Month: October 2022

Marvel Snap strategies: how to increase your collection power

Fans of the Marvel universe can continue enjoying their favorite characters with the Marvel Snap card game on mobile and PC. This card game that Nuverse develops gives players a chance to collect all their favorite heroes and villains while also battling it out against real opponents in quick 1v1 matches. But many of you might wonder how to increase your collection power.

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In this article, we’ll look at how to get more cards in Marvel Snap and why you need collection power to do this. Then we’ll guide you step-by-step as we look at how to increase your collection power.

How to get more cards?

Like any card game such as Magic: The Gathering Arena or Yu-Gi-Oh!Master Duel, the main focus of the game is collecting cards. With more than 150 different cards available and multiple ways to upgrade them – collecting all of them can keep players entertained for a long time.

However, in order to get new cards, you need to upgrade cards and improve your collection power or collection level (CL), as it’s also referred to. After each round, you battle against an opponent you will receive Boosters for a specific card in your deck. You then use these Boosters along with Credits to upgrade your cards which will increase your collection power. As your collection level increases, you will unlock new cards – so upgrading your existing cards is vital! 

How to increase your Marvel Snap collection power?

The only way to collect new cards is by increasing your collection power. This is part of what makes Marvel Snap so intriguing and exciting. You don’t have to spend real money to build a good deck as long as you have a solid collection power-building strategy in place. Besides, a lot of cards can only be unlocked through achieving certain collection levels – so no amount of money will give you a full collection. Let’s look at how to increase your collection level in Marvel Snap.

  1. Launch Marvel Snap

    Marvel Snap strategies

    Launch the Marvel Snap app on your computer or mobile device by clicking on the app icon in your app drawer or on your desktop.

  2. Go into your collection

    Marvel Snap strategies

    After winning a battle, you’ll receive booster points towards a card in your deck. From the main screen, tap on the ‘Collection’ button found at the bottom of your screen to the left of the ‘Home’ button.

    In your collection, you’ll see all the cards in your collection, including those not currently in your deck, as a deck is limited to 12 cards.

  3. Click on a shining card

    Marvel Snap strategies

    Any cards that can be upgraded will be clearly visible with a shining sparkle around them. Tap on this card to open it up and see the costs of upgrading the card (credits and booster points).

    Tip: If you want to rank up quickly, make sure to level up your common cards first and change them out once they become uncommon. Following this strategy will leave you with a powerful and well-rounded deck. It will also raise your collection power quickly as these upgrades require fewer booster points than upgrading an uncommon card.

  4. Click on the blue square to upgrade it

    Marvel Snap strategies

    Click on the blue square in the bottom right of the screen to upgrade the card. A new screen will appear featuring the currently selected card in all its glory. Confirm that you want to upgrade it by tapping on the button.

    Tip: Remember that upgrading cards require boosters as well as credits, which are limited. This means you can only unlock a certain amount of cards per day, and then you have to wait for new daily challenges to refresh so that you can earn more credits. Even if you decide to spend money on purchasing more credits – there is also a daily cap for that to ensure fairness and steady progression through the game.

  5. Check your collection level

    Marvel Snap strategies

    Once you’ve upgraded a card, you’ll be taken to a new screen showing your collection level and the increase your upgrade caused. On this screen, you’ll also be able to see which card you’ll be getting next and how far you are from getting it.

     

Battle, upgrade, get new cards, repeat

Marvel Snap is an exciting card game that gives players a chance to collect their favorite superheroes or villains and upgrade them to create the most powerful deck and beat any opponent before you. If you need some more tips, take a look at this thread.

George RR Martin revealed his exact involvement in the Elden Ring lore

The popular adventure RPG, Elden Ring, has been making headlines since its release early this year. We all know that George RR Martin, the writer, and creator of Game of Thrones, had a role in developing the backstory, but just how involved was he? The famous writer recently opened up about his involvement, which is much more than we thought.

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While we know from FromSoftware CEO Hidetaka Miyazaki that George RR Martin was involved in creating the lore of the game. The man himself recently attended an interview on The Late Show with Stephan Colbert, during which he explained exactly what his role was.

He explained that he was approached by the people from FromSoftware, and they wanted him to assist with the world-building of the Elden Ring universe. Being a master of this and also enjoying it immensely, George RR Martin agreed and started on the project.

While Elden Ring plays off in its own present time, FromSoftware needed help building the backstory and history of the game. George RR Martin then created this by writing the history of what happened in the universe 5000 years before the events in the game. This also wasn’t just a broad overview but went quite in-depth into the history. This included who the characters were, who they were fighting with, what powers they had, and other intricacies that make a game great. 

George RR Martin revealed his exact involvement in the Elden Ring lore main (1)

Some of these details included the intricate relationships, such as those hidden in the Sellan, Ranni, and Carian bloodlines. It also included why the Glintstone helmets glow when players do the Erudition emote. It’s these backstories and attention to detail that separate great games from mediocre ones. We just wish that FromSoftware had kept some more of the lore in the final release of Elden Ring. 

Hopefully, the developer’s future plans, such as the rumored Elden Ring DLC, will dive a bit deeper into the lore and give players a chance to experience the beautiful history of the world as created by FromSoftware and George RR Martin.

Werewolf by Night scares the audience on Disney+

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is at it again with a new installment called Werewolf by Night on Disney+. Released on October 7, 2022, it’s a special show in black and white, celebrating the horror and Halloween TV scenes of old. It will set the tone for the week to come, sending chills up your spine in many terrifying ways.

If you have a Disney+ membership, chances are that you’ve already caught a glimpse of the movie under the fourth phase of the MCU. For those of you who haven’t subscribed as yet, we have some news about a discount you can score at the end of this article. So, stay tuned!

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The Werewolf that haunts the Disney+ night

Marvel made some plans to spook Disney+ subscribers for this Halloween month with a black-and-white show. Only about 53 mins long, it’s reminiscent of horror shows from the 70s. There are some scenes and sound effects from that time, which is why many critics praised the television special.

Hunting the monster

Werewolf by Night starts with Ulysses Bloodstone’s death, who is a Marvel comic book character. His widow, Verussa, summons five monster hunters to Bloodstone Manor where it took place. Their goal is to find the monster responsible for his death, which will make the victorious person the new leader. 

Werewolf by Night disney plus

Who is the killer?

During the course of Werewolf by Night on Disney+, it becomes increasingly clear that one of them is the killer. As they run through mazes and dark areas, the monster kills the hunters one by one. They’ll need their wits if they want to survive the night and unravel the mystery surrounding the crime.

There are so many twists and turns in the story, so you’ll need to pay close attention. Also, you’ll love the documentary-style presentation of the show. When it’s all done, you’ll be sitting and clutching your pillow as the ending draws near.

Exciting cast

Gael García Bernal takes the starring role of Jack Russell, one of the hunters who set off to find the monster. When Marvel first started filming Werewolf by Night, Jack spent about four hours getting into costume and preparing to act in the show. Towards the end of making the film, it went a lot faster. Laura Donnelly stars as Elsa, while Harriet Sansom Harris is Verussa. Other names in the credits include Kirk R. Thatcher, Eugenie Bondurant, Leonardo Nam, and Daniel J. Watts.

Werewolf by Night disney plus

Fright in the night on Disney+

If you haven’t seen Werewolf by Night on Disney+ as yet, it’s time to have a look as Halloween approaches. There are some fun scares along the way, while you’ll love the cinematography of the television special.

Remember, you can only see the show if you have a Disney+ membership. To make sure you don’t pay the full price, check out this special discount where you only pay 10 months for a full 12 months of viewing pleasure!

Don’t miss out on this Disney+ offer!

Is Meta over-extending itself with the metaverse?

The reasons why Facebook and its parent company are currently in dire straits encompass everything from Mark Zuckerberg’s shady relationship with privacy and user data to population stagnation and lack of internet in developing markets. Instead of trying to repair the company as it was, Zuck instead pioneered a rebrand from Facebook to Meta, seemingly distancing himself from the controversy he’s created over the decades.

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But is this rebrand and the recent Metaverse innovation a solid strategy to gain the trust of millions? Or is it just a last-ditch attempt to rule the world, so to speak?

No matter the grand ideal that the Metaverse was meant to set for life in virtual reality, it seems to have fallen flat faster than that of its preceding venture, Facebook. Facebook’s main issue at the moment is the presence and popularity of other social media platforms. Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok all have a niche that they occupy and a core demographic that they serve.

However, Facebook seems to be nothing more than an old folk’s home and a platform trying to fit into too many niches at once. It isn’t special or novel anymore, and it doesn’t have much of a place in the neo-modern society of today. 

Is Meta over-extending itself with the metaverse?

Previously Zuck had been beaten to the punch by other platforms. A prime example of this is when Snapchat launched Stories. Since then, there have been many other instances of someone else beating Zuck to the punch. The idea behind Metaverse was to end that, to beat everyone to the punch.

While everyone is living in 2022, Zuck is planning for the dystopian future where everyone lives in virtual reality, and the real world becomes a wasteland of sedentary bodies attached to VR goggles. Unfortunately, Metaverse is losing inhabitants and cash flow fast. Experiences like Decentraland have gone from 8000 users at the beginning of 2022 to a mere 38 at the current last count. And that trend seems to be spread to all corners of the Metaverse. 

Zuckerberg’s net worth has dropped $71 billion this year alone, and if the trend of gen Z leaving Facebook and the failure of the Metaverse continues, he’s set to lose a lot more. Meta seems to be dead in the water, and it could potentially have been stopped if Zuck had actually cared about privacy and the safety of user data instead of trying to sweep it under the rug and cover it with a flashy rebrand and loft, never-to-be-fully-realized project.

In other news, Facebook is adding Reels to your Group chats.

Two interesting new WhatsApp features have been spotted in development

Over recent months we have been tracking a whole host of new features that are in the pipeline at WhatsApp. Everything from augmentations to WhatsApp groups to a raft of new privacy control features are on the way. Today we get to bring you news of two new WhatsApp features that have been spotted. Let’s check out.

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The active WhatsApp beta community has discovered a brand new and never seen before feature on the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.22.23.14, as well as a new feature on the WhatsApp beta for Desktop version 2.2241.2.

On Android, a new logged-out screen has been spotted, which may be linked to another new feature that is in development, the ability to log into your WhatsApp account on multiple devices. Up until now, there has never really been a reason to log out of WhatsApp on your device, but this could all be about to change, and WhatsApp looks like it is preparing for the evolution.

For example, if you will soon be able to log into a second device without having to scan a QR code with your primary device, you may start logging in on other people’s devices to check your messages when you don’t have your phone with you. In that scenario, it would be very important to know that you have logged out properly once you have done so.

On WhatsApp for Desktop, a new feature that allows users to blur out certain parts of images before sending them looks set to add another privacy update to the app. This feature would make it easier to send photos to friends and family even if they aspects in them that you don’t want to share, such as maybe a child’s face, your address, or maybe the license plate on your car.

These two features have rolled out to beta users on both platforms but there is still no official word from WhatsApp about them. This means we will have to wait and see when they will roll out to all users. Make sure you stick with us for all the latest WhatsApp news so that you don’t miss any updates.

Images via: WABetaInfo

It looks like iPhone users will soon need to buy new chargers

The EU recently announced legislation that is designed to facilitate interoperability between tech devices. It legislates that all consumer technology devices in the EU need to have USB Type-C charging ports. As the EU represents such a huge market for consumer technology devices, this basically means that manufacturers everywhere have to follow this rule, unless they want to make different devices for different regions. As this new rule will mostly affect Apple and its proprietary Lightning Cable, we’ve all been waiting to hear the company’s response and it now looks like we have one.

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Greg Joswiak, who is Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing recently gave an interview with The Wall Street Journal in which he discussed the new EU regulation.

In the interview, Joswiak stated that Apple will obviously have to comply with the new EU law and introduce USB-C charging ports into its devices such as iPhones and iPads. However, he was also very cagey about when Apple will start complying with it and he also refused to comment on where Apple will be shipping out new USB-C iPhones, leaving the door open to a future that has two distinct iPhone models that use different charging cables. You can check out the interview below:

Joswiak’s caginess means that we don’t know whether the next version of the iPhone, the iPhone 15, will have the new USB-C charging ports as it will launch before the new law comes into effect or if users will have to wait until the iPhone 16 for the universal charging ports.

However, despite Joswiak’s hesitation to be drawn into the debate about where these new iPhones will roll out, it is highly likely that Apple won’t be segmenting manufacturing and shipping out different versions of the iPhone. Apple clearly doesn’t have a problem with USB-C as all new Macbooks are rolling out with USB-C ports. As is usually the case with these big tech companies, they just don’t like being told what to do. It most likely then, is just a case of when they will roll out everywhere.

Make sure you don’t miss out on when we can expect to see USB-C iPhones rolling out by bookmarking our iPhone news page and subscribing to push notifications.

LinkedIn is making moves to solve its fake account problem

Deepfakes, AI image generators, and bots are wreaking havoc on the internet and the concept of trust. It is more difficult than ever these days to act with confidence when dealing with somebody online as their profile pictures might be fake and their words may be generated by an automated chatbot. We reported recently on how this problem has been affecting LinkedIn with fake accounts causing plenty of problems on the app. Today, however, we get to bring you news of the actions LinkedIn is taking to solve the problem.

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LinkedIn’s vice president of Product Management, Oscar Rodriguez has published a blog post outlining a new feature that will help the company verify users’ identities, detect fake accounts, and boost authenticity on the network.

The feature includes two new verification steps that will help users confirm who they are dealing with when on LinkedIn. These verification steps include adding your phone number as well your work email account, which users will then be able to verify in a new “About this profile” tab. The new tab will also tell users you created your profile as well as the last time you activated it, so that they can tell if your account is active or not and hasn’t recently been created by scammers.

Rodriguez states in the blog post that the new feature is rolling out to certain companies, saying:

“Starting this week, you can find the “About this profile” feature on each LinkedIn member’s profile page, and soon you’ll see it in more places over the coming weeks, including when viewing invitations and messages. For work emails, our plan is to start with a limited number of companies, but you can expect to see this expand as we add additional companies over time.”

The hope is that these new features should help to stop fake accounts spreading across LinkedIn and also offer users a way to check who they are being messaged by.

In other recent LinkedIn news, scammers have been using LinkedIn Smart Links to try and share phishing scams.

A remake of The Witcher in Unreal Engine 5 has been announced

The Witcher just celebrated its 15th anniversary of the original game, and along with the celebration came some exciting news for fans of the series. CD Projekt Red, the developers of the series, announced that a remake is in development. Not just any remake, though, one using Unreal Engine 5. But what does this mean for fans of the franchise?

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The remake is currently in the early stages of development and is being built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. For the most part, it’s being created by Fool’s Theory, a Polish development studio that has often given support to larger studios. The studio was also involved in The Witcher 2 and now 3, Divinity Original, Sin 2, and Baldur’s Gate 3. 

The decision to build the game entirely from scratch in Unreal Engine 5 is a good call as it will keep the story in alignment with the new The Witcher Trilogy currently being worked on. Many believe this remake will help the series feel like a whole instead of just two different games.

Not only that, but it will also improve the original game, which was rather clunky. This will give old and new fans a much better experience than the original. The Witcher is one of those older games that’s difficult to go back to after all these years. This means many new players will lose out on the story’s narrative covered in the first trilogy. Therefore a remake could be just the answer!

A remake of The Witcher in Unreal Engine 5

More studios have been releasing remakes and remastered versions to draw attention to their games and excite fans. While some didn’t impress much, like GTA San Andreas, others shone out and made definite improvements in visual impact and overall gameplay, like Final Fantasy VII. Others, like The Last of Us, decided to make significant visual and audio improvements without changing too much of the game sequencing – keeping faithful to the original.

Right now, there’s not much more information, so we don’t know precisely in which direction The Witcher’s remake will go, but it remains exciting for fans of the franchise. It will also give new players a great introduction to the lore before the launch of the new Witcher trilogy.

Top 10 terrifying games and events to play this Halloween!

Something wicked this way cometh! It’s almost All Hallow’s Eve, also known by many as Halloween. While some people will celebrate the day of the Saints and honor deceased loved ones, others will be trick or treating. For us gamers, it means a festival of horror games and in-game events!

Therefore, I’ve decided to put together a list of 10 games and events for Halloween you won’t want to miss. I’ll start with games before moving to in-game events at the end. Be sure you grab a copy of these to be truly terrified during this horror season.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human

While the first game was a smash hit with survival horror gamers, Dying Light 2 was highly anticipated and a massive success upon launch. It brought another detailed storyline, improved graphics and gameplay, and more zombies. It will give you a thrill as you struggle to survive against the undead.

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You can also play with friends in multiplayer mode, sharing your screams together. The ultra-realistic visuals and sounds with have your heart racing as you hide in the shadows. If fear holds no home in your heart, take your weapons and charge out to eliminate your enemies.

Resident Evil: Village

After the success of the first-person view of RE 7: Biohazard, Resident Evil Village returned to the story of Ethan Winters. Many features are similar to Resident Evil 4, especially the village you’ll encounter and the typewriter save points. This time, you’ll be facing Lycan creatures with military training on your side.

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As you progress through the game, the sounds and visuals will set the gaming scene for Halloween. Your heart will be racing as you explore massive buildings and structures. You won’t know what’s waiting for you around the next wall, plus you’ll have puzzles to solve.

Be sure to read all about the Resident Evil showcase that took place recently, presented by colleague Russ Kidson.

Cult of the Lamb

For those of you who enjoy base-building games, try Cult of the Lamb for Halloween. You have an area where you collect cult members that worship you and feed your power. There are also sim-like mechanics where you need to keep your followers happy at all times.

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When you’re ready for some action, you head to the dungeons to clear them for rewards. Your followers will be waiting for you back at the base. There are plenty of dark elements, visuals, and gameplay mechanics that will satisfy those who have dark hearts.

Be sure to check out our complete Cult of the Lamb review by Juliet Childers.

Silent Hill 4: The Room

I’ve decided to add a personal favorite of mine to this list of games to play during Halloween. Silent Hill 4: The Room was the title in the series I enjoyed the most. It wasn’t originally intended to be an SH game, but there are so many scary aspects that will have you jumping from your seat and running from your room. Just ask me, who did the same when I first met the evil twin monster with the baby faces.

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You spend time investigating a past crime while inspecting a hole that appeared in your bathroom wall. As you progress through the game, your room becomes darker and heavier. Ghosts and demons start appearing, making you rush to complete the mystery of the serial killer, Walter Sullivan.

I presented an article on what to expect from the new Silent Hill games after the Konami showcase, so make sure you don’t miss it.

Mirror Forge

There was no way I was going to make a list of Halloween games without including Mirror Forge. You can play the demo so long while MystiveDev is still developing it, and I recommend you do. It’s one hell of an eerie game, pun intended. 

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I don’t want to ruin the demo’s story for you, but you can read my gameplay experience in my detailed Mirror Forge review. There’s suspense around every corner as you wonder what will happen next. The visuals are outstanding, but they’ll also send your heart racing. Check the demo and see for yourself!

Elder Scrolls Online: Witch Event

Many ESO fans like myself have been playing the Heroes of High Isle events in the new area of Tamriel. The Elder Scrolls Online Witch Event went live recently, unlocking new quests, daily tasks, items, outfits, and more. There are plunder skulls to obtain when you fight bosses, which unlock new skins and resources.

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When you complete enough quests and obtain more plunder skulls, you’ll unlock a special pet and outfit items. It’s fun running around as a scarecrow or mage skeleton while completing tasks, even your daily writs. You can even buy a scary Halloween home with furnishings by the swamp if you have enough crowns. I used my last crowns just for his new abode (don’t judge me).

Fishing Planet: Halloween Event

As usual, Fishing Planet is all geared up for Halloween this year. There are monster fish for you to catch, but only if you have the bait needed for them. You’ll see pumpkins around the lake, while there’s a mysterious druid stone that wants some unique items from you. If you don’t mind spending real money, you can also buy the Hellish Fighter Pack for special rods, reels, bait, and more.

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Top Halloween Games and Events

Diablo Immortal Hallow’s Wake

Diablo Immortal is also holding a Halloween event called Hallow’s Wake. It’s running until November 2, so you won’t want to miss out. There are a few tasks to carry out, such as hunting goblins, killing the vengeful dead, and completing Haunted Rifts. You’ll receive plenty of fun rewards, such as the Hallowed Choker Portrait Frame, Strawman Sack Mask, and Ghosted Emote.

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Top Halloween Games and Events

ARK Fear Evolved 6 Halloween Event

Here’s another game that has an annual Halloween event. ARK: Survival Evolved has dinosaur skeletons and massive bosses to fight, which will vanish after November 2, 2022. If you manage to defeat them, they’ll reward you with skins for you and your tamed dinos, as well as other neat gifts. There are also zombie variants of some species to find and defeat, but you can only tame a few of them. 

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Top Halloween Games and Events

Pokemon GO Halloween Event I and II

As announced recently by Leri Koen, phase 1 of the Pokemon GO Halloween event will end today. We’ll see the second phase appear on November 1, 2022. You’ll find Pokemon dressed in spooky gear, and there will be search-timed events. There will also be dark creatures to battle, so keep your eyes open while you trick-or-treat in your neighborhood!

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Top Halloween Games and Events

Are you ready to be terrified?

There are plenty more Halloween games and events to enjoy, but the ones above are definitely my favorite. I don’t know which game to give most of my attention to, but for now, it’s all-weapons-blazing in Elder Scrolls Online. I’m also making time to complete my second Silent Hill horror novel, so I’ll be having my own author Halloween festival at home. What’s scarier than going into the abyss of your mind to deliver a scary story to your fans?

Play V Rising, a vampire survival game, for free this weekend

V Rising isn’t a new game, but it’s caught our attention again because of a special Halloween event it’s hosting this weekend. The event, termed Bloodfest in-game, will see V Rising being playable for free from October 28th to November 1st, 2022. 

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As part of the in-game Halloween-themed event, V Rising’s developers, Stunlock Studios, are also releasing fitting DLC that you can claim starting now. The DLC will no longer be available after November 7th, so hurry on over and claim it now. The new DLC includes all sorts of Halloween-themed items, such as spooky interior decor and ghostly lights. 

In addition to the DLC drop, V Rising is also including a brand-new gameplay configuration called the Mad Hunt. This new server preset will randomize the locations of V Blood, its technologies, and spell unlocks. If you’d prefer to only add one of these three features, you can apply them individually. 

As is usually the case with game updates, this most recent one also issues numerous fixes for endgame content, as well as making a few adjustments in terms of the game’s balance.

Play V Rising, a vampire survival game,

In other news, everyone who celebrates Halloween puts their own unique spin on the social phenomenon. Some people construct elaborate tricks to enact upon visitors; others, like the folks over at Adafruit, issue warnings that Doom may be running on candy in your Halloween hamper. To each their own, but I’d certainly be more than happy to find a candy bar with gaming capabilities in my candy collection.