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G20 leaders will discuss raising taxes for big tech firms next week
For years, European countries have been grappling with how to get big tech firms to pay more taxes. They've proposed interim taxes on revenues, suggested global minimum taxes and slapped companies with hefty fines. We may be getting closer to a solution. Next week, G20 finance ministers are expected to discuss a proposed tax overhaul that would target big multinational firms, including Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook.
EVE Evolved: Rebuilding EVE's corporation tools
The MMO genre is defined by the online interactions of thousands of players, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the single-shard sandbox of EVE Online. While it's possible to play EVE solo, it's the players who make most of the game's meaningful content, and it's only in your emergent interactions with other players that I think the game truly comes to life. Some time ago, I wrote about the importance of CCP supporting EVE's power players, the corporation owners, fleet commanders, and event organisers who give the rest of us something fun to do. Now it looks like CCP is starting to deliver that support, with developers currently looking at updating EVE's archaic corp management tools. CCP Punkturis recently asked corporation owners for a list of the most annoying "little things" they'd like to see fixed with the corporation management interface and was instead flooded with requests for big features and complete overhauls. Developers later confirmed on The o7 Show that at least one highly requested big feature is definitely on its way: CEOs will soon be able to switch off friendly-fire between corp members. The threat of corporate infiltrators attacking corp members has been a massive barrier preventing corps from recruiting new players, so its removal is good news for everyone (except spies). So now that corporation management is finally back on the drawing board, what other features do corp owners need? In this edition of EVE Evolved, I look at a few ideas for corporation tools and features that would make EVE a better place for everyone.
EVE Online solicits feedback for UI revamp
That there above is the new user interface for EVE Online, so what do you think? Well, you can tell us, but CCP really wants you to tell it, as the studio is asking for feedback on the upcoming UI overhaul. "For the look itself, we want EVE's UI to look and feel more like something fitting a science fiction universe, and a bit less like an operating system," CCP posted today. The team posted its goals for the overhaul, including making it feel more intuitive, allowing for semi-transparent windows, using colors "in a sensible way," and tweaking the icons to fit thematically within a group. Currently, the UI changes are on the test server for any and all to try out.
Darkfall makes plans for a localized economy
The Darkfall team is deep in preparations for the creation of a "localized economy package" to boost this critical part of this fantasy title. "For us, as well as the community from what we see, a functional economy is the stepping stone for a proper sandbox, so our attention is focused on it," the team stated. In a forum post today, the goals of these plans were outlined. This package will include new raw materials, additional recipes, a better inventory system, tiered clan vaults, nerfed instant travel, quicker land travel, beasts of burden, and a focus on localized markets instead of a worldwide trading system. This economy update is tentatively planned for either December 2014 or January 2015. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
EVE Evolved: Features coming in Oceanus and beyond
It's been almost four months since EVE Online switched from publishing two major expansions per year to releasing ten smaller updates, and so far it looks like the new schedule has been a huge success. Rather than forcing the industry overhaul out the door in Kronos before it was ready, CCP was able to push it forward to the Crius release window seven weeks later and the extra development time meant the feature launched in a very polished state. It may be too early to tell if the new schedule's success can be seen in the concurrent player graph for Tranquility, but the numbers have remained steady for the past few months in what is typically the annual low-point for player activity. The Oceanus update is scheduled to go live in just two day's time, adding several graphical upgrades, more difficult burner missions, an experimental new notification feature, and other small improvements. The scale of the update seems to be on par with the recent Hyperion release, consisting of mostly small features and minor iterations on gameplay. While we're told that CCP is still working on large projects behind the scenes, the new release schedule means they won't be rushed out the door and so we may not see them for some time. In this edition of EVE Evolved, I summarise everything we know about Tuesday's Oceanus update, and take a look at what's to come in further releases.
EVE Evolved: Has the industry revamp worked?
When I was first introduced to EVE Online back in 2004, a big part of the attraction for me was the promise of a huge player-run economy in which the only real laws were those of supply and demand. With only a handful of tech 1 ships and modules available to build and everything made out of the same basic minerals, science and industry were pretty easy for new players to figure out. Over the years, more complexity has slowly been added to industry via features like Starbases, Salvaging, Capital Ships, Tech 2 Invention, Planetary Interaction and Tech 3 Reverse Engineering. Today's industrialists have to contend with hundreds of different items that are often arranged in sprawling component manufacturing chains, which can make it hard to figure out exactly how to make a profit. The recent industry revamp attempted to solve this problem with a full user interface overhaul and a revamp of material costs and manufacturing prices. All of the relevant information for using a blueprint was packed into a slick new combined Industry UI, allowing new players to find the info they're looking for in-game rather than through websites or opening dozens of item info windows. It's now been almost two months since the industry revamp went live, and while the market for many items is still going to take several months to fully stabilise, the dust has finally begun to settle. So what's the verdict? Has the industry revamp worked? In this edition of EVE Evolved, I consider whether the industry revamp has been successful, how easy it is to make a profit in the new system, and whether it's worth setting up your own industrial starbase.
EVE Evolved: How to fix nullsec territorial warfare
If you've been playing EVE Online lately or just following the major events in the game, it can't have escaped your notice that nullsec has become a bit stagnant. The lawless nullsec regions are supposed to be politically unstable territories claimed by hundreds of warring player-run alliances, but today they're dominated primarily by just two or three mega-coalitions. Individual alliances can no longer hold out against the combined forces of the coalitions and must either pick a side or be annihilated. The coalitions have even signed agreements not to take space from each other by force, and players are being bored to death as a result. Two weeks ago, I examined the history of force projection in EVE Online and made the argument that capital ships and jump drives ultimately created today's nullsec problems. Increases in mobility have led to alliances teaming up over vast distances, making mega-coalitions an inevitable outcome. It's obviously too late to remove capital ships or jump logistics, but there are plenty of other ways to potentially fix the nullsec problem. We had some great discussions in the comments of the previous article about how this complex problem could be solved without making warfare the painful slog it was back in 2004, and I believe it's possible. In this edition of EVE Evolved, I lay out some ideas for new game mechanics that could solve the current nullsec crisis and may meet CCP's goals for the eventual sovereignty revamp that's on the way.
Basement Crawl devs want to fix their 'bad product', apologize to customers
Developer Bloober Team is headed "back to the drawing board" with its downloadable PlayStation 4 game Basement Crawl, announcing plans to recreate the project from scratch following a largely negative critical reception. Inspired by Hudson's Bomberman series, Basement Crawl is a multiplayer action game in which players compete to be the last creature standing in a series of explosive overhead-view battles. Critics were not fond of the final product upon its launch earlier this year, citing a wide range of gameplay flaws and technical issues.
NCsoft announces Valiance, Lineage II's next expansion
NCsoft has just announced Valiance, a new content expansion for Lineage II set for launch at some point before the end of the year. According to the company, the new content includes a storyline that "wreaks havoc across the lands" and brings big mechanics changes and skill updates. Valiance marks the return of the Hellbound zone, which has been upgraded with new areas and hunting parties. NCsoft has added 25 new skills to the game, tweaked a number of existing skills, and entirely reworked the core skill system. Additionally, the studio is implementing an abilities system that allows players to customize skills to make characters more specialized. Some of Lineage II's most popular raid bosses are also on deck to return. More information should be forthcoming as Valiance edges toward launch. Lineage II just celebrated its 10th anniversary in Korea; April 2014 marks 10 years of Lineage II in the west. [Source: NCsoft press release]
Ouya overhauls Free the Games Fund
Responding to the ongoing controversy surrounding Ouya's Free the Games Fund, CEO Julie Uhrman issued a statement and video discussing changes coming to the program. For starters, instead of the $50,000 funding minimum required of project creators to be eligible for the program, Uhrman said the requirement is now $10,000. Plus, for every $10,000 raised on Kickstarter by project creators, they will now need to have a minimum of 100 backers to maintain eligibility. "The program wasn't perfect, we're fixing it, and if it's still not perfect, tell us and we'll fix it again," Uhrman said. "But I think it's important to note that we're not going to pull this program. We think great games can be found by you, the gamer, who loves Ouya, who wants to see something special on it." As part of the changes coming to the program, Ouya won't demand a guaranteed six months of exclusivity for project creators anymore. Rather, for every $10,000 in rewards issued by Ouya in matching crowdfunding efforts, developers will need to agree to one month of exclusivity. Uhrman noted one exception to the rule, as developers will be able to launch simultaneously on PC. Uhrman said Gridiron Thunder developer MogoTXT has notified Ouya that it is backing out of the Free the Games Fund, as it "raised enough money on Kickstarter to launch it on their own." MogoTXT earned $171,009 from just 183 backers in its campaign, helping ignite the controversy surrounding the program. Ouya recently removed another game from the program, Dungeons: The Eye of Draconus. To get a brief summary of the Free the Games Fund's short, yet eventful life, check out our video recap.
Bing's overhauled News layout highlights trending social topics, rapid downfall of humanity
You know who seems like someone well equipped to dictate what shows up on a news site? That weird guy in your Facebook feed who is way, way too vocal about his political beliefs. Blatant sarcasm aside, Bing News has overhauled its web portal in order to accomplish two primary goals: look less like Google News, and surface stories that are trending. Naturally, the new look is built for touch -- you did buy a touchscreen-enabled laptop, didn't you? -- and it'll "automatically adapt to fit your browser width." Furthermore, "the latest buzz" from social channels will be highlighted, leaving news that actually matters to languish somewhere in the abyss. But hey, the next Casey Anthony trial is totally the most important thing ever, right?
Darkfall Unholy Wars finally launches
The next iteration of Darkfall is underway! Aventurine today announced that Darkfalls Unholy Wars has finally released after several delays and a lengthy beta. The sandbox MMO is a complete revamp of the original Darkfall with several new features, and it requires the purchase of a client and a subscription fee to play. Aventurine General Manager Tasos Flambouras seems relieved to have reached this stage: "After five months of beta we are happy to launch Darkfall Unholy Wars. We are grateful to our playtesters for their contribution to the game and we're happy to have them with us as players today. Darkfall Unholy Wars is the best combat MMORPG experience and our pledge is that it will continue evolving and pushing the PvP envelope."
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition crit-hits Mac on Feb. 22
Mac users eager to get their D20-rolling hands on Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition will be able to do so very soon. The upgraded version of the turn-based classic will make the journey to Mac on February 22. The Mac version is available for pre-loading now via Beamdog, carrying the same $20 price as its PC counterpart.If you're curious as to how well the game holds up, check out our Deja Review.
EVE Evolved: Retribution is freaking awesome!
Shortly after the Retribution expansion's deployment, a thread popped up on the EVE Online forums that proved to me that the expansion had been a massive success. In the thread titled So that's what victory in this game feels like, miner Tiberius StarGazer explained that he has always felt like he had no way to get back at people who wronged him. After losing millions of ISK in ships to pirate attacks, he was almost ready to give up on EVE. But when Retribution landed, he was able to sell his kill rights to the public so that every player vigilante who crossed his attacker's path could try to take him down without warning. After just a few hours, Tiberius got a notification that put a smile on his face: He had his first taste of revenge. He'd dealt more damage back to his attacker by clicking a button than had ever been done to him, and the attacker wasn't happy about it. He threatened to find Tiberius and kill him again, and that simple miner's reply said all I needed to know about how successful Retribution has been: "I have deep pockets. Every kill you make on me, I will add as a bounty on your corp; every kill right, I will sell. I can't fight you but others can and you will have to lose five times my loss for wronging me." Retribution has finally given industrialists a reliable way to get revenge and use their wealth as a weapon! In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the PvP that's springing up in empire space, how the new flagging mechanics affect baiting, and what the ship revamp means for new players.
Allods Online overhauls female model and animations
Female Xadaganians in Allods Online are in for a treat come patch 3.05. The devs recognized that the characters didn't look up to snuff compared to the other races and genders and thus have devoted some time to giving them (yes) a makeover. Are we in an '80s romcom montage or what? The makeover for the women includes a more detailed character model, improved animations, an additional face, and more hairstyles. The team is also tweaking hair models so that locks of hair will now be seen falling from inside of whatever helm that character is wearing. To promote the Xadaganian makeover, gPotato released a video diary starring actress Nataliya Zemtsova. Zemtsova was used for the motion capture and voiceovers of the new models and is apparently amazed that you can assign a character a name. Check it out after the jump!
Digg to get a complete redesign, relaunch in August
Well, that was fast. Not two weeks after Digg was bought out by Betaworks (parent company to Bit.ly, among other startups), we're learning the crowd-sourced news aggregator is poised to relaunch as soon as August 1. In a blog post, the 10-person engineering team promises an overhaul of the site, once a litmus test for what was popular on the internet. Most interesting, perhaps, is the revelation that while Digg will not be a rebadged version of News.me, the aggregation app already owned by Betaworks, the two services will eventually be folded into one product. And while the team isn't revealing how, exactly, the new Digg will differ from the old, they did promise it would eventually receive personalization features similar to what News.me already offers. Other than that, Betaworks didn't share any specifics, but luckily, you'll only have to wait two weeks to find out what's in store.
EVE Evolved: The great ship overhaul
One of EVE Online's most important features is that the game is constantly updated to avoid falling behind the development curve and being overtaken by new titles. The EVE we have today bears little resemblance to the primitive sandbox released in 2003 thanks to major graphical overhauls every few years and iteration on gameplay systems. I think that's a big part of why people start playing EVE; they know that the game will still be alive and kicking years from now and will look as good as anything else on the market. EVE remained largely unchanged from March 2009's Apocrypha expansion until Crucible at the end of 2011, but since then, CCP has made huge leaps in iterating on ship graphics and gameplay. This week we saw an impressive new video of the revamped Drake model, and CCP announced details of a complete mining barge and frigate revamp due to hit the servers before this year's winter expansion. These changes seem set to put a sizeable dent in EVE's notoriously steep learning curve. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at the recent graphical updates to EVE's ships and explore the upcoming ship overhauls in more detail.
German studio SilentFuture resurrecting Earthrise
Fans of Masthead Studios' late sandbox MMO, Earthrise, have cause to rejoice today. The Wuppertal, Germany-based studio SilentFuture announced in a press release today that it will be taking over development and operation of the title, which was shut down in February earlier this year. According to the press release, the studio is currently working on a complete overhaul of the game, from backstory to gameplay to technology. SilentFuture plans to have the game up and running again sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Earthrise will return as a free-to-play title in which players "no longer find themselves in a post-apocalyptic world" but rather are "part of the apocalypse itself." Sounds promising! Hopefully we can look forward to more details in the coming weeks, but at least we know one thing for sure: Earthrise is back! [Source: SilentFuture press release]
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition getting OSX version, cross-platform multiplayer
OSX users looking to get their nostalgia on with Overhaul Games' Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition won't have to resort to Boot Camp black magic. The game will be natively OSX compatible, according to Beamdog creative director Trent Oster.All three ports will reportedly "play similar," despite the fact that the iPad version uses a touch interface. Oster also announced cross-platform multiplayer for the title, which does exactly what it sounds like by allowing PC, OSX and iPad users to all Baldur around together in the same games. Console players, however, may never get chance to join in all these reindeer games, as Beamdog is "pursuing a non-console strategy."
FCC revamps Lifeline phone service, cuts the fat from carriers' bottomlines
With a site redesign freshly under its belt, the FCC's setting its recently honed eye for modernization on other, more pertinent areas of its jurisdiction -- like Lifeline. The universal program, a means of guaranteeing affordable phone service to low-income families, hadn't exactly kept pace with changes in the telecom industry, overlooking consumers' preference for wireless and the growing need for pervasive broadband access. That's all set to change with new measures adopted by the Commission today designed to curb carrier abuse of the antiquated system and automate the enrollment process by eliminating unnecessary duplicate accounts and subsidies. A pilot program to offer and potentially bundle discounted, high-speed internet to eligible participants is also underway, with potential ISP partners currently being solicited for inclusion. All told, the moves could wind up saving the federal agency over $2 billion in misdirected funds over a three-year span, leaving more money on the table to help your average Joe and Jane America step firmly into the 21st century.
