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ICYMI: California water woes, VR arcade life and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-599462{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-599462, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-599462{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-599462").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: California adjusted the details in the project to address the water crisis in the state by diverting water, called WaterFix. VR gaming is being visualized at Sundance as a multiplayer theme park paradise. And a new smart mirror designed to simply take photos of full outfits has us feeling a little crazy. Which is where this Japanese product to capture bad guys comes in for the laugh relief. Please share any interesting science or tech videos, anytime! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd.
Pando Media Booster 'update' is actually a browser hijack
Remember Pando Media Booster? No? It was bloatware third-party software that some MMO companies -- notably Turbine and NCsoft -- used to force onto their users' machines, ostensibly to speed up peer-to-peer downloading of launchers and game clients. Fortunately PMB died a well-deserved death in August of 2013, but those of you who may have unintentionally left it lurking on your machine should be aware of a security risk masquerading as a Pando update. According to Reddit user object404, if you receive a pop-up message offering you the chance to update PMB, what it's really offering is the Sweet Page browser virus, which you can remove by following these instructions.
The Daily Grind: Has F2P piqued your interest in Aion?
I used to know a thing or two about Aion. Covering the game was my first assignment for Massively, in fact, and throughout the spring of 2010, that's exactly what I did. The high-level grind (and an incurable case of wanderlust) ultimately did me in, though, so I waved goodbye to Atreia aside from the occasional dungeon-running guild reunion. Now that the game is back on everyone's radar -- complete with some shiny new features like player housing -- I'm patching my NCsoft launcher, frowning at the forced Pando Media Booster installation, and preparing to dust off my 55 Sorcerer. What about you, early-birds? Is free-to-play and a ton of new content enough to (re)kindle your interest in Aion? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Setting the record straight: Massively's interview with Pando Networks
In a recent installment of The Daily Grind, we mentioned the use of third party downloaders for MMOs, asking your opinions on the topic. The general consensus seemed to be an overall negative opinion of these clients, including a (sometimes quite strong) dislike for Pando Media Booster -- a piece of software that's mostly known in MMO circles from games like Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online. After the post ran, Pando Networks contacted Massively hoping to clear up some of the questions and concerns surrounding the Pando Media Booster. We called up CEO Robert Levitan, who was eager to set the record straight with much to say about the technological features -- both real and misunderstood -- about his company's product. Follow along after the jump for the complete interview.
The Daily Grind: Do you loathe third-party downloaders?
Every time I boot up Lord of the Rings Online or Dungeons and Dragons Online, I'm reminded that somewhere on my computer lurks Pando Media Booster. Ostensibly, Pando and software like Pando helps MMO players to download game clients, but they also spread out the load and track other information presumably of use to the game companies themselves. I've deleted Pando and similar software from my PC multiple times, but some games just don't function well without them. Players have been known to suggest the whole system of third-party installers and downloaders and launchers is nothing more than bloatware, or worse, malware and spyware. Am I alone in loathing MMO patchers that are really torrents I can't disable, launchers that lump the entirety of a company's games together, and third-party download whatever-ware that won't go away? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Pando Networks studies growth of F2P MMOs, makes infographic
Pando Networks, creator of the ubiquitous Pando Media Booster, has done a study on the growth of the F2P MMO industry. The data, which can be viewed in a handy infographic after the cut, shows that the number of people downloading free-to-play online games grew by 450% between 2009 and 2011. According to the study, the increase in players has come from a number of large titles -- such as Lord of the Rings Online -- making the switch to a F2P model. Also mentioned is the ever-popular MOBA, League of Legends. The study also notes that this huge growth isn't just happening in the United States or Europe; it's a worldwide phenomenon. In Latin America, the number of people downloading F2P titles rose by 595%, while the number of people downloading free-to-play titles in Japan and Australia rose by 392% and 234%, respectively. For the full infographic, just click on past the cut and have a look. [Source: Pando Networks press release]
The Daily Grind: Is your bandwidth too slow?
Pando Networks recently released a study measuring internet speeds all across the world. Not surprisingly, South Korea came out at the top of that list with an average download speed of 2,202 KBps. To MMO gamers, our connection is our life. We don't enjoy a hiccup in the tubes, but it gives us a handy excuse when we die in PvP, right? Government restrictions, lack of proper infrastructure, and a general lack of technological understanding and foresight all contribute to the slow speeds that plague the rest of the civilized world. So with this Pando study in mind, we'd like to conduct an informal study of our own among the greatest internet citizens of all time: the Massively readers. What's your internet speed? Is it too slow, too fast (impossible!), or just right for your gaming needs? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
How fat are your tubes? Pando Networks studies average US net speeds
Pando Networks, a content delivery provider for a variety of free-to-play MMOs such as Lord of the Rings Online and MapleStory, has released a study on the average download speeds across the United States. To do this, the company tracked the download speeds of 4 million gamers' games and patches from January to June 2011. So what were the findings? Well, the fastest state in the US was Rhode Island, with an average of 894 KBps. The slowest state, with a download speed nearly a third of Rhode Island's, was Idaho, which came in with a rather paltry average of 318KBps. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study also found that download speed averages tended to be highest in "fairly affluent, metropolitan suburbs," such as the prosperous Andover suburb of Boston. On the other end of the spectrum there are cities such as Yuma, AZ, Mission, TX, and Pocatello, ID, where speeds don't break 290 KBps. The study also got a look at the average speeds of major ISPs, with Comcast at the top spot with an average speed of 890KBps, and with Verizon (788KBps) and Cox (757KBps) coming in close behind. Roadrunner is the caboose of the group with a download speed average of 673KBps. Curious about how fat the interweb tubes are in your city or state? Jump past the cut for some spiffy interactive maps courtesy of Pando.
