online-experience
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Ask Massively: Squee edition
Part of me could be nervous about what's coming next for Final Fantasy XIV, since it'll mean a lot of big changes for the game and it may no longer be quite the same place I now call home. But most of me is looking at new screenshots and squeeing. Literally squeeing. I mean that I am shaking my fists, beaming with joy, and making a high-pitched noise resembling that of a boiling teakettle. It won't excite everyone, but boy does it excite me. Seeing as I'm being a bit self-indulgent with this week's Ask Massively opener -- which happens about half of the time, I know -- you might not be surprised that this week's question is a little more indulgent, discussing what's expected of MMOs. If you've got a question you'd like to see answered in a future installment of the column, leave it in the comments below or mail it to ask@massively.com. Questions may be edited slightly for clarity and/or brevity.
Apple wants to improve online shopping
Here's an interesting idea -- MacNN is reporting that Apple is working on new ways to improve online shopping. Apparently the biggest music seller in the US thinks that online shopping can feel "sterile and isolating." Hmm.To counteract the isolation, Apple is reportly considering showing customers where other shoppers are in the virtual stores, and maybe even letting customers interact while shopping, via chat or other interfaces. This system would also allow for storewide announcements of special events or sales going down.It's quite a concept -- online store as virtual space -- but the fact for me as a consumer is that I shop online mostly to avoid exactly those things (chatting with less knowledgeable customers and annoying store loudspeaker systems). Even if this idea makes it through the gauntlet and we see this type of thing in Apple's online shopping environments, I doubt the old methods of clicking and browsing by yourself are going away anytime soon.[via MacRumors]
