MMOGaming News

MMOGaming News

SWTOR Flashpoint Guide: Mandalorian Raiders

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SWTOR Flashpoint Guide: Mandalorian Raiders


A rogue faction of Mandalorians under the banner of Clan Varad has stolen the Republic warship Allusis, and they are using it to wreak havoc on vulnerable worlds in the Outer Rim. Strike teams are charged with seizing control of the ship and putting an end to the clan's attacks on Outer Rim colonies.

The Walking Dead Action-FPS in the Works from Activision

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The Walking Dead Action-FPS in the Works from Activision


Activision has announced a FPS based on The Walking Dead series airing on AMC is in development from Terminal Reality.

DIABLO III(KR) - VIRTUAL ITEMS TRADING HITS RECORD

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DIABLO III(KR) - VIRTUAL ITEMS TRADING HITS RECORD


What happens when the government decides to stop Blizzard from activating the Real Money Auction House (RMAH) in the country? Well, use 3rd party platforms of course! In a recent report from ItemMania, an online website providing players to trade virtual items, Diablo III set a new record for the highest daily currency amount exchanging hands, up to a tune of USD 700,000 (KRW 800 mil). That is the amount of money gamers in Korea spent on Diablo III items in a day!

Why Do MMO Companies Seem to Not Care About Their Players?

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Why Do MMO Companies Seem to Not Care About Their Players?


Okay so to try and understand what I'm trying to to get at here I'll give you a list of MMO companies: Funcom, En Masse, $OE (SOE I guess...), EA. What do these four companies seem to have in common? In the past (and some recently) they have failed to listen to their players to make their products the best they possibly could.

The Secret World Gets Favourable Reception, Funcom Shares Plummet

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The Secret World Gets Favourable Reception, Funcom Shares Plummet


Funcom's lattest horror MMORPG The Secret World was received well by critics and players alike, receiving positive attention here on MMOsite as well.However, the good performance of TSW didn't give Funcom what they need most, the complay share plummet during last week.

Runes of Magic Chapter V: Fires of Shadowforge Overview

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Runes of Magic Chapter V: Fires of Shadowforge Overview


Developed by Runewalker and published by Frogster, Runes of Magic has updated the new Chapter V: Fires of Shadowforge on June 12rd, a numbers of improvements and changes, new level cap, in-game zones, two new classes and a new race were coming with the new chapter.

Nexon In Trouble With Taiwan Law

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Nexon In Trouble With Taiwan Law


It seems like Nexon has too much cash to splash around, from being fined heavily after its account security lapses in Korea to investing in closet rival NCsoft. Now, Nexon is once again being fined USD 900,000 in Taiwan. Basically, this happened due to Nexon's unauthorized attempt to buyout MMO developer/ publisher Gamania.

Sword Art Online (JP) - a New Virtual Reality MMORPG

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Sword Art Online (JP) - a New Virtual Reality MMORPG


The story is about 1000 players who are logged into a new virtual reality MMORPG, Sword Art Online, only to find out they must complete all 100 levels of the game in order to log out in peace.

Blade and Soul (KR) first week sale is ahead of Aion

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Blade and Soul (KR) first week sale is ahead of Aion


Ncsoft's MMORPG Blade and Soul began its commercialization on Jun.30th, interested players must be wondering how it goes after a week.Despite that Ncsoft expresses they can't expose the specific numbers, the achievement of Blade & Soul is definitely higher than Aion.

Smite: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained - Hindu

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Smite: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained - Hindu


Here below will introduce Smite's massive back story of lore - Hindu (Vamana, Kali, Agni) to prospective players.

Phantasy Star Online 2's Cash Shop is Ridiculous?

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Phantasy Star Online 2's Cash Shop is Ridiculous?


Sega is wasting no time in offering the wacky download costumes for Phantasy Star Online 2. Look below for afros, wedding dresses, mohawks, and more! These are priced 200 AC or 500 AC depending on the type.

Langrisser Schwarz (CN) Alpha Phase First Look

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Langrisser Schwarz (CN) Alpha Phase First Look


Langrisser Schwarz launched its Alpha phase with exclusive accounts in China first, despite the voice-overs being all in Japanese. This is just an early look at the Alpha phase below.

Chinese Company Tencent Purchases Minority Stake In Epic Games

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Chinese Company Tencent Purchases Minority Stake In Epic Games


China internet and gaming company Tencent Holdings (HKG: 0700) acquired a minority stake in U.S. gamer Epic Games, makers of the popular 'Gears of War' and mobile game "Infinity Blade".

Evolution Zero Makes A Debut, With No Level Cap

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Evolution Zero Makes A Debut, With No Level Cap


Korean Sci-fi MMORPG Evolution Zero from IKGames recently made its debut and released a game trailer.The game is scheduled for its first test phase come end September 2012.According to the official introduction, fighting against raciation is the theme of Evolution Zero and the game is targeting the 30 to 40 years old crowd.

What TERA's GMs think about your Subscription (Acceptable behavior?)

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What TERA's GMs think about your Subscription (Acceptable behavior?)


Is this really any way for a GM, a hired professional to talk to a consumer and encourage them to quit the game, despite the company just starting and barely turning in a profit? Why should it take a third party source, to get information and resolutions from a company?

ARCHEAGE (KR) - Seeking Global Opinions

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ARCHEAGE (KR) - Seeking Global Opinions


Read about ArcheAge (link)? Watch the videos? If you are liking what you see in this sandbox online game developed by Lineage's "father", Jake Song, help fill up the official survey his studio is currently holding. While the game is confirmed for major markets such as Korea and China, there is nothing about a Western release so far. Fill up the survey now!

Playerbase Were Outraged by The Tera Guild Farms Itself Political Gain

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Playerbase Were Outraged by The Tera Guild Farms Itself Political Gain


Players said guilds are none too happy about it and are allegedly receiving conflicting information from the support staff as to whether or not taking advantage of this game mechanic is considered an exploit.
Posted by Shri Krishna


General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Cisco Introduces Invasive Cloud Connect Firmware, Backs Down Immediately

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 11:13 AM PDT

Cloud ConnectCisco faced a bit of consumer backlash last week when it pushed out a Firmware update that not only took away much of the advanced control users have come to expect, but actually forced them to agree to a list of anti-porn and anti-piracy clauses. Anyone with automatic updates turned on woke up Thursday to find not only could they not access their router locally, they needed to sign in through Cisco Cloud connect just to access the basics. Cisco has since backpedaled on the incident, and is in full on damage control with a new blog post. 

In summary, here is what Cisco is promising:

1.) Linksys customers are not required to sign-up for the Cisco Connect Cloud service and they are able to opt-out of signing up for an account
2.) Customers can set-up and manage their Linksys router without signing up for a Cisco Connect Cloud account
3.) Cisco will not arbitrarily disconnect customers from the Cisco Connect Cloud service based on how they are using the Internet.
4.) Cisco Linksys routers are not used to collect information about Internet usage.
5.) Cisco only retains information that is necessary to sign up for and support the Cisco Connect Cloud service
6.) Cisco will not push software updates to customers' Linksys routers when the auto-update setting is turned off.

These are all great declarations to make, but it's shocking that these would ever be in question. It amazing that so few router manufacturers have come close to matching the firmware quality of open source projects such as Tomato or DDWRT, and it certainly doesn't shine a positive light on Linksys/Cisco. 

 

Mozilla Transitions Thunderbird to Maintenance Mode, Leaving its Fate to the Community

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 10:32 AM PDT

ThunderbirdWebmail clients have pretty much advanced to the point now where we aren't wishing for much more. Outlook still plays an important role in the Enterprise helping to tie together contacts, calendar, and mail into one application, and for everyone else with offline needs, there is Thunderbird. Thunderbird as an open source project has always been the gold standard on the PC as a free alternative to Outlook, even though it has never enjoyed anywhere near the same market share as Mozilla's other open source baby. You may have heard of Firefox perhaps?

Today however, Mozilla announced that key resources from Thunderbird project are being moved to other areas, and aside from bug fixes and security updates, no new improvements are being planned going forward.

The market for offline email capabilities may be on the decline, however it's still unfortunate to see another high profile player bite the dust. Thunderbird will continue to be available for the foreseeable future, but without any improvements being planned, it might be prudent for users to start investigating alternatives. The beauty of open source is that improvements are still possible from community driven fork projects, but we will have to wait and see if these ever materialize. 

Mozilla claims that nothing is set in stone, and a final plan should be released sometime in early September. Those looking for immediate alternatives should check out Postbox, Seamonkey, or even the fairly competent Windows Live Mail. 

Acer’s Founder Recommends Microsoft Stick With Software

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 09:43 AM PDT

StanThe entire Fourth of July week is a bit of a write off news wise when it comes to the US tech industry, but while the boys in Redmond were enjoying some well-deserved R&R, Acer was on the attack. Company founder Stan Shih went on record with his thoughts about the Microsoft Surface, and lets just say they weren't the most diplomatic. 

"I think Microsoft's getting involved in the hardware business is designed to promote its Windows 8 [operating system]," he said, echoing a similar comment made back in June. "But I sincerely recommend they withdraw from the hardware market when they get what they want." Shih further clarified by saying Microsoft shouldn't be competing with hardware partners, especially because they are their biggest business partners. "I think they will consider and decide the best solution for themselves," he said.

Shih comments were part of a larger interview discussing the state of the PC industry, and was partially an attempt to explain sluggish PC sales at the expense of a budding tablet market. Shih acknowledged that the market is changing, but claims Acer laptops will always have a place on the market. "For students, laptops with keyboards will still be the best choice," Shih said.

Microsoft's decision to release hardware is a bolder than usual move for the gang in Redmond, and it will be really interesting to see how it plays out. At the end of the day hardware partners might feel a bit betrayed, but Microsoft it would seem has the stronger hand. Linux has its fan's, but let's face it, Acer is going to be using Windows for the foreseeable future, regardless of what Microsoft releases now or in the future. 

Windows 8 $39.99 Upgrade Offer Will Support the Release Preview

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 08:57 AM PDT

Windows 8 LogoIn the past using a pre-release version of a Microsoft OS was a one way ticket to nowhere. Sure you got a chance to test out the latest and greatest version of Windows months before it launched, but the final version typically involved doing a clean install, wiping out all your data in the process. To make matters worse, if you were buying the "upgrade edition", this sometimes also involved re-installing the older version before moving to the final release. Most of us assumed this would still be the case with Windows 8; we were wrong.

Microsoft has confirmed to ComputerWorld that the Windows 8 $39.99 upgrade offer will work with the Release Preview, as long as a version of Windows XP or newer was present on the drive when it was installed. This doesn't mean the transition is seamless however, and the process still essentially blows away the release preview, along with your settings. Data on the other hand "should" copy over automatically. 

While it wasn't specifically mentioned, it's safe to assume users of the 2011 Developer Preview, along with the February 2012 Consumer Preview are out of luck. Presumably anyone who falls into this category will need to reinstall a copy of Windows XP or newer back on the machine if they plan to take advantage of the $39.99 upgrade offer. 

We are impressed Microsoft is actually taking the time to consider users who have helped them beta test over the last several months, rather than leaving them in the dust. We would be more impressed if the upgrade was a more seamless process that preserved settings, but we'll take what we can get I suppose. 
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMO and SEO News from Gameforumer.com

MMO and SEO News from Gameforumer.com

Cisco Introduces Invasive Cloud Connect Firmware, Backs Down Immediately

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 11:55 AM PDT

FG_AUTHORS: Amit Teli

Cloud Connect Cisco faced a bit of consumer backlash last week when it pushed out a Firmware update that not only took away much of the advanced control users have come to expect, but actually forced them to agree to a list of anti-porn and anti-piracy clauses. Anyone with automatic updates turned on woke up Thursday to find not only could they not access their router locally, they needed...

RTX: Halo 4 multiplayer gets a serious upgrade

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 11:07 AM PDT

FG_AUTHORS: Amit Teli

RTX: Halo 4 multiplayer gets a serious upgrade

[This weekend Destructoid is reporting live from RTX in Austin, Texas, the community based gaming expo for Rooster Teeth fans and everyone else.]

A month ago at E3, Hamza saw, conquered, and approved of Halo 4. But, why wouldn’t he? He’s like the biggest Halo fan on staff! I, on the other hand, have lukewarm feelings toward the series. I played all but Halo 2 to...

Mozilla Transitions Thunderbird to Maintenance Mode, Leaving its Fate to the Community

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 10:48 AM PDT

FG_AUTHORS: Amit Teli

Thunderbird Webmail clients have pretty much advanced to the point now where we aren't wishing for much more. Outlook still plays an important role in the Enterprise helping to tie together contacts, calendar, and mail into one application, and for everyone else with offline needs, there is Thunderbird. Thunderbird as an open source project has always been the gold standard on the PC as...

Windows 8 $39.99 Upgrade Offer Will Support the Release Preview

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 10:38 AM PDT

FG_AUTHORS: Amit Teli

Windows 8 Logo In the past using a pre-release version of a Microsoft OS was a one way ticket to nowhere. Sure you got a chance to test out the latest and greatest version of Windows months before it launched, but the final version typically involved doing a clean install, wiping out all your data in the process. To make matters worse, if you were buying the "upgrade edition", this som...

Acer’s Founder Recommends Microsoft Stick With Software

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 10:14 AM PDT

FG_AUTHORS: Amit Teli

Stan The entire Fourth of July week is a bit of a write off news wise when it comes to the US tech industry, but while the boys in Redmond were enjoying some well-deserved R&R, Acer was on the attack. Company founder Stan Shih went on record with his thoughts about the Microsoft Surface, and lets just say they weren't the most diplomatic. 

"I think Microsoft's getting...

RTX: Killing orcs with a buddy in Orcs Must Die! 2

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 08:15 AM PDT

FG_AUTHORS: Amit Teli

RTX: Killing orcs with a buddy in Orcs Must Die! 2

[This weekend Destructoid is reporting live from RTX in Austin, Texas, the community based gaming expo for Rooster Teeth fans and everyone else.]

Sometimes the right game comes at the wrong time in your life. For me that was Orcs Must Die! which, against my better judgement, I installed and obsessively played during finals week last fall. The game’s blend of tower...

Sword Art Online (JP) - A MMORPG you can only see

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 03:29 AM PDT

FG_AUTHORS: Amit Teli

Sword Art Online (JP) - A MMORPG you can only see

This is not really a real online game, but a new Japanese anime based on a light-novel. The story is about 1000 players who are logged into a new virtual reality MMORPG, Sword Art Online, only to find out they must complete all 100 levels of the game in order to log out in peace (force logout via pulling off the game VR helmet renders the players dead).


What's more, dying in...

Langrisser Schwarz (CN) - Alpha phase first look

Posted: 07 Jul 2012 10:22 PM PDT

FG_AUTHORS: Amit Teli

Langrisser Schwarz (CN) - Alpha phase first look

Some of you may have heard about or even played the original games in the Langrisser franchise, hence this online version will be no doubt an exciting title to look forward to. Developed by Gamania and revealed way back in 2010 (link), it has been 2 years since and oddly, the game launched its Alpha phase with exclusive accounts in China first, despite the voice-overs being...
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMO Updates

MMO Updates

Rise and Shiny: Aardwolf MUD

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT

Filed under: , , , , , , , , ,

Aardwolf MUD banner
This week I dove into yet another MUD in the hopes of finding even better gameplay than I found in titles like Gemstone IV and Threshold RPG. It's a bit of a daring attempt for me, especially considering that I often suffer from migraines when I have to concentrate on text on my monitor so much. Funny enough, when I get a MUD client set up just how I want, I have no issues and can play for a few hours at a time. MUDs are relaxing much of the time and don't feel as rushed as standard MMOs do. That relaxation must help with the migraines!

At first, I was bit hesitant in saying Aardwulf MUD is akin to the titles I have covered in the past. Something about the site, and the fact that the game did not force roleplay, turned me off, and I was determined to find it lacking.

Luckily, I was proven wrong and even suckered fellow Massivelyite (Massivelyian?) Jeremy Stratton into the game; he's contributed a few of his thoughts today too.

Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Aardwolf MUD

MassivelyRise and Shiny: Aardwolf MUD originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    Previously on MV TV: The week of June 30th

    Posted: 08 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT

    Filed under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    Previously On banner
    This week was another stellar week in gaming, despite the fact that many of us in the Massively offices were busy spending our holiday on the beach, together, hugging and shooting fireworks and remembering old times. We have had this tradition for the last 17 years, back when many of us were only in our tweens. Ah, good times. Massively good times.

    What's that? You missed some of these killer streams that we worked so hard to bring you? It's all right; just follow past the cut to catch up on some of the best moments from the week. Also, be sure to bookmark our livestream schedule to see what we are doing next! This week, we have playtime with Mike as he heads into the blackness of EVE Online and then braves the battlefields of World of Tanks. MJ takes over from there and plays some The Secret World, EverQuest II, and City of Heroes and sees some good times in Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Richie attacks stuff in the new MOBA SMITE, and I round things out by continuing to beat up the Gloam in Free Realms. Hurry up and die already so we can see the new area, Gloam!

    Continue reading Previously on MV TV: The week of June 30th

    MassivelyPreviously on MV TV: The week of June 30th originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Jul 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      The Daily Grind: Do you find post-launch games intimidating to start playing?

      Posted: 08 Jul 2012 06:00 AM PDT

      Filed under: , , ,

      Ever since the fishermen took over in patch 1.10, this game has been really different.
      When a game launches, it's usually fairly small in scope. That doesn't mean it's simple, but it does mean that there's a fairly limited amount of stuff from level 1 on upward. But when a game has been out for a couple of years, odds are good that the game has undergone several major patches, with more sidequests and options added to the game from start to finish.

      On the one hand, this is great; a player starting in RIFT or Star Trek Online or EverQuest now has many more options than he or she did back when the game first launched. But it also means that instead of absorbing a few new features at a time, you need to absorb huge new chunks of the game at once. Do you find it intimidating to start playing a game that's been out for a while? Or do you look forward to exploring the nature of a more mature and refined game?

      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 you find post-launch games intimidating to start playing? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Jul 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        The Tattered Notebook: Touring EQII's winning player-generated dungeons

        Posted: 07 Jul 2012 04:00 PM PDT

        Filed under: , , , , ,

        The Tattered Notebook Touring the Dungeon Maker Winning Entries
        In my spare time, I love to watch cooking competition shows because I can sit back on the couch and pontificate about how the contestants did this wrong and plated that poorly and how I could do it so much better. And then when I get into the kitchen, I thank Tunare I don't have a clock at my back and that no one's judging me on my knife skills. It's pretty much the same with creating a dungeon in EverQuest II. I have all these blueprints, items, and tools, and I've seen plenty of examples for which I swear I could do it sooooo much better, and yet I just can't seem to put together one that's worthy of publishing.

        Back in the spring, I resolved to construct a Poet's Palace dungeon for SOE's official dungeon maker contest, and I had several ideas in mind, but once again, my ambitions were larger than reality, and I just couldn't get the job done. Fortunately, there were over 80 players who did, and the winners were announced this week. I visited each of the four winning dungeons and was blown away by what I saw. Read on for a look at the real dungeon masters of EQII!

        Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Touring EQII's winning player-generated dungeons

        MassivelyThe Tattered Notebook: Touring EQII's winning player-generated dungeons originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jul 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's baroque crafting

          Posted: 07 Jul 2012 02:00 PM PDT

          Filed under: , , , , , ,

          The Mog Log header by A. Fienemann
          If you liked absolutely nothing else about the launch of Final Fantasy XIV, you have to admit that the development team really went the distance to try and make crafting relevant and unique. Even though a lot of games add some depth to crafting beyond waiting for a bar to fill, most of those games make the actual craft process start and stop with a click. Not so in the advanced and in-depth synthesis that the game has always sported, from the needlessly ornate original version to the more streamlined system the game now features.

          A claim that Final Fantasy XIV's crafting is one of its biggest draws is just a statement of fact. But the crafting system isn't flawless, and since we know it's due for more revision with version 2.0, now's a fine time to look at what about it is so spectacular and what could use some serious revisions, especially after I've spent most of my time in-game over the past week hammering, burning, and grinding may way to the higher levels of a craft.

          Continue reading The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's baroque crafting

          MassivelyThe Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV's baroque crafting originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Newegg offers Guild Wars 2 for $48 today only

            Posted: 07 Jul 2012 12:00 PM PDT

            Filed under: , , ,

            Newegg offers Guild Wars 2 for $48 but only for today
            Are you still on the fence about purchasing Guild Wars 2? If you've been holding out for a deal, this might just be it: Newegg.com is offering GW2 for $12 off the standard edition.

            The standard edition of Guild Wars 2 is normally priced at $59.99, but with this promotion, you can pick it up for $47.99. To get the discount, you'll need to pre-order it through Newegg.com (obviously) and use the following promotion code: EMCYTZT1867.

            It's important to note that this is a retail box copy that will ship on release, not the digital download. Also, this promotion applies to today (July 7th) and today alone.

            [Thanks to Nitai for the tip!]

            MassivelyNewegg offers Guild Wars 2 for $48 today only originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            Posted by Shri Krishna
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