Games Dynamics

Monopoly Go, a popular mobile game, has reached a cross-border cooperation with Six Nations Rugby, a top European sports event for the first time. This is also the first time that Six Nations Rugby has cooperated with a mobile game, combining the classic Monopoly board game with the passion of rugby to create an immersive carnival that runs through virtual and real life for players and fans.

Collaboration Content

The cooperation was announced before the game last month, and Monopoly Go brand was placed in Six Nations matchday advertisement. Sharp-eyed fans may have noticed the image of this classic board game IP on the field. In addition to the themed image on the field, we can also look forward to other interactions, such as winning tickets to Six Nations Rugby by throwing Monopoly GO Dice.

In addition, players will have the opportunity to participate in Six Nations-themed in-game tournament and win exclusive shield awards. During the linkage period, players can also get limited Monopoly GO dice and cards by completing tasks, which is worth looking forward to. Special in-game events and promotions are designed to provide fans with rugby-themed experiences and strengthen the connection between the sport and the game.

Navin Singh, Chief Commercial and Growth Officer at Six Nations Rugby, said Six Nations’ new partnership with Monopoly Go is exciting because it provides a unique and truly interactive way for global mobile game fans and player communities to experience the passion of rugby while playing games.

Background Of The Partnership

According to the official, this collaboration aims to break through the traditional game user circle and attract more sports enthusiasts to experience the fun of Monopoly GO with the help of Six Nations Rugby’s strong fan base in the European and American markets. Similarly, Six Nations Rugby also hopes to attract young players to pay attention to the event through game implantation, break the public’s stereotype of rugby, and promote the game’s youth and digitalization.

The teamwork and tactical layout of rugby coincide with the resource allocation and social game of Monopoly Go. The developer said that it is very happy to cooperate with Six Nations Rugby as their first mobile game partner. This marks the first appearance of Monopoly Go in European sports sponsorship and brings its competitive spirit to the court.

Industry Observation

Although this cooperation is not new in the sports world, after all, sports leagues such as the Premier League, NFL and NBA have long used games to attract young audiences. However, this time, Monopoly Go entered as a non-sports game, and through thematic content transformation and offline scene integration, it took a different approach and became another benchmark case of cross-border cooperation between game IP and sports events, providing new ideas for cross-border cooperation of other game IPs.

According to data analysis, compared with similar games, Monopoly Go attracted users of a wider age range, while still maintaining a younger audience than other similar games. There is no doubt that this will greatly help Six Nations' ratings. At the same time, it can be foreseen that the activity of game players will also increase accordingly during the linkage period. This cross-border cooperation is a win-win situation.

When Monopoly GO dice interweaves with the cheers of the rugby field, the cross-border cooperation between Monopoly GO and Six Nations Rugby not only creates a fresh experience for players and fans, but also confirms the huge potential of the cross-border model of game IP and sports in commercial value.

On Valentine's Day, the update of Genshin Impact Version 5.4 has excited many players. In the updated version, not only the new character Yumemizuki Mizuki has been added, but also the announcement of Rizley and Furina returns is very exciting. That's not all! The developers also provide a variety of rich events for travelers to have fun and get Genshin Impact Genesis Crystals!

New events in Genshin Impact usually focus not only on exploring Teyvat, but also on its inhabitants. Not only can you get to know your favorite characters, but also open up new perspectives on the history of the world of Teyvat. Every version update brings new events, so players are always looking forward to it.

Below is an overview of the event schedule we have prepared for you to help you stay informed of all the activities. Please prepare your Genshin Impact Accounts and don't miss any rewards.

Realm Of Tempered Valor & Enchanted Tales Of Mikawa Festival

Both events will run from the start of the update until March 3rd. To participate in the above events, players must have Adventure Rank 30+ and complete Ritou Escape Plan section of Archon Quest Chapter 2 Act 1.

The story will involve interactions with various Inazuman characters, helping you get to know NPCs better, while you can also participate in mini-games such as Akitsu Harpastum: Dreams Doubled, Fox’s Daydream, and Phantom Bunshin. Don't underestimate these mini-games. Although they are simple in the early stages, they are still difficult and challenging for players in the later stages.

Players can get rich rewards during the event, such as a new 4-star polearm Tamayuratei no Ohanashi and its refining materials, standard character and weapon materials, Crown of Insight, and Primogems. You can experience more exciting game plots and reap rich rewards. This event is currently in full swing, so players must not miss it.

Traveler's Tales: Anthology Chapter

To unlock Traveler's Tales: Anthology Chapter, you must complete Archon Ques A New Star Approaches in Chapter 1, Act 3, and reach at least Adventure Rank 28!

Travelers have now reached Genshin Impact Version 5.4, and the game already has more than 90 playable units, and it is difficult for some characters to make a comeback in the upcoming storyline. Therefore, in this event, players can visit old companions in different regions and listen to their daily life stories. Collect all anecdotes of all characters in the entire map to get rewards, including standard character and weapon materials and Primogems.

However, there are currently only 19 anecdotes that can be collected according to the character in the anecdote. It is worth reminding that the number of anecdotes that players can experience each day is limited. If the map no longer shows that there are companions to visit, then wait until another day.

Reel Ad-Venture

This event is similar to Into the Frame mini-game event, where you can record videos from different angles and edit them together to make an ad. During the event, some familiar faces will join the ranks of travelers to make it together.

This event is a full display of the creativity of all travelers. There are also rewards for standard characters and weapon materials and Primogems. Don't miss this opportunity.

The above is the event schedule of Genshin Impact Version 5.4. Various activities can provide players with generous rewards. The developers have provided players with so many exciting activities. You must not miss it! I wish all travelers have fun in the game.

It is reported that Niantic, the developer of Pokémon Go, and Scopely, the publisher of Monopoly Go! under Saudi Arabia, are negotiating various aspects of the deal, but the deal has not yet been completed, and the developers on both sides have remained silent on it.

Current Status Of Operations Of Niantic, The Developer Of Pokémon Go

So far, Niantic still cooperates with its original partner to operate Monster Hunter Now, and the first game developed by Niantic is still in use. However, as Pokémon Go became popular in a short period of time, the developers of Pokémon Go tried to copy this popular model in an attempt to succeed in a short period of time. But the opposite happened, and blindly copying brought a large number of layoffs.

Introduction To Monopoly Go!

Scopely, the other party in the transaction with Niantic, as the developer of Monopoly Go!, is the largest mobile game in 2023 and is deeply loved by all players.

Monopoly Go! is a relatively simple board game that incorporates many elements. It can be used to build houses, etc. It is suitable for players to kill time in their spare time. There are not too many complicated rules in this game. Monopoly Go Dice is the key to the player's movement. Players can reach different boards according to the number of dice points. There are different tasks, rewards, adventures, etc. on different boards, which brings a sense of unknown to players. When the dice are not enough to use, they can be obtained by collecting login rewards and other activities.

Moreover, Monopoly Go! will continue to launch new tasks and other flash events every day. For example, the billionaire blueprint event that just ended, as players continue to upgrade, they will have the opportunity to obtain MG Stickers and other valuable items.

In short, this is a game suitable for multiplayer. The whole game is full of fun and adventure, and is deeply loved by players.

The Impact Of A Successful Transaction

Although the transaction between the two parties has not been completed, from the perspective of the game developer, if the transaction goes smoothly, Scopely will not only have Monopoly Go!, which is loved by players, but also Pokémon Go, which has exploded in a short period of time, then the company's market value will definitely increase.

However, developers need to think about how to retain the original players of Pokémon Go, whether to keep the original mode of the game or to modify and explore it according to the company's positioning. However, whether the revised game can retain the original players requires in-depth thinking.

If Niantic really sells Pokémon Go, how will Niantic develop in the future? Will it create new games or go bankrupt? Where will its employees go? All these require developers to think about.

Both games have their own player groups, and gamers are just spectators. Perhaps the sale of Pokémon Go will not cause other problems for players, but for developers, losing a hit game is really uncomfortable.

Every trailer of Phantom Blade Zero is impressive, so good that people can’t believe its authenticity, but its actual game demo is even better than the trailer, which makes players look forward to it more and more.

The producer of Phantom Blade Zero recently talked about the design direction of the game in an interview with VICE, saying that it “combines the exploration experience of soul-like games and the combat experience of traditional action games.”

What Kind Of Game Is Shadow Blade Zero?

The producer said that Phantom Blade Zero was not a soul-like game from the beginning, but it is not a traditional action game either. It is a new type of game structure derived and designed by S-Game itself, which may combine the exploration experience of soul-like games and the combat experience of traditional action games.

There are a lot of cultivation and collection elements in the game, and the plot is far more complicated than ordinary action games. Phantom Blade Zero’s predecessor Rainblood: Town of Death is even a turn-based RPG. It has side quests, multiple endings, weapon upgrades, skill trees, and complex three-dimensional maps. This is also different from the pure hack-and-slash games that players usually understand. S-Game does not follow the established pattern of any specific genre, but derives a new type of game from scratch.

The producer also talked about that Phantom Blade Zero has a simple difficulty suitable for novices and an extremely difficult difficulty suitable for experts (harder than Souls games). The amazing, high-speed battles in the promotional video can actually be completed with only a few buttons, no combination keys, no rubbing moves, but there is still a gradual learning curve and a very deep practice depth.

S-Game will try its best to ensure that the game runs at 2k 40~60fps on PS5, and it will be clearer and smoother if it is on PS5pro or PC equipped with high-end graphics cards. The producer confidently stated that according to the actual feedback from last year, Phantom Blade Zero is not only as smooth as it looks but also smoother than the visual effect in actual operation.

What Kind Of Combat Experience Can Shadow Blade Zero Bring?

When playing Phantom Blade Zero, players will fight at a very high speed, with fast movement speed and high attack frequency. Players can control the character to climb pillars, run horizontally against walls, and suddenly flash behind the enemy with ghostly movements. From time to time, a special execution will appear, causing the camera to suddenly pull to a wide angle or close-up.

In this process, players will feel a little dizzy. Although we try to make everything on the screen pleasing to the eye, you still need to stay rational in this blood-pumping battle in order to deal with the enemy’s attacks again and again and fight back. You will constantly switch between rational observation and impulsive adventures, and everything happens very quickly. If you lose control, you will fail instantly and try again as soon as possible.

If you withstand the pressure, make a few beautiful counterattacks, and successfully break the enemy’s armor, you are likely to have a whim, continue to make crazy combos, and quickly kill the enemy within the time of this armor break.

Phantom Blade Zero Production

S-Game highly appreciates Unreal Engine 5. It saves S-Game a lot of basic work, so that it can focus on content creation. In the field of content creation, S-Game is also confident that it can participate in the top competition. They also mentioned some of their own advantages:

Since S-Game is a Chinese team, S-Game can use many martial arts stunt actors. S-Game often lets many extremely outstanding martial arts masters perform in one shot at the same time, which allows S-Game to accumulate a lot of animation resources, which will present amazing effects in the game.

S-Game and Game Science have conducted numerous physical scans. Whether it is a huge temple building, a smaller dwelling, or a weapon, a small prop, when a large number of high-precision objects obtained by scanning are combined in an original way and carefully lit, the models in the game will become more exquisite and charming.

The content of this communication with S-Game is undoubtedly exciting. S-Game is steadily advancing their work, and Phantom Blade Zero is being completed step by step according to their expected progress. People are looking forward to the day when players can really play it.

As we all know, Path of Exile 2 was released into Early Access on Friday, December 6, 2024. Although some players said that the early experience was not particularly smooth, it is a good start, with significant innovations in core gameplay, end-game mechanisms, and character builds.

There is no doubt that Path of Exile 2 is currently considered one of the best action role-playing games on the market and is very worth looking forward to. Although it is still incomplete, the developers will continue to improve the game until it is ready for full release. So when will Path of Exile 2 end the early access? When will the full version be released? What surprises will the full version bring to players? Let’s talk about it based on what we know.

Estimated Launch Time Of The Full Version

POE 1 is widely loved by players for its meticulous character build, so the accumulated many fans are looking forward to the release of the full version of Path of Exile 2 as soon as possible, but unfortunately the developer has not yet announced the release time of the full version of POE 2, so we can only make predictions.

According to previous data, the early access of POE 1 lasted for 10 months before the official launch, while the early access of Path of Exile 2 was launched in December 2024. Therefore, we can infer that the full version of Path of Exile 2 will most likely be officially launched in June 2025.

As an independent sequel to an action role-playing game, Path of Exile 2, like its predecessor, provides players with a more immersive experience. The current early access has made great improvements compared to Path of Exile 1, so fans who love Path of Exile 2 can truly experience the early access while waiting for the full version to be released, share their gaming experience in the game forum, and the developers may also improve Path of Exile 2 based on the comments of players.

League Update

Currently, Path of Exile 1 has stayed on Settlers of Kalguur for more than 200 days, which can be said to be the longest league in the history of POE 1. On February 20, the developer also held an apology event for fans. Therefore, we expect that it may take some time for the first league of Path of Exile 2 to go live.

Traditionally, Path of Exile 2 leagues run for about three months. Once a new season begins, players will not be able to use their previous Path of Exile 2 currency, items, and game progress.

Leagues also mean game updates. Early Access of Path of Exile 2 includes the first three acts of the story and more than a hundred hours of endgame content, making fans even more excited about the first league of Path of Exile 2.

However, in the comments of Early Access, a player reported that a patch removed the currency and the best weapon in his inventory. In response to this situation, we hope that the full version of Path of Exile 2 will meet the psychological expectations of fans in the first league and make appropriate modifications and improvements.

The above is all we know about when Early Access of Path of Exile 2 will end and the full version and subsequent league updates. In any case, please stay tuned.

Having games produced by the same company in the same game universe can not only attract more players for other games but also improve the settings of the relevant universe, thereby developing more games. HoYoverse does a good job in this regard.

However, this does not mean that the games in HoYoverse are perfect. Although HoYoverse games have occupied a large part of the market of Gacha-based games in recent years, this also brings them a common defect, that is, power creep, and the earlier the game is launched, the more likely it is to have this problem, such as Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail. Therefore, as a newer member of HoYoverse, Zenless Zone Zero may also cause you similar concerns.

What Is The Power Creep Problem?

In order to attract you to continue to obtain characters through Gacha, most games with Gacha elements will focus on launching new characters. Characters themselves are not a bad thing, but the excessive frequency of new characters sometimes cannot match the difficulty and richness of the game content, and eventually become out of touch.

That is, as the game is updated, the challenges of endgame or special events will increase in difficulty, but the strength of early characters cannot cope with these contents, and you can only work hard to extract new characters. In the end, the early characters you have can only act as “warehouse managers”.

Genshin Impact And Honkai Star Rail’s Power Creep

Perhaps because it was launched earlier, Genshin Impact has made corresponding solutions to the power creep problem. Although it has not completely eliminated this phenomenon, it has at least alleviated some of it. In contrast, Star Rail’s power creep is more serious. For example, most of Honkai: Star Rail’s endgame enemies are afraid of ice elements, which lead to “power creep” on Herta.

Can ZZZ Avoid Power Creep?

Although Zenless Zone Zero is still in the early stages of game development, it has to be said that there are signs of power creep, and as more characters are released, the situation may get worse. Maybe you have already felt this through the standard banner characters.

How To Avoid It?

Fortunately, ZZZ is in its early stages, so there is still time for everything. And its combat mode, which is different from that of Genshin Impact and Star Rail, gives it a lot of room for development, and will not easily restrict you from character characteristics in combat.

Therefore, if Zenless wants to avoid the power creep problem, on the one hand, it should continue to create unique characters and strive to make everyone’s kit have different functions; on the other hand, it is best to set the health and combat modes of more subsequent enemies reasonably.

I hope that ZZZ and more games from HoYoverse can avoid the power creep dilemma as much as possible and bring you a better gaming experience!