General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Facebook Android App Found Collecting Phone Numbers Without User Consent

Posted: 30 Jun 2013 02:33 PM PDT

Facebook privacy concerns continue

Next update to fix the issue

Faced with allegations of complicity in the furtive Prism surveillance program earlier this month, Facebook strongly denied being part of any such program and vowed to keep "fighting aggressively to keep your information safe and secure." Well, its Android app tells a different story.

The latest version of Symantec's Norton Mobile Security tool came out on Wednesday and got down to work straight away, flagging the Facebook app as being a privacy risk. According to the security company, the new Mobile Insight technology contained in the security app caught the Facebook Android app calling home to send the user's phone number. What's more alarming is the fact that this is something the app does right off the bat, without even waiting for the user to log in.

"The first time you launch the Facebook application, even before logging in, your phone number will be sent over the Internet to Facebook servers," Symantec said in a blog post. "You do not need to provide your phone number, log in, initiate a specific action, or even need a Facebook account for this to happen."

On being confronted on the issue by Symantec, Facebook promised to fix the issue in the next update (already in beta, thankfully). Further, it denied using or processing the phone numbers in anyway, adding that they have now been deleted from its servers.

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Blackberry Loses Money in its most recent Quarter, and Breaks a Promise to Customers

Posted: 30 Jun 2013 11:05 AM PDT

Thorsten Heins

Blackberry just can't seem to catch a break

Blackberry has been busy this year. They changed their name from Research in Motion to match the company's flagship brand, they launched a re-designed OS called Blackberry 10, and they made a commitment to their customers to continue supporting its struggling lineup of Playbook tablets. The world seemed to be betting against the company at every turn, but their new CEO Thorsten Heins pushed hard to reassure investors and customers to stand behind his vision. Fast forward to the company's most recent financial results and things aren't looking so great for the once mighty smartphone king. 

On the most recent investor call Heins was forced to report an $84 million loss on $3.1 billion in revenue, and he seemed completely unwilling to share details on how many of the 6.8 million handsets sold were running Blackberry 10. It's safe to say that if Blackberry's new operating system were causing phones to fly off the store shelves they would let us know, and it's certainly a worrying sign that the company's turnaround plan might not be working out quite as they had hoped.

Heins also had to admit that despite promises, the company would not be upgrading the Playbook tablet to Blackberry 10. The only explination he could offer was that performance wasn't up to expectations, and that the company needed to focus on core products. Heins is one of the few tech industry CEO's who is betting against tablets, and went so far as to say they could be gone from the market within ten years.  

Despite all the bad news, the handset maker was able to report that the company had over $3.1 billion in cash reserves. This gives them lots of runway to make investments to continue turning the tide, and they need to do it fast. Microsoft has claimed that they now hold a 3rd place position in the mobile OS industry, knocking Blackberry down another notch. 

Can they turn it around? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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PSA: Google Reader Shutting Down at Midnight, But RSS Lives On

Posted: 30 Jun 2013 10:34 AM PDT

RSS Icon

Google lets you migrate out easily, but today is your last chance

RSS junkies have known for months now that their much beloved Google Reader web service would be closing its virtual doors on July 1st, but time moves quickly, and the end is nigh. If you are still interested in preserving your data we recommend taking a trip over to Google Takeout. Here the company will prepare you a .zip file full of everything you need to migrate out, and it's unclear if it will be available after the service shuts down at the stroke of midnight.

Looking for a replacement RSS service? You've come to the right place.

MarketingLand has done an amazing job of comparing the capabilities of more than a dozen different services, but the consensus these days seems to be that Feedly has the biggest head start. Feedly allows you to migrate over with just a few clicks, and not only do they have native apps for Android and iOS, but several third party RSS apps are adding support for Feedly on the backend as well. Press for Android and Reeder for iOS are among the most popular third party mobile clients, and both have expressed support for Feedly. 

Three possible runner up services are Digg, AOL Reader, and Feedbin. Among these options Feedbin is the only one with a monthly fee, but then again if you really love RSS, it's nice to know your Google Reader replacement has a viable business model.

If you are new to RSS it's also a great time to jump in given all the renewed interest. Let us know your favorite new service in the comments below, and don't forget to add Maximum PC's uncompressed RSS feeds

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MMO Updates

MMO Updates


One Shots: Jump! Jump!

Posted: 30 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , , , ,

One Shots Jump! Jump!
Do you like jumping puzzles in MMOs? Then you and I can no longer be friends. I am sorry to draw the line there, but if this is the case, then there is something seriously wrong with your head. Maybe you like the small jolts of anxiety and tension as you try to hop from platform to platform, but I would rather chew on tinfoil than go through that again.

Reader John will be your friend if you're a jumper, however. He's mastered one tricky hoppery-doo in Guild Wars 2 and lived to tell the tale. "This is the view from one of the high points in the Hidden Garden. It's a jumping puzzle you reach by killing one of the four keepers in Mount Maelstrom, opening a portal. I always enjoy the landscapes of this game."

I enjoy the landscapes too, John. From ground-level. I wonder what other landscapes we'll be seeing in this week's collection of player-submitted screenshots?

Continue reading One Shots: Jump! Jump!

MassivelyOne Shots: Jump! Jump! originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Stick and Rudder: The best bits of Star Citizen's 24-hour livestream

    Posted: 30 Jun 2013 08:00 AM PDT

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    Stick and Rudder Dissecting Star Citizen's 24hour livestream
    There are livestreams, and then there are livestreams, and Star Citizen's 24-hour marathon that concluded yesterday was a prime example of the latter. The event was crammed full of developer roundtables, celebrity cameos, and enough internet spaceship shenanigans to keep me watching for far longer than I originally intended.

    Cloud Imperium revealed several new spacecraft, along with additional stretch goals that blew my mind, plenty of slickly produced videos, concept art, and more.

    Continue reading Stick and Rudder: The best bits of Star Citizen's 24-hour livestream

    MassivelyStick and Rudder: The best bits of Star Citizen's 24-hour livestream originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Do sports MMOs matter to you?

      Posted: 30 Jun 2013 06:00 AM PDT

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      The Daily Grind Do sports MMOs matter to you
      For the longest time, whenever you'd hear the word "MMO," you'd have to mentally add "RPG" at the end. The two were inseparable, making up most of the games that we here at Massively cover. But now we're facing an evolving genre that includes MMOFPS and MMORTS titles as well as many others. There's always been one MMO genre that hasn't gotten a lot of coverage or general enthusiasm from the wider MMO playerbase, and that's the sports MMO.

      I know its out there. I've heard whispers and rumors of its legend. There's even solid evidence of its existence, as we just heard of the development of a new racing MMO called The Crew. I'm guessing that in addition to racing games, there are baseball, soccer, and even golf MMOs. They're just not within my sphere of interest.

      But what about you? Do sports MMOs matter to you? Do you follow or play any of them?

      Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

      MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do sports MMOs matter to you? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 30 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        TERA's Corsair Stronghold patch now available for preloading

        Posted: 29 Jun 2013 06:00 PM PDT

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        TERA's Corsair Stronghold patch now available for preloading
        TERA's new Corsairs' Stronghold battleground won't be playable until July 1st, but it's coming in the midst of such a massive patch that En Masse is making it available for you to preload. There's five gigabytes worth of stuff to install, too, so the sooner the better.

        The update post notes that the patch will not preload while you play, so you'll need to leave the launcher open for a bit.

        [Thanks Dengar!]

        MassivelyTERA's Corsair Stronghold patch now available for preloading originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        Wings Over Atreia: Initial impressions of Aion 4.0

        Posted: 29 Jun 2013 05:00 PM PDT

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        Wings Over Atreia  Initial impressions of Aion 4.0
        After a bit of a rocky start (though an extended patch beats hours of waiting in a queue any day!), Aion's next big expansion finally made it out of the starting gates. And boy, did it hit the ground running! If you tried to make a new character, be it one of the new classes or not, you were tripping over new Daevas-to-be on the regular server and dealing with wait times to get on the very full Fast Track server. I, myself, made a new Asmodian Songweaver.

        Sadly, contrary to previous expansion launches, the new publish date for Wings Over Atreia did not leave me with nearly enough time to really wade into all the new content. There's simply so much I was barely able to dip my toes in! So diving even deeper into Dark Betrayal will have to wait until next time; for now, I'll just share my initial impressions gleaned from my first glimpses of 4.0.

        Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Initial impressions of Aion 4.0

        MassivelyWings Over Atreia: Initial impressions of Aion 4.0 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Darkfall adds shipbuilding mastery, warships, harbors, and more

          Posted: 29 Jun 2013 04:00 PM PDT

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          Darkfall Unholy Wars - More boat stuffs
          Yesterday's Darkfall patch added some noteworthy new content to Agon. First up is a new crafting skill called Shipbuilding Mastery, which requires Shipbuilding 100 and Prowess 10.000. The mastery skill is a prerequisite for the game's new warships, which -- you guessed it -- also debuted in yesterday's patch.

          Aventurine has added a Coastal Runner, which is the fastest ship in the game. It's a good thing it's so quick, too, because it has no cannons. There's also the Pinnace, a warship featuring three cannons. Harbors and shipyards are also available to build in clan holdings as of the patch.

          There's more, including plenty of gameplay tweaks and general fixes. The Darkfall forums has a listing of the full patch notes.

          [Thanks Dengar!]

          MassivelyDarkfall adds shipbuilding mastery, warships, harbors, and more originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Make My MMO: Crowdfunding June 16 - 29, 2013

          Posted: 29 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT

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          Make My MMO Crowdfunding June 16 29, 2013
          Go ahead -- make my MMO. And here you thought this phrase only worked when interrupting a robbery! What was a unique phenomenon in the not-too-distant past has become an increasingly popular trend: crowdfunding new MMOs. Whether they're using the Kickstarter funding platform or another, more and more developers are turning to the public instead of publishers to take their designs from the drawing board and into reality. In fact, sometimes it feels like there are just too many to keep up with! Besides the new campaigns that seem to be popping up like dandelions, there are the successfully funded games to keep an eye on.

          So here's what we're going to do for you: We'll make it easier for you to keep tabs on both the new campaigns hitting the crowdfunding scene and the progress of those MMOs that already made their goal and have moved on in their development journeys (but haven't made beta yet). Join us past the break for the inaugural Make My MMO, a biweekly accounting of all MMOs crowdfunded. Have you heard about new campaigns that aren't listed? Send us a note and let us know!

          Continue reading Make My MMO: Crowdfunding June 16 - 29, 2013

          MassivelyMake My MMO: Crowdfunding June 16 - 29, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's buffet effect

            Posted: 29 Jun 2013 02:00 PM PDT

            Filed under: , , , , , ,

            I had originally included references to BurgerFi, but then I just got hungry.
            A little under a year ago, I wrote a column about how Final Fantasy XIV needs to generate a wow factor. It needs to surprise people, have something unique and special to offer. There was a lot of stuff that felt distressingly rote, and that wasn't good.

            So what's changed since then? Well... not a huge amount, honestly. There are several features in the beta that feel like rehashes of things we've seen in other games, like FATEs and quests and instanced dungeons and so forth. Yet the game is clearly generating a wow factor, something that I'm happy about.

            This week, I want to throw that previous article out completely. Just kick it to the curb. As I've been playing the beta weekends and seeing what the game has to offer, I've realized that there was something I was completely failing to embrace and consider. It's the power of the buffet.

            Continue reading The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's buffet effect

            MassivelyThe Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's buffet effect originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              SWTOR adding killer Ewok companion in 2.3

              Posted: 29 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT

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              SWTOR adding killer Ewok companion in 2.3
              Ewoks may no longer be number one on the list of George Lucas' crimes against humanity -- we'll give that joint honor to Jar Jar Binks and Howard the Duck -- but they're still pretty polarizing amongst fans of a galaxy far, far away.

              Naturally, then, BioWare has decided to add a new Ewok combat companion to Star Wars: The Old Republic as part of the forthcoming 2.3 patch. Dulfy.net reports that you'll need to have a level 40 legacy and a million credits to unlock the cuddly little booboo, who also happens to use heavy armor and boasts a heal and tank stance. Dulfy includes plenty of stats and spoilerific cutscene video in the preview article, so click through at your own risk!

              [Thanks Dengar!]

              MassivelySWTOR adding killer Ewok companion in 2.3 originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Texas teen still in jail after February League of Legends argument

              Posted: 29 Jun 2013 12:00 PM PDT

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              Texas teen still in jail over League of Legends argumentTexas teen Justin Carter has been in jail since March 27th due to comments he made on Facebook that stemmed from a February confrontation with another user in League of Legends.

              Carter, 18, reportedly posted "oh yeah, I'm real messed up in the head, I'm going to go shoot up a school full of kids and eat their still beating hearts." According to his father, his next two lines of text were "lol" and "JK."

              After a Canadian woman saw the Facebook post and called the police, Justin Carter was arrested and charged with making a terrorist threat, Gamespot reports. Carter faces up to eight years in prison. Family and friends have started an online petition asking for his release as well as adjustments to anti-terrorism legislation.

              MassivelyTexas teen still in jail after February League of Legends argument originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

              Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates


              WoW Update: Escalation Patch

              Posted: 30 Jun 2013 08:42 AM PDT

              World of Warcraft announces new game update called as the “ESCALATION” and it can be obtained as a patch. New items, raids, class updates to WoW has been released. Many Bug Fixes has been done, below is the notes from the WoW:   General Updates: New Battleground: Deepwind Gorge In the new Battleground situated in Continue Reading

              The post WoW Update: Escalation Patch appeared first on GAMEFORUMER.COM | MMORPG | Android | Video Games | IOS | Blog.

              MMOGaming News

              MMOGaming News


              Hello MMO - June New MMO Collection

              Posted:

              Hello MMO - June New MMO Collection


              This month sees lots of new updates going live, some MMOs seem to tantalize their fans by heading to the launch time quite slow. But don't worry, we'll always offer you some new games for your choice, maybe some of them are not available right now, but getting the latest information of the new games will definitely give you joy and excitement! Now check out the new MMO collection this month!

              Daily Recommendation: Plants War Brings the Mechanics of League of

              Posted:

              Daily Recommendation: Plants War Brings the Mechanics of League of


              "Thanks to Plants War from GAMEVIL, I can now take the action packed mechanics of League of Legends and DOTA on the go. " -Unbound Gamer



              MMO Updates

              MMO Updates


              The Road to Mordor: Saying goodbye to Casual Stroll to Mordor

              Posted: 29 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT

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              The Road to Mordor Saying goodbye to Casual Stroll to Mordor
              If you're a Lord of the Rings Online player, then chances are that you've heard of Casual Stroll to Mordor. The husband-and-wife team of Merric and Goldenstar have been podcasting and blogging about LotRO for four years as they played together, and their insight and guides have become quite sought-after in the LotRO community.

              I was saddened to hear that CSTM is shutting down today after 200 episodes and countless blog posts. It's a lot of hard work and time running a fan site like this, and while I don't begrudge their decision to step down, they will be missed. I struck up a friendship with both of them several years back, and we've since been in the same kinship, hung out at conventions together, and podcasted together.

              I reached out to ask Merric and Goldenstar if they'd like to share some final words about LotRO and being a big part of the fan community. From running a fan site to thoughts on the direction the game's taking, it's all there after the jump!

              Continue reading The Road to Mordor: Saying goodbye to Casual Stroll to Mordor

              MassivelyThe Road to Mordor: Saying goodbye to Casual Stroll to Mordor originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                WRUP: Ducks cannot do advanced math edition

                Posted: 29 Jun 2013 08:00 AM PDT

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                Look at these unmathematical layabouts.
                For the past three weeks, I've been running an experiment to see if ducks can do advanced math. The practice is simple. First, I place several ducklings into a room with a calculus problem worksheet and I tell them to complete the worksheet. Then, I release several angry barking dogs into the room. For a control group, I place several graduate students into a room with the same worksheet, tell them to complete it, then release several angry barking dogs into the room.

                Thus far, I've discovered that ducks cannot do advanced math, graduate students cannot do advanced math, and blowing most of your research budget on angry barking dogs is a poor investment.

                None of the Massively staff members is a dog, but several of us are loud and angry. We're also playing video games over the weekend, hence this week's WRUP. See what we're up to past the break, and let us know your own plans down in the comments!

                Continue reading WRUP: Ducks cannot do advanced math edition

                MassivelyWRUP: Ducks cannot do advanced math edition originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  The Daily Grind: Are group finding tools a necessity?

                  Posted: 29 Jun 2013 06:00 AM PDT

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                  We've been looking for four hours, but I'm confident someone will be along soon.
                  In Guild Wars 2, there's no interface for you to queue up and immediately flash over to a group from anywhere in the world. On the one hand, this means that you have to actually go to dungeons and interact with people willing to take on the challenges. On the other hand, this also means that you need to hurry up and wait in order to gather your fellow adventurers, a problem that's only exacerbated when something goes wrong and you all have to die and respawn.

                  World of Warcraft's dungeon finder tool is sometimes seen as the greatest way to jump in and experience dungeon content, while at other times it's seen as an effort to tear apart server communities and trivialize the experience of working together to clear something. So today we turn the question over to you, our readers. Are group finding tools a necessity in this day and age, or would you prefer to play games without them?

                  Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

                  MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Are group finding tools a necessity? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    Betawatch: June 22 - 28, 2013

                    Posted: 28 Jun 2013 06:00 PM PDT

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                    Why this isn't in every game baffles me.
                    This week has been pretty quiet for games going into or leaving beta, but EverQuest has started testing its Heart of Fear update, which apparently involves players riding on giant disembodied hands used as mounts. So that makes everything bright and wonderful within the world again because you can't say that isn't hopelessly awesome.

                    Beyond that, MU Rebirth is allowing signups for its closed test. Arena of Heroes has opened up for everyone who enjoys cross-platform MOBA play. Firefall is readying the last bit of its pre-open beta, WildStar is teasing us with patch notes, and Final Fantasy XIV is getting more beta teasers. It's a pretty normal week, in other words.

                    But there's also a huge list of games past the cut! Is that normal? Yes, yes it is, even if it might be missing a few games that we've removed (like Broken Realm, The Mummy Online, Lunaria Story, Scarlet Blade, Smite, Aurora World, Born to Fire, Dragon Crusade, Living After War, Maestia, Traveller AR, and Xulu Universe) for various reasons. Take a look for more games in testing, and if you notice something that's crept into launch without calling it that, by all means let us know in the comments.

                    Continue reading Betawatch: June 22 - 28, 2013

                    MassivelyBetawatch: June 22 - 28, 2013 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      MMObility: Puzzle Pirates is perfect on the iPad, but Fleck falls

                      Posted: 28 Jun 2013 05:00 PM PDT

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                      Fleck screenshot
                      It's been a week of ups and downs for me. The mobile MMO market is the often-ignored stepchild of the greater genre, so when a great new MMO comes along, I rejoice. And when a fun, older MMO closes down, I feel like weeping. As the mobile market begins to take over all of creation (and will probably make time travel possible as well), it's so good to see a game like Puzzle Pirates finally make its way to mobile devices. Sure, it's just iPads for now, but an Android version is marked for release this summer. This is a game that has been begging for a mobile release for some time now.

                      Meanwhile, Fleck is an odd little MMO by Self Aware Games that I have covered in the past but that is soon closing down. I love the look and feel of it, but its real-world-based gameplay might be too odd for many to enjoy. Still, it had issues finding its footing.

                      Let's talk about both in today's MMObility column.

                      Continue reading MMObility: Puzzle Pirates is perfect on the iPad, but Fleck falls

                      MassivelyMMObility: Puzzle Pirates is perfect on the iPad, but Fleck falls originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        Star Trek Online dev blog takes us through episodic content creation

                        Posted: 28 Jun 2013 04:00 PM PDT

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                        sto dev blog
                        Have you ever wondered how Star Trek Online's episodic content comes together? Well, now you can go behind the scenes with Cryptic's dev team thanks to a new blog entry that outlines much of the creative process.

                        Lead content designer Scott "Goatshark" Shicoff is your guide to everything from conceptualization and basic narrative framework to the mission map whitebox and bug-fixing and polishing stages. It's a lengthy read, but an interesting one if you're into STO and/or game development. Check it out on the game's official website.

                        MassivelyStar Trek Online dev blog takes us through episodic content creation originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        Firefall's Kern: 'I look at WoW and think what have we done... We killed a genre'

                        Posted: 28 Jun 2013 03:00 PM PDT

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                        Firefall's Kern 'I look at WoW and think what have we done We killed a genre'
                        Firefall head honcho and former World of Warcraft dev Mark Kern asks if MMOs have become too easy in a guest blog at MMORPG.com. It's basically a rhetorical question, since he goes on to outline "the creeping casualness" that defines the genre in 2013.

                        He aims plenty of disparaging remarks at WoW's accessibility formula and its mandate to acquire casual players by streamlining or omitting traditional MMORPG systems. "And it worked. Players came in droves, millions of them," Kern writes. "But at what cost? Sometimes I look at WoW and think 'what have we done?' I think I know. I think we killed a genre."

                        Kern goes on to lament the lack of difficulty inherent in post-WoW MMOs, and naturally he says that Firefall has found just the right balance between accessibility and challenge. He also says that the game's crafting system is "one of the deepest and most complex of any MMO, having more in common with the well-loved crafting system of the original Star Wars Galaxies than the simplified crafting systems of current MMOs."

                        MassivelyFirefall's Kern: 'I look at WoW and think what have we done... We killed a genre' originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        RIFT offers early access to a new dimension

                        Posted: 28 Jun 2013 02:00 PM PDT

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                        Be awesome, then be more awesome with awesome new toys as a result of your awesomeness.
                        If you're enjoying RIFT's free-to-play model, you're probably also enjoying the game's various Dimensions. This means that you're no doubt excited about the upcoming launch of a new Dimension, Three Springs, complete with its own unique Dimension items. But you don't have to wait for its full release, as the development team is offering a select few players a chance to get early access to this Dimension. How do you manage that? By being awesome.

                        On July 9th, the owner of the top weekly rated Dimension on each server will receive a special early access key to Three Springs and the associated items on a character of the owner's choice. That means you'll need to have the most awesome Dimension on your server during voting from July 3rd through the 9th to try it before you can buy it. So what are you waiting for? Crack your knuckles and get decorating -- there's a new space to create!

                        MassivelyRIFT offers early access to a new dimension originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        Star Wars: The Old Republic is looking for corporate troubleshooters on the test server

                        Posted: 28 Jun 2013 01:00 PM PDT

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                        In hindsight, including Go_Berserk_And_Kill_Humans.exe in all of our robots was really stupid.
                        Sometimes, being a corporate troubleshooter means that your job is identifying weak points in a company and strengthening infrastructure. Other times, such as in the Star Wars: The Old Republic update available on the test server, it means that your job is shooting trouble. Seems that Czerka Corporation has sort of lost control of an important test moon, and that means that player characters will need to visit a new daily hub as well as two new level 55 Flashpoints.

                        These Flashpoints aren't the usual fare; they feature both a Hard Mode and a Story Mode, with the latter allowing any combination of roles to clear the flashpoint for shorter queue times and a more relaxed experience. You've also got two new reputations to explore, one for the daily hub and one for the upcoming Bounty Broker event. If you've done all there is to do on Makeb, the patch means you'll have plenty more to do soon. There's also a new Companions 101 piece on Corso Riggs, but really, a new patch is a bit more interesting.

                        MassivelyStar Wars: The Old Republic is looking for corporate troubleshooters on the test server originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        Star Citizen 24-hour livestream happening now, new Avenger ship revealed

                        Posted: 28 Jun 2013 12:00 PM PDT

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                        Star Citizen 24hour livestream happening now, new Avenger ship revealed
                        Cloud Imperium is in the midst of its 24-hour Star Citizen livestream. The dev team is broadcasting live on Twitch from its Los Angeles- and Austin-based offices. Founder Chris Roberts as well as nearly every member of the dev team has meandered in front of the cameras at this point, and more importantly for fanboy informational purposes, the firm is revealing something new about the upcoming space sim on a quasi-hourly basis.

                        Just a bit ago it was the Avenger, a sleek new ship intended for bounty hunting and boasting a very different aesthetic from previously announced designs like the Aurora and the 300 series.

                        Cloud Imperium also unveiled Star Citizen's new website earlier today. As of press time, the site is still getting hammered by early adopters in their quest to migrate accounts and soak up new info, though, so you might have better luck scoping it out as the day moves on. CI did indicate that it has doubled the number of web servers in order to handle the increased load.

                        MassivelyStar Citizen 24-hour livestream happening now, new Avenger ship revealed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                        Tamriel Infinium: Immersing yourself in The Elder Scrolls Online

                        Posted: 28 Jun 2013 11:00 AM PDT

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                        Tamriel Infinium Immersing yourself in The Elder Scrolls Online
                        Throughout my time as a gamer, I have seen game designers struggle with immersion because not everyone views immersion the same way and every designer wants his game to pull you in. The more you play one designer's game, the more likely you will buy his or her next game. In the case of MMOs, the greater the immersion, the greater chance you will spend more money on subscriptions or in the cash shop. Some gamers find first-person views with in-your-face action immersing; some, like me, find rich lore and a solid storyline immersing.

                        The Elder Scrolls Online faces perhaps the hardest task. Not only does this game strive to immerse the already existing divisions between the RPG crowd, but it also has to contend with the different platforms on which it's releasing. Our commenters on this site are heavily divided on the console-vs.-PC subject. To top it off, some have already been turned off by Bethesda's shying away from calling the game an MMO.

                        Today, I face head-on some of game's immersion pitfalls and tackle the divisive comments from last week's Tamriel Infinium.

                        Continue reading Tamriel Infinium: Immersing yourself in The Elder Scrolls Online

                        MassivelyTamriel Infinium: Immersing yourself in The Elder Scrolls Online originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                          Making music together: An interview with Anthymn

                          Posted: 28 Jun 2013 10:00 AM PDT

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                          Making music together An interview with Anthymn
                          It's safe to say that many of us on the Massively team were seduced by the promise and potential of Anthymn when we first saw its Kickstarter campaign. The concept of an entire fantasy MMO that revolves around music instead of swords and sorcery is a refreshing approach in this day and age.

                          The folks at String Theory Entertainment are downright passionate about bringing the power of music to online games. While Anthymn is still in an early stage of development, the idea behind it stretches back a decade or so. The developers aren't just using music as a quirky feature for the sheer heck of it, either; this is a studio full of musically talented folks who know how infectious and bonding a song can be.

                          We sat down with the creative leads behind Anthymn to get a better feel for the project and the future of the game, with or without Kickstarter's help. Check it out after the jump!

                          Continue reading Making music together: An interview with Anthymn

                          MassivelyMaking music together: An interview with Anthymn originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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