Bethesda’s Creation Club launches with purchasable content for “Fallout 4” and “Skyrim.”

A few years back, Valve—the Seattle-based juggernaut best known for running online gaming marketplace Steam—worked with Bethesda to create a platform for game modders to sell their work. Several modders were secretly invited to create new content to sell on Valve’s pre-existing Steam Workshop, a mod platform that is integrated into the Steam client. Bethesda’s popular “Skyrim” was the guinea pig for the service as one of the most moddable games available. The experiment was not well received; Valve took down the service within 48 hours and issued a formal apology.

Bethesda decided to give the idea another go with its new Creation Club,  an integrated store for “Fallout 4” and “Skyrim” that sells a curated collection of independently developed content. Bethesda has been working with developers outside the company and with community content creators to develop a collection of different add-ons for the two popular games.

Several of the new Creation Club items. (Courtesy of Bethesda)

For “Fallout 4,” the add-ons range from a fully customizable cosmetic backpack and modern furniture for in-game settlements to updated versions of items from previous games, like the Hellfire armor and Chinese stealth suit from “Fallout 3.”

Bethesda has professed that its new Creation Club is not the return of Valve’s “paid mods,” but the similarities are still strikingly similar. Reception from fans has been lukewarm at best, though that hasn’t dissuaded the company. Bethesda has already announced a second wave of content will be available soon.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Bethesda’s Creation Club and Valve’s bid for paid mods on the Steam Workshop is the rate of content curation. Valve didn’t really set any standards for what could be sold on the Steam Workshop, leading to some comical situations. Picket signs to protest paid mods and $10 mods to add an extra apple to the game were just a few of the ways users put the system through the ringer.

Another immediate concern is how this premium content will affect the current modding community. Bethesda claims that all content for sale on the Creation Club store will be originally developed for the platform. But both the aforementioned Hellfire armor and Chinese stealth suit have pre-existing mods available for free on Bethesda’s own website in the community mod catalog. One has to wonder, what would stop some committed modders from copying all of the Creation Club’s content and if that were to happen, what actions might Bethesda take?

You can learn more about the Creation Club here or watch the E3 announcement trailer below:

“Destiny 2” day one micro-transaction system draws controversy from the game’s community.

Bungie seems to have taken a few pages out of the Blizzard design book as they launch their new game on the Battle.net platform. “Destiny 2,” the latest installment of Bungie’s franchise, has a random cosmetic loot feature called Bright Engrams, similar to both “Overwatch” and “Heroes of the Storm’s” different loot box systems.

These Bright Engrams can be earned or purchased for an in-game currency called Silver, that can be bought with real money. They provide a range of character emotes, one-use armor color shaders, space ship textures and Sparrow bike designs. Players can also obtain weapon and armor mods that have a minor effect on their character’s power, prompting some players to accuse the system of being “pay-to-win.”

But many players find a bigger issue with the change of the shader feature, which is used to change the color and texture of in-game armor. In the original “Destiny,” shaders were unlocked and could be used infinitely. In “Destiny 2.” shaders are single use items, meaning you’ll need to stockpile them throughout the game or save them only for the items you’ll have for a long time.

While not particularly egregious or unfair, the current micro-transaction system in “Destiny 2” has managed to rub many longtime fans the wrong way. Bright Engrams can be earned rather easily at max level but can be purchased as early as level 20. Bungie has been receptive to community feedback in the past, so we’ll have to wait and see if they decide to make some reforms to their current business model.

You can check out the Emerald’s previous coverage of “Destiny 2” here or watch the latest trailer below:

The post Gaming Week in Review: Bethesda’s Creation Club is live, ‘Destiny 2’ launches with microtransactions and controversy appeared first on Emerald Media.

Blizzard releases new animated shorts for several of its games including “Hearthstone” and “Overwatch” at Gamescom 2017.

Blizzard has stolen the Gamescom 2017 spotlight, which seems to be a new habit in the last three years. While the veteran gaming company brought many exciting announcements about their games, it mainly showcased the cinematic excellence that makes its titles truly legendary within the gaming community.

New animated, CGI and in-engine cinematic shorts for nearly every Blizzard game debuted at Gamescom this year, from “World of Warcraft” to “Heroes of the Storm.” While the quality of these shorts is as high as ever, what may be most striking is how they’ve shown Blizzard understands its community.

The “Heroes of the Storm” animated trailer sees the return of Kel’thuzad, a powerful necromancer and a “World of Warcraft” fan favorite. Jaina, another “Warcraft” character, will also receive a Dreadlord skin. This is a nod to the tinfoil hat theory that the “WoW” community concocted, in which the important character was killed and replaced with a demon.

“Overwatch” had two shorts. The first showed us Junkertown, an upcoming set of maps for “Overwatch,” where we see the “Mad Max”-style hometown of criminal duo Junkrat and Roadhog. The other showcased the origin story of the ice-slinging Mei, as she awakens from cryosleep to find a drastically different world than the one she knew. “Overwatch” fans are always hungry for more lore about the game, and Blizzard did not disappoint this year.

Check out the live coverage of Blizzard at Gamescom 2017 here.

You can watch Mei’s and Kel’Thuzad’s animated shorts below:

“Age of Empires IV” and “Age of Empires Definitive Edition” are in development and Bill Gates may be responsible.

The “Age of Empires” series has a special place in many people’s hearts. Whether it was conquering the world with their favorite historical empire or using cheat codes to burn castles to the ground with machine gun-filled sportscars, this real-time-strategy series brought many smiles to young gamers’ faces.

When the Microsoft-backed game developer Ensemble Studios shut down in 2009, it looked like the end of things for the series. Yet Microsoft saw potential in the franchise, which had retained one of the largest RTS player bases of any game outside Blizzard’s “Starcraft” franchise. After a poorly received free-to-play installment, the series’ most popular iteration, “Age of Empires II,” had an HD remake and released several fan-made expansions nearly two decades after release.

Enter Bill Gates, Microsoft CEO and infamous philanthropist. In an ask-me-anything thread on Reddit, Gates was asked about a new iteration of the game. After Gates replied that he’d “look into it,” the topic then came up a year later in another AMA. This time, Gates still didn’t have an answer, at least not for a couple months. He later replied that Microsoft had begun work on the “Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.” But at Gamescom 2017, Gates had one more surprise.

“Age of Empires IV” is in development. Few fans of the series thought this would happen. Aside from the announcement, few details have been given. That hasn’t stopped fans from quivering in anticipation though, whether that be for a world’s worth of historical empires in a massive free for all or a new set of cheat codes to spice things up.

Watch the announcement trailer below:

Gaming Week In Review is a semi-regular column by Mathew Brock devoted to recapping recent news from the video game world each week.

You can follow Mathew on Twitter: @MathewQBrock.

The post Gaming Week In Review: Many Blizzard animated shorts at Gamescom, ‘Age of Empires’ series revived appeared first on Emerald Media.

Blizzard releases new animated shorts for several of its games including “Hearthstone” and “Overwatch” at Gamescom 2017.

Blizzard has stolen the Gamescom 2017 spotlight, which seems to be a new habit in the last three years. While the veteran gaming company brought many exciting announcements about their games, it mainly showcased the cinematic excellence that makes its titles truly legendary within the gaming community.

New animated, CGI and in-engine cinematic shorts for nearly every Blizzard game debuted at Gamescom this year, from “World of Warcraft” to “Heroes of the Storm.” While the quality of these shorts is as high as ever, what may be most striking is how they’ve shown Blizzard understands its community.

The “Heroes of the Storm” animated trailer sees the return of Kel’thuzad, a powerful necromancer and a “World of Warcraft” fan favorite. Jaina, another “Warcraft” character, will also receive a Dreadlord skin. This is a nod to the tinfoil hat theory that the “WoW” community concocted, in which the important character was killed and replaced with a demon.

“Overwatch” had two shorts. The first showed us Junkertown, an upcoming set of maps for “Overwatch,” where we see the “Mad Max”-style hometown of criminal duo Junkrat and Roadhog. The other showcased the origin story of the ice-slinging Mei, as she awakens from cryosleep to find a drastically different world than the one she knew. “Overwatch” fans are always hungry for more lore about the game, and Blizzard did not disappoint this year.

Check out the live coverage of Blizzard at Gamescom 2017 here.

You can watch Mei’s and Kel’Thuzad’s animated shorts below:

“Age of Empires IV” and “Age of Empires Definitive Edition” are in development and Bill Gates may be responsible.

The “Age of Empires” series has a special place in many people’s hearts. Whether it was conquering the world with their favorite historical empire or using cheat codes to burn castles to the ground with machine gun-filled sportscars, this real-time-strategy series brought many smiles to young gamers’ faces.

When the Microsoft-backed game developer Ensemble Studios shut down in 2009, it looked like the end of things for the series. Yet Microsoft saw potential in the franchise, which had retained one of the largest RTS player bases of any game outside Blizzard’s “Starcraft” franchise. After a poorly received free-to-play installment, the series’ most popular iteration, “Age of Empires II,” had an HD remake and released several fan-made expansions nearly two decades after release.

Enter Bill Gates, Microsoft CEO and infamous philanthropist. In an ask-me-anything thread on Reddit, Gates was asked about a new iteration of the game. After Gates replied that he’d “look into it,” the topic then came up a year later in another AMA. This time, Gates still didn’t have an answer, at least not for a couple months. He later replied that Microsoft had begun work on the “Age of Empires: Definitive Edition.” But at Gamescom 2017, Gates had one more surprise.

“Age of Empires IV” is in development. Few fans of the series thought this would happen. Aside from the announcement, few details have been given. That hasn’t stopped fans from quivering in anticipation though, whether that be for a world’s worth of historical empires in a massive free for all or a new set of cheat codes to spice things up.

Watch the announcement trailer below:

Gaming Week In Review is a semi-regular column by Mathew Brock devoted to recapping recent news from the video game world each week.

You can follow Mathew on Twitter: @MathewQBrock.

The post Gaming Week In Review: Many Blizzard animated shorts at Gamescom, ‘Age of Empires’ series revived appeared first on Emerald Media.

Blizzard ditches the Blizzard App name and returns to its classic Battle.net.

Battle.net is a household name among modern gamers. The online gaming service hosted many popular multiplayer games over the years including “Diablo II,” “Starcraft” and “Warcraft 3.” The name stuck when Blizzard created its own digital client to host more recent games like “Starcraft 2,” Heroes of the Storm” and “World of Warcraft.”

When Blizzard announced it would be rebranding Battle.net to the Blizzard App earlier this year, it received a less than amicable response from the community. Even the company itself was confused by the change, accidentally referring to the service as Battle.net when it announced that it would be hosting developer Bungie’s first-person-shooter “Destiny 2” on PC.

The new logo for Blizzard Battle.net.

In light of all this, Blizzard has taken a few steps back and decided to try to get the best of both worlds. Battle.net is back, although there’s a little extra baggage.

The client will now be referred to as “Blizzard Battle.net”, seemingly combining brand recognition with the nostalgic name that everyone recognizes.

In the blog post making the announcement Blizzard said the following:

“Battle.net is the central nervous system for Blizzard games and the connective tissue that has brought Blizzard players together since 1996. The technology was never going away, but after giving the branding change further consideration and also hearing your feedback, we’re in agreement that the name should stay as well. Take it from the developer formerly known as Silicon & Synapse, and Chaos Studios, names are important too.”

You can read the full blog post here.

The Skaven are officially confirmed as the final launch race for “Total War: Warhammer II.”

One of game developer Creative Assembly’s worst kept secrets is finally out in the open: the Skaven are officially the fourth starting faction in the second installment of the “Total War: Warhammer” series. It’s not much of a surprise, considering fans have noticed the rat-like warriors skulking behind the scenes in many of the game’s previous trailers and in-game events

The Skaven will debut alongside the Lizardmen, High Elves and Dark Elves in the upcoming grand strategy “Total War: Warhammer II.” These ratmen will join the four-way war for the legendary Eye of the Vortex, the gigantic magical maelstrom that controls the Warhammer Fantasy universe’s magic and helps keep the dark forces of Chaos at bay throughout the world.

Creative Assembly released the full roster for the faction, though it kept the specific stats and unit cards secret for now. Based on the brief descriptions provided, the Skaven army seems to focus on poison units and flanking tactics, while also packing dangerous experimental weapons and mutated abominations. Skaven casters will also have their own magic type: the Lore of Plague.

“Total War: Warhammer” releases next month, with the Grand Campaign that allows players to link both games and play on one massive map releasing several weeksafterwards.

You can watch the latest trailer for “Total War: Warhammer II” below:

A demo for “XCOM 2: War of the Chosen’s” features the new Propaganda Center weeks before full release.

Developer Firaxis’s upcoming expansion for “XCOM 2” is allegedly one of its most ambitious projects yet. Taking many of the ideas that didn’t make it into the first game, “War of the Chosen” will add both tactical and cosmetic features to make the game a true guerilla war experience.

One of the most prominent features is the new Propaganda Center that expands on the wanted posters easter egg in the base game. While on missions, soldiers appear in digital news feeds and TV screens start displaying their faces when enemies are alerted to their presence. Now, players can take their ragtag band of freedom fighters and fight the Advent propaganda machine with images of their own.

“XCOM” fans can now dress up and pose all their favorite soldiers to inspire earth’s people to rebel against their alien overlords. They can also see said posters during missions and share them online with friends. There’s no reason people can’t fight aliens and be stylish at the same time.

Anyone can experiment with the new feature before the expansion’s full release later this month by downloading the app on Steam. You can check it out here.

The new “XCOM” Propoganda Center.

You can check out the Emerald’s review of the “XCOM 2” base game here or watch the latest trailer below:

Gaming Week In Review is a semi-regular column by Mathew Brock devoted to recapping recent news from the video game world each week.

You can follow Mathew on Twitter: @MathewQBrock.

The post Gaming Week In Review: Battle.net returns, Skaven confirmed for “TW:WH II,” “XCOM 2” expansion demo appeared first on Emerald Media.

The latest “Hearthstone” expansion, “Knights of the Frozen Throne,” is live.

“Hearthstone” has always been a light-hearted take on the Warcraft franchise, but sometimes this digital card game puts a darker spin on the world of Azeroth than the popular MMORPG that spawned it. First, we peeked into an alternate universe in “Whispers of the Old Gods,” where the Cthulu-like Old Gods broke free of their prisons and consumed the world. Now, we see what would have happened if The Lich King, lord of the undead Scourge, had succeeded in conquering the world and turning its heroes into his undead servants.

The ghoulified cast of “Hearthstone” as they appear in the “Knights of the Frozen Throne” expansion. (Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment)

“Knights of the Frozen Throne” is the 10th expansion to “Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft.” It includes 135 new cards and a set of special missions that culminate with the players confronting the Lich King himself. Those talented enough to defeat the Lich King with every class will unlock Arthas as a playable hero for the paladin class, the man destined to become the Lich King.

The expansion introduces two new mechanics: hero cards and lifesteal. Hero cards replace your hero with a new one, changing their hero ability and adding a small amount of armor. Lifesteal makes it so all damage done by a creature heals the player. In true Lich King fashion, the set also focuses on the deathrattle and discard mechanics.

Alongside the new expansion, Blizzard released a series of short comics that show the gradual corruption of the game’s heroes into their new death knight forms, as seen on their respective class-specific hero cards.

You can learn more and read the comics here or experience the new set for yourself in-game.

Watch the trailer below:

Ubisoft’s popular hack ‘n’ slash fighting game “For Honor” is free to play this weekend.

While the popularity of “For Honor” has dwindled in recent months, the game still has a lot to offer for those willing revisit or pick it up for the first time. The game’s first two DLC classes, the Centurion and Shinobu, were added a few months ago and the next two, the Highlander and Gladiator, are just around the corner. For those on the fence, this weekend you can play the game for free, courtesy of Ubisoft.

From Aug. 10-13, the game is free-to-play on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. This gives access to the campaign mode and all online multiplayer modes. The game will also be marked down 50 percent during that time for any players who want to pick up the full game. Any progress made in both multiplayer and single player will be saved so that players can keep their progress, even if they don’t decide to buy right away.

You can learn more here or check out the Emerald’s review of “For Honor” here.

 Nintendo debuts a new demo for Capcom’s “Monster Hunter Stories” RPG.

The “Monster Hunter” franchise is known for being one of the most hardcore handheld games around, being equal parts zany and nerve wracking. But it seems Capcom has decided to take the game in a couple of different directions, first announcing  “Monster Hunter World” and now “Monster Hunter Stories.”

While the base franchise is an action RPG, “Monster Hunter Stories” takes the classic turn-based approach more reminiscent of the common JRPG. Instead of just hunting down the world’s various monsters and turning them into a variety of weapons and armor, players will steal monster eggs in order to hatch and tame new companions.

The main character of “Monster Hunter Stories” escaping fro ma Tigrex on his Rathalos companion.

If you own a 3DS, a demo of the game is available now on the eShop, with the full game coming out on Sept. 8. While hardcore fans of the series might be turned off by the cutesy art style and more casual game design, the game shows promise for such a drastic change in gameplay. It’s a take on the “Monster Hunter” universe we haven’t really seen before and with “Monster Hunter World” still far on the horizon, it’s a welcome deviation.

You can learn more here.

Watch the trailer for “Monster Hunter Stories” below:

Gaming Week In Review is a semi-regular column by Mathew Brock devoted to recapping recent news from the video game world each week.

You can follow Mathew on Twitter: @MathewQBrock.

The post Gaming Week In Review: ‘Hearthstone’ expansion live, ‘For Honor’ free weekend, ‘Monster Hunter Stories’ demo appeared first on Emerald Media.

Studio Wildcard pushes “Ark: Survival Evolved” full release to Aug. 29 and unveils more details on how a retail launch will affect the game.

The impending release of “Ark: Survival Evolved” is enough to turn a few heads, whether it’s a beta-testing veteran or a wary skeptic waiting for the game to leave early access.  One of the most ambitious games of its genre, the survival crafting game by Studio Wildcard will be getting a full retail release soon, but maybe not as soon as expected. This marks a major milestone for the game and company, one that few of its competitors within the same genre can boast.

Following the controversial price hike from $40 to $60, Studio Wildcard delayed the Aug. 8 release of “Ark: Survival Evolved” until Aug. 29. The developers announced the delay in a blog post this week. They explained that the process for a Gold Master retail certification took far longer than they had initially anticipated.

A dragon from “Ark: Survival Evolved.” (Courtesy of Studio Wildcard)

This process caused some major setbacks in the game’s content release schedule — most noticeably that the anticipated free “Ragnarok” DLC for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 was also moved to the end of the month. Likewise, the long-awaited performance tweaks and bug-fixes for the game’s PC iteration were also delayed, but the developer promised to make PC optimization a top priority in the coming month.

After the aforementioned price raise — which was necessary to properly qualify for a retail release according to the developer  —this delay has not sat well with the game’s community.

Studio Wildcard has still teased some of what is to come with the full release update. New biomes, boss encounters, crafting recipes and a new landmass are just some of what the studio has teased so far.

A randomly generated island from “Ark: Survival Evolved.” (Courtesy of Studio Wildcard)

You can read the full blog post here. You can also check out the Emerald’s previous coverage of “Ark: Survival Evolved” here.

Watch the trailer for the “Ragnarok” DLC below:

Doomfist is now live and fully playable in “Overwatch” and the yearly Summer Games event is back in full swing.

After a long wait, Doomfist has finally come to wreak havoc on the denizens of the “Overwatch” universe. This rocket-punching villain has finally debuted in-game and has taken the competitive first-person-shooter by storm.

Doomfist standing alongside the rest of the Talon agents in the “Overwatch” roster. (Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment)

Not long before Doomfist’s release, Blizzard treated its fans to high-quality animated comics that delve into his back story. Here we see Doomfist walking out of a smashed prison and meeting with Reaper, a fellow leader of the shadowy organization Talon. From there we get a deeper look into the villainous organization that serves as a counterpart to Overwatch, as well as some insight into Doomfist’s character and philosophy.

Close to Doomfist’s release, next week, “Overwatch’s” Summer Games holiday will return. This will allow players to compete in the Lucio Ball game mode and earn special loot crates containing coveted Olympic Games themed cosmetic items. Last year’s items will be available in crates alongside a set of entirely new items. Older skins will also be available again for in-game currency for a cheaper price than last year.

The Lucioball game mode was tweaked and revamped in preparation for a new competitive league. This new Copa Lucioball will function similarly to “Overwatch’s” ranked play system. Players will play 10 placement matches before determining their rank and receive a special spray for doing so. The top 500 players in each region will earn another special spray, which drastically raises the stakes in this fun take on the bright competitive shooter.

You can check out the Emerald’s previous coverage of Doomfist here and our launch review here.

You can watch the official trailer for Doomfist’s release below:

Gaming Week In Review is a semi-regular column by Mathew Brock devoted to recapping recent news from the video game world each week.

You can follow Mathew on Twitter: @MathewQBrock.

The post Gaming Week in Review: ‘Ark’ release and DLC delayed, Doomfist live in ‘Overwatch’ and Competative Lucioball mode appeared first on Emerald Media.

Studio Wildcard pushes “Ark: Survival Evolved” full release to Aug. 29 and unveils more details on how a retail launch will affect the game.

The impending release of “Ark: Survival Evolved” is enough to turn a few heads, whether it’s a beta-testing veteran or a wary skeptic waiting for the game to leave early access.  One of the most ambitious games of its genre, the survival crafting game by Studio Wildcard will be getting a full retail release soon, but maybe not as soon as expected. This marks a major milestone for the game and company, one that few of its competitors within the same genre can boast.

Following the controversial price hike from $40 to $60, Studio Wildcard delayed the Aug. 8 release of “Ark: Survival Evolved” until Aug. 29. The developers announced the delay in a blog post this week. They explained that the process for a Gold Master retail certification took far longer than they had initially anticipated.

A dragon from “Ark: Survival Evolved.” (Courtesy of Studio Wildcard)

This process caused some major setbacks in the game’s content release schedule — most noticeably that the anticipated free “Ragnarok” DLC for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 was also moved to the end of the month. Likewise, the long-awaited performance tweaks and bug-fixes for the game’s PC iteration were also delayed, but the developer promised to make PC optimization a top priority in the coming month.

After the aforementioned price raise — which was necessary to properly qualify for a retail release according to the developer  —this delay has not sat well with the game’s community.

Studio Wildcard has still teased some of what is to come with the full release update. New biomes, boss encounters, crafting recipes and a new landmass are just some of what the studio has teased so far.

A randomly generated island from “Ark: Survival Evolved.” (Courtesy of Studio Wildcard)

You can read the full blog post here. You can also check out the Emerald’s previous coverage of “Ark: Survival Evolved” here.

Watch the trailer for the “Ragnarok” DLC below:

Doomfist is now live and fully playable in “Overwatch” and the yearly Summer Games event is back in full swing.

After a long wait, Doomfist has finally come to wreak havoc on the denizens of the “Overwatch” universe. This rocket-punching villain has finally debuted in-game and has taken the competitive first-person-shooter by storm.

Doomfist standing alongside the rest of the Talon agents in the “Overwatch” roster. (Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment)

Not long before Doomfist’s release, Blizzard treated its fans to high-quality animated comics that delve into his back story. Here we see Doomfist walking out of a smashed prison and meeting with Reaper, a fellow leader of the shadowy organization Talon. From there we get a deeper look into the villainous organization that serves as a counterpart to Overwatch, as well as some insight into Doomfist’s character and philosophy.

Close to Doomfist’s release, next week, “Overwatch’s” Summer Games holiday will return. This will allow players to compete in the Lucio Ball game mode and earn special loot crates containing coveted Olympic Games themed cosmetic items. Last year’s items will be available in crates alongside a set of entirely new items. Older skins will also be available again for in-game currency for a cheaper price than last year.

The Lucioball game mode was tweaked and revamped in preparation for a new competitive league. This new Copa Lucioball will function similarly to “Overwatch’s” ranked play system. Players will play 10 placement matches before determining their rank and receive a special spray for doing so. The top 500 players in each region will earn another special spray, which drastically raises the stakes in this fun take on the bright competitive shooter.

You can check out the Emerald’s previous coverage of Doomfist here and our launch review here.

You can watch the official trailer for Doomfist’s release below:

Gaming Week In Review is a semi-regular column by Mathew Brock devoted to recapping recent news from the video game world each week.

You can follow Mathew on Twitter: @MathewQBrock.

The post Gaming Week in Review: ‘Ark’ release and DLC delayed, Doomfist live in ‘Overwatch’ and Competative Lucioball mode appeared first on Emerald Media.

Walking along 13th Avenue past campus toward Downtown Eugene, a bored student can encounter various locally owned shops including House of Records and Smith Family Bookstore. But tucked into storefronts across town are one of Eugene’s most valuable resources for the ‘broke’ college student looking to accessorize or even de-accessorize their lives: thrift stores.

One store, Eugene Jeans, has been selling offbeat top hats, cowboy boots and colorful vintage dresses for 20 years. Barbara Long and her husband Tim are the owners of this Eugene institution, where stylish students go to find everything from Doc Marten boots to metal lunchboxes embellished with cartoon characters. Long, who sat behind the counter hand-stitching a piece of clothing, said that she often sees students browsing the store for themed campus events like fraternity and sorority formals.

But Eugene thrift shops offer more than clothing that will be worn once a year.

Thrift stores sell used goods, which are often donated, sold or traded to the store by community members. Many thrift stores use their profits to help fund local charity work. For example, Goodwill channels money into its Mission service, which provides resources to help people with barriers to employment. The local Teen Challenge thrift store funds drug rehab programs and Assistance League Eugene assists local veterans, children and families through nine different programs with proceeds from its downtown store.

Eugene has a strong thrifting culture. Local stores will have their regulars who the staff know by name and community members often to run into old friends while browsing. Whether you see two grandmas catching up on each other’s family life or the cashier comments on a great find, thrift shops are a great place to connect with those in the community. Students can take advantage of this thrifting community in various ways.

Whether they’re moving into their first place or still lack some living essentials after a few years, students can utilize the huge variety of items that thrift stores offer. Local stores have clothing, dishware, furniture, odds and ends and even affordable refurbished computers. But it isn’t always about what you need. Part of the fun of thrift shopping is finding interesting things you weren’t looking for, sort of like a treasure hunt.

Even in the changing rooms, Eugene Jean’s eccentric personality is evident. (Sararosa Davies/Emerald)

Recent arrivals at the Goodwill Superstore near Valley River Center include church pews, a grand piano and not one, but two SodaStreams. Libby Steffen-Schafermeyer, executive assistant for Goodwill Industries of Lane and South Coast Counties, said that a local retail manager has also seen pacemakers and urns donated to the store. Goodwill doesn’t allow for consumers to donate certain items like waste products and mattresses, but still, both odd and useful items are always in the next aisle.

For instance, many college students might overlook the need for their own set of dishes, especially if they’ve lived in the dorms for the first few years of college. Larger thrift stores like St. Vincent de Paul’s and Goodwill have a large selection of dinnerware and cooking utensils from easy potato slicers to sets of cutlery.

The music at Eugene Jeans is appropriately retro for the store’s ambiance. (Sararosa Davies/Emerald)

If your new apartment or rental is looking a little bare, thrift stores are a great place to get affordable furniture. It’s not uncommon for a couch to go for only $20, but thrift shops aren’t just for furniture and other household items.

The local Goodwill Superstore on Green Acre Road receives all electronics donated from the Eugene area. The store is a certified Microsoft refurbisher and sells both used PCs and individual parts. If you’re looking for a cheap PC or some used electronics and accessories in good condition, it’s a good place to check out.

For those who are looking to revamp their wardrobe or find clothing that stands out, there are a multitude of thrift stores around town that cater to different needs. The Goodwill Superstore features racks and racks of used clothing for cheap prices. You might have to do some digging and should wash the clothing before wearing it, but you can also find some treasures amid the racks of pastel-colored shirts.

For those with a higher budget and fancier tastes, the Goodwill Boutique on Broadway and Buffalo Exchange on 5th Avenue offer a more curated selection with name brands as a priority. Eugene Jeans and other vintage shops in town allow for more out-there shoppers to find the perfect 1950s dress or antique chair. Most vintage stores charge more, but for those looking for that perfect outfit no one else will be wearing, these places are gems.

The main draw of thrift shopping is cheap prices. Goodwill has a discount system where it cycles out new and old items using a set of different colored stickers. Each week, goods with a certain color sticker will be half off.

If you are looking to get rid of something, thrift stores will take most items that are in decent working condition. This is a great resource for students who are moving out instead of just those moving in. According to Steffen-Schafermeyer, the local Goodwill receives an influx of new items during the spring and summer seasons, as many people are spring cleaning or moving out for the summer. Some stores arrange with the University Housing to recycle leftover items from the residence halls.

Goodwill provides a plethora of home decor options for students on a budget. (Phillip Quinn/Emerald)

As leases end for the 2016-17 academic year and students start to flood back into Eugene, the struggle to get rid of excess belongings or gain essential houseware becomes overwhelming. Thrifting, though sometimes time consuming and tedious, can ease the wallet and a stressed student’s mind. For those who are less willing to take the dive into racks of clothing and aisles of plates, thrift stores are the perfect place to give away the items your friends might not take.

After all, one student’s trash might just be another’s treasure.

You can check out a list of local thrift stores below:

Goodwill Superstore and Electronic Store: 1010 Green Acres Rd (541) 343-4332

Goodwill: 855 Seneca Rd, Eugene, OR 97402 Phone: (541) 984-8812

S.A.R.A.’s Treasures (Shelter Animal Resource Alliance): 871 River Rd, Phone: (541) 607-8892

Teen Challenge Thrift Store: 555 River Rd Phone: (541) 726-5454

Assistance League of Eugene: 1149 Willamette St Phone: (541) 485-3721

River Road 2nd Hand: 939 River Rd, Phone: (541) 689-4554

St. Vincent de Paul: 1880 W 11th Ave Phone: (541) 683-8284

Eugene Jeans: 132 E 13th Ave Phone: (541) 338-4395

Buffalo Exchange Eugene: 131 E 5th Ave Phone: (541) 687-2805

The post Sifting through Eugene’s thrift scene appeared first on Emerald Media.

Walking along 13th Avenue past campus toward Downtown Eugene, a bored student can encounter various locally owned shops including House of Records and Smith Family Bookstore. But tucked into storefronts across town are one of Eugene’s most valuable resources for the ‘broke’ college student looking to accessorize or even de-accessorize their lives: thrift stores.

One store, Eugene Jeans, has been selling offbeat top hats, cowboy boots and colorful vintage dresses for 20 years. Barbara Long and her husband Tim are the owners of this Eugene institution, where stylish students go to find everything from Doc Marten boots to metal lunchboxes embellished with cartoon characters. Long, who sat behind the counter hand-stitching a piece of clothing, said that she often sees students browsing the store for themed campus events like fraternity and sorority formals.

But Eugene thrift shops offer more than clothing that will be worn once a year.

Thrift stores sell used goods, which are often donated, sold or traded to the store by community members. Many thrift stores use their profits to help fund local charity work. For example, Goodwill channels money into its Mission service, which provides resources to help people with barriers to employment. The local Teen Challenge thrift store funds drug rehab programs and Assistance League Eugene assists local veterans, children and families through nine different programs with proceeds from its downtown store.

Eugene has a strong thrifting culture. Local stores will have their regulars who the staff know by name and community members often to run into old friends while browsing. Whether you see two grandmas catching up on each other’s family life or the cashier comments on a great find, thrift shops are a great place to connect with those in the community. Students can take advantage of this thrifting community in various ways.

Whether they’re moving into their first place or still lack some living essentials after a few years, students can utilize the huge variety of items that thrift stores offer. Local stores have clothing, dishware, furniture, odds and ends and even affordable refurbished computers. But it isn’t always about what you need. Part of the fun of thrift shopping is finding interesting things you weren’t looking for, sort of like a treasure hunt.

Even in the changing rooms, Eugene Jean’s eccentric personality is evident. (Sararosa Davies/Emerald)

Recent arrivals at the Goodwill Superstore near Valley River Center include church pews, a grand piano and not one, but two SodaStreams. Libby Steffen-Schafermeyer, executive assistant for Goodwill Industries of Lane and South Coast Counties, said that a local retail manager has also seen pacemakers and urns donated to the store. Goodwill doesn’t allow for consumers to donate certain items like waste products and mattresses, but still, both odd and useful items are always in the next aisle.

For instance, many college students might overlook the need for their own set of dishes, especially if they’ve lived in the dorms for the first few years of college. Larger thrift stores like St. Vincent de Paul’s and Goodwill have a large selection of dinnerware and cooking utensils from easy potato slicers to sets of cutlery.

The music at Eugene Jeans is appropriately retro for the store’s ambiance. (Sararosa Davies/Emerald)

If your new apartment or rental is looking a little bare, thrift stores are a great place to get affordable furniture. It’s not uncommon for a couch to go for only $20, but thrift shops aren’t just for furniture and other household items.

The local Goodwill Superstore on Green Acre Road receives all electronics donated from the Eugene area. The store is a certified Microsoft refurbisher and sells both used PCs and individual parts. If you’re looking for a cheap PC or some used electronics and accessories in good condition, it’s a good place to check out.

For those who are looking to revamp their wardrobe or find clothing that stands out, there are a multitude of thrift stores around town that cater to different needs. The Goodwill Superstore features racks and racks of used clothing for cheap prices. You might have to do some digging and should wash the clothing before wearing it, but you can also find some treasures amid the racks of pastel-colored shirts.

For those with a higher budget and fancier tastes, the Goodwill Boutique on Broadway and Buffalo Exchange on 5th Avenue offer a more curated selection with name brands as a priority. Eugene Jeans and other vintage shops in town allow for more out-there shoppers to find the perfect 1950s dress or antique chair. Most vintage stores charge more, but for those looking for that perfect outfit no one else will be wearing, these places are gems.

The main draw of thrift shopping is cheap prices. Goodwill has a discount system where it cycles out new and old items using a set of different colored stickers. Each week, goods with a certain color sticker will be half off.

If you are looking to get rid of something, thrift stores will take most items that are in decent working condition. This is a great resource for students who are moving out instead of just those moving in. According to Steffen-Schafermeyer, the local Goodwill receives an influx of new items during the spring and summer seasons, as many people are spring cleaning or moving out for the summer. Some stores arrange with the University Housing to recycle leftover items from the residence halls.

Goodwill provides a plethora of home decor options for students on a budget. (Phillip Quinn/Emerald)

As leases end for the 2016-17 academic year and students start to flood back into Eugene, the struggle to get rid of excess belongings or gain essential houseware becomes overwhelming. Thrifting, though sometimes time consuming and tedious, can ease the wallet and a stressed student’s mind. For those who are less willing to take the dive into racks of clothing and aisles of plates, thrift stores are the perfect place to give away the items your friends might not take.

After all, one student’s trash might just be another’s treasure.

You can check out a list of local thrift stores below:

Goodwill Superstore and Electronic Store: 1010 Green Acres Rd (541) 343-4332

Goodwill: 855 Seneca Rd, Eugene, OR 97402 Phone: (541) 984-8812

S.A.R.A.’s Treasures (Shelter Animal Resource Alliance): 871 River Rd, Phone: (541) 607-8892

Teen Challenge Thrift Store: 555 River Rd Phone: (541) 726-5454

Assistance League of Eugene: 1149 Willamette St Phone: (541) 485-3721

River Road 2nd Hand: 939 River Rd, Phone: (541) 689-4554

St. Vincent de Paul: 1880 W 11th Ave Phone: (541) 683-8284

Eugene Jeans: 132 E 13th Ave Phone: (541) 338-4395

Buffalo Exchange Eugene: 131 E 5th Ave Phone: (541) 687-2805

The post Sifting through Eugene’s thrift scene appeared first on Emerald Media.

The “Minecraft” Pokemon mod, Pixelmon, has been shut down by the Pokemon Company.

“Minecraft” and “Pokemon” are two of the most popular game franchises of the last generation, so it’s no surprise that a group of committed fans decided to combine the two. The Pixelmon Mod team used its skills to bring “Pokemon’s” colorful denizens to “Minecraft’s” blocky world. But like many “Pokemon” fan creations before it, it just wasn’t meant to be.

The Pokemon Company has requested that the creators of Pixelmon cease development and publication of the popular mod, and they obliged. In a brief blog post, the Pixelmon team made the announcement and asked their fans to remember the game fondly. An excerpt from the post reads:

“With much sadness, but keeping all our fond memories, we must announce that Pixelmon is ending its development. We have had a great time making this mod and creating such a wonderful community but after a request from the Pokemon company we will be shutting our doors. I’m sorry for the disappointment this will cause but let’s remember all the great times we had playing Pixelmon, discussing Pokemon, making awesome things inside this mod and everything else that we’ve done.”

All the official download links for the mod have been shut down, as well as the game’s official wiki. You can read the full blog post here.

This isn’t the first time Nintendo went after a Pokemon fan project. In 2010, an ambitious fan project called “Pokenet” attempted to create a “Pokemon” MMO before Nintendo shut it down. More recently, a fan-made Pokemon game called “Pokemon Uranium” faced legal action only a week after its official launch.

Blizzard introduces “Starcraft II” War Chests, which bring a variety of cosmetic rewards to the game and help support esports.

The “Starcraft II” community has requested cosmetic skins for a long time and Blizzard Entertainment has finally unveiled a way to implement them with the new War Chests system.

Purchasing a War Chest gives players access to a new form of in-game progression that gradually unlocks new cosmetic features. By playing the game in both Ranked and Co-op mode, players can gradually unlock new unit skins for the Zerg, Protoss and Terran factions. The release is staggered, meaning the skins will be released over the coming months and only for a limited time.

The new Leviathan Swarm skin for the Zerg faction. (Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment)

Each faction’s War Chest costs $9.99, but the bundle is a slight discount at $24.99. Every War Chest purchase contributes 25 percent of the price to supporting Blizzard’s “Starcraft II” Blizzcon tournament.

The War Chest’s staggered release schedule is accompanied by a comic series that explores conflicts in the Koprulu Sector after the events of “Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void” and “Nova’s Covert Ops.”

The “Starcraft II” community has split since Blizzard revealed the War Chest system. One-half seems critical of the business model and the other is glad for another opportunity to support the game’s continued development. The system draws some inspiration from two of Blizzard’s more popular and casual-friendly games: “Overwatch” and “Heroes of the Storm.”

“Overwatch” and “HoTS” have two ways of earning cosmetic items. Players can play the game and grind for cosmetic loot chests or simply buy them. It’s about picking the lesser of two evils: lose your time or your money. But with War Chests, Blizzard wants players to give both. Players can pay, but still need to earn the rewards in-game.

War Chests are also more expensive than most of the game’s previously released content, despite being purely cosmetic content with no effect on gameplay or story. The entire ‘Nova’s Covert Ops” campaign is $14.99 and a new Co-op Commander is $4.99.

You can check out the Emerald’s initial review of “Nova’s Covert Ops” here.

Gaming Week In Review is a semi-regular column by Mathew Brock devoted to recapping recent news from the video game world each week.

You can follow Mathew on Twitter: @MathewQBrock.

The post Gaming Week in Review: Pixelmon ‘Minecraft’ mod shut down, ‘Starcraft II’ implements cosmetic skins appeared first on Emerald Media.