Gaming
World of Warcraft Lead Designer Confirms No Flying Mounts in Warlords of Draenor
Lead designer Ion Hazzikostas confirms flying mounts won’t make an appearance in Warlords of Draenor & may not appear in future expanasions
Warlords of Draenor was World of Warcraft’s most successful expansion in years pushing its subscription base up to 10 million players. It was greeted by rave reviews from across the web that hailed it as WoW’s return to the top of the MMO market. The only things fans felt was missing from the latest expansion was the ability to use flying mounts. Blizzard claimed that removing flying was an “experiment” to create a renewed sense of danger in the game world and encourage exploration.
Obviously not everyone was happy to see their ability to fly all across the map disappear, which is why Blizzard promised to revisit the issue later down the line. This week lead designer Ion Hazzikostas made good on that promise during an interview with Polygon. His answer however isn’t going to appease the fans anger towards Warlords of Draenor or future expansions. Hazzikostas told Polygon that flying will not make an appearance in Warlords of Draenor and it may not appear in any future expansions.
Taking away flying would be a massive change in World of Warcraft’s gameplay, as mounted flight has been part of the MMO since 2007 with the introduction of the Burning Crusades, the first expansion to WoW. In the years after it was introduced Hazzikostas says that Blizzard has seen flying mounts create major problems in the game:
Having looked at how flying has played out in the old world in the last couple of expansions, we realized that while we were doing it out of this ingrained habit after we introduced flying in The Burning Crusade, it actually detracted from gameplay in a whole lot of ways.
While there was certainly convenience in being able to completely explore the world in three dimensions, that also came at the expense of gameplay like targeted exploration, like trying to figure out what’s in that cave on top of a hill and how do I get up there.
Hazzikostas says that Warlords of Draenor and the rest of WoW feels bigger opening it up to more exploration and immersion with players finding new secrets. He leaves very little hope in the interview that flying will stay an experiment saying that “At this point, we feel that outdoor gameplay in World of Warcraft is ultimately better without flying, we’re not going to be reintroducing the ability to fly in Draenor and that’s kind of where we’re at going forward.” He admits that Blizzard is considering opening mounted flight to certain areas in future expansions.
Even if they open up mounted flight to special sections in expansions after Warlords of Draenor there isn’t much hope that it will ever return as a main feature of the game. That isn’t sitting well with Warcraft fans, 24 hours after the interview went live the World of Warcraft forums were flooded with responses. 288 pages of complaint threads popped up with fans letting their frustrations loose and some fans are even cancelling their subscriptions.
All of the anger is understandable if you are a long time player, mounted flight has been part of World of Warcraft for 8 of the 10 years its been out. Collecting the rarest flying mounts and being able to see huge areas of the game from the sky is a longstanding part of the MMO. Now all of those flying mounts have been grounded and lost their biggest advantage and that isn’t going to help World of Warcraft’s subscriber base flourish.
Source: Polygon
Helldivers 2 proved to be a surprising success, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the gaming industry. As per Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, it currently ranks as Sony’s seventh highest grossing game in the United States to date, trailing behind a trio of Spider-Man titles, a couple of God of War games, and Ghost of Tsushima. It’s only been on the market for less than three months and is not even being sold at full price.
According to Piscatella, a significant factor contributing to the game’s success is its release on PC. He mentioned that, based on Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, the game has consistently ranked first in terms of active users on Steam in the US since its launch, including April. The release of Helldivers 2 on both PlayStation and PC has been an extraordinary triumph.
He stated that Helldivers 2 has already become the seventh highest-grossing Sony-published game in history. Without a PC, it would not currently be considered one of the top 20 games. While I’m emphasizing the success of the PC SKU, it’s important to note that I’m not disregarding the success of the PlayStation SKU. I just wanted to clarify that. This launch has proven to be incredibly successful.
Prior to the release of Helldivers 2, Sony made it clear that they would be launching their live service-style titles simultaneously on both the PS5 and PC. The success of this approach will undoubtedly strengthen their strategic vision. It will be intriguing to witness if the company reveals official sales figures in the near future, as the title appears to be one of the platform holder’s most successful sellers to date.
Gaming
The developer of Stellar Blade for the PS5 Expressing gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support amidst a recent controversy surrounding censorship
Shift Up, the Korean developer, seems to be reconsidering its contentious alterations to the Stellar Blade outfit. In a message to fans, they have urged everyone to stay tuned for updates and expressed gratitude for the passionate feedback from players. For those who may not be aware, a petition gained significant attention over the weekend when gamers discovered changes made to a few of the game’s costumes through a day-one patch.
The launch day update includes a fantastic New Game + mode, but some players were disappointed by the changes made to protagonist Eve’s outfit. These alterations sparked debates about censorship. Director Hyung-Tae Kim later clarified that this was the studio’s original vision, but he acknowledged that it may require further persuasion to win over users. Internal discussions were also underway to address any concerns.
Thanks to all our Stellar Blade fans for your passion & feedback. Stay tuned for updates🤍 pic.twitter.com/jCRzM4OQBS
— StellarBlade (@StellarBlade) May 1, 2024
There is no definitive confirmation regarding the reversal of the outfits, but considering the language used in the statement and the widespread controversy surrounding the alterations, it is highly likely that a future patch will restore the original costumes. If you want to get a sneak peek at all of Eve’s different outfits and learn how to unlock them, be sure to take a look at our comprehensive guide, All Outfits and How to Get Them.
It’s quite possible. Fans all over the world are interested in Shift Up’s highly anticipated action-adventure game, Stellar Blade. With its captivating post-apocalyptic setting reminiscent of Nier and a compelling protagonist named Eve, it’s no wonder the game has generated such widespread attention.
The game consistently impresses with its stunning visuals and high-octane action, leaving players in awe with each new trailer.
Yet, just like other noteworthy second-party and third-party game releases, fans are pondering: Will Stellar Blade be available on PC?
In this article, we delve into the details to determine the platform availability of the highly anticipated title.
Will Stellar Blade be available on PC? Allow me to provide you with the answer.
Unfortunately, Stellar Blade will not be available on PC, at least not initially. Currently, the game is only available on PlayStation 5 starting on April 26, 2024.
Regrettably, it appears that there is no indication of a potential PC release for Stellar Blade in the future. In most cases, trailers for PlayStation timed-exclusive titles conclude with a disclaimer that specifies the duration of their exclusivity.
In the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launch trailer, it is explicitly stated that the game will only be accessible on other platforms starting on May 29, 2024.
Regrettably, when it comes to the stellar blade, there is no indication of such.
It’s important to note that Sony Entertainment Interactive published Stellar Blade, unlike Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This means that the chances of it being released on PC or other platforms in the near future are even slimmer.
However, it is worth noting that there is a chance the game might be released on PC in the future, given PlayStation’s track record of bringing their exclusive titles to the platform. However, it could be a while before this comes to fruition.
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