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The OnePlus 10T 5G will be unveiled on August 3rd
Following the launch of the OnePlus 10 Pro early this year, OnePlus has announced that it will launch another flagship phone in 2022.
WoW's Iron Horde declares war on Times Square
Finally! Here's the Blizzard we know and love. Why promote a World of Warcraft expansion with a pat press release and gory trailer when you can beat up an actual taxi in Times Square with a 15-foot replica of the epic Gorehowl axe? And that's exactly what Blizz did this morning to bemuse passing New Yorkers. Surveil the carnage in the gallery below. WoW's Warlords of Draenor expansion launches this Thursday. Holla if you know of an Etsy shop where we can buy some #WARLORDS crime scene tape; that has to be a thing someone makes, right?
Here are the funniest Tweets from the iPhone 6 event
Today was a big day not only for Apple but for satire minded Twitterers as well. With technical glitches, sound issues, and cutting edge technology there was a lot to joke about. We've compiled the funniest Tweets from today's event below. You can find Adam Newman, whose tweet we've featured in the header, on Twitter here. Enjoy. How to Lose Your Job as a TV Truck Director - Josh Helfferich (@JoshHelfferich) September 9, 2014 Where's Leeroy Jenkins when you need him? #AppleLive - John Ford (@GhettoCode) September 9, 2014 Is anyone else getting a rerun of Tim & Eric? - Merlin Mann (@hotdogsladies) September 9, 2014 YOU WILL LEARN MANDARIN AND ALSO BUY ALL OF THIS Love, Apple - Nate Bolt (@boltron) September 9, 2014 This keynote is running like a PC. #AppleLive - Dane Cook (@DaneCook) September 9, 2014 So excited for the Apple Watch. For centuries, we've checked the time by looking at our phones. Having it on your wrist? Genius. #AppleLive - Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) September 9, 2014 In related news, Microsoft is giving away Lou Bega's "Mambo Number 5" to all Zune users. #applelive #edtech - Joe Park (@MrParkMusic) September 9, 2014 The biggest disappoint about the apple press event was finding out the name Super Evil Megacorp is taken. - Patrick Wiseman (@thephw) September 9, 2014 Countdown until rappers just cover the entire face of the Apple Watch with diamonds... #AppleWatch #AppleEvent - Travon Free (@Travon) September 9, 2014 Apple is always innovating. I was just thinking "how can I put nudes on my watch?" - ⚡David Angelo⚡ (@MrDavidAngelo) September 9, 2014 If Tim Cook announces the "Pumpkin Spice iPhone 6", suburbia and all gentrified urban centers will erupt with glee. - Web Smith (@web) September 9, 2014 There's no way Tim Cook isn't in a jazz band. - Michelle Wolf (@michelleisawolf) September 9, 2014 U2's album is free on iTunes?!?!? Which one?! Oh. The new one. Oh, that's ok. - kurt braunohler (@kurtbraunohler) September 9, 2014 If we missed one of your favorites please post it in the replies.
iPhone 6 features powerful new A8 chip
Today at Apple's live iPhone 6 event, Phil Schiller announced the phone will feature a brand new A8 chip. It's 13 percent smaller than the previous generation, has 2 billion transistors, and features 64-bit support. It's a 20nm process. Of course, what matters is speed. The new chip boosts CPU performance by 25 percent and is 50 times faster than the original iPhone. The new A8 chip is also 50 percent more energy efficient than the previous generation, meaning playing process-heavy games won't kill your battery instantly when you're playing on the go. Rather than the traditional OpenGL platform normal 3D chips use, Apple is introducing its own platform call Metal. Epic, Ubisoft, Gameloft, EA, Disney, and other developers are already working with Apple to get the most out of Metal. During the live event Schiller brought out Super Evil MegaCorp co-founder Stephan Sherman, who showed off his company's Vain Glory multiplayer game. Utilizing the Metal platform they're able to feature over a 100 fully animated characters interacting at once. We're looking forward to seeing more of what this chip can do.
The Tattered Notebook: Navigating EQII's Nights of the Dead
Halloween is by far my favorite holiday, and EverQuest II is easily one of my favorite games of all time. So when the two combine, it's a match made in heaven. But just like the game itself, the Nights of the Dead live event has so much to it and so much to do that it is easy to become overwhelmed. Cue The Tattered Notebook! I know what it's like to want to participate fully in an event but not know where to start. And now with so many more new players (thanks in large part to the Heroic Characters), it's not even a matter of finding the little changes to this year's event. Let's be honest: Even those of us who have taken part previously can't remember every detail from year to year, especially when more is added each holiday season! So today I'm going to provide a guide to introduce you to all things Nights of the Dead.
Free for All: When true live events died
My memory isn't what it used to be. My wife calls me "airheaded," but I like to pretend that the reason I often forget stuff (whether I had already washed my hair or not, for example) is because my brain is filled with amazing, distracting thoughts. One victim of that selective memory is the existence of live events. Feel free to correct me in the comments section -- in fact, I need you to -- but I seem to remember a time when live events were more common than not. I'm not talking about scripted "random" events like those you'll find in RIFT, and I'm not referring to a quest-giver interaction. Nope, I'm talking about those special events when an employee logs in on a special account and makes things happen. In the game. In real time. Kids, ask your parents (or slightly older, funnier-looking favorite Massively columnist) for details. And no, I do not mean player-run events. Those are fantastic, but not the subject of this column. I just attended a live event in Ryzom the other night, and it made me wonder: Why did real live events become so rare?
EVE Evolved: The Battle for Caldari Prime
The empires of EVE Online have long and bloody histories that, until now, have been played out largely through fictional chronicles and in-character news posts. This week saw conflict erupt in-game between two NPC empires in the Battle for Caldari Prime live event. The neutral CONCORD faction has managed to maintain order between the four main empires of New Eden for decades, but that doesn't stop the Gallente and Caldari factions occasionally violating the peace. The Caldari were originally part of the Gallente Federation but gained independence in a war lasting almost a hundred years. Following an attack on a Gallente city, a right-wing faction in the Gallente government seized power and ordered the bombing of the Caldari homeworld. Millions of Caldari citizens were evacuated from the homeworld, a planet that has been under dispute ever since. Caldari Prime resides in the Luminaire system and is officially inside Gallente territory, but recent events have seen the tables turn. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the story behind the recent Battle for Caldari Prime, accusations that the event was staged and scripted, and what the future may hold for live events in EVE.
Champions Online dev blog goes behind-the-scenes of the Lemurian Invasion
Last week, Champions Online's Lemurian Invasion event hit the live servers, and since then players have been valiantly fighting to defend the world against the alien forces. But as the latest Champions devblog notes, "an invasion force like the Lemurians doesn't come out of nowhere." With that in mind, Cryptic has released a brand-new devblog that takes players behind the curtain for a look at the making of the Lemurian invasion. In the post, Champions Online's new Live Producer, Tom "Lord Gar" Edwards, takes players on a brief tour of the process behind creating a live event. Edwards details all of the hard work that went into the Lemurian Invasion, from the event's initial conception to 3-D models, animations, and playtesting. But perhaps more importantly, he takes a few paragraphs to talk about the future: "[In] the first half 2013, [Cryptic's] plan is to release several story arcs of a similar scale to the Lemurian invasion." He adds that "each arc will have a lockbox, some smaller missions, and then a larger mission at the end." According to Edwards, each mission will " have its own themed rewards and new items [that will] sometimes focus on character improvements, and some on vehicles." Champions' next arc will involve "gladiatorial combat" and will focus on the aforementioned character improvements. Edwards promises that more info is coming soon. Until then, how about heading over to the Champions Online devblog for all the tasty Lemurian Invasion details? [Thanks to Matixzun for the tip!]
Return to Ekrund now in Warhammer Online's live event
A week ago, it was only a tease hinted at on Twitter. Now, it's a sure thing: The Return to Ekrund live event is on Warhammer Online servers. The event takes place in or around Ekrund, the tier one starting area for Dwarven Oathbreakers. Players can work through the many steps of the event to earn special rewards. Event tasks include safely escorting Dwarf historians, killing enemy Greenskins, piecing together puzzles, and more. Worried about turning into a chicken because your level is too high for a starting zone event? Don't be! Higher level players are tweaked in the RvR lakes (the PvP areas) and returned to a level fit for the area. However, don't expect to keep all your high-powered skills and your fast mount when you level down; you actually only get access to the skills, abilities, and tactics of that level!
Warhammer Online hints at new live event
Is Warhammer Online preparing to unveil a brand-new live event to the game? A recent Twitter message by Mythic Implementation Lead Keaven Freeman suggests so. The developer posted a page from the Tome of Knowledge titled Return to Ekrund: A Stronghold Saga -- Part 1. The page discusses a Dwarf explorer who discovers an ancient stronghold which contains clues to "legendary weapons of great power." The page also shows a standard reward meter with three icons on it. A new live event is something to be anticipated and celebrated, so we'll be sure to follow this as it develops.
MechWarrior brings out a new 'Mech and new events
Sometimes you want to give thanks for the many positive things happening in your life. Other times, you want to give thanks that you're the one piloting a 70-ton marching tank and the other guy isn't. MechWarrior Online is celebrating the latter feeling with the introduction of the Cataphract 'Mech, a heavy unit available with four different loadouts in the game's latest update. In addition to the new machine, the game has also added a new map, the Frozen City at Night, featuring large shooting lanes and patches of shadow to hide within. There are also two new modules and a new piece of equipment, all of which should help keep a better lock on your target even as they dart around the battlefield. Last but not least, the development team is hosting a live event tomorrow at 9 p.m. EST on the official livestream channel. If you're a player and want to see how your 'Mech skills hold up against those of the designers, be prepared to throw down with some autocannons tomorrow night. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
Leaderboard: Poor planning or poor circumstances?
If you missed playing Final Fantasy XIV on Saturday, well, you're not getting to play again for a while. The world sort of ended. Unfortunately for the people who were playing Saturday evening into Sunday morning, attempting to actually play during this world-ending event resulted in frequent disconnects and server crashes from the sheer number of people teleporting hither and yon. The epic finale before the trailer wound up mostly just being a confusing mess on the server. Final Fantasy XIV isn't the first title to implement a huge live event that caused a server-breaking mess. Today, our question centers on magnanimity vs. culpability. When these sorts of server events happen, is your first reaction that the development team should have planned for this popularity instead of letting the whole thing go cross-eyed? Or do you say that the team probably did everything possible and that there's a certain point past which planning doesn't help?
Guild Wars 2 reveals schedule for the Lost Shores
If you're a Guild Wars 2 fan, you probably don't want to miss a minute of the upcoming Lost Shores event. Of course, that means you need a little time to plan your days -- beg off of visiting relatives, pretend you're sick for work, stock up on canned food, and so forth. In foresight of precisely this eventuality, the Guild Wars 2 community team has revealed the event's schedule so that everyone can prepare accordingly before this one-time event goes live. At 3 p.m. EST on November 16th, the first event chain will kick off. This will be followed by another kickoff event on November 17th and a final culmination on November 18th, both mirroring the 3 p.m. EST start time. While the 16th and 17th will still have content for players who miss the starting bell, the 18th's event will run for several hours and will not come back around, meaning that if you only catch one part of the event, be there for the ending.
The Daily Grind: Are live events due for a revival?
Live MMO events have long since fallen by the development wayside in the pursuit of scripted "dynamic" events. It used to be that game studios would send paid GMs into the game to roleplay with players in a tabletop-like scenario, conducting large-scale storytelling events and spawning enemies, locations, and items. Ultima Online, which celebrates its 15th birthday this week, is particularly well-known for these sorts of events, but they've seldom been replicated in later generations of triple-A MMOs. TERA, apparently, hopes to change that with the implementation of Flash events, "spontaneous events focused on small groups of users and run by staff." They might seem a little out of place in TERA, but they could be a niche worth resurrecting. Live, impromptu events might have the disadvantage of involving only small groups of people and not the entire population, but that's exactly what makes them so intriguing for the players who happen to be in the right zone at the right time when one of these events starts. What do you think? Do you wish more studios would get over their crush on pseudo-dynamic events and return to live events? 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!
Warhammer Online celebrates fourth anniversary with rewards and bonuses
Belch forth a mighty "WAAAGH!" today, for Warhammer Online is now officially four years old. EA Mythic's dark fantasy title came on the scene in 2008 with a strong emphasis on PvP combat. To celebrate the occasion, Mythic announced that all players will enjoy 10 days of bonus XP and RP starting today. Also as part of the festivities, fireworks can be looted from corpses during this time. Why are so many warriors carrying fireworks? Discount sale, of course. Finally, Mythic is rewarding the faithful who have stuck with WAR for all four years with a new portable mailbox at the end of the month. The devs used this opportunity to remind players that patch 1.4.7 is on course to go live later in September after the Wild Hunt event. The team's also working on a new random live event and an upcoming community patch.
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Grand Acquisition Race fell on its face
If you were looking for part two of the Huttball guide, know that I will finish it up next week. Today I have a more timely topic I wish to discuss. I love live events. These nuggets of content give a static themepark game a sense of life as well as a break from the daily grind. Star Wars: The Old Republic is eight months old, and the newest content is approaching its two-month birthday. The game needs a refresher. A live event was certainly well-timed and much-needed. Unfortunately, live events, like any game content, are a bit of a gamble, especially if you've run a live event in the past. No doubt, players will compare the current live event with the previous one or the best one, and if the current one doesn't exactly match up to the standard of events of the past, then players are certainly going to feel cheated. And despite my continued love of the game itself, I have to admit that the latest live event, The Grand Acquisition Race, fell short of all expectations.
AT&T reveals new multi-beam antenna tech for live events, could offer data speeds five times faster (video)
AT&T's improving its coverage at live events by establishing a new (impressive sounding) setup -- the five-beam multi-beam antenna. It works by dividing its customers' signals into five narrow parts, illustrated above by the color bands, upping the bandwidth by splitting traffic to each segment, enabling up to five times the data traffic. Ma Bell even used similar technology to craft a "super" multi-beam antenna, which expands the same idea into two rows of nine, possibly offering up to 18 times the speed of a typical single-tower arrangement. AT&T adds that this setup also reduces dropped calls and failed uploads, and is apparently already being put to use at live concerts and games. Not quite wrapping your head around it? Check the video after the break.
SWTOR on the rise and planning more PvP, endgame content
Star Wars: The Old Republic's moon (that's no moon...) is waxing, not waning, says Daniel Erickson. BioWare's lead designer on the project said that rumors of the game's demise are incredibly premature -- and outright wrong. Following Update 1.2 and the Rakghoul Outbreak live event, Erickson reports that player activity in the game is increasing. He said that the studio is working hard to keep its customers happy: "The community has generally been excited about the direction the game is going as we finish up our last must-have quality of life features (group finder, etc) and can start concentrating full-time on creative things like the world events." Erickson said that the live event was kept a surprise to make it "feel organic" and not spoil everything in this age of instant internet sharing. He said that the team took a cue from World of Warcraft's Corrupted Blood plague that swept through the game in 2005; the devs tried to channel players' actions to fun rather than griefing. He says that the team discovered that SWTOR had a huge PvP community and has since "turned a huge amount of resources" to developing more content for that side of the game. BioWare's also shifted several team members over to creating more endgame content as the players chew through the stories at an increasing rate.
Dark Age of Camelot producer's letter looks toward the future
Dark Age of Camelot's Valentine's Day event is still in full swing, but the devs over at Mythic Entertainment have plenty more in store for players. Stuart Zissu, DAoC's producer, stopped by the official site to give players a heads-up as to what they can expect in upcoming updates. For starters, the next phase of the ongoing live event will be coming sometime "in the next few months," and players are warned that the Pict encampments they've already encountered are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. On top of that, the devs will be adding a number of new titles throughout the year that center on the long-running title's 10th anniversary. Zissu adds that "there will also be new titles for the next phase of the live event" as well as a special trophy commemorating Dark Age of Camelot's 10 years of RvRvR action. For more information, including details on DAoC's first video contest, just click on through the link below and give the post a look.
The Game Archaeologist moves into Lucasfilm's Habitat: Part 2
Last week on the exciting cosmic adventures of the Game Archaeologist, we uncovered the ancient civilization of Lucasfilm's Habitat, one of the early predecessors to graphical MMOs. While we talked about how it came to be and pondered just how much money we'd waste if game companies were still charging by the minute, we didn't have the time or space to cover the community and events that formed around this experimental project. That day has come. Prepare your bladder for imminent release! Giving a bunch of players tools to do every which thing in the game and turning them loose without strict regulation might seem like a recipe for an instant sewage pit of a game today, but our cultured, classy behaviors weren't quite trained into us in 1986. When players first set eyes on Habitat, they weren't thinking of min-maxing, kill-stealing, or raid progression; they were trying to make sense of a virtual world using the only frame of reference they had to date: their own lives. Out of a melting pot of ideas and objects came fascinating stories from one of the earliest MMO proto-ancestors of the modern era. Get your '80s on as we head back... to the future!
