lot to be desired. Gamers were met with atro?cious graphics, endless technical issues, and visual bugs that have made for some hilarious screenshots. With a score of 25 on Metacritic, it is one of the lowest-rated games of all time.

4. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition

When it was revealed that the GTA trilogy would receive a remake, excitement was high. Launch day arrived in November 2021, and gamers were less than satisfied. The trilogy was rife with technical issues, ug??ly character models, and vis??ual errors, which should have been spotted during the QA phase of development. To placate fans, Rockstar offered the original trilogy to all customers who had purchased the remake via the Rockstar Store.

3. Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is a title that has been a ubiquitous fixture in gaming for years, and not always for good reasons. When Cyberpunk 2077 launched in 2020, the experience was so bad droves of gamers demanded refunds, and Sony eventually pulled the game from the PS Store. Fortunately, the story doesn't end on a sour note, as developers have worked hard to improve the game, and after several patches and updates, the game is one of the most enjoyable open-world titles on current-gen console?s.

2. No Man's Sky

Like many other titles on the list, the developers made plenty of big promises before the game's release. When No Man's Sky launched, gamers realized that many of the promised features were missing, and the performance was poor. There was plenty of outrage, though Hello Games didn't abandon No Man's Sky. Instead, developers got to work releasing patches and updates that slowly but surely improved the game. Today, No Man's Sky is a bestseller available on almost ?all platforms.

1. Concord

Concord's failed launch was so severe that it will probably be studied for years to come. It was enough to warrant an update on this list. It was reportedly the result of years of work and millions upon millions of dollars, and lasted two weeks before it was pulled from marketplaces with a refund being issued to those who had bought it. At least one report suggests that Sony dumped $400 million into the project and was betting on it being the future of the brand. Take that with a grain of salt; it hasn't yet been substantiated. However, the live service sector of the industry is packed to the gills with people hoping to be the next Fortnite, and simply dropping an expensive game in there is not enough to capture the crowd. Whether or not Concord r?eappears in some form in the future remains to be seen.

There's no shortage of games with failed launches, and the future will feature plenty more. From these cases, we learn that although delays may be frustrating, terrible launches are far worse. We also see that even the worst launches don't have to spell the end for a gam??e so long as developers persevere.

The post Top 13 worst game launches ??in gaming history, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

'I can't wait to play from this side of the screen'

Anthem director Jonathan Warner has announced that he has left developer BioWare after 10 years with the company. Warner worked with the Canadian studio as a producer on the Mass Effect series, and also operated as the stud??io's Chief of Staff.

Speaking on Twitter, Warner wished his former studio best wishes, but did not denote his career plans going forward. "BioWare has been home to my grateful heart for nearly 10 years and I want to wish them all the best," he wrote. "[Dragon Age, Mass Effect] and [Star Wars: The Old Republic] are in good ?hands and I can't wait ??to play from this side of the screen."

Warner joined BioWare back in 2012, having already had a high-ranking career in the entertainment industry, having previously worked for Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Walt Disney. Warner's final title for BioWare, Anthem, is in the process of winding down operations as BioWare focuses on its other IPs.

BioWare has lost three of its producers in the past six months, with the departure of Mass Effect director Casey Hudson and Dragon Age producer Mark Darrah back in December.

So, today is my last day at BioWare, I’m moving on to do new things.
BioWare has been home to my grateful heart for nearly 10 years and I want to wish them all the best. DA ME and SWTOR are in good hands and I can’t wait to play from this side of the screen. #ThankYou #BioWare pic.twitter.com/g5zp7hkSV5

— Jonathan Warner (@Zen_Warner) March 26, 2021

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But the game will live on 'as it exists today'

Anthem couldn't be saved after all, and the team working to revive it (under the Anthem Next banner) is moving on to help build out the far more lucrative next games in the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series.

After a report from Bloomberg about a fate-of-the-game internal review at EA earlier this month, BioWare shared the verdict today: "we've made the difficult decision to stop our new development work on Anthem," as Christian Dailey put it, but the "live se??rvice" aspect will persist "as it exists today."

"I've been incredibly proud of the work the team has been doing, and excited to see and play each new build of the experience," Dailey wrote in a BioWare blog post. "2020 was a year unlike any other however and while we continue to make progress against all our game projects at BioWare, working from home during the pand?emic has had ??????????????????????????an impact on our productivity and not everything we had planned as a studio before COVID-19 can be accomplished without putting undue stress on our teams."

They did what they could with the resources and audience interest they had – and it was admirable to see the developers talk about their revival efforts and share progress openly – but it's time to move on.

"I know this will be disappointing to the community of Anthem playe??rs who have been excited to see the improvements we've been working on. It's also disappointing for the team who were doing brilliant work." He also said the last two years were "some of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career," adding that "game development is hard" and "decisions like these are not easy."

Are any of us surprised? Truly? Probably not – but it's good to have closure on this recent chapter of BioWare history, and I'm happy to see everyone focus on nailing Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

It's a long?? road ahead for this once-magical studio. I'm rooting for them.

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Can't hurt

Pirates are a pivotal part of Anthem's redemption arc. Ridiculous?? Maybe. But there's really nowhere to go but up.

BioWare Austin director Christian Dailey is the lead fixer-upper on Anthem after EA decided to go back to the drawing board and overhaul the whole dang game. Recently, he shared some concept art of Anthem's fourth faction, the Pirates of Blood Wind.

And here's their hideout:

Lots of good discussion around our Pirate friends and new factions. We want to share more on factions and the part they play in the future. One common question though is "where do the Pirates live?" Here of course .... Happy Friday all. pic.twitter.com/dhfFvNXGdy

— Christian Dailey (@ChristianDailey) July 17, 2020

As it turns out, "this is the Anthem, throw a??ll your hands up" isn't so much a feel-good party prompt. Your hands go up in surrender as the pirates plunder.

Anyway, given the ambiguous timeline on this complete reworking, Anthem's getting repackaged for next-gen consoles?, isn't it?

Anthem 2.0 concept art reveals new pirate faction [PC Gamer]

The post BioWare’s bold plan for saving Anthem? Pirates appeared first on Destructoid.

'This is going to be a longer process'

BioWare and Electronic Arts are trying to fix Anthem. This stab at capturing some of that Destiny magic immediately fell flat in 2019, as player counts and general interest quickly dwindled. In February, just a few weeks before Anthem's one-year anniversary, BioWare revealed that it's overhauling the game in pur?sui??t of a "reinvention" that will hopefully introduce a more motivating gameplay loop.

It's encouraging that BioWare hasn't given up entirely, but Anthem's mulligan isn't the all-hands-on-deck venture it might seem. In the interest of managing expectations, Anthem lead fixer Christian Dailey posted an update where he mentions that there are only 30-some people working on Anthem's new direction.

"We are a small team -- about 30-ish, earning our way forward as we set out to hit our first major milestone goals," Dailey says. "Spoiler: this is going to be a longer process. And yes, the team is small but the whole point of this is to take our time and go back to the drawing boar??d. And a small team gives us the agility a larger one can't affor??????????????????????????d."

EA hasn't yet cut its losses, but it's certainly not doubling down on Anthem. Maybe it can be salvaged, maybe it can't. Regardless, it seems like EA isn't willing to commit a boatload of resources to the overhaul -- which, if we're being honest, is probably the prudent decision. Dailey's humble team may be able to fix Anthem, ?but it sounds like we won't see the fruits of their labor for a long time.

May Anthem Update [BioWare]

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I can't believe this game is only a year old

Does Anthem deserve a second chance? The co-op sci-fi shooter had promise – some would argue that it still does to this day – but for many reasons, the game failed to come together in a way that satisfied BioWare or its longtime supporters. It felt ??like a huge missed opportunity from the famed RPG studio.

We've seen gam??es recover from far worse fates, and now BioWare is trying its hand at a rework.

"Over the last year, the team has worked hard to improve stability, performance and general quality of life while delivering three seasons of new content and features," BioWare general manager Casey Hudson said in a studio blog post today. "We have also heard your feedback that Anthem needs a more satisfying loot experience, better lo??ng-term progression, and a more ful??filling end game."

To turn Anthem around and reach its "full potential," the team will need "a more substantial reinvention than an update or expansion," according to Hudson. "Over the coming months we will be focusing on a longer-t??erm redesign of the experience, specifically working to reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges, and progression with meaningful rewards – while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setti??ng."

He adde??d that the team will "be doing something we'd like?? to have done more of the first time around – giving a focused team the time to test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first."

Short-term, the Anthem we know will continue running. There won't be any new "full seasons," as you'd expect, but BioWare promises to "keep the gam??e going with events, store refreshes, and revisiting past seasonal and cat??aclysm content – starting with our anniversary towards the end of the month."

"Creating new worlds is central to our studio mission, but it's not easy," said Hudson. "Sometimes ?we get it right, sometimes we miss.?"

I respect that they aren't cutting their losses and moving on, but even if Anthem is firing on all possible cylinders, I don't think it will have that same "wow" factor as, say, No Man's Sky or Final Fantasy XIV. Still, BioWare needs to figure this stuff out if it plans to continue ma??king live-service games.

Anthem Update [BioWare Blog]

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Good core, bad follow through

Well folks, it looks like it's happening.

For years now the idea of "saving" your game and re-launching it in a better state has been called "The Realm Reborn treatment," named after Final Fantasy XIV's initial disastrous 1.0 launch. Basically new management came in, took control, and completely re-tooled FFXIV into the amazing state it is today. No Man's Sky had a similar re-awakening. That could happen to Anthem, according to sources at Kotaku.

Although EA declined to comment on the matter, BioWare is apparently going to overhaul everything, including "its mission structure, its loot [and] its world." According to those sources BioWare is still working out the details, like whether or not it'll be an actual Anthem 2.0 (this is their best bet, marketing-wise) or a series of sequential updates that make the game better: another name thrown out is "Anthem Next," and it's "unlikely" that 1.0 users will be charged full price if it's a new SKU entirely. As Kotaku points out, the game has not been abandoned completely either way, so if they actually follo??w through with this and deliver, props.

As one of the few who saw promise with Anthem's core gameplay, I said upfront that I was reticent as to whether or not BioWare would be able to actually give us a worthwhile living MMO-esque world. Everyone quickly figured out that you didn't need to be a seer to make that prediction, and the game has suffered ever since. Now, it might have a fighting chance, and salvage BioWare's reputation in the process. In the meantime, there's always the next Dragon Age to dream about.

Sources: BioWare Plans A Com??plete Overhaul For A?nthem [Kotaku]

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Tragically beautiful

Anthem, a nearly dead game, has launched a cooperative event with Mass Effect, a nearly dead franchise. Both BioWa?re products??, one's beloved and disappointing while the other's just disappointing. The crossover is so good, however, that it's going to feel like a real gut punch.

To commemorate the upcoming Mass Effect holiday N7 Day (November 7), BioWare has added Mass Effect-themed skins for the various Javelin classes in Anthem. The Storm class can be decked out to look like an Asari (Liara's race), the Ranger can be outfitted as a Turian (Garrus' race), the Interceptor takes on the appearance of a Quarian (Tali's race), and the Colossus is made to look like a Krogan (Wrex's race). There's also a new emote called th?e Shepard Shuffle which imitates our fearless commander's awkward dancing skills. Pictures of all the skins can be found in the gallery below.

None of this comes cheap, of course. Ea??ch skin costs 61,000 coins (in-game currency) or 850 shards (premium currency that costs real money). That translates to approximately $8 per skin, but shards are sold in bundles where you'd have to pay a minimum of $10. That's a lot of money for skins in a game that not many people are playing anymore. If this does entice you, note that they'll stop being sold on November 12.

But, that's the reality of carrying water for Mass Effect in 2019. You take every v??ictory, even if they aren't the victories you wanted. Maybe, hopefully, N7 Day will bring something more substantial -- like the original trilogy remaster that fans so badly crave. If it doesn't, at least you can hang your hat on the fact that these skins look great. It's something, kind of. 

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Here's another post about Halloween content

Electronic Arts' beleaguered Anthem is one of many video games adding creepy content for the month of October, celebrating the witching season that is Halloween. The new event brings Cataclysm to a close and replaces it with the new "Season of Skulls" event.

Already available in BioWare's sci-fi shooter, Season of Skulls brings a selection of ominous-looking arenas, complete with creepy rewards and unlocks for players who are able to deal with new enemies such as the none-too-pleasant sounding "Ghostly Spiders." Fr?eeplay mode has als?o received a seasonal overhaul, with a thick mist descending over the map and a range of new Anomalies to be discovered and explored. Weekly bosses await hardened Javelins.

Engaging with any of the above modes will offer the player the opportunity to bag a lot of crystals, thanks to some time-limited score multipliers. These can then be used to purchase War Chests at the in-game store. Your chance of earning decent clobber is also increased, as Legendary rewards have received a boost in their drop rate. Alongside the new content, Anthem has also received a round of balance tweaks and bug fixes. You can find the patch notes, along with all Season of Skulls information, over at the official website.

Anthem is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Everything you need to know: Season of Skulls [Official]

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Don't cry for me...

While much of the video-game-playing world has moved on, Anthem is still up and running. Last month brought the Cataclysm event, and now, as of tod?ay, BioWare's high-flying sci-fi sho?oter has joined EA Access and Origin Access. I can see people messing with it out of a sense of morbid curiosity.

With Anthem now in The Vault, it's fully available to play at no extra cost. Basic subscribers are getting the no-frills Standard Edition of the game, but Origin Access Premier members have access to the Legion of Dawn Edition (in other words: extra armor for each class and the digital soundtrack).

Covering this game this far into 2019 feels like talking about a ghost. It's we?ird, especially in the context of a BioWare title with major backing (at least upfront). Things could've gone better post-la?unch.

"IP lives for generations, and runs in these seven to ten-year cycles," EA CEO Andrew Wilson said earlier this year. "So, if I think about Anthem on a seven- to ten-year cycle, it may n?ot have had the start that many of us wanted, including our players. I feel like that team is really going to get there with something special and something great, because they've demonstra??ted that they can."

It's good to see Anthem on EA Access for anyone who wants to experience the highs and lows of a BioWare live-service game, but I'm not hopeful about the IP's future, and I fear for Dragon Age fans.

Play Anthem Now with EA Access or Origin Access [EA]

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Score attack, go!

After numerous delays and setbacks, Anthem's Cataclysm event is now live. Including brand new story missions and a score attack based mode, this latest update (version 1.3.0) should give Anthem devotees a lot to dig into. There's a ton of new g??ear, expanded lore, and lots of enemies to shoot.

The main feature, the score attack mode, works by removing gear limitations and letting all players jump into the fray. You'll sc?ore points by ??capturing specific outputs, killing enemies, and generally performing well in the field. A seasonal currency will be awarded to players upon completion of each game that can be used for brand new gear, which is also seasonal.

You can read the full list of changes over on EA's support website. It doesn't seem like anything has been done to fix the?? game's loot system, w??hich is likely to draw criticism from fans.

Features [EA Answers]

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'IP lives for generations'

Anthem is in a really precarious spot right n?ow. We know that it sold well in some regions, but EA and even BioWare isn't happy about the state the game was in at launch or the lack of post-launch support (or the ability to stick to the original schedule).

I enjoyed Anthem well enough, but always maintained that if BioWare and EA were going to be so insistent that the game was a live service title, they better deliver beyond the launch: they haven't. Gamedaily caught up with EA CEO Andrew Wilson at E3 to talk about a number of subjects, and one of them was Anthem.

But we aren't really getting good or bad Anthem news here: more like just...news. Wilson states that because multiple facets of the game are "compelling," that they aren't giving up. He (and many others) dig the world, the Iron Man-esque Javelin suits, and other concepts, so he brings out the big IP guns: "IP lives for generations, and runs in these seven to ten year cycles. So, if I think about Anthem on a seven to ten year cycle, it may not have had the start that many of us wanted, including our players. I feel like that team is really going to get there with something special and something great, because they've demonstrated that they can." That "generations" quote could clue us in that if, due to some hypothetical calamity, the first Anthem game dies b??ecause it couldn't turn the corner, th?e IP could live on.

Wilson says that BioWare "has to evolve" (is that a threat), and start to make games for "kids today who are 12 years old, who weren't around for when BioWare started making games." He continues on, explaining, "they have different expectations of what a BioWare game should be in the context of the world they've grown up in." And that's definitely true to a degree: BioWare can't coast on nostalgia forever, and as they get further and further away from their classic IPs and wheelhouse (Dragon Age on PC with its tactical viewpoint, was close to their original catalog of games like Baldur's Gate), they need to prove themselves mo?re in a way they never had to before.

So we'll see where they end up, but Wilson is sort of overtly laying the groundwork for an age when BioWare is no longer an EA studio. Dragon Age: The Dread Wolf Rises (Dragon Age 4)?? is?? their next big test, and that currently doesn't have a release window. Hopefully EA gives BioWare enough time to ship it the way they want it.

A candid conversation?? with EA's Andrew Wilson at E3 2019 [Gamedaily.biz]

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Cataclysm is in the PTS

BioWare has been teasing Anthem's Cataclysm conten??t, the closest currently revealed thing to raids, since even before launch. They had ?to push it back to you know...fix the rest of the game, but now they're ready to continue to take things slow.

How slow? Like, public test server (PTS) slow for now. BioWare just opened up their proving grounds for testing, and anyone who can play Anthem on PC (or has Origin Access Premiere) can join in for free. It's already in your game library. I'll get this out of the way first: you don't need to carry your character over or worry about being high enough le??vel. Once you pick up on the PTS, you'll be at max level with all four class archetypes (Colossus, Ranger, Interceptor, Storm) available. The Cataclysm is basically a giant storm that operates as a sprawling open world dungeon.

BioWare mentions multiple times in the announcement post that they're looking for feedback to make sure they do it right this time.

Join the PTS for a Cataclysm Sneak Peek [EA]

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They unveiled it this week

Similar to how other studios crash and burn when it comes to providing a steady stream of content for live-service games, BioWare is going back to the drawing board with much of Anthem. It's a tactic that resulted in a lot of radio silence as they put out their "pardon our dust" signs, and the develope??r is finally ready to tell us what that all entails: kind of. 

Although the first "Cataclysm" event, which was heralded as one of the big post-game updates for Anthem, has been delayed, it still lives. BioWare is letting people try it out on PC by way of a test server, and has officially unveiled it through a Twitch stream. In short, it's a new open world area that culminates in a boss fight, is score-based, and contains a time limit due to the unstable nature of the zone. You can watch it play out here.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I enjoyed Anthem at launch, but I was always wary of BioWare's ability to ma??intain a looter shooter beyond that scope. So far they just haven't delivered in just about any respect. A few weeks out they could have easily buffed up the loot to keep people interested, but stuck coldly and stubbornly to their guns. It has not worked out for them so far.

Interestingly, close to launch the team used to post updates on Reddit, keep people informed, and even reply to individual comments. Then roughly a month afterward, when it was clear that they were not going to course correct, they reversed nearly all of those policies that garnered them a lot of goodwill in spite of Anthem's issues. Now they just occasionally post patch notes on the official site and that's that. It really reminds me of Bungie's constant flubs with the community with the Destiny series, like an order came out from on high to stop engaging and stick their nose down. As a public figure I totally get wanting to drop out of conversations that constitute harassment, but there were hundreds of great, constructive suggestions and comments that were wholly i?gnored as a r??esult of the stonewall.

Maybe if they have a change of ?heart and deliver more kick-ass conten??t they can turn the ship around. But they need to do both.

Anthem [Twitch]

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Has become EA's most successful digital game ever

BioWare's divisive looter shooter Anthem may not be making waves at retail, but it's been off to a great start digitally. During EA's Q4 FY2019 conference call, the company shared that Anthem has quickly become its most successful digital game ever. While the physical sales have fallen below expectations, Anthem is anything but a flop.

This follows on from a trend that EA has seen with more users shifting over to digital copies than physical ones. According to EA, 49% of all game sales on consoles were made digitally during this fiscal period. That stat has raised the profit margin for digital games for EA, which it states now accounts for 75% of its business. Anthem is the biggest example of this switch yet.

During the conference call, CFO/COO Blake Jorgensen said, "We continue to invest heavily in Anthem, with developers working on game quality, content, systems and game mechanics. It's grea?t original ??IP and we've doubled down on the product." The company then restated its commitment to the IP, saying that BioWare will continue to support and improve the shooter going forward.

Whether you want to accept it or not, it seems the games industry is fastly approaching an all-digital future. While I don't foresee a scenario where physical games are completely eliminated, we're likely goi?ng to see digital releases come out weeks or months before retail ones. With EA seeing such strong results for a game that many have written off, it only strengthens the idea that digital is the future.

Anthem launch sales didn't meet EA expectations, but its digital pe??rformance broke reco?rds [VG 24/7]

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The war of Washington ain't over just yet

In what has been a fairly bland week for new releases, the UK Charts has seen only a minor shakeup, with tactical military shooter Tom Clancy's The Division 2 find?ing its way back to ??the coveted number one spot.

The Division 2's return usurps adorable Nintendo platformer Yoshi's Crafted World, which now still comfortably at number three. Mainstays Grand Theft Auto V and Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continue to shift numerous copies on a weekly basis, despite being years old now. The utterly average Lego Movie 2 Videogame continues ??to occupy the Top Ten, and has done for over a ??month now.

Elsewhere in the charts, re-entries were made by Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Sega's Football Manager 2019 at 11 and 14 respectively. Namco Bandai's Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission launched to l?ittle imp?act physically, debuting at number 26.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: April 6 2019
(Chart reflects in-store sales only)

1. Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - Ubisoft
2. FIFA 19 - Electronic Arts
3. Yoshi's Crafted World - Nintendo
4. Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
5. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Activision
7. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
8. The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame - Warner Bros
9. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
10. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GFK Chart-Track]

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Ask a parent to help with the cutting out

Nintendo has cause to celebrate this week, as their fuzzy felt Switch platformer, Yoshi's Crafted World, has made a surprising debut at the top of the UK Charts, knocking FromSoft's hard-as-nails title Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice off of the throne after just one week.

This makes Yoshi's colourful adventure the eighth UK number one in 2019, despite us only being three complete months into 2019. Sekiro is still in the upper echelon at number three, with Ubisoft's The Division 2 still hunkered down at number two.

Elsewhere in the charts, the Assassin's Creed III re-release managed to break in at number nine, despite being arguably the least interesting title in the AC series. THQ Nordic's '80s shooter Generation Zero just squeezed into the Top 20 at number 19, while Deep Silver's Outward failed to make an impact at number 24.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: March 30 2019
(Chart reflects in-store sales only)

1. Yoshi's Crafted World - Nintendo
2. Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - Ubisoft
3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Activision
4. FIFA 19 - Electronic Arts
5. Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
7. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
8. The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame - Warner Bros
9. Assassin's Creed III: Remastered - Ubisoft
10. Forza Horizon 4 - Microsoft

U.K. video game charts [GFK Chart-Track]

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Nippon Ichi

It's all change in the UK Charts once again, as From Software's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has cut through the competition and debuted at the top of the UK Charts. The challenging ninja/samurai adventure usurps Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's The Division 2 after just one week, which itself pushed off Capcom's Devil May Cry 5 after just one week. This makes Sekiro the seventh number one i?n the UK this year??, and it's only March! Busy days.

Elsewhere in the charts, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V has succeeded in pushing past their own Red Dead Redemption 2 for the first time since the latter's release. The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame somehow continues to hang around in the Top Ten, while Electronic Arts' Battlefield V has m??ade a re-entry at number 18, as fans dive back into the trenches for its new battle royale mode, Firestorm.

Mario continues to be one of the UK's most consistently selling brands, with Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at number six, Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe at ten, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at number 11 and finally Super Mario Odyssey at number 14.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: March 23 2019
(Chart reflects in-store sales only)

1. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Activision
2. Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - Ubisoft
3. FIFA 19 - Electronic Arts
4. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
5. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
6. Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
7. The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame - Warner Bros
8. Forza Horizon 4 - Microsoft
9. Far Cry New Dawn - Ubisoft
10. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GFK Chart-Track]

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There's too much we don't know

Here's a statistic that isn't necessarily indicative of performance or success or profit: BioWare's Anthem&nbs??p;has probably topped $100 million in digital revenue since its February 22 launch.

That's the figure that analyst firm SuperData reports. By SuperData's estimates, Anthem has made more than $100 million on consoles, giving it "an above-average download rate." Additionally, Anthem has made an estimated $3.5 millio?n from in-app p??urchases on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

There are a few reasons this doesn't really matter. First, and maybe most important, market research firms are imperfect. They rely on sample sizes, educated guesses, and trends to form conclusions. It may not be wrong information but it's probably imprecise information. We don't know what kind of access SuperData has. Saying that Anthem is somewhere arou?nd $100 million digitally on two of three platforms paints an incomplete (and possibly skewed) picture of what's really h?appening.

But, we also don't necessarily know what EA expects of Anthem -- and the publisher is the one who determines if a game is a financial success. In February, EA forecast six mill??ion sales over the first six wee?ks, although it didn't attach a revenue figure. So, we don't know how many lifetimes sales Anthem?? is sitting at, how many hundreds of millions of dollars that has generated, or how EA feels about it all. All these variables and so few answers.

Ultimately,?? SuperData's report is kind of worthle??ss. So why did I write this post? I'm not sure!

Worldwide digital games market: February 2019 [SuperData]

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Dedicated to turning the game around

Last month saw the launch of BioWare's big-budget sci-fi shooter Anthem. Unfortunately, after years of hype and no doubt a helluva lot of money, Anthem's initial release did not go down well with the general populace. Complaints ranging from hiccups from a design and technical standpoint to an overall lack of interest in Anthem's world, characters and gameplay.

BioWare lead Casey Hudson, producer of the fantastic Mass Effect trilogy, has taken to the official developer blog to address the fallout. Hudson, for his part, candidly admits to things looking pretty bad right now, but insists that the team will push forward, continuing to support Anthem in effort?s? to turn its fortunes around, assuring players that the best is yet to come.

"We were of course very disappointed about (the launch), as were many of you", says Hudson in the blog post. "I’ve been in there playing with you since those early days and it makes me sad to hear abo??ut any issues that would hold someone back from f?ully enjoying the game. I take that very personally, and it’s been our top priority to get improvements out to you in the fastest, safest way".

"We continue to listen ?to your feedback, with more?? improvements to endgame loot and progression, game flow, and stability and performance coming soon – so there’s a lot more work that we intend to do... But we understand there is skepticism out there.  We hear the criticisms and doubts.  But we’ll keep going anyway, working hard every day on Anthem – an ever-changing world, constantly improving and growing, and supported well into the future by our team of passionate developers".

While I think Hudson is being genuine here, I think we live in a "one and done" era of video games. The consumer today moves faster than ever before, far faster than we did with gaming in the '90s. The chase for the next title is always on, ??with "the hunt" seemingly far more exciting and important to a lot of modern playe??rs than the ultimate prize.

As such I really think - now more than ever before - the gaming industry runs on a "You got one chance, pal" motif, as there's always new titles either on the immediate horizon (such as Apex Legends) or just down the line. I'd love BioWare to turn Anthem around. Not because I personally care about it, but because we should all want everyone to have a great time with the games they choose to play. Better for the industry, better ?for all of us.

But I think the people today are swamped with big releases, not to mention the perpetually-chugging hype train glamourising "The Next Big Thing". I'm not convinced the majority of today's players have the motivation to "check back later and see how things are going". If BioWare can get Anthem flying high, ??that'd be great??, but they have a mammoth task in keeping eyes on the product while they do.

Anthem is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Anthem post launch update [Official]

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But sales fail to meet predecessor's launch

Ubisoft's tactical sequel Tom Clancy's The Division 2 launched last week and has found itself hitting the number one spot in the UK Charts, usurping Capcom's OTT hack 'n' slash title, Devil May Cry 5.

However, in what has to be the most repetitive story of the modern gaming era, Ubisoft's tactical team title failed to capture even a quarter of the original Division's launch sales, at least in terms of physical copies sold, further solidifying the inescapable tr??uth that physical s?ales are dying out.

DMC 5 itself dropped several places to number six, while elsewhere in the charts niche anime title One Piece: World Seeker barely made any form of impact, debuting at number 28. Grand Theft Auto V, stubborn to the last, has succeeded in pushing itself back into the Top Three, halted only by Rockstar's own Red Dead Redemption 2.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: March 16 2019
(Chart reflects in-store sales only)

1. Tom Clancy's The Division 2 - Ubisoft
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
3. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2
4. FIFA 19 - Electronic Arts
5. The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame - Warner Bros
6. Devil May Cry 5 - Capcom
7. Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
8. Far Cry New Dawn - Ubisoft
9. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Nintendo
10. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GFK Chart-Track]

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Loot 2.0?

We are now in a post-loot 2.0 world.

Back in the day, drops in loot-based games were few and far between. Then Diablo III was introduced to the world and subsequently "fixed" with the Reaper of Souls expansion, which brought its bountiful "Loot 2.0" mechanic into the game and showered folks with drops. Blizzard wasn't the first to increase loot quality dr?amatically post-launch nor was it the first time players demanded better, but it's now one of the main standards that people hold other looters to.

That's not a "it was better back then and we liked it," statement, more like a matter of fact: that's just how it was back then. But as time went on and live games/looter shooters transcended the plane of MMO players (who were mostly accustomed to slow arduous drops) the game done changed. Collectively, various communities weren't okay with developers being stingy. That includes BioWare's Anthem.

Players have been against Anthem's drop system basically since the start, after they realized that a brief moment of loot clarity was actually a bug. Since then the sentiment has only gotten stronger, leading to a "Loot Boycott" movement where the community was urged to stop playing until something was done about it (this is pretty common, as the Destiny 2 community revolted this past year as well). After weeks of deliberation BioWare has seemingly acquiesced, delivering a March? 15 update that simply buffs loot drops and quality across the board.

Now, Masterwork and Legendaries drop more frequently in Grandmaster 2 and Grandmaster 3 (the higher-end dif?ficulty settings that are played after reaching max level) to make endgame healthier, and Masterworks and Legendaries drops in general have been buffed for all "hard enemies" (read: basically bosses) on every difficulty. 

BioWare says this is not a major patch but merely a "server size tuning update," and promises that there's more to come in the future while jokingly chiding the creator of a recent meme (he threatened to kill innocent wildlife if the loot situation wasn'??t rectified).

Game Update [Reddit]

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Game filled with violence, metal and sexy characters sells well

This week, Capcom pulled out twin guns, straddled its giant motorcycle, set fire to its own clothes, hit the throttle, and rode that fucker into the sun, as batshit hack 'n' slash adventure Devil May Cry 5 released to amazing critical and fan acclaim. Of no surprise to anybody, this reception has translated to?? sales,?? allowing the sequel to debut at number one in the UK Charts.

Devil May Cry 5 ended the two-week reign of controversial EA release Anthem, which now sits at number four. Both Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 and Nintendo's never-say-die racer Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also made yet another play for the top, climbing to numbers two and three respectively. After debuting at number 21, Koei Tecmo's Dead or Alive 6 has left the Top 40 entirely.

Elsewhere in the charts, perennial entry Grand Theft Auto V has once again pushed its way back into the Top 10, while a price drop on Blizzard's brilliant dungeon-crawler Diablo III: Eternal Collection pushed it back into the Top 40 at number 29. Capcom's remake of Resident Evil 2 sits comfortably at number 12, while Square Enix' Kingdom Hearts III pushes back into the upper tier at number 20.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: March 9 2019
(Chart reflects in-store sales only)

1. Devil May Cry 5 - Capcom
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
4. Anthem - Electronic Arts
5. FIFA 19 - Electronic Arts
6. Far Cry New Dawn - Ubisoft
7. The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame - Warner Bros.
8. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Nintendo
9. Metro Exodus - Deep Silver
10. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2

U.K. video game charts [GFK Chart-Track]

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1.0.3 is live for all platforms

Although I enjoyed my time with the Iron Man simulator that is Anthem, it's clear?? that there ?was work to be done in terms of RPG tweaking and bugs. 

BioWare has been working on addressing a lot of this issues both at and after the launch of the game, and version 1.0.3, which seeks to do a lot of the same, is now live for all platforms. The big thing is that respawn timers are now more lenient and the most prevalent bugs, crashing and audio issues, are being addressed in the patch. It also aims to mop up some PC-centric bugs and ad?d Stronghold (dungeon) quickplay options back in.

Some users are reporting that they're still encountering bugs and that the loot frequency was changed agai??n to provide less unique drops (just open the flood gates already). Given that loot has been changed multiple times now we've reached out to BioWare for clarification on the matter.

Patch 1.0.3 [Reddit]

High level fixes and changes

• Respawn restrictions have been removed - Respawn timers are now based on the activity a player is in. Crit-Path, Agent Missions and other non-end game missions now have a respawn timer of 10 seconds. Strongholds, Legendary Contracts, and other end game missions now have a respawn timer of 30 seconds. The respawn timer Freeplay remains unchanged.
• Loot Changes - Common (white) and Uncommon (green) drops will no longer appear for players that are level 30.
• Improved stability for all platforms - this includes fixes for a number of issues that were causing crashes or connection problems
• Audio Improvements - Fixed a number of issues that could cause audio to drop out

General Fixes and Improvements

• Fixed a number of issues that were blocking players from accessing the Forge
• All missions should now properly end when all conditions have been met
• The inbox now properly displays information on PC (the inbox is found in the newsfeed)
• Fixed an issue that would cause players to be unable to interact with NPCs in Fort Tarsis
• The vault is no longer accessible from the Forge. This change was made to improve performance
• Fixed an issue that would cause the game to hang when entering menus while on an expedition
• Titans will no longer respawn on missions after they are defeated. Example: if players defeat 2 out of 3 titans and then wipe on the third, the first two will not reappear when players respawn during a mission
• Server shutdown messages should now appear less often
• The ability to Quickplay into a Stronghold has been added back to the game
• Mouse button 4 is no longer bound to the back button for PC players
• Crashes that occurred while selecting certain conversation options when interacting with an NPC have been fixed
• Players should no longer get stuck at the end of the “Tomb of General Tarsis” mission
• Players should now run into less issues during Quickplay missions. Additional improvements to Quickplay will be coming in future updates
• Players should no longer get stuck behind fogwalls on missions or in strongholds as often
• Players should now receive credit for the “There Be Giants” challenge when they are downed and when the event is active
• Improved the audio when defeating creatures to provide better feedback
• Changed wording for server shutdown messaging to better indicate that it is just the players server shutting down, not the entire game server
• Players may now launch an expedition from anywhere within the launch bay and Fort Tarsis.
• PS4 led lights will now change based on the javelin being used
• It should now be harder for players to get stun locked by certain enemy compositions
• The values on max flight time inscriptions have been increased
• The appearance of the N7 vinyl on Legion of Dawn armor has been improved
• Haluk will now properly face players during certain dialogue scenes
• The message “Open the Cortex to track the legionnaire Challenges” will no longer pop up after completing the appropriate challenges

Strongholds

• Fixed an issue that would cause players to get stuck at the entrance to the sewers in the Temple of the Scar Stronghold

Creature Updates

• Titans: We have made several balance changes to all variations of Titans
  • Reduced overall damage mitigation from 100% to between 70% and 75% depending on the damage type.
  • Increased the time that weakpoints are exposed.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented effects from applying and thus preventing combos.
  • Increased the damage the Titan takes from weakpoint hits.
  • Lesser Titan’s weakpoint’s have been changed to always be active.
  • Improved the collision on the ring and seeking projectile attacks. This should make them easier to dodge.
  • Decreased the radius of the seeking projectile attack.
  • Decreased the damage done by the self-destruct ability.
• Frozen Scar Enforcers and Scrappers can no longer move or attack while frozen.
• The Monitor’s health has been greatly reduced in the Heart of Rage Stronghold.
• Force
  • Players will be less likely to be repeatedly staggered by heavy attacks.
  • Adjusted the force applied by some creature attacks down which will lower the frequency of player’s being staggered.

Damage and Item Scaling Changes

• Adjusted the damage scaling of secondary damage sources. These now scale with Average Item Power. This will allow these damage sources to better scale in the Grandmaster Difficulties. This will increase the scaling of the following:
  • Melee Damage
  • Combo Damage
  • Ultimate Damage
  • Status Effects
  • Item Procs (e.g. Proc from Yvenia’s Thunder)
• Item Power scaling has changed to better reflect the actual power of the item based on its rarity. This is applied to all items retroactively. Players will see the Power of their items go up.

Gameplay Bug Fixes

• The Ultimate ability bar will no longer appear full at the start of a mission when it isn’t actually full
• Weapon recoil will now stop once an exo is looking straight up
• Fixed a number of animation issues that could occur when the Colossus was using its shield
• It should no longer be possible for the Interceptor to become Frozen while starting up their ultimate
• Interceptor Aura damage will now deal the correct type of damage based on the active aura
• Players can no longer equip abilities from one javelin to another
• The Colossus can now use gear faster after being attacked by a heavy hit from enemies
• The Colossus can now shield charge through destructible objects such as explosive canisters or harvest nodes
• The Colossus now recovers faster after crashing into walls

Item Balance Updates

• Increased the base health of Wind Wall and Bulwark Point to provide better scaling in higher difficulties. The duration of these has been reduced to 20 seconds, down from 60 seconds
• Burst Mortar’s damage has been increased to 300, up from 145 and its cooldown has been reduced to 6 seconds, down from 10 seconds. Its description has also been fixed
• Flak Cannon’s damage has been increased to 42, up from 30
• Battle Cry’s description has been updated to explain that it also reduces the resistances of affected targets
• Wraith Strike’s damage has been increased to 250, up from 200 and it will now apply elemental effect to targets based on the active aura
  • Note: Description text for Wraith Strike will be updated in 1.0.4.

Item Bug Fixes

• Wind Wall should no longer block or interfere with other player abilities
• Ranger Grenadier Component will now correctly lower the cooldown of grenade abilities
• Fixed an issue where certain weapons were not firing where the crosshairs were aimed
• The Ice Blast ability for the Storm javelin now has the primer icon correctly displayed

Inscription Bug Fixes

• The Thruster Delay Recovery inscription is now correctly applying a bonus
• The Overheat Delay Recovery inscription is now correctly applying a bonus
• The Weapon Reload Bonus inscription is now correctly applying a bonus
  • Note: These will have non-updated text values until the next patch (1.0.4)

Masterwork Item Balance Updates

• Increased the base damage of the following Masterwork Weapons.
  • Ralner’s Blaze
  • Rolling Carnage
  • Cycle of Pain
  • The Last Stand
  • Glorious Result
  • Insult and Injury
  • Sentinel Vengeance
  • Gnosta’s Balm
  • Vassa’s Surprise
  • Soothing Touch
  • Renewed Courage
  • Artinia’s Gambit

Masterwork Item Bug Fixes

• Ralner’s Blaze - Will no longer roll with incorrect inscriptions
• Ablative Shielding now provides the proper boost in shield and armor
• Badge of Devastation will now generate more ultimate charge when triggered
• It should no longer be possible to stack the effect from Gunslinger’s Mark more than once

In addition to the above updates, we wanted to let you know of? some other known issues that the team is working on fixing:

• When loading into the game for the first time after a patch the Shields and Armor on a javelin will be incorrect. The first time a player enters and exits Freeplay or any other activity the issue will fix itself.
• Players are not receiving their level 20 Match Consumables. Players were granted item blueprints instead of the recipes when they hit this level previously.
• Some players may experience audio crackling while in Fort Tarsis.
• There may be some instances where players are unable to quit out of a Quickplay mission through the map UI.
• A number challenges may not be tracking properly, such as the objectives under the “Legendary Freelancer” challenge.
• Some players may encounter a bug where they are unable to interact with any objects or players.
• Visual effects on javelin thrusters are not functioning properly while stormy weather is present in game.
• Inactivity messages may not be able to be dismissed after a player returns from being away.
• There are a number of Origin error messages that some PC players may encounter, including Origin showing that it is offline when it actually online.
• The UI may not display events for some players when an event has spawned nearby in Freeplay.
• There is a bug where armor pips can change in between activities. This is both a display and gameplay issue.

The post BioWare rolls out ??new Anthem patch to fix myriad bugs appeared first on Destructoid.

Put all your hands up?

Over the weekend, various reports were coming from users on Reddit that Anthem had been crashing their PS4s. One user reported a completely bricked console and others were claiming that Sony had begun issuing refunds for digital purchases of the game in response to these claims. While there isn't any confirmation of those stories, EA has now officially come out and stated that Anthem is indeed causing system lockups on PS4.

In a Tweet late last night, EA states it is aware of the crashing issue and is prompting players to send their crash data reports so that the company can get to work on a fix. A thread has been created on EA's website so that players can further detail what issues they are personally experiencing. A?? quick survey of the response shows that this isn’t just affecting base PS4 consoles, but also PS4 Pro devices.

If you have had your PS4 lock-up while attempting to play BioWare's latest looter-shooter, I’d urge you to post in this thread. The only way this problem will get fixed is with more?? info, since it doesn't seem like EA even knows what is causing it. I suppose that day-one patch was just for show.

EA Help [Twitter]

EA admits Anthem is crashing PS4 consoles [VG 24/7]

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Still fuel in those tanks

Electronic Arts' beleaguered sci-fi opera Anthem is celebrating a second week on top of the U.K. Charts, managing to hold off several new releases and the ever-present threat on mainstays like Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2.

The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame, the latest in a long line of clunky identikit releases, made its debut at number three, while Codemasters' DiRT Rally 2.0 jammed into sixth place. Red Lynx stunt-fest Trials Rising: Gold Edition, just scrap??ed into the premie??r league at number ten.

Koei Tecmo's fighter, Dead or Alive 6, fared badly, failing to break even the Top 20, ultimately debuting at number 21, a rough start for a globally-recognised video game brand. Elsewhere in the charts it was business as usual, as Nintendo's range of first-party releases jockeyed for position alongside hang-around titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Far Cry: New Dawn, Metro Exodus, Resident Evil 2 and FIFA 19.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: March 2 2019
(Chart reflects in-store sales only)

1. Anthem - Electronic Arts
2. FIFA 19 - Electronic Arts
3. Far Cry New Dawn - Ubisoft
4. The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame - Warner Bros.
5. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
6. DiRT Rally 2.0 - Codemasters
7. Metro Exodus - Deep Silver
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
9. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Nintendo
10. Trials Rising: Gold Edition - Ubisoft

U.K. video game charts [GFK Chart-Track]

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The Interceptor rocks

The main reason I dig Anthem in spite of its issues is because of how fun it is to play. Each class brings something to the table, and although I'm mainly using the wizard-like Storm at the moment, the juggernaut Colossus and the swift Interceptor are al?so tempting.

The latter trickster is what's on display below, with player SFNF showcasing some really impressive plays at the Grandmaster 2 (one of three endgame difficulty settings) level. As part of a group of four in a stronghol???d (dungeon), their other teammates go down and the Interceptor singlehandedly saves the day, zipping in and out of enemy fire.

Even if you don't play you can probably appreciate the high-paced nature of the gameplay, including some fancy flying from SFNF. Oh and just in case you do play and didn't notice: turrets ha??ve a big weak spot under the turret that looks like a battery.

Yes, Interceptor CAN handle Grandmaster 2! from r/AnthemTheGame

The post This Anthem video shows off the insane potential for big h??ig??h-flying plays appeared first on Destructoid.

Nice

It's not exactly cool to like Anthem right now, but BioWare is doing a lot of things to right the ship. Not only have they been in the trenches daily in reddit, reading and responding to comments in a meaningful fashion (Bungie could le??arn from this), but they'v??e also been pushing out hotfixes rather quickly.

The latest series of updates arrive in the form of patch 1.04 and a loot hotfix. The former smooths over a few bugs and mostly deals with a major annoyance in Anthem: tethering. In short, players who were too far away from their team during active missions were forced to teleport to their squad, which led to a brief loading screen. In most? cases simply keeping up ?with your party will cancel the tethering mechanic, but there are instances where you'd load in and immediately see the timer. Now it's more relaxed.

We talked about the loot changes in the past, but they deal with masterworks (high tier loot) and their efficacy. Now players should find more relevant bonuses (inscriptions) on? their guns going forward. You can find a full breakdown of the loot changes below.

There's work?? to be done, especially on the technical side, but most of the updates so far have been great.

Anthem hotfix for loot [Reddit]

• Items will no longer have inscriptions on them that are not appropriate for that specific item. NOTE: This only applies to items obtained after the patch. Items obtained prior to the hotfix will still have the same inscriptions they had before.
• Masterwork crafting costs have been reduced from 25 -> 15 Masterwork Embers. The amount of plants, metal and parts required for crafting a Masterwork item have also been reduced. 

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Some changes are already being pushed out

Not everyone is happy with Anthem, and a large reason for that is how the endgame is structured: specifically, the efficacy of the top level loot, "masterwork" items. There's been many discussions regarding the loot system and how it fails in comparison to say, Diablo's "Loot 2.0" revelation that handed out more impactful l??oot in droves following the miserly drop rates of the original game, and BioWare is firing back with some solution?s.

BioWare has been using Reddit as their main base of operations, giving daily meaningful updates within the comment sections of the Anthem subreddit as well as fully fleshed out topics detailing where they're headed. It's a far cry from the "we're listening" mantra Bungie has espoused (and even failed at) for Destiny for nearly five years now.

Their plan is to make inscriptions (read: "rolls" on items, or stats/bonuses) more useful and eliminate redundant bonuses, as well as removing uncommon and common (white/green) useless drops entirely after you hit the max level cap of 30. They're also reducing the crafting requirements for masterworks fr?om 25 embers to 15.

While that sounds ??like gibberish for those of you who don't play, this is basically a great start (considering that the update is being pushed this week) and a way to ensure that endgame loot matters more.

Anthem Loot Update [Reddit]

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Spluttering engines

In the wake of mediocre reviews from the press and downright abysmal feedback from players, Electronic Arts' sci-fi epic Anthem still succeeded in debuting a?t the top of the UK Charts this week.

The caveat that comes with this - ala Far Cry New Dawn's success last week - is that this No.1 status represents no great feat of money-making. Anthem's physical launch numbers are less than half the numbers of BioWare's Mass Effect: Andromeda, (another title that became a community punching bag on launch). Anthem also achieved a mere quarter of the week one sales of Activision's own sci-fi multiplayer shooter Destiny 2, which launched in 2017.

Elsewhere in the charts, Capcom's Resident Evil 2 and Square Enix' Kingdom Hearts III left the Top Ten, as did not-great anime fighter Jump Force. This leaves behind a status quo of mainstream action games and Nintendo titles. The charts have been losing their relevance for years now, certainly as a re?presentation of "what's great" or even "what's successful." At least the charts remain an interesting document of the titles that continue to draw money from the high street in the long-t?erm.

Looking at you, Grand Theft Auto V.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: February 23 2019
(Chart reflects in-store sales only)

1. Anthem - Electronic Arts
2. Far Cry New Dawn - Ubisoft
3. FIFA 19 - Electronic Arts
4. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Take 2
5. Metro Exodus - Deep Silver
6. Forza Horizon 4 - Microsoft
7. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - Nintendo
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
9. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - Activision
10. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GFK Chart-Track]

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