Destiny 2 streamer and YouTuber Aztecross published a video yesterday that’s really resonating with the community, racking up nearly half a million views in under a day.
It’s called “Destiny 2 has become a Microtransaction Hell” and is actually ascending the trending list for gaming. 7,500 comments, thousands of likes and retweets. It’s made a splash. I spent some time livetweeeting my thoughts on the 35 minute video yesterday, but I wanted to give it a feature, and expand on my tweets I made along the way.
ADVERTISEMENT
First, you can watch the video here, and follow along with my thoughts underneath, as they’re in rough order of what gets covered in the video:
Confusing Bundles – This is what I would consider the biggest problem Destiny has right now. The game is shattered into a million, sold-separately pieces to the point where it’s practically impossible to know what to recommend to new players, even as an avid player yourself. Content vaulting erasing the base campaign created a weird “where do you start” situation, and instead of slowly making very old expansions free, they have kept them paid, or done weird stuff like vaulting half of Forsaken and still selling a “pack” of old weapons and the endgame activities.
This extends to things like seasons as well. The new dungeon key system, where two yearly dungeons are sold separately compared to everything else, felt bad to being with, but now feels very bad when the dungeons are often the best part of every new seasons, yet not included with it, despite being very, very clearly linked thematically and being almost essential to the seasonal storyline. It’s a poor practice, and yet another way to fracture the playerbase.
Destiny 2
Bungie
Seasonal Pricing – I do think that Destiny seasons raising the price from $10 to $12 is fine at baseline. It’s been years of $10, and for the amount of content, $12 is just fine. What is not fine is that this seems to be a mobile games-like concept of then forcing people to overspend on Silver to buy individual seasons. While you could buy $10 of Silver, you cannot buy $12, so you have to buy $15 instead, and have some left over. And on some platforms you can’t even get a $15 bundle. It’s a cheap trick and should be adjusted to reflect the new seasonal pricing.
Events and Event Cards – I sort of just shrug at this one. Event Cards are a bad microtransaction not because it’s gouging, but because they’re just…bad, barely including anything worth getting and mostly able to be ignored. Yes, events themselves are mostly about cosmetics (though you can buy the armor with Bright Dust all at once), but I think they’ve improved a bit in time in terms of gameplay. They mostly exist to fill dead space at the end of seasons, and I don’t really expect them to be too elaborate.
Destiny 2
Bungie
Armor Pricing – Here, Aztecross employs an argument I’m not really a fan of, the idea that with a recent price increase, collab armor sets at $20 now cost as much a Destiny 1 being on sale. That’s just…microtransactions in general. You can point to any game and go “4-6 of these cosmetics cost as much as a whole AAA game??” These things are never going to be sold for $2-3 in 2023. If the prices are too high, people will not buy them. Diablo’s $25 armor sets are priced idiotically high and not worth it, therefore I am not buying them. Not sure it’s much more complicated than that.
Ornament Purchases – Not really on board with this one either. Ornaments being purchasable from the Ornament application screen may be “reducing friction” to buy them, but it’s logical, and process of unlocking ornaments after buying them from Eververse has like eight steps and is super goofy. I also don’t think Bungie not allowing you to preview shaders on armor ornaments is a scam, I think it’s just a technical thing. If anything I think it would sell more ornaments if you could see that they shade in a cool way, which most of the modern ones do.
ADVERTISEMENT
Bright Engrams – Just 100% useless. I think in six years I’ve gotten maybe 4-5 exotic ornaments for these and maybe one that’s actually cool. Just no point in these existing at all as it’s just constant disappointment. Just give out Dust alone or something that could be moderately useful like an exotic.
Shaw Han
Bungie
Shaw Han Quest – Had no idea this existed until this video because it only appears for New Lights. Shaw Han, the New Light guide, has an exotic quest for a weapon that you can only do if you buy the most recent expansion. This time around, he’s hiding Arbalest, one of the best PvE exotics in the game, behind that wall, when it should be in the general loot pool. That sucks.
ADVERTISEMENT
Battle Pass Progression – You can now buy the full 100 ranks of the battle pass from day one. While sure, you get some exotics and materials I…don’t care about this. If you buy a full battle pass for $100 you are stupid and throwing away money. The benefit here is just paltry.
Deepsight Activation – Ohhhkay now this is one battle pass thing that I am declaring bad. As of this season, Deepsight Activation currency is only found in the battle pass, 3 in the free track, 3 in the paid track. No, absolutely not. This is actually one of the few locations where Destiny is literally selling power, and this should be something that is purely earnable outside of the battle pass itself.
Paid Transmog – When you’re selling ornaments, transmog for in-game armor sets should be free. I’m also sick of the transmog grind where you feel “behind” if you don’t max 10 of them per character every season. Just end this nonsense already.
Marathon
Bungie
Bungie Focus – Splitting the difference here. It is not true Bungie now has less resources on Destiny overall compared to how things used to be. Bungie has increased in size over the years has hugely staffed up their PvE team since the split from Activision now that they no longer have support studios. Compare current seasons to ones 2-3 years ago, post-Activision. It’s not close. However, yes, absolutely, Bungie is almost completely abandoned Destiny PvP, which hundreds of thousands of people still play daily, sinking most of that talent directly into Marathon instead, and if Marathon is a hit, it will likely only get worse. This is probably one of Destiny’s biggest problems at this point. One new PvP map a year is insane.
Those are the main points. It’s a great, well-produced video, even if I don’t agree with every point. But no, I do not like the way things are trending on the microtransaction side of Destiny at this point.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.
The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.
There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.
Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.
“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”
Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.
“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.
But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.
Copenhagen, 22.10.2024 – COBOD International, the global leader in 3D construction printing technology, proudly introduces the BOD3 3D Construction Printer for 3D printing of real concrete. Equipped with an extendable ground-based track system, the BOD3 advances the construction process by eliminating printer downtime between multiple buildings on the same site, setting anew benchmark for productivity and efficiency. The BOD3 is the most advanced solution for high-volume low-rise construction and a very effective alternative to conventional construction methods.
The heart and key feature of the new BOD3 3D printer is the advanced extendable ground-based track system. This system enables limitless extension along the Y-axes (length), expanding the printable area to cover 2 or 3 buildings, and reducing setup time to a single installation for multi-building projects. It’s a game-changer, allowing continuous, uninterrupted printing across large sites, increasing efficiency for high volume and mass production at an unmatchable scale.
Render of COBOD BOD3 3D Construction Printer.
The BOD3, COBOD’s third printer model, is the outstanding achievement of years of dedicated research, development, and close collaboration with customers. It is a vital advancement in automated construction technology, directly addressing the urgent global demand for faster, smarter, more efficient and sustainable building solutions. Like every COBOD 3D printer, the BOD3’s modular design offers customization, allowing it to easily adapt to any customer’s size wishes in addition to complying with the various sizes of construction sites anywhere in the world.
The BOD3 follows COBOD’s vision to build smarter through automation. Its operational stand combines the control and monitoring of both the 3D printer and supplementary equipment in one user-friendly system. The Advanced Hose Management System (AHMS) transports 3D printable material from the materials delivery system to the printhead via hoses secured within E-chains, minimizing physical labor and optimizing material flow. With the addition of the dual dosing system for additives, operators can better control the concrete and adapt it to onsite environmental conditions. By introducing additives directly at the printhead, the system reduces drying time between layers, speeding up the overall construction process. Designed for easy operation and precision, the BOD3 can be operated by a small, trained, and certified team, reducing the costs of projects.
Incorporating the innovative Universal X-Carriage, the BOD3 is ready for future COBOD advancements and technologies, like the introduction of additional tools for the printer aimed at insulating, painting, sanding, etc. This ensures long-term versatility and performance that will keep the BOD3 at the forefront of the industry for years to come.
Universal X-Carriage with Printhead.
Already deployed to the global market, the BOD3 is currently active in Indonesia, by Modula Tiga Dimensi, Angola, by Power2Build, andBahrain, by Ab’aad 3D. The customers report faster project execution with near-zero downtime between individual buildings on the same site. The projects showcase the BOD3’s ability to speed up construction and print with real concrete, with 99% locally sourced materials and 1% of innovative D.fab, a co-developed solution by COBOD and Cemex to make concrete 3D printable.
Henrik Lund-Nielsen, Founder and General Manager of COBOD, commented on the BOD3: “The global housing crisis demands a more efficient construction solution that is faster, more efficient, and scalable. The BOD3 is our answer to this challenge. Drawing on years of research and expertise, we’ve designed the BOD3 with innovative features, making it our most cost-effective and efficient model yet for multiple low-rise buildings. Its design supports high-volume, linear production of houses, enabling mass production without compromising quality. The fact that six units have already been sold before its official launch speaks volumes about the BOD3’s market demand and the trust our customers place in our technology.”
Michael Holm, Chief Innovation Officer at COBOD, states, “The advanced ground-based track system was developed as a response to our customers’ needs to increase efficiency and productivity. Now the 3D construction printer can be easily extended, and multiple consecutive structures can be printed with minimal repositioning and zero downtime between projects, making 3D construction printing more efficient than ever before.”
The BOD3 is now available for purchase worldwide; for more information, please visit our website, www.cobod.com, or contact us at info@cobod.com.
COBOD stands as the global leader in supplying 3D printers for the construction sector, with over 80 printers distributed across North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Driven by a mission to revolutionize construction through multifunctional robots based on 3D printing, COBOD envisions automating half of the construction processes to achieve faster, cost-effective, sustainable results with enhanced design versatility.
From residential, commercial, and public buildings, COBOD’s 3D printers have been instrumental in erecting 1- to 3-story structures across all six inhabited continents. The innovative technology also extends to fabricate large-scale data centers, wind turbine towers, tanks, and more.
Embracing an open-source material approach, COBOD collaborates with global partners, including customers, academia, and suppliers. The company, backed by prominent shareholders such as General Electric, CEMEX, Holcim, and PERI, operates from its main office in Copenhagen, Denmark, and regional competence centers in Miami, Florida, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. COBOD’s dynamic team comprises over 100 professionals from 25 diverse nationalities.
ABOUT MODULA TIGA DIMENSI
PT Modula Tiga Dimensi is a joint venture between Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR) and COBOD. BNBR focuses on offering and providing solutions for housing backlog problems currently encountered by the country.
Teaming up with COBOD International, the company is now set to adopt the latest 3D printing construction technology and is ready to offer the Indonesian market a new and better solution to housing obstructions.
ABOUT POWER2BUILD
Reshaping the construction sector and adapting it to urgent human needs.
Power2Build is a technology company for the construction industry, prepared to establish partnerships with private, public, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) so that they can make the transition to Build 4.0 through 3DCP.
We offer our clients value-added services and high-quality projects, always with a multidisciplinary approach that brings together the necessary experience to deal with complex issues.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence‘s recent rise to the forefront of business has left most office workers wondering how often they should use the technology and whether a computer will eventually replace them.
Those were among the highlights of a recent study conducted by the workplace communications platform Slack. After conducting in-depth interviews with 5,000 desktop workers, Slack concluded there are five types of AI personalities in the workplace: “The Maximalist” who regularly uses AI on their jobs; “The Underground” who covertly uses AI; “The Rebel,” who abhors AI; “The Superfan” who is excited about AI but still hasn’t used it; and “The Observer” who is taking a wait-and-see approach.
Only 50% of the respondents fell under the Maximalist or Underground categories, posing a challenge for businesses that want their workers to embrace AI technology. The Associated Press recently discussed the excitement and tension surrounding AI at work with Christina Janzer, Slack’s senior vice president of research and analytics.
Q: What do you make about the wide range of perceptions about AI at work?
A: It shows people are experiencing AI in very different ways, so they have very different emotions about it. Understanding those emotions will help understand what is going to drive usage of AI. If people are feeling guilty or nervous about it, they are not going to use it. So we have to understand where people are, then point them toward learning to value this new technology.
Q: The Maximalist and The Underground both seem to be early adopters of AI at work, but what is different about their attitudes?
A: Maximalists are all in on AI. They are getting value out of it, they are excited about it, and they are actively sharing that they are using it, which is a really big driver for usage among others.
The Underground is the one that is really interesting to me because they are using it, but they are hiding it. There are different reasons for that. They are worried they are going to be seen as incompetent. They are worried that AI is going to be seen as cheating. And so with them, we have an opportunity to provide clear guidelines to help them know that AI usage is celebrated and encouraged. But right now they don’t have guidelines from their companies and they don’t feel particularly encouraged to use it.
Overall, there is more excitement about AI than not, so I think that’s great We just need to figure out how to harness that.
Q: What about the 19% of workers who fell under the Rebel description in Slack’s study?
A: Rebels tend to be women, which is really interesting. Three out of five rebels are women, which I obviously don’t like to see. Also, rebels tend to be older. At a high level, men are adopting the technology at higher rates than women.
Q: Why do you think more women than men are resisting AI?
A: Women are more likely to see AI as a threat, more likely to worry that AI is going to take over their jobs. To me, that points to women not feeling as trusted in the workplace as men do. If you feel trusted by your manager, you are more likely to experiment with AI. Women are reluctant to adopt a technology that might be seen as a replacement for them whereas men may have more confidence that isn’t going to happen because they feel more trusted.
Q: What are some of the things employers should be doing if they want their workers to embrace AI on the job?
A: We are seeing three out of five desk workers don’t even have clear guidelines with AI, because their companies just aren’t telling them anything, so that’s a huge opportunity.
Another opportunity to encourage AI usage in the open. If we can create a culture where it’s celebrated, where people can see the way people are using it, then they can know that it’s accepted and celebrated. Then they can be inspired.
The third thing is we have to create a culture of experimentation where people feel comfortable trying it out, testing it, getting comfortable with it because a lot of people just don’t know where to start. The reality is you can start small, you don’t have to completely change your job. Having AI write an email or summarize content is a great place to start so you can start to understand what this technology can do.
Q: Do you think the fears about people losing their jobs because of AI are warranted?
A: People with AI are going to replace people without AI.
