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	<title>Moonlighter &#8211; Video Game News, Reviews, Walkthroughs And Guides | GamingBolt</title>
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		<title>11 bit studios Celebrates 2 Million Copies of Moonlighter and 1 Million Copies of Children of Morta Sold</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/11-bit-studios-celebrates-2-million-copies-of-moonlighter-and-1-million-copies-of-children-of-morta-sold</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Shunal Doke]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Jun 2022 00:42:19 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[11 bit studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Children of Morta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nintendo switch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pc]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Xbox One]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=521960</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[11 bit studios is celebrating a couple of milestones for its games: Moonlighter has sold over 2 million copies, and Children of Morta has sold over a million copies.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>11 bit studios has announced new milestones for two of its published games: <em>Moonlighter</em> and <em>Children of Morta</em>. The publisher announced over Twitter than over 2 million copies of <em>Moonlighter</em> have been sold so far, and over 1 million copies of <em>Children of Morta</em> have been sold.</p>
<p>The milestone comes in light of a <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/11-bit-studios-kicks-off-publisher-sale-announces-project-vitriol">new game announced by the publisher</a>, dubbed <em>Project Vitriol</em>. Unfortunately, the company hasn&#8217;t elaborated on what <em>Project Vitriol</em> might entail. However, the company also kicked off a Publisher Sale on Steam, making its games available at a discount.</p>
<p>Both <em>Children of Morta</em> and <em>Moonlighter</em> are available at discounted prices as part of the ongoing sale as well.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, 11 bit studios also <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/the-alters-announced-for-pc-by-frostpunk-developer">unveiled its own new game—<em>The Alters</em></a>. The game is set to be a classic sci-fi story centered on Jan Dolski, who finds himself stranded on an alien planet and must figure out a way to get home&#8230; which turns out being the creation of Alters—alternate versions of himself, each with his own personality, traits, and skills.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We’re very proud! <br />Moonlighter has sold over 2 million copies and Children of Morta over 1 million copies worldwide! Both amazing games and many more are currently on discount during our publisher sale:<a href="https://t.co/NDVhTMGBHy">https://t.co/NDVhTMGBHy</a> <a href="https://t.co/cWEdKmhws8">pic.twitter.com/cWEdKmhws8</a></p>
<p>&mdash; 11 bit studios (@11bitstudios) <a href="https://twitter.com/11bitstudios/status/1537803839222464513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2022</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">521960</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Tekken 7, Final Fantasy 7, And More Join PlayStation Now In September</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/tekken-7-final-fantasy-7-and-more-join-playstation-now-in-september</link>
					<comments>https://gamingbolt.com/tekken-7-final-fantasy-7-and-more-join-playstation-now-in-september#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Landon Wright]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Sep 2021 23:34:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[final fantasy 7]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Killing Floor 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Definitive Edition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ps now]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ps4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ps5]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tekken 7]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[windbound]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=492536</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[An interesting group of titles will come to Sony's streaming service this month, including two entries in classic Japanese franchises.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s hard to believe, but we are already in a new month. It&#8217;s that time again where the various services get a new slate of games (and some also leave, but let&#8217;s not focus on that at the moment). Sony&#8217;s streaming service, PlayStation Now, is getting its list for this month, and it has quite an interesting blend of titles, including two number 7s in two Japanese franchises of two different eras.</p>
<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/playstation-now-will-get-multiple-classic-final-fantasy-titles-starting-september-7">As announced earlier in the month</a>, <em>Final Fantasy 7</em> will be among the first of several classic Final Fantasy titles that will come and that starts this month. Another 7 is<em> Tekken 7</em>, the latest and ongoing entry in the classic fighting franchise, which will be on the service until February 28 of next year. To round out the lineup, there is also the shooter <em>Killing Floor 2</em>, the indie adventure game <em>Windbound</em>, and two very different RPG titles with <em>Pathfinder: Kingmaker</em> and <em>Moonlighter</em>. You can see more details on the official PlayStation blog through <a href="https://blog.playstation.com/2021/09/06/playstation-now-games-for-september-tekken-7-killing-floor-2-final-fantasy-vii-windbound/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<p>All of these titles will be available on PlayStation Now via PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC starting on September 7th.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">492536</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Moonlighter: Between Dimensions DLC Now Available</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-between-dimensions-dlc-now-available</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Jul 2019 06:59:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[11 bit studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[android]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital Sun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iOS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter: Between Dimensions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nintendo switch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pc]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=409264</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A new dungeon, new items, and Trick Weapons add more to the dungeon crawler.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-408556" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions.jpg" alt="Moonlighter Between Dimensions" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions.jpg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>Digital Sun&#8217;s <em>Moonlighter</em> has received <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-update-1-7-adds-100-new-room-patterns-post-boss-room">plenty of substantial updates</a> since launching last year. However, its first paid DLC <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-between-dimensions-dlc-out-on-july-23rd"><em>Between Dimensions</em></a> represents the biggest new content update yet. Taking place after the main story, it provides some new end-game challenges and items to collect. The DLC is out today for $6.99.</p>
<p>Along with a new Interdimensional Dungeon, accessible through a strange portal that suddenly appears in Rynoka, there are 10 new enemies to fight. Five mini-bosses are also included and players will be able to craft a new set of armour. Ten Trick Weapons also exist with their own unique abilities (though they seem to have some &#8220;punishing&#8221; drawbacks).</p>
<p>Of course, the main shop also receives some upgrades with Will able to showcase Interdimensional Items with a new upgrade. There&#8217;s also a new NPC, The Trader, that can be interacted with. Overall, if you&#8217;re looking for a reason to hop back into dungeon crawling/profiteering, <em>Between Dimensions</em> might be for you.</p>
<p>If you haven&#8217;t played <em>Moonlighter</em>, then <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-this-war-of-mine-free-on-epic-games-store-next-week">it&#8217;s free later this week on the Epic Games Store</a> along with <em>This War of Mine</em>.</p>
<p><iframe title="Moonlighter - Between Dimensions DLC | Official Release Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L-ELd6dbZ0M?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">409264</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Moonlighter, This War of Mine Free on Epic Games Store Next Week</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-this-war-of-mine-free-on-epic-games-store-next-week</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Jul 2019 06:44:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[11 bit studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital Sun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Epic Games Store]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nintendo switch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ps4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[this war of mine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xbox One]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=408659</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[In a first, the storefront will offer two free games instead of one on July 25th.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Moonlighter.jpg"><img 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="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>Though Playdead&#8217;s <em>Limbo</em> is currently the latest PC game free on the Epic Games Store, next week will see <a href="https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/news/two-free-games-next-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">two games given away for free</a>. Digital Sun&#8217;s <em>Moonlighter</em> and 11 bit Studios&#8217; <em>This War of Mine</em> will be free on July 25th via the storefront. It&#8217;s an interesting first, and again, you just need to make an Epic Games account, download the launcher, and claim the titles on your account.</p>
<p>Digital Sun&#8217;s <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-sells-over-500000-copies-since-launch"><em>Moonlighter</em></a> combines <em>Zelda</em>-style dungeon exploring with pixel graphics and item selling. You head into dungeons, fight of all manner of foes, ransack any available materials, and sell them for a profit. This usually goes into new weapons and armour to allow for further exploration. Next week is actually a good time to try out <em>Moonlighter,</em> since its first paid expansion, <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-between-dimensions-dlc-out-on-july-23rd"><em>Between Dimensions</em></a>, is out on July 23rd.</p>
<p><em>This War of Mine</em> is 11 bit Studios&#8217; <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/this-war-of-mine-the-little-ones-review">critically acclaimed survival title</a> set during the Siege of Sarajevo in the Bosnian War. Players must manage a group of survivors, sending them out to gather the necessary resources by any means necessary. It&#8217;s received a fair bit of DLC, including the <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/this-war-of-mine-stories-season-pass-now-available">Stories Season Pass</a> for three new tales.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">408659</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Moonlighter: Between Dimensions DLC Out on July 23rd</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-between-dimensions-dlc-out-on-july-23rd</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Jul 2019 14:22:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[11 bit studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[android]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital Sun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iOS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter: Between Dimensions]]></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=408554</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Retailing for $6.99, the DLC will see Will venture into a new mysterious dungeon.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-408556" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions.jpg" alt="Moonlighter Between Dimensions" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions.jpg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Moonlighter-Between-Dimensions-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>Digital Sun&#8217;s <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-now-available-on-xbox-one-pc-and-ps4"><em>Moonlighter</em></a> will be receiving its <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-sells-over-500000-copies-since-launch">first paid DLC</a> with <em>Between Dimensions</em> on July 23rd. The developer has released a new trailer showcasing the newest dungeon, its foes, and much more. Check it out below &#8211; the DLC will retail $6.99 USD when it launches next week.</p>
<p>After the events of the base game, <em>Between Dimensions</em> sees a mysterious portal suddenly appearing. Moonlighter&#8217;s proprietor Will takes it upon himself to explore the new Interdimensional Dungeon and see what surprises await. Along with 10 new enemies and five mini-bosses, players can expect a new short sword, big sword, bow, gloves, and spear to craft.</p>
<p>You&#8217;ll also be able to craft a new set of armour, gather new Rings, and harness the power of Trick Weapons. The latter are described as &#8220;unique&#8221; and there are 10 to collect overall. If that weren&#8217;t enough, a new Shop upgrade will enable you to show off the new Interdimensional wares. We&#8217;ll also see what new lore and story the DLC brings when it launches.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Moonlighter - Between Dimensions DLC | Official Launch Date Teaser" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VzN3cqtrIoc?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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		<title>Frostpunk, They Are Billions Now Available on Origin Access Basic</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/frostpunk-they-are-billions-now-available-on-origin-access-basic</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jul 2019 12:49:27 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A Plague Tale: Innocence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fifa 19]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Frostpunk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Madden NFL 20]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nintendo switch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Origin Access]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ps4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sea of Solitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[They Are Billions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xbox One]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=407570</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Sea of Solitude and A Plague Tale: Innocence available currently for Premier subscribers.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Frostpunk-new-screenshot-1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-328332" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Frostpunk-new-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="Frostpunk Release Date Screenshots" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Frostpunk-new-screenshot-1.jpg 1920w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Frostpunk-new-screenshot-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Frostpunk-new-screenshot-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Frostpunk-new-screenshot-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>Electronic Arts&#8217; July lineup for Origin Access<a href="https://www.ea.com/origin-access-latest-updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> is looking pretty good</a>, especially for Basic subscribers. The titles this month include <em>They Are Billions</em> (previously available via Origin Access Premier), <em><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/frostpunk-review">Frostpunk</a>, Moonlighter,</em> and <em>FIFA 19</em>. Of course, Premier members can also get their hands on new games like <em><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/sea-of-solitude-gets-moody-launch-trailer-with-release">Sea of Solitude</a>, <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/a-plague-tale-innocence-review-a-game-of-light-and-shadow">A Plague Tale: Innocence</a>,</em> and later in the month, <em>Madden NFL 20</em>.</p>
<p>However, not all games will be available right now. <em>Sea of Solitude</em>, <em>Moonlighter</em>, <em>A Plague Tale: Innocence,</em> and <em>Frostpunk</em> can be currently played in their respective subscription tiers. <em>They Are Billions</em> will be added on June 18th, and might be worth trying out if you&#8217;re wary <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/they-are-billions-exits-early-access-the-new-empire-campaign-now-available">about the new campaign</a>.</p>
<p><em>FIFA 19</em> and <em>Madden NFL 20</em> will round out the month. The former arrives on July 24th. <em>Madden NFL 20</em> follows EA&#8217;s practice of releasing full-price games a week early on Origin Access Premier. It&#8217;s great for trying out all the <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/madden-nfl-20-features-x-factor-abilities-closed-beta-on-june-14th-to-16th">new changes</a>, like the X-Factor abilities and Face of the Franchise: QB1 mode.</p>
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		<title>13 Greedy Gaming Shopkeepers That Totally Want Your Money</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/13-greedy-gaming-shopkeepers-that-totally-want-your-money</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jun 2019 07:21:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Feature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Slider]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animal Crossing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[borderlands 2]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Enter the Gungeon]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://gamingbolt.com/?p=397804</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Buy low and sell high - these shopkeepers were absolutely ruthless.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="bigchar">W</span>ith the amount of scams in real life, you&#8217;d think video games would provide some kind of refuge. Alas, there are a plenty of crooks in the gaming world as well. At least some aren&#8217;t without their charm. Let&#8217;s take a look at 13 notorious shopkeepers and merchants in gaming.</p>
<p><b>Bomb-Master Cannon – The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker</b></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="13 Gaming Shopkeepers That Tried To Rip You Off (But You Totally Forgave)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cMXoDRAdRJ0?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>Upon arriving at Windfall Island&#8217;s Bomb Shop, you&#8217;ll be shocked to learn just what kind of prices are on offer. For 10 bombs, you need to pay a whopping 10,000 rupees. Sure he&#8217;s the last bomb-maker left but that&#8217;s enough to crowd-fund ten of Ganon&#8217;s deaths. Thankfully, once Tetra and her crew give him the ol&#8217; rundown, Bomb-Master Cannon sees fit to lower his prices.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">397804</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Moonlighter Sells Over 500,000 Copies Since Launch</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-sells-over-500000-copies-since-launch</link>
					<comments>https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-sells-over-500000-copies-since-launch#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Apr 2019 10:45:17 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[11 bit studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[android]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital Sun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iOS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter: Between Dimensions]]></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=393867</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Digital Sun also announces the first paid DLC, Between Dimensions, out later this year.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<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>Digital Sun&#8217;s item shop management/dungeon crawling title <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-now-available-on-xbox-one-pc-and-ps4"><em>Moonlighter</em></a> has done very well. The developer <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/games/606150/announcements/detail/1771512076697967151" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recently announced</a> that it has sold over 500,000 copies around the world. <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-update-1-7-adds-100-new-room-patterns-post-boss-room">Even more content</a> is coming soon, with Digital Sun working with publisher 11 bit Studios for <em>Moonlighter&#8217;s</em> first paid DLC, <em>Between Dimensions</em>.</p>
<p>It will be the studio&#8217;s &#8220;biggest expansion so far&#8221; and comes with quite the set of features. Ten new enemies, five new minibosses, a new Interdimensional Dungeon, a new set of armour, 10 Trick Weapons, and even a new NPC called The Trader. This is in addition to passive skill-boosting Rings and a new shop upgrade. Players will also have a new set of weapons, which includes a new short sword, big sword, bow, gloves, and more.</p>
<p><em>Moonlighter&#8217;s Between Dimensions</em> DLC is planned for release in Summer 2019. It will be coming to all platforms within this year itself as well (which seems to allude to the PC version coming first). Digital Sun also confirmed that a mobile port for the game is in development with redesigned levels, brand new controls, and much more. It&#8217;s also slated to release this year.</p>
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		<title>Moonlighter is Out Now for Nintendo Switch</title>
		<link>https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-is-out-now-for-nintendo-switch</link>
					<comments>https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-is-out-now-for-nintendo-switch#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ravi Sinha]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Nov 2018 13:40:56 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[11 bit studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital Sun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moonlighter]]></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=371281</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The rogue-like dungeon crawler/item shop manager retails for $24.99 on the Switch.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Moonlighter_02.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-371283" src="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Moonlighter_02.jpg" alt="Moonlighter_02" width="620" height="349" srcset="https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Moonlighter_02.jpg 1280w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Moonlighter_02-300x169.jpg 300w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Moonlighter_02-768x432.jpg 768w, https://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Moonlighter_02-1024x576.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /></a></p>
<p>After what seems like an eternity, Digital Sun&#8217;s <em>Moonlighter</em> is now available for the Nintendo Switch. If you&#8217;ve been seeking a portable rogue-lite title with <em>Zelda</em>-like combat and a strong shop-keeping element, this might be the game for you. <em>Moonlighter</em> can be purchased on the <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/moonlighter-switch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nintendo eShop</a> for $24.99.</p>
<p>The story focuses on Will, the shopkeeper of Moonlighter in the village of Rynoka. Originally a destination for many adventurers to delve into some mysterious dungeons, the village is now distinctly less bustling than before. When Will ventures into the mysterious dungeons, scavenging for materials and items to sell, Rynoka springs to life again. But what is really going on with the dungeons??</p>
<p>Digital Sun has been adding a number of updates to <em>Moonlighter</em> since its <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-now-available-on-xbox-one-pc-and-ps4">launch for PC, Xbox One, and PS4</a> in May. This includes <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/moonlighter-update-1-7-adds-100-new-room-patterns-post-boss-room">new rooms</a>, new types of items, a New Game Plus mode, and changes to the overall merchant aspect. Even more updates are being planned, and should arrive by next year.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Moonlighter on Nintendo Switch is out!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P-ESHGg5zWA?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">371281</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>
					<comments>https://gamingbolt.com/the-good-will-train-free-content-and-microtransactions-in-games#respond</comments>
		
		<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>
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		<category><![CDATA[nintendo switch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Origin Access]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[path of exile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pc]]></category>
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		<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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