ReportWire

Tag: World of Warcraft

  • World Of Warcraft Transmog Changes Spark Fan Backlash

    [ad_1]

    Days after hiking up the prices to transmogrify your armor in World of Warcraft, developer Blizzard announced it’s reducing them in half—a decision that came after overwhelming player outrage.

    The transmog fiasco started with the launch of the pre-expansion patch for World of Warcraft: Midnight on January 20. The patch introduced a plethora of updates to a number of the game’s systems, and the transmog system, which allows players to change the appearance of armor pieces for previously acquired gear without affecting their stats, was one of them. The transmog overhaul ushered in two big problems for the community: the new system is convoluted, and to make matters worse, it’s incredibly expensive. Or used to be, anyway, as Blizzard has already announced it’s dialing the inflation rate back.

    “We’re going to lower the cost of outfit creation prices by 50% to bring them more in line with what the prices were prior to the Transmog update,” community manager Linxy wrote on the Blizzard forums yesterday. “This price reduction is currently under development and should be available within the next day.”

    The change makes sense, as the new system has characters starting with just two outfit slots for their transmog creations. You can unlock more, of course, but initial prices started at 100 gold and ramped up to almost 800,000 gold to unlock all 20 slots on a given character. So, if you’re somebody who juggles five characters at once and you like to engage with the in-game fashion, having 20 slots for all five of them would cost almost 4 million gold. And this is all without considering the costs of changing the individual pieces in said outfits.

    Now, all of these prices are being halved. In addition, Linxy said the team is “going to try” to grant one free transmog to all player-characters soon, before patch 12.0.1. This should “hopefully” happen via a hotfix.

    The free transmog is also part of the response to community complaints. When Blizzard released the pre-expansion patch, all transmogs that were previously applied to gear were removed. As explained by community manager Kaivax on the forums, this was intentional to reflect the transition from a gear-based to a slot-based system. All previously saved loadouts are still present, converted to Custom Sets as part of the new system. The problem, however, is that it costs the normal amount of gold to apply the first transmog to your character, even if you only want to set your appearance back to the way it was before. Kaivax called this “an oversight” on the developers’ part, as players should be able to maintain or reset their existing look without cost.

    “With the 12.0.1 update before the launch of Midnight, all player-characters will be granted one free Transmog,” continues the response. “This will be automatically applied to the next outfit created for each character. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by first-time Transmog costs.”

    Pricing isn’t the only problem with the new transmog system

    While the pricing reduction is a welcoming change, it hardly addresses the only qualm that World of Warcraft players have with the new transmog system. The community is also complaining about the convoluted UX, as it used to be simpler in the old system, as well as the multiple added steps the latest changes require.

    “I think I’ve spent about half of my gametime playing dress up since transmog has been released as a feature,” reads a Reddit thread from a World of Warcraft player who says they’re quitting the game. “Now (…) trying to set up anything just fills me with apathy. Why was the icon selection and naming of sets downgraded for the ‘main’ transmog screen? The outdated all-in-one icon selection from classic, without search or prioritizing your outfit’s items is MASSIVELY more annoying than the previous transmog system’s auto-select that just went with the first item’s icon of your outfit. Also, 16 characters limit for outfit names is nonsense.”

    ©Blizzard Entertainment

    This account is far from the only one voicing such complaints. In the replies to an explainer by World of Warcraft enthusiast site Wowhead, people have posted multiple questions about the minutiae of the system. “I just opened up WoW and ALL my warriors look ridiculous,” reads one of the comments. “All the gear I’ve put on them over the years is gone and they look like noobs. I have lost over 2K gold trying to figure out the new transmog bs and when I check them out, they’re still in the wrong stuff. I’ve saved, I’ve bought a slot. I’ve only played WoW since it’s inception so yes, I’m older than most but this is ridiculous and it’s enough to make me want to quit the game.”

    Those on roleplaying servers are particularly impacted by these issues, as for many of them, transmogrification is particularly important to defining character identity, as well as adding to the immersion of certain events and actions. Say, for example, that your character is wearing a hood or a helmet, and you want to switch out to a scarf when entering a house. In the old system, you could open your inventory bags and select another transmogged item, switching it on the fly. Now, that individual item transmogging is no longer possible.

    As explained by a veteran roleplayer in the forums, people in these servers are prone to keep flavor items in their possession, such as cloaks to change depending on the weather environment, or a set of white gloves when a character needs to provide medical care for someone.

    The use cases are many, but unfortunately, the latest changes to transmogrification have introduced limitations. Instead of selecting an item from your inventory, you would have to pay gold to make a change to your current outfit, only to pay again once you revert it later. Plus, these actions take time, which can interrupt the flow of immersion during active scenes.

    “I am not a coder, I have no idea how difficult it would be to implement a system where certain items are exempt from the outfit that your character is currently wearing, but I implore you Blizzard, please find a way to allow us to make changes to individual outfit slots on the fly without having to engage with the transmog interface and shell out gold every time,” concludes the post from the roleplayer.

    World of Warcraft: Midnight is releasing on March 2. Whether Blizzard decides to roll out more changes based on community feedback remains to be seen.

    [ad_2]

    Diego Nicolás Argüello

    Source link

  • From Our Worlds to Yours: Thank You for an Incredible 2025 – Xbox Wire

    [ad_1]

    What would you like to say to your players after releasing Ninja Gaiden 4 this year?

    Our deepest thanks to everyone who has played the game, from the Master Ninjas who have been supporting the series for a long time, to those who are playing the series for the first time! Our days were spent developing the game so that players can enjoy the series’ signature intensity and a variety of actions to overcome difficult situations, so I’m happy if you experienced even a bit of the game! I think the flavor of the action really comes through the more you play it, so please continue to enjoy the different characteristics of the two Master Ninjas, Yakumo and Ryu! – Hirayama

    To everyone who has supported Ninja Gaiden over the years, and to those how have started playing the series from this entry, thank you for playing the game. I enjoy watching your gameplay videos and comments on social media every day. In this game, we aimed for the revival of pure action that transcends time, and the three companies put everything into developing it. The action is really exciting and it’s a stoically made game, so those of you who have played the game please continue to thoroughly study it… and those who haven’t played it yet, I’ll be thrilled if you give this feel good slash action a try! – Nakao

    How does it feel to have the game out there after development?

    First of all, to be able to deliver a new numbered title in the series after 13 years is something that our entire team is truly happy about. We continuously debated and adjusted the game towards its launch, and once it was released it felt like it passed in an instant so I didn’t feel anything immediately, but as I saw social posts and videos being posted every day, little by little I began to feel joy. – Hirayama

    For our development team, there are many members who, during the golden age of slash action games, were players or were involved as developers. So, while we had confidence in the game itself, I felt more nervous and excited than I have ever been before. And my current feeling is of relief, since the action has been well received. – Nakao

    Are there any stories about how players have engaged with your game that you’d like to reflect on?

    For a long time, we were in the dark while developing this game but seeing everyone playing and reacting to it at gaming events was a big driving force in development, and we made use of it in the final adjustments towards launch. Thank you again for your support! Post-launch, we are checking every single piece of feedback, so please look forward to future in-game updates! – Hirayama

    Although I’ve mentioned it several times, we’ve been receiving a lot of feedback that, “the action definitely feels good!”, and it’s the part we’ve put our most effort into, so I am extremely happy that everyone is pleased with it. In this game we’ve taken the big challenge of mixing the best parts of Ninja Gaiden with the best parts of PlatinumGames’ action, so nothing makes me happier than hearing everyone enjoying the action. – Nakao

    What is your studio most looking forward to in 2026?

    We are really looking forward to everyone playing “The Two Masters,” the additional content currently in development! In addition to new weapons for Yakumo and Ryu, we are planning on an additional story and other replayable content. We’re working hard to deliver it as soon as we can, so please wait a little bit longer! – Hirayama

    There are many games coming out next year, and as always, several action games will be released, so as an action game maker we are looking forward to seeing these games. For us, in 2026 we are planning to release additional content for Ninja Gaiden 4, “The Two Masters,” which we are currently hard at work developing. Not only is there content such as a new story, but above all the new weapons for each character will provide a new play experience unlike any of the previous weapons, so we hope you look forward to it! – Nakao

    [Back to Top]

    Xbox Play Anywhere

    NINJA GAIDEN 4 Standard Edition

    Xbox Game Studios

    ☆☆☆☆☆
    447

    ★★★★★


    $69.99

    $48.99

    PC Game Pass

    Xbox Game Pass

    The definitive ninja hack & slash franchise returns with NINJA GAIDEN 4! Embark on a cutting-edge adventure where legacy meets innovation in this high-octane blend of style and no-holds-barred combat.

    Return of the Legend
    Experience a return to the intense, high-speed combat that established NINJA GAIDEN as a premier action game series. Prepare for a legacy reborn with captivating style for a new generation of players.

    Epic Hack and Slash Combat, Evolved
    NINJA GAIDEN 4 fuses Team NINJA’s tempered combat philosophy with the stylish, dynamic action gameplay of PlatinumGames. Engage in visually stunning combat that rewards precision and strategy. Use Bloodbind Ninjutsu to transform your weapons and unleash devastation upon your enemies, alongside legacy techniques like the Izuna Drop and Flying Swallow. The legendary Ryu Hayabusa also returns with a revamped yet familiar set of tools to master. With a customizable player experience, NINJA GAIDEN 4 will push action game veterans to their limits while allowing newcomers to enjoy a heart-pounding adventure full of twists and turns.

    An Ancient Enemy Returns
    An endless rain of miasma hangs over a near-future Tokyo in the wake of an ancient enemy’s resurrection. The fate of the city lies in the hands of young ninja prodigy, Yakumo. Fighting his way through cybernetic ninja soldiers and otherworldly creatures, Yakumo must reconcile a destiny he shares with the legendary Ryu Hayabusa himself and free Tokyo from the ancient curse that brought the city to its knees.

    [ad_2]

    Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief

    Source link

  • Housing in World of Warcraft Is Giving Players a Huge Creative Suite to Make Azeroth Their Own – Xbox Wire

    [ad_1]

    When it comes to hotly anticipated World of Warcraft updates, few have sizzled for longer than Player Housing – a feature that will bring liveable homes and dynamic neighbourhoods to the ever-evolving world of Azeroth. And the best news? It’s almost here – scheduled to land in the final patch of The War Within starting on December 2.

    The WoW team is giving players a whole new way to express creativity, so we sat down with Design Lead Toby Ragaini and Lead UX Designer Laura Sardinha to find out how housing works, and how it’s offering the ultimate cosy, creative retreat for all types of WoW players.

    Housing has been in development at Blizzard for a while, and the team knew that it not only had to meet expectations for such a requested feature, but also exceed them, according to Ragaini. While the update will be released as part of Midnight, WoW‘s latest expansion, the feature itself is evergreen, something that players can invest in for the long term. 

    “It took years of design and engineering to get where we are today,” says Ragaini. “We wanted something that felt like a whole new part of the game, that would grow with the community.”

    So how will it work? Players can obtain a plot of land (though they will have two total for their Warband, one for each faction neighborhood), and every plot contains a house. Each plot differs by style, shape and biome, built to accommodate whatever vibe you’d like. Some houses within a neighborhood are grouped for a more communal feel, allowing friends to become digital neighbors, while other spots are more isolated for the recluses and the solo settlers among you. 

    No matter how isolated your plot might be, however, all player housing exists within neighborhoods, which contain approximately 50 houses each. There are Public Neighborhoods, where anyone can buy a home, and Private Neighborhoods, which can be created and managed by Guilds or larger groups of players that all want to share a space. Once you’ve chosen a house, you’ll live among those players until you decide to leave the neighborhood. It’s inherently social, a dynamic hub where you’ll be able to see what all your neighbors are up to at all times, which was important for the WoW team. 

    “These neighborhoods, and the neighbors you have – they’re going to persist for as long as you live in that community,” Ragaini says. “I think that’s one of the most compelling aspects of MMOs. We’re trying to rekindle the magic of online social interaction in that way.”

    Housing comes with a robust set of permissions, so you can fully customise how other players in the neighborhood can interact with you, and these can be altered at any time.

    “We recognise that ‘social’ means different things to different people,” Ragaini adds. “So we want to make sure that everyone can decide how they want to interact with their neighbours. Whether you want an open house that anyone can visit, or something closed off to visitors, you can choose whatever makes you comfortable.”

    Making A House A Home

    Once you have a home, what’s next? You’ll need to decorate it, both internally and externally – and there is an entire library of whimsical Warcraft decor to discover. What’s more, there’s little limit to how creative you can be with how to design your home and the surrounding land, whether you’re a mage wanting to throw up a quirky wizard tower, or a rogue designing a dark den. Housing is much more than just a gameplay loop to earn rewards – it’s giving WoW players a robust suite of creative tools and UI to express creativity so your home can be truly unique, and a marvel to other players living in the neighborhood.  

    “We allow players to have total freedom of how they arrange things. They can use items in unorthodox ways to make something completely different,” Sardinha says. “In addition to that, you have a room layout tool that defines rooms, but you can also play around with the pieces to create your own room with a secret door, or build puzzles for people to solve – the UI is so powerful in how it allows players to be flexible with what they want to build in their world.”

    Concept art of decor created for the Blood Elf race

    One of the most interesting parts of the Player Housing update is who the WoW team is aiming to engage – besides the long-time players, they want to see cozy gamers, design enthusiasts, and those who may not have found a reason to venture into Azeroth before, but certainly could now.

    To do so, the team wanted housing to be more than a currency grind – expanding your house is a whole new mechanic in itself. With that in mind, it was also important to make housing an approachable update for lapsed or entirely new players – how can this be interesting to the uninitiated, while still introducing those players to the full scope of WoW? 

    “We didn’t want housing to exist as a standalone activity; it needed to be integrated into the core mechanics of World of Warcraft,” Ragiani explains. “So that if someone new comes in and wants to engage with housing, they’re not just feeling isolated, they’re encouraged to participate in all aspects of the game.”

    You’ll be able to earn items for your home – items, furniture, trophies and trinkets – through numerous activities, and anyone can get stuck in, no experience needed.

    “There’s a lot of different ways to play WoW, and no one has the ‘right’ way,” Ragaini says. “So when you’re out doing quests, or raids, or dungeons, there will be opportunities to earn decor and other rewards for your house. You’ll be brought into the core loop of the game as part of the housing experience.”

    To increase that sense of participation, neighborhoods will have semi-regular events called Endeavours, and players within these spaces can work together to complete tasks and unlock rewards for all residents within a neighborhood. These tasks range from questing and running dungeons, to activities like crafting and gathering, so that every style of player can contribute to a community-wide goal. Completing these tasks can also earn you Neighborhood Favor, a new currency used to level up your home, increase your decor limit, or buy additional items from NPCs.

    Player Housing is such a fresh, inviting direction for World of Warcraft, a game that is so visually warm and entrancing, but can feel overwhelming in terms of how much content is on offer. This is a smart, interesting way to encourage different types of players to get involved, and idea of building a unique home, sharing a space with friends, and completing objectives together to craft a collaborative environment is an intensely appealing prospect that I can’t wait to get started with.

    [ad_2]

    Danielle Partis, Xbox Wire Editor

    Source link

  • Level Up Your Look: Xbox and Crocs Launch Exclusive Gaming-Inspired Classic Clogs – Xbox Wire

    [ad_1]

    Game-mode: enabled. Xbox and Crocs have teamed up to release an exclusive collection. 

    Ready up with this controller-meets-clog design that reimagines the iconic Xbox controller with fixed buttons and joysticks into the perfect shoe for couch co-op and kicking back – complete with cushioned footbeds adorned with Player Left and Player Right, which give expert-level comfort to support your next session. 

    [ad_2]

    Joe Skrebels, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief

    Source link

  • Board is a $500 board game console with 12 original titles

    [ad_1]

    If you’re a person who enjoys the social side of online gaming, this product launch is not for you. Board was designed by entrepreneur Brynn Putnam, alongside former World of Warcraft exec Seth Sivac, as a way to make the idea of “screen time” a more immersive in-person experience. “Families want to connect, but they’re competing with incredibly powerful technologies,” Putnam told USA Today. “Board is about flipping that dynamic — using tech to support real human connection instead of replacing it.”

    The product acts like a typical tabletop game that you lay out flat, just like the cardboard play space for Monopoly or Settlers of Catan, but it offers additional digital interactions on the digital screen. The 12 games included are original to Board, each with unique piece sets.

    Putnam has past experience creating tech that blends the physical and the digital. Her previous project, Mirror, was a workout screen for delivering live fitness classes at home. The company later got bought up by lululemon for a cool $500 million. Putnam is billing Board as “the first ever face-to-face gaming console” and at $499, its price tag nearly matches what you’d expect for current console hardware. And that’s the limited time offer; the website says Board will normally retail for $699. The sales pitch leans hard on the idea of connecting families without their phones, but for that cost, you could also buy more than a dozen different board and card games to eliminate the screens altogether. And screens don’t have to be the enemy. There are plenty of amazing couch co-op video games out there, including kid-friendly ones, not to mention the fact that even single-player games can be multiplayer experiences if you have the right mindset.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Blizzard teams working on Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble unionize

    [ad_1]

    Blizzard developers working on Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble have formed a new union, the latest in a series of labor wins at the Microsoft-owned studio. The over 100-person unit is represented by the Communication Workers of America (CWA), and counts “software engineers, designers, artists, quality assurance testers and producers” among its members.

    Inspiration to form the new union came from the successful organizing efforts of Blizzard’s World of Warcraft workers last year. The staff behind the classic MMO formed the Warcraft Gamemakers Guild last year, and were followed by similar unions representing developers working on Diablo and Overwatch earlier in 2025. According to the CWA, over 1,900 workers at Blizzard are now represented by the organization.

    The new union is arriving at a critical time. Blizzard’s parent company Microsoft made major cuts across its gaming division this summer, including layoffs that reportedly led to Blizzard winding down development on Warcraft Rumble. Union membership has flourished across Microsoft’s studios because of neutrality agreements the company signed with CWA respecting its workers’ right to organize at Activision Blizzard in 2022 and ZeniMax in 2024, but the environment is on the brink of possible change.

    Aftermath reports that the neutrality agreement covering Activision Blizzard workers expires in October 2025, which could make forming future unions more difficult. Microsoft signed its first neutrality agreement to reassure regulators about its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, but now that the deal is done and dusted, the company has less of a reason to play nice.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Finding Meaning in Virtual Worlds: How Online Gaming and Digital Communities Can Transform Lives

    [ad_1]

    Virtual worlds and online gaming have become a new source of meaning, purpose, and belonging in today’s world, especially for those who struggle with loneliness, social anxiety, or physical disabilities. The new documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin shares the inspiring story of Mats Steen, a young Norwegian man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, who built a meaningful life through the popular game World of Warcraft.

    The digital world is sometimes criticized for being a “shallow escape” from real life. However, for many it can be a reliable source of meaning, connection, and purpose—especially for those who may find it difficult to fulfill certain needs and values in their regular daily lives.

    The Remarkable Life of Ibelin

    The 2024 documentary The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is an insightful and heartfelt story on how people find real meaning, connection, and purpose through online gaming and virtual worlds.

    Mats Steen, a young Norwegian man living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, found freedom and fulfillment through his digital persona, Ibelin, in the popular video game World of Warcraft. Mats’ physical limitations were significant, but in Azeroth, he experienced life without barriers.

    His parents only discovered the extent of his online relationships after his death, realizing that the world they thought was isolating had actually given Mats purpose and belonging. For eight years, Mats was an active member of the Starlight community, a guild within World of Warcraft that became like a family to him. Every evening, Mats would log in to talk, roleplay, and have fun with dozens of online friends. Throughout those years, he dedicated over 20,000 hours to the game and participated in conversations that filled more than 42,000 pages of chat logs.

    The documentary used these chat logs to recreate Ibelin’s life within the game, including sentimental and meaningful moments with his online friends Rumour and Reike. Viewers get to witness, through these virtual interactions, how Mats / Ibelin found a place where he was valued not for his physical abilities, but for his personality, humor, and kindness.

    Through this digital world, Mats was able to find a sense of purpose and belonging. As he says in the documentary, “Games are my sanctuary. I am safe here, feel valued and respected.”

    Finding Love and Romantic Fulfillment in Virtual Space

    Due to his physical condition, Mats struggled to find love and romance at school or among real life friends. However, through his virtual avatar Ibelin in the game, Mats was able to experience rare moments of romantic connection that he never thought possible. For once, he was able to connect with people just based on who they are on the inside; as Mats observed, “Everyone looks good in this world, so looks don’t matter, it’s about personality.”

    In World of Warcraft, Mats formed a romantic bond with a player known as Rumour. Their connection began with playful moments, like when Rumour stole his hat “just to see what happens,” and gradually grew into a deeper and more significant connection over time. One of the most memorable moments was their virtual kiss, which Mats described as, “The closest thing I’ve ever been to a crush my entire life.” Mats would give her digital gifts and flowers, and she reciprocated by drawing a real-life picture of their characters embracing—a gift Mats would hang in his room.

    Real-World Emotional Bonds

    These digital connections often spilled over into real lives and deep emotional bonds.

    One day, Rumour mysteriously disappeared from the game and stopped playing. Mats only later found out that her parents had taken her computer away due to her poor grades. This sudden disconnect deeply affected Rumour, whose real name was Lisette, and she began struggling with depression because she could no longer connect with her online friends. Mats, finding out about her pain, wrote a heartfelt letter to her parents, pleading with them to return her computer and emphasizing the value of the relationships she had formed in the digital world. His support helped Lisette during one of the most challenging periods she faced, showing how genuine and meaningful digital bonds can be, even outside of virtual spaces.

    Another one of his gaming friends, Xenia, known as Reike in the game, struggled to connect with her autistic son. Mats encouraged her to try gaming as a way to bridge the gap, and through World of Warcraft, Xenia was able to find new ways to communicate and bond with her son, including giving each other “virtual hugs,” which was a big deal because her son struggled with human touch in the real world. Xenia also said that her son could now share things with her that he normally couldn’t in person or face-to-face, improving their overall ability to communicate and connect through the shared experience of video games. 

    These are just a couple examples of how Mats’ digital relationships had significant, positive effects on the real lives of those around him, illustrating the powerful potential of online communities to bring about meaningful change.

    Opening Up About His Condition

    Mats took a long time to open up about his physical condition to the other members of Starlight. Feeling completely protected behind his virtual persona, Mats could ignore his material reality and didn’t have to worry about people showing him superficial pity or sympathy because of his illness. 

    This hesitation to open up and be vulnerable unfortunately led to some missed opportunities, including missed phone calls and video chats with his online friends. And during a real-life meetup and party for all the members of Starlight, Mats ended up being one of the few to not attend.

    Despite his fears of vulnerability, Mats eventually found the courage to open up as his illness progressed. He shared his fears of dying without meaning anything to anyone with Reike/Xenia, who reminded him of the profound impact he had made on her life and her son’s life. She then listed all the other people he had positively influenced, proving just how meaningful his presence had been over the years.

    Ibelin’s Funeral and Legacy

    After Mats’ death, the emotional weight of his digital connections became evident. When his parents announced his death on his blog, there was an outpouring of emails filled with love, sympathy, and support for Mats / Ibelin and his family. One email read, “What mattered to Mats was being able to spread joy in our lives. And stuff I learned from his example has changed the way I think about life. I hope that wherever he is, he knows that he’s remembered and treasured, and smiling right now.” Five of his online friends from multiple different countries attended his funeral, showing how deeply these connections extended outside of the virtual world. The Starlight community also organized their own virtual funeral for Ibelin, which has now become an annual tradition to honor his memory.

    Studies Supporting the Value of Online Gaming

    A well-known study (PDF) by Nick Yee (2006) identified three primary motivations for playing MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games), such as World of Warcraft. Each of these motivations can be seen in Mats’ experience as Ibelin:

    • Achievement: The drive to accomplish goals, gain recognition, and feel a sense of success. Mats fulfilled important roles within the game, like his ‘investigator job,’ which gave him a sense of duty and made him feel valued and respected as a member of the Starlight team.
    • Social Interaction: The desire to connect, build relationships, and be part of a community. Mats was an active member of the Starlight community, where he built meaningful friendships both online and offline, including his connections with Reike (Xenia) and Rumour (Lisette).
    • Immersion: The desire to lose oneself in a fantasy world and experience life through a completely new perspective. Mats immersed himself in his avatar Ibelin and the virtual world of Azeroth, finding freedom from his chronic illness and experiencing life in a way that was uniquely empowering and uplifting. 

    In another related study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, researchers found that players often experience deep social connections within their gaming communities which can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, especially for those who struggle with social anxiety or shyness. And a study in Computers in Human Behavior indicated that the collaborative nature of online games encourages many pro-social attributes such as improved communication, trust, and shared purpose.

    All of these elements are evident in Mats’ story, where his participation in the Starlight community gave him a valued role within a group and elevated his sense of identity and self-worth – all of which are important pillars in building a meaningful life. For individuals facing challenges like physical disabilities or social anxiety, online games can provide an accessible way to fulfill essential psychological needs that may be harder to meet in the physical world.

    Feeling Like You Made a Difference Somewhere

    One of the most meaningful aspects of Mats’ journey as Ibelin was his desire to make a difference in the lives of others. Despite his fears of dying without leaving a mark, Mats’ impact was undeniable. Through his friendships with Rumour, Reike, and others, he provided emotional support, created lasting memories, and changed lives for the better. His story reminds us that feeling like we have made a difference — whether in the physical or digital world —is a fundamental human need that gives life purpose.

    The annual virtual memorials held by the Starlight community, the heartfelt emails his parents received, and the international attendance at his funeral are all powerful symbols of the difference Mats made. His story shows that creating a positive impact on others isn’t just about physical presence, but ultimately the energy you give to others.

    Conclusion

    The Remarkable Life of Ibelin invites us to reconsider how we view digital spaces and the potential they hold for providing meaning, connection, and purpose. The emotional weight of Mats’ story moved me deeply—I’ll admit that by the end of the documentary I was tearing up a little bit, but that shows how powerful “just digital” relationships can be and how inseparable they are from our broader reality. For Mats Steen, World of Warcraft was more than just a game—it was a lifeline, a place where he could be a stronger and more confident version of himself, find love and romantic connection, and support his friends in a real and tangible way. His story is a powerful reminder that behind every avatar is a real person, and that the connections we form online can be just as enriching and life-changing as those we form in the physical world.  

    If you’re looking for more insightful documentaries, check out my recommended list of documentaries here.



    Enter your email to stay updated on new articles in self improvement:

    [ad_2]

    Steven Handel

    Source link

  • Blizzard announces Warcraft 30th anniversary stream next month

    Blizzard announces Warcraft 30th anniversary stream next month

    [ad_1]

    This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Warcraft gaming universe but there’s not going to be a BlizzCon gathering to celebrate it. So Blizzard is doing the next-best thing by holding a live streaming event.

    Blizzard announced that its special stream will start at 1PM ET on Wednesday, November 13. The broadcast will run on Blizzard’s official streaming channels for , and .

    There aren’t many details available about what Warcraft fans can expect to see during the livestream except for a special concert celebrating World of Warcraft’s 20th anniversary. Following the stream, Blizzard will broadcast a live concert called World of Warcraft: 20 Years of Music from Switzerland. The 21st Century Orchestra and the choirs Tales of Fantasy, Ardito and the Madrijazz Gospel will perform selected songs from the MMORPG’s iconic soundtrack.

    Activision Blizzard announced that it wouldn’t be holding a BlizzCon gathering this year despite WoW’s momentous milestone. Maybe that’s because things have been a little rocky for the game company in the past few years. Microsoft included Activision Blizzard in its round of alongside ZeniMax at the beginning of the year, and in the months after the studio in the industry.

    [ad_2]

    Danny Gallagher

    Source link

  • How ‘World of Warcraft’ Devs Launched One of the Biggest Unions in Video Games

    How ‘World of Warcraft’ Devs Launched One of the Biggest Unions in Video Games

    [ad_1]

    They started with fliers. The group of World of Warcraft developers at Activision Blizzard, determined to unionize, were testing the waters after Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition. Microsoft had pledged to honor a labor neutrality agreement, active 60 days after the deal’s close, that would allow workers to explore collective bargaining without fear.

    Even with that agreement on their side, developers were still nervous about even showing interest in a union, says Paul Cox, a senior quest designer who served on the union’s organizing committee. “Prior to [the agreement], we had a lot of people who were like, ‘I’m interested, but I’m really worried about retaliation. I am terrified about getting my name put anywhere.’” he adds.

    That fear wasn’t unfounded. Prior to Microsoft’s acquisition, when they were still under Activision Blizzard’s leadership, unionized quality assurance workers at a studio in Albany, New York, accused management of engaging in union busting tactics. According to one QA tester WIRED spoke to at the time, management was hostile to their efforts, pulling employees into “spontaneous meetings” and “spread[ing] misleading or false information about unions and the unionization process” in a company Slack channel.

    On July 24, Microsoft voluntarily recognized the World of Warcraft developers’ union, a wall-to-wall unit of over 500 employees spanning multiple departments—an achievement that has long been unthinkable in the video game industry. Due to its size and breadth of departments involved, it’s the first of its kind at Activision Blizzard. Those QA testers in Albany eventually managed to establish their union, but they were just one relatively small group.

    The Warcraft developers follow in the footsteps of Bethesda Game Studios, another Microsoft-owned company, which created the first union at a major studio across its entire team with 241 members. Microsoft also voluntarily recognized that union.

    “It was really only after the Microsoft acquisition that the ball started racing down the hill,” Cox says of union efforts. “The lack of fear of retaliation really helped.”

    Also helpful: Reaching out to as many colleagues as possible. “When you’re trying to talk to people about a union, you can really only do it one-on-one,” Cox says. To do that organizers set up tents on the company campus for people to stop by and get information. Being able to openly exist in a space people might pass on the way to lunch, for example, made that process faster and easier.

    Activision Blizzard did not respond to a request for comment before publication.

    Cox says that because it was previously hard to communicate with other employees due to the discreet nature of organizing, he and his colleagues didn’t realize there was a World of Warcraft QA group already trying to unionize. Once they were aware of each other, they combined efforts. As for deciding who should be in the union, Cox says it boiled down to a very simple idea.

    “It was about game creators,” he says. “The people who you couldn’t make the game without.” Whether that’s writers, sound designers, or producers, it doesn’t matter. “We fought pretty hard to make sure that everybody was in the same group, as much as we could get.”

    [ad_2]

    Megan Farokhmanesh

    Source link

  • Microsoft Promises ‘Good Faith Negotiations’ With CWA for Contract After ‘World of Warcraft’ Staff Votes to Unionize

    Microsoft Promises ‘Good Faith Negotiations’ With CWA for Contract After ‘World of Warcraft’ Staff Votes to Unionize

    [ad_1]

    Following a majority vote to unionize under the Communications Workers of America (CWA), “World of Warcraft” gaming staff at Microsoft have received a show of support from the tech company.

    “We continue to support our employees’ right to choose how they are represented in the workplace, and we will engage in good faith negotiations with the CWA as we work towards a collective bargaining agreement,” a spokesperson for Microsoft said Wednesday.

    Per Bloomberg, which first reported on the “World of Warcraft” employees (who are part of Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard team) unionizing, the vote adds approximately 500 designers, engineers, producers, artists and quality assurance testers to the total number of Microsoft’s US-based gaming staff that have unionized, now reaching a total of around 1,750 employees.

    This development follows last week’s news that more than 200 staff members at Microsoft’s “Fallout” maker Bethesda Game Studios had unionized.

    “We are so excited to announce our union at Bethesda Game Studio and join the movement sweeping across the video game industry,” senior system designer and member of CWA Mandi Parker said in a statement Friday. “It is clear that every worker can benefit from bringing democracy into the workplace and securing a protected voice on the job. We’re thrilled to get down to brass tacks and win a fair contract, proving that our unity is a source of real power to positively shape our working conditions, our lives, and the company as a whole.”

    Microsoft has been unusually open to working with unions. As it sought regulatory approval in 2022 to buy Activision Blizzard, the company announced a new set of principles, including a commitment to “collaborative approaches that will make it simpler” for workers to choose whether to unionize.

    More to come…

    [ad_2]

    Jennifer Maas

    Source link

  • Blizzard shares World of Warcraft roadmap for updates through 2024

    Blizzard shares World of Warcraft roadmap for updates through 2024

    [ad_1]

    Blizzard Entertainment has a host of content planned for World of Warcraft, both the retail version of the game and the Classic servers. Today, executive producer Holly Longdale shared a roadmap through 2024, which includes the start of the Worldsoul Saga announced at this year’s BlizzCon.

    There will be three more content updates for the current expansion, Dragonflight. While the expansion won’t continue the usual three-act structure, with a raid at the end of each chapter, we’ll still be seeing the aftermath of the story play out. Patch 10.2.6 is marked with a cheeky pirate skull, and not much else, so that’s a hint that we can likely expect some naval trouble soon. There will also be updates to Dragonflight’s existing dungeons and outdoor content.

    Image: Blizzard Entertainment

    In the spring and summer of 2024, players will be able to test the upcoming The War Within expansion. Blizzard has worked hard to make this expansion the start of a story that plays out over the game’s next three expansions in The War Within, Midnight, and The Last Titan, so it’s likely that the early War Within content will have hints and foreshadowing that will pay off down the road.

    Blizzard is also continuing to develop World of Warcraft Classic, which allows players to experience past eras of World of Warcraft. Cataclysm Classic is on the way, but there’ll be new changes to the traditional gameplay styles. There’s already Hardcore Mode, which means if your character dies, they’re permanently dead. An upcoming “Self-Found” mode will restrict the player from acquiring gear or assistance from allies; it’s a one-person venture to the top.

    The World of Warcraft Classic roadmap, showing new gameplay modes like the Season of Discovery, as well as the launch of Cataclysm Classic.

    Image: Blizzard Entertainmnt

    These updates will play out throughout the course of the year, so we may see certain dates and events get shifted. However, it looks like Blizzard is dedicated to providing consistent updates to both version of its popular MMO. While Cataclysm wasn’t the most beloved expansion, the new changes to Classic modes has helped to revitalize player interest. We’ll have to see how the rest of Dragonflight plays out, and how it helps set the stage for the upcoming The War Within.

    [ad_2]

    Cass Marshall

    Source link

  • World of Warcraft Classic is becoming its own game — is Fortnite OG next?

    World of Warcraft Classic is becoming its own game — is Fortnite OG next?

    [ad_1]

    A couple of significant things happened in the world of online gaming over the first weekend of November. At its BlizzCon convention in California, Blizzard devoted quite a lot of time to World of Warcraft Classic — the nostalgic, retro version of its 19-year-old massively multiplayer game — and revealed surprisingly ambitious plans for Classic’s future. At the same time, Fortnite’s servers were melting under the load of its biggest day ever, which was all down to the launch of Fortnite OG, a special season bringing back the game’s original map and 2018 gameplay.

    All of a sudden, in the proudly impermanent world of online gaming — where change is always good, and if it’s not, never mind, because here comes more change — winding back the clock is big business. It’s a kind of paradox: Because online games are always evolving, a sense of scarcity and intense nostalgia forms around the way they used to be. If you can find a way to bring that feeling back, especially for an audience that’s getting jaded, then you’re on to something.

    Blizzard initially seemed reluctant to get on board with a growing movement in WoW’s community that wanted to go back to the way things were in 2004-2005. It squashed unofficial “vanilla” servers and prevaricated over creating an official alternative for years. In a way, it’s understandable: If you have spent many years of effort on (in your eyes) modernizing and improving your game, why would you want to indulge this rose-tinted exercise? Isn’t World of Warcraft just better now?

    Of course, that’s a value judgment — but what’s undeniable is that WoW is now extremely different from how it used to be. And that’s exactly what makes Classic a viable and interesting, if slightly old-fashioned, alternative. After Classic arrived in 2019, included in a standard WoW subscription, it became a roaring success, partly because of the strong contrast between it and the two unloved expansions (Battle for Azeroth and Shadowlands) it launched between.

    But what’s really fascinating about Classic is where Blizzard is taking it next — because Classic is an online game, and no online game can stand still, even a throwback. It began as a relatively faithful version of the original MMO with smart tweaks: It moved through content patches at an accelerated rate, while locking to a single iteration of game design and balance. Then it bifurcated, with some servers moving forward through classic expansions, while others stayed in the “vanilla” era. This year, it acquired a third track, something completely new that WoW had never had before: a permadeath Hardcore mode, which turned out to be a game-reviving innovation that was quite brilliant in its simplicity.

    From its showing at BlizzCon, Blizzard is doubling down on morphing WoW Classic into its own game. The expansion servers are moving on to Cataclysm, which is probably the point at which “classic” becomes a misnomer: Whatever your feelings about this divisive expansion, its sweeping rewrite of the “old world” questing experience is the point at which original WoW died, and is still represented in the game today. Blizzard is going even further than it has before in tweaking and fixing this expansion for Classic, accelerating leveling, adding quality-of-life features, and throwing in new dungeon difficulties and loot.

    World of Wacraft Classic’s Season of Discovery seeds the well-explored world of Azeroth with secrets.
    Image: Blizzard Entertainment

    But that isn’t even the headline. Blizzard — drawing inspiration from sister series Diablo, as it did for the Hardcore mode — is also introducing a fourth track to the WoW Classic servers that seasonally remixes the original “vanilla” game. Season of Discovery, which launches on Nov. 30, seeds entirely new content across the original world of Azeroth in the form of Discoveries, which producer Josh Greenfield said at BlizzCon were a way to disrupt the “solved nature” of original WoW and restore a “feeling of adventure and exploration.” It also offers a Rune Engraving system that endows classes with entirely new abilities, even allowing them to switch archetypes (you’ll be able to create a tank Warlock or a healer Mage, to name a couple).

    The game is furthermore being broken up into level-banded phases — the initial level cap will be only 25 — and interpolated with all-new endgames, one for each phase. The first of these reworks the classic leveling dungeon Blackfathom Deeps as a 10-player raid, but Blizzard is also teasing adding unfinished or cut content, and even all-new dungeons, to Season of Discovery. It’s not just a new way to think about classic WoW — it’s a new approach to structuring MMOs, borrowing liberally from across the online gaming landscape. It’s pretty exciting.

    That Blizzard is going to all this effort shows that WoW Classic is working both for the business and for the WoW community. It also demonstrates that for an online gaming nostalgia mode to succeed in the long term, it needs to evolve away from being an emulation or restoration of a bygone experience, and become a (sort of) fresh game in its own right. (Or, in Classic’s case, four games.)

    The sleepy town plaza of Tilted Towers in Fortnite, with no players

    Tilted Towers has returned in Fortnite OG.
    Image: Epic Games

    Currently, Epic has no plans to keep Fortnite OG going past its current monthlong season, which sprints through six seasons of the game’s Chapter 1 in a matter of weeks instead of months. The branding clearly allows for OG to return and revisit later chapters, but given the enormous surge in interest, Epic would be foolish not to be considering ways to keep some of these new or returning players in the fold permanently.

    It’s true that WoW and Fortnite are very different games with, crucially, different business models. Splitting the game’s audience might be more of a worry for Epic than it is for Blizzard, which is presumably happy as long as all those players stay within the one subscription-paying bucket. But WoW has proven that a big online game — especially one with a history — can support a family of sub-communities enjoying different flavors of the same game. Indeed, that might be the healthiest way forward for a game of that sort, certainly one approaching its 20th anniversary.

    More importantly, perhaps, what WoW Classic and Fortnite OG demonstrate is that the history of online games doesn’t have to be consigned to the scrapheap of memory. There’s a genuine hunger from players to turn back the clock, which, when met by an inventive studio that understands what was special about what it created but is willing to take some risks with it, can create something vibrant and sustainable in the long term — a kind of multiverse of paths not taken for your favorite old multiplayer games. What’s next, Vault of Glass in modern Destiny 2? Sign me up.

    [ad_2]

    Oli Welsh

    Source link

  • Sorry Necromancers, Diablo IV Is Nerfing One Of Its Most Popular Classes

    Sorry Necromancers, Diablo IV Is Nerfing One Of Its Most Popular Classes

    [ad_1]

    Diablo IV is still a couple of months away, but Blizzard is already stomping down some of the game’s most popular classes ahead of its June 6 release date. The studio posted a new blog on its website reflecting on the game’s recent beta, and shared what’s basically a full set of patch notes it will implement ahead of Diablo IV’s launch. While there aren’t a lot of hard numbers to go off of, you can at least get a sense of where some of the game’s character classes will be by the time fans get to play them again.

    8 Minutes Of Diablo IV’s Character Creator

    What is Blizzard doing to my precious baby angel Necromancer?

    At the end of March, Blizzard said Necromancers and Sorcerers were the most popular classes among beta players. This was especially significant for Necromancer, as the class was only available during one of the game’s two test periods, while the Sorcerer was available for both. Kotaku’s own Levi Winslow used Necromancer most, and said the class was “truly busted” thanks to its ability to revive dead skeletons to fight alongside them. While Blizzard’s new blog says these dead minions will die more often, there are no specific numbers or any mention of a smaller skeletal headcount being forced upon players. The developer notes the dead’s increased vulnerability will make raising them “a more active component” in playing the Necromancer, rather than something you can just set and forget.

    The Sorcerer’s debuffs seem less all-encompassing, with Chain Lightning dealing less damage and specifically reduced effectiveness against boss characters. But beyond that, the class is getting some buffs with abilities like Charged Bolt and an increased Lucky Hit chance for Meteor Skill’s Enchantment bonus.

    While players will be getting some changes in the final game, some enemies will, as well. The Butcher, an enemy who gave some players a tough time during the beta, may be getting some kind of rework before the game launches. The blog states that the team has “re-evaluated” the enemy for difficulty, and it will “present a greater challenge in World Tiers III and IV.” So it sounds like it might become easier on lower difficulties, but even harder on higher ones.

    What’s happening in the Diablo IV pre-release patch notes?

    Beyond balance changes, Blizzard is also tweaking Diablo IV’s dungeon layouts to avoid backtracking, which it says was a common complaint during the betas. Here is the full list of patch notes for those curious:

    Dungeon Layouts

    • One of the most common pieces of feedback Blizzard received is that players felt they were doing a lot of backtracking within certain dungeons. The team has optimized multiple dungeons across all zones to minimize the need for backtracking. Here is a list of dungeons specifically in the Fractured Peaks zone which received layout updates:
    • Caldera Gate
    • Defiled Catacombs
    • Derelict Lodge
    • Forbidden City
    • Hoarfrost Demise
    • Immortal Emanation
    • Kor Dragan Barracks
    • Maulwood
    • Rimescar Caverns

    Developer’s Note: Our primary goal with the Layout changes was to reduce certain kinds of backtracking which detract from a player’s experience. An example of this change is that players previously needed to enter side rooms to interact with Structure Objectives, causing them to retread the same path. Now, many of our Structure Objectives have been repositioned along main dungeon pathways, making them easier for players to reach and allowing them to readily explore the dungeon after defeating the Structure.

    Dungeon Events

    • The chance for an Event to spawn inside of a dungeon has increased from 10% to 60%.

    Dungeon Gameplay

    • To reduce the need to backtrack, small numbers of straggling monsters will seek out the player to help complete the Kill All Monsters objective.

    When Animus is gathered, the player and nearby allies will:

    • Gain 10 Resource.
    • Reduce all active Cooldowns by 1 second.
    • Depositing Animus channel time was reduced from 3 to 0 seconds.
    • The time to Rescue was reduced from 3 to 1.5 seconds.
    • All Rescue objectives now drop a Health Potion upon completion.
    • While carrying the Ancient’s Statue, Bloodstone, Mechanical Box, or Stone Carving, you will receive a Momentum bonus granting a 25% move speed increase to you and nearby allies.
    • Pedestals have had their channel time reduced from 2 to 0 seconds.
    • Returning a Portable Object to its Pedestal now fully restores Health, Resource, Potions, and resets cooldowns for all nearby players.
    • All doors will now generate a minimap ping when they are opened.
    • All Structure Objectives in dungeons now have additional combat mechanics players must overcome.

    Developer’s Note: While our dungeons offer a variety of Objectives to complete, player feedback stated that the action of completing each Objective felt tedious. We hope that providing bonuses, such as the increase to mobility while carrying certain Objective items, will streamline and vary the experience of completing Objectives. This adjustment is merely a starting point, and we intend to extend this philosophy to keys in a future update.

    General

    • Effects like Stun and Freeze can be applied to Elite Monsters twice as long before they become Unstoppable.
    • Reviewed class skills to confirm that all classes have access to sufficient skills that remove control impairing effects.
    • Many Legendary Powers have had updates to their effectiveness.

    Barbarian

    • A flat 10% passive damage reduction has been added for the Barbarian Class. Some Skill Tree passives had their damage reduction effects reduced to compensate.
    • The Whirlwind Skill now deals more damage and consumes more Fury.
    • The Double Swing Skill Enhancement refunds its full Fury cost when used on Stunned or Knocked Down enemies.

    Druid

    • Companion Skills will now deal heavily increased damage.
    • All Ultimate Skills have had their cooldowns reduced.
    • Usability improvements have been made to Maul and Pulverize.
    • Using a non-Shapeshifting Skill will transform a Druid back into their human form.

    Necromancer

    • Summoned Minions will die more often, requiring players to utilize Corpses more often.
    • Many bonuses in the Book of the Dead have had their stats increased.
    • The damage dealt by the Corpse Explosion skill has been reduced.
    • The brightness of the Skeletal Warriors and Mages has been reduced.

    Rogue

    • Upgrades for Subterfuge Skills have had their bonuses increased.
    • Multiple passive Skills have had their bonuses increased.
    • All Imbuement Skills have had their cooldowns increased.

    Sorcerer

    • Charged Bolt’s damage was increased and the Mana cost to cast has decreased.
    • Decreased the damage of Chain Lightning and reduced its effectiveness against Bosses.
    • Decreased the cooldown for the Incinerate Skill’s Enchantment bonus.
    • Firewalls will now spawn underneath enemies more frequently when using its Enchantment bonus.
    • Increased the Lucky Hit chance for the Meteor Skill’s Enchantment bonus.

    Developer’s Note: Whenever we introduce changes to our Classes, it is with the goal of making both them and their Skills feel impactful and powerful—your feedback has helped us uphold this ideal. Some players have adeptly noticed that certain Skills were too powerful. One of our goals for Skills is to have them be interesting to wield and interactive in terms of itemization and combat feel. We’ve made some changes to help in this regard, with one example being the Necromancer’s Minions. We’ve made a change that makes them more vulnerable in combat, which will make raising the dead a more active component of the Necromancer’s gameplay. Launch is just the first step of our Class balance journey, and you can expect further updates that iterate on this pillar of Diablo IV.

    UI

    • Fixed an issue where the built-in Screen Reader was not reading key prompts, game options details, and other UI text.
    • Fixed an issue where actions could not be bound to the mouse wheel.
    • Fixed an issue where Evade couldn’t be bound to the right Analog Stick on controller.
    • Chat will now display on the left side of the screen when using the centered action bar configuration.
    • A character’s stats will be displayed by default when players click the Materials & Stats button within their Inventory.
    • The Move and Interact inputs can now be mapped to one button while the Primary Attack input is mapped to a secondary button.
    • The sans serif font used in-game has been replaced with a new serif font.

    Encounters

    • Fixed multiple issues that allowed bosses, like the Butcher, to become unresponsive.
    • The Butcher has been re-evaluated for difficulty and will present a greater challenge in World Tiers III and IV.
    • Bosses such as T’chort, Malnok, Vhenard, and others were reevaluated for melee character difficulty, resulting in changes to attacks and fight mechanics.
    • Fixed an issue where Vampire Brutes using the Shadow Enchant affix would chain-cast Impale.

    Cellars

    • Increased the chance for a dungeon Event to occur in Cellars.
    • Cellars will now consistently reward a chest upon completion.
    • Fixed an issue where Cellars would prematurely be marked as complete.
    • Fixed an issue where the guaranteed elite monster would be absent from a Cellar.

    General quality of life

    • Fixed an issue where players could increase attack speed by move-cancelling attacks early.
    • Fixed an issue where characters weren’t immune and untargetable after loading into an area.
    • The Reset Dungeon button has been disabled.
    • Fixed an issue that caused Gale Valley and Serac Rapture to have less monsters than intended until the campaign quests in those territories were completed.

    [ad_2]

    Kenneth Shepard

    Source link

  • Spree3D Releases the MyDubble™ App for Fashionistas to Instantly Wear True-to-Life Digital Fashion via Personalized Metaverse Experiences

    Spree3D Releases the MyDubble™ App for Fashionistas to Instantly Wear True-to-Life Digital Fashion via Personalized Metaverse Experiences

    [ad_1]

    Press Release
    –

    Oct 6, 2022


    INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev., October 6, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Spree3D, a technology company specializing in hyperreal avatar experiences, debuts the MyDubble app in beta on the Apple App Store. MyDubble is a video studio powered by Spree3D’s photoreal avatar platform — enabling digital storytelling for personalized fashion experiences. Create MyDubble videos starring the user’s digital twin walking an exotic runway at a music festival, posting in Paris or Tokyo, and much more. 

    MyDubble offers fashion brands a fun creator platform targeted at digital natives, where anyone can instantly model virtualized apparel and share with friends as glamorous fashion videos. Integrating photoreal fashion Dubbles into a video studio, MyDubble offers partners a “phygital” fashion opportunity that rises above the noise, allowing users to explore digital fashion in their social content and purchase physical items. 

    How MyDubble Works: 

    Creating a MyDubble video is as easy as 1-2-3. 

    1. Create the Dubble from a quick phone scan. 
    2. Pick the Dubble’s outfit out of a growing catalog of original designs. 
    3. Pick Dubble’s setting from a selection of lifestyle scenes. 

    That’s all it takes to create a fantastical fashion video starring the custom Dubble. 

    Download MyDubble in the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mydubble/id1554358760 

    MyDubble turbocharges community building. Creators pick fashion apparel in the app to feature in MyDubble posts. Partners can launch metaverse fandoms populated with photoreal fan avatars. A “dubbled” fan base offers new engagement, merchandise, and analytic opportunities. 

    “Our vision starts with allowing anyone to be on the inside of beautiful fashion experiences. By taking a photorealistic approach, we can automate a key category of social content promotions, expanding the reach of brands to a much larger creator audience,” says Bob Davidson, CEO at Spree3D. “Photorealistic Dubbles are game changers that create new promotional, revenue, and partner opportunities.” 

    MEDIA ASSETS HERE: https://bit.ly/3BS4CA6 

    ABOUT SPREE3D: 

    Founded in 2020, Spree3D is the brainchild of Bob Davidson — a pioneer in digital entertainment (who founded Blizzard Entertainment and launched World of Warcraft), and Lisa Park — a global fashion entrepreneur. Our vision is to allow anyone to be in fabulous fashion experiences. Spree3D has delivered the first Hyperreal Avatar Studio — virtualizing humans and apparel for avatar adventure videos. The MyDubble app provides a new way to socialize digital fashion, enabling instant avatar communities that create and share fantasy fashion videos. With MyDubble, users can Be In It — with a few clicks, fans can be in a fashion post and personalize it to make it their own. 

    Source: Spree3D

    [ad_2]

    Source link