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DC Universe will become a comics-only service on January 21st
DC Universe will become DC Universe Infinite, a comics-only subscription service.
Samsung Galaxy Fold launches in Europe on September 18th
After its first attempt at a launch fizzled out in the spring, the Samsung Galaxy Fold is ready to try again at making a first impression. As promised, it's ready for launch now and is available starting September 6th in South Korea. At IFA 2019 in Germany, Samsung also revealed that the device will hit France, Germany, the UK and Singapore on September 18th. In Korea, only the Galaxy Fold 5G 512GB model is available, with carriers like SK Telecom and LG U+ opening pre-sales today before devices are delivered Friday. For reasons yet unknown, the Fold will be 5G-ready only "in select markets," while others will only have an LTE-compatible version to snap open and closed. The price is 2,398,000 won, or about $2,000 US, and there's a Fold Advantage+ program that promises to cover 70 percent of display repair costs, once a year. In March there were rumors of a program to offer screen replacements if a visible seam forms across the display, and it appears that the Advantage+ program is what Samsung has decided to go with. An announcement for the US reveals we can expect the device "in the coming weeks" in two colors -- Cosmos Black and Space Silver -- but doesn't mention anything about 5G or screen replacements. What it does give additional info on, however, is the addition of a new Galaxy Fold Premier Service it's launching along with the phone. In a move that might help justify its nearly-$2,000 retail price, the Premiere Service adds 24/7 direct access to Samsung experts for "tailored guidance and support over the phone." They can even help you set it up for the first time with a one-on-one session designed to highlight its special capabilities.
SpaceX relaunches the final Falcon 9 rocket design
Tonight, SpaceX has launched a satellite to geostationary orbit, but that payload isn't what makes this mission special: it's the rocket itself. The private space corporation has reused a Block 5 booster for the first time, the same one it used to launch a Bangladesh communications satellite back in May. Block 5 is the final version of the company's Falcon 9 rocket, which SpaceX expects to reuse for up to 100 times.
Vine co-founder Dom Hofmann teases Vine 2.0
The social platform Vine suffered a cruel demise at the dawn of 2017 when its owner Twitter shut it down. The six-second-max format became a haven for bizarre performances that birthed a new culture with its own cadre of viral stars. Vine's closure veritably smothered a unique and unprecedented community that migrated to Instagram and YouTube with scattered success, but its absence has been mourned. But perhaps it's not too late. Today, Vine's cofounder Dom Hofmann tweeted a simple logo 'V2' in the platform's signature type and color. Perhaps Vine will return.
SpaceX aims to relaunch one of its rockets this fall
SpaceX is gearing up for something huge this fall. Elon Musk announced on Twitter that the Falcon 9 that launched the Thaicom 8 communications satellite is back in the hangar with the three other first stages that made it safely back on the ground. In the same tweet, he revealed that the company is planning for its first reflight in either September or October. The private space corp originally aimed to relaunch a rocket in May or June after its first successful barge landing, but that was obviously too soon to be feasible.
Legend of Edda is returning September 24th
You could be completely forgiven for thinking that Legend of Edda had breathed its last when the game shut down at the beginning of this year. It was cute, but it just couldn't sustain itself. But the game is getting another lease on life starting on September 24th, when the game opens up under new publisher JC Planet. The opening will not feature any wipes or resets, apparently skipping public testing in favor of moving straight to launch. Numerous launch events are planned, including bonuses for registering your account before the start of service and for reaching level 20 quickly after the 24th rolls around. If you'd always meant to take a look at the game but never quite managed to, you'll be getting another shot at it in just a little while, hopefully without the issues that made it shut its doors back in January. [Thanks to Evan for the tip!]
Wakfu relaunch moves into open beta
Wakfu's continuing with its "relaunch" strategy by fine-tuning its free-to-play offerings and now announcing the start of its open beta program. As of today, anyone can jump into the game to see how the MMO's improved with its new format. Ankama Managing Director and COO Olivier Comte makes the pitch that Wakfu is definitely worth checking out: "As we open the updated world of Wakfu to an even broader set of fans, we will continue to focus on the core and essence of our gameplay –- the players. In addition to a broad range of classes to suit varying tastes, colorful environments and our well-known sense of humor, Wakfu gives players a chance to impact the entire game world through their strategic and even political decisions." [Source: Ankama press release]
Final Fantasy XIV surpasses 2 million registrations
There are two million people playing Final Fantasy XIV right this second. All right, maybe not quite that many, but it's certainly possible. The launch of the game's PlayStation 4 version has seen the game climb to surpass two million registered accounts, an increase of 500,000 over the 1.5 million stated in November. No hard data have been offered on how many of those accounts are subscribing to the game at this point, although an interview with Naoki Yoshida in March stated 500,000 players were logging into the game daily. With a recent patch and a new platform, the revitalized game seems to be doing quite well for itself as it approaches the one-year mark for its relaunch. [Source: Square-Enix press release]
Prius Online closes down in South Korea
Whether you think of it as Prius Online or Arcane Saga, the game known to its Korean playerbase as Prius Online has had a hard time keeping the lights on in the West. It's been running for five years over in its native South Korea, though... but no longer. As of December 17th the game will shut down for good, with character creation and the cash shop already disabled for its remaining time. Developer Netmarble has apparently been focusing more upon the mobile market rather than the PC game market, and the game presumably hit the spot of no longer being profitable to keep running. There had been rumors of a sequel, but this could kill any hopes for that as well as any lingering aspirations toward another American revival. It may have died many times before its final death, but it seems like this is finally the end of the road for the game.
City of Steam: Arkadia launching December 4th
The death and subsequent rebirth of City of Steam has been an odd thing to watch, but you'll soon be able to actively participate instead of just watching. City of Steam: Arkadia is launching on December 4th, just a little more than a week from today, enough time that you might not even get to feel any sorrow at the original version's untimely and unexpected demise. Of course, you may not have mourned the original version. Rest assured that the relaunch is not meant to simply be the same game with a new subtitle. According to the official announcement, the new version contains a variety of new systems as well as a revamp of both dungeons and game mechanics. Mechanist Games states that the developers have paid attention to player feedback from the Chinese version and will be releasing a game that should have a much wider appeal. You'll be able to gauge that for yourself very shortly one way or the other.
Uncharted Waters Online relaunch set for November 28
The relaunch of Uncharted Waters Online has been dated for November 28, 2013. This relaunch will see the historic seafaring MMO enjoy a new publisher with OGPlanet. The current UWO service will conclude on November 25, but all current accounts will seamlessly transfer over to the OGPlanet service when players sign up on November 28. Steam users can link their account with a new or existing OGPlanet account at any time through the 25th. [Source: OGPlanet press release]
RIFT sees a player surge thanks to Steam
The near-ubiquity of Steam as a distribution platform can certainly drive players to your game. A little less than a week after RIFT launched on Steam, Trion Worlds is reporting that RIFT and Defiance have seen a combined influx of 250,000 new players, beating out the numbers reported both for the launch of Storm Legion and RIFT's free-to-play conversion. It's the largest influx of players the game has ever seen since its original launch, for that matter: Trion says it made for the "highest single day gain in new users" since the game first opened its doors. What does that mean for the long run? That's the eternal question. RIFT launched its most recent major patch yesterday, but whether or not it will encourage players new to the game to subscribe or buy things in the cash shop is up for debate. Regardless, it's a good sign of health for the game as a whole, so congratulations are in order to the RIFT team on the number bump. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
Why I Play: Final Fantasy XIV
I hate two kinds of MMO: themeparks and sandboxes. Much like "nerf," these are two terms that have been beaten into the ground until they no longer have any intrinsic meaning. The original "themepark" game was freaking EverQuest, which is not what anyone thinks of when he uses the term in a more modern sense. There's more concern given to whether or not a game fits into a given category than whether or not it's actually fun to play. And that is a bad thing. Sure, your sandbox features a great housing system, but so does The Sims 3, and the latter doesn't abandon me in a featureless wasteland that eschews actual content in favor of letting me choose my final destination (here's a hint: All those destinations are grinding). Yes, Mr. Themepark, I see you chuckling in the background, but your single leveling path followed by the exact same huge-group gear-grabbing jamboree is not better, just annoying in a different way. That's why I play Final Fantasy XIV. But I should probably elaborate a bit on that.
FFXIV extends free game time (again) after rocky launch (again)
After another rocky start for the revamped Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix has announced that it will be extending the 14 days of free time by another seven days. "Users who have yet to enter their registration codes will receive an additional seven-day trial should they register before 11.59 pm (PDT) on September 9, 2013." Square Enix said in a statement. "Moving forward, we will continue monitoring the servers to ensure that quality service and support are provided in a timely manner." The servers will be taken down tonight at 8pm EDT with an expected downtime of 10 hours. This downtime will introduce new Worlds to increase the number of concurrent logins allowed for each server.
Massively's Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn launch impressions
I failed to save Final Fantasy XIV. Back in November, the launch version of the game had its final event. I was there, fighting against the forces that would ultimately bring Dalamud crashing down upon Eorzea, but all those efforts were for nothing. And I knew it. All veteran players knew that this was a losing fight, that Eorzea could not be saved. The moon fell, destruction rained down upon the land... and the launch version of the game was no more. Now, nine months later, the MMO is relaunching to an unenviable task. Final Fantasy XIV doesn't just have to be a good game; it has be such a good game that its original launch is no longer under discussion. It has to turn itself from a punchline into a praiseworthy title. The end result, much like the launch version, is a game that's not going to be for everyone, but it's going to be just right for a lot of people who might never have expected it.
Luvinia Online relaunching as Luvinia World today
If you were a fan of Luvinia Online, news of the game's shutdown probably took you by surprise, largely because there was no real news of it. It just sort of happened without explanation or warning, like your boyfriend breaking up with you by blocking your phone number. But the game is relaunching today as Luvinia World starting at 12:00 p.m. EDT today under the management of Shanda Games and Soa Games, giving players a chance to log back in and play once more. Players looking to retrieve their old characters will be expected to pay a fee of $25, which will both restore the character on the new servers and offer a $30 credit in microtransaction currency. It's not ideal, obviously, but considering the game has changed hands altogether it's somewhat expected. And it's good news for players who lost a game unexpectedly -- you can have it back now, almost as good as new.
Netmarble announces the shutdown of Arcane Saga
It can only be hoped that during your brief time with Arcane Saga you have not gotten too attached to it. The game relaunched in the US just over a month ago, and now the game has announced an impending shutdown later this year. Somewhat unusually, the actual shutdown date is September 16th, meaning that the game will be waiting for the final shutdown longer than it was running normally. Netmarble has already closed up the cash shop; players are able to spend any remaining cash shop currency on the company's other titles. According to the announcement, the game simply wasn't taking in enough money to remain profitable. Arcane Saga was a relaunch of Prius Online, which had already been shut down once before. Our condolences go out to any gamers who had hoped for a long and fruitful future with the game.
Rise and Shiny: Arcane Saga Online
I sat down on Monday with NetMarble Producer Jon-Enee Merriex to discuss Arcane Saga Online, a remake/re-release/re-launch of the defunct Prius Online. I was actually very excited for Prius Online at one point, but the game fell flat once I got my hands on it. With this re-launch, would the publisher NetMarble be able to capture an audience -- and keep it -- this time? I jumped into the first hour of the game with a bit of an unfair advantage, having Jon-Enee with me to explain many of the ideas and thought processes behind the re-launch. It all makes sense when you hear it from a developer's mouth, but how does the game translate when you just log in and start playing? It turns out that it has many issues but is quite fun a lot of the time.
Apple Maps for OS X Mavericks lets you instantly send directions to your iPhone
Apple just announced that it's bringing "fantastic updates" to Maps on the desktop, including the ability send directions to your iPhone and back. That feature will arrive with OS X Mavericks, and a brief demo showed how you could map your route to a restaurant, then instantly bring up the same map and directions on your iPhone with a couple of taps, when you're ready to go. Maps will be built-in to the Calendar, Contacts and Mail, as well in Mavericks, letting you map any address directly from those apps. You'll be able to check out the new features when the OS arrives this fall, or via a developer's preview, available later today. %Gallery-190867% Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
The Mog Log: Pushing back on Final Fantasy XIV
Among the things I'm reluctant to talk about early when it comes to Final Fantasy XIV are the live letters from Naoki Yoshida. There's always a thread rapidly updating players on what is said during those letters, but that thread is filled with quick translations that may or may not be accurate, and I'd prefer not to analyze and speculate on information that may have been misconstrued. The man speaks in dense blocks of information. To my surprise, this week we got the full translation of the latest live letter, and something that struck me was how much of the game we're still being told is just over the horizon. This is not to say that I don't believe in Yoshi-P; Final Fantasy XIV 1.0 showed that if he promises something, it will be delivered. But there are a lot of things being held back for later, and honestly it's a little disconcerting for someone waiting eagerly for the game to come out.
