Wish
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Amazon, Google and Wish pull racist products after investigation
Amazon, Google and Wish have pulled racist products from their stores after an investigation found numerous examples.
Android Instant Apps begins limited testing
Back at last year's Google I/O conference, the search giant introduced a new concept that the Android team had in the works: Instant Apps. The abbreviated applications would be streamlined enough to start working immediately after users open them with a URL tap, temporarily loading the full software's functionality without going through the rigmarole of a traditional Play Store installation. After half a year, the Android team has opened up a select few Instant Apps to live testing.
The Think Tank: One MMO wish for 2015
Every year when we roll out our prediction articles with anything negative (because of course something negative is likely to happen in this industry over the span of a year), a commenter invariably accuses us of wishing for the negative thing to occur. It just ain't so. Predictions aren't wishes. In many cases, we're hoping to be wrong about our suspicions and hunches and dread. We're crossing our fingers that the wind turns and statistical likelihoods are flukily wrong. Can't bet the ranch on hopes and dreams. But wishes can be fun too. That's what we're doing in this first Think Tank of the new year. This, my friends, is what wishes look like.
The Game Archaeologist: The bizarre death of Wish [Updated]
First of all, "wish" is one of those words that ends up looking dang strange the more you focus on it. Wish, wish, wish, wish. It's just a bunch of meaningless lines and squiggles to me now. Anyway, what's up for today's topic? We're going to look at another MMO that didn't make it to the starting gate even with some genuine enthusiasm and hype surrounding it, and that game is wrrrshhsish. Wish. That game is Wish. While memories of this never-launched title have faded with time, Wish is still remembered for two things: a truly audacious feature set that promised the world and an abrupt, bizarre end that seemed to come out of nowhere. What made this MMO so special and why did it die so young? Our very own Game Archaeologist is on the scene with a special report.
One Shots: Views from a beta
It's hard not to turn into a total tourist when you're checking out a new beta. Out comes the fanny pack, the giddy delight of a new world, and most importantly, the camera. Reader Michelle kicks off this week's One Shots column with a screenshot of the first Neverwinter beta weekend. It's a shot of her character Nora overlooking the edge of aptly named Neverdeath Graveyard. We're guessing that the caretaker down there has his hands full. Would you go into such a place if you saw it in real life? I guess that's why we have our avatars to be bold where we would flee! Let's take a look at a few other places where angels fear to tread.
Former Relentless devs open Wish Studios, prototyping new Sony IP
A group of developers from the UK's Relentless Software (makers of the Buzz! franchise and the Blue Toad Murder Files) has splintered off to form a new company called Wish Studios. The developers are already hard at work on a new IP for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Relentless veterans Caspar Field, Paul Brooke, and Tom Bennett joined together to become Wish's respective CEO, CTO and CCO back in July, and are steadily working on the prototype for Sony. The team hasn't announced anything about what the prototype is just yet, except to say that it's "playing beautifully and has enormous potential." Field, Brooke, and Bennett have plenty of experience with downloadable titles and games for Sony's EyeToy peripheral, so perhaps that's a clue. Whenever they want to tell us what the project is, we'll be listening.
9-year-old hangs with PopCap, creates iOS game via Make A Wish Foundation
When you're 9 years old you dream of plenty of things. Thanks to the Make A Wish Foundation, Owain Weinert's dream came true when he got to visit PopCap Games and design his very own video game. Owain's been diagnosed with pre-B Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and has spent several weeks working with PopCap to design his game, Allied Star Police. "This is my dream and I finally get to see my dream come true," he says. "It's a real-time strategy game and I really had fun watching it take shape." Owain's mother Heather seemed bowled over by the kindness PopCap has shown her son. "Today is a real high point," she said during a visit to the company. "Being in the hospital for kids with cancer can be a real downer." PopCap presented Owain with an iPad with the development version of the game, which is due in the App Store in the coming months. Profits will go to the Make A Wish foundation. You can watch a video of Owain's visit to PopCap on the next page (sorry iOS users, no Flash-free version available).
Breakfast Topic: What would you wish for?
Today's breakfast topic is a bit of a roleplaying question as well. Yesterday we heard about the new coins that were added to the water fountain at Dalaran in the Beta of Wrath of the Lich King. There, usinging your fishing skill, you can find coins tossed in by anyone from King Terenas Methenil to "Prince" Magni Bronzebeard, and see what it was that they once wished for. It got me thinking, what would your character wish for if you could toss a coin into the fountain? Even if you don't roleplay, just imagine it for a moment. Or if that's really too much of a stretch for you, imagine that you the player could stand at the edge of that fountain and toss a coin in. Would your wish be any different from a fountain in the real world somewhere? Would you wish for epics, PvP glory, class buffs or something else related to your real life?Even though my main character is a hunter, and war has kind of become her business, she's still a pacifist at heart. She always tries to disable her enemies rather than kill them, and she silently prays to the Light for the soul each person to cross her path, whether friend or foe. At the fountain, she would wish for peace on Azeroth. For my part though, I would personally wish for less QQ, bad mouthing and generally stupid communication in the game (I would save my wishes for peace on earth for a real fountain).
Breakfast Topic: Three WoW wishes
Acks posted an interesting thread in the forums. He asked players to list what their three wishes would be if a WoW genie suddenly appeared to them in a wish-granting mood. While some of the wishes were interesting -- Acks own desire to weild one-handed fish weapons, for instance -- some of them were more along the lines of wanting basic changes to the game mechanics. I am personally intrigued by the concept of one wisher's wanting seige weapons in the game. It certainly would change the game as far as world PvP is concerned. Or how about the idea of the free for all server? I would definitely keep my cherished items in the bank instead of toting around a bag of primals on my person. Now, I put this question to you readers. What would you wish for if you were given three WoW wishes? And no, there is no wishing for more wishes.
