Category: Video Games

How to Win Call of Duty Mobile Battle Royale
Posted by Brian Tyree on in Video Games

How to Win Call of Duty Mobile Battle Royale

Ten Tips and Tricks to Buff Your BR

If you find it hard to win Activision’s Call of Duty Mobile Battle Royale (CODM BR), you aren’t alone! As a ranked game, you drop in with cracked gamers, and winning matches takes a lot of work.

I struggled finding comprehensive tips and tricks online when I began playing CODM BR, so I compiled the best tips and tricks here that have helped me up my game. I hope they help your game too!

Pro Tips (and Some from an Amateur)

The following tips come from tactics I’ve learned in the game, and tips & tricks I’ve garnered from YouTube videos of CODNarco (#1 CODM BR player in the world), iFerg (past top CODM player in the world), and HawksNest (CODM stats guru). I put these tips in chronological order for those who are just starting to play CODM BR:

1. FAST RAM

Whether you’re playing on a smartphone or tablet, your RAM should be at least 3 GB. Because milliseconds matter in CODM, anything slower than 3 gigs of RAM put you at a disadvantage.

However, you don’t need an expensive phone to play with 3 GB of RAM. Ask family or friends to use their old phones as internet phones only, or buy a cheap used one online. Even top of the line smartphones from 5-10 years ago have 3 GB+ RAM.

2. DECENT INTERNET SPEED

CODM BR displays your internet/processing speed in real-time in green numbers on the right side of the screen. A good speed is 50 ms or faster.

Anything over 70-80 ms and you may experience lag or freezing, which at an in-opportune time can mean an early exit of the game.

3. BEST PERFORMANCE SETTINGS

Under the settings tab, choose the lowest graphics quality and frame rate for best performance. (If you have a fast phone, you can choose higher frame rate and graphics without a drop in performance speed.)

CODM features a vast array of settings for all game play. So many that it can be dizzying. I recommend the YouTube videos of CODNarco or HawksNest for best game settings.

4. FOUR-FINGER CLAW

Most gamers just use thumbs to game on phones and tablets, resulting in limited capabilities. However, CODM lets you configure buttons to your preference, enabling you to use multiple fingers on your phone, such as the four-finger “claw” grip.

Take the time to learn the claw grip. It drastically improves your game play because it enables you to do multiple things at once. For instance, you can do a combo move of jumping and sliding, firing while jumping, or performing drop-shots (firing while lying prone). CODNarco displays his claw settings in a YouTube video, and iFerg uses a SIX finger grip on his tablet! (No wonder he’s one of the best in the world.)

5. MASTER JUMP/SLIDE/FIRE

Once you have the claw grip down, you can master simultaneous jumping, sliding, and firing. Moving targets are hard to hit in this game, so the more you move, the harder it will be for enemies to hit you.

In addition, it’s better to HIP FIRE in close quarters as the firing speed is much faster than ADS (Aim Down Sights)- the time it takes to raise your gun and “scope” a target. Different gun classes have different ADS speeds, but hip firing is virtually instant. Hip firing isn’t accurate at long distances, therefore only hip fire at close range.

6. SURVIVE!

A top tip from CODNarco. Above all, focus on survival first. You get ambushed a lot in this game, often from unseen foes. If your first strategy is to survive, then you can then take cover, revive if you’ve taken fire, and plan your attack.

In addition, try “camping” as a survival strategy. Camping is staying in one spot, whether it’s an overlook or hiding inside a house- camping-out and waiting for easy prey. In BR, camping is a great strategy to wait out the thinning of the herd (99 enemies taking each other out).

7. BEST WEAPONS CLASS

There are pros and cons to each weapons class. CODNarco mostly uses Ninja for the grappling hook. Pro: You can get the advantage of higher ground over enemies instantly. Con: It takes a lot of practice and skill to use well.

I recommend Defender for newer gamers. Pro: It’s a great weapon if you make it to the end of the game, as it freezes your enemy for a moment. Con: It doesn’t open on uneven terrain or with low ceilings. It’s also not as effective against multiple enemies or in squad BR.

8. AVOID CRATES

Pro gamers will disagree with this tip, but for newer gamers, the risk of crates outweighs the reward. Crates are a magnet for killers. Great players stalk the crate waiting for easy prey, and there is rarely good cover around the crate. Also, the best weapons in the crates tend to be single shot or close range weapons, so the weapons themselves have their drawbacks.

However, if an enemy has a tank and there is a crate nearby, I recommend getting the FHJ rocket launcher from the crate. Otherwise, until you’re expert at combat with little cover, avoid crates completely. You can still win games without getting a single crate.

9. PRACTICE

CODM has a practice target range map, and practice maps vs AI bots. Use the practice maps to hone sliding, jumping, firing, and aim. After that, CODNarco recommends practicing in actual BR games with trees in a secluded area.

Pick individual trees at various distances and circle around them moving and firing. Then jump and fire around them, and hip fire while moving around closer trees. Also practice drop-shots on the trees. Don’t worry about enemies. You may get taken out practicing on trees but the practice is worth it.

Furthermore, the BR game engine is different from the multiplayer one. So, even in the practice maps on multiplayer, your player responds differently than on BR. Practice is beneficial on both, but practicing with trees enables you to practice within the framework and mechanics of the BR game engine.

10. WATCH OTHERS PLAY

Whether it’s watching pros play like CODNarco on his YouTube page, or your skilled friends through the spectate mode in CODM BR, you can learn skills and tactics from better players. Some basic tricks CODNarco uses include:

  • Lie and hide. There’s a glitch in the game that enables you to lie in the case of a fallen foe. You can steal their supplies while lying in the case, out of view of other enemies.
  • Always be moving. Move back and forth when firing, targeting, and even when camping to avoid ambushes from unseen enemies.
  • Use head-glitches. Kneel behind half-walls, barrels, rocks, or window sills so that only your head is exposed.


If these tips were helpful to your CODM BR gaming, please buy a copy of my Military Spy Thriller novel, Ghost Trail. It’s like an FPS Sci-Fi game in a book, in the vein of Tom Clancy and Bourne Idenity. Feel free to add me as a friend in game or invite me to your BR squad matches. My CODM gamer tag is GhostTrailBook.

Boost Revenue with Virtual Currency
Posted by Brian Tyree on in Video Games

Boost Revenue with Virtual Currency

Get the Most from Your Game with Digital-only Currencies

A widely used video game monetization strategy is a virtual currency. Virtual currencies are digital-only currencies gamers use to make transactions online. With virtual currency, developers can create a virtual economy in their game, allowing players to purchase and sell digital goods. Players can acquire virtual currency in one of two ways — by purchasing it with real money, or by earning it through the game.

Virtual currency is an effective and creative way to deepen player engagement and grow a game’s revenue, no matter if the game is premium or free-to-play. How it is implemented and sold depends on audience preferences, game design, backend functionality, and regional limitations.

The Lord of the Rings Online Turnaround

When Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) launched, it was a typical subscription-based  MMORPG. Gamers paid $15 a month to explore Middle-Earth or bought a full year subscription at a discount price. But, as subscription fees began to dwindle, Turbine (the owner of LOTRO prior to current owners Standing Stone Games), needed to find a new way to boost revenue.

They made the decision to shift their business model, letting gamers download and play the game for free while introducing in-game goods that could be purchased with virtual currency. Gamers could earn the virtual currency through game rewards, or purchase it directly with cash.

The new model resulted in a substantial increase of inactive players, and overall game revenue through the built-in game store. LOTRO then introduced a premium subscription, which added revenue and removed restrictions on the amount of virtual currency, creating even more opportunities for gamers and further boosting game revenue.  

Smite Keeps Players Hooked with Complex Virtual Economy

Smite, Hi-Rez Studios’ third-person multiplayer online battle arena, is a free-to-play game that offers multiple types of virtual currency. Smite’s Favor, Gems and Fantasy points can be earned in a variety of ways. For example, completing the basic tutorial earns 100 Favor, while Fantasy points can be earned by participating in special events. Gems can also be earned in the game, or purchased in an online store. Each of these currencies offers different levels of access to the gods and Cosmetic items.

Another Smite currency, Gems, is used to purchase and upgrade items (objects and artifacts that give players special abilities) for SMITE matches. Players start with a certain amount of Gems and, as in the case of the other currencies, can acquire more through the game.

With multiple currencies and a complex economy for earning and selling and making purchases, Smite offers players challenging and addictive game experience.

One Virtual Currency for Multiple Games

Virtual currencies are often developed for a specific game but, in recent years, publishers have introduced a single virtual currency that can be used across multiple games. One example is NCoin, a virtual currency from publisher NCSoft. NCoin can be purchased directly at the company’s website, through the gamer’s account.

The gamer can then use NCoin to purchase virtual items in many NCSoft games, including Aion, Lineage II, and Blade & Soul — there’s even a separate store where gamers can purchase virtual goods with NCoin. By using a single currency for multiple games, game creators can expand the value and reach of virtual currency and make it easier to attract and retain players across titles.

Implementing Virtual Currency

Developers can explore virtual currency as an additional revenue stream. It’s a well-known model, one most gamer trust and is comfortable participating in.

The good news is that creating virtual currency — and the goods that are bought and sold with it — is an enriching process; it adds another dimension by introducing an in-game economy. Yet, developing the backend system to support an in-game economy is time-consuming and requires significant resources.

Elements of a Video Game Landing Page
Posted by Brian Tyree on in Video Games

Elements of a Video Game Landing Page

The Key Elements of a Video Game Landing Page

An effective landing page is an essential component of any successful video game launch, for it’s the landing page that ultimately convinces prospective players to download or purchase the game. If you have a forthcoming game, here are the key elements that should be included in your game website’s landing page.

The Call to Action

The sole purpose of a video game landing page is to convince visitors to download or purchase your video game, and everything on the page is geared toward that specific purpose. As a result, the call to action is the first thing that you should consider when making the page. Nothing is more important than the button that leads to a download.

The call to action is a landing page’s equivalent of a salesperson’s close. It should be direct, clear, and encourage action (download, buy, etc.). This call to action also should never be overlooked, which makes its placement critical. The site should have one main call to action, and it should be above the fold. Above the fold means it appears on a visitor’s screen without scrolling down the page.

You might have a second call to action lower down the page for visitors who do scroll down, but no one should have to scroll in order to download your game. There should be a clear button or link right on the screen that makes it as simple as possible to download.

The Navigation Menu

Navigation is actually contradictory to a landing page’s purpose. A navigation menu shouldn’t be above the fold, and can even be absent from the page altogether.

Whereas navigation menus are useful in almost every other type of web page, they only detract visitors from downloading or purchasing a game when on a landing page. This is the one time you don’t want visitors learning more about your company or trying to contact you. Those links should be discreet and well below the fold, so people focus on the call to action.

In fact, you can just include a single link at the bottom of the page to your main home page. People who are truly interested in your company will search for that link, and they can find the information they want from your main page. Everyone else can focus on the landing page’s much more prominent call to action.

The Game’s Name

The name of the game is the other essential element that must be above the fold. The top of your landing page is a natural place to display the game’s name, but you might be able to find another suitable location depending on where your call to action is and how the page is laid out. As long as the name is clearly placed somewhere above the fold, any location is fine.

The Screenshots

Video games have become highly visual, and the most successful games now feature astounding graphics. The best way to showcase your game’s graphics is with screenshots. Take images of your best visual elements, and post a few on your landing page. They’ll help keep people on the page because images have been shown to increase time-on-page, and you can place them below the fold so that people who scroll down have something to look at.

Counterintuitively, you should avoid posting videos of your game on the landing page. These won’t show the visual elements any better since a picture displays the full beauty of your artwork. Additionally, embedded videos can cause visitors to watch videos on a third-party platform. That takes them away from your landing page where they can download the game.

The Reviews

If your game has received reviews from anyone, proudly display those on your landing page. Where they go can vary depending on your game’s exact design, and you may even want to include a few in different areas if you have multiple reviews.

Moreover, you can include both reviews from well-known critics and aggregate reviews from users. All of these can help convince visitors of your game’s quality. Just make sure you update the reviews as your game receives new ones.

The Type of Game

Landing pages don’t need a lot of explanation on them because the primary focus is downloading and not providing information. Anyone who visits the page has likely already learned something about the game from another source.

Nevertheless, there are a few basic items that your landing page should make evident. The type of game and level of expertise required should be mentioned somewhere if the visuals and other elements don’t make these details plain.

Any Links to Other Games

If you have other games, links to them can be placed toward the bottom of the page. Near the navigational link is a good spot to put these links. The focus of the page isn’t to promote your other games, but this is sometimes an effective cross-marketing approach.