The original video game was Pong. Two straight lines acting as paddles as a square ball darted between them. At the time of its creation, this was groundbreaking tech. Nowadays, as we all know, games are far more advanced. Capable of generating entire universes. Simulating living cities. Allows players to live out their wildest fantasies.

But one aspect of gaming that stayed consistent from the Pong days is the idea of competitive gaming. Pong was a one-on-one battle. And games have never lost that underlying idea of being just that. A game. Of course, we have many cooperative games as well. Left 4 Dead is designed to be played as a fully cooperative adventure. Yet even that has a multiplayer PvP mode.

The Competitive Drive

Humans are competitive by nature. It is hard-wired into most animals. The need to fight to survive. To compete and show strength to remaining dominant. But we have advanced far beyond our primal need for fighting. Now we are a cultured species we use competition as a way to entertain, drive us, and motivate us. And video games are no different.

But video games have one advantage that more traditional sports do not. Video games can use the gift of the internet to connect players from all over the globe. Two people who have never met, and may never meet, can face it off in a deadly battle of sword and shields. But, as with any sport, not all players are equal in skill and ability. So how does the system decide who to match you up against?

ELO

ELO is not a new concept. It was created in 1939, long before competitive online gaming. Originally it was designed for games such as chess. Games that use ELO are considered a Zero-Sum game. This is any game where, as one player does well, another player does not.

Think of it like this. In League of Legends, you get gold for killing other players. If you kill five players and they all kill no one, you have gained a significant advantage, while they have technically lost out. As your stats rise, theirs does not. You can increase your ELO by continually winning or using one of the safer elo boost companies to get you to your target ELO rank.

So any competitive game that puts players on an even playing field at the start of a round can be considered a Zero-Sum game. This includes games like Call of Duty. Despite the varying loadouts, no player has a direct power advantage over another at the start.

How Does it Work

The ELO system itself is fairly simple. Every player in a game is given a ranking shown as a number value. So unlike a rank class such as bronze or silver, your ELO would most likely be shown as a value like 1500. The main principle of ELO is that you will be matched against people with similar ELO ratings as your own. So if your rating is 1500 you will face players in the 1400-1600 range. The idea being they will be in a similar skill zone to yourself.

Whenever you win a game, you take ELO from the opposing players. Your value goes up, theirs goes down. Similar to the Zero-Sum idea. This is where the competitive nature comes into play. When you face off against another player, there is more at stake than just your honor. You risk falling into a lower skill band.

Problem with ELO

In a game such as Chess ELO is a fantastically balanced tool. Since chess is always two-player, you only have yourself to rely on. But in multiplayer games, such as League of Legends, you are faced with the prospect of ELO hell.

ELO hell is when your ELO score is so low, you are only matched with and against players of terrible skill. This makes it difficult to win a game because, despite your opponents being unskilled, so is your team. ELO that relies on team play is disproportionately unbalanced by many external factors.

Everyone loves Minecraft. Since 2006, Minecraft has been a key player in pop culture. Even if you have never played the game, you have definitely experienced the hype that surrounds it. You have probably also run into all of the popular Minecraft merchandise, as well as all of the songs that have been released as a product of Minecraft’s popularity.

In the last year or so, Minecraft has had a huge comeback. This is mainly because a lot of the content creators that we love have taken a step back and have started to play some of the older games that were once popular and Minecraft was at the top of this list.

The last year has also been extremely difficult on all of us, and so there is no wonder why so many of us are looking back to the things that would give us comfort in our younger years.

The creators of Minecraft have also noticed that people are looking to get back into the game and to accommodate this, they have added major updates. They have vastly increased the animals that you can find in the game and they have also added new biomes and cool mobs. There are also far more game modes than there have ever been before, which has really invited the attention of new players and people who put the game down for a while.

Because of how popular the game is again, there is no wonder why there has been a drastic increase in the amount of Minecraft servers that are being opened. Here is how you can open and run a successful Minecraft server.

Minecraft servers

Minecraft servers have been popular for some time now. There is no wonder why, as Minecraft is much funnier when you can create an entire world to play in. After all, it is an extremely collaborative game that really encourages you to interact with your fellow players.

Setting up your server

To be able to set up a Minecraft server, you first need to make sure that you have the latest version of Java.  If you don’t do this, you will immediately struggle as your server will not be able to run.

Mojang has actually made it extremely convenient for people to be able to set up a Minecraft server by providing a number of VPS that you can download. They have plenty of free servers available for you to download in an extremely convenient way, I got my vps server here when I started my own Minecraft server:

The company has done its best to make the process as convenient as possible and they have several pages of instructions for anyone that is interested in pursuing server ownership.

Agreeing to all of the terms

Though the instructions for setting up your server are quite simplistic, there is a long list of terms and conditions that you really need to go through and learn. Not only is owning a server quite a lot of responsibility, but there are also several associated risks that could compromise your safety and so you have to be sure that you are aware of what these risks are.

Launching your server

Again, running your server is an extremely straightforward task. Minecraft servers are much different from your standard VPS as Mojang has gone to the extent to make sure that the server works as easily and as efficiently as possible. This is partly due to the main user base that enjoys Minecraft, which are usually people under the age of thirteen who may not have as much familiarity with the process as older more experienced people.

Server window

The servers that Mojang provides are very user-friendly. The server provides the user with an ongoing log of information to keep you on track of what is going on within the server. There is a lot of information that lets you know about all the goings-on within your server. For example, your server window lets you know how much memory the server and who is currently connected to the server.

With any gaming server, there is also a chat log. Like in any game, the Minecraft chat log can often become quite nasty. If you want to run a successful server, you need to make sure that the people that are a part of your server are being respectful. If you allow a few bad eggs to alienate people within your server, people may be reluctant to join your server and you may even lose pre-existing members.  This is why you should closely monitor your chat log to make sure you aren’t allowing people to ruin everyone else’s experience.

Game modes

A big part of owning a Minecraft server that can make it so confusing is the game mode element. Not a lot of people choose to go to servers to simply have an open-world experience, after all if this is what they wanted to experience then they would have just made themselves a private world to play on. Hosting game modes means that you have to constantly update the map, it also requires the storage of a lot more data as people will want to keep a record of the leader boards that people have worked their way up. This can take up a lot of memory, so be sure that you have some spare.

Since its release in February 2019, Apex Legends has been a favorite among many gamers. Many have become dedicated to the game and want to learn to master the game. There are many ways to do this, and many websites offering apex legends hacks to help you become a true master. Since the game’s release, there have been many YouTube channels and pages dedicated to attempting to master the game.  With over 50 million daily players, it can be hard to master the game and to stand out.

Weapons

Picking up the right weapon when you drop into Apex Legends can massively change the outcome of your game. The aim of the game is to win so do not be afraid to use the best weapons in the meta. You will see a lot of people criticizing certain weapons on places like Reddit, but do not let that stop you from picking those up. It makes a huge difference to your game so even if it is a lower-class weapon, definitely try and find and master those. Go for the Kraber, the R-99, and do not be scared to use them on your opponents.  Despite being extremely rare and only firing unique ammunition that cannot be replenished, the mastiff shotgun boasts some of the best weapon stats in the game. With an insane kickback due to the sheer power of the weapon, the Mastiff will tear your opponents to shreds if they dare come too close.

If you have managed to get your hands on this lucrative weapon (try looking in supply drops for the legendary Mastiff), you will be surprised just how capable it is of reaching close to mid-range targets. With the ability to deal 288 damage in a single shot, the four-round weapon can easily clear an entire room with ease when placed into the right hands. Additionally, with the Prowler Burst BDW, this 5-round burst SMG not only features an insanely fast fire rate but also has the highest damage capabilities in the SMG category. When placed into the right hands, the Prowler can deal some incredibly significant damage. This is especially true when fitted with extended mags, a nice scope, and the Selectfire Receiver Hop-Up which will allow the weapon to act just like any other SMG. Topping the SMG category, this P90 style SMG is an easy choice for those looking for the perfect close-quarter weapon.

Hints and tips

Unlike most battle royale games, Apex Legends offers plenty of unique characters that have their own strengths, weaknesses, and game-changing abilities. As a result, choosing a team that has good synergies with one another will drastically increase your ranked win rate. It may be tempting to instantly lock in your favorite legend, but sometimes it can be worth taking a look at your current comp and picking someone that will compliment your team’s win condition. For example, pairing Bangalore with Caustic enables you to barrage your foes with a haze of noxious gas and smoke, reducing their visibility and giving you plenty of opportunities to both initiate firefights and dissuade them. Throw in Bloodhound and you have a comp that can also see through this deadly veil of smoke, making it incredibly easy to obliterate your vision impaired enemies.

Team Synergy

There are plenty of characters that work well together, so take a look at their abilities and pick a comp that synergizes well with one another. Whether you are playing with a group of random people or with a premade team, communication is the key to success in any game of Apex Legends. While Respawn’s ping system may be incredibly robust, it is even better when paired with actual voice communication. You may be able to get by with simple pings in the lower tiers of ranked play, but once you get into the Platinum and Diamond ranks, you will notice how fluid team movements are.

Being able to successfully breach enemy defenses, coordinate, and discussing various strategies is incredibly important, so do not be afraid to jump on voice comms and tell your teammates what you are thinking. Being able to instantly tell your allies what your intentions are, and stating whether you can and cannot commit to a firefight can greatly reduce any frustrating losses that could easily be avoided. It may be beneficial to play with team members that you already know or are friends with, this way you know each other’s strategies and can discuss these as a team. Apex Legends’ Respawn Beacons exist for a reason, so even when the odds are stacked against you, it is important to never give up and try your best. Having a full squad in the late-game is highly advantageous and you will be able to mop up any foes who are determined to play the solo game.

In 2012 the world was introduced to the Hunger Games movie. Based on a series of extremely popular books, it saw people taken from their numbered districts and placed inside a massive arena. They were then forced to engage in the last man standing deathmatch. A brutal premise that is often attributed to the Hunger Games. But the first instance of this trope was actually from the 2003 manga, Battle Royale.

You may notice this manga has the same name as the gaming genre based upon the same principle. And for good reason. All those games have their history firmly rooted in that manga. Today, the battle royale genre is one of the most popular gaming genres out there. So we are going to take a look at some of the most popular Battle Royale games on the market and try to decide which one is best.

Fortnite

Fortnite is easily the most popular and well-known battle royale game on the market. It has been at the center of numerous controversies and scandals surrounding their own legal battles with companies such as Apple, and the issue of rampant child addiction to the game.

But all of that aside it remains very fun and easy to access the game. The battle royale formula is shaken up a bit by the inclusion of the ability to build structures as you play. This allows for greater tactical decisions and lots of creative freedom as well. The game also allows players to make their own game modes and even have their own skin submissions sold in store.

The game remains popular with its crossover events, recently crossing over with the marvel comics and now The Mandalorian as well. It seems Fortnite is not going to slow down anytime soon, and we are more than happy with that.

PUBG

PUBG is often seen as the main competitor of Fortnite or is used to be. The two games were night and day. While their basic premise was the same, their styles and tones were different. PUBG takes a much more realistic and gritty approach to the genre. No building or cartoon characters. Just real guns, environments, and tools. And the community has plenty of working pubg cheats and aimbots from veterancheats to give you an edge against the more professional players.

This appeals much more to the audience that enjoys traditional shooters such as CoD and Battlefield. But in recent years PUBG has started to dwindle. Mainly due to the fact its creator, PlayerUnknown, has been involved in numerous PR issues and scandals for his horrible behavior. We wouldn’t be surprised if the game fades into obscurity very soon.

Fall Guys

A vastly different take on the genre. Fall Guys blew up at the start of 2020. Taking inspiration from shows such as Ultimate Ninja challenge and Total Wipeout, the game is presented as a TV show where the Bean shaped people must compete for crowns. Only one can be the victor in the end.

The game is wholesome fun. No shooting or killing, just a series of randomized mini-games that sees more and more players eliminated each round. This game has broadened the market for battle royale games and shown companies what can be done with the genre with a little creative thinking and flair for design. The game is now into its third season and we cant wait to see what it does next.

CoD: Warzone

As we said before, PUBG was the place CoD players went when they wanted to play a Battle Royale mode. But COD: Warzone is the final nail in the coffin of PUBG. Now CoD players have their own Battle Royale mode that is, by all accounts, fantastic.

The game features some truly breath-taking environments with lots of places to hide and explore. Paired with CoD’s signature gun-play and loadout systems, people can take their favorite loadout into battle and test their mettle against one-hundred other players.

The Winner

It is difficult to pick a definitive winner. If we went off player-based and community engagement, then Fortnite would win simply based on the fact that its player base is boosted by the younger crowd. But if we looked at player satisfaction we would argue that CoD: Warzone is the current champion of the Battle Royale Genre.