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'All Together Now' is a Fox sitcom about friends who unplug
Time spent with friends is supposed to be cherished. Nowadays, however, the existence of things like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter make those moments a little less special for some people, namely because they keep their eyes hooked to whatever device they have near them. To that end, according to Deadline, Fox has green-lit a TV sitcom called All Together Now, which features a plot based on six friends in their late 20's who are keen to unplug from their mobile devices and interact with one another "for as long as they can stand it." All Together Now is set to be produced by Alec Sulkin and Julius Sharpe, who most recently worked with Fox on Dads, a show canceled last May, after only one 19-episode season, due to very bad reviews. The new sitcom still hasn't begun production, so it'll likely be a while before it premieres -- hopefully it's enough time for you to gather your thoughts and realize that this is really happening. [Image credit: Associated Press]
Buy Secret Ponchos on Steam, give another to a friend
Spaghetti western shooter Secret Ponchos is best enjoyed with a friend Lady and the Tramp-style, like a plate of pasta. While you won't need to do any smooching with your bestie, those playing the game on Steam can now show a little love by gifting a copy to one friend. The "Secret Ponchos Double Down" promotion grants all buyers an extra Steam code, providing they pick the game up before August 5. The game arrived on Steam in mid-June via Early Access, and is currently available for $14.99. Whether you buy a copy for yourself or are the recipient of one of the free codes, you'll have access to the full version of the game when it arrives later this year. While there's no set release date for Secret Ponchos, it is expected to launch in full on both PC and PS4 this fall. [Image: Switchblade Monkeys]
The April Xbox One update is here, finally lets it notify you when friends come online
Ready for more new features on your Xbox One? Major Nelson just announced that the April software update Microsoft has been beta testing will start rolling out to all systems tonight. The big new feature is the return of notifications for when people on your favorites or friends lists come online, like it did on the Xbox 360. Other fixes are supposed to make Kinect's voice and gesture recognition better, and there are new UI tweaks to make sure you know the status of game saves as well as updates for your games and apps. GameDVR clips should be better looking, 50Hz Blu-ray discs will play at their native rate and yes, there is another update for controllers that addresses audio quality with third-party headsets using the adaptor. Finally, for any updates after this one the Xbox One will be able to reboot to standby silently instead of just turning off, and you'll be able to check manually for updates. That doesn't apply for this update though, so Xbox One owners can watch for a reboot while they keep an eye on tonight's eclipse, or wait for it to download over the next few days.
Shroud of the Avatar adds multiplayer features for release 3
If you backed Shroud of the Avatar chiefly to play around with its semi-online functionality, the newest release of the game should make you happy. The third test release features several of the multiplayer functions of the game, including chat, emotes, and friend lists. Combine that with the addition of a crafting system and new merchants, and the whole thing is closer than ever to being a fully featured online-but-not experience. The third test session will also feature a village, Braemor, expanding the amount of land that players have to explore and work within. Obviously, this test will be available only to backers of the game, but you can still jump on that through the game's official site if it sounds like something you want to play. For more details on the improvements as well as how to get into the game if you are a backer, take a look at the full release notes. [Source: Portalarium press release]
Xbox One streamlining friends list and party chat before Titanfall
The Xbox One's multiplayer and social features are to be adjusted in a pre-Titanfall upgrade scheduled for "early March," Microsoft says. This latest overhaul, which will target the friends list and multiplayer party systems, will be the second consecutive update issued by Microsoft in as many months. Microsoft plans to change the "Activity" "Friends" application on Xbox One to a "Social" tile that opens straight to a friends list – showing you who's online at a glance, just like in the good ol' Xbox 360 days. Party chat audio will be activated and separated from game chat by default, Microsoft promises, and forthcoming multiplayer games will have a standardized option to quickly invite friends into the match. While welcome, the return of this reliable Xbox 360 feature shows the odd online isolation one can feel in the robust but splintered operating system of the Xbox One. Xbox's Chief Product Officer, Marc Whitten, also claims the March update will bring further improvements that have yet to be highlighted. "The improvements to multiplayer and parties are just a few of the features that will be included," he says, "and we'll continue to share more details in the days and weeks ahead, including in-depth videos so you're all ready to take advantage of the new features in March." If you're just joining us - and your Xbox One is telling you it's time to update – you've gotten the February update, which promises to eradicate the dual mysteries of controller battery life and remaining hard drive space. Update: The February update will not go live today, but it's due to launch this week, Major Nelson tweeted. "The team is working on finalizing. More details when I get them," he says. [Image: Microsoft]
Storyboard: How to say goodbye and mean it
So you know it's time to say goodbye. Your previous group of roleplaying companions just isn't filling that need you have for roleplaying, and that means it's time for you to pick up shop and move on. Great. Your metaphorical bags are packed, you're ready to pick up shop, and all that remains it to figure out where you're going to go. Right. That part. Where are you going to go? When you've been with one group of players for a while, it's tempting to see the game in pretty narrow terms because the focus narrows. The game is less about the whole server and more about the people whom you spend your time with in the game, naturally. But when you take away the group that you've been immersed in for so long, you're back to looking at an overall environment you hadn't considered. So here are some tips to make leaving as painless as possible.
The Daily Grind: Are MMOs your main social interaction?
Maybe you work at home. Maybe you're not very social in person. Maybe you've got friends across the country or around the world and there's no way you can really gather in person on a regular basis. Maybe you're living somewhere far from the rest of your social circle. Maybe you're just more comfortable when you look like an elf. Whatever the case, for some people, logging into games like EverQuest II is the big social event of the evening. That's not to say that this is the main social outlet for everyone logging in. For every player whose social circle centers around goings-on in Guild Wars 2 there are a dozen who mostly play the game to do their own things. But what about you? Are MMOs your main social interaction over the course of an average day? Or are they just a small portion of your interpersonal dealings? 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!
Valve updates Steam Mobile for iOS with new UI and more social options
Since Valve introduced Steam Mobile last year, you didn't need to be tethered to your desktop to purchase games or stay connected. Now there's a new version for iPad and iPhone, with the UI specifically tweaked for iOS 7. Notable features include offline chat, improved push notifications, and a streamlined friend interface that makes it easier to see invites, nicknames, mobile or Big Picture status and Facebook friend suggestions. There's also the ubiquitous stability and performance fixes, so if you just can't interrupt that Half Life 3 discussion while out buying milk, hit the source.
Drama Mamas: When friends don't behave like friends
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. It hurts when your good friend doesn't have your back. I have an issue that I hope you can help me with. I've been playing wow for 6 and half years now and after my first guild folded I went to play on the hordes side of the fence for a little bit. After deciding to return to alliance I offered my support to a friend from the previous guild in her quest of making one of her own. It's been about a year since I joined the guild and was appointed assistant gm and being put in charge of raiding I even took care of the guild whilst my gm and her partner was moving states I farmed for mats and put gold in the guild bank and also gained a handful of recruits.
PSN friends list increase lets you mingle with 2000 best buds
PlayStation socialites can add 2000 of their nearest and dearest to their PSN friends list, after Sony activated the previously-announced limit increase this week. You can begin cultivating your buddy list via the Vita ahead of the PS4's launch next week, but the PS3 XMB still supports up to 100 pals only. If your friend count goes over the 100 mark on PS4 or Vita, PS3 servers will automatically filter in active friends on the XMB. According to PlayStation Europe Community Manager Chris Owen, you'll be able to lock a preset PS3 friends list if you so wish. Additionally, Sony is planning support to display all of your friends in "most applications and games" on the system, but some games will keep to the 100 friends limit. [Image: Stefano Tinti via Shutterstock]
PlayStation 4 FAQ explains sharing games and displaying 2,000 count friends lists
Need for more PS4 info after news about the companion app and day one 1.50 firmware update popped up earlier today? SCE President Shuhei Yoshida just tweeted a link to the system's official FAQ, which answers questions users might have about game sharing and how friends lists work across the new system and older PS3s. As Sony was kind enough to point out during E3, game sharing on discs is simple and familiar. When it comes to downloaded games it's all about which system is designated as your "primary" PS4, which is where content you purchase through the app will automatically download, and is the one that hooks up to your PS Vita. Only one system can be your primary system at a time, and as long as your games are on that console, any user can play them or enjoy your PlayStation Plus features. It's similar to the current experience on Xbox 360, with an added bonus because your account can be in use on two systems at the same time. Your PlayStation Network account will still work on other PS4s, but if you download a game there, only your account can play it. Switching to a different console as your primary is also possible, as long as you deactivate the current primary first. The other issue is how your new friends list will work across devices. On the PS4 you can have up to 2,000 friends, but the PS3 will only display 100 of them. If you're mobile, your Vita or PlayStation app should be able to display all 2,000. If there are any questions left, hit the FAQ and take a look.
Xbox One Friends app gets detailed in video walkthrough
Are you a friend or a follower? In the world of the Xbox One, the distinction is based on reciprocation. Xbox sage Major Nelson has broken down the forthcoming console's Friends app, detailing the distinction between the two groups. As previously stated, friends are a finite resource on the app -- limited to a mere thousand -- while you can have as many followers as your heart desires. A follower becomes a friend when both parties sign on to follow each other, a process that unlocks additional information like when you're online, real-time achievements and other Xbox One related activities. As with social networks like Facebook, you'll be able to control what your followers see. Friends from the 360 will automatically be ported over, though the gaming luddites on that system will appear as grayed out, smaller icons. An activity feed on the right side of the screen, meanwhile, shows off precisely what your friends are up to in real-time. Check out a video break down of the app from the Major himself, just after the break.
Drama Mamas: Progression vs. friends
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. I was going to embed this earworm because of this week's signature, but I just couldn't stomach it. I'm not a fan. So I've replaced it with a different earworm. Everybody clap and point now. Dear Drama Mamas: I am an officer and tank in a raiding guild with people I've known since mid Cataclysm. I took a break at the start of Mists due to getting a new job, and came back a couple of months ago to find the guild struggling on Horridon in 10N Throne of Thunder. I wasn't planning on returning to the game full-time and spent most of my time leveling and gearing an alt that I was using to fill a spare DPS slot when the guild needed me. I was eventually asked to come back as a full-time tank to help with progression, and since then we've slowly managed to clear normal T15, culminating in downing Lei Shen the first time a couple of weeks ago.
How to help a friend or family member join you in WoW
You love this game with a passion. We get that -- so do we. All too often, however, our best friends and significant others don't share that passion. They might not have a scrap of interest in playing any video game at all. But you want them to experience the World of Warcraft with you. We get that, too. Close relationships benefit from shared experiences and fun. You want your other half to at least bite off a taste of Azeroth and savor this feast that's captured you body and soul. How can you convince your partner, buddy, or significant other to give WoW a try? Warning: This question represents merely the tip of the iceberg. Brace for impact with the true issue: How can you help a non-playing friend or family member get into WoW in way that's enjoyable for both of you?
Drama Mamas: Friends like these
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. When a couple makes a friend pick a side in an argument, it's not conducive to a good friendship. First of all, pardon my english and grammar, because it was never my first language. I need a help regarding my mistake. I always interested on WOW but i always quit playing when i reach the level cap but crawling back for the new expansion. But it was all changed when i met this couple that changed my gaming life entirely. They become my best friends, way better than my real life best friends. They care about me, every time i log in they always greed me, and we even share our secrets. But during the last patch of cataclysm, these couple got engage. Im so happy for them, but they started to argue with each other and asking me to take a side, which is very uncomfortable for me because i love them both.
The Drama Mamas guide to finding gaming buddies
A gaming buddy isn't quite the same thing as a guildmate. A gaming buddy is quite often also a guildie, but your guildmates aren't necessarily your gaming buddies. Your gaming buddies are people who play with you more often than not. They're your partners in crime, the homies you hang out with in Azeroth whether they're covering your back through your first LFR or filling your chat box during a night of pre-alchemy herbalizing. But just as when you were trying to break into the social scene during your school days, you might feel a bit of an outsider when it comes to connecting with simpatico players in WoW. For many players, there's only so long you can happily play on your own; Azeroth is a large, lonely land when you wish you had someone to share it with. While joining a friendly guild can often be a great way to meet people, simply coexisting in an online space with a common chat channel somewhere on your screen won't build the kind of friendships you're hungry for. Let the Drama Mamas show you a few tricks of the trade for finding players you might click with on a more personal basis.
PlayStation 4 friends list will accomodate up to 2,000 of your best buds
So it seems that PlayStation 4 owners will have more friends than their Xbox One counterparts -- well, you know, in theory, at least. Sony announced this morning, by way of rather chipper Q&A video, that the PS4 will have a Party Chat to call its own, along with friends lists that support up to 2,000 users -- that's double the number that Microsoft announced toward the end of May (though, all said, both numbers are a big improvement over the last gens' 100-person cap). Good news for social PlayStation gamers, though you might want to start saving up now -- that's a whole lot of extra birthdays gifts next year.
PlayStation 4 friends list supports up to 2000 pals
It's getting down to the details now as we head closer to the next-gen console launches of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with Sony sliding in today that the PS4 will let users have a couple thousand friends on their buddy list. "The PlayStation 4 has party chat and, I can also tell you, that your PlayStation 4 friends list will let you have up to 2,000 friends," said Hollie Bennett from Access PlayStation in a video released this morning. Microsoft had previously stated the Xbox One will allow up to a thousand friends. Both consoles now shine a glaring light on how few friends we actually have and increase the desire to drown our sorrows in a pint of Chunky Monkey.
Breakfast Topic: Who's your buddy?
Even if you've done nothing more than stand on the sidelines to watch the antics of the World of Warcraft Twitterati (come chat with us @WoWInsider) scroll by, you can't help but notice that the WoW community is full of people who love to make friends with other WoW players. Guildmates open up on guild Facebook pages, throw summer barbecues, and fall in love. Me, I don't play with friends much right now. My work schedule leaves my play time so intensely sporadic (two weeks on, a month away, another month solid followed by a smattering of occasional log-ins) that I tend to hop from project character to project character. But what I enjoy most is combining all my social gaming peeps in one spot: my spouse, our real-life gaming friends, our extended family of gaming buddies met over the years, and a current crop of guildies and friends encountered in game in the here and now. Who do you play with -– a significant other, a real-life buddy? A group of regulars you met in Azeroth or in other games? A guild you're connected with for the time being, with no real plans to keep in touch once you've changed characters or left WoW? Or do you keep things casual, grouping only with random players you meet on a day-by-day basis?
The Daily Grind: Do you try to recruit your friends to play MMOs?
Try as I might, I can't get many of my meatspace friends interested in MMOs. I've corrupted a couple, mind you, but most simply don't get it. Well, let me rephrase. They get what MMOs are, who doesn't, really, but they don't get the appeal. To be fair, there are days when I don't either, but I still enjoy the genre more often than not, and therefore I'm prone to try impromptu recruiting pitches to random family members, friends, and acquaintances. What about you, Massively readers? Do you try to recruit your friends to play MMOs? How successful have you been? 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!
