News on the Hour
Friday, January 5, 2024 - Weekend Edition
Written by Alleine Dragonfyre | Reported by Asclepius | PC Games by Drizz Dragonfyre
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NEWS ON THE HOUR WEEKEND January 5 2023
Local News
In Knight's Watch, a new Treasure Hunt is on the horizon. Belladonna Rose, the event organizer, plans to engage the community with an interactive challenge. Participants armed with a "clue book" will seek hidden clues around town, recording numbers and answers on provided sheets. The event promises a Grand Prize and rewards for second and third place, and everyone receives a "booty" bag of goodies for participating. The specific Date and Time will be announced shortly, inviting all Avatars to join the adventure.
The weekly Lightbringer Isle Auction takes place every Wednesday. Determine your prices, starting bids, and reserves. Drop labeled items at the Auction House or mail them to Hemnu Lighbringer, along with bid details. Expect a diverse array of offerings for a rich experience. Remember, a 10% commission on the final sale price applies. Visit the Shroud of the Avatar official forums for info.
The Robot Overlords are currently running a music hunt event in Shroud of the Avatar. Participants search for music sheets with a twist. Ten specific sheets of music are now listed on the official forums. Finding one makes you eligible for the grand prize. Discovering five or more earns an additional special reward. Players must post a screenshot of the sheet on the forum thread and its drop to claim victory. This event will continue until a winner is found. Happy hunting!
Download the FREE MMORPG Shroud of the Avatar today.
Lightbringer Isle hosts a monthly fishing contest that invites avid anglers to cast lines for the largest fish in the Isle’s salt and lava waters. Prizes will be revealed monthly for each group, with the ultimate Grand Prize awaiting the angler who nets the longest combination of lava and saltwater fish caught. Visit the Shroud of the Avatar official forums for info. Best of luck to all participants!
General Player Event Info
For more information about player-run events, developer game updates, and more happenings in Shroud of the Avatar, or to have your events broadcasted during NEWS ON THE HOUR for free, visit the official Shroud of the Avatar forums and the Avatars Radio Discord at www.avatarsradio.rocks/discord
For information about advertising your in-game business, guild or gaming-related products and services on Avatars Radio, visit avatarsradio.rocks/patron.
Metaverse News
Nexon Hit with $8.9M Fine
Yesterday, South Korean publisher Nexon received an 11.6 billion Korean won or 8.9 million US dollar fine from the Korea Fair Trade Commission. The penalty is linked to the alleged manipulation of item drop probabilities in MapleStory and Bubble Fighter. The KFTC claims Nexon altered the odds for "Cubes," affecting in-game equipment potential. Nexon, earning 550 billion won or 419 million US dollars from Cube purchases, faces the fine for a prolonged violation from September 2010 to March 2021. KFTC Director Kim Jung-ki cites the Cube's core importance and Nexon's second violation as reasons for the maximum fine. Nexon said it “humbly accepts” but may challenge the decision.
Assassin's Creed Infinity: A New Era
Assassin's Creed Infinity, a multi-game hub, is set to launch no earlier than 2024. Acting as a unified entry point into the franchise's future, not a standalone game, Infinity will host various Assassin's Creed experiences. Two confirmed titles for the hub: Project Red, exploring feudal Japan's shinobi fantasy, and Project Hexe, a different Assassin's Creed led by Clint Hocking. The new project appears to be akin to streaming services like Netflix, only for a video game and a single title. The release date remains undisclosed.
Star Citizen’s $48,000 Bundle
Cloud Imperium Games introduces the Legatus 2953 bundle for Star Citizen at an astounding $48,000, equivalent to the full price of a real-life home in some U.S. areas. This package is available to Chairman's Club members who've already invested $1,000 in Star Citizen and boasts over 175 ships, weapons, and cosmetics.
Kim Kardashian: Hollywood Game Sunset
Yesterday, Glu Mobile announced the shutdown of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, the mobile game that fascinated players for 10 years. In-app purchases ceased immediately, and the game will be removed from app stores on April 8. Existing players can continue playing until then. Kim Kardashian expressed gratitude for the journey but emphasized the need to shift focus. Launched in 2014, the game grossed $156 million by 2016, influencing the female-centric gaming market. Glu Mobile replicated the success with other celebrity games.
City of Heroes Rises Again: Licensed
City of Heroes, the beloved superhero MMORPG, shut down in 2012, but a dedicated fan project, Homecoming, has received a license from NCSoft, the original publisher. Based on the 2019-uncovered code, Homecoming restores the game with new features and quality-of-life updates. Funded by donations, the fan server assures players their accounts are safe. While technically NCSoft could shut it down, a positive four-year relationship with Homecoming reduces concerns. This move provides security for players and raises questions about the fate of other custom server projects like City of Heroes Rebirth.
Baldur's Gate 3 Bans Spark Xbox Controversy
Yesterday, we reported that an Xbox player, Daddy-Vegas, faced a ban for unintentionally sharing nude in-game character models in Baldur's Gate 3. Discussions across the Internet followed about Xbox's default sharing settings, emphasizing the need for a mature content tag and how strange it is to green-light gore and violence yet censor the nude human body. Today, Larian Studios' Michael Douse addressed the issue on Twitter, stating they're discussing with Microsoft a way to resolve the issue of banning footage of the game, calling it "annoying and uncool." User complaints about bans for recording game content persist, raising concerns about Xbox's moderation policies.
Baldur's Gate 3: Player's Tribute Transforms Game
In more Baldur’s Gate News, a heartfelt tribute within Larian Studios' RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 is published after a player, Solfalia, shared a heartfelt story on the forums. Facing his father's Alzheimer's diagnosis, Solfalia and his father cherished their last gaming adventure, thanks to the Early Access release in October 2020. Larian's Rachel Quirke shared the emotional journey on social media, revealing that Solfalia's father became an in-game character, Golbraith, a retired mind flayer hunter with a secret cellar. Despite his care home confinement, Solfalia's father embraced the virtual adventure, bringing joy amid Alzheimer's challenges. Kudos, Larian.