With new triple A game titles coming in at a whopping 70$ price tag these days many gamers have become more discerning when it comes to buying new games. Several recent successes in the gaming industry have shown that people care about getting their money’s worth. Palworld and Helldivers 2 can be bought for 30$ and 40$ respectively and have outperformed bigger titles from major studios in recent months. This shows that gamers still seek value when it comes to their entertainment. Historically video games have been some of the best bang for your buck as a consumer when it comes to dollars spent versus hours of entertainment. Nothing else really compares when you consider the fact that many titles can provide hundreds of hours of entertainment, or even more. In recent years it seems that major players in the gaming industry think they can increase the price of their games while not providing more value for the end consumer. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is a prime example of this. The title is a glorified DLC with a 70$ price tag and a campaign that has been considered by many to be the worst in franchise history. This sets the stage for more affordable games that offer novel gameplay to achieve success. The idea of spending 40$ for a game like Helldivers 2 is much more palatable in contrast to recent titles costing over 40% more. Of course, content creators enjoying a game and making content about it drives sales, but more than that FUN drives sales. In a day where skill-based matchmaking and competitive games that lack co-op or even a campaign altogether are the norm, a fun and engaging experience that can be enjoyed with friends is a breath of fresh air. Helldivers 2 is the antithesis of much of the gaming industry at present, and that is why it has been more successful than even its developers at Arrowhead could have imagined. Helldivers 2 does not have PVP, it is not pay to win, it has four player co-op and costs less than 60% of recent triple A titles. That means it is much easier to convince your friends to buy the game when the appeal is playing cooperatively and the barrier to entry is lower than most new games. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy PVP and playing competitively as much as the next guy, but one thing I have been wanting for ages is a game that scratches that itch of co-op against hordes of NPCs. The itch that firefight in Halo, horde mode in Gears of War or terrorist hunt in Rainbow Six Vegas used to scratch. That old couch co-op vibe of blasting countless enemy mobs with your friends has been noticeably missing in recent years until now. It may not be for everyone, but if destroying hordes of alien bugs and menacing robots with ridiculous weapons that make you as a player feel powerful sounds fun then I’d suggest checking out Helldivers 2. It just might be what you’re looking for in a sea of overpriced soulless game titles. Author: @Carbon_M0N0XIDE
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I'm not going to give one of my famous and hilarious introductions because as a competitive COD fan, I'm annoyed to hell. Recently the MCW (main gun for players in the AR role) has been nerfed to the fucking ground. Originally the MCW killed with 4 shots...AS LONG as a headshot is thrown somewhere in there. Now with the changes, from my understanding, a headshot does nothing now. Which for the average cod fan this nerf is a breath of fresh air cause now you can't get ripped off a head glitch as consistently. HOWEVER, this can also work against by using that same logic. With a nerf to such a weapon the GA discussion of course came into play. What is this "GA" you may ask? Well, it's when Call of Duty pros with all their wisdom and unbiased tendencies get together and decide what can and can't be used in competitive play. The ye olde kicker is these decisions are not recognized by the actual league that they compete in. SO, it's strictly an honor system. For years the COD scene has dealt with this bullshit. Submachine gun players tweeting "AR's blessed this year". AR players tweeting "sub players blessed this year". Any logical person would read these tweets and INSTANTLY say..."maybe people that post their bias positions on social media SHOULDNT be making these decisions that affect the competitive meta". But that's just me. With SBMM being so rampant, it's hard to enjoy Call of Duty without using meta weapons like the MCW and the Rival. Don't get me wrong those guns are both fun, "competitive" and I absolutely BEAM with them, so I don't mind too much, but your boy does like to add some variety to his COD sessions. In my search I have discovered not one, but TWO fun and very different loadouts you can pull out on the Small Map Mosh Pit playlist and fill up your storage space with clips. Thank me later. BP50- This gun gives me a very "flex" kind of vibe. "Flex" meaning it acts as both an assault rifle AND a submachine gun. It's classified as an assault rifle, but I still feel like I have the mechanical freedom of a sub. This gun brings me back to the Maddox from Black Ops 4. It may not be as accurate as an MCW, but it does feel pretty damn close. Also, my camo selection here is also TOP TIER. Longbow- For you FaZe kids out there, I got a sniper rifle that is fast as fuck boy! The longbow is one of the most fun weapons I've dabbled with in the COD franchise and with this specific build the clips will be flowing, the sub count will be popping, and the sponsorships will be pouring in. This longbow loadout uses an iron sight, which for some reason makes it very average when it comes to long range shots. For some reason the iron sight gives it this odd and heavy sway when going for deep shots. With that said, the long-range stuff is not what this beast is designed to do. It's made to get into people's faces and remove them from the server QUICKLY.
IEM Katowice, the major that isn't considered a major has just concluded and it was a ONE MAN show. Donk the rookie rifler just showed the world he is here and he is inevitable *Thanos voice*. One of the greatest single performances in esports history, let alone just counter-strike. FaZe Clan comes into the finals of Katowice full of counter-strike vets and pure fire power. Rain has been able to turn back the clock when he needs to and pull off some incredible plays. Karrigan's mid-round play calls have been spot on. The man has impressed me with still being able to pick up a kill or two in most rounds while staring at the mini-map plus moving all the pieces around. Broky's AWP, albeit a little inconsistent this event still a threat and something you got to take note of. Ropz coming into Katowice was simply the best player in CS2. Frozen, fresh from coming from Mouz has been an amazing new addition since the Twistzz departure. Frozen has been a Swiss army knife for FaZe. ALL THIS DIDN'T MATTER, BECAUSE OF DONK. FaZe got DONK'D on. It takes a lot...and I mean A LOT to make the likes of Simp1e and Niko, two players regarded as the BEST players to touch Counter-Strike and make them look like a full tier below what Donk is playing at. He was putting up numbers that would make you think he was some god-tier awper, but jokes on you, the man doesn't touch that weapon. That's right, he's hitting these levels as a pure rifler. Donk played so god-damn well that his teammate Sh1ro was putting up MVP numbers and it totally went unnoticed because of Donk's biblical level of play. What we saw was historical, and luckily it looks like Donk's career is going to be a long one and a career that will take Counter-Strike to the next level.
It's crazy to think that in the year 2024 people think that you can run an esport with JUST the power of sunshine and rainbows. Recently Blast took over the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS). Which is incredible news. Blast does esports how it should be done. Awesome production value, talent and players are allowed to be themselves, and the venues are always set up in memorable ways. Let's put it this way, if you are curious about how Blast does event, just google their Counter-Strike events. One word, pyrotechnics. With new management in any field there will be changes. Blast appears to have cut a handful of talent for this upcoming RLCS season. Once again, the young and slightly dumb Rocket League community thinks this is awful and a sign that Blast is trying to "kill" their esport. I have a soul, I don't like seeing people lose their jobs, but in a talent-based industry and during this "esport winter" it's going to happen. IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. I didn't understand the backlash that the decision makers got when the names of the talent that got cut started hitting the timeline. I'm going to be brutally honest, the only names that shocked me was Jorby and Turtle, but other than that, the rest of the talent that was cut were very good at their jobs, but not memorable talent. They never really tried to let their personalities show through their work. They were very "traditional sports". Blast correctly wants their casters to be a reason why people tune in and watch. Blast has a very "Inside the NBA" vibe to them and it works so god damn good. This is a necessary evil and I'm hopeful that the 2024 RLCS season will be one to remember.
Being the King of Content and now The King of Twitter you get a small handful of people who want to come at you online. Mostly because I live a life that many people wish to live. Jealousy. Fine, I get it. What a lot of these jealous types don't realize is that I thrive in online confrontation. Since the Elon takeover of Twitter/X I've been dabbling with going back at some of these peasants to help the algorithm or as we like to call it in the business "farming impressions". Recently, I was being my typical comedic genius and saw a retweet from Dave Portnoy of JJ Watt joining Frank the Tank...for a walk. (See Below) Reminder as a social media wizard, content genius, and comedian (just in case you forgot) I took this opportunity to make a funny impression baiting comment. (See below) This comment was just another masterpiece produced by my brain. It's satire obviously. But of course, you get a troll here and there. I love a good troll, sometimes I like to go back and forth with these creatures in a battle of wits. It keeps me young and inflates my ego. Also, I'm pro-free speech, anyone can say anything they want about me. With that said, I'm allowed to verbally battle assailants. Meet our assailant. (See Below) I chuckled at this not going to lie. I love a good "fatfuck" to end a statement. Knowing that NOW The Elon Musk, the disciple of free speech owns this app, I thought I would be pretty safe saying whatever I want OTHER THAN doxing or threatening physical harm to this troll or his troll family (common sense shit). My response was a clever "Start walking off a cliff". The instant I hit "post" I was hit with a 12-hour ban. I've been using this app since 2014 and have never received a ban, timeout, or warning. Kind of a crazy thing to think about considering how edgy, cool, and rebellious I am. I think Mr. Musk needs to set a standard. I was merely using the first amendment on a platform I thought idolized the first amendment. I was also just defending myself. You call me a fat fuck, and I can tell you to jump off a geographical feature and allow gravity to take the wheel. Simply put Mr. Musk, the only way to ease the pain this has caused me is a Tesla-S Plaid, with a lifetime warranty. That's it. That's the only way to fix this.
People often ask what it is like to be "Nicktacular". It "must be a dream" they say. "You inspire me" they say, "sign my breasts Nicktacular" (mostly men) say. Contrary to what you may believe I'm a laundromat scumbag. It's what happens when you are too busy running an esports media empire and work 50+ hours a week. It has ZERO to do with the fact that I procrastinate laundry to the point where it would take too long to catch up with just the one washer and dryer that the apartment complex, I live at provides. And also, good guy me doesn't want to hog those machines up and deprive others from using it that day. As always, a man of the people. In other words, I sacrifice so others can strive. I'm like a clothing Jesus. Now here I am waiting for my four washers to get done. Watching Maury decide who parents are and shit, played a solo game of pool with a broken stick, and dabbled with a game of pinball where one of the paddles doesn't work to well. Just so I can switch it all to the dryer and do it all again. Maybe Jerry Springer (RIP) will be on at that point.
This blog isn't here to scare you away from your dreams, it's not here to say what you are doing is a waste of time, but it's here to give you the harsh truth about the beautiful, yet insane industry known as esports. I have been in and out of this industry for 15+ years and have seen a lot...most of it...not pretty. Regardless, I still stick around because esports are a giant part of who I am. It's my dream. It's my passion. I always want to be involved in esports even with the overall shitty scent of this field. It's not all bad though. I've met some incredible people in this field and even worked for a few great companies...sadly it's few and far between, but they do exist (Shout out Cloud9). With that background set I think I'm going to just list some pro's, con's, and advice about getting into this field. "You get to work in the Gaming/Esports industry!"- Everyone loves video games. Getting to work in or around video games is a dream come true. It's a fun field to work in that if under the right management should push people to be creative and experimental. "You get to work in the Gaming/Esports industry"- EVERYONE loves video games and wants to be involved in this business. Therefore, the job market is flooded with people who aspire to do the same thing as you. It's competitive, cutthroat, and networking in this current state of esports outweighs your portfolio. Be sure to make connections aka get that LinkedIn account going! "I got a degree in esports."- Going to school is always a great option. If taught correctly and with new age methods getting a career in esports/gaming will most likely be much easier than someone who has not gone to school. Employers will see you as someone who needs less training since you have hopefully been taught how to manage many of your task that you will see in your day-to-day life at work. In this current age, a degree in esports or a related field levels you up greatly compared to the rest of applicants that lack that accolade. "I got a degree in esports."- I did not choose the degree route when entering my career in esports, so my views may be bias, but from my experience many people I have interacted with who have "esports" degrees most often don't understand the soul of esports at all. It's like they think esports organizations only succeed from making phone calls, making deals, and managing the teams. That is a major part of the business of course, but fans are what keeps the business afloat. Not just prize money and sponsorships. Most people with degrees still neglect "good content". They think "Hey, let's get Faker to do a TikTok dance" and call that "content". No doubt you need to produce content like that to keep the feed active, but this is as far as people's creativity gets in this industry right now. It's laughable. "I want to work in esports, but not sure what role."- The convenient thing about esports is the countless different paths you can take. I started as a player in multiple games, dabbling with teams, and competing in tournaments here and there. During this time, I discovered I was pretty good at entertaining people, so I became a streamer/content creator/blogger. Additionally, I fell in love with coaching (Halo/Rocket League) which led to my first "real job" in this business. Even if you aren't interested in these roles' organizations need roles filled in order to survive like editor, graphic designers, salespeople, managers, social media specialists, etc. "I want to work in esports, but not sure what role."- As many paths as this industry has to offer, we are living in a time where organizations are laying people off left and right. There is more than just one reason for this happening, but personally I believe it mostly has to do with just pure mismanagement. Many organizations went and over hired for roles that did not require that level of workforce. If an org hires you as graphic designer, you better be talented, creative, and most importantly visible to the company. Being talented and skilled is the best form of job security. Be sure to pick a path that you feel that you will excel at. And if you fail...go again just probably at another company. Consoles and especially PC's can get pretty god damn pricey and spending 60-70 bucks on a game after making such a purchase seems like a sin. Do not panic, I got the list that will have you playing some of the best games on a budget. And after you finished paying off that credit card you can be a degenerate like the rest of us and buy overpriced video games in no time. 10) Crab Champions (PC)- Currently on Steam for the steal of a price of $9.99 this "rogue-like" shooter offers some of the best replay-ability I have ever experienced in any game. You play as...a Crab. A crab with style, athleticism and the thirst for destroying anything in its path. 9) Vampire Survivors (PC, Switch, Xbox)- Coming in at a beautiful $4.99 Vampire Survivors is simplicity at its finest. An addictive rogue-like, top-down, "shoot em up". Sounds very casual...on paper, but this game packs a serious dose of intensity. Never have pixel graphics caused so much stress in my life...yet, I keep going in for MORE! 8) Dishonored (PC, PlayStation, Xbox)- I never understood the term "Immersive Sim", but Dishonored is one of the benchmarks when it comes to this genre of game. If you enjoy stealth games that have countless way to approach an objective with the BONUS of some RPG elements Dishonored is something to give a chance. Plus, if you are an achievement hunting kind of gamer, this game has some pretty tough ones to get. Very brag worthy...in the nerdiest kind of way. $9.99 btw. 7) Portal Series (PC, Xbox, PlayStation)- Portal is an industry game changer. I consider it one of those games you have to play before you die. It's an adventure, puzzle game and the puzzle aspects are what separates it from the rest of the games out there. Two words...Portal Gun. The dark humor adds to the soul of this glorious game as well. Both games currently are $9.99 each. Portal 2 has a co-op mode that is different from the main story if that is something you are interested in. Prepare to use your brain. 6) Blood: Fresh Supply (PC)- If you are a fan of retro shooters that still hold up to this day, Blood, the 1997 classic has recently been updated and re-released by Nightdive Studios. This game not only contains the masterpiece that is the main game, but Nightdive has also implemented classic add-ons and expansions for free. Giving you hours upon hours of extra content. Might I add in the gaming world this is considered one of the hardest games to complete even in present time...so good luck. $9.99 5) Fallout: New Vegas (PC, Xbox, PlayStation)- The definition of a "Role Playing Game". The writing, the environment, the experience, all make Fallout: New Vegas a must legendary game. Decisions actually make a difference. Not just to the story, but to the world around you. You can "accidentally" put a lit stick of dynamite in an NPC's pocket and after they turn into meat Legos you learn that person was a respected member of the community. Now the locals will speak to you differently, they may not do deals with you, or sometimes just seek revenge. Take notes Starfield. $9.99 4) Call of Duty Warzone 2/DMZ (PC, Xbox, PlayStation)- Get "the boys" together and play some Battle Royale! I will admit, I agree with a lot of the criticisms that this game gets when compared to Warzone 1, but I am still having a lot of fun with it. Warzone 2 is your typical battle royale. You got your solos, trios, quads, and a random interesting game mode thrown in there. The random mode a couple weeks ago was vehicle-based BR which I thought was super fun and a good change of pace. DMZ is Call of Duty's response to Escape from Tarkov. DMZ is a WAY less deep version of EFT, but it still has its moments of fun and intensity. Fights are less often because there are less teams that spawn in DMZ, but because of this, battles feel way more personal. Free to Play (Unless you want to play single player/regular COD multiplayer). 3) Halo Infinite (PC, Xbox)- In one of the craziest turn arounds in gaming history Halo Infinite back baby! If you are a competitive kind of gamer, then their ranked play is the way to go. And after months of waiting this game now offers a lot of "other things" to do. Custom game browsers, tons of extra "casual" game modes, forge mode, and finally a pretty good and improving customization aspect to the game. All this content and it's free to play. There is a pay wall to the single player/co-op campaign, but it's nothing you should feel too crazy about missing out on. If you played this game when it first came out, then you need to give this game another go! 2) Counter-Strike/Valorant (PC)- I had to put these two games together because I don't want to piss off the Russians and I also don't want to piss off the socially awkward anime kids. I mean what can I say about these games. High skill ceiling, yet easy to grasp. Easy level of entry, extremely hard to master. These two games are very similar, both games are "tactical round-based shooters". Where CS you play a more "realistic" game, Valorant adds the hero aspect to it. The utility you would buy in CS before each round (smokes/flash grenades) some characters in Valorant don't have the ability to flash but have the ability to smoke or vice versa. The abilities for Valorant are plentiful and overall, pretty creative. If you don't want to worry about the 15+ different types of utilities and abilities that Valorant offers, then you may want to stick to a more barebones game like CS. Both are exceptional at what they bring to the table, and both are Free-to-play...unless you get addicted to CS crate openings. 1) Rocket League (PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch)- Ok, I'll admit it. My bias is alive and well. Rocket League is the most unique multiplayer experiences I have ever had the privilege to play. With its insane mechanics and focus on both team-play and individual skill. Rocket League is easy to pick up, but another one of those games that takes thousands of hours to master. As a pretty busy person each match takes only 5 minutes (give or take, plus overtime) which makes it even more of an option for the "common man". This masterpiece also allows exceptional ways for you feel unique with its incredible customization options. Vehicles, boost trails, wheels, paint scheme, decals, each with their own variants that are rarer than others. It's free-to-play in the Epic Store and you should be playing it.
The Creator League was announced by multiple influencers yesterday and for some reason this shit feels dirty to me. At its core, the Creator League is Twitch Rivals with a monetary side to it. Twitch Rivals where it was in most cases a major streamer teaming with a handful of smaller streamers that specialize in the seemly random game that was chosen to compete in. For example, Twitch Rivals would choose Rocket League as the game and Summit1g would pick two (or whatever it maybe) streamers that come from Rocket League to compete against other teams built in the same way. The curveball from my understanding is, the small streamers part of the equation is thrown out for people that pay to use the Creator League app (pass). So, for a fee you have the chance to be on a team with a major streamer and compete for cash. App users also have the opportunity to "control" how a team plays and vote on drafts of players. The capitalist in me is very impressed that no one thought of this before. I mean shit, when I was younger my narcissistic ass used to charge people to be on my Xbox friends list. For some reason however, this league has the whiff of the ye olde classic pump and dump. Hype up Season 1 of the Creator League, sell a shit ton of "passes" then realize it wasn't profitable from a viewership or ad revenue aspect and shut it down while pocketing pass sales. If I'm right, I'm a genius, if I'm wrong I just look like a negative Nancy.
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