Like the first Destiny (and many other games for that matter), the newly released sequel Destiny 2 lets you spend real money on a currency system called Silver. This takes place in Destiny 2’s Eververse Trading Company store, which becomes accessible at Level 20. The character Tess Everis operates the store again, and here is a breakdown of the cost.
Destiny 2 Microtransaction Pricing:
500 Silver — $5
1110 Silver — $10
2300 Silver — $20
5800 Silver — $50
Everis sells Bright Engrams, which are sort of like loot boxes from Overwatch. It works out to 200 Silver for one, three for 500, and five for 800. Decode them and you’ll earn special rewards like Exotic weapon ornaments, a Sparrow, emotes, or something else. As Polygon explains, there is a chance you could get an elemental weapon mod, which can affect gameplay and may be controversial because of that. Weapon stats can be “slightly” enhanced with these mods, and there are also armor mods and one for subclass abilities to make them regenerate faster.
Additionally, you can buy Destiny 2 emotes with Silver–and there are some cool-looking ones. For example, Spicy Ramen shows your character cooking and consumer spicy ramen while Flip Out displays your Guardian flipping a table over. There are also shaders, which has caused some anger among fans. Check out this video from YouTube’s DestinyOverwatch to see all the Eververse items you can buy now.
Today during the Nintendo Direct briefing, Nintendo announced a new color scheme for the New 2DS XL. The new color is orange and white, and it looks really nice. This is the new-model 2DS, not the original version.
Already available in Australia and New Zealand, the new color will be available to buy in North America on October 6. It’ll cost $150.
There were a lot of Good Tweets™ on the subject, and we’re collecting some of the silliest ones we’ve seen in this post because we need to preserve this moment in gaming history. But before we get started, you should know that the @ShirtlessMario Twitter handle is already taken. Sorry about that (it wasn’t me; or was it? It wasn’t). And yep, there is already a meme template on KnowYourMeme for Shirtless Mario.
Obviously what the internet ran with was the fact that we saw Mario’s nipples. We didn’t doubt he had them, but now we’ve seen them. What we didn’t learn is if Mario has an innie or an outie belly button, or if he has one at all, because he pulls his swim trunks up so high. What’s up with that?
Whatever the case, below you can see some silly reactions to shirtless Mario. Super Mario Odyssey, which looks really good, launches on October 27 for Nintendo Switch.
Upon further inspection, Mario has been shirtless before…but DIDN’T HAVE NIPPLES. He GREW nipples for Odyssey. Story of the CENTURY. pic.twitter.com/V0luiEUYxC
Blizzard has posted the newest “Developer Update” video for Overwatch, and this one is not like the rest. In this video, titled “Play Nice, Play Fair,” game director Jeff Kaplan talks extensively about Blizzard’s reaction to the “rising tide of toxicity or bad behaviour in the game” and what the studio is doing to help make Overwatch a more welcoming place.
Starting off, Kaplan pointed out that the player-reporting tools that were already available on PC are now on console. The tools are not perfect, he acknowledged, but it’s a first step. Kaplan also spoke more broadly about poor behaviour in Overwatch, saying Blizzard has taken action against more than 480,000 accounts since the game launched in May 2016. 340,000 of those were a direct result of the player-reporting system, Kaplan said.
Whatever Blizzard does to improve the experience, there will never be a magic fix for bad behaviour. “There is not going to be a moment where we have a magic patch in Overwatch that makes bad behaviour go away,” Kaplan explained. “But it is a continual process that we are very dedicated to fixing and improving.”
Kaplan added that Blizzard doesn’t plan to create “naughty pools” as some games do, where offending players aren’t banned altogether but put in a pool with other jerks.
“Our highest level philosophy is, ‘If you are a bad person doing bad things in Overwatch, we don’t want you in Overwatch,” he said. “Overwatch should be an inclusive game space.”
Generally speaking, Kaplan said he thinks the toxicity problem is worse in video games because there is an element of anonymity when you’re sitting behind a keyboard or holding a controller in some far-away room than where your teammates or foes are. He gave the example of if you were driving in your car and someone cut you off, you might curse them out. But if you actually met them and had an issue face-to-face, you might not be so aggressive or mean.
While Blizzard will take steps to stem the tide of toxicity in Overwatch, Kaplan stressed that players, too, must “take a deep look inward” and think about if they could be nicer. He also pointed out that creating systems in Overwatch that combat toxicity takes time away from actual game development. So if you want Blizzard to release more new features/maps/characters/whatever and faster, stop being a jerk, basically.
“The bad behaviour not just ruining the experience for one another, but the bad behaviour is actually making the game progress in terms of development at a much slower rate,” Kaplan said, acknowledging that he, too, has been guilty of being mean to people online.
How do you feel about the level of toxicity and bad behaviour in Overwatch? Let us know in the comments below!
Just hours after going live, Destiny 2‘s first raid, Leviathan, has been beaten. Bungie reported on Twitter that the clan “The Legend Himself” took down the raid before any other group. You can see the winning moment below, but there are spoilers of course.
We don’t have the full player stats for the raid clear as of yet, but we’ll report back if and when they become available.
Congratulations to Clan ‘The Legend Himself’ on being the World First to complete the Leviathan Raid. SPOILERS:https://t.co/bg5azt5O1S
Additionally, Bungie announced that, in the wake of the first team clearing the Leviathan raid, it’s released a new map called Emperor’s Respite in the Crucible. You can see an image of the map below, or jump into the game directly now to try it out.
The first Fireteam has made their way through Leviathan. Shaxx isn’t far behind. Emperor’s Respite is now available for all in the Crucible. pic.twitter.com/Cu7aV0EZb5
What’s more, Bungie’s Andrew Hopps shared a video of the team at Bungie watching The Legend Himself finish off the raid, cheering like mad at the end when the job is done. It’s pretty cool to see Bungie get so hyped for its community like this.
You need to be Power level 260 or above to get into the Leviathan raid. You can check out GameSpot’s Leviathan raid tips here to find out everything you need to know.
A big-time professional gaming team, TeamEnVy US, has launched a cooking show. Episode one of the appropriately titled “EnVy Eats” sees team member Timo “Taimou” Kettunen cooking something he knows well: meatballs. Apparently using his mother’s recipe, Kettunen walks you through the process of making the dish–and it looks good.
Kettunen, who is from Finland, also offers up some choice advice in the video: “Don’t kill yourself; don’t hurt your hands, either. You need them for gaming.” And regarding the massive amount of salt he adds to the mix, Kettunen says, “In Finland, the only worthy way of dying is either by domestic violence, alcoholism, or getting cardiac arrest–so we’re going to put a lot of salt in.” There are a few “balls” jokes, too (via Kotaku).
This video is labeled Episode 1, so presumably there will be more EnVy Eats episodes coming up next, potentially with other members of the team preparing their own favourite dishes.
In August, ESPN reported that Team EnVy received a $35 million investment from oil and gas magnate Kenneth Hersh to secure an Overwatch League team in Dallas.
Now, the app has been updated on both iOS and Android to allow you to lock your phone screen or use other apps and continue chatting to your friends. Update 1.1.0’s patch notes state “Voice chat will now continue when other apps are opened … [and] during sleep mode.” Nintendo notes, however, that devices running Android 6.0 or later will not allow you to continue chatting while not in the app if you have power-saving mode turned on. The company advises those users to deactivate battery optimisation in the app’s settings.
For now, the Nintendo Switch Online App remains free, but it will require a subscription fee of $20 / €20 per year when the Switch’s online service launches in full in 2018. It will include online multiplayer access and voice chat, and you’ll also get to download classic games such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight, and Dr. Mario.
In spite of the problems with the app, Splatoon 2 was well-received by critics. GameSpot awarded it an 8/10, with critic Kallie Plagge writing, “All the small changes, and even the bigger ones in single player and League Battles, make for a fresh take on the already unique shooter. If you played a lot of the original, the sequel has enough to keep you coming back, and if you’re new to the game, it’s a fantastic place to jump in.” Read more in our full Splatoon 2 review.
Like the first Destiny (and many other games for that matter), the newly released sequel Destiny 2 lets you spend real money on a currency system called Silver. This takes place in Destiny 2’s Eververse Trading Company store, which becomes accessible at Level 20. The character Tess Everis operates the store again, and here is a breakdown of the cost.
Destiny 2 Microtransaction Pricing:
500 Silver — $5
1110 Silver — $10
2300 Silver — $20
5800 Silver — $50
Everis sells Bright Engrams, which are sort of like loot boxes from Overwatch. It works out to 200 Silver for one, three for 500, and five for 800. Decode them and you’ll earn special rewards like Exotic weapon ornaments, a Sparrow, emotes, or something else. As Polygon explains, there is a chance you could get an elemental weapon mod, which can affect gameplay and may be controversial because of that. Weapon stats can be “slightly” enhanced with these mods, and there are also armor mods and one for subclass abilities to make them regenerate faster.
Additionally, you can buy Destiny 2 emotes with Silver–and there are some cool-looking ones. For example, Spicy Ramen shows your character cooking and consumer spicy ramen while Flip Out displays your Guardian flipping a table over. There are also shaders, which has caused some anger among fans. Check out this video from YouTube’s DestinyOverwatch to see all the Eververse items you can buy now.
Bungie’s highly anticipated shooter Destiny 2 is finally here, and we’ll have lots of coverage in the days and weeks ahead. For now, we’re collecting all the big details to know about, including our review in progress, recent news stories, and other key particulars. You can keep checking back with this story as we learn more about the shooter.
Editor Kallie Plagge shared her thoughts on the first 20 hours and came away feeling generally impressed and eager to keep playing. She has now started over with the game having launched and will document her progress in a Destiny 2 review diary (now updated for Monday, September 11) over the next few days as she plays more. You can look for Kallie’s full review in the days ahead.
Destiny 2 Review
“I haven’t finished the main story yet, but so far it’s a clear improvement over Destiny’s much-maligned storytelling,” Kallie said. “Like the beta, Destiny 2 begins with an attack on The Tower by a Cabal faction called the Red Legion. But rather than being thrust into situations with little to no context, as was so often the case in Destiny, each mission of the Red War arc has objectives that make sense within both the mission itself and the grand scheme. Locating a missing Cayde-6, for example, is important to the fight against the Red Legion, since he’s a powerful Hunter. But fighting waves of Vex to get to him also makes sense, as he’s trapped in a Vex teleporter, and that small bit of context makes that moment feel distinct from others where you’re killing the same enemies.”
For Destiny veterans, a lot has changed in Destiny 2, while the game will also see many newcomers to the series. Whichever boat you fall in, we’ll have plenty of guides to help you succeed in the days and weeks ahead.
Unlike the first Destiny, Destiny 2 is available only for new-generation consoles, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It’s also coming to PC, but not until October 24. Returning players will get rewards and a nice little memorial.
Destiny is available in Standard, Digital Deluxe, and a Game + Expansion Pass Bundle. The Digital Deluxe edition comes with a Legendary emote and the Cabal Empire-themed emblem. It also includes the Expansion Pass, which comes with two expansions to be released later. The Game + Expansion Pass Bundle is pretty self-explanatory.
Here are the prices:
Standard — $60/£55/$100 AU
Game + Expansion Pass Bundle –$90/£80/$140 AU
Digital Deluxe — $100/£90/$150 AU
People who pre-ordered Destiny 2 will receive the Coldheart Exotic rifle, the Kill-Tracker Ghost, and the Salute emote.
According to Destiny 2’s store pages, the game weighs in at 30.9 GB on PS4 and 34.98 GB on Xbox One. The PC version’s file size may end up being larger, but we don’t know yet.
What Is And Isn’t Available In Destiny 2 Now?
While Destiny 2’s first Raid, Trials, Guided Games, and in-game Clan features are not available, you can play the full campaign and the Crucible multiplayer mode. Additionally, Destiny 2’s first Nightfall Strike is available now.
The raid kicks off at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST on September 13 (3 AM AET on September 14 in Australia). Trials will become available at the same time on September 15 (16 in Australia). The in-game Clan features will go live in the next several days, Bungie said, but for now you can access Clan-management systems through Bungie’s website.
If you’re willing to take a break from leveling up, the Farm social space holds an intriguing secret that you might have overlooked. [More details and mild spoilers here]
How To Kill Those Annoying Phalanx Enemies
In the original Destiny, defeating Phalanxes usually involved either chucking a grenade behind them, or shooting the tiny bit of arm visible sticking outside their shields. In Destiny 2, they’ve been granted a brand new weak spot, smack in the middle of those shields. Ping that glowing spot with a few shots and the shields retract, stunning the jerks in the process. [Lots more details here]
Known Issues, Technical Problems, And Server Queues
Destiny 2’s release is poised to be massive, likely straining the game’s servers. To allow for a better experience, Bungie is using a system MMO players are familiar with: server queues. Bungie has warned that players may not be able to immediately access the game. In order to “regulate player population to provide stable conditions for Destiny gameplay,” server queues can pop up in Destiny 2 just as they could in the previous game. In other words, you may have to wait in line before you can play. Additionally, there are a number of issues to be aware of.
One of the shortcomings of Destiny 1 was that content was not released fast enough to meet players’ expectations. For the sequel, Bungie is working with outside studios like High Moon and Vicarious Visions to create and release content faster. We know there are two paid expansions coming, and recently, a leak suggested the first expansion is called The Curse of Osiris and will be out in December. It’ll supposedly add a patrol zone on Mercury, a social space, and a storyline centered around Osiris.
Keep checking back with GameSpot in the days and weeks ahead for lots more on Destiny 2.
Players continue to come to grips with the changes in Destiny 2, many of which are for the better. Some of these involve obtaining new gear and decrypting Engrams, a process which has been radically simplified.
As we’ve pointed out previously, you’ll notice that Engrams drop less frequently than in the original Destiny. That means you can more frequently acquire new gear and equip it without first taking a trip to the Farm, which is certainly nice. But when you do obtain an Engram, there are two key bits of information to be aware of.
The first is that there’s no sense in holding onto Engrams, as their Power level is determined when they’re dropped. In other words, grinding your level or Power up before decrypting an Engram won’t have an effect on it. In fact, by waiting, you may end up finding that it’s underpowered relative to your current gear, forcing you to waste materials to infuse it in order to bring its Power level up.
Better yet is what Destiny 2 project lead Mark Noseworthy confirmed on Twitter recently: You no longer have to equip your best gear when decrypting. The game automatically determines what your best possible loadout is and uses that figure when dictating the Power of an Engram. As a result, you’re essentially free to use whatever gear you want–you’re no longer impacting the strength of your drops by using a lower-level piece of gear you prefer.
