Jul 05 2018
0
darwin project

Darwin Project Now Free-to-Play on Xbox One

Posted by | News, Xbox One | No Comments

Ten-person Battle Royale Darwin Project is now free-to-play on Xbox One. The game was originally a paid purchase when it launched earlier this year, but has recently transitioned into a free-to-play model on PC, and now on Xbox.

If you already purchased Darwin Project, you’ll be compensated via a Founder’s Pack. The Founder’s Pack includes several outfits, including full Montreal Hockey gear for both male and female characters as well as ten Fan Gift loot boxes that include more cosmetic items.

Darwin Project is a smaller scale Battle Royale PvP game. It pits 10 players in a Hunger Games–like arena, with an 11th player dropping in as the Director. The Director is able to manipulate the environment as well as bestow buffs and drop goodies.

On both PC and Xbox, Scavengers Studio is celebrating the World Cup with soccer-themed skins. They can be found in the Fan Gift loot boxes, or puchsed directly in the Item Shop. The soccer sportswear will be available until July 12.

Scavengers Studio is aiming to keep the PC and Xbox versions updated simultaneously, but PC is typically easier and faster to patch and update.

When I spoke to Scavengers Studio creative director Simon Davreau at PAX South in January, he was adamant that Darwin Project would not be a free-to-play title. Obviously things changed in the weeks since its launch, but the indie Canadian team is committed to supporting the game.

Darwin Project is now free-to-play on PC and Xbox One. It has not been rated by the ESRB, but I’d put it at the same rating level as Fortnite (T for Teen).

 

Apr 23 2018
0
darwin project

Darwin Project Now Free to Play on PC

Posted by | News, PC | No Comments

Fortnite may have become the gold standard of Battle Royale as a free-to-play title with loot boxes. The smaller, 10-person battle arena Darwin Project is following suit.

Indie Canadian studio Scavengers Studio has officially shifted Darwin Project from a standard pay-once model into free-to-play, supported by cosmetic items. Darwin Project is available on PC (Steam), as well as Xbox One. Xbox version will become free to play sometime later this week.

Here’s the full statement from Creative Director Simon Darveau:

“We’ve said from the start that we’re committed to creating a fresh and exciting experience for Darwin Project players and viewers. With features like the Show Director who serves as a master of ceremonies, Spectator Interactions that let viewers directly interact with streams, and an emphasis on tracking that ensures players are always within arm’s reach of a tense confrontation, we still believe Darwin Project offers a quality experience unlike any other battle royale game out there.

darwin project“We’ve been fortunate to have a core community of players join us at a very early stage, with many still supporting us during Early Access, and the last thing we want to do is let those passionate players down.

“Lately, members of our community have reported longer queue times and difficulty finding matches in lesser populated servers. To bring in new players and maintain a level of activity that ensures players are able to get the most of out Darwin Project, we’ve decided to make it more accessible by removing the price tag.

“We’re aware that it’s a big change, and we want to reiterate that we’re remaining true to Darwin Project’s vision as we move forward.”

Players who previously purchased Darwin Project will receive the Founder’s Pack, containing a bunch of unique loot, on April 24. Those who would rather get a refund will have to go through Steam. Due to the shift in payment model, Steam is waiving the normal two-week time restriction on refunds.

Darwin Project launched earlier this year on March 9 via Steam Early Access and Xbox Games Preview. It has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

Feb 06 2018
1
trove

Minecraft-like MMO Trove Reaches 15 Million Players

Posted by | News, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | No Comments

Trion Worlds has announced that its free-to-play, voxel-powered MMO Trove has surpassed 15 million players worldwide.

“Trove has been a labor of love for us here at Trion,” said Scott Hartsman, CEO of Trion Worlds. “The team has been pouring their hearts and souls into the game since 2013, and we couldn’t be more proud of them in hitting this milestone. We have a lot of awesome in store for Trove, and we want to thank the community for taking the ride with us. We owe it all to you!”

Trion Worlds has been tracking various stats since the game’s launch, and compiled some fun statistics below:

  • 6,584,382,807 Blocks Placed
  • 10,234,600,287 Blocks Destroyed
  • 237,203,112 Quests Completed
  • 4,520,061 Dragon Mounts Unlocked
  • 352,837,481 Clubs Entered
  • 119,881,221 Piñata Parties Thrown
  • 161,977,123.98 Lifetime Hours Across All Players
  • 18,490.54 Lifetime Years Across All Players
  • 184.91 Lifetime Centuries Across All Players

Trove’s open beta began in 2014, and launched on PC in 2015. It arrived on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One late 2016 and expanded to China last year. It’s coming to Japan this year and is currently available in eight different languages, with more on the way.

Trion Worlds has teased large content updates coming in 2018, including one that will “change the Trove universe in an enormous way that no one will expect.”

Trove is free to download and play on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Steam and TroveGame.com. It’s rated E for Everyone.