Murphy's Multiverse

Author: Joseph Aberl

  • ‘Spider-Man 3’ Revving Up for Early November Production Start

    ‘Spider-Man 3’ Revving Up for Early November Production Start

    We are anxiously waiting for the production of Spider-Man 3 to start in November. There is still no sign of the official title for the film, as many rumors start to pile up. All we know is that the story will pick up where Far From Home left off. Mysterio has revealed Peter Parker’s secret identity to the world. That is not all, the former Stark employee has now pinned his death on the young superhero.

    Now, he is the center of attention, as the police and some villains might be out to get theri revenge for the kid that put them behind bars. It will be a challenging time, as he will have to keep a cool head while being faced with his biggest challenge yet. As the film has been in pre-production for some time, Holland‘s stunt double Greg Townley has shared a first look at what kind of action we can expect.

    It looks like they are going one step further with the action. The way Townley landed could also highlight that he will be quite frantic in his escape. It wouldn’t surprise me if he manages to get even more banged up throughout the story. Stuntwork is an amazing aspect of film making, which really deserves more attention with how much work they put into it. I cannot wait to see if I recognize this short sequence once the film releases hopefully next year.

    Spider-Man 3 will be quite an interesting film to keep an eye out for. Recent reports have revealed that the film will also include Jamie Foxx‘s Elektro and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. Foxx already played the characteer in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, so this may hint at the multiverse having some role in the story. We still don’t know who the main villain is, so hopefully next month’s early production start will also signify that we will get some reveals in the coming weeks. We have gotten so many teases of what this crazy film might end up being that I cannot wait until we get our first look.

    Source: Instagram

  • First Official Look at Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake in ‘Uncharted’

    First Official Look at Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake in ‘Uncharted’

    Just today, we got our first real tease of the upcoming Uncharted film. It will adapt the iconic franchise by the game developer Naughty Dog. It will feature Tom Holland in the iconic role of Nathan Drake. Once voiced by Nolan North, the treasure hunter traveled the world to uncover hidden treasures and lost cities. The last entry was a spin-off title The Lost Legacy that was released in 2017, which took the focus away from the iconic character and give his supporting cast more attention. Drake’s story officially ended in the fourth entry known as Thief’s End. Now, we are all waiting anxiously for the upcoming film that is slowly finishing up production. After a short tease of North visiting the set, we also got our first official look at Holland in costume.

    He certainly has the looks down for the iconic character. The colors of his outfit seem similar to the one he wears in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. It would be interesting if they pay tribute to the various colors he has worn throughout the franchise in this film. We also see Sir Francis Drake’s iconic ring, which states Sic Parvis Magma, which translates to: “Greatness from small beginnings”. It is an item that heavily defines Drake’s character in the games. We also get a tease of the set design, as he is standing on a destroyed galleon There aren’t any dead giveaways if this connects to the recent reveal of Ferdinand Magellan or if it is part of an expedition that tried to find whatever treasure they are hunting. In the games, you spend a lot of time going from one clue to the next until you uncover the actual secret of the story. Still, Holland looks fantastic in the role, and cannot wait to see how they translated this game franchise to the silver screen.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: The Story So Far

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: The Story So Far

    The Mandalorian‘s second season is just a few days away, so it seems like the perfect time for a quick recap of the first. One day in a galaxy far far away, a man who is shy about showing his face finds a magical baby. So, he gets chased by guys in plastic armor while finding his purpose and friends along the way. Of course, I am just joking, and there is a lot more to the first season of The Mandalorian.

    Our first live-action Star Wars series introduced us to a Mandalorian foundling named Din Djarin. He is a bounty hunter trying to get by after the Empire’s destruction. His skills garner quite a lot of attention, which leads to him being offered a very peculiar mission by a client (Werner Herzog), who seems to have ties with the Empire. He is to find and take out an unknown target. He finds it with the help of a Ugnaught known as Kuiil (Nick Nolte) but can’t find it in himself as he realizes it is just a child. Technically, it is 50 years old, but by his behavior, he seems to be a toddler. After his ship gets taken apart by Java’s, he takes on a rhinoceros creature called a Mudhorn. In this process, he uncovers that the mysterious child has a strange ability only passed on in legends.

    After spending some time with the kid, he still ends up return the child to his employer, who rewards him handsomely. Mando, as the bounty hunter guild leader Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) likes to call him, is paid in Beskar steel, which is a sacred metal of his kind. The Mandalorian armorer grants him a brand new shiny outfit with which he decides to save the child from whatever faith may befall him. He almost gets shot down before his brothers and sisters, who were in hiding, help him escape while sacrificing their hiding spot. Djarin is on the run to keep the child safe. He briefly tries to seek refuge on the forest planet Sorgan. There he works alongside former Rebel shock trooper Cara Dune (Gina Carano) to take down a stolen AT-ST. Yet, bounty hunters are hot on their tail, which gets him stranded on Tatooine. After a bounty goes south, we get a glimpse of a mysterious stranger walking through the desert.

    Afterward, he is in desperate need of a job, so he gets in contact with some old buddies. We get introduced to the first man from Space Boston, Mayfield (Bill Burr). The mission sees them infiltrating a prison ship but, of course, our sharpshooter gets double-crossed. Luckily, Mando is also a fan of horror films, so he takes them out one after another. He didn’t kill them, as they are now trapped as prisoners on the ship. Shortly after, he gets a call from Greef Karga, who asks for his help to take out the stormtroopers that taken over the bounty hunter guild. In exchange, he would ensure that they wouldn’t get hunted down anymore. As you can guess, he was going to hand him over, but after the child healed his wound, he had a change of heart.

    They recruit Cara, Kuiil, and a reprogrammed IG-11 (Taika Waititi), who was hunting the child earlier in the series, to take on the Empire stormtroopers, who still manage to outgun them. The arrival of a former Imperial officer Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) doesn’t help matters as they try to escape through an underground lava river. IG-11 sacrifices his life as Mando takes on a TIE fighter. Luckily, after one last meeting with the armorer, he is given a jet pack alongside his sigit, which is in the form of the Mudhorn. After a successful battle, Mando flies off with the child without knowing that Moff has survived and has the Darksaber, an ancient lightsaber with a unique black blade.

  • EXCLU: Joel McHale to Team with Justin Long and Malin Akerman for ‘GAMER DOWN’

    EXCLU: Joel McHale to Team with Justin Long and Malin Akerman for ‘GAMER DOWN’

    After some digging, we got our hands on a rather interesting exclusive. It looks like a brand new film has been in the works titled Gamer Down. This film will bring together Joel McHale of Community fame, Justin Long (Live Free or Die Hard, Galaxy Quest), and Watchmen‘s Malin Akerman. So far, they are the only actors confirmed for the film, but casting is already well underway. Gamer Down will focus on a man named Finn Bryant, who seems to have a bad gaming habit. He funds it through card-counting but still piles on debt. So that he can get out of it, he joins a brand new rehab center that specalizes in gaming addiction. There he runs into the eccentric guru Slate, who will make his life at the center quite the chaotic experience.

    In the meantime, his step-brother Jamie is using his brother’s account to get close to a girl named Christina. She is part of Finn’s online guild, so he tries to impress her yet also manages to lose a very valuable item. He starts getting trapped in the lie and dives deep into the world of online gaming. Justin Long is set to play Finn with Joel McHale set as the eccentric guru Slate. Malin Akerman will play the role of Cristina but there is no mention of who will play Jamie. The description already promises a rather interesting comedy that could shed some light on the trappings of online gaming. Jillian Armenante is currently set to direct the film, which was written by Steve Weinberger and Marvin Willson. It will be interesting to see how they tackle the topic of gaming addiction that has become a hot discussed topic with games featuring microtransactions and gacha-elements.

  • Justin Lin Set to Direct the Final Two ‘Fast & Furious’ Films

    Justin Lin Set to Direct the Final Two ‘Fast & Furious’ Films

    Fast & Furious is a rather fascinating franchise. It started off with street races before they were jumping between buildings with their cars. It also was a Box Office juggernaut, so it didn’t seem possible it would ever end. Well, in a surprising twist, Deadline has exclusively reported that Justin Lin will return to direct the final two films in the series. As such, the eleventh film will continue the story of Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Sung Kang. It isn’t confirmed yet but they believe that Chris Morgan will return to pen the script.

    Currently, his fifth film in the franchise, F9, is still in post-production. It will add Charlize Theron, John Cena, Helen Mirren, Cardi B, and Ozuna to its cast. They also started experimenting with spin-offs like the recent Hobbs & Shaw that focused on Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham‘s characters. It is uncertain if they will also return to the main franchise’s finale. It is crazy to think how far this franchise has come since it started in 2001. Next year will mark its 20th anniversary, so it is fitting for the next installment to release next year. There were jokes about the crew potentially heading to space next, but Michelle Rodriguez may have confirmed more craziness.

    Source: Deadline, Collider

  • How the Success of ‘Genshin Impact’ Only Adds to the Current AAA Gaming Industry Standards

    How the Success of ‘Genshin Impact’ Only Adds to the Current AAA Gaming Industry Standards

    So far, I haven’t talked about one of this year’s biggest surprise hits, Genshin Impact. To those few that don’t know what I am talking about, the game in question is a free-to-play mobile game strongly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You enter an open world of Teyvat. There you meet Paimon, who will help you find your lost twin after you got separated in a fight. It is easy to recognize thanks to its anime aesthetic and memorable design. I did call it a mobile game, but it has been made available via PlayStation and Windows. There are even plans to add it to Nintendo Switch later in the year. Yet, the game’s success might set a scary precedent for the gaming industries’ future development in an era where an entire genre is already facing massive issues for its focus on microtransactions.

    Genshin Impact’s…Impact

    It is an understatement to call this game a massive success for the Chinese developer miHoYo. The game has garnered $100 million within its first two weeks. These sales numbers make this game the most successful Chinese release we’ve seen on a global scale. Of course, Genshin‘s marketing push was also nothing to scoff at. As of now, miHoYo has made back its development costs and can be considered profitable in record time. So, you might be wondering how this game made its money on a free-to-play basis? Well, the game’s core monetization lies in its Gacha-mechanic. It is a gambling concept where you can unlock characters and weapons by using real-world money.

     

     

    The Washing Post’s own Gene Park wanted to get one character based on their design and ended up spending $90 to get one of them. Some have reported receiving the same items multiple times after investing a considerable amount. This type of game is something that has become almost standard within the mobile industry. There are even studies on these topics, such as the Fear-of-Missing-Out being a factor in its success. The company already had experience with this model thanks to its predecessor Honkai Impact 3. The game builds on familiar grounds and the companies’ past experiences. Even Wired’s review of the game highlighted that its quality overshadows its basis as a clone.

    Genshin Impact‘s greatest strength lies in its use of the anime aesthetic that simplifies the designs. The environments are brimming with life through simple shading effects that can easily pop out on a mobile device or screen. They also put a lot of work into creating unique regions. It focused on a single-player experience with some multiplayer thrown in. Yet, at its core, it is still pay-to-win, as stronger characters are behind a paywall. Controversy does exist, but it isn’t as aggressive as with other titles.

    AAA Gaming Standards

    To give an example, the recent release of Marvel’s Avengers was under fire for its microtransactions or MTX for short. They were upfront of its base as a Game-as-a-Service with no pay-to-win functions. Up to the release, they also stuck to that promise with MTX commonly used for aesthetic purposes. So, it is entirely optional if you want to invest the money, and you can select what you are buying. Moreover, all-new missions, characters, or stories are for free. So, you only pay once with additional content as a bonus. It isn’t the only game to be hit by this controversy surrounding MTX. Even Blizzard’s massive release Overwatch alongside FIFA 18, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive were all heavily scrutinized for their inclusion. Some even playing close to the Gacha-formula with loot boxes. It went so far as the Belgium court ruling them as illegal.

    First and foremost, there is a cultural influence at play. Genshin Impact has its largest player base in China, which is pretty open to pay-to-win games. Currently, around 16 million pre-registrations are local players, which makes up 75% of its player base. Plus, keep in mind that most of these games’ players are on experiencing it through their mobile phones. Just last year, the mobile gaming market was analyzed to be around $68.5 billion, which is 45% of the gaming market at this point and still growing. It is no wonder that these gacha elements have become quite popular within the mobile market.

    There is also the topic of the AAA gaming industry and its current practices. We live in a time filled with Early Access, Beta, and other types of brandings to help players accept new standards. For example, Avengers’ release was at the boiling point of these issues. It just brought every aspect together that was criticized in the past. The game included countless brand deals, Influencer cooperations, and, to top it off, Sony wanted exclusive rights to Spider-Man on the PlayStation. These already frowned upon practices in the industry just added to the MTX discussion. Anthem, Destiny, and Fallout 76 all initially released barebones with bugs. There was, of course, a range of how affected they were by this, but they establish an instant comparison point. Anthem especially is the go-to when it comes to Avengers’ current launch issues and delays. In a way, the massive appeal of the Marvel brand just put a much stronger focus on existing practices that have been becoming more and more apparent with each subsequent release.

    Early Access to Funds

    Genshin Impact wears its mobile nature on its sleeve, which makes it easier to accept its approach. It is free-to-play, so why not give it a shot and maybe throw in some money to get that one character you like. Yet, that is part of the issue. GameRant shared an article stating this approach to MTX should become an industry-standard, which I believe is a rather dangerous statement. Yes, some might get away with a free game, but the gambling aspects are rather dangerous. There is a reason that Belgium tried to outlaw these game principles, as some people are easily susceptible to this kind of design. Avengers‘ skins are heavily overpriced, but you know what you are purchasing upfront. If you are after a specific character in Genshin Impact, you might have to invest quite a bit before you get him. Gambling addiction is a real problem nowadays. Mobile games have the added issue of also being played by young and impressionable children.

    The industry is facing a massive change that is also affecting the way games are produced. Even the term “Early Access” is creating an easy way out to sell unfinished games under a specific umbrella. Hades was recently officially out of Early Access to critical acclaim, but it had time to learn since it was technically available since December 2018. Yes, the game is fantastic, but it gives others a sign that it can get away with this approach. Hell, Fortnite didn’t officially lose the Early Access status until three years after it launched, which wasn’t until this year in June. If people are willing to pay MTX even as it is in Early Access, why then risk leaving it if it can safely handwave any issues under that umbrella? Epic Games made $3 billion in profit two years ago without being officially released.

    We somehow give F2P games a pass because anyone can try it out, but you are incentivized to pay to make the grind easier. In a way, GaaS games to the opposite approach. They try to sell you on the potential of future content and its ongoing development, so you pay upfront with the option to invest more. It opens up the question if we would forgive it if it took an approach similar to Genshin Impact. We saw a recent test with Destiny 2, which now has specific content available for free. If you want more, you have to pay for the complete experience. Moreover, if controversial games can make a comeback like Star Wars Battlefront II, so the risk of facing early controversies may have lost its impact outside of a temporary setback.

    A Slow Expansion

    I can go on with examples, as even other genres are utilizing MTX, as Mortal Kombat 11 introduced customizable loot that you can purchase. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled added microtransactions after it had already launched. Still, the point of the matter is, Genshin Impact‘s success highlights the industry’s new standard of implementing MTX, and Gacha-concepts is justified. If we accept games for a price in their early stages, we let that become a standard, no matter if Early Access, Beta, or GaaS. That umbrella term can redefine how companies approach their releases, as it worked in the past.

    I am not exempt from this. Avengers is the first time I decided to bite the bullet after being let down by the initial release of Destiny. I also enjoy Genshin Impact quite a bit, so I do enjoy spending my time playing these games. It just seems that the success of this game and its mobile background may be overshadowing the fact of how it feeds into the current gaming industry. These standards have become more apparent over time, slowly increasing with each year. Now, we are at a boiling point on the topic yet make an exception. Genshin might be a rather unique addition this year that brings with it a lot of good, but also potentially a lot of dangers. Just some food for thought, as it started to dawn on me over time as I have played most of the games mentioned in this article. Sometimes, we don’t even realize it until we are deep into it.

     

    Source: PC Gamer (Genshin Impact), South China Morning Post, The Washington Post, Research Gate, PCGamesn, Looper, MiHoYo, CNBC, DualShockers, ScreenRant, Wired, TechCrunch, Kotaku, GameRant, Trusted Reviews, Super Giant Games (Early Access), Super Giant Games, Polygon, Destructoid, GamesRadar+, Variety, ScreenRant (SW: BF2), TechCrunch, TechRadar, GameIndustry.biz, Metro, TweakTown, TechRadar, PlayStation, Forbes

  • ‘I’m Not Okay With This’ Jonathan Entwistle to Supervise ‘Power Rangers’ Film and TV Adaptations

    ‘I’m Not Okay With This’ Jonathan Entwistle to Supervise ‘Power Rangers’ Film and TV Adaptations

    Now, this is an interesting development. Last year, we found out that the creator of It’s the End of the F***ing World creator Jonathan Entwistle was hired to direct a brand new feature film on the popular Power Rangers franchise. This film would not be connected to Lionsgate 2017 reimagining of the original series that tried to focus on the Young Adult audience. At the time, it was a Box Office bomb, so the planned sequels were scrapped.

    It was also revealed that the new film would give us a story that focuses on time-travel. I even added my own approach to this story in a feature a few months ago, which you can check out here. We haven’t heard anything since, especially with rumors going around that Hasbro has canceled its contract with Toei, who provided the Sentai footage and costumes, which the franchise is based on. Well, looks like Entwhistle may have a much larger role moving forward.

    According to Hollywood Reporter, he will be responsible for overseeing the film and television adaptations. In a way, he will act as showrunner similar to Marvel Studios Kevin Feige. It also will be adapted by Hasbro’s production banner eOne, which it acquired last year. This development also means that Paramount will no longer be involved. eOne’s president Nick Meyer gave the following statement:

    Jonathan has an incredible creative vision for this iconic and hugely successful franchise, and is hands down the right architect to join us as we reimagine the television and film worlds of this property.

    Entwistle also shared his enthusiasm for his new role in the article.

    This is an unbelievable opportunity to deliver new Power Rangers to both new and existing generations of awaiting and adoring fans. We’ll bring the spirit of analog into the future, harnessing the action and storytelling that made this brand a success.

    This development would match up with the rumors that the upcoming film would branch out into a new TV series. There still is no confirmation on the Hasbro-Toei deal, so it is uncertain if they will still rely on Sentai footage. 2021 will still feature the new season Power Rangers: Dino Fury, which is based on Toei’s Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger. If they do try to expand into a connected universe, we might see a very different Power Rangers moving forward.

    It also opens up the question of where these series and films will find their home once they are produced. These shows could find a new home on streaming platforms that would offer higher budgets. It actually would be ironic if the strike a deal with Disney+, as the company sold the rights back to Saban back in 2010. There is a good chance they will work with Netflix after their recent release of Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy. No matter what, as a fan of the franchise I cannot wait to see where it is heading.

    Source: Hollywood Reporter (2019), Illuminerdi, Hollywood Reporter (2020), ScreenRant, New York Times

  • ‘Spider-Man 3’ Should Introduce Inter-Dimensional Hunter Morlun

    ‘Spider-Man 3’ Should Introduce Inter-Dimensional Hunter Morlun

    Spider-Man 3 is shaping up to be quite a unique entry in the ever-growing Spider-Man franchise. Recent rumors are starting to pile on that this will end up the opening to the greater multiverse. Doctor Strange was confirmed to appear in the film. Now, some rumors are also pointing to some other Spider-Men getting added to the film. This storyline could be our first live-action adaptation of the Spider-Verse if they dive deep into the larger multiverse. Still, it opens up an important question about who the main villain would be that ties it all together. Kraven has been on everyone’s list, but with the multiversal aspect of the story, there is another hunter that may take center-stage. I believe that Earth-001’s Morlun might become the main focus of the story.

    The 20 greatest (and 10 worst) Spider-Man villains of all time - Page 16

    Let’s start with a quick recap on who Morlun is. He was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #30. He is from an alternative Earth and is part of a family known as the Inheritors. They hunt down totems of heroes that exist throughout multiple universes. They have an obsession with hunting down Spider-Totemic avatars. These consist of the many incarnations of Spider-Man across the multiverse. At one point, he even tried to take on Black Panther as he hunted down Panther totems. The reason for his hunt is to absorb the life of the totems, which give him superhuman abilities. With the help of Master Weaver, they can transport to different dimensions to prolong their lives for eternity. As such, he is described as a vampiric cosmic entity, especially after the Inheritors were the main villains in Spider-Verse.

    Why do I believe Morlun will be the focus of Spider-Man 3? Well, Spidey is on the run from the government. His identity is out there, so he has no place to remain safe. He will have to outrun the police and maybe even the government. His home turf of New York City isn’t as safe as it uses to be. All of a sudden, Wanda’s actions in WandaVision have broken the barriers between the multiverse. Suddenly, Peter is fighting enemies he has never seen before but seems to recognize him. Among them was the recently confirmed Elektro that has some history with him. Suddenly, ta new menace shows his face, who seems to be the one guiding these villains to Peter’s dimension.

    The mastermind turns out to be no one else but Morlun. The interdimensional hunter is after the various Spider tokens. He was previously after two distinct versions of Spider-Man that seemed to have escaped into this dimension. Holland‘s incarnation ends up getting cornered by the various villains. Morlun uses this chance to suck out his life. Yet, he gets interrupted by other Spider-Man. in a perfect world, this could mean the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Just for fun, why not also bring in Jake Johnson to reprise his role from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Together they fight Morlun and defeat him. Doctor Strange appears to help them to make sure they can return home safely, but in the process, Holland‘s Spidey ends up falling into a different dimension before. Now, he is trapped in an unknown world. He will do his best to find a way back home while facing new challenges. Little does he know, Morlun has resurrected and is ready to hunt them down once more.

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Assembles as Best-Selling Game in September

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Assembles as Best-Selling Game in September

    There has been a lot of focus on Marvel’s Avengers steam performance. As people have faced bugs and the post-games repetition, it has fallen below 1,000 at times. Still, this is just one of the three releases. Furthermore, these numbers hopefully increase as the game starts rolling out new content. We already saw a slight uptick with the recent Tachyon Missions that will keep people busy for a bit. It will be a challenge to build up its audience, but there is a sign that it will grow once more content added, as going by NPD, the game was the best-selling game of September.

    Crystal Dynamics’ first foray into GaaS was a bumpy one, but it seems the game still paid off. It is now the second-best-selling Marvel game after PlayStation’s Spider-Man. The character’s popularity was probably also a factor in the exclusivity deal for him to appear in this game. Also, keep in mind that the game went up against Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which was Nintendo’s second-best Switch launch. The list included a lot of newcomers with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, NBA 2K21, Star Wars: Squadrons, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.

    Marvel is a popular franchise, but it still kept up its sales in September even as it faced media controversies. Its sales will calm down in the coming months, but the reception has been more positive online since the last update was released. It will still be an uphill battle for CD to regain its player base, but character updates will get them the attention they need. These sales numbers at least showcase that there is interest once the game starts getting into gear. In a recent podcast, we got a tease of that the Black Panther-focused Raid will offer. Its size could work as a new way to soft launch the game in 2021. You can read a recap of it right here. I am optimistic about the future of this game and cannot wait to see how it grows over time.

    Source: GameRant (Sales), VG247, GameRant (Mario)

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Data Miner Teases Black Panther’s Wakanda Raid

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Data Miner Teases Black Panther’s Wakanda Raid

    We just got our first official content update for Marvel’s Avengers. It was a bit underwhelming, but we did hype it up a lot more than we probably should’ve. Their State of the Game blog confirmed that we are facing some delays with Kate postponed. We still will get some minor updates to tide us over until then, such as the A.I.M. Cloning Lab. I still firmly believe that the game has faced some challenges that made its release a much more harrowing experience for both developers and players. Games-as-a-Service have plagued with Day One issues, so this experience was nothing new for veterans.

    Their latest blog also confirmed that they were hit pretty hard by the ongoing pandemic and the California wildfires. It is crazy to think about how much they were able to get out within the given timeframe with such hurdles. It doesn’t excuse the game’s launch issues, but it puts everything into perspective. This genre is all about the community and ongoing developments. The Twitter user @mmmmmmmmiller has been very active in sharing what he found through data mines. Now, he also appeared in a podcast on the game by Assembly Podcast, where he teases some future developments. If you want to hear the entire thing be sure to check out the podcast below but you’ll find a summary of the biggest insights below.

    Keep in mind, Miller does not work for Crystal Dynamics, so he doesn’t have the insight into what happened. He purely can base his assumptions on the data he has uncovered through the game’s code. Still, it gives a somewhat feeling of how exactly the original plans looked like when the game initially launched. The recent release of the SHIELD Substation Zero alongside the Tachyon Rifts seemed to have planned for September. Even the first major event the AIM Cloning Lab was going to release during that time. It is possible that the bug fixing, the current conditions, and some internal meddling due to the reception have created a chaotic environment. In my opinion, CD’s focus on fixing bugs was the right move though current updates feel a bit lackluster.

    There is one aspect that Miller gets into more detail on, and that is the Omega Threats. He kind of grounds our expectations for the AIM Cloning Lab. This new mission type was probably part of the original operation for that addition. We now know they changed that to ensure that expectations for Kate Bishop’s story wouldn’t be affected, as she will have an actual storyline that is set-up by the Tachyon rifts. I do hope we will see more new mission types that add more reasons to return to the game.

    While discussing it, Miller does tease how expansive the Wakandan’ event will be. He teases a crazy boss fight, which he leaked to be Ulysses Klaue a long time ago. Black Panther is a popular character, and the addition of endgame content could get people back into the game. He described it as a potential to “soft launch” the game, which seems possible. He also confirms that Shuri, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje will have a role in this event. So, we will see how large this raid will end up being with hopefully a tease in the upcoming November War Table. He also says that it should be something to look forward to once it releases, which they believe could be the beginning of 2021.

    This reveal doesn’t downplay the upcoming operations, as we still get new playable characters with unique missions. Kate Bishop’s delay was a bit disheartening for some, but with the release being the end of October and the wording, it seems realistic to expect her early November. In CD’s first stream, they confirmed it won’t release during Thanksgiving, which is towards the end of the month. The chat did reveal that we will get some unique arrows with Kate that will add some fun alongside her teleporting skill. Miller does state that Clint was the one to utilize unique status effects, so he was surprised with this reveal. He does, however, confirm that these two characters will play different from each other, which is a good sign for future additions. He describes Kate as a Ranger while Clint is a Hunter. Kate has a drone that she uses in the fight while her former mentor can utilize traps.

    We are facing a delay for now. These small glimpses into what the game will offer us in the future showcase that Crystal Dynamics truly has a plan. Yes, the player base, especially on Steam is low right now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t grow again. We have seen support since the first day, so this isn’t another Anthem scenario. It is easy to make comparisons, but sadly, the negative press has not been helping. I do believe that a lot of it is connected to the general discomfort with the AAA GaaS standards. Marvel’s Avengers has a very popular that just put it into the spotlight. Hopefully, as Miller pointed out, the Black Panther release could be the change this game needs in the public eye.

    Source: State of the Game, Assemble Podcast, Twitch