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GDC10: Massively's picks for the best of GDC
GDC 2010 has come and gone and as we recover from the insanity a bit, we thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on our favorites from last week. Although the Game Developer's Conference isn't usually made to be as flashy as E3 or PAX, it is mostly catered towards students looking to break into the industry, panels and summits interesting to only other developers and a few demos. This in mind, we compiled a short list of what made the biggest impact on us, pertaining to MMOs. Although there were plenty of other exciting demos, booths and panels, we're keeping these awards strictly to MMO-related topics. Follow along after the jump for our complete list.
Year-end reflections and predictions roundup
All our prognostications, anticipations, best-of lists and year-end reflections -- in one handy place. Our favorite iPhone games of 2009 The first full year of the App Store is coming to a close, and so let's take a look back at our favorite games of 2009. Note that these aren't best-selling, most important, or even the best games... TUAW bloggers post their Apple predictions for 2010 It's the end of another calendar year, which can mean only two things. First, every blog is going to be posting lists of 2009 retrospectives, and second, there are going to be a lot of posts... Our Favorite Apps: Stuff that stayed on our phones in 2009 As the year draws to a close, we thought we'd shine a spotlight on some of the favorite apps we used this year. These are the "sticky" apps, the ones that lingered on our iPhones after we gave... Also of interest: Apple nabs four of Engadget's 10 gadgets of the decade January 1 reflections on my favorite things How early iPhone predictions fared in the face of reality Two broken promises from AT&T and Apple as 2009 comes to a close
Engadget says Xbox 360 helped define the decade
It's pretty adorable listening to our electronics-obsessed sister site Engadget talk about video games, a sensation not unlike listening to a music professor trying to connect with students over the latest Jay-Z album. ("Say kids, isn't this track vibin'?!") But we think they nailed it with their inclusion of the Xbox 360 in their "Ten gadgets that defined the decade" list. The piece reminds that the system's success seemed all but impossible at its launch, with a weaker feature set than the PS3 and a for-pay online service. Honorable mentions were given to the PS2 and the Wii, both of which will presumably fare better on Engadget's "Ten gadgets that didn't melt if you looked at them wrong" list.
Touch Arcade picks their favorite iPhone games of 2009
Our friends over at Touch Arcade have put together their list of the best iPhone games of 2009, and if you happened to unwrap an iPod touch or an iPhone yesterday, that's as good a place as any to start hunting for your favorite games. Spider: Secret of Bryce Manor [$2.99, iTunes link] topped their list, and we agree that it's an excellent showcase for original iPhone software (there's also a promo version if you want to try the gameplay for free). Other than that, there's a few of our favorites missing from the list (no Ramp Champ? No Galcon Labs?), but there are plenty of terrific games to download and play on into 2010. It's been a fantastic year for iPhone gaming -- if you haven't yet jumped in and checked out some of the best the platform has to offer, what are you waiting for? Get downloading!
Most popular free Mac apps of 2009
Lifehacker has put together their list of the 15 Most Popular Free Mac Apps of 2009. Keep in mind, these are Mac OS X apps, not iPhone apps. The list is based on the popularity of apps they've covered in 2009 and don't represent total download numbers. Here are some of their choices (in no specific order): Magnifique Picasa for Mac Pollux doubleTwist Thunderbird Google Chrome PwnageTool/QuickPwn Namebench Quicksilver Glims While I don't agree with all their choices, it is a rather interesting list. But what about you guys? Tell us your favorite Mac apps of 2009 in the comments!
Best iPhone games of the year picks start to roll in
Gamasutra wins the award for being the first (that I've seen) to pick awards for their best five iPhone games of the year, and the list is respectable, if a little short for such a huge set of possibility. Unfortunately, they don't win any TUAW points for going with Skee-Ball over our preferred Ramp Champ, but Rolando 2 was a worthy sequel to a worthy game, Edge (now Edgy) and Eliss are both great games (too bad you can't play the former, but the latter was underrated for sure), and Space Invaders Infinity Gene deserves to be on almost any end-of-the-year iPhone game list. Good picks in there for sure. DigitalTrends also has a long list, though strangely, they tend to stick to big names and brands. There are a few gems in there -- Spider, UniWar, and Vay may be a couple good choices that you haven't heard of yet. And here's another top 10 list with some repeats from the ones above and a few more nice picks. I guess with the end of the year upon us, we'll probably have to choose TUAW's favorites of 2009, too, eh? Stay tuned.
The best of WoW.com: September 15-22, 2009
It's a special time of year in the World of Warcraft -- the leaves are a'changing and the brews are a'flowing. Brewfest is upon us! Time to go imbibing the finest in Dwarven ales (and deliver some, too, on those crazy rams). If you need a guide to all of the festivities, you know Joystiq's WoW-obssessed sister site WoW.com has you covered -- here's our top ten posts from the past week. News Brewfest 2009: Coren Direbrew's new level 80 loot revealedSame boss for the Brewfest ingame holiday, but there is some new loot. Blizzard is tracking 180,000 bugs in WoWThat includes fixed bugs, but still -- that's a lot of edited code. WoW.com's guide to Patch 3.2.2A brand new patch in the game, with some special anniversary fun included. High-rated PvPers do the robotA little bit of sneakiness on the part of PvPers. Tips for taking down Coren DirebrewWant to bring down the Brewfest boss? We've got you covered. Features The Overachiever: Guide to Brewfest 2009 achievementsGet all the points you can during the holiday celebration. Insider Trader: Patch 3.2.2 madnessHow to make some money in the newest patch. Raid Rx: 14 Patch 3.2 trinkets to check outGet some of the best raid healing trinkets around. Ask a Faction Leader: Garrosh HellscreamEveryone's least favorite Horde fanatic answers our readers' questions. AGDC09: Blizzard talks about the world behind WarcraftInteresting info from Blizzard's presentation at this years Austin Game Developers' Conference.
The best of WoW.com: August 25 - September 1, 2009
We're still reeling from everything we saw at BlizzCon a few weeks ago over at WoW.com, from all the news we heard about the next expansion, Cataclysm, to everything else about Icecrown and the anniversary celebration in the upcoming patch 3.2.2. There's a ton of big news lately over on the site, but here's our most popular posts for you to browse through. Don't forget to hit the costume galleries -- we've got tons more pictures like the gem above. News Patch 3.2.2 Onyxia achievementsAchievements from the second go-round of the big bad dragon fight for the game's 5th anniversary. BlizzCon 2009: First impressions of Cataclysm racesOur staff breaks down their first impressions of the new races announced in the next expansion. BlizzCon 2009: The Guild's Michele Boyd and Jeff Lewis hands-on with the WorgenTwo stars of The Guild webseries take on the playable Worgen demo available at BlizzCon. BlizzCon 2009: The Cataclysm trailerThis is where it all began -- the expansion trailer revealed at BlizzCon's opening ceremony. Battle.net conversion to become mandatory soonWith the onset of the new Battle.net, everyone's going to have to move over eventually. Features BlizzCon 2009 Insider Trader: Cataclysmic professionsThis big feature (here's part two and part three) takes a look at what's new with professions in Cataclysm. BlizzCon 2009: Bingo failOur bingo card for BlizzCon fails again. We need to stop making these so hard. BlizzCon 2009: Costumes, part twoHere's a roundup of all the costumes we saw on the show floor. What does Blizzard have planned for an ingame launch event?We know there's going to be a launch event for the new expansion, but what will it look like? Guildwatch: "ur name is remembered"Here's our weekly look at guild drama, downed, and recruiting news from around the realms.
The best of WoW.com: August 11-18, 2009
It's BlizzCon fever over on Joystiq sister site WoW.com. Blizzard's annual convention takes place this weekend in Anaheim, and boy are we ready to go there. While we're all packing and flying cross-country to see what Blizzard has in store for us (a new expansion announcement? More Diablo III and Starcraft II info?), you can read up on our most popular stories of the last seven days below. News World of Warcraft: Cataclysm leakedSpoilers aplenty in this roundup of leaks about the expected new expansion. Onyxia returns in patch 3.2.2The big black dragon is back for another go-round. Possible new race/class combinations dataminedA new PTR hints that certain races might be able to take on new classes soon. Patch 3.2.2 PTR: New Onyxia loot revealedWhat'll she drop? Find out here. Felicia Day unleashes geeky pop singleThe Guild folks release a pop song that's as geeky as it gets. Features Raid Rx: Raid bosses that brought healers to their kneesOur raid healing series looks at bosses that give healers an extra challenge. Breakfast Topic: What if you knew the day WoW would go offline?Would you play differently? Or not at all? PTR Patch 3.2.2: First impressions of OnyxiaFirst look at the big 5th anniversary boss fight. All the World's a Stage: Reflections on the passing of a roleplayer's momVery sad but poignant column -- a must read this week, whether you're an RPer or not. Totem Talk: Starting a ShamanHow to begin being a totem-dropper.
The best of WoW.com: July 28 - August 4, 2009
It's Patch Day in the World of Warcraft, and if you've never actually played the game, then we'll tell you: it's a lot like Christmas, except it comes a few times a year. A huge patch of free content has been added into the game, and WoW.com is your HQ for all the information you need about all the new instances, items, and features. Check out our most popular posts below, and if you are a WoW player... then what are you doing here? Go see the Argent Tournament! It's out! News WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.2Everything you need to know (and then some) about the game's newest patch of content. World of Warcraft 3.2 release patch notesThe official word on all of the changes going into the game today. WoW China hit with more censorship on relaunchChina has made some more changes to the game overseas. Priest Q&A releasedBlizzard answers some questions about the game's biggest healing class. Class Q&A: RogueMore class Q&A, this time about the Rogue class. Features Arcane Brilliance: Six essential Mage addons for PvEHere's a real treat for raiding Mages: six addons you probably should be using. Which class gets invited as what?This number cruncher examines the different roles that classes play in groups. World of Warcrafts: Baby Hordie shirtWait, the Horde gets to be evil and look this cute? Unfair! Drama Mamas: Loot and leaving earlyOur new column about drama and how to prevent it examines what to do with that loot your raid is earning. Friday Night Gin: Your weekly blue roundupHave a glass of gin with Ghostcrawler and the other forum blues on Friday night.
The best of WoW.com: June 23-30, 2009
See that shocked look on Thrall's face above? That guy's the leader of the Horde, and he just read (on WoW.com, of course) that for the first time, players of World of Warcraft will be able to switch their factions -- players will be able to leave his Horde, and those dirty Alliance might come to his side. No wonder he's so shocked. That story and more in this week's most popular posts from Joystiq's Azeroth-obsessed sister site. News Faction changes coming to World of WarcraftHorde can be Alliance, Alliance can be Horde, cats and dogs sleeping together! It's lunacy! Patch 3.2 PTR unveils Tier 9 setsThe next level of epic armor is coming to the game in the latest content patch... Patch 3.2 PTR Tier 9 set names...And it's got a great set of lore names to go with along with it. Patch 3.2 upcoming Engineering changesBig changes for one of the game's most popular professions. Exodus punished for exploiting Yogg-Saron encounterAfter a guild accomplishes a world-first achievement kill, Blizzard determines they didn't quite follow the rules. Features Patch 3.2 PTR: Tauren Druid conversation may reveal lore and expansion secrets A pair of Druids chatting in the new content patch might hint at the future of the game. The OverAchiever: Guide to Midsummer Fire Festival achievementsAzeroth is heating up with the Fire Festival -- here's how to get everything done this week. Arcane Brilliance: More questions than answersOur Mage columnist didn't get all his questions answered in Blizzard's recent Q&A article about the class. Patch 3.2 PTR: New heirloom items galleryA pictoral look at some new heirloom items headed to the game. WoW Casually: What Patch 3.2 means for casualsOh, you don't raid five times a week? Patch 3.2 has something for you as well.
Joystiq's Best of E3 2009
It's hard if not impossible for Team Joystiq to decide on a place to eat dinner, so choosing the coolest thing we saw at E3 was all but unthinkable. Instead, we asked each member of the team to pick the best thing they saw at the show, with very few restrictions. And here are the results:
The best of WoW Insider: May 12-19, 2009
The image above is by a WoW Insider reader named Raymond Liang -- he just won our fan art contest recently, and you can see his work and all of the other winners' over on our site right now. Just like the intrepid Troll and Blood Elf in the picture above, we're dedicated to bringing you the latest news from the World of Warcraft, even with a giant robot coming up behind us. Here are our most popular stories of the past week. News BlizzCon ticket statusBlizzCon ticket sales took place last Saturday, and things sold out in about 30 minutes. Here's the breakdown. Project 62*80: 62 level 80s by ChristmasA World of Warcraft player wants to create 62, yes 62, level 80s by December 25th. Boom goes the serversServer issues bring the game down on a Friday night. Game Fuel pets for all. Sort of.Mountain Dew meets World of Warcraft in the form of a noncombat pet. Ensidia gets 10-man Algathon world firstAnd yet again, the game has been beaten. Features The Queue: Going to the moviesYou have questions, and we endeavor to answer them for you. From our readers: Is my Ulduar-clearing guild holding me back?Is it possible to be in a guild that's too good? WoW Rookie: Filter out the @#*(!How to make sure you only see what you want. Ready Check: Casual meets hardcoreWhat's the real difference between casual and hardcore players? Forum Post of the Day: Be disciplined about healing metersHealing meters definitely aren't everything when it comes to raiding performance.
The best of WoW Insider: December 23-30, 2008
Ah yes, drama. Even when it's a relatively slow news week, as it was over the holiday week at WoW Insider, we can always rely on guild infighting to keep us interested. That and many more great stories from the World of Warcraft can be found in these, our most popular posts from the past seven days. Hope your holidays are happy! News World of Warcraft's top five political contributions of 2008The first of our end of the year roundups takes a look at how the political world leaked into WoW this year. Blizzard employee offering a lifetime pass to raise money for charityWarcraft fans come out in a swarm to donate money for a good cause -- and possibly win a great prize. WoW Moviewatch: The Craft of War: BLINDOur daily machinima column highlights one of the best WoW-made movies we've ever seen. World of Warcraft hits 11.5 million subscribersAdd another 500,000 fans onto the total. She said yes, and I thank the TuskarrOne of our writers has a very special Warcraft Christmas. Features WoW Insider Show Episode 70: The year that wasOur last podcast of the year wraps up the most popular posts of 2008. BigRedKitty: Armor Penetration sucksBRK lays the smack down on one of the more popular stats lately. WoW Rookie: Leaner, meaner character controlsHere's how to push the buttons and move the mouse faster. Guildwatch: It's our raid nowDrama, downed, and recruiting notices from the guilds of WoW, oh my. The Queue: ShamelessYou've got questions, and our daily Q&A column has answers aplenty.
The best of WoW Insider: August 19-26, 2008
It's "The King and I" in the World of Warcraft lately -- the Lich King is everywhere, and this past week we moved even closer to the release of the most popular online game in the world's second expansion. Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider, as usual, has all the angles covered -- if you want the hottest new spoilers, a more casual look at why the expansion is so important, or just to keep up to date on what's in the old game (wait, there's an old game?), we've got you covered. News Wrath sound files point to World EventHeavy spoilers here: before we step into the new expansion, our old world is going to change a bit. Wrath cinematic trailer unveiledBlizzard showed the cinematic for the first time at Leipzig. Arthas has left his throne and now he's summoning dragons. Sylvanas finally gets her makeoverThe most famous (former) High Elf in the game now looks the part. Engineering fun builds up in BetaSome excellent Engineering crafted items make their debut. Blizzard announces pre-Wrath content patchWe're going to get a look at Wrath on the live realms even before the game comes out. Features Ten things I hate about the Wrath betaNot in the beta? Here's a few reasons why you might want to wait for the live realms anyway. WoW Insider and WoW TCG Loot give away a Tabard of FlameAll this week is your chance to win a hot (pun intended) in-game tabard. Ask a Beta Tester: Don't want to look like a clown editionAABT is our one-stop shop for all your beta testing questions. Hybrid Theory: Yet another Spell Power discussionSpell Power is one of the biggest changes coming -- find out exactly what it means to hybrids. The Care and Feeding of Warriors: When words are insufficientOur Warrior writer is speechless with joy over what's happening to his class in the expansion.
Don't buy these: homebrew recommendations
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Don_t_buy_these_DS_homebrew_recommendations'; What's a week of homebrew without a few recommended apps? A waste of time, that's what, and we're happy to inform you that we won't be getting up to those shenanigans. Whether you're a homebrew newbie looking for a good place to start, or a grizzled veteran ready to trade recommendations, this wrap-up of homebrew week is dedicated to you. After all, homebrew is all about the community, right? So let's get together and rap about some of the gems the scene has on offer. Our favorite freebies >
CES 2008: The best and worst of HD
CES is an epic event, and after walking the show floor, sitting through press conferences and reading enough press releases to last us a lifetime, these are the products that made the most lasting impression, good or bad. Pioneer's extreme contrast concept was without a doubt the most impressive item on display, and left more than one person saying they'd seen their next HDTV. Size still matters, Panasonic had the biggest and Pioneer had the slimmest. XStreamHD was best and worst by making great promises, but failing to deliver when we stopped by for a demo. Finally, HD DVD's pre-CES disappointment -- and subsequent press conference cancellation -- left a pall hanging over the booth, no matter how many people were there.Best:Tru2way TVs at CES 2008Hands-on with Pioneer's extreme contrast concept plasmaHands-on with the Pioneer 9mm-thick Kuro plasmaWarner goes Blu-ray exclusiveDirecTV's PC tuner (HDPC-20) is real!Eyes-on with Samsung's 31-inch and 14-inch OLED TVs -- take that SonyPanasonic's gigantic 150-inch plasma is official!XstreamHD details continue to emergeHands-on with Marantz's first Blu-ray player, the BD8002Hands-on with HD video podcasts on an HD TiVoLogitech launches Harmony OneSharp rolls out SE94U Aquos series w/ Aquos NetMusicGiants launches VideoGiants, with HD movies from ParamountWorst:XStreamHD's CES 2008 booth tourHD DVD's CES 2008 booth tourPhilips' new LCD lineup continues to not impressMustek intros the BD-100, aka Sharp BD-HP20S
CES 2008: The best of LCD HDTVs
Whether plasma is back, or never left is up for argument, but don't think LCD took CES 2008 sitting down. Vizio upgraded the specs on its bargain LCDs, and even Panasonic showed some love. PDP prototypes might have been bigger and skinnier, but 2008 is the year we'll actually be able to buy a 108-inch LCD from Sharp, a 1.5-inch thin screen from Hitachi, or even a Quad HD panel from Westinghouse.Sharp pushes out more Aquos LCDsSony refreshes Bravia line with 17 new models, Digital Media ExtenderPhilips' new LCD lineup continues to not impressSharp promises to bring its 108-inch LCD to market in '08Samsung intros new 1080p LCD HDTVs, Ethernet / interactivity includedPanasonic reveals five new LCD HDTVs at CESSharp launches 32-inch LC-32GP3U LCD at gamersLG takes thin to the next level with the 1.7-inch LGX LCD HDTVToshiba announces slew of LCDs for 2008: hands-on and videoVizio's new Evolution Series LCD HDTVsVizio announces stylish Envy LCD HDTV lineupVizio intros Black Tie LCD lineup with 120Hz, MEMC technologyVizio intros Jive surround for LCDsJVC P-Series LCD line rocks iPod docksJVC intros 42-inch LT-42SL89 / 46-inch LT-46SL89 LCD HDTVsHitachi Ultra Thin 1.5 LCD lineup headed for CESEyes-on with Westinghouse's Quad HD displays
CES 2008: The best of Blu-ray players
It was a blowout CES for Blu-ray, and it all started even before the first day of the show with Warner's announcement. With manufacturer and studio support, the format was primed, and the addition of BD Live brought feature parity to Blu-ray and HD DVD. There was a definite feeling that it's okay to come into the water now, and we expect 2008 will see more expansion of the format still. On the high end, we saw Marantz's entry to the Blu-ray market, complete with a gaggle of drool-worthy specs and outputs. For the more modest budget (which is to say, anyone who even has a budget), skip past Denon's Blu-ray transport and check out the Samsung BD-1500 and Panasonic DMP-BD50. Marantz BD8002Denon DVD-2500BDTCISamsung BD-UP5500Samsung intros BD-P1500 Blu-ray player, BD-UP5500 combo playerPanasonic DMP-BD50Philips BDP7200Sharp BD-HP50U
CES 2008: The best of Plasma HDTVs
Based on what we saw at CES, the future is promising indeed for LCD. But don't think for a minute that plasma is done in the eyes of manufacturers or consumers -- PDPs have a rosy outlook as well. The Pioneer extreme contrast demo left all of our jaws on the floor, and we can't wait to see this technology trickle out of the labs and onto the shelves. The Panasonic 150-inch plasma had a similar effect on passers-by. Pioneer also showed off the 9-mm thick Kuro concept just to show that plasma can do the beauty thing, too.Panasonic revamps its plasma lineupVizio cranks out new plasma lineupHands-on with Pioneer's extreme contrast concept plasmaHands-off with Panasonic's 150-inch behemothHands-on with the Pioneer 9mm-thick Kuro plasmaSamsung reveals PN58A750T, PN42A450P and PN50A550S plasma lineupsThe 2008 LG Plasma lineup
