The examples listed above are but a few of the scandals from 2019, and in each case, it was always a lack of communication or of intention that sparked trouble. The issue with the reaction from a player base is that it is most often a small minority of highly-vocal users, and there is little to be done about that, but it remains true that they will bang the drums the loudest if not content with how developers treat their games. With careful planning in how news is announced, developers can avoid almost all controversy, or like Respawn, they can choose to insult their players, resulting in the CEO needing to make a public, and embarrassing apol

Ninja also impresses how important it is to advertise the stream. I haven’t been the best at this, but when I do it, I definitely get more engagement. Turns out it's hard for people to find your stream if they don't even know you stream. W

Apex Legends is one of many in the Battle Royale trend, but it has truly found its stride. After establishing refreshing traits like the ping system and faster gameplay, there has been a satisfying increase in content over time. EA has similarly improved Battlefront II in this way. Respawn even started off the new year with an event that cycles multiple Limited-Time Modes every two d

Players’ interest in these characters is a direct result of the care that the Respawn puts into developing them. Whether it’s Wraith’s forgotten past, Bloodhound’s mystique or Mirage’s use of humor to hide his insecurities, fans develop deep attachments to these multi-dimensional characters. These bonds inspire further creativity as the characters become the subjects of memes, fan art and cosp

And with season four just around the corner, many newcomers have refined their skills since launch. The level of strategy is also far more pronounced for the genre—and essential among teammates that frequently lack common sense. So, here are some clever tips for skilled players that have learned to become creative and quick-wit

The behavior was so out of line that Respawn CEO Vince Zampella needed to bite the bullet and issue a formal apology on behalf of the company. The unprofessional behavior is a perfect example for other developers on how not to interact with a player b

As Respawn's best minds collaborated with one another, the vision grew. The game would somehow have to fit into the Titanfall universe. It would have to have a framework that supported an ongoing narrative, which the team would continue to build upon via live service updates. But most importantly, if the gameplay going to be about the characters, then the player base would need to deeply care about these charact

The biggest robbery of the 2019 Game Awards? A Plague Tale: Innocence not winning anything. Sure, the game wasn't perfect, but in terms of an original single-player narrative, the game was unmatched in its story and emotional impact. Disturbing enough to make me never want to to play it again, but fun enough to make me consider it, A Plague Tale: Innocence will never get the credit it deserves. Maybe its sequel will finally bring more players aboard, tho

A huge part of what made Portal a runaway success was the personality displayed by GLaDOS, a hilarious character who tried to trick Chell into being killed by one of the many death traps she'd set up throughout the Aperture Science Enrichment Center. Her charismatic performance makes her an excellent addition to the first game, while her backstory will send chills down a player's spine if they play the seq

Fire Emblem had been spinning its wheels for related a long time before the release of Three Houses . Who could have guessed that the latest Fire Emblem game would be one of the most absorbing games of the year, with an interesting overarching story and an incredible battle system that is engaging without being watered down or too difficult to grasp. It can be hard to finish a game once, but Fire Emblem: Three Houses can easily convince players to go through it three times to see the whole story. It’s just a shame that you can’t pet the dog

In this chapter, Ninja offers tips on pimping a stream to make it seem more professional. Recently, TheGamer invited me to do some product reviews. With a green screen backdrop, a nice LED light and more desktop space due to a wireless mouse option, I felt so good about my setup that I'm now convinced I'm the next Ninja (have you seen the header image on this stor

None of these battle royale games drew upon "hero shooter" model that Overwatch had popularized. Overwatch is purely a team game. To succeed, individual players must combine their unique abilities to make decisions that benefit the team as a whole. And, because heroes’ abilities to support one another are integral to team success, Activision Blizzard had learned to leverage characters' backstories into social media content such as alternate reality games (ARG) and cinemagra