romance
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Romance your anime boss in Our Two Bedroom Story for iOS and Android
It's a fantasy come true: After admiring him from afar for so long, you're now moving in with your dreamy boss from work. Will this be the beginning of a budding romance, or is it the start of a workplace disaster? It's up to you to keep your professional life on track while spending quality time with your pretty anime boyfriend in Our Two Bedroom Story, a rare English-localized entry in the otome (female audience-targeted) romance simulation genre released today for iOS and Android devices. "As the player is thrown into her secret, new life with her boss," the game's description reads, "she can experience the excitement of seeing a side of her guy that she never sees at work." Our prediction: He refuses to do the dishes and his room smells like a fart circus. It's up to you, then, to shape him into the boyfriend you want him to be while not getting fired from your day job. That would be awkward. Our Two Bedroom Story's prologue chapter is free to download, but to continue your romantic conquest, you'll need to purchase one of two story paths, priced at $3.99 each. The game's epilogues cost an extra $1.99.
Sweet Fuse, a dating game starring Keiji Inafune's niece, out August 27
Sweet Fuse, the Japanese dating sim starring the fictional niece of game designer Keiji Inafune, will hit PlayStation Network and retail shelves for PSP on August 27. In the game, Saki Inafune visits her famous uncle's new amusement park on opening day – the same day that the villain Count Hogstein blows up the Ferris Wheel and forces park employees to participate in a series of deadly games. Saki volunteers (as brave young women do) to play his games and save Uncle Keiji, and somehow this all culminates in a romance story. Pre-order Sweet Fuse via Amazon and get Count Hogstein's skull necklace. Otherwise, be on the lookout for the downloadable game on PSN in North America and Europe on August 27.
Mister is a gay meetup app that aims to help the dating Grind grow up
There aren't a lot of cutting edge apps for gay dating. The most popular one is Grindr, but that app is largely used to find men who want to hook up rather than be your long-term boyfriend. What if you want more than just another hook-up? Why can't there be a grown-up alternative to Grindr? There is, and it's called Mister. With a user base of 1 million there are plenty of other men looking for love on Mister's network, and their new app makes finding "the one" easier than ever. Mister is designed to take gay dating apps beyond the limit of hook-up culture and truly help each user focus on a well-rounded image of the men they're looking for. Unlike Grindr, which limits you to 130 characters in your profile, Mister provides 3,000 characters to present an image of who you truly are. Instead of the one picture Grindr allows, Mister allows you to post 25. Every day users get 30 personalized introductions, and the app's learning engine allows it to evolve its selections over time to help you find a better match. Matches are done using a mix of geolocation and Mister's web server, leveraging the web server's power to give you better searches. In addition, the new app is faster, sleeker and easier to browse than ever before. Mister CEO Carl Sandler created Mister as a place that emphasizes maturity, safety and respect in the app dating scene. When I spoke to Sandler last week, he explained the motive accordingly: A lot of people in other apps created an environment that was very much aimed at people who look really great in one photo of themselves. Especially shirtless. So if you happen to not be the kind of person that has a washboard stomach or is 23, Grinder sort of became a place that wasn't for you. It wasn't inclusive of a lot of people. There are reasons for that, but a lot of it is because Grindr was designed as a hook-up app. And a lot of people are looking for more than that. To that end Mister also features an encouraged, but optional, MISTER code of ethics. Maturity: MISTERs act like adults. No games. No attitude. Integrity: MISTERs live authentically and honestly. Safety: MISTERs protect themselves and their partners, emotionally and physically. Truth: MISTERs represent themselves accurately in their profiles. Enjoyment: MISTERs value mutually pleasurable experiences. Respect: MISTERs treat each other with respect. The MISTER code creates an environment that's free of the sometimes outright insulting and hostile stances taken on other apps. Sandler told me: This is a space for real men that's about being themselves. You don't have to pretend to be some kind of super jock or athlete. You can have a space that's about authentic experiences and conversations. We want to use the app to empower people not to have shame around dating. You can go on the app to look around and have a good time, or find dates. I'd say we're somewhere between a Match.Com and a Grindr. Mister's redesigned app is debuting exclusively on iOS today, with an Android version coming out in the fall. iOS was the logical place to debut the app, considering around 70 percent of its current users have iPhones.
Drama Mamas: Games vs. relationship
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. When leisure activities take priority over responsibilities and relationships, bad things happen. In this week's case, the leisure activities in question are MMOs. Hello, I've read your article about Love, marriage and WoW. Unfortunately, I am in a situation that looks alike. My fiancé and I have been together for 5 years and we've gone through a lot, but we still have issues because of his gaming habits. We both are gamers and it is our main activity, but we don't really play together, which is alright at some point. I mostly play console games and he's into pc games such as Mmos or online games on Steam. I tried to play with him at some point, but it never lasts.
Drama Mamas: The case of the disagreeing duo
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. The duo in the letter disagrees and so does our Drama Mamas duo. Hello Drama Mamas! I recently moved in with my boyfriend, Sam, who I dated long distance for two years. I have never been happier! As you know, sometimes certain things that weren't a problem when long distance can become big ugly problems when living together. When we were long distance, Sam and I made several WoW pairs together, so we could play and be together and have fun. Almost all of those pairs have me tanking (because I love leading and tanking and fast queues keep us entertained) and some of these pairs have him healing me as I tank. All too often tanks are treated poorly. I understand that tanks may not seem necessary when leveling, but I wish more DPS would understand that many tanks find proper tanking fun, and so pulling ahead and ripping aggro can be an act of outright funsucking.
Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi coming to the 3DS in America
Aksys Games has announced a North American release of Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi on the Nintendo 3DS. The game is based on Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, which made it to the PSP last February.The female-focused "otome" romance game comes to Nintendo's handheld with new story content and some 3DS-specific features, like 3D graphics and the ability to take your potentially creepster picture with the story's main characters.No release date has been announced yet, but those interested can stay tuned to the official site for more.
Drama Mamas: Girlfriend gamer
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. Do you remember when WoW was shiny and new? Ah, memories. Dear Drama Mamas, I am fairly new to gaming. I started playing about 4 months ago and have since become borderline obsessed with how much fun I am having. There are tons of things to do and I love discovering new things all the time. Currently I belong to my Boyfriend's guild. We play on a very low pop server and there are currently only 4 active members in the guild. He and His friends like it that way- and that's fine. They are all in charge and have been gaming forever. Mostly they focus on occasional PVP (and pet battles- don't tell him I told you!). I really enjoy playing with them and don't feel self conscious about my occasional noob-ness,However I feel that being a part of his guild/ playing on a low pop. server is a limiting experience for me as a newer gamer.
Drama Mamas: Of flings and friendships
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. Harassment is as harassment does. Dear Drama Mamas, To put it simply, I am incredibly overwhelmed by a mix of issues with my guild both online and off. I have been with the same guild since about 2009(ish) and was one of the founding members. I assisted with raid leading, recruitment, and many other facets of keeping things running. Myself, our guild leader - who I will call J, and a fellow officer, W were all very close friends for several years. Until I made a fatal mistake. During a guild event myself and W got... a little too close. I know it was a mistake and it has been having a negative impact on my life for several years now. Whenever I would date anyone else, W would become incredibly jealous and angry, to the point of threatening me, and making incredibly lewd remarks to me via e-mail or messenger services. J, on the other hand did not want to become involved (reasonably so, I think) and would not address the issue.
The Perfect Ten: Romantic game activities
I assure you, it's a complete coincidence that I'm writing a column on romance the week of Valentine's Day. Seriously: I have a 10-gallon cowboy hat filled to the brim with ideas for Perfect Ten and draw one every two weeks. It just so happened that -- again, in a complete coincidence -- the topic of romance and a romance-centric holiday occurred on the same day. You're not buying it, are you. I've always said that you're too wily for me. Whether or not Valentine's Day is something you do, gaming couples do turn to their favorite hobby for a virtual dating hotspot from time to time. It only makes sense. These aren't just worlds where we are celebrated serial killers and butchers of entire races but places in which we live out pretend lives while taking it very, very seriously. So if you're ever in the position where you want to go on a date in-game, here are 10 romantic activities that this Casanova suggests.
Valentine's Day around the virtual world
Do you hear the chirping of songbirds in love? Do you see the flirtacious glance that cute Orc is giving you from across the battlefiend? Do you smell the flowers of romance in bloom all around you? If so, man, you've got it bad. Fortunately for those suffering from VDAS -- Valentine's Day Addiction Syndrome -- plenty of MMOs are on hand to provide you with a temporary fix until you get proper medication and are carted away to a professional love care facility. It may not be the biggest of holidays in the virtual world, but when love arrives in February, it cannot be denied. And who knows for you single folk? The man, woman, or one-eyed Gnome of your dreams might just stumble over you on this fine day! Read on as we sum up some of the larger Valentine's events in MMOs today.
SWTOR wants to hug every cat-person, including Aric Jorgan
BioWare is reviving its in-depth look at Star Wars: The Old Republic by hosting a look at the grumpiest of Cathar, Aric Jorgan. Jorgan stars in the latest Companions 101 as the author takes a closer look at what makes this Trooper sidekick tick. Jorgan's personality and history are up front and center in the article, although it does devolve into the issue of personal relationships. As one of the potential romances of SWTOR, Jorgan's has a gruff personality that needs a little finessing to get past. The article gives a few pointers for wooing Jorgan as well as an overview of how he feels about the other companions on the team. BioWare's also included a look at Jorgan's different visual options and a couple of cool wallpapers if you don't have enough grumpy cats on your computer monitor already.
Fox News discusses Star Wars: The Old Republic's gay expansion planet
Star Wars: The Old Republic fans already know that Makeb is the Planet of Gay, containing far more gay than even the fabled Gay Level on Coruscant. Or perhaps it's just the sight of the game's upcoming expansion, Rise of the Hutt Cartel, which will feature the first implementation of same-gender romances in the game. These romances will be limited to characters already on the planet rather than new or existing companions. This is not new information for most players. However, it's news to Fox News, whose take on the planet's status is... slightly different. According to Fox News, Makeb will be the "gay planet" added in the expansion, likening the current limitation of this new content to segregation and noting that many players are opposed the inclusion of same-sex relationships in the game. There is no mention of the number of players requesting the feature, nor of the variety of (presumably) non-gay quests and content available on Makeb. In short, it's missing a number of nuances regarding the situation, something that might be good for a raised eyebrow or two from fans and detractors alike.
Samsung releases Galaxy Note II source code, gives modders a big fish to fry
If you've managed to stretch your hands around a Galaxy Note II smartphone already, but were hoping to get a custom ROM on it, there's good news: Samsung has just released the source code. It's now been posted for the international GT-N7100 model, giving developers a peek at the 5.5-incher's inner workings and allowing them to get to work on new mods. The company has been faithfully posting its Android code for handsets like the Galaxy S III shortly after they've gone on sale, letting developers like CyanogenMod release custom ROMs scant weeks afterward. So, if you get tired of TouchWiz or want root control of the pen-enabled behemoth, you can be sure someone's on the job right now.
Drama Mamas: Crushed by a crush
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. Do you play WoW with someone you secretly have a crush on? How is that working out for you? This week's letter writer is worried, and Lisa and I disagree as to what to do about it. Hello Drama Mamas, I am a very happy WoW player, enjoying every aspect of the game and always being able to find something funny and rewarding to do - I have done Arena, Raiding, leveling and also achievement hunting with the same level on enjoyment - I truly love this game and what it has to offer me. Despite enjoying end game content I am not the player that like the environment of a progressing raid guild or a pvp Guild that runs RBGs or other high-ranked PvP action; I am one of those players that is able to play regularly with a casual approach. This is the first step that made me join a "Casual/Social" Guild about one year ago; there, I found a lot of players with my same interests and since then I had even more fun playing this game.
Choose My Adventure: The indie edition
It might be your time up there, but it's my time -- my time -- down here! For this latest edition of Choose My Adventure, I get to hand out a selection of odd little games for you to vote on, and then for the next month and change, I will stumble my way through the title. At your direction and with your help, of course. The trouble is that I have already played darn near everything. I've downloaded and tried so many games that I simply can't remember them all. So, what to do? Well, I decided to give a mix of games a chance at several weeks coverage here on Massively. I picked out an assortment of browser games, independent titles, and lesser-known client-based MMOs. Hopefully you will steer me the right way, and if I am lucky, I won't even have a horrible time. I chose games that I know have a robust community in the hopes that plenty of voters will turn out. The key is to get the word out there, so if you have a favorite, go tell your community! But first, click past the cut and vote on the game you would like to see me tackle for the next several weeks. Just don't expect to see triple-A games on the list!
Amazon and Avalon in a tree, publishing romance books di-gi-tal-ly
Amazon Publishing and long-running book-maker Avalon now has more in common than rhyme schemes. The pair have struck up a deal to publish over 3,00 titles from the publisher's back-catalogue, broaching its romance, mystery and western genres. It'll be the first time that these books will be digitized and, well, Oprah's always looking for stuff to read.
Drama Mamas: Love triangle or just stay friends?
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. Confess your love or respect your friend's new relationship? Dear Drama-Mamas, After reading both articles concerning two different love triangles, I felt compelled to write this. I'm sort of in one at the moment. Sort of, because I'm the crusher, secretly of course. What's worse about it is that she's my friend, of nine years, we met back on another MMO and while our friendship has had a few ups and downs, we always came back to each other stronger. We've both seen the other go through several relationships and bounce back as well.
Drama Mamas: More unwanted sexual attention
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. Female gamers in the wrong guilds can have a really rough time of it. Dear Drama Mamas I am hoping that you can help me break a pattern that has been occurring for quite a few years across many MMOs. I have tried everything I can think of but every time I join a guild, the same thing keeps happening again and again (with some slight variations). In the last three years, I haven't lasted longer than three months in any guild nor in any MMO!
World of Warcraft is the new Match.com
Are you single? Do you want to be a little bit less single? Are your friends telling you that you should stop spending so much time talking with them online and more time looking for dates? Well, according to a recent infographic, your friends might be completely off-base. Onlineuniversity.net put together a graphic comparing World of Warcraft to the popular dating site Match.com, and the results come out pretty firmly in favor of blood elves. So how does it look? According to the graphic, World of Warcraft has more than 10 times as many people involved as Match.com, and people sink more time into online gaming than any online dating site. There's also a number of factors that suggest slaughtering virtual trolls as a better way to bond than a cup of coffee. So while it's still probably bad form to hit on your raid leader between pulls, maybe you're not entirely off the mark. Unless she's married.
Drama Mamas: The love triangle strikes again
Drama Mamas Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are experienced gamers and real-life mamas -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of the checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your realm. The lovelorn player who's fallen in love with someone in an existing real-world relationship -- it's almost a cliché, it's so common. It would be all too easy for us to tut-tut with a gentle chuckle and a weary shake of the head, but the pain and confusion in these situations is never sharper or fresher than to those who find themselves there. The Drama Mamas have addressed this situation before, albeit from another perspective, although the form of the letter and our reply themselves unfortunately may have stolen some of the thunder of that previous message. We'd like to revisit that reply again this week -- but first, of course, this week's letter: Dear Drama Mamas, I have read your column for a long time and always read about people having their heartbroken and relationships ruined due to their cheating significant other. This time, I am the other woman. I have played WoW since release and have never been interested in anyone online. I've been on and off with the same man since then and the relationship (when it's happening) is fairly broken. We both aren't willing to put in the effort to fix it, so we just let it be. Recently, I've met the most amazing person I have ever known, through WoW. Lets make things more complicated! He's engaged, he lives with her, he loves her but feels he's not happy nor is she right for him.
