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iWork apps updated with customization options
Apple has updated the three apps that make up the iWork suite. Pages was updated to version 5.0.1. This upgrade adds the ability to customize the toolbar with the tools you deem most important. In addition, the center and edge guides are now on by default. Keynote is up to version 6.0.1. The update adds the ability to customize the toolbar with the tools you deem most important. A number of slide transitions were added. Numbers* received a bump to version 3.0.1. The toolbar is now customizable. In addition, the window size and placement is preserved when you save a document. You can also set the default zoom in the preferences. The current iWork suite is compatible with OS X 10.9 Mavericks only. The iWork 9.3 update is recommended for OS X Lion 10.7.x and OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.x users. *Typo corrected.
EA: 140 million gameplay minutes logged on PS4 in five days
140 million gameplay minutes were logged on Electronic Arts-published PlayStation 4 games, the publisher revealed via Twitter yesterday. The data is spread across five days of EA's PS4 games being on store shelves. Across the same period of time, the publisher said that over five million online gaming sessions were logged as well. Likewise, EA president Peter Moore recently estimated that one in every three PS4 games sold are EA-branded products. EA's data comes from its five PS4 launch games: Battlefield 4, Need for Speed: Rivals, NBA Live 14, Madden NFL 25 and FIFA 14. Battlefield 4 has suffered a number of issues since its next-gen launch, including game crashes and loss of save files for the game's campaign. Given that the Xbox One launches tomorrow, the number of online games and minutes logged by players will certainly grow.
Apple updates iWork iCloud beta with new collaboration tools
The ongoing beta of Apple's iWork for iCloud received an update today that delivers new features aimed at improving collaboration. New features for Keynote, Numbers and Pages in iCloud are fully explained when you first activate the apps on iCloud.com, but we've got a list of what you can expect. Most of the feature additions are largely the same across the whole suite. Each app now has the following new features: Collaborator list: View the list of collaborators currently in a document. Collaborator cursor: See cursors and selections for everyone in a document. Jump to collaborator: Instantly jump to a collaborator's cursor by clicking their name in the collaborator list. Collaboration animation: Watch as images and shapes animate as others move them around. Print: Print your documents and presentations directly from the Tools menu. Folders: The ability to organize documents into folders. In addition, the beta for Numbers is now able to reorder sheets in a spreadsheet from the browser and add hyperlinks. Keynote beta users are also getting an extra feature; the ability to right-click any slide in the navigator to skip it during playback.
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]
World of Warcraft sheds another 100,000 subscriptions
Everyone is pretty certain that the next World of Warcraft expansion is going to be announced very soon. Tomorrow, probably. So it serves as an interesting counterpoint to note that the game has lost 100,000 subscribers over the past three months, dropping the game's total to 7.6 million subscribers and serving as a rather inelegant coda to the game's most recent expansion, Mists of Pandaria. Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick stated the numbers during a post-earnings call while noting that "new and exciting content" is on the way for the game. While 7.6 million subscribers is still more than enough to make hats out of money, it's a far cry from the game's subscription height. It remains to be seen whether or not the next expansion will help launch the game back upward or not -- and whether the game is currently undergoing a slump or is simply beginning to decline.
Five million players reported in War Thunder
The takeaway from War Thunder's latest set of player numbers is that while war may be hell, simulations of war work out quite well. Gaijin Entertainment is reporting that the game has attracted a grand total of five million players since its international launch in January. That's good news for the title's future, both on the PC and on the upcoming PlayStation 4 edition; apparently people really like being able to shoot down planes (and blow up tanks in the future). By way of a small celebration, special Golden Battles will be organized on November 10th to give players a shot at earning a special decal for planes. While we don't know if the count merely flags registered accounts or has a specific activity flag, five million is still an impressive figure. If you haven't already played the game, it's available now as a free-to-play title, or you can wait until your PlayStation 4 arrives with War Thunder as a launch title. [Source: Gaijin Entertainment press release]
Windows Phone crossing double digit market share in parts of Europe
Kantar's numbers have always been relatively kind to Windows Phone. Well, at least as kind as any numbers can be, we suppose. That trend continues with the recent report that Microsoft's smartphone platform has crossed the double digit mark in market share in parts of Europe. Specifically, it has hit 10.8 percent in France and 12 percent in Great Britain. Things are not quite as rosy across the rest of the continent, but Windows Phone does own a cumulative 9.2 percent of the field in the "big five European markets": Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Of course, that's still a distant third to iOS and Android, the latter of which owns a staggering 70.1 percent of the market, according to Kantar. BlackBerry, on the other hand, is continuing its stunning free fall, dropping to just 2.4 percent in those same five markets, just ahead of the nebulous "other." There haven't been too many other exciting changes in the smartphone and carrier landscape over the last three months. But, if you want to take a gander at some more numbers, you'll find them at the source link.
Apple wisely brings its iLife strategy to the iPhone and iPad
Perhaps lost in the shuffle amidst a slew of announcements on Tuesday is that Apple is making its fleet of iWork apps available free for download on new iOS devices. In addition to Pages, Keynote and Numbers, users will also be able to download iMovie and iPhoto free of charge. Think about that for a second; in one fell swoop, Apple made its entire range of productivity and creativity apps (save for GarageBand) available for free. As it stands now, purchasing all of the aforementioned apps would set you back US$40. This is significant on a number of levels, and harkens back to Apple's strategy with the Mac when it first began introducing what would soon become a formidable collection of apps that together comprised Apple's iLife suite of software -- iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD (now defunct), iWeb (also defunct) and, last but not least, GarageBand. Steve Jobs first introduced Apple's "Digital Hub" strategy back at Macworld in 2001 (though iMovie had already existed at that point). "If you use iMovie," Jobs boasted during a vintage performance, "it makes your digital camcorder worth 10 times as much because you can convert raw footage into an incredible movie." In relaying the thought process behind Apple's digital hub strategy, Jobs explained that the "glue that's going to make all this happen are the applications: iMovie. iTunes. iDVD. They are going to be our passport into our new digital lifestyle era." And Jobs was spot on. Macs in the early 2000s began shipping with powerful software applications that enabled users to harness their creative juices and manage their digital media right out of the box. I myself was a heavy iMovie user early on and remember being blown away by what was now possible. While my videos were hardly award-winning productions, my friends would often excitedly remark, "You were able to do that on your computer? And the software to do that just comes with it for free?" Once iPhoto hit the scene in 2002, soon followed by GarageBand in 2004, Apple's suite of iLife software really empowered the average user to create ambitious and professional-grade projects. Apple's iLife strategy with the Mac provided a value proposition that was simply unmatched on the Windows side. While it's impossible to quantify how many Macs were sold on account iLife, there's no denying that iMovie and its brethren created a lot of happy customers who became reliant upon and excited about the Apple ecosystem. Now, Apple is taking that same strategy and applying it to iOS. While the aforementioned iOS apps won't be pre-loaded, they will be available as free downloads on new iOS devices. Much like the Mac, this strategy aims to enhance the value of iOS devices, especially when measured against competing devices from the likes of Android and, well, I guess mostly Android. During yesterday's event, Tim Cook explained: We think that iWork is a really key advantage for our customers' productivity, and that iPhoto and iMovie are great for are customers creativity. No other platform has any apps like these. We think that all iOS devices are made even better if they have these apps. And almost all of our customers want these apps. Sounds a lot like Jobs back in 2001, right? iLife on the Mac put powerful media creation tools at the forefront of the PC user experience. Now, Apple is implementing the very same strategy for iOS and it's hard to see this as anything but a savvy business move on Apple's part. Out of the box, productivity and media-creation tools will be more accessible and intuitive on iOS than on any other mobile platform. Well played Apple, well played.
The first month of RuneScape 3 by the numbers
It's been a bit more than a month since RuneScape updated to RuneScape 3 -- an overhaul of the graphics and mechanics that still retains the core of the same game. But how well has it done in that month? The team at Jagex has crunched some numbers and they look pretty favorable. Over the past 30 days, 100,000 players have reactivated old accounts, and 300,000 players have started completely new accounts to play the game. About 600,000 hours of play have been logged per day on all new, existing, and reactivated accounts, which is pretty staggering. Since the game's launch event players have killed 60 million enemy soldiers and collected 1 billion Divine Tears (remnants of a now-dead god whose death kicked off the current state of the game). While one month is too early to call success or failure, it's a sign that even the older games on the market can still have quite a lot of life in them. Jagex also posted a video about the new Nightmare Zone, which is content now available for Old-School RuneScape but won't be coming to RuneScape 3 proper. We've embedded that behind the break. [Source: Jagex press release]
iWork for iCloud beta now open to anyone with an Apple ID
First it was available to developers, then a select few who received invitations, and now the beta of iWork for iCloud is available for all. Apple's made no official announcement, but point your browser to icloud.com, punch in your Apple ID details, and there you have it: Pages, Numbers and Keynote. Seeming as you normally have to pay for the iWork software suite, this could be a time-sensitive public beta that'll be pulled once you've found all the bugs (this editor has full access without owning any of the iWork programs). So, you might as well have a go at being productive in the cloud before it's too late.
Apple sends iWork for iCloud beta invitations to everyday users
Apple was quick to invite developers to the iWork for iCloud beta in the aftermath of WWDC, but us commoners have had to settle for watching from afar. The company is quickly opening things up, however -- it just started sending out beta invitations to ordinary iCloud users, including some Engadget readers. While this isn't likely to represent Apple's promised public beta, it's clear that we're now much closer to the day when everyone can give the web-based iWork a try. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
MechWarrior Online runs the numbers and announces a launch date
There are a lot of people stomping around in MechWarrior Online right now. More than one million, according to a recent dispatch by Piranha Games, which puts the total number of registered accounts at about 1.1 million. These players have collectively logged 9.6 million hours to the game, destroyed a total of 46 million 'Mechs consisting of 80 billion tons of metal, and fired more than 12.6 billion missiles alone. It's a bit of a violent game, in short. It's also a game about to finally shed the open beta title. Piranha Games has announced an official launch of September 17th, 2013. How much will actually change versus the current open beta is up for debate, but it's good to see a game fixing a launch date and sticking to it. So if you're a die-hard MechWarrior Online fan, get out there and start raising those destructive totals one 50-ton target at a time. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
The Daily Grind: How stat-heavy do you like your game mechanics?
Playing Allods Online, you will not find yourself simply raising one stat even if all you do is swing a weapon at something. See, there's one stat that increases your overall damage, another stat that improves the range of that damage (so you're more likely to hit for a higher number rather than a lower one), and a few other stats that also affect something as simple as "how hard do I hit." It's not simple by any means, but it does provide an interesting dynamic wherein your primary stat isn't all that high, and you hit for astonishingly consistent amounts. Is that a good thing? Well, some players will be quick to point out that the game is doing with four stats what could really be done with one. Others like to have that amount of fine control over a character. So today we ask: How stat-heavy do you like your game mechanics? Do you want even the simplest character to be looking at seven or eight different numbers at all times, or are you happiest when you've got a choice between three stats at most? 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!
More than 600 million iOS devices sold, Tim Cook says
Tim Cook is on stage in California right now talking iOS numbers, and as you might imagine, they're big. There are more than 600 million iOS devices sold worldwide, according to Mr. Cook, and almost half of those just since the last year's WWDC. Smartphone usage market share is high, with iOS garnering 50 percent more usage than other platforms, and the iPad is even bigger in the tablet category, with 82 percent of usage as compared to 18 percent of "other" tablets. Users are also satisfied, with the iPhone winning multiple awards in its lifetime, and boasting a 97 percent satisfaction rate. Users are also unified on a single iOS install, with 93 percent of users using iOS 6, which Cook joked was a far cry from Android's situation. Cook then segued all of these numbers and this satisfaction into the announcement of iOS 7.
Apple has now sold 600 million iOS devices
While our focus is squarely on what's Apple's planning for the future of its mobile OS, the company's reminding us exactly how successful it's been so far. According to Apple's stats, it's now got 600 million devices running iOS -- adding another 100 million. The iPad continues to dominate tablets too, claiming an 82 percent share of mobile web use over the 18 percent claimed by the competition. On smartphones, web use share for the iPhone is 60 percent against 24 percent for Android. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190887%
Apple unveils iWork for iCloud
iWork has been a traditional software suite ever since it first launched (the brief availability of iWork.com notwithstanding), but Apple is bringing it to the web in earnest today by revealing iWork for iCloud. The suite includes Keynote, Numbers and Pages, and each of the web apps preserves many of the same real-time editing features as its iOS and Mac counterparts. The collection officially supports Chrome, Internet Explorer and (logically) Safari, although you'll likely be waiting awhile to try them: only developers get an iWork beta today, and a public beta is due later this year. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190881%
Spacetime Studios celebrates 260 million play sessions with massive infographic
Spacetime Studios, creator of mobile online titles Arcane Legends, Pocket Legends, and Star Legends, just announced a big milestone: The studio's games have seen over 260 million play sessions to date. To celebrate this feat, Spacetime put together a huge infographic packed with interesting figures related to its games and the community of players who support them. According to the numbers, players have killed over six billion enemies, completed over 25 million quests, and formed over 13 million parties. They've consumed over 16 million potions and elixirs and opened enough treasure chests to provide one for every person in New York City. Perhaps most importantly, Spacetime's games have been downloaded over 20 million times. It's all right there in the infographic, featured after the break. [Source: Spacetime Studios press release]
World of Warcraft loses 1.3M subscribers since February, down to 8.3M
Today's Activision-Blizzard financial reports states World of Warcraft took a subscriber hit this quarter, losing 1.3 million players since February. The loss brings the total number of WoW players down to 8.3 million, its lowest level since the launch of the Burning Crusade expansion in 2007. Subscriber levels have fallen by about a third since WoW's post-Cataclysm peak of 12 million subscribers. The loss is hardly unusual -- you have to remember that WoW is a 9-year-old game, and we're at a pretty uninteresting time in the expansion cycle. Have we mentioned yet that we're really excited to see if Blizzard is announcing a new MMO at BlizzCon?
Songza 3.0 update available now
We mentioned Songza's iOS app last year around when it came out, and the music sharing service has just updated the app to version 3.0. The free app has been almost completely reimagined, and while it still offers plenty of tunes to listen to, the interface has been revamped -- it's much cleaner, flatter, and has some nice bits of plain color included. The "Concierge" service is still there and upgraded, so if you simply tell the app what you're doing, it'll try to get you some music to do that with. The company has also focused on ease-of-use, so for example, just holding down any Concierge station button will start up the music, no matter what, so you can get things rolling as quickly as possible. The new version also includes an updated "HQ Audio" system, so the tunes you're hearing can sound as good as possible. As before, Songza can be downloaded for free, and whether you missed it or have wandered away from the app in the past, the latest version adds enough new that it's definitely worth another look. Elias Roman, Songza's co-founder, also tells TUAW that the company has hit a few new milestones recently. The app has just seen its 6 millionth install from the App Store, and served over 560 million songs in just the last month. Songza claims 4.7 million monthly active users, and it says that in total those users spend over 65 million minutes playing tunes every day. That's a sizable user base for sure, and we'll have to see if this updated version makes Songza even more popular.
Windows Phone sees big gains at the expense of BlackBerry and Symbian
Alright, so Microsoft is in no danger of toppling iOS or Android anytime soon. But the analytics firm Kantar has seen significant growth for Windows Phone, largely at the expense of BlackBerry. In practically every major market WP8 has started to chip away at its competitors, growing from 6.2 percent to 6.7 percent share in the UK in just one month. Twelve months ago it was at only three percent in the country. The most dramatic ascent has taken place in Italy where it accounted for just 5.4 percent of handsets sold in February of 2012, and now makes up 13.1 percent of sales. Even in the US Windows Phone is seeing steady, if hardly eye-popping growth. Symbian and BlackBerry are obviously the biggest losers. In Mexico, both platforms have seen double digit drops in their share of sales over the last year. While in the UK, the company formerly known as RIM has gone from a seemingly secure third place with 16.8 percent of the market to a quickly fading fourth with 5.1 percent is just 12 months. Meanwhile, Apple is sitting pretty with hardly a change to its position and Android continues its juggernaut-like assault on all markets. To see the complete global figures check out the images after the break.
