Manor Lords brings its in-depth medieval city-building to early access in just two days, so publisher Hooded Horse took the time to explain why it hasn’t announced pricing information yet.
While many players would’ve expected to see some sort of update by now, it’s still not clear how much Manor Lords will actually cost to purchase. Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender explained why fans have been left waiting in a Reddit post. He explains that the issue is a matter of managing expectations.
“Manor Lords, like all other games on Steam, will not have one price,” he says. “It will have regional prices that distribute across the world. These aren’t just different currencies — there are large regions of the world where Steam uses US Dollar pricing but in a different way.”
He continues: “For example, parts of Southeast Asia, many CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) regions, Turkey, many Middle Eastern countries, Argentina, many South American countries…all have prices in US Dollars but different from that of the US in order to provide some help for local customers be able to afford the game given the prices and wages in their country (though inflation is making that more and more difficult when local currency cannot be used).”
Hooded Horse says these examples are why it wants to stray from announcing price before launch arrives. If the US price were to be announced before Manor Lords launches, players in other territories may fear that they won’t be able to afford it. The company worries that too many potential buyers would “lose hope and feel the game won’t be affordable in their country” even if it was to attach disclaimers to a price announcement.
However, this is only one of a few major concerns Hooded Horse has tied to pre-release price announcements. Bender also references the company’s fear of scammers that may try to take advantage of excited fans who want to pre-order Manor Lords.
“They don’t have any keys, and they aren’t going to be getting any from us,” he says. “But they are attempting to capitalize on the hype, and, despite our stance that we are NOT doing pre-orders because we don’t want to take your money until after release, they are claiming to take pre-orders for key sales. They have no idea what the price will be, so they are taking their wild guesses and probably figuring they can get a key through some questionable means later (or just leave the customer not getting what they paid for if not perhaps). We don’t want players to get scammed or cheated by such sites, and giving them a definite price to plan around would probably just increase their proliferation and marketing of these ‘pre-orders’.”
Hooded Horse doesn’t want Manor Lords players worried about what the price will be, as the post explains that it has “never done AAA pricing on a game” and has no plans to start. Furthermore, Bender reminds that, in the past, it has offered launch discounts that range from 10-25% for the first few weeks.
“We’re not trying to squeeze every last dollar out of people, we won’t be putting up 5 editions with a spreadsheet needed to understand them or locking up content into Day 1 DLC or any of that crap,” Bender adds. “There’s going to be a fair price there at launch with a fair discount.”
Manor Lords is Slavic Magic’s highly-anticipated medieval city management game. Despite what many had started to believe, it’s not an RPG or a Total War competitor but instead a grounded city-building strategy experience that aims to give fans an immersive world to play in. We reviewed the early access build and gave it a 7/10, saying, “Manor Lords is a gorgeous medieval city-builder that kept me occupied for hours building my perfect, cozy hamlets, but it definitely feels very early in its Early Access development.”
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
Amazon is offering an excellent deal on this Arzopa 15″ 1080p USB Type-C portable monitor. It’s normally $129.99, but Amazon Prime members can get it right now for $60.79 shipped after a 20% off clippable coupon. That’s the best price we’ve ever seen for this particular model, and the lowest price compared to other legit 15″ USB Type-C monitors on Amazon. This is a great portable display for your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or ASUS ROG Ally gaming handheld.
Note: You will need to be logged into your Amazon Prime account to see these prices.
Arzopa S1 15″ 1080p USB-C Portable Monitor for $60.79
Amazon Prime member exclusive
This 15″ 1080p monitor works as a secondary display for your laptop, tablet, phone, gaming console, or pretty much any device that has either a USB or HDMI output. If your device has a USB Type-C output with Power Delivery, than you may only need a single USB Type-C cable (included) for both power and data. If your USB Type-C output doesn’t support Power Delivery, then a USB Type-A to Type-C cable is also included for additional power. If your don’t have a USB Type-C port at all, an HDMI cable is included, however you will need to supply your own USB wall charger to provide power to the display.
The monitor is designed to be portable. It weighs only 1.3 pounds and measures 0.3″ thin. It sports a sturdy metal frame and even includes a smart cover that doubles as a stand. The 15″ display boasts a 1920×1080 resolution with 60Hz refresh rate, an IPS panel that offers respectable viewing angles and color gamut, and an anti-glare matte surface. It even has built in speakers.
Because this monitor can connect via USB or HDMI, it supports a lot more devices than your typical monitor. You won’t need to install any app or drivers, either. It’s definitely worth the price if you want an inexpensive second screen to boost your productivity without weighing you down.
Upgrade to the Arzopa Z1FC 16″ 144Hz Monitor for $99.99
Amazon Prime member exclusive
The higher end Arzopa Z1FC is also on sale at Amazon. It’s normally $169.99 but a $50 clippable coupon drops the price to only $119.992. The Z1FC’s upgrades include a larger display (16.1″ vs 15.6″), a higher refresh rate (144Hz vs 60Hz), and a 100% sRGB color gamut. The larger display and better color reproduction makes it a nice upgrade for Switch and Steam Deck gamers, however because the Z1 uses a bit more power than the S1, you’ll need to keep the Z1 plugged into a wall charger since neither gaming system can power the monitor by itself. This monitor is a perfect complement for PC and laptop gamers who will be able to take advantage of the 144Hz refresh rate. I have this monitor and can confirm that the image quality is great. It’s also extremely thin and lightweight, with a nice solid metal chassis. The little flip out stand works well and retracts out of the way when not in use.
An Excellent Portable Monitor for Your Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck Gaming Console
This monitor works quite well with both the Steam Deck or Switch consoles. I’d recommend using the wall charger to power the monitor, otherwise you’ll be draining the gaming system pretty quickly (you can use the one provided with your Steam Deck or Switch console). The 1080p and 60Hz specs on the monitor is more than good enough, since neither the Switch nor the Steam Deck supports refresh rates higher than 60Hz. If you’re looking for other USB monitor options, check out our picks for the best portable monitors of 2024.
Looking for more deals of Switch and Steam Deck accessories?
Today we’re looking at Stellar Blade, the new PS5-exclusive action-adventure game from Korean studio Shift Up. Starting at the main menu we have three modes, and from a player perspective, they are nigh on perfect. Each does what it states: Resolution mode focuses on the highest pixel counts, Performance mode targets the smoothest and highest performance, while the best, and default, is the Balanced mode that aims to provide the best compromise of both.
The differences are small – in side-by-side comparisons, the only changes I noticed are that depth of field and screen space reflections are of a slighter lower quality in Performance mode, with the focal depth being shallower in Balanced and Resolution mode. Additionally, the hair quality of the main character Eve, as well as other characters, is also reduced, specifically in real-time cinematics, as you move from Resolution mode down to Balanced and then Performance. Aside from this, the biggest changes are frame time, resolution, and thus texture sampling. Resolution mode is capped at 30fps and appears to target a full 3840×2160 with dynamic resolution scaling (DRS) possible but not necessary. Performance runs at 60fps targeting 2560×1440, and again DRS is possible but no counts were found below this. Both modes use a spatial upscale, which could be Unreal Engine’s own TAAu spatial pass or AMD’s FSR1. This results in some instability in the image on thin elements and oblique textures to the camera.
The best image stability comes from Balanced mode.
Surprising for some, the best image stability comes from Balanced mode, which also targets 60fps and a 3840×2160 ceiling. It uses a temporal reconstruction pass which may be Unreal’s own TAAu solution or FSR2. This looks to be dynamic, or at least, reconstructed from a 2880×1620 to 1920×1080 base, which again demonstrates why pixel counts are not that important. You can see in the video that thin edges, specular highlights, light sources, volumetrics, and certainly hair is far more dithered, noisy and unstable in Performance mode, and even Resolution mode, as compared to Balanced mode. This does come at the cost of the required pixel blends that soften high-frequency details in textures and such, but here the trade off is worth it – in normal play, this mode looks close enough to Resolution mode at a higher framerate to not be worth the cost of dropping to 30fps. This is due to Resolution mode having great per-object motion blur, but the fast locomotion and action, along with input latency impact, can take a while to acclimatise to. Due to the game’s reliance on fast timing-based combat, this is a high cost, for me, over the small image reduction balanced costs.
Performance Modes Compared
When it comes to performance, as I stated, these modes are nigh on perfect. The Resolution mode is, from all my tests and almost completing the entire game, a fully locked and perfectly paced 30fps. Running through the world, climbing buildings, or fighting hulking genetic monsters, the game holds a flat line on the required 33ms and thus 30fps readout. Likewise, the Performance mode runs an equally locked 16ms frame time target giving us a locked 60fps. From my long sessions of play and testing, I could not find any areas that cause a deviation from that target at all. Even if they did, it would likely be single frame dips into 33ms, but this never happened in my performance captures.
Balanced is the only mode that can fall below the designed 60fps rate, with it often hovering into the mid 50s during play. Vitally, it always keeps within the next refresh cycle of 33ms when it does, giving us a small but noticeable level of micro judder during exploring and combat. The worst case was the high 40s when heavy alpha and particle effects had filled the screen, hammering bandwidth and fill rate, but these instances are very brief. Anyone with a variable refresh rate (VRR) monitor or TV will have a much smoother time as the game is often just shy of the 16ms frametime required. The PS5 supports a 48-120Hz range in its VRR mode, and these dips often fall within a 20-25ms frametime, making them end up feeling as smooth as the Performance mode, but with better image quality and the best input latency, which is vital for cutting through the trouble in style.
Size and Scale
Stellar Blade is big in all aspects: large levels, a vast cast of characters, and tons of enemies, locales, and hulking bosses with which to do battle. What starts as a linear combat/exploration game opens up and out significantly, and as you continue through this derelict and desolate world you see a wide variety of beauty. From the sun bleached beach of the start through crumbling Greek-like cities, underwater tunnels, lush green outskirts, and the dense town of Xion, you will see some gorgeous sights throughout your playtime.
Powered with Epic’s Unreal Engine 4, it is an impressive looking game with strong visuals, lighting, and cinematography. Character models are a highlight, with Eve herself being front and center, with soft and fleshy skin tones and long, physics-based hair – a key character trait which folds, self collides and moves with grace with Eve’s motion. Animations are fast and fluid, and expand with a wide variety of moves, weapons, skills and outfits. All characters have an equally high-construction quality, with soft sub-surface scattering on skin, deep parallax eyes, and a good balance of polygon count bolstered with texture and normal map details. A big reason for the human-like quality is that many of the characters are based on digital scans of real people, which alongside the brilliant physically-based lighting and material systems provides a borderline photorealistic look – but with just enough artistic change and ethereal design to never stray into the uncanny valley.
The Naytiba enemies are equally lavished with effort and style, with general cannon fodder having a mutated but organic style. You have spider-like robots, mutant hermit crabs, horse-meets-hammerheads, and giant pyramid head fleshy bosses galore. The animation and fluidity of all the enemies is a big reason why things often look the best during gameplay. As you slash, flip, slide, and topple colossi throughout the game, everything feels as alive and physical as you do.
Adding to this is the brilliant use of lights, shadows, alpha, and particle effects. Whenever you block an attack, slice into an enemy, or teleport behind a beasty, you are greeted with GPU-accelerated particles, via splatters across the floor and even yourself. Enemies can also dish out the effects with liquid projectiles flying across the screen, splatting and spreading on the floor or clouding the air with a poisonous haze temporally.
Underwater the sense of depth and light propagation is very good, with a clear split of above and below the sealine helping make these sections atmospheric. The use of post effects is again central to the look and feel, and a high quality per-pixel motion blur is included, which works well across the three modes. High quality sprite-sampled bokeh depth of field is used during gameplay and the real time cinematics. This aids the high CGI quality these sections have, making them look close to offline renders at times due to the composition and consistency. They are also used to focus your gaze on important areas or frame the shot as per standard cinematography ques, and though some of these are longer than I personally liked, it helps drive the story and character development well – in between all the butt kicking.
That said, not everything is roses in this garden, as the scale of the game and high quality it achieves can be contrasted by some weaker aspects. Textures, as a whole, are good but not great, with some lower-quality mips used on incidental objects and walls, causing them to lack much detail. Colour schemes can be a little too beige in some of the city sections, and the dreaded yellow painter man has run ahead of you to clearly mark the path forward. Although I understand the benefits this offers, it does, in my opinion, become redundant on the exploration aspect to have these yellow breadcrumbs rather than using light, design and architecture to draw you through. The issue is not exclusive to this game, but I must say it felt at odds with Stellar Blade’s otherwise focused art design.
Animation of characters outside of action can be a little wooden and, ironically, robotic, with some sections having very stiff movement and limited facial expressions, which can vary from great to ok depending on the scene. Sound is also very good, but the voice acting on some scenes and over reliance on the same combat sound bites of Eve can become repetitive a few hours in. More variety here would go a long way. Polygon counts can also be low with some signs of the old, cross-generation base the game started with. Similarly, some sections of volumetric light and water surface effects are not always up to the same high standard. Most of these are small complaints though, and they do not distract from a vast, enjoyable, skill-based and above all, gorgeous-looking game that delivers on its aims.
Summary
For a brand new studio, Shift Up has certainly lived up to its name. The quality, variety, scope, and size on offer is exemplary for such a small studio. It has grasped and overcome the challenges of Unreal Engine and not fallen afoul of any of the common streaming stutter or performance hiccups that can blight other teams. The choice of performance modes is commendable, with options available for those who prefer a locked 30 or 60 fps, as well as a balance for those that want the apple and the branch along with it. As a PS5 exclusive it will likely be a game that has legs far beyond the final credits, offering up a visual and gameplay experience that is quite welcome in the gaming garden.
There are some amazing PS5 deals to check out right now, including a selection of PlayStation games that have dropped to just $20 at Walmart. Not only that, but the PlayStation Portal, a surprise hit, and Sony’s newest handheld gaming accessory, is back in stock at Best Buy (for now). It’s sold out everywhere else — so if you want one, you’d better grab it quick, as it’s not likely to stay in stock for long. Below, you can also find other deals on everything from consoles to SSDs and even information on where to buy a PS5 now.
While the God of War deal works out at $30 for PS5 (after the $10 digital upgrade from PS4), it’s still $10 cheaper via this deal compared to any other retailer currently, and a massive $40 off the MSRP. In any case, you’re still securing the best possible price for God of War Ragnarok on PS5.
$20 games is a huge deal, with the only issue being that Walmart offers free delivery for baskets of $35 or more. But, we can assist there as well. If you sign up for a Walmart+ account with a 30-day free trial, you can get free fast delivery (alongside a slew of other benefits right now like three months of YouTube Premium for free). Otherwise, you can also check to see if your local store has stock, and pick it up from there instead.
Score a Spider-Man 2 PS5 Slim Bundle for $449 (20% Off MSRP)
This deal has been one of our favorites for quite a while (since last year’s Black Friday, actually!) and it’s been selling out at a variety of retailers. Thankfully, Walmart and Best Buy still have some stock, so if you’ve been hoping to grab one of these PS5 Slim bundles, now’s your chance to do so. Who knows how long it’ll stick around for, so act fast! Normally, it retails for $559.99, but it’s been marked down to $449 for a while now which is an excellent deal.
WD_BLACK PS5 4TB SSD for $303.64 at Amazon
Looking to completely maximize your PS5 storage capabilities? Then this is the deal for you. For a limited time only, this PS5 4TB SSD is available at Amazon for just $303.64 (see here). It has an MSRP of $699.99 which is rather dramatic, but in reality, this and many other 4TB SSDs have been sitting around $280-$300 recently.
Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we’ll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don’t, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $9) and install it yourself. You can also check out the best PS5 2TB SSD deals here, or see more of our favorite deals below.
Best PS5 Headset Deals: 20% Off the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro & More Headset Deals
There’s no shortage of PS5-compatible headsets. If you’re constantly having to turn down the volume when you play, you might want to pick up one of these, then you can listen to your games as loud as you darn well please. And if you’d like to see even more options that are worth buying, check out our collection of thebest gaming headsets.
It doesn’t need to have a massive discount to be a good deal, so we thought it would be a great idea to pick out our absolute favorite PS5 and PlayStation offerings that would be relevant to buy no matter the time of year, or the sales going on. From the latest DualSense controllers, to the very best PS5 SSDs on the market, we’ve got it all right here.
Generally, the best time to buy a PS5 console is during major yearly shopping events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the various Amazon Prime Day sales. Although PlayStation consoles rarely go on sale, you can often scoop up limited-time bundles that include additional an additional game or two, and more.
How to Trade in Your Old PlayStation Consoles
If you’re looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.
Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.
While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you’ll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction, the latter of which poses its own risks.
With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as Switch and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
The Fallout TV series is now available on Amazon Prime Video, and that means there’s never been a better time in recent memory to jump back onto the Fallout hype train in full force (When is Fallout 5, Bethesda?) We gave the new TV series an ‘Amazing’ 9 in our review, so it’s worth checking out. Gaming-wise, we’ll have to satiate our Fallout appetites with a hat full of excellent other classics to play, including an excellent deal on seven Fallout games for just $22.49. Check out all the best Fallout deals we’ve found just below.
Best Fallout Deal: Buy Seven Fallout Games for Just $22.49
Right now at Fanatical, you can score seven Fallout games on PC for just $22.49 with code OMEN10, which includes Fallout Classic Collection (Fallout, Fallout Tactics, Fallout 2), Fallout 3 GOTY Edition, Fallout New Vegas Ultimate Edition, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 (all Steam codes).
This is one of the best PC video game deals around right now – and the cheapest way to own Fallout 4 Game of the Year Edition on PC at the time of writing (listed at $39.99 on Steam). If you’re looking to play Fallout 4 again ready for the ‘next-gen’ update on April 25, this deal should certainly be on your radar.
Plus, you’re also getting the expansions for Fallout 3 and New Vegas with their respective complete editions, so this is a bundle all Fallout fans should be considering, it’s a real bargain for new and returning fans.
Fallout AriZona Energy Drink is Back In Stock at Amazon
Consider checking out the Fallout-themed AriZona x Fallout Green Tea Energy Drink set for $36 on Amazon — which is also now back in stock and available to order at the time of writing. This box of AriZona features three flavors in a handy 12-pack (22oz), four per flavor: Georgia Peach, Pomegranate, and Red Apple Green Tea Energy Drinks.
PSA: Fallout 76 is FREE to Download for Prime Members (Now Live)
Make sure you’ve got that Amazon Prime membership ready (otherwise there’s a free 30-day trial here as well). Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel is currently available no cost for those who are already Amazon Prime members. It’s well worth taking advantage of if you’ve already got most of the other games, or you just want to check out one of the classic games in the series. Fallout 76 is also now free to download for PC (Windows) and Xbox, which means you can check out the game and all its free add-ons at no charge. For a more complete set of the games on Steam, consider the next deal.
Best Fallout 4 Deals Right Now
While some of these aren’t as cheap as the game has been in recent weeks (Fallout 4 was $5 during the Steam FPS sale), it’s worth having an idea of the best prices at the moment in case a better deal does come along and you can act swiftly in order to secure it. Plus, Fallout 4 is also available on PS Plus Extra or Game Pass, so if you have either of those subscriptions the game is available to play at no extra cost.
Fallout Merch via IGN Store: Sign Up for Email and Save 10%
Finally, IGN has a few exclusive deals that you don’t want to miss. Right now, you can get 10% off the limited edition Fallout Official Vault 33 Hoodie Orientation Kit, which includes the Vault 33 Hoodie, Pinfinity AR Pin, and a Certificate of Authenticity. All you need to do is sign up for the IGN Store marketing emails, and your free discount code will be ready in no time.
Fallout-Themed Cookbook Is Down to $21.99 at Amazon
Ever wondered what is would be like to rustle up a couple of nuka-burgers would be like? Well, now you can. The Official Fallout Cookbook is currently down to just $21.99 at Amazon, a tremendous deal and well worth considering for any Fallout enthusiasts as a gift, or for your next Fallout-themed party.
The Art of Fallout 4 is Down to $40.94 at Amazon
Fallout Anthology Edition with Mini Nuke (Out of Stock)
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
The 3D platformer Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is set to release for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch sometime in 2024. The game follows Mickey Mouse through the world of old Disney characters called Wasteland. You’ll meet creatures such as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who is Walt Disney’s first creation, and experience different levels—all with the help of your magic brush. Paint creates the setting, while thinner changes the world. It’s up for preorder now at all the usual retailers, so read on for the details.
The standard version retails at $59.99 and is scheduled to be released by the end of this year.
What is Epic Mickey: Rebrushed?
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a dedication to Walt Disney and his legacy. It takes you through the magical world of Wasteland, filled with forgotten Disney characters. You’ll see advanced movements from Mickey, such as sprinting, dashing, and ground pounding. Every choice you make will result in Wasteland’s destiny towards restored peace and beauty.
Helldivers 2’s current Major Order to successfully defend 10 planets across Terminid and Automaton space has put Hellmire in the firing line once again, and it looks like players would really rather not have to deal with it.
For the uninitiated, Arrowhead’s explosive third-person co-op shooter tasks the Helldivers 2 community with completing various challenges as part of the ongoing Galactic War, a meta narrative driven by Game Master Joel.
Amid this latest Major Order, which looks increasingly likely to fail, players are faced with dropping onto perhaps the most-hated planet in the game right now: the appropriately named Hellmire.
Hellmire suffers from a near-constant cycle of fires, which cause players a number of problems, not least because fire damage is currently doing an extreme amount of damage to friend and foe alike. Arrowhead has admitted fire damage is “ridiculous” and confirmed a complete overhaul is in the works, but for now, Hellmire is lethal just to be on, let alone deal with the Terminids, too.
The hate for Hellmire has become so extreme that some players are even suggesting it makes no in-universe sense for either the Terminds or the forces of Super Earth to want to claim the planet, given the rampant fire tornados. Redditor Elgescher adds that players may have Hellmire fatigue, given this is the latest in a string of liberations on the planet. “I’m done with this planet,” they said, “can’t we just blow it up already?”
Helldivers 2 displays active player numbers on a per planet basis, and it’s true that Hellmire has one of the lower player counts, but it’s not alone in that. It seems the more easy-going Estanu is currently attracting more players than any other planet.
The issue around Hellmire taps into an emerging push and pull between Helldivers 2’s Galactic War-focused hardcore community, and casual players who like to play on planets and against enemies they enjoy and little else. Arrowhead itself has said it can only do so much to help the core community complete Major Orders that require a coordinated effort. Sometimes, the community will fail.
And it looks like that’s going to happen again with this latest Major Order, although, ultimately, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, those medals will be lost, but lost planets will become playable again as part of a future Major Order. And let’s remember, the Major Order that proceeded this defense mission was an absolute blast.
If you’re looking for more on Helldivers 2, check out IGN’s feature on the Let Me Solo Her of Helldivers 2, a player who has answered over 100 SOS Beacons as part of a mission to help others.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Elite Dangerous developer Frontier has announced a significant change to the near decade-old space sim: the sale of ships for real money.
In a post on the Elite Dangerous website, Frontier said it will sell three months of early access to the Python Mk II ship from May 7 for 16,250 ARX, the game’s premium virtual currency. 16,800 ARX costs $12.99 from the store. Owners of the Odyssey expansion can buy the ship from August 7 for credits, Elite’s non-premium virtual currency. Those who do not own Odyssey can only access ship variants from the store for ARX.
Frontier is also selling Pre-Built Ship packages, which include ships that have been upgraded from their base models. “We envision these Pre-built Ships to be a quicker way for newer players to get involved in the areas they have the most interest in, or for our existing players who are considering a new career path in game, but do not have time to devote to a new build from scratch,” Frontier said. A Pre-Built Ship package includes instant-access to a pre-fitted ship, a ship kit, and a paintjob — essentially skipping the grind associated with upgrading ships.
It’s safe to say this announcement has infuriated veteran players of Elite Dangerous, some of whom have accused Frontier of going down the Star Citizen route in its bid to generate revenue from the long-running space game. While players will continue to be able to earn ARX in-game by playing Elite Dangerous daily, or by contributing to events in-game, the fact you can buy the currency with real-world money and spend it on early access to new ships has sparked pay-to-win accusations.
“And with a single article about literal p2w ships you have now officially lost all trust,” said redditor Xay_DE. “It’s ridiculous enough that you have to pay IRL money to do any sort of ship customization in a game you have to pay money for, but adding paid-for ships, once again in a game you have to pay for, is unacceptable,” said Endulos.
“And with a single article about literal p2w ships you have now officially lost all trust.
Some players are now pointing to a 2019 statement in which Frontier said “ARX can only be used to buy cosmetic Game Extras and will not be used to introduce and acquire pay-to-win purchases.” It seems likely that Frontier would dispute the pay-to-win accusations, pointing to the fact ARX can be obtained through gameplay, as so many developers of games with similar systems often do. Countering this, some players are insisting any advantage, including time saved, should be considered pay-to-win.
Countering the doom and gloom, Frontier said sales of its games since January have been “in-line with expectations”, with Jurassic World Evolution 2 and Planet Zoo leading the charge. The recent console release of Planet Zoo saw “strong player engagement”, with total sales up to and including the day of release greater than the sales achieved by Planet Coaster when that game came out on consoles in November 2020.
In a previous update, Frontier said it was refocusing on creative management simulation games (CMS). With this in mind, Frontier has confirmed three future CMS games, with one releasing in each of the next three financial years. Alongside this it will continue to develop and support its existing portfolio of games, including Elite Dangerous, F1 Manager, and Realms of Ruin.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The ongoing success of the Fallout TV show has fuelled renewed interest in the Fallout games ever since it hit Prime Video, and now Bethesda has confirmed just how big an impact it’s made.
In a series of social media posts, Bethesda said almost five million jumped in across all Fallout games in just a single day. That includes the likes of the original, Interplay-published Fallout games, Bethesda’s Fallout 3, 4, and 76, Obsidian’s Fallout: New Vegas, and mobile game Fallout Shelter. Bethesda also singled out Fallout 76, its most recent mainline Fallout game, which saw over one million people play in a single day.
…and almost five million across all Fallout games in a single day!⚡
While Microsoft, Sony, and mobile platforms fail to disclose player numbers, we had a good idea of how well the Fallout games were doing post-show via Steam, which makes concurrent player numbers publicly available. All Fallout games on Valve’s platform enjoyed a boost, with Fallout 4 seeing the most number of players followed by the multiplayer-focused Fallout 76, then New Vegas. Data trackers have said Fallout Shelter has seen a revenue boost, too. Fallout games are so popular right now that even Nexus Mods is struggling to cope.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is riddled with issues on Nintendo Switch but developer Rabbit & Bear has said it’s aware of the problems and addressing them as a “maximum priority.”
Following the game’s launch on April 23, 2024, players complained of myrid bugs and performance issues in the Switch version of Hundred Heroes including a major progression glitch that stopped a key character being recruited.
Rabbit & Bear has said its day-one patch for the single-player role-playing game has addressed several problems, but the recruitment bug is still present. This, alongside another progression bug that blocks entry into War Mode, will be fixed in the upcoming Version 1.0.4 patch. Rabbit & Bear said this update is “nearing completion”, but failed to announce a release date.
“We are aware of issues surrounding the current version of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on the Nintendo Switch and we’re addressing them as a maximum priority,” the developer said. “We are diligently researching technical improvements for Switch performance issues, aiming to release this patch at the earliest possible opportunity.”
The day one patch, Version 1.0.3, addresses progression issues, graphic display glitches, game balance adjustments, refinement of localised text, backer content, game system bugs, optimisation issues, and poor stability according to Rabbit & Bear.
Eiyuden Chronicle is the spiritual successor to Suikoden, one of the most beloved role-playing game series of all time, originally releasing in 1995 for the PlayStation. A smaller entry called Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was released in 2022 as the first in the franchise and a pseudo prequel to Hundred Heroes.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
