MMO Roundup: Massively's week in review

Engadget
Threads now lets you control who can quote your posts
Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced the update this weekend, saying he hopes it will “help keep Threads a more positive place.” Users can choose to turn off quotes entirely or limit them only to people they follow.
Engadget
Parrots in captivity seem to enjoy video-chatting with their friends on Messenger
A small study led by researchers at the University of Glasgow and Northeastern University compared parrots’ responses when given the option to video chat with other birds via Messenger versus watching pre-recorded videos.
Engadget
Google prohibits ads promoting websites and apps that generate deepfake porn
Google has updated its Inappropriate Content Policy to include language that expressly prohibits advertisers from promoting websites and services that generate deepfake pornography.
Engadget
X is using Grok to publish AI-generated news summaries
X is using Grok to publish AI-generated summaries of news and other topics that trend on the platform.
Engadget
Nintendo blitzes GitHub with over 8,000 emulator-related DMCA takedowns
Nintendo sent a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice for over 8,000 GitHub repositories hosting code from the Yuzu Switch emulator, which the Zelda maker previously described as enabling “piracy at a colossal scale.”
Engadget
Helldivers 2 PC players suddenly have to link to a PSN account and they're not being chill about it
Helldivers 2 players have become frustrated after Sony suddenly required linking to a PSN account to play the game on PC. This was not necessary when the title launched in February.
Engadget
Redfall’s two DLC heroes are still MIA a year later
Microsoft may want to be more careful about leaving a trail of broken promises when games don’t go as planned. A year after Redfall landed with a thud, players are still waiting for the advertised post-launch DLC they already paid for.
Engadget
Instagram's 'Add Yours' sticker now lets you share songs
Instagram has released some new interactive stickers for use in Stories. One of these is a “Reveal” sticker that blurs content, so people have to DM the creator to get it unlocked.
Engadget
Apex Legends is getting a solo mode for the first time in five years
Apex Legends will have a solo mode for the first time in five years when the new season starts on May 7. Respawn said as recently as January it had no plans to bring back the single-player option.
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A four-pack of Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2 trackers is back on sale for $70
A bundle of Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2 Bluetooth trackers is back on sale for $70, matching the lowest price we've tracked.
Engadget
Research indicates that carbon dioxide removal plans will not be enough to meet Paris treaty goals
New research indicates a large “emissions gap” between what actions nations have committed to help remove carbon from the atmosphere and what’s required to meet Paris treaty goals.
Engadget
Rabbit R1 review: A $199 AI toy that fails at almost everything
The Rabbit R1 is a cute AI gadget, but at launch it’s riddled with issues and terrible battery life. When phones can handle similar AI tasks, the R1 doesn’t do enough to justify its existence.
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The Apple Watch Series 9 is back on sale for $299, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals
This week, we found deals on gear from Samsung, Apple, Bose, Anker and more.
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Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft may finally take its first crewed flight next week
Boeing's Starliner crew capsule is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex-41 in Florida on Monday, May 6. The launch window opens at 10:34PM ET. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be on board.
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Google says Epic’s Play Store demands are too much and too self-serving
Google has filed an injunction telling the court that it will not give Epic what it wants without a fight, because the company's asks "stray far beyond the trial record."
Engadget
The best gifts to upgrade your grad’s tech setup
College grads are probably using the same tech they started out with four years ago. Here are the best gadgets you can get them to upgrade their kit, including laptops, headphones, monitors and more.
Engadget
Boom's XB-1 supersonic jet has been authorized to break the speed of sound
Boom's supersonic XB-1 test jet has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to fly past Mach 1.
Engadget
The Morning After: Peloton's grim post-pandemic reality
The biggest news stories this morning: Huawei has been secretly funding research in America after being blacklisted, The best noise-canceling earbuds, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and other Universal artists return to TikTok.
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Engadget Podcast: Kill the Rabbit (R1)
The Rabbit R1 is finally here, and it's yet another useless AI gadget.
Engadget
The best password manager for 2024
Remembering dozens of passwords can be difficult for anyone. These are the best password managers you can use to keep your information safe and secure.

	Star Trek Online launches Ship Architect minigame Cryptic Studios and Atari have announced the availability of a new web-based minigame to complement Star Trek Online wherein players can compete to build ships as quickly as possible and see the results on a global leaderboard. The minigame, designed and developed by a marketing firm called The Game Agency, is currently live on the official Star Trek Online website.
	BioWare "aggressively" exploring new MMO development BioWare's ongoing success in the games industry is something that can't be argued, but the company is anxious to keep things moving forward. BioWare co-founder Dr. Greg Zeschuk spoke at the Develop Conference this morning, and had some very interesting things to say about what the minds behind BioWare have been up to.
	Turbine gives the mod community a thumbs-up for Lord of the Rings Online The winds of change are blowing swiftly across the lands of Middle-earth, as we've just gotten word that Turbine is going to allow the use of Lua scripting for Lord of the Rings Online. A Casual Stroll to Mordor reports that Meghan Rodberg announced the change on a recent episode of The StunCast!.
	Is Star Trek Online due for Turbine's business model? Back in early June, Turbine surprised everyone -- for the second time in a year -- by announcing that Lord of the Rings Online would be moving to a free-to-play model akin to Dungeons and Dragons Online. It seems like a somewhat risky move on one level, but also quite understandable given the success the latter has enjoyed. Now we're hearing potential rumblings of another game heading in that direction -- specifically, from Star Trek Online's new Executive Producer Daniel Stahl.

MMO Roundup: Massively's week in review

Latest Stories

Threads now lets you control who can quote your posts

Parrots in captivity seem to enjoy video-chatting with their friends on Messenger

Google prohibits ads promoting websites and apps that generate deepfake porn

X is using Grok to publish AI-generated news summaries

Nintendo blitzes GitHub with over 8,000 emulator-related DMCA takedowns

Helldivers 2 PC players suddenly have to link to a PSN account and they're not being chill about it

Redfall’s two DLC heroes are still MIA a year later

Instagram's 'Add Yours' sticker now lets you share songs

Apex Legends is getting a solo mode for the first time in five years

A four-pack of Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2 trackers is back on sale for $70

Research indicates that carbon dioxide removal plans will not be enough to meet Paris treaty goals

Rabbit R1 review: A $199 AI toy that fails at almost everything

The Apple Watch Series 9 is back on sale for $299, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft may finally take its first crewed flight next week

Google says Epic’s Play Store demands are too much and too self-serving

The best gifts to upgrade your grad’s tech setup

Boom's XB-1 supersonic jet has been authorized to break the speed of sound

The Morning After: Peloton's grim post-pandemic reality

Engadget Podcast: Kill the Rabbit (R1)

The best password manager for 2024

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	Final Fantasy XIV not due for the Xbox 360 according to Hiromichi Tanaka Final Fantasy XI isn't just one of the only console MMOs in existence, it's also the most successful of the lot, due in part to the wide spread of available platforms. Since the game has long been playable on the Xbox, there were several Final Fantasy XIV fans (or Xbox 360 owners) hoping it would eventually come out on that console as well. But it's not happening, and according to a recently translated interview from 4players.de, the reason rests squarely with Microsoft.
	ArenaNet unveils the Guild Wars 2 ranger Speculation was all over the map: necromancer was a popular choice thanks to the recent sneak peek of Ghosts of Ascalon. Mesmers and some sort of paladin class were suggested, as well as rangers. Things got even more interesting on Monday, when ArenaNet teased the upcoming reveal of a new class. Well, it looks like rangers won out -- ArenaNet announced the ranger class for Guild Wars 2 today.
	Massively Speaking Podcast Episode 107: A chat with Felicia Day Massively Speaking Episode 107 is a very special episode in which Rubi and Shawn are joined by Felicia Day, creator and star of the hit web series, The Guild. Topics include her work on Guild Wars 2's trailer, her MMO inspirations and much more. Plus, we also tackle the week's news, including the possibility of STO going free-to-play and the whole Real ID fiasco.