asian
Latest
Microsoft used AI to generate a never-ending remix of Warren Hue's new song
Microsoft teamed up with Asian record label 88rising on an AI-generated never-ending remix of Warren Hue's latest track "Too Many Tears."
iOS 14.5 will roll out next week
You can now set your iPhone to unlock if it detects your watch in the area.
Apple's upcoming iOS update unblocks 'Asian' as adult content
According to Mashable, the latest iOS 14.5 Beta's adult content filter no longer blocks searches containing the word "Asian."
Apple's parental controls prevent kids from searching for 'Asian' things
“Asian food” is off-limits, as are terms like “Asian fusion,” “Asian diaspora,” “Asian communities”, “Asian countries” and “Asian politics”, “Asian cultures” and “Asian hairstyles”.
Snapchat's racist yellowface filter lands it in hot water
Snapchat's problems with racist image filters aren't over yet, it seems. The messaging service tells The Verge that it has pulled a filter that was supposed to be anime-inspired, but came across as turning people into racist Asian caricatures -- just look at the picture above if you need proof. Suffice it to say that the filter won't be coming back.
New Asta beta videos show off questing, races, and world events
The Asian-themed Asta: The War of Tears and Winds is currently in its first round of closed beta testing, and Steparu has posted a review of the upcoming title along with a number of gameplay videos. Although there are a number of playable races and classes to choose from, some classes can only be played by certain races, which start in their own specific areas. The game features the standard tab-targeting combat, with either point and click or WASD movement commands. For leveling, Asta offers a variety of quests, from collecting to killing to running errands; it even boasts open live event quests with multiple phases. Check out the landscapes and underwater aspects of questing around a port town in the clip after the cut. Then, for even more videos on the open world events and character creation for various races, head on over to Steparu.com.
Friendster reborn as a gaming site, wishes Facebook cared
Friendster's as good as dead to the western world (it hasn't really crossed our radar since 2002), but Forbes reports that the site is still huge in Southeast Asia -- though not for the reasons you might think. It was the original social network when in launched in 2002, but its acquisition by e-payment provider MOL Global in 2009 led to its reincarnation as a top online gaming destination for countries such as India, Indonesia and Malaysia. The new Friendster just officially emerged from beta as a game-centric site, and the remaining vestiges of its social networking past -- you can still add friends, after all -- are gamified with reward points. Moreover, owner MOL Global has added e-payments to the mix, letting users buy Friendster Coins to purchase virtual goods. Given predictions that the Asian gaming community will exceed 1 billion by 2016, the site's future is looking rosier than ever. That might lessen the sting of being plum blown out of the social networking game by the big dogs.
Players manipulate SWTOR's guild system to create a premature Oceanic server
We find that player ingenuity is always quick to take up the slack left by MMO studios. In the case of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the initial lack of Oceanic and Asian servers prompted players in those regions to come up with a unique solution: to create a server of their own, using BioWare's own system to their advantage. Many MMOs have unofficial servers for regions and rulesets, but pulling them together can take an incredible amount of work and still end up halfway done. However, Oceanic and Asian players wanted to make sure that they all rolled on the same server right on launch day, so guilds began to get in contact with each other and use BioWare's own guild registration system to link Republic and Empire groups together in an Oceanic "daisy chain." Because the system was designed to put as many allied and adversary guilds together on a server, the entire daisy chain was planted on a NA west coast server, Swiftsure. In one smart move, the Oceanic and Asian population had their own place to call home. The story of Swiftsure as a temporary refugee camp for these players is coming to a close, as SWTOR is officially launching overseas on March 1st -- and the population will be offered a free transfer to the new servers. Still, it goes to show you just how inventive players can get.
The Game Archaeologist traces his Lineage: The highlights
If we judged MMOs by their numbers alone -- and I'm not suggesting we do so -- then Lineage would be the crowing rooster strutting about the hen house. It's also been one of those games that I've always intellectually acknowledged was a huge hit for some reason, but I never gave it much attention. I think it's because, contrary to many of the "big name" games we cover here, Lineage was and always will be an Asian phenomenon. That doesn't mean it should be shunned, of course, but just that it may be difficult to understand when you're on the outside of it. So let's back up the memory truck to September 1998, when a then-fledgling NCsoft rolled out a Diablo-esque isometric MMO and struck virtual gold in South Korea. At the time, gaming rooms were becoming a huge thing in the country; a recession had hit (giving people a lot of time with nothing to do), and the government was rapidly expanding the broadband network. In the face of this perfect storm, titles like StarCraft and Lineage became overnight household fixtures -- and the country hasn't looked back. Even if you haven't played Lineage and you don't know anyone who does, trust me: There are a lot of people playing this 13-year-old title, to the tune of millions and millions. As former Senior Producer Chris Mahnken said, "Lineage keeps going because it's just plain fun." This month we'll be looking back at the incredible legacy that Lineage has given the industry, starting with an overview of the highlights of these past 13 years. Hit the jump and mind the gap!
WonderCon MMORPG industry panel explores key topics of the day
At last month's WonderCon in San Francisco, three MMO industry experts sat down to do a panel on many of the pressing questions and issues that players have these days. The lively panel, moderated by PC Gamer's Josh Augustine, consisted of Dirk Metzger (Zentia), Scott Hartsman (RIFT) and Nick Huggett (Runes of Magic), each taking turns to address some of the questions that are commonly asked about these games and the industry at large. These topics included player retention, free-to-play vs. subscription business models, the endless comparisons to World of Warcraft, why MMOs tend to be fantasy-based, some of the biggest mistakes in the genre, how to appeal to both hardcore and casual players, the differences between the Asian and North American market, and the struggle to provide player-created content. The rise of social media also has a significant effect on MMO development, according to Hartsman. "What that kind of forces us to do, bluntly, is make better games right off the bat, because people will tell you if your game sucks." You can watch the video highlights of the panel after the jump.
Former Apple employee convicted of money laundering, wire fraud
Former Apple employee Paul Devine pleaded guilty to 23 charges of wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering following his arrest last August. Devine, a global supply manager, was accused of accepting kickbacks from six Asian suppliers. In return for cash and gifts, he supplied these suppliers with confidential information that gave them an advantage when negotiating lucrative contracts with Apple. Devine allegedly collected over US$1 million in this kickback scheme and deposited the money in various foreign and US banks using accounts setup in his name and his wife's name. Varying amounts of cash were also stored in safety deposit boxes and hidden in shoe boxes in his house. His activities reportedly cost Apple more than $2.4 million in losses. Devine is currently on pretrial release and will return to court on June 6 for his sentencing. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud and money laundering charges. He also agreed to forfeit $2.28 million in cash and gifts worth $10,000, most of which were obtained as part of his elaborate kickback scheme. When the criminal trial ends, Devine still faces a civil trial filed by Apple.
The Daily Grind: Is an MMO's origin important to you?
MMOs fall into two main categories: eastern (titles like Aion and Perfect World International) and western (AoC, WoW and EVE Online). I've noticed over the past week's Daily Grind columns and a piece I did on Perfect World International that a lot of our readers seem naturally wary of any MMOs not made in the west, barring familiar franchises like Final Fantasy.Now part of this I can understand, eastern MMOs usually have very anime-like visuals and often borrow from unfamiliar Asian mythologies. This can often scare off western players. At the same time, players in Asia seem to lap up western MMOs like WoW. I'm curious, readers, do you judge an MMO the location of the company which made it? Do you prefer western MMOs or are you just as curious to try eastern games which other players just don't get?
NCsoft to push evolution of Korean-style MMOs through Aion
We love The Escapist over here at Massively. Take for instance Jared Rea's recent article, "Beautiful 21st Century" -- a piece about one company's attempt to overcome the stigma attached to most older Korean MMOs that make it to the western market: beautiful but grindy. Perhaps the most notable Korean title currently played in the west is NCsoft's Lineage II which, despite being a beautiful game, has drawn some flack from gamers about its steep grind (although this is becoming less of a problem). NCsoft is working to change this perception of their forthcoming Korean-developed titles, particularly in light of their upcoming MMO Aion: The Tower of Eternity. Much of the problem that NCsoft faces is similar to what all companies, game or otherwise, face when taking their brand overseas -- being recognized as a global brand rather than seen in the limited light of their offerings in a given region of the world.
Cute and scary glimpses from Florensia Online
Check out the above glimpse from Florensia Online's vast dungeons, dark secrets, horrifying monsters, sinister nightmares, and infernal bosses. Oh no, what will you do? Combine efforts and lead your band of cute and merry anime-inspired adventurers to victory of course! If you want to dare the impossible join the open beta that is underway.In all seriousness, the Japanese import is free-to-play and will sustain development from a micro transaction "itemshop" model. Florensia does feature a somewhat unique leveling twist. The dual battle system gives players the freedom to choose if they want to level at land or at sea, as well as the ability to specialize in both areas of combat. The sea system is more difficult to master, but the catch is that sea based gameplay is unavoidable if you want to visit other islands. There's a new dungeon preview on the official website along with other news updates. If you thought the trailer was a bit cheesy and left you lingering for something like some ship action, there are several other official clips available.If you're looking to download a copy and check it out, our sister site Big Download has the files waiting for you!
Officers' Quarters: When to give up
Every Monday Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership.If you were reading WoW Insider over the weekend, you might have noticed a couple of rather depressing posts. Adam talked about when you should make the personal decision to stop raiding. Then Jennie talked about the reasons why raiding guilds break up. I might as well continue the trend, but at least I have the excuse of a reader's e-mail. Last week I addressed the problems that small guilds will face in the coming months. This week, by request, I'm going to look at larger, hardcore guilds. And I'll also examine a nasty stereotype in the community that continues to proliferate.I am in this guild for the past 2 years of my WOW experience. This is my first guild, and my only guild so far. The atmosphere was friendly when I first joined it to join my real life schoolmates, hoping to down boss and experience content together. But a couple of drama and event took place, and my friends all quit the game which they felt was taking too much of their time. The original management when I joined all left the game due to other real life commitments and burnouts from over-WOW-ed. So with a twist of fate I took over the role of Guildmaster. The other veterans in the guild has other reasons that forbid them from taking the helm. And so I begun my quest to reform the dying guild in the dying server. We are a guild with predominantly Asian players, but we welcome western players too. But apparently playing in a US server meant you always have to being abused at for being Asian. Some people just cannot differentiate Chinese Farmer and general normal Asian players. And so I have been working for the past 6 months trying to recruit new blood into the guild and keeping the raiders around. We finally managed to down Rage Winterchill only in the past 2 weeks, after the top end guild in our server's endless poaching of our raiders to warm their bench . . . And a few other core raiders announcing their quitting of the game soon. And now I feel I don't enjoy WOW the same anymore. It's no longer the same for me.
Rumor: New Blizzard MMO to be Starcraft Online?
This is a bit of a long-shot, given the source, but we felt it was worth passing along anyway. A report out of Beijing has surfaced indicating that Blizzard's next foray into the MMO space will indeed be the oft-rumored Starcraft Online. Citing an anonymous industry insider, it was reported in Caijing magazine that Chinese game operator Netease will be the Chinese partner responsible for the distribution of Starcraft Online on the mainland. Netease CEO Ding Lei refused to confirm the rumor, but didn't deny it either. It's nothing official, but it's certainly plausible that the existence of the Blizzard new game would be leaked via a back-door channel like this.Blizzard's unnamed "next-gen" MMO has been known to be in existence for some time now. Originally discovered visa vie the wording in a few job listings on Blizzard's careers page, the project was later confirmed by a mod on the World of Warcraft forums. It's been the fodder for many a discussion between the Massively staff, including a prominent appearance in Ask Massively. For my part, I speculated that the new Blizzard property would be an expansion of the Diablo series in part 2 of the Top 10 MIA MMOs of 2007. And just last week, our own Akela Talamasca speculated about how exactly an MMO set in the Starcraft universe would work, if at all. Is this source completely reliable? Maybe. Is it right? Maybe. Are we going to stop until we've found the answer? Hells no![Via Gamesindustry.biz]
Zhengtu Online holds 1 million concurrent users
According to the Star Online, Zhengtu Online is one of only three MMOs whose userbase exceeds one million players at peak times, the other two being Journey to the West and, of course, World of Warcraft. It goes without saying that American companies would do well to do some research into the Asian markets to see what it is that they're doing over there to be so successful; it can't be a coincidence that 2 of the 3 top-played MMOs are Asian.Having said that, what, exactly is the appeal? Are these other two games simply the best of the breed, as WoW seems to be (die-hard EQ, Guild Wars, EVE Online fans can climb off your soapboxes right now; I'm just going by statistics here)? Are there congruences between the three? Similarities in gameplay? If either of the other two were to come over to these shores, would WoW suddenly find some serious competition? Have any of you played these games, O Faithful Readers? Leave a comment![Via the Star Online]
MMO Gamer interviews K2 Network
For those of you wondering 'K2 who?', you're not alone; the interviewer himself admits to having to look up the company on its website before beginning the interview. However, as publisher of mostly Asian free-to-play MMO titles such as Knight Online, Global MU Online, and the recently-released Sword of the New World, K2 Network is well-stocked with potential gaming goodness. One of the questions I've always had about these free-to-play MMOs is 'How do they make money?' The answer is 'Item sales', where in-game objects are paid for through purchased currency, which is apparently the standard business model of these types of games in Korea.It's an interesting interview, and one that made me curious to see these games, so watch for my take on them in the near future.[Thanks, Siam!]
Near-naked asian girls pose with PSP
I'll probably get fired for all these videos I'm posting up. First there was a perverted English language school. Then, a weird photography game. Now, it's just two near-naked asian girls on top of each other, proudly showcasing PSPs. What does it mean? I don't really know, but I do understand that our traffic will go up with this story. You can see the video after the cut, because once again, it's not really safe for work.
Japanese sales charts, May 8-14: Baseball booms
Despite football fever hitting the UK hard, the only soccer title in last week's Japanese charts is lounging at number 4. Baseball's all the rage instead, with Jikkyou Powerful Major League taking the top spot. Tetris DS is still selling well, and the other titles in the top ten are all favourites making re-appearances in this slow week of sales.1. Jikkyou Powerful Major League [PS2]2. Tetris DS [DS]3. Brain Age 2 (Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju Kanshuu: Motto Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS) [DS]4. World Soccer Winning Eleven 10 [PS2]5. Brain Age: Train your Brain in Minutes a Day (Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju no Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS Training) [DS]6. Animal Crossing: Wild World [DS]7. Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training: Eigo Duke [DS]8. Pokémon Ranger [DS]9. Dragon Quest: Shounen Yangus no Fushigi na Daibouken [PS2]10. Mother 3 [GBA]
