:BSZ international. The Chinese-German University College (CDHK) celebrated its 20th anniversary in Berlin on 14 May. Representatives of the RUB were also present.
:bsz international. The gamescom took place in Cologne from August 22 to August 26 and offered space for console-, mobile-, online-, PC-gaming, virtual reality and e-sports.
This year, the gamescom opened with more space, around 200.000 square kilometers, with over 900 exhibitors from 54 countries and a larger and more international visitor count than the years before: 350.000 people from over 106 countries, which makes it the biggest computer games fair in the world for a private audience. The opening ceremony was lead by chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), who emphasised the social and economic influence of digital games. They are cultural assets, fuel for innovation and an economic factor of highest importance. She called the industry a “strong column of the German ecomony”. This tribute from “top-level-politics” has boosted the perception of the exhibition, as this was an “accolade for the gamescom and the whole branch”, underlines Felix Falk, manager of the inter-trade organization BIU (Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware).
Digital card games are becoming more and more popular, which is why the developers must release new content. But what can be implemented other than new cards? The games “Hearthstone” (HS), Blizzard’s own and famous trading card game (TCG), and “Gwent”, the TCG known from Andrzej Sapkowski’s “The Witcher” novels and “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt”, tried something new this time. PvP (Player versus Player) and Solo PvE (Player versus Environment) are already implemented in HS. But ever since Blizzard canceled its physical “World of Warcraft TCG” the players wished for raids and Blizzard tried to fulfill their wish this year with the first “raid boss” (for the time being gamescom exclusive). The first boss – Arthas, the Lichking – does not only start with a humongous amount of 1.000.000 life points, but also an earthshattering deck. But do not worry, you do not have to slay him on your own, your goal is to only tick away his health, as all the partaking players’ damage is accumulated. This is a promotion for Fireside-Gatherings in general, little events where you can meet with players in real life and play a few rounds of HS.
Finally, something for solo players in “Gwent”. “Thronebreaker”, which is made by the developers of “The Witcher”, the Polish developer CD Projekt Red, will come out in late 2017. The costs of the downloadable content (DLC) are still unknown. Throughout the 10-hour campaign, players will explore new and never-before-seen parts of the “The Witcher” world, while accompanying queen Meve. Players will embark on a variety of “thought-provoking” quests, gather resources as well as engage in custom-made story battles and use campaign exclusive solo cards and mechanics. Thereby, you will encounter many dialogues, which are all voiced, and make decisions that will influence the story.
:Gianluca Cultraro
:bsz International. Reporters Without Borders (RWB) published their World Press Freedom Index. The result shows an “ever darker world map”. Three additional countries are now coloured black.
:bsz international. The Federal Foreign Office (FFO) adopts a circular decree and defines new guidelines making family reunification effectively impossible. The Federal Government maintains its course of restriction policy, claiming victims on a daily basis.
:bsz international: Cambridge University is researching the importance of play and playful learning for children. But do we ever outgrow the need for fun-filled activities?
The non-word of the year 2016 (Unwort des Jahres) is “Volksverräter” – betrayer of the people. A good choice?
When the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) almost unanimously supported the granting of war credits on December 2, 1914, it had already come a long way. The party initially had an anti-establishment stance but soon made its peace with the society of Imperial Germany.
On November 25, 1956, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and 80 other revolutionaries boarded a yacht in Mexico. They began a journey which led them to the conquest of Cuba in 1959 and the creation of a socialist republic which still survives.
Last week, a 27-year old man died after partying, probably due to toxic drugs. Two friends of him were also intoxicated, and hence hospitalised. In the meantime, police have interrogated a suspect from Bochum, who is said to have allegedly sold the toxic pills. Northrhine-Westphalia’s (NRW) left-wing party Die Linke now demands drug checks to avoid more drug-related deaths.
If you’ve travelled with German Rail, odds are that you’ve encountered the time unit known as “Deutsche-Bahn-Minute” (DBM). As a frequent traveller, you know that five DBM’s can mean basically anything from “right on time” to “the train is still stuck in Narnia”. Consequently, it should be taken with a pinch of salt when an official statement reads that changing trains will only add five minutes to the total length of your trip.
