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PlanetSide 2 to feature one-click Twitch streaming
Sony Online Entertainment and Twitch want you to know that they've officially joined forces. Per this morning's SOE press release, the firms have conspired to allow one-click streaming inside the PlanetSide 2 beta client. Twitch has been touting the ability to stream at the touch of a button as "the next big thing" for publishers and developers over the last year, and SOE's upcoming sci-fi MMOFPS will be the first title to bring the technology to market. The firms note that the tech is still in beta given PS2's operational status, but it will be fully functional by the game's November 20th launch date. [Source: SOE/Twitch press release]
Ask Massively: How awesome is your game?
Welcome to the rebirth of Ask Massively! Rather than try to out-meta former author Eliot (cannot be done; he is the champion), I hope to turn Ask Massively into your place to talk directly to the editors of your favorite MMO blog. If you want to hear what we think about industry topics or ask something specific about the way Massively operates, send your letters to the editor and we might just address your questions using a really loud megaphone so we don't have to whisper answers down in the comments over and over and over... Today's topic is inspired by the comments of our recent Soapbox column: fluffy interviews.
Tim Cook's apology shows that Apple cares, but still needs to fix problem
Last week I wrote an article criticizing Apple's new Maps capability explaining why it was a deal-breaker for me and why I was leaving the iPhone. That article generated hundreds of comments (in agreement and disagreement), tweets, and emails to me and TUAW, some going so far as calling for me to be fired. Since that article was published, the criticisms of Maps have exploded, so much so that Tim Cook released a rare public apology from Apple and pointed users to mapping apps from competitors. While that may help stem the bleeding until Apple can figure out how to fix its Maps mess, there are two things about Tim Cook's statement I want to address. The first is that Cook's apology shows that Apple truly cares about its users. You know those times you mess up and realize how hard it is to apologize for your mistake? It's usually pride or embarrassment that gets in the way of apologizing. Either way, it's still incredibly hard to admit you were wrong. Now multiply that feeling by a million, knowing that your apology -- the admission that you were wrong -- will be reported by every major newspaper and tech blog in the world. On top of that, when your company is almost always right in its business choices, admitting a mistake is a huge mark against it. Add to that the suggestion that some third-party companies' products -- some of them from your major competitors -- might do the job of your mobile OS's new feature better than your product does. Put those all together and you might have an idea of how monumental and significant Tim Cook's apology was. That shows just how mature Apple is and exactly how much the company cares about the user experience its customers enjoy. I've written in depth about Tim Cook before and this just solidifies my opinion about him. He is the best CEO on the planet and the person to lead Apple into the future. But here's the second thing: As much as I believe in Tim Cook and appreciate his acknowledgment of the Maps fiasco, his suggestions that users check out other mapping or web apps aren't a real solution to the problem. Most of the mapping apps highlighted by Apple are really navigation apps. They get you from point A to point B. They can get you from St. Louis to Chicago. That's not the problem with Maps. The real issue is the lack of extensive localized and accurate POIs and the ability to search thoroughly for them. A POI is a point-of-interest, which can be something major like a monument or a park, or something smaller like the corner drug store. None of the apps suggested by Cook have the POI database that Google does and obviously, neither does Apple Maps. Also, none of the apps have the search capability for POIs that Google does. And if you're one of the iPhone's tens of millions of users living in a major city like New York or London or Singapore and don't own a car, you don't care about driving between cities -- you care about being able to find any of the four dozen businesses that could be located on the single city block you're on. [There is already an app for this specific purpose from Google, the free Google+ Local app, which links to Google's web maps. The paid Where To? app also features local business search. -Ed.] Another suggestion from Cook was to add the Google Maps web app to your home screen. The reason this isn't a real fix is because a web app doesn't have the fluidity, interactivity, or ease of use that a dedicated maps app does. If you think I'm wrong, I challenge you to use nothing but the Google Maps web app on your iPhone for a week. You'll soon agree with me as to how much it hampers your iPhone experience. Apple's only solution -- and I think they know this -- is to return to Google. They need Google's extensive POI database and its search capabilities. Whether that Google solution is getting a standalone app in the App Store or integrating Google Maps back into iOS while offering Apple Maps as a secondary option is something Apple needs to decide. But Apple needs to decide quickly, because it is not going to be able to build a POI database and map search capabilities that can compete with Google in just a few months, or even a few years. I'll close by saying that it's a shame that the Maps mess overshadowed the iPhone 5 launch. From an engineering and design perspective, the iPhone 5 is the best smartphone ever made. It's a work of art. It just needs for all of its core, built-in services to work, accurately and completely.
Former Meridian 59 dev pens essay on community management
Have you ever been curious what, exactly, a community manager does from an insider perspective? Here to help you with that is Brian Green, who's developed for both Meridian 59 and Storybricks. Green wrote an essay on how community management is often misunderstood and how it can be both effectively and ineffectively handled. Green went through the daily process of a CM's job to provide information for both developers and players, citing the difficult balance in handling that two-way street. He said it's important to keep PR as divorced from community management as possible, otherwise it damages the communication "loop" between CMs, players, and developers. He finishes by examining the recent instance of ArenaNet's CM team using Reddit to discuss players' behavior and names. "The problem is that this was quite obviously a PR exercise and not really proper community management," he noted, going on to say that this might have set the wrong tone for the community's in-game behavior and caused a "toxic allowance" to build up for later on down the road.
Razer outs Battlefield 3 aviator headsets
Can't satisfy your appetite for video game tie-in peripherals? Razer's new military aviator-inspired, Battlefield 3-branded BlackShark headsets might do the trick. Each memory foam, leatherette-lined ear cup packs 40mm drivers paired with ambient noise cancellation and enhanced bass. You can also use the detachable, unidirectional boom microphone to yell at teammates to take cover. The whole package rings up at $129.99 -- or €129.99 for those across the pond -- and will be ready for duty in July. Check out the gallery and full PR below.
Apple files (again) for a preliminary ban against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
If you found yourself longing for the minor tweaks Samsung made to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany earlier this year, you may be in luck: Apple's filed for a preliminary injunction against the slate stateside. It isn't the first one, either, Cupertino filed something similar back in February, though it didn't quite pass legal muster. After gaining some headway earlier this week, Cook's crew is in for round two, according to FOSS Patents, asking for Judge Koh to rule in their favor without a new hearing. Concerned consumers, however, can sidestep the whole mess by simply opting for an injunction-exempt Galaxy Tab 2. Details and speculation can be found at the source link below, just in case you aren't already sick to death of the whole Samsung / Apple spat.
Fujitsu unveils two new LifeBooks, shows some Ivy Bridge zen
Fujitsu's teased us before with Intel's hot new chipset, but now it's getting ready to actually ship two notebooks with Intel's third-gen Core i7 CPU. The first, like others before it, will be a refresh of an older model, the LifeBook LH532, with its last-gen i7 tech swapped out for Ivy Bridge. Other specs will stay the same, with 2GB of system memory, NVIDIA GeForce GT620M graphics with 2GB of VRAM and a 15.6 14-inch 1366x768 high definition TFT LED wide screen. The LifeBook LH772, on the other hand, is an all-new model which will have the same Ivy Bridge i7 horsepower and screen, but the addition of a 2GB NVIDIA Optimus graphics and 4GB of RAM. Being more upmarket than its cousin, it'll have added touches like Onkyo Box Speakers, a DTS UltraPC II Plus sound system and a fingerprint sensor. Both LifeBooks will have Fujitsu's Face Sense utility, which uses a front facing camera to detect your presence, and pause the system if you're not there. Fujitsu is also touting its Takumi design philosophy, supposedly offering zen-like simplicity and attention to detail -- with features like multiple color choices, rounded keyboard outlines, leveled palm rests and dichromatic keys. Fujitsu hasn't announced pricing yet, but if you need to hit your tasks quickly but harmoniously, check the PR below for more details. Update: The Lifebook LH532 is a 14" model, not 15.6". Apologies for any confusion.
World demands justice for Galaxy Nexus owner who 'beat' Windows Phone
Now here's a little righteous indignation to liven up your Monday. It's the sorry and admittedly one-sided tale of Galaxy Nexus-owner Sahas Katta, who claims he beat a "Get Smoked" Windows Phone challenge at a Microsoft store yesterday, but was denied his prize. To win a $1,000 laptop, he simply had to complete a task on his personal phone quicker than a store employee who was using a Windows Phone. It so happened that the task chosen for Sahas's contest suited him perfectly: he was told to cold boot and then bring up the weather in two different cities, and by a stroke of luck he already had two separate weather widgets for San Jose, CA and Berkeley, CA running on his Nexus' home screen. He also had his lock screen disabled, which goes against Google's own security advice but which he says gave him the "split second" edge he needed. The principle of justice, meanwhile, was smothered with lock screens, because Sahas was promptly informed that he'd just been "smoked" by a Windows Phone, even though he'd been quicker. At first he was told that the Windows Phone won because it "displays the weather right there," then he was told it was because both his cities were "in the same state," and finally he just gave up. A Microsoft insider has since tweeted that he'll "make it right" for Sahas, but will it be the kind of right that includes a $1,000 laptop?Update: Looks like the gent got an apology, a laptop and a phone out of the deal. And suddenly, all was well in the world.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Apple: don't worry about hot iPad reports, it's cool
All this talk about overheating iPads isn't getting Apple all that excited, apparently. The company issued a fairly noncommittal response on the matter, stating that in spite of the tablet's LTE support, fast processing, battery life and resolutionary display magic, it still "operate[s] well within [Apple's] thermal specifications." That said, if anyone happens to have concern with regards to an overheated lap, "they should contact AppleCare." There may be a chance, after all, that you've been holding it wrong.
Derek Smart's Line of Defense shows off battle environments
Last year we got our first look at Line of Defense, a new MMOFPS from Derek Smart and his team at 3000AD. The title is looking good so far and the devs are certainly eager to show off their progress. As such, 3000AD delivered five brand-new screenshots showcasing the environments and outfits that players will experience, including desert and snowy terrains. Line of Defense takes place in the same game universe as Smart's Battlecruiser 3000AD series, and promises to deliver "open-world FPS mayhem" from the depths of the ocean to the heights of space and everything in-between. You can check out the new screenies in the gallery below, and make sure to catch up on our Derek Smart interview about Line of Defense if you haven't already! [Source: Evolve PR press release] %Gallery-115480%
En Masse 'communicating directly with retailers' over TERA pre-order blunders
Those of you who've been waiting to pull the trigger on a TERA pre-order because of the uncertainty over retail collector's edition versions of the game will have to wait a little longer. En Masse Entertainment's Evan "Scapes" Berman posted an official statement on the TERA website a short time ago that basically says the company is aware of the problem but has no time-table for fixing it. In a nutshell, the En Masse website has been advertising physical collector's edition packages for the better part of a week, but when gamers go to the various retail partner websites listed on the page, the CEs are nowhere to be found. Some TERA fans are a bit anxious because pre-ordering guarantees a slot in the fast-approaching closed beta period, and the only alternative thus far is to buy a digital version of the game directly from En Masse.
RIM: It's okay, we have superheroes
It's a common human trait that, when faced with a series of calamities, the brain will retreat into a fantasy world in which everything is the exact opposite of reality. Could this be the inspiration for RIM's four new cartoon characters, which the company hopes will spread its "Be Bold" marketing message? The pattern certainly seems to fit. From left to right: there's GoGo Girl, who "saves the day with a brilliant strategy" (translation: we don't have a strategy). Then comes Justin Steele, who's "always ready to stick up for his friends" (translation: we don't have friends). Trudy Foreal "isn't afraid to call it as she sees it" (translation: our shareholders are complaining). Finally, the adventurous Max Stone is "able to jump out of a plane" (translation: we're going to crash).Update: RIM has provided a little update stating that this is "not a new ad campaign." Still, it's fun to imagine what might have been.
Nokia Series 40: over 1.5 billion served
Nokia has announced a major mobile milestone: over 1.5 billion (with a b) Series 40 handsets sold since the first device -- the 7110 -- was introduced in 1999. "We are incredibly proud to reach this milestone," wrote Nokia's Executive VP of Mobile Phones, Mary McDowell. "It is gratifying to consider how Series 40 devices have made mobile technology accessible." Breeze on past the break for the official PR with more information about the Asha 303 handset knighted number 1,500,000,000, then feel free to weigh in on how long will take the Lumia line to reach the same milestone.
Sega responds to its SOPA non-response with a joke video
In what appears to have been an automated response, Sega customer support told a concerned gamer to try performing a "hard reset on the device," or, failing that, uninstall and reinstall the app. Unfortunately, that automated response was to a question about Sega's support of the SOPA bill through the ESA, and not about a crashing app at all. Instead of an apology -- or a real clarification about their stance on the controversial bill, Sega PR made this video making fun of themselves. Of course, under SOPA, if anyone claims a copyright violation on Sega's little video here, even if it's unfounded, then YouTube (not just Sega) would risk having the IPs of any ad servers and payment processing companies associated with it blocked, cutting off its funding. It would have five days to appeal this, regardless of whether or not it had violated any copyright. Following that, the complaining party could then seek a court order to block other parties, including DNS servers, from working with the "infringer." If anything, that bill is what needs a "hard reset." Perhaps that's what Sega was telling us all along.
Star Wars: The Old Republic wins Guinness award for most voice acting
Star Wars: The Old Republic might not have picked up too many "Game of the Year" awards in 2011 (due mostly to the fact that it was out for about 10 days when the year ended), but that hasn't stopped EA from getting some awards declared for the game anyway. First, the company declared its own title the "fastest-growing subscription MMO" around, and now it's worked with the Guinness Book of World Records to declare SW:TOR the "Largest Entertainment Voice Over Project" of all time. The 2012 Gamers' Edition of the famous world record publication has a whole guide to Star Wars video games over the years, and also heralds BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic as the best game with Jedis ever made. True, KotOR is great, and the MMO has over 200,000 lines of quest dialogue spoken by a couple hundred voice actors, so Guinness hasn't missed its mark. But it sure seems like EA's fishing a little far out in the bay for compliments on this one. How about giving us a call when the game is ready to win the Guinness award for most polished Mac release, guys?
N-Control makes good after PR meltdown, donates to Child's Play [update]
Something good has come out of the PR nightmare faced by N-Control (when its PR turned out to be a nightmare). In a successful effort to buy good press, the company announced today that it's donated $10,000 to Child's Play, along with a pledge of $50,000 worth of Avenger products, which currently includes the "Avenger" controller attachment (a device designed both for "hardcore" gamers and those with disabilities). Now that's classy PR. There is some bad news, which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, given the issue that touched off the drama in the first place: late shipping. N-Control has decided to suspend new orders of the freaky-looking Avenger contraption, in the interest of filling backorders. Update: N-Control let us know that, while it's not taking orders on its own site right now, Buy.com has plenty of Xbox 360 Avengers for sale.
Carrier IQ issues lengthy report on data collection practices, sticks to its guns
After having already tried to explain itself with metaphor, Carrier IQ is now taking its floundering PR campaign back to basics, with an ostensibly thorough primer on its practices and a slightly less convoluted defense of its privacy standards. This morning, the controversial analytics firm released a lengthy, 19-page document that attempts to explain "what Carrier IQ does and does not do." In the report, titled "Understanding Carrier IQ Technology," the company explains the benefit it offers to its clientele of network operators, many of whom rely upon Carrier IQ's diagnostic data to make sure their infrastructure is up to snuff. It also provides a breakdown of how it collects data, as well as a defense against Trevor Eckhart's findings, though, as you'll see, these arguments likely won't put this saga to bed anytime soon. Read more, after the break.
The Soapbox: The absurdity of the NDA
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. So Star Wars: The Old Republic's NDA dropped. Now the entire world (officially) knows the skinny on BioWare's new themepark, and I'm hard-pressed to think of a more anti-climactic NDA death. Even if you weren't following the game over the past few months, you knew exactly what to expect -- provided you weren't a Star Wars or a BioWare virgin. This complete lack of surprise is one reason why the whole MMORPG NDA thing is a joke, and TOR is just the latest in a long series of punchlines.
Trion hires executives for overseas operations
Many RIFT and Trion-related comment threads (likely to include this one) are filled with speculation about how the company will fail if it doesn't take its fantasy MMORPG down the free-to-play path trod by many of its competitors. Meanwhile, the company keeps expanding, with the latest batch of good news centering on new hirings for Trion's overseas operations. According to Gamasutra, the firm recently signed Johnathan Goddard as its new head of European PR. Also joining the team is Jeff Pabst as the new European commerce director. Rounding out the trio is new End of Nations brand director Simon Bull. The company recently announced that it had raised a truckload of venture capital and that it may file for an IPO.
Samsung won't block iPhone 4S sales in South Korea
Samsung will not reportedly block the iPhone 4S from a release in South Korea, according to a local paper there. The company has tried to block the release of the iPhone 4S elsewhere (without much success so far), but the 4S finally went on sale last Friday in South Korea, and Samsung opted not to move against it. Why? Public relations, guesses The Chosun Ilbo paper. An anonymous executive there says that Samsung is fighting Apple in the global market, but presumably since the company already has such a large market share in South Korea, it's not worth the bad press to prevent people there from getting the iPhone 4S. Of course, as Apple is getting more and more popular over there, that situation may change.
