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As the digital age has progressed, the gaming industry has continuously adapted to new business models and revenue streams. One such adaptation is the introduction of the Battle Pass, a monetization method that has swept across the gaming landscape. From Fortnite to Call of Duty, Battle Passes have quickly become a norm. But, despite their widespread adoption, they've stirred up a significant amount of frustration among players. The Mechanics of a Battle Pass: Reward or Chore? For those unfamiliar, Battle Passes are structured systems that offer players rewards as they earn experience and progress through different tiers. These rewards can include a vast array of items, from aesthetic character skins to unique in-game weapons. In theory, this model encourages active play and rewards dedication, but the reality of this system has morphed into something more akin to a grinding nightmare. The Grind: Gaming or Working? When purchasing a Battle Pass, players are initially met with enthusiasm, eager to embark on the journey to earn exciting rewards. However, as the game progresses, the realization sets in that the higher-tier rewards – often the most coveted – require significant time investment. This can be particularly punishing for casual players who cannot afford to commit several hours each day to a single game. Consequently, the game transforms from an enjoyable hobby into a demanding task that feels eerily similar to work. The Battle Pass system, rather than promoting enjoyable gameplay, often fosters a grind culture that sucks the joy out of the experience. Limited-Time Frustrations: Racing Against the Clock Adding fuel to the fire is the limited-time nature of most Battle Passes. Players who can't log in every day or miss a few days due to other commitments may find themselves unable to complete the Battle Pass within the given season. This 'fear of missing out' (FOMO) can lead to unhealthy pressure to play, even when it's not enjoyable. The Impact on Gaming Diversity: Monogamy Over Variety This system's constraints go beyond individual games. They also impact players' ability to explore gaming's vast landscape. When a player feels pressured to grind in one game to make the most of their Battle Pass, they inevitably have less time to spend on other games. This enforced gaming monogamy restricts players' exposure to the diverse world of gaming, thereby diluting the richness of the gaming experience. The Call for Change: Refocusing on Fun While Battle Passes undeniably generate a steady revenue stream for developers, they should not be implemented at the cost of player enjoyment. Progression through a Battle Pass should feel rewarding rather than grueling, and the time commitment required to complete these passes needs to be reasonable rather than punishing. Game developers must strike a balance between monetizing their games and preserving the fun and excitement that draw players in the first place. Conclusion As we navigate the evolution of gaming, it's crucial to remember what games are fundamentally about – fun. As the industry continues to explore monetization models like Battle Passes, developers must ensure they are enhancing the gaming experience, not detracting from it. After all, at the end of the day, games should be about enjoyment, exploration, and adventure, not stress, pressure, and endless grinding. The future of Battle Passes needs a player-centric approach, one that considers the broader implications of the gaming experience and promotes a healthy and enjoyable gaming culture.

Xbox controllers are a gold standard for both console and PC gamers but why settle for a basic black or white controller? Grab a special edition controller for yourself or that special gamer in your life and change things up a bit. Not sure what is all available out there? Well here is a basic list to help get you started! Special Edition Color Schemes Xbox Wireless Controller - Lunar Shift Special Edition Get surreal with the Xbox Wireless Controller – Lunar Shift Special Edition, featuring a color-shifting, silver-gold shimmer and rubberized gray and black swirl grips. Stay on target with textured grip on the triggers, bumpers, and back-case. Seamlessly capture and share content with a dedicated Share button. Quickly pair with, play on, and switch between devices including Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Android, and iOS* Buy on: Amazon Xbox Wireless Controller – Mineral Camo Special Edition Experience the Xbox Wireless Controller – Mineral Camo Special Edition, featuring a bold mineral blue, bright purple, aqua, and dark purple camouflage pattern. Stay on target with textured grip on the triggers, bumpers, and back-case. Seamlessly capture and share content with a dedicated Share button. Quickly pair with, play on, and switch between devices including Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Android, and iOS* Buy on: Amazon The core controllers are also available in Carbon Black | Deep Pink | Electric Volt | Pulse Red | Robot White | and Shock Blue Anniversary Color Schemes Xbox Wireless Controller – 20th Anniversary Special Edition Celebrate 20 years of Xbox with the Xbox Wireless Controller – 20th Anniversary Special Edition in classic black with green touches that go back to the beginning, and so much more. Travel through time with the green and translucent black controller colors to the moment the original, translucent green Xbox console launched. Look through the translucent black top to see interior silver details representing 20 years of Xbox technology carried forward. Buy on: Amazon Collaboration Color Schemes Razer Limited Edition Sonic The Hedgehog Wireless Controller & Quick Charging Stand Inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog: Protect humanity with cool blue attitude alongside the world’s most powerful hedgehog with a must-have collectible that celebrates one of the most beloved and iconic heroes of the gaming universe. Buy on: Amazon Razer Limited Edition Boba Fett Wireless Controller & Quick Charging Stand Inspired by Boba Fett’s Helmet: Passed down from father to son, strike fear into the hearts of the competition with a look that needs no introduction—a must-have collectible for any Star Wars fan. Officially licensed by Xbox, Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. Buy on: Amazon Razer Limited Edition Stormtrooper Wireless Controller & Quick Charging Stand Inspired by the Stormtrooper: Add a much-needed dose of galactic order to your gaming setup with this must-have collectible for Imperial loyalists and Star Wars fans alike. Buy on: Amazon Elite Options Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 Designed to meet the needs of today’s competitive gamers, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 features over 30 new ways to play like a pro. Enhance your aiming with new adjustable-tension thumbsticks, fire even faster with shorter hair trigger locks, and stay on target with a wrap-around rubberized grip. Buy on: Amazon Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core Experience the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 featuring adjustable-tension thumbsticks, wrap-around rubberized grip, and shorter hair trigger locks. Buy on: Amazon Image Credit: nexusby - stock.adobe.com Note: Commissions may be earned from the links above.

Welcome to Uncrowned Gaming’s first-ever game review! We will be looking at the hit release Call of Duty Modern Warfare II, although that is the Roman numeral II not the number two as that would be an entirely different game. Yay for modern naming schemes. Overall I enjoy pretty much all the changes that they added to this game and most of the new systems are actually quite positive. However, due to a few key features, this review would actually be more of a thumbs down than a thumbs up. But first, let's go through the good, the gameplay itself is extremely solid and in fact, it might actually be my favorite Call of Duty game as the gunplay is extremely crisp the modes are all enjoyable. Even the new unlock system is actually something I really enjoy, but I can understand why some may not. The maps are solid and while some of them aren't the best there is actually none that I truly dislike. Although the ones that are simply cut-down versions of the larger invasion maps tend to be my least favorable maps and seemed to be a cheap way out of map development. The weapons are all nice and include a very nice variety for players to enjoy. The balance is definitely not perfect but overall it is very well done and every weapon is usable in some manner. The gunsmith system allows for massive customization across all of the weapons and players can really fine-tune the weapons into the weapons of war that they truly prefer. The new frame system is a nice way to unlock weapons however being able to swap out the frames within the gunsmith system seems like a feature that very few people will actually use as it is generally easier to just swap out the weapon as a whole. Forcing me to use other guns and items to unlock weapons and attachments (and camos) is something that I might complain about, but is helping me enjoy more of the game more. So yes, I put it down as a pro. The new perk system is different and while I can't say that I dislike it, I mostly feel like it was an unneeded change. The perks unlocking partially through each match don't really change the gameplay much in my opinion although it does make me much less involved with the perks that I no longer have for the entirety of the match. None of the perks that unlock are truly groundbreaking or game-changing that would turn the tide of a game, so the system as a whole seems to be just a new system to just be a new system. They did move cold-blooded and ghost to be delayed perks and while I was not a fan of this move at first, their changes to the mini-map and what I will call "nerfs" to suppressors pretty much killed the stealth gameplay right from the start. However, the perk system does add one feature that I don't necessarily like or dislike but I mostly don't understand. Perks are no longer selected per class and are actually set up in "perk packs" that the players can then add to their classes. Again this seems like a mostly unnecessary system change that doesn't seem to have benefited or hurt any particular feature of the game itself. However, it does create a fundamental problem as you can only have 5 custom perk packs while they allow you to have 10 custom classes. I understand you will very likely use the same perk packs across multiple of your classes, but this artificial limitation seems poorly thought out as there does not appear to be a need to even have it at all. Of course, I had a feeling this game would be mostly pros as they basically took all of the favorite maps and features from the previous games and shipped them into this one while fine-tuning the gameplay. Sure that sounds very uninspiring, but it absolutely does work. However, there are definitely cons to this game and the last one is enough to ruin the experience for many players. First, it does have to be mentioned that the game's launch was very not great and players are continuing to face crashes and server issues along the way. A handful of features and entire modes are currently not in the game along with the battle pass and other significant items that would be expected for a full release. Granted, comparing it to a game like Halo Infinite this release was a masterpiece. Although at the end of the day the features in the game are more than enough to keep the average player content and hopefully the crashes will be fixed in the coming days. However, there are some cons that I do not believe will be fixed in the coming days and first of all, is the UI system. I'm not sure if they were trying to simulate a mobile UI as it would also be a terrible mobile UI in my opinion, but the UI for the game is simply not good. While the menus and game mode selection are adequate for the game, the items that you will use frequently such as class selection and even setting up your perk packs is mostly a nightmare that feels like it should be on some sort of arcade machine and not a modern AAA game. I don't recall older Call of Duty games having huge complaints about their UI, so I'm not exactly sure why the drastic changes were implemented. There is of course the elephant in the room of skill-based matchmaking and while it would be simple to dump on skill-based matchmaking for its ability to make every game sweaty and remove the casual fun that many players are looking for in a first-person shooter, the overwhelming problem is how it correlates with the new features they added into the game. The first problem with having the matchmaking in social matches being based on skill-based matchmaking is that the majority of the new gun unlocks, camo unlocks, and attachment unlocks are based around using weapons that may not fit your playstyle well and, of course, many will not be the meta weapons of the game. This is double downed by many of the daily challenges that also focus on pushing the player to use other weapons and equipment that they normally would not. While I would be ecstatic about these changes as I was in the pros of the game, the problem becomes when every game is based upon your best performance and the people you are against are all of the adequate skill levels and utilizing the meta weapons in the game. It is not hard to see the problem and lack of enjoyment that happens when you come walking in with a gun that you are simply not good with trying to unlock an attachment for something else. There is really no way around this as all the game modes are based on skill-based matchmaking and the player simply has to suffer through unlocking pieces of the game in a manner that should be unbelievably enjoyable but it's actually a nightmare due to the matchmaking. And of course, to top off the skill-based matchmaking problems, it simply does not work well. Every game I have been in since the release of this game has been full of players doing exceptionally well while other players on the same team do exceptionally poorly. It is extremely rare to be put into a game where all of the players are of remotely equal skill and the competition is tight between the best and the worst. The worst case scenario is if you have any friends, you better hope that they're all of the equal skill of you as if you bring in a friend who is significantly lower skilled at the game than you are, they are going to be introduced to your skill based matchmaking and I have never seen a person quit a game faster. So would I recommend the game? Probably, but with a strong notion that nearly all of the awesome features and changes they implemented into this new Call of Duty have been crippled by the ongoing skill-based matchmaking system that no player seems to enjoy. Overall we have the same sweaty Call of Duty matches that we always have and the devs added tons of features. Although they do not seem to understand what it means to enjoy a game.