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World of Warcraft Lead Designer Confirms No Flying Mounts in Warlords of Draenor

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9 years ago

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Blizzard lead designer says that mounted flight won't appear in Warlord's 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

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Just like most other people are here, Ryan is very passionate about gaming and technology. When he's not writing about video games, you'll likely find him talking about the latest gadgets.

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Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount

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12 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.

As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.

The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.

The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.

What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Helldivers 2 Players Face Overwhelming Hordes of Factory Striders

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2 days ago

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April 18, 2024

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In the ongoing conflict against the Automaton invasion fleet, the Helldivers 2 players have successfully halted their advance. However, the situation has now reached a tiresome stalemate. Yet again, the machines refuse to take a break from their relentless pursuit of progress, with reports emerging of the Factory Striders being deployed in record-breaking quantities.

There have been reports of alleged machines that were supposedly encountered during Operation Swift Disassembly, which was just the beginning of a larger campaign. However, these accounts should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are unverified and seem to be more on the imaginative side. Factory Striders have gained a reputation as formidable weapons platforms that can produce more Automatons while enduring significant damage. If the machines are able to withstand such a relentless assault, it will be necessary to develop innovative strategies.

Have you come across groups of Factory Striders in Helldivers 2? Which strategies are proving to be the most effective in taking down these armored brutes? The Orbital Railcannon Strike will prove to be a valuable asset in the comments section below.

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Todd Howard affirms that the timeline of the Fallout series is coherent and well-constructed

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2 days ago

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April 18, 2024

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The recent release of Amazon’s adaptation of Fallout has ignited a renewed interest in the series and brought attention to the captivating alternate history that forms its foundation. Fans have expressed concern that the TV show’s events might be at odds with the plot of the Obsidian Entertainment video game New Vegas. Warning: Spoilers ahead for New Vegas and Amazon’s show!

Bethesda Game Studios director Todd Howard and Fallout TV executive producer Jonathan Nolan recently sat down with IGN to discuss the timeline. Howard was taken aback when showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet presented him with the surprising concept of obliterating Shady Sands, the bustling capital of the New California Republic, in the aftermath of the events in New Vegas. Howard eventually warmed up to the idea: “After discussing it, we realized that this could be a significant story moment that many things hinge upon.”

It seems that they had to make some tough decisions to ensure everything fell into place, but Howard emphasizes the importance of preserving the integrity of the Fallout timeline: “We take great care with the timeline. There seems to be some confusion in certain areas. However, all the events from the previous games, including New Vegas, did occur. We take great caution in that matter. We’re really pushing the limits here, but the explosions occur right after the events of New Vegas.

What are your thoughts on this? Is it up to par? Even though it may not have a significant impact on the overall quality of the games or show, it is comforting to know that those in charge are paying attention. We value your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

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