missing-features
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Report: Xbox One missing content, voice commands in multiple regions
Microsoft's Xbox One console rolls out in 28 new regions this month, but some buyers are reporting missing marketplace content and deactivated dashboard features, according to an EventHubs investigation. Console owner Simon Lundmark at DarkZero claims that "voice commands are entirely absent from the Swedish Xbox One UI," and reports that many games and add-on content packs are missing from its regional marketplace. Super Time Force, Contrast and Powerstar Golf are currently unavailable in Sweden and other "Tier 2" countries receiving the Xbox One this month. Players in the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, and the UK also report that Killer Instinct is missing its Ultra Edition content, including a bundled port of the original Killer Instinct arcade game. Joystiq contacted Microsoft for comment regarding the reported issues, and received confirmation that some regions currently lack support for Kinect voice commands. "Fans in 18 of our new launch markets are able to turn on voice controls using existing voice models for English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese, depending on their market," a Microsoft spokesperson said. The statement continued: "In Sweden specifically, fans can enjoy a fully localized experience on the dash, but do not have access to voice controls at launch. Enabling voice is a significant endeavor as there are many complexities associated with delivering a great voice experience in various languages around the world. We're working hard to add more features but have no additional details to share at this time." [Image: Microsoft]
The Daily Grind: What MMO feature did you appreciate only after it was gone?
I liked City of Heroes, obviously. I miss a lot of things about the game. But you know what I miss right now? The economy. I had never thought about how well-balanced it really was, especially considering that it was a late addition to the game... but I miss it just the same. It was spectacular, and now it's gone, and I didn't really appreciate how good it was until now, when it's not around any longer. We've all got blind spots like that. There are certain things you just don't fully appreciate while they're around; it's only when you realize they're gone that you can keenly feel the loss. Sometimes features are lost because a game closes down; sometimes it's just because they get patched out. So what about you, readers? What did you learn to really appreciate only after the feature was already gone from the game? 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!
The Daily Grind: What's the fastest you've ever burned out on an MMO?
Well, I'm taking what is probably the first of many breaks from The Old Republic. I played heavily over the last week and I managed to get two classes to 20 (and do a good bit of warzone PvP and roleplaying). While I love the class stories, the rest of the game is pretty bare-bones, and I'm returning to greener and more feature-rich pastures. I'm a notorious game-hopper, though, and this isn't so much an indictment of TOR as it is an inevitability. That said, I did tire of BioWare's Star Wars opus sooner than expected, and that leads into today's Daily Grind question. What's the fastest you've ever burned out on an MMO? 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!
iPhone 4 hits UAE and Qatar, but without FaceTime installed
The iPhone 4 launched this weekend in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, but buyers wound up with a surprise -- their handset's front-facing cameras couldn't do FaceTime. The National reports that the video chat feature is missing from phones sold at UAE carriers Etisalat and du, as well as those from Vodafone Qatar. Carriers are blaming Apple for the missing feature, and spokespersons from both Etisalat and Vodafone say they're speaking to Cupertino about reinstating FaceTime post-haste; It was reportedly advertised on Middle Eastern versions of Apple's iPhone website until around September 20th, when all references to FaceTime were removed. TUAW reports that some UAE denizens have actually tested FaceTime on phones bought abroad and found it working just fine, but that the functionality disappears after installing the local version of the iOS 4.1 update. RIM's Mike Lazaridis famously warned that countries threatening to ban the BlackBerry might thumb their nose at other forms of internet transmission too, but if's far too early to tell if Apple was pressured into removing FaceTime or chose to for another reason entirely. It's worth noting that both the UAE and Egypt (also missing FaceTime website ads) have banned certain VoIP services in the past. [Thanks, Mohammed]
Breakfast Topic: Missing features
April Fools' Day came and went, and as expected, a lot of jokes popped up all over the 'Net. Of course, among the jokes we looked forward to (or dreaded, as some of you curmudgeons ranted yesterday) were the World of Warcraft-related jokes. However you might feel about April Fools', I think we all eagerly awaited Blizzard's April Fools' gag, a long-standing tradition. The European World of Warcraft site had theirs -- a Pimp my mount feature -- launch earlier than the North American gag, an RP-ization of the forums and the new Dance Battle System. Not bad, but definitely not their best prank.Actually, the Dance Battle System was less funny to me if only because it reminded me of the one promised feature they still haven't delivered on. Remember the dance studios that were supposed to come with Wrath of the Lich King? They pruned that feature away even before Beta, but it doesn't mean we've forgotten all about it. In fact, this latest gag might've been Blizzard's way of poking fun at themselves for failing to deliver on their promise.
Got a G4 or G5? iPhoto '09 will be missing features
As Apple continues a march toward all Intel-based computers, those hanging on to perfectly good G5 and G4 computers are left to watch features slowly bleed off.In the recently released iLife '09 package, iPhoto has left some owners of older Macs wondering where their slide show transitions have gone.Apple has now released a support document detailing what is missing: The number of slideshow themes available in iPhoto '09 depends on your Mac's processor and, in some cases, available vRAM: Intel-based Mac computers, PowerPC G5 with more than 64MB of vRAM: All iPhoto '09 slideshow themes are available. PowerPC G5 with less than 64MB of vRAM: Only Classic, Ken Burns, Scrapbook, Sliding Panels are available. PowerPC G4: Classic and Ken Burns are available. Apple has also changed the minimum specs on Garageband '09, noting that one of the apps most desired features is Intel only: GarageBand Learn to Play requires an Intel-based Mac with a dual-core processor or better.It is also rumored that the next version of OS X, Snow Leopard will completely drop support for PowerPC processors. Last year, iMovie dropped PowerPC support, so it looks like the handwriting is on the wall. Apple's push to get consumers and businesses to change to the newer Intel platform will get less and less subtle as time goes on.
