Is Call of Duty the New Fortnite?

Let us get this out of the way first, Call of Duty has been a popular game for over 18 years. It has been beloved since it was first released back in 2003, and people still play it to this very day. With many spin-offs and a lot of new content, the Call of Duty franchise has built its own fan base. Another extremely popular game that made its debut was Fortnite, which dropped in 2017. This game was an instant success and is widely played all over the world on every gaming platform. Recently, there has been a trend of similarities between the games. Despite the games having their own player base, these games are far more similar than ever before.

Call of Duty, or better known as COD, has been releasing a steady flow of gaming content for 18 years. In some of their recent games, Call of Duty began charging people for content. This is not uncommon among online games, because with the release of new content, players can have more exciting stuff to look forward to. Charging a few dollars for releases of new maps or new gaming environments always seemed appropriate for players who wanted more. COD has a system called battle passes that they have implemented that offers more content for the players. This battle pass is free if you play the game, however, another feature that the game copies from Fortnite is paying for the battel pass completion. Instead of working hard to unlock the games content, players can spend $120 to fully unlock the battle pass. This is similar to Fortnite because all the game really offers is a few new gun skins and a few characters recoloring skins. This is basically Fortnite for adults.

Both games have tried to separate their content and make their own universe, but one thing is clear, these games are fundamentally the same. Both games are free shooting games that have developed their own story lines. Both games focus on the same battle royal system and offer “new” services for money. These games are about as different as roses. Ones red, ones white. Same flower. Both games are initially meant for older teens and adults but instead is widely played by children.

Simply put, Fortnite stole a lot of content from COD, and COD did the same in return.

Source:https://www.essentiallysports.com/fortnite-vs-call-of-duty-warzone-which-is-the-better-battle-royale-esports-news/

Micro Transactions Control Our World.

How many times have you gone online and seen something ask for a subscription? How many times have you used an app just to realize that you need a subscription for full access? How many times have your little kids came up to you and asked to buy something for Fortnite? You may not realize it, but micro transactions control our lives.

Ever since the smart phones made their first appearance, micro transactions begun to appear. At first, different smart devices begun to pride themselves on the vast availability of applications and games. Slowly, as more and more content came out, micro transactions began to occur. Apps slowly began to offer more content for a few bucks. This slowly began creeping into every single aspect of everyday life. Some of the most popular games have the most micro transactions. In 2020, over 77 billion dollars were exchanged in micro transactions alone.

Most of the popular free to play games and applications have micro transactions. If you play games like Fortnite, you might find it that sometimes you want to buy a “battle pass”. This is simply new content and skins for your playable character and does not offer anything new to the game. However, many people still choose to pay to unlock this content. This is extremely popular with young children. (Keep in mind that games such as Fortnite are not meant for children under the age 12, the game contains violence, guns and killing. It is a free person shooting game.) Children of all ages ask their parents for money to unlock content that does not change the gaming experience but simply alters a surface appearance. This is because the game creators know who plays their games and they know that releasing some minor alterations and charging hundreds of dollars for it will yield profit. I mean who does not want to run around as their favorite avenger or as John Wick?

The same can be said for games on your phone. Some people who commute by train or bus sometimes find themselves looking at their phones and playing one of millions of game apps available. Some of the biggest games such as candy crush or angry birds generate millions in revenue for the simple service of renewing lives. They offer in app services that make the game easier. Despite sometimes only offering the service for $0.99, they still generate thousands of dollars per day from millions of people who play the game.

One simple fact remains, you do not need to spend money on games. Just like any other game out there, most content can be unlocked by working hard. These sell out services on games take away from the working hard aspect of gaming. It shows that anything can be achieved if you have money. My recommendation is this: If you play and you want to use micro transactions, its up to you, however, do not forget that money is a necessity that should not be spent for 3 minutes of satisfaction. Anything online can be earned through hard work. Save your money and encourage yourself to dedicate time instead of money. Children, especially, need to understand that money is finite. Do not let your children use micro transactions carelessly. It is your money, you should know how to spend it wisely.

Source:https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-controversy-of-micro-transactions-in-games/

Honest review of the PS5.

The PlayStation 5 has been out for 5 months now. Most of us have had to struggle to get one. I have enjoyed playing the game station for the few days I’ve had it, however, just like many other things out there, it is not without fault. Its normal to expect bugs and glitches in new systems and hardware, but many things about the PlayStation 5 make it unbearable and difficult to enjoy.

The first issue with the PlayStation 5 is the memory capacity. Most standard PlayStation 5’s come with 845 gigabytes of memory. Most people would think that having nearly a full TB memory would give them an opportunity to download many games and enjoy many hours of entertainment. I have downloaded three different games I have lost all memory on the device. For me to properly play the game station, I need to remove two games just to be able to play one. The PlayStation also has another storage feature that, for some ungodly reason, manages to take up over 200 gigabytes of memory. The memory in the game station gets wasted in a matter of minutes and you might be lucky to only be able to play one game at a time. The easiest solution for this is to get an external hard drive and connect it to the game station. This way, you will be able to download the games to your hard drive and play right off them. Just like everything else, this is a temporary solution to permanent and ongoing problem of wasted memory.

The next issue is that the console crashes way too frequently. The connection on the console is not always the greatest to the host and as a result, your games freeze out or they shut down. The PlayStation network is working on improving the quality of gaming for all people. Every time that crash does occur, the PlayStation network requests that you sent it in so that they can adjust. This goes back to the first issue of memory. For the PlayStation to work properly, you would need to have system updates and that would result in memory loss. Since the game station is not even a half year old, there are still a lot of improvements left to be made. Only time will tell how long it will be before the game station will function perfectly and people can enjoy good quality of gaming.

Despite these major shortcomings, there are still solutions to the problems. As I described earlier, the PS5 has external memory capabilities which allow individuals to play games from an external hard drive. The external hard drive is a temporary solution to a permanent problem, but it is a solution, nonetheless. All game stations do go through regular software updates and in turn will make the gaming experience better. All in all, I am enjoying the quality of gaming I have been able to receive thus far.

https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-playstation-ps5-console-restock-at-amazon-best-buy-gamestop-sony-walmart/

The perfect shopping app.

(This is by no means meant to advertise. This is to offer help for those who wish to use the app. I am not affiliated with the application, but rather use it.)

               For quite some time now, I have been trying to get my hand on a PlayStation 5. Before its initial release, I did not think it would be necessary to preorder it. Due to the pandemic, I imagined that a lot of PlayStations would be made and released to the public. Since everyone is home, I imagined many people wanting to get one. Since then, I learned the hard way that people are too greedy and are using this as an opportunity to benefit themselves. I finally found an app that gives me a chance to obtain the game station.

               The app called HotStock was recommended to me by a BestBuy employee. I walked in to pick up a Nintendo switch (which I was lucky enough to get before it was bought out again), and I asked my usual set of questions. “Do you guys have a PS5 in stock? When will you guys have it in store?” I always got the same answer, “we don’t carry them in store anymore, your best chance is to get it online.” As disappointed as I was, the security guard offered me some hope. He said that he was using this app called HotStock and it shows when stores are restocking highly desirable items and which stores have them in stock. As skeptical as I was, I had nothing to lose. I downloaded the app and I have zero regrets about it.

               Thanks to the app, I was finally, TODAY, finally, after 6 months, able to secure my very own PS5.

               The app has its own algorithm that was created to track multiple stores that have inventory of highly desired products. This is not just limited to gaming or computer software. It involves hand sanitizers, household products, masks, and anything else that is desired during COVID. People can set alarms and notifications on their phone for when stores restock any product, and they are notified 20 minutes before it becomes available. This gives customers an opportunity to buy a product they want fairly before the bots buy out the whole lot.

               This app is absolutely free.

               For those of us who are adamant gamers or are trying to buy a gift for our kids, this application is the saving grace that we needed. Within 2 days of me using it, I was able to obtain something that I struggled to get for 6 months. If I were not told about the app, I would have never been able to get my perfect game station.

Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/ps5-restock-is-live-at-sony-direct-get-in-line-now/