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	<title>A Hat in Time &#8211; Video Game News, Reviews, Walkthroughs And Guides | GamingBolt</title>
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		<title>Far Cry 6, Rogue Legacy 2, Inscryption, and More Coming to PS Plus Extra/Premium Next Week</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/far-cry-6-rogue-legacy-2-inscryption-and-more-coming-to-ps-plus-extra-premium-next-week</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Jun 2023 16:28:33 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Deus Ex: Mankind Divided]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dodgeball Academia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ELEX 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[far cry 6]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forager]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inscryption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Killing Floor 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lonely Mountains: Downhill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MX vs ATV Legends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[My Friend Peppa Pig]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PAW Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[playstation plus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[playstation plus extra]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Redout 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rogue Legacy 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sony]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soulstice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tacoma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Wild at Heart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWE 2K23]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=556417</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Classic titles like Killzone: Liberation, Worms and Herc's Adventure will also be available for Premium subscribers on June 20th.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sony has <a href="https://blog.playstation.com/2023/06/14/playstation-plus-game-catalog-for-june-ps5-game-streaming-news-update-for-premium-members/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the next batch of games coming to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers on June 20th. For PS4 and PS5 players, <em>Far Cry 6, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Rogue Legacy 2</em>, and <em>Inscryption</em> will be available for both platforms.</p>
<p>For PS5 players, action hack and slash title <em>Soulstice</em> will be available. PS4 players can look forward to <em>Tacoma, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided</em> and <em>Killing Floor 2</em>. A game trial for <em>WWE 2K23</em> will also be available, though this is more than likely exclusive to PS Plus Premium.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s worth noting that several other titles like<em> ELEX 2, Redout 2, MX vs ATV Legends, PAW Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay, My Friend Peppa Pig and DC League of Super-Pets: The Adventures of Krypto and Ace</em> for PS4 and PS5 are mentioned in a recent PlayStation Access video. You also have <em>The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition, Lonely Mountains: Downhill, Vampire: The Masquerade &#8211; Coteries of New York, A Hat in Time, Carto, Forager, Dodgeball Academia, The Wild at Heart</em> and <em>Thief</em> coming to PS4.</p>
<p>Classics coming to PlayStation Plus Premium include <em>Killzone: Liberation</em> for the PSP and <em>Worms</em> and<br />
<em>Herc&#8217;s Adventure</em> on the PlayStation One.</p>
<p><iframe title="PlayStation Plus Extra &amp; Premium Games - June 2023" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zy8yOc8s61w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">556417</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>15 Scary Bosses That Will Make You Shudder In Your Skin</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/15-scary-bosses-that-will-make-you-shudder-in-your-skin</link>
					<comments>https://gamingbolt.com/15-scary-bosses-that-will-make-you-shudder-in-your-skin#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Shubhankar Parijat]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2022 14:19:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slider]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[batman: arkham asylum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bloodborne]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dark Souls 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Half-Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hollow Knight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Metal Gear Solid 3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nier automata]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Persona 3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sekiro: shadows die twice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spider-Man]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[undertale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waterwraith]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=500310</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A game doesn't have to be out-and-out horror to scare the crap out of you.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="bigchar">B</span>y their very nature, bosses are meant to be intimidating foes that test every skill you&#8217;ve picked up as you&#8217;ve played a game. Some, however, turn out to be much more unsettling than you&#8217;d expect. Every so often, you&#8217;ll come across a boss in a game that isn&#8217;t exactly a horror experience, but will still make you shudder in your skin. This is a feature dedicated to fifteen such bosses.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>NYX (PERSONA 3)</strong></p>
<p><iframe title="15 Most UNSETTLING Bosses in Non-Horror Games" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7cx7XAELNws?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><em>Persona 3&#8217;s </em>final boss is a force to be reckoned with for several reasons. Not only does it look absolutely terrifying, it&#8217;s also the mother of all boss fights, with Nyx taking numerous forms throughout what might be one of the longest boss fights you&#8217;ll ever experience. <em>Persona </em>games have always dealt with darker themes, of course, but very rarely has it done so on the same level as it did with Nyx.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">500310</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>A Hat in Time: Seal the Deal, Nyakuza Metro DLC Coming to PS4, Xbox One</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-seal-the-deal-nyakuza-metro-dlc-coming-to-ps4-xbox-one</link>
					<comments>https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-seal-the-deal-nyakuza-metro-dlc-coming-to-ps4-xbox-one#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Feb 2020 02:18:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gears for Breakfast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nintendo switch]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=432747</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Gears for Breakfast clarifies that it "may be a while" before any showcase or announcement.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-396612" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro.jpg" alt="A Hat in Time - Nyakuza Metro" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro.jpg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>Gears of Breakfast&#8217;s <em>A Hat in Time</em> received the <em>Nyakuza Metro</em> DLC on PC last year, followed with it and <em>Seal the Deal</em> coming to the Nintendo Switch version later. What about the Xbox One and PS4 though? As it turns out, the developer has been working hard on porting to those consoles. It shared a new clip on Twitter of its progress.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s still too early to reveal a release date. Gears for Breakfast said there&#8217;s &#8220;still work to be done&#8221; and that it &#8220;may be a while&#8221; before there&#8217;s more to showcase or announce. This isn&#8217;t exactly out of the ordinary &#8211; <em>A Hat in Time</em> was <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-announced-for-switch-new-add-on-coming-to-pc">announced for the Switch</a> in August 2018 and wouldn&#8217;t release until October 2019.</p>
<p><em>Seal the Deal</em> <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-times-seal-the-deal-dlc-is-available-free-for-limited-time">adds a new chapter</a> and Death Wish difficulty along with new outfits, dyes and flairs to earn. It also offers six new Time Rifts to explore. <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-nyakuza-metro-online-party-dlcs-announced-for-pc"><em>Nyakuza Metro</em></a> is far more substantial with new Time Pieces, a new area, new weapons and even more customization options. Players can also team up in teams of three to clear Time Rifts or play in groups of up to 50 in open areas. Stay tuned for more details on their releases for Xbox One and PS4.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here&#39;s a peek behind what we&#39;re working on at Gears for Breakfast: A Hat in Time with Seal the Deal and Nyakuza Metro running on PS4 (and Xbox One)! </p>
<p>There’s still work to be done, so it may be a while before we have more to show/announce, but stay tuned! <a href="https://t.co/XQvbeMJcBK">pic.twitter.com/XQvbeMJcBK</a></p>
<p>&mdash; A Hat in Time (@HatInTime) <a href="https://twitter.com/HatInTime/status/1231965292521304070?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">432747</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>A Hat in Time: Nyakuza Metro, Online Party DLCs Announced for PC</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-nyakuza-metro-online-party-dlcs-announced-for-pc</link>
					<comments>https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-nyakuza-metro-online-party-dlcs-announced-for-pc#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2019 12:05:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time: Nyakuza Metro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time: Online Party]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gears for Breakfast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nintendo switch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ps4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xbox One]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=396611</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Explore the catty underworld or play with up to 50 players in a single session.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-396612" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro.jpg" alt="A Hat in Time - Nyakuza Metro" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro.jpg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-Nyakuza-Metro-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>Gears for Breakfast&#8217;s <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-special-announcement-coming-on-april-25th">big announcement</a> for <em>A Hat in Time</em> has finally been revealed &#8211; more DLC for the 3D platformer. <em>Nyakuza Metro</em> is a cat-infused rendition of the underworld and features heaps of new content. <em>Online Party</em>, on the other hand, allows for up to 50 players to group together for some mayhem. Check out the reveal trailer for both below.</p>
<p>For solo players, <em>Nyakuza</em> Metro introduces a huge new area, 10 new Time Pieces to collect and a new weapon, the Baseball Bat. Players can also explore a new Purple Time Rift in the Rumbi Factory. Customization features include Stickers for decorating one&#8217;s weapon and which also function as emotes.</p>
<p>This is in addition to 20 new dyes, three new badges and two new camera filters. As for <em>Online Party,</em> it also allows for up to three other players to play publicly with you without affecting gameplay. Players can clear Time Rifts together thanks to combined progress. Both <em>Nyakuza Metro</em> and <em>Online Party</em> will release on May 10th for PC.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="A Hat in Time - Nyakuza Metro + Online Party Announcement" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pp-DYRP2q1s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">396611</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>A Hat in Time &#8211; &#8220;Special Announcement&#8221; Coming on April 25th</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-special-announcement-coming-on-april-25th</link>
					<comments>https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-special-announcement-coming-on-april-25th#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2019 09:02:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gears for Breakfast]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=395735</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A release date for the Switch version could be revealed.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-395736" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg" alt="A Hat in Time" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/A-Hat-in-Time-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>Gears for Breakfast has a special announcement planned for its 3D platformer, <em>A Hat in Time</em>. Taking place on April 25<sup>th</sup> at 12 PM PDT/3 PM EDT, a tweet teasing the announcement asks “Where is Hat Kid?&#8221; And no, contrary to expectation, this isn&#8217;t an appearance for <em>Super Smash Bros. Ultimate</em>.</p>
<p>What could it be? The safe bet is an announcement of <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-is-coming-soon-to-nintendo-switch">the Switch version&#8217;s release date</a>. The developer <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-announced-for-switch-new-add-on-coming-to-pc">confirmed way back at Gamescom 2018</a> that <em>A Hat in Time</em> would be coming to Nintendo&#8217;s hybrid console this year, but it has yet to provide a release date for the same.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s possible that the development team took some more time to ensure the <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-times-seal-the-deal-dlc-is-available-free-for-limited-time"><em>Seal The Deal </em>DLC</a> was also included. This DLC added a new Arctic Cruise level, six more time rifts, and the new “Death Wish” mode to introduce additional devious challenges. A free update later added co-op to the experience, letting players control Bow Kid as the second character throughout the campaign.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/HatInTime/status/1119314726633259009</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">(it&#39;s not smash)</p>
<p>&mdash; A Hat in Time (@HatInTime) <a href="https://twitter.com/HatInTime/status/1119315697161601029?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">395735</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Steam Lunar New Year Sale is Now Live, Ends February 11th</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/steam-lunar-new-year-sale-is-now-live-ends-february-11th</link>
					<comments>https://gamingbolt.com/steam-lunar-new-year-sale-is-now-live-ends-february-11th#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Feb 2019 06:48:58 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[android]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arrowhead Game Studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Assassin's Creed Odyssey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FantaBlade Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gears for Breakfast]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[ICEY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IO Interactive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iOS]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=385024</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The new Rewards Booth offers Tokens for a new badge, backgrounds, and more.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Steam-Lunar-New-Year-Sale.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-385025" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Steam-Lunar-New-Year-Sale.jpg" alt="Steam Lunar New Year Sale" width="620" height="332" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Steam-Lunar-New-Year-Sale.jpg 1180w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Steam-Lunar-New-Year-Sale-300x161.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Steam-Lunar-New-Year-Sale-768x411.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Steam-Lunar-New-Year-Sale-1024x548.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>Steam is celebrating the Chinese New Year with its own special sale. Ending on February 11th at 10 AM PST, the <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/sale/lunar2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steam Lunar New Year Sale</a> sees a number of high-profile titles discounted. This includes games like <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/863550/HITMAN_2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Hitman 2</em></a> (37 percent off), <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/812140/Assassins_Creed_Odyssey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Assassin&#8217;s Creed Odyssey</em></a> (50 percent off), and much more.</p>
<p>Titles from Chinese developers have been discounted and featured, which is a good way to provide exposure to lesser known games like <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/553640/ICEY/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>ICEY</em></a> (31 percent off). Games with local co-op are also part of the sale. If you&#8217;ve wanted to pick up <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/253230/A_Hat_in_Time/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Hat in Time</em></a> (45 percent off),  <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/394510/HELLDIVERS_A_New_Hell_Edition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Helldivers</em></a> (45 percent off), or <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/527230/For_The_King/"><em>For The King</em></a> (50 percent off), now&#8217;s your chance.</p>
<p>If that weren&#8217;t enough, a limited time event called <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/lny2019/rewards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Rewards Booth</a> is also on-going. Open the Red Envelope provided by Steam, and you&#8217;ll receive Tokens that can be redeemed for a unique badge, backgrounds, and chat emoticons. A discount for purchases above a certain amount is also provided. The Rewards Booth will end at 10 AM PST on February 12th.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">385024</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>A Hat in Time is &#8220;Coming Soon&#8221; to Nintendo Switch</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-is-coming-soon-to-nintendo-switch</link>
					<comments>https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-is-coming-soon-to-nintendo-switch#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2019 13:24:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gears for Breakfast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nintendo switch]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[ps4]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=383899</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The developer's support page seems to indicate a release sooner rather than later.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-313713" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg" alt="A Hat in Time" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg 1280w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>Gears for Breakfast has <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-announced-for-switch-new-add-on-coming-to-pc">already confirmed</a> that its loveable 3D platformer <em>A Hat in Time</em> will be coming to Nintendo Switch. However, it didn&#8217;t really provide any solid release date for the same. Several months later, we&#8217;re wondering if it&#8217;s even due for 2019. Thankfully, the <a href="https://support.hatintime.com/hc/en-us/articles/360008320033-When-will-the-Switch-version-release-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">game&#8217;s official FAQ</a> provides somewhat of a clue.</p>
<p>According to support, the Switch version is &#8220;coming soon&#8221;, and the page itself will be updated when details are revealed. That doesn&#8217;t provide much solid information, but the last time a developer used the word &#8220;soon&#8221;, we got a release date for <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wargroove-releasing-on-february-1st-for-switch-cinematic-trailer-released">Chucklefish&#8217;s <em>Wargroove</em></a>. Perhaps we can expect a release date announcement in the coming weeks?</p>
<p><em>A Hat in Time</em> is already available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. A free update added local split-screen co-op, and the <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-times-seal-the-deal-dlc-is-available-free-for-limited-time"><em>Seal The Deal DLC</em></a> offered a brand new chapter set on the Arctic Cruise for just $4.99. That means six new Time Rifts and the new Death Wish difficulty, on top of new flairs, costumes, badges, and more.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">383899</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>The Good Will Train &#8211; Free Content and Microtransactions in Games</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/the-good-will-train-free-content-and-microtransactions-in-games</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Oct 2018 04:50:58 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Article]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Editorials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time: Seal the Deal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Assassin's Creed Odysssey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[assassin's creed origins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Destiny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Destiny 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Destiny 2: Forsaken]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[destiny: the taken king]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nintendo switch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Origin Access]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[path of exile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ps4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Warframe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xbox One]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XCOM 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[xcom 2: war of the chosen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XCOM 2: War of the Chosen - Tactical Legacy Pack]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=367506</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Not every game, even those with microtransactions, wants your cash. Some want to get on your good side first.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="bigchar">R</span>emember the <em>Star Wars Battlefront</em> 2 debacle? For those who don&#8217;t know, the launch of DICE&#8217;s Star Wars-based shooter was meant to herald a number of changes from its predecessor: The inclusion of a single-player campaign, a multi-tiered engagement mode with some kind of narrative, and of course, no Season Pass or paid DLC. Micro transactions would instead become the main source of revenue with ample post-launch support and surely Electronic Arts wouldn&#8217;t try to turn this into a “pay-to-win” platform?</p>
<p>Sadly, that&#8217;s exactly what happened and despite both DICE and EA trying to justify the new Star Card system, the high cost of hero unlocks and much more, the economy for <em>Star Wars Battlefront 2</em> crumbled in a number of ways. The fact that it was so blatantly pay-to-win in a competitive multiplayer setting while offering a convoluted system of scrapping and crafting was also pretty terrible.</p>
<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Warframe-Plains-of-Eidolon.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-309266" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Warframe-Plains-of-Eidolon.jpg" alt="Warframe Plains of Eidolon_02" width="620" height="336" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Warframe-Plains-of-Eidolon.jpg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Warframe-Plains-of-Eidolon-300x162.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Warframe-Plains-of-Eidolon-768x416.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Warframe-Plains-of-Eidolon-1024x554.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p class="review-highlite" >"There are variety of reasons why games like <em>Battlefield</em> and <em>Call of Duty</em> continue to sell despite growing microtransaction concerns. There&#8217;s also a reason why <em>Overwatch</em>, despite concerns for loot boxes, continues to rake in the cash."</p>
<p>However, upon looking at the entire disaster, one has to wonder why certain games that implement microtransactions are doing so much better. Why do some games like Digital Extremes&#8217; <em>Warframe</em> continue to do so well despite allowing you to purchase entire Frames and weapons, or even essential functions like Weapon Slots and Frame Slots? Heck, for all the hoopla surrounding cosmetics, <em>Warframe</em> also locks different colour palettes, Deluxe Frames and special skins behind microtransactions. Even if the entire experience is free-to-play, most new players would probably have a much better time by spending some money on Platinum to start with.</p>
<p>Grinding Gear Games&#8217; <em>Path of Exile</em> is slightly different. All of its loot has to be earned in-game. There&#8217;s no way to pay wholesale for weapons and even resetting your character is something that&#8217;s only possible through copious amounts of grinding (or, well, making a new character). For the cosmetics and stash tabs, you need to pay up. Did we mention those cosmetics are locked behind RNG loot boxes whose prices would make Jeff Kaplan and his team at Blizzard blush? I can&#8217;t speak for the odds of getting different pieces since the cosmetic pool isn&#8217;t as saturated but it&#8217;s not weird to see long-time players spend tens, if not hundreds of dollars, to look good. New cosmetics are constantly being released as well.</p>
<p>For that matter, why are games-as-a-service titles still in such demand despite so much controversy? <em>Halo 5: Guardians</em> was a massive success and <em>Halo Infinite</em> will also seemingly have microtransactions (but not “real money loot boxes”). <em>Tom Clancy&#8217;s The Division</em> bounced back extremely well despite a disappointing few months post-launch and some lop-sided updates. Even if <em>The Division 2</em> has been criticized for including stash slots as part of costlier editions, there&#8217;s not nearly as much controversy as EA&#8217;s debacle.</p>
<p>There are variety of reasons why games like <em>Battlefield</em> and <em>Call of Duty</em> continue to sell despite growing microtransaction concerns. There&#8217;s also a reason why <em>Overwatch</em>, despite concerns for loot boxes, continues to rake in the cash. <em>Grand Theft Auto 5</em> is the biggest-selling title of all time and even that has <em>Grand Theft Auto Online</em> with its heavy grind and “pay to skip” Shark Cards. So what gives? What do so many games do right that&#8217;s seemingly so difficult in this age of microtransactions and post-launch monetization? The answer probably lays in “good will”.</p>
<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-364605" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-3.jpg" alt="assassins creed odyssey" width="620" height="348" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-3.jpg 1780w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-3-768x431.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-3-1024x575.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p class="review-highlite" >"This approach isn&#8217;t too new – titles like <em>Warframe</em> also allow you to earn Platinum in-game even if the process relies completely on trading and grinding out certain “popular” items."</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s take a look at <em>Assassin&#8217;s Creed Odyssey</em>, a recent controversial example. <em>Odyssey</em> features an enormous single-player campaign that – like <em>Origins</em> – has an in-game store with cosmetics and weapons to purchase. However, it&#8217;s possible to purchase “time saver” items like a permanent 50 percent XP booster or smaller boosters that can make the experience “better”. “Better” in what sense?</p>
<p>Well, <em>Odyssey&#8217;s</em> campaign missions can be level-gated, requiring you to grind out side missions and bounty board requests to level up. Given how much difference a level or two can make up, it&#8217;s always best to be at a level equivalent to your foes. One of the major complaints, however, is that the XP gains have been tuned in such a way as to push a player towards using a booster (which Ubisoft has denied).</p>
<p>Furthermore, for those who want to just experience the story in <em>Odyssey</em> and not have their journey interrupted by mundane side content, having to do any kind of grinding feels boring. This doesn&#8217;t alter the fact that some people&#8217;s mileage of the side content will vary. Many abhor the “go here, get this, kill enemies” style of quest design while others found more nuanced quests with strong writing and characters to enjoy. So while this may feel like a “grind” to some players, others will see a familiar style of role-playing progression. The latter will feel like Ubisoft is purposely pushing them out into the open world to explore and play the content and that&#8217;s just fine because it&#8217;s what they signed up. The various points-of-interest and objectives may seem fairly cookie-cutter but there were no illusions that the game would work this way.</p>
<p>From a grinding perspective, it&#8217;s possible to earn Orichalcum, which can be spent on random loot boxes that have a chance to drop cosmetics from the store. These can be earned from daily and weekly quests while also providing an in-game currency for some of the better weapons and armour. So over time, it&#8217;s possible to purchase many of the cosmetics and items without spending any real money. This approach isn&#8217;t too new – titles like <em>Warframe</em> also allow you to earn Platinum in-game even if the process relies completely on trading and grinding out certain “popular” items.</p>
<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-364604" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-2.jpg" alt="assassins creed odyssey" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-2.jpg 1280w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/assassins-creed-odyssey-image-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p class="review-highlite" >"Rather than thinking of this as Ubisoft slowly introducing microtransactions into its series, pushing the boundaries of what it can get away with, it&#8217;s important to understand their bigger picture (or the idea of it, at least)"</p>
<p>The idea is the same though – the items that can be purchased with premium currency aren&#8217;t things that players need from the outset. You don&#8217;t “need” every Legendary item in <em>Odyssey&#8217;</em>s store any more than you need to purchase every item in <em>Warframe&#8217;</em>s store from the outset of the game. Just as it&#8217;s possible to unlock different Frames (and better them) through in-game means, so is it possible to earn different weapons and loot in <em>Odyssey</em> by progressing through the game. If these unlocks are then placed in the game for longer-term investment players, then the real question is: Why?</p>
<p>It&#8217;s no mystery that Ubisoft wants to pursue a games-as-a-service model for numerous titles. There&#8217;s a vision for larger scale titles that allow for traversing multiple eras in the next <em>Assassin&#8217;s Creed</em>, which would mean less entries and stronger post-launch support for the games in question. <em>Assassin&#8217;s Creed Odyssey</em> will apparently not be followed by a sequel in 2019 as Ubisoft focuses more on post-launch support.</p>
<p>This can be seen in the post-launch “<em>Lost Tales of Greece</em>” that are being made free to fill the gap between bigger paid expansions such as <em>Legacy of the First Blade</em> and <em>The Fate of Atlantis</em>. In-game events tasking players with hunting down tough enemies every week are also coming (if not available already). Also, I have no doubt that the in-game store will be updated with new items that will be more easily accessed by players who have more time and thus Orichalcum earned in-game.</p>
<p>Rather than thinking of this as Ubisoft slowly introducing microtransactions into its series, pushing the boundaries of what it can get away with, it&#8217;s important to understand their bigger picture (or the idea of it, at least). <em>Assassin&#8217;s Creed Odyssey</em> isn&#8217;t just a vehicle to get you to pay extra cash. It&#8217;s a massive, sprawling game that wants to offer as much value in its core package as possible. It wants to offer a grand spanning story with interesting characters and compelling combat to keep different types of players coming back for more.</p>
<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Path-of-Exile-Delve-League.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-353366" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Path-of-Exile-Delve-League.jpg" alt="Path of Exile Delve League" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Path-of-Exile-Delve-League.jpg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Path-of-Exile-Delve-League-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Path-of-Exile-Delve-League-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Path-of-Exile-Delve-League-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p class="review-highlite" >"The concepts themselves like <em>Warframe&#8217;s Plains of Eidolon</em> or <em>Path of Exile&#8217;s Delve League</em> may not be incredibly polished out of the gate but their ambition and innate potential are appealing."</p>
<p>The free content, updates and support are just a means to earn more “good will” from players in the hopes that they&#8217;ll spend more money. Maybe not spend immediately – because as noted in many counter-arguments, the side content can be fun for some players to “grind” through – but maybe after 100 to 200 hours of game time. Maybe when a player wants to start from the beginning and re-experience it all over again with a different build, thinking to skip the grind like they would do in an MMO.</p>
<p>This “science of good will” may seem ludicrous at first but it&#8217;s not strange. Some companies and their shareholders aren&#8217;t just looking for direct revenue right away. Instead, recurring player counts – both on a daily and monthly basis – are incredibly important. Free-to-play titles like <em>Warframe</em> and <em>Path of Exile</em> dole out amazing concepts every year and we&#8217;re always impressed with the amount of content offered for free. However, it&#8217;s by fostering good will with the player base – one that&#8217;s in it for the long haul – that both games earn their money.</p>
<p>The concepts themselves like <em>Warframe&#8217;s Plains of Eidolon</em> or <em>Path of Exile&#8217;s Delve League</em> may not be incredibly polished out of the gate but their ambition and innate potential are appealing. Long-term support and numerous updates, even if they&#8217;re just cosmetics and new items, further keep players hooked. In the end, it&#8217;s all free and the hardcore player that invests hours upon hours into a game like <em>Warframe</em> may have no need for Platinum. But for the average player, that sense of investment and wanting to “reward” the developer for having and continuing to get so much out of a free experience is what the goal ultimately is.</p>
<p>Yes, there are plenty of ways to “push” players to spend their premium currency (or to spend real money to immediately obtain more). A brand-spanking new Frame has been released? Better lock the parts behind some annoying drop rates (the construction of which, by the way, can be sped up using Platinum). A new weapon has dropped? Well it&#8217;s exclusive to those with Clan access and who&#8217;ve built the required labs. Don&#8217;t have a clan? You could always purchase them directly. The list goes on.</p>
<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Moonlighter.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-360508" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Moonlighter.jpg" alt="Moonlighter" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Moonlighter.jpg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Moonlighter-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Moonlighter-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Moonlighter-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p class="review-highlite" >"Keep in mind that the “science” of good will isn&#8217;t just about games with microtransactions. Numerous different titles across several segments of the industry are looking at making their games more appealing by fostering good will, even if microtransactions aren&#8217;t the road to this."</p>
<p>Even if Ubisoft didn&#8217;t muck about with the XP gains, the long-term investment strategy for <em>Odyssey</em> is hard to deny. It wants players to keep coming back, offering a meaty base game with strong support and constant updates alongside free content to reward those who stay on. You could criticize Ubisoft for the random bounty board quest, “bloated” map with quest markers galore or loot grind but it wants you to play all of that content over a long, long period of time. And hopefully, if you appreciate it enough and feel invested enough, you&#8217;ll want to spend some more money. Perhaps with the Season Pass or through some Helix Credit bundles.</p>
<p>Unlike Digital Extremes and Grinding Gear Games, the onus is on Ubisoft to provide a worthwhile experience at all times. If it&#8217;s DLC isn&#8217;t up to snuff or the free updates don&#8217;t keep players engaged, that hurts the company&#8217;s bottom line and could thus influence how future monetization is handled. It doesn&#8217;t have the benefit of being free like <em>Warframe</em> or <em>Path of Exile</em> either. If someone feels that their time has been wasted after the initial $60 entry point, there&#8217;s a risk of them swearing off the current and future product.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that the “science” of good will isn&#8217;t just about games with microtransactions. Numerous different titles across several segments of the industry are looking at making their games more appealing by fostering good will, even if microtransactions aren&#8217;t the road to this. Take the example of <em>Moonlighter</em>. Recently, Digital Sun added New Game Plus mode to the <em>Zelda</em>-meets-shopkeeper action RPG along with a higher rarity tier of weapons and armour, a new item type and much more. Since the game&#8217;s launch, other updates have brought new room compositions, challenges and so on. With Halloween coming up, there will also be an “event” of sorts for players to earn items.</p>
<p>How can that be, especially if <em>Moonlighter</em> is a crowd-funded title from a relatively small studio? By delivering a strong base experience, Digital Sun could look to appeal to its established player base with free updates. And every time a new update goes live, <em>Moonlighter</em> goes on sale (at least on Steam), enticing more players to hop on board. The fact that the entry point isn&#8217;t all that high to begin with doesn&#8217;t hurt either.</p>
<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/XCOM-2-War-of-the-Chosen-Tactical-Legacy-Pack_01.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-368575" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/XCOM-2-War-of-the-Chosen-Tactical-Legacy-Pack_01.jpg" alt="XCOM 2 War of the Chosen Tactical Legacy Pack_01" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/XCOM-2-War-of-the-Chosen-Tactical-Legacy-Pack_01.jpg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/XCOM-2-War-of-the-Chosen-Tactical-Legacy-Pack_01-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/XCOM-2-War-of-the-Chosen-Tactical-Legacy-Pack_01-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/XCOM-2-War-of-the-Chosen-Tactical-Legacy-Pack_01-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p class="review-highlite" >"Firaxis did something similar with <em>XCOM 2: War of the Chosen</em>. It recently released the <em>Tactical Legacy Pack</em>, a free content pack that was only available for those who owned the base game and <em>War of the Chosen</em>."</p>
<p>Another interesting strategy is free DLC but for a timed period. The trend was recently highlighted by<em> A Hat in Time&#8217;s Seal the Deal</em> DLC. <em>Seal the Deal</em> added a new chapter, a new difficulty mode and other snazzy additions, all for the price of nothing. However, it was free only for owners of the base game and that too for 24 hours. Fortunately, the game went on sale in that same period, allowing first-time players to successfully jump into the game and enjoy the free content. You could say it&#8217;s a weird strategy to <i>force </i>people to buy the game&#8230;or you could interpret it as a developer both rewarding its loyal fans and trying to attract newcomers.</p>
<p>Firaxis did something similar with <em>XCOM 2: War of the Chosen</em>. It recently released the <em>Tactical Legacy Pack</em>, a free content pack that was only available for those who owned the base game and <em>War of the Chosen</em>. In terms of content, players can expect five Legacy Ops, a series of consecutively linked missions that explore events taking place between the first and second game; 28 new maps remastered from <em>Enemy Unknown/Within</em>; returning armour from <em>Enemy Unknown</em> along with “reimagined” weapons; Skirmish Mode for creating custom missions; Resistance Archives for battling in a series of missions with increasing difficulty; a photo mode of sorts; and over 100 challenges from <em>War of the Chosen</em> that can be played offline repeatedly.</p>
<p>That sounds like a whole smattering of content, right? And it&#8217;s free! Of course, you need to own <em>XCOM 2</em> and <em>War of the Chosen</em>. Even if you didn&#8217;t take advantage of the ongoing sale to purchase either the base game, the expansion or both alongside the <em>Reinforcement Pack</em> (which itself offers three DLC drops for the “complete” <em>XCOM 2</em> experience), then there&#8217;s not much reason to worry. The <em>Tactical Legacy Pack</em> will remain free until December, providing enough time for players to decide if they want to hop onboard – and maybe take advantage of other sales that might crop up along the way.</p>
<p>If you think about it even further, it makes sense why Firaxis is going this route. Good will with the developer wasn&#8217;t looking so good following launch troubles with <em>XCOM 2</em>. Even after a number of issues were resolved, players still took issue with the pricing and content of <em>Reinforcement Pack</em>. <em>War of the Chosen</em> could be looked upon as the first step in rebuilding that good will with the <em>Tactical Legacy Pack</em> only furthering it.</p>
<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/XCOM-2-Alien-Hunters-DLC.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-265401" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/XCOM-2-Alien-Hunters-DLC.jpg" alt="" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/XCOM-2-Alien-Hunters-DLC.jpg 1280w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/XCOM-2-Alien-Hunters-DLC-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/XCOM-2-Alien-Hunters-DLC-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/XCOM-2-Alien-Hunters-DLC-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p class="review-highlite" >"Coming back to microtransactions and free content updates: For clarification&#8217;s sake, I&#8217;m not saying that this is necessarily what the developers themselves want."</p>
<p>Not only does it reward players who have been loyal to the game but also offers tons of nostalgia and compelling features for those loyal to the brand for all these years. It&#8217;s the little things but they help. For all the negativity I&#8217;m talking about <em>XCOM 2</em> facing after its launch, the game was still lauded and loved by its fans. Capitalizing on that kind of brand loyalty and using it to draw in new players is an exceptional strategy, to say the least. However, you still need to pay money to be a part of this process so Firaxis benefits as well.</p>
<p>Of course, how can we forget other means of building good will among players? How many games like <em>The Elder Scrolls Online, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Wars 1 and 2, Overwatch,</em> and so on offer free to play weekends for newcomers? They place all their content on the table for players to try for as long as they&#8217;d like with discounts and progress transferring over if you permanently want the full experience. Electronic Arts, for all the bad publicity they drum up for themselves, have created one of the biggest value propositions out there with Origin Access that offers a number of titles from EA and various third party developers for unlimited play every month at just $4.99 per month. Even if you hate the company, being able to play games like <em>RIME, Titanfall 2, Burnout Paradise Remastered, Gonner, Torchlight 2, Jotun, The Sexy Brutale, The Witness, Pillars of Eternity, Inside</em> and much more per month for that price is pretty crazy in retrospect.</p>
<p>Coming back to microtransactions and free content updates: For clarification&#8217;s sake, I&#8217;m not saying that this is necessarily what the developers themselves want. I don&#8217;t know the terms of agreement when it comes to these kinds of titles, whether certain updates are mandated to sell more units through sales or not. I&#8217;m also not saying that every single developer would appreciate putting microtransactions into their full-priced single-player game or that publishers don&#8217;t have a hand in pushing these kinds of decisions for the sake of more profit.</p>
<p>All I&#8217;m trying to offer is a perspective as to <i>why </i>these tactics may be done. Because, for all intents and purposes, developers and publishers are both companies at the end of the day. Both want to and need to make money, whether it&#8217;s to recoup costs, fund future ventures, invest in new technology or simply expand. The line between what is acceptable and unacceptable, at least when it pertains to players and their preferences, is becoming thinner as bigger triple-A games get made.</p>
<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Destiny-The-Taken-King_03.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-239723" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Destiny-The-Taken-King_03.jpeg" alt="Destiny" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Destiny-The-Taken-King_03.jpeg 1280w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Destiny-The-Taken-King_03-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Destiny-The-Taken-King_03-1024x576.jpeg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p class="review-highlite" >"How convenient is it then that <em>Destiny 2</em>, which faced a year of scrutiny and terrible DLC along with an initially heavy-handed Eververse store, has regained a lot of its good will thanks to content like Whisper of the Worm, Solstice of Heroes and <em>Forsaken</em>."</p>
<p>Still, if you ever need to look back at why certain introductions of microtransactions seem to “take” better than others, then good will may be the answer. <em>Destiny</em> fans were fairly angry about emotes being sold before <em>The Taken King</em>, whether as part of a Collector&#8217;s Edition or in a separate package. At the time, good will for the franchise was pretty much on the brink. When <em>The Taken King</em> launched and effectively revitalized the player base, it was met with applause. So much so that many didn&#8217;t mind the introduction of a micro-transaction store in Eververse for cosmetic items including emotes being sold separately.</p>
<p>Bungie further did its good will bit by ensuring that subsequent events for <em>Destiny</em> like Festival of the Lost, Sparrow Racing League and the April 2016 Update (which again sparked only a bit of controversy for the fact that armour sets were now being included in Eververse) were competently delivered. Even when the studio&#8217;s reputation took a hit for going too far with microtransactions in Festival of the Lost 2016, it still earned it back with The Dawning. How convenient is it then that <em>Destiny 2</em>, which faced a year of scrutiny and terrible DLC along with an initially heavy-handed Eververse store, has regained a lot of its good will thanks to content like Whisper of the Worm, Solstice of Heroes and <em>Forsaken</em>.</p>
<p>In fact, not many fans seem to be all that troubled that the purchase of DLC like <em>Curse of Osiris</em> and <em>Warmind</em>, which were required to play the most recent expansion, has recently been made free with the purchase of <em>Forsaken</em>. Or that this change was done in order to facilitate more players, particularly those who received <em>Destiny 2</em> for free on PS4 with their PlayStation Plus subscription, just in time for the Festival of the Lost 2018 which introduces even more new content and Eververse items.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s not forget that, as per Kotaku&#8217;s Jason Schreier, the decision to put so much content in the Eververse store and drip-feed a lot of other stuff to players was made by Bungie and approved by Activision. Not the other way around. It really makes you think about which developers are being “strong-armed” into such tactics and which ones aren&#8217;t. But I digress.</p>
<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/gta-online-motor-wars.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-335358" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/gta-online-motor-wars.jpeg" alt="" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/gta-online-motor-wars.jpeg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/gta-online-motor-wars-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/gta-online-motor-wars-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/gta-online-motor-wars-1024x576.jpeg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p class="review-highlite" >"Anyone who hates the idea of microtransactions in the first place can&#8217;t be blamed for not putting down $60 for a title they may or may not even like all that much."</p>
<p>For me, the implementation of microtransactions varies from game to game. It&#8217;s honestly never affected my experience in a game like <em>Grand Theft Auto Online</em>. That being said, microtransactions are something that are dealt with, directly or indirectly, in <em>Warframe</em>. Trading items for Platinum to unlock things that I don&#8217;t want to bother grinding for is one thing. Wanting to skip the grind for some items, picking up new slots and obtaining dope cosmetics by paying real money for Platinum is another thing, which I have done by the way. This was after putting in 200 hours into the game, being satisfied with my experience and wanting to play even more.</p>
<p>Those who aren&#8217;t necessarily satisfied with their experience in a game like <em>Overwatch, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Destiny 2 or Assassin&#8217;s Creed Odyssey</em> might find the microtransactions to be annoying. And no, this isn&#8217;t just taking into account their impact on the game. When playing <em>Assassin&#8217;s Creed Origins</em>, no amount of content – whether it was free or discounted – could make me enjoy the side missions, the style of open world gameplay or the combat. None of those aspect were bad – I just couldn&#8217;t get into the game. Would I like<em> Assassin&#8217;s Creed Odyssey</em> more, even if it weren&#8217;t saddled with microtransactions that hope to capitalize on “good will” that Ubisoft earns from delivering a better product? It comes down to enjoying the game at that point. Anyone who hates the idea of microtransactions in the first place can&#8217;t be blamed for not putting down $60 for a title they may or may not even like all that much.</p>
<p>In the meantime, as recent examples above indicates, there are plenty of games that garner good will without stuffing their packages with microtransactions (whatever purpose they may serve). Larian&#8217;s <em>Divinity: Original Sin 2</em> is still a great game, for example. It recently received free DLC in the form of <em>Sir Lora</em> (a squirrel knight companion with an undead cat steed) along with numerous changes courtesy in the <em>Definitive Edition</em>. Arkane Studios&#8217; games have provided meaty single-player experiences like <em>Dishonored 2</em> and <em>Prey</em>. They&#8217;ve even received good expansions like <em>Death of the Outsider</em> and <em>Mooncrash</em> respectively. Don&#8217;t even get me started on Radical Fish&#8217;s <em>CrossCode</em> which is simply stellar in almost everything it does (which is an article for another day).</p>
<p>The debate around microtransactions in video games will go on, as it rightfully should, and whether you&#8217;re against publishers asking for more cash, or supportive of an experience that offers several months of gameplay, a little good will can sometimes go a long way. Many developers already know this. Now the question is how their audiences &#8211; in this case, you, me and the other person &#8211; choose to respond.</p>
<p><em>Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.</em></p>
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		<title>A Hat in Time&#8217;s Seal The Deal DLC is Available Free For Limited Time</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-times-seal-the-deal-dlc-is-available-free-for-limited-time</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Sep 2018 12:42:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time: Seal the Deal]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[The DLC is currently only available for PC and offers a new difficulty and chapter.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-313713" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg" alt="A Hat in Time" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg 1280w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>Gears for Breakfast&#8217;s old-school 3D platformer <em>A Hat in Time</em> has received its first major DLC pack today with <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-announced-for-switch-new-add-on-coming-to-pc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Seal the Deal</em></a>. More importantly, the DLC is free for anyone who purchases the base game. The catch is that you have to pick it up within 24 hours of launch for PC. After that point, it will retail for $5.</p>
<p>Along with a new chapter taking place on a cruise ship in the Arctic, the DLC brings a new difficulty called Death Wish. Local split-screen co-op along with new outfits, flairs, and dyes are also available. Six new Time Rifts can also be explored, so for $5, there&#8217;s a substantial amount of content. Getting this for free for a limited time, especially when <em>A Hat in Tim</em>e is currently discounted by 40 percent on <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/253230/A_Hat_in_Time/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steam</a>, is almost a steal.</p>
<p>Even if you don&#8217;t have the game and thus can&#8217;t get the DLC now for free, the discount is valid until September 17th. <em>A Hat in Time</em> is also <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-launching-on-december-5th-for-consoles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently available</a> for Xbox One and PS4 as well. It will also be coming to the Nintendo Switch sometime in the future. There&#8217;s no news yet on when the DLC will hit other platforms.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/HatInTime/status/1040300303780917248</p>
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		<title>A Hat in Time Announced for Switch, New Add-On Coming to PC</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-announced-for-switch-new-add-on-coming-to-pc</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Aug 2018 17:56:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Hat in Time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gamescom 2018]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[PC players will receive a new difficulty, new Time Rifts, and more on September 13th.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-313713" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg" alt="A Hat in Time" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time.jpg 1280w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A-Hat-in-Time-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p><em>A Hat in Time</em> developer Gears for Breakfast had earlier teased <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-special-announcement-coming-at-gamescom">some big news</a> for Gamescom 2018. Lo and behold, the impossible has happened &#8211; <em>A Hat in Time</em> will be coming to the Nintendo Switch. No release date was provided, but it <em>is</em> &#8220;coming soon&#8221;.</p>
<p>What about current owners of the game on PC? You&#8217;re in luck, because of the announcement of a new add-on called &#8220;<em>Seal the Deal</em>&#8220;, which releases on September 13th. It will be free for Kickstarter backers, but everyone else can also download it free in the first 24 hours of release. After that, the add-on will cost $4.99. A separate free add-on will launch on the same day and provide local split-screen co-op.</p>
<p>What can you expect? A brand new chapter taking place on the Arctic Cruise, six new Time Rifts, a new difficulty called Death Wish, and more than a dozen flairs, costumes, camera filters, and badges. Though the developer didn&#8217;t mention if the add-on would come to <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-hat-in-time-launching-on-december-5th-for-consoles">Xbox One and PS4</a>, it&#8217;s good to see the platformer getting some new content. Check out the announcement trailer for <em>Seal the Deal </em>below.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="A Hat in Time - Seal the Deal Announcement (Gamescom 2018)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8_I1GrvzxQQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
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