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Water-powered phone chargers are coming to downtown Seoul
Unless you've made a habit of carrying around a solar charger, topping off your phone outdoors can be a bit of a challenge. Well, unless you're living in South Korea. The city of Seoul just announced that it's building a series of outdoor recharging stations along the Cheonggyecheon, a manmade stream in the city's downtown area. The chargers won't draw from the city's power grid, however -- they'll draw current from a collection of hydroelectric turbines embedded in the stream. The project's developer says the stations will be able to fully charge most devices in 2-3 hours. If the five stations currently in production turn out to be a hit, the city says it will consider expanding the network. See? Low battery life is no excuse for avoiding the great outdoors. [Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
LG's big screen phone-of-the-week gets a laser camera
Now that LG's flagship G3 is a big success, it's pulling a Samsung by throwing esoteric spin-offs like the G3 Stylus against a wall to see if they stick. The latest is the not-so-brilliantly named Gx2 (the company already has a G2x) that packs a huge, 5.7-inch screen and laser camera focus borrowed from the G3. Other specs are run-of-the-mill: a quad-core 1.2GHz CPU, 1.3-megapixel front camera, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB memory, 720p screen resolution and a 3,200mAh battery that should run forever. Oddly the meek 8-megapixel camera doesn't seem to deserve the laser system, but maybe there's a "focus buff" market we're unaware of. Pricing and availability have yet to be revealed, but it's likely to stay in Asia.
Black Desert getting naval transportation, combat
Fan site BlackDesert.com spoke to representatives from Pearl Abyss and Daum Communications at Gamescom. The resulting interview is worth a read, and it mentions that Black Desert will in fact be getting some sort of naval system. "Yes naval transportation and combat will be present in Black Desert Online," said Daum's Park Yoo Jin. "Players will be able to control boats and ships and depending on the kind of naval unit, there will be the possibility to board it with more than one person." Pearl Abyss had previously announced that it was adding naval combat at this year's E3, but thus far the systems have not been made available during Black Desert's Korea beta tests.
Rocksmith 2014 ratings point to jams on Xbox One, PS4
Rocksmith 2014 looks set to bring rock and/or roll to the PS4 and Xbox One, at least according to the ESRB and Korean Game Rating Board. Both regulatory bodies issued the ratings for the two consoles over the weekend, though Ubisoft hasn't announced any new versions of its guitar tutoring game. We've reached out to the publisher to find out more. As PlayStation LifeStyle reports, this isn't the first sighting of the supposed new versions. UK retailer Zavvi is currently listing the game for Xbox One, while in July a now removed Amazon Italy listing (via The Riff Repeater) noted players will be able to transfer purchased DLC from the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions to the PS4 and Xbox One respectively.
Here's a preview of Black Desert's CBT3 updates
We still don't have any inkling of when Black Desert's western client will arrive, but we do have a preview of some new stuff being added to the Korean fantasy sandbox MMO courtesy of next month's third closed beta test. Updates include the decorating system, readable books, easier fishing, armor dyes, new pets, and new world bosses.
Black Desert's Korean version is almost 80% finished
If you've got your eye on Black Desert now that it's definitely making the trek to the West, then Brian Oh is a name you'll want to know. He's Pearl Abyss' director of overseas business, and 2P chatted him up at this past weekend's ChinaJoy about class balance, sea battles, costumes, dyeing, swimming, the non-existent level cap, and why Daum was selected to publish Black Desert in the West. Of note, Oh and Chinese Community Manager Cheng Ying said that Pearl Abyss has "almost completed about 80% of the game." The English version is not yet half translated; the Korean version, at least, will be free-to-play and will block foreign IPs during open beta. According to the interview, PA remains "very interested " in porting the game to consoles but could not speculate on timing of the NA beta launch. [Thanks, Dystopiq!]
Robotic exoskeletons give dock workers superhuman lifting abilities
We talk a lot about robotic exoskeletons that give people almost supernatural lifting skills, but these tend to be confined to labs or science fiction. Not in South Korea, though. Daewoo has been testing suits that let shipyard workers carry objects as heavy as 66 pounds like they're nothing. The key is support for task-specific frames that put virtually all the load on the machine, giving you full dexterity -- whether it's an engine part or a piece of the hull, you can easily put it into place.
Vindictus previews upcoming hero Arisha
Bad news first: if you're a stateside player of Vindictus, you don't know when you're going to be able to start playing with Arisha, as she's not releasing in Korea until August 7th. You can, however, take a look at her trailer just past the break to get a sense for the character and how she fights, so that's something, at least. In play, Arisha looks to be a fast-moving character using a single blade and magic to teleport, freeze time, and otherwise tear through her opponents. Also, by the looks of it, she's got a pet dog. Take a gander at the trailer if you're interested in seeing more about the character, although you will have to wait for a while yet to play her yourself.
Daum hiring industry 'veterans from western region' for Black Desert
When Pearl Abyss announced that Korean internet giant Daum would be publishing Black Desert in the west, my first reaction was "really?" It makes a certain amount of sense, though, as having one worldwide publisher (Daum is also releasing the fantasy sandbox in its native Korea) could work in the title's favor in terms of localization and time-to-launch efficiency. On the other hand, Daum has no real presence in Europe or North America. That last point was recently addressed by Pearl Abyss Director of Overseas Business Brian Oh, who spoke with MMO Culture at ChinaJoy 2014. "Daum is looking to set up a new games business team and hiring veterans from the western region to operate the new games platform," Oh explained. The interview also delves into Black Desert's translation process as well as IP restrictions and other notables.
Black Desert's NA and EU publisher is Daum
Black Desert's search for a Western publisher has made news on more than one occasion in recent months. As it turns out, though, the fantasy sandbox MMO will be published in North America and Europe by the same company publishing it in its native Korea. That company is Daum, one of South Korea's largest internet conglomerates. News of the deal was confirmed by Steparu via an email exchange with a representative of Black Desert development studio Pearl Abyss. While there is no information available regarding Western beta dates, Pearl Abyss began working on an English client over seven months ago. Black Desert Korea will kick off its third closed beta sometime in late August or early September.
Seoul plans to ban Uber and introduce its own GPS-based app for taxis
Uber may win some and lose some, but the battles rage on in cities where it operates. Seoul, Korea has now indicated that it would outright ban Uber, calling it illegal and harmful to taxi drivers. Uber operates its UberBLACK service there to connect professional chauffeurs to passengers via its app. That differs from UberX, UberPOP or Lyft -- the services that have faced the most bans and protests -- since those mostly use non-professional drivers. Seoul's city council called Uber an illegal threat to traditional cabs, since its drivers didn't have the usual insurance and safety controls. However, Uber told the WSJ that the city council's comments "show Seoul is in danger of remaining trapped in the past and getting left behind by the global 'sharing economy' movement." Despite that, the city must feel Uber is doing something right -- it said that it would soon launch its own, Uber-like geo-location app to connect regular taxis to passengers.
Vindictus highlights its new character with fashion silhouettes
When you think about it, catwalk struts are seriously underused as a means of introducing new content to an MMO. Vindictus is taking the genre in a bold new direction with its latest reveal. The Korean reveal page for the new character makes it clear that Arisha is bringing a whole new style to the game. That style is... well... style, perhaps? Seriously, the trailer doesn't reveal anything but a silhouette. Datamining has revealed that she's a hybrid melee/magical character, although that could go a lot of different routes. Still, you can get a very shadowy peek at her in the trailer past the break. Based on that, she'll attack primarily with six-inch heels and fishnet stockings because hot pants, heels, and plunging necklines are crazy useful in combat.
South Korea makes it easier to get refunds for Android and iOS apps
If you've ever been burned by downloading a mobile app that you don't want or doesn't work, relief may be in sight... so long as you're in South Korea, at least. The country's Fair Trade Commission has ordered both Apple and Google to make their app refund policies more consumer-friendly. To start, Apple must make it easier to claim refunds on in-app purchases; if your kid goes wild buying in-game items, you should have an easier time getting your money back. Google, meanwhile, has to let developers set their own refund terms.
South Korea debates the wisdom of a video game addiction law
South Korea takes gaming more seriously than most other counties: eSports tournaments air on TV, game-friendly cafes are everywhere and StarCraft is practically a cultural institution. However, there's a concern that some are taking it too seriously, to the point that they're putting lives (including their own) at risk. To that end, the Democratic Party of Korea recently hosted a debate regarding a proposed game addiction law that would regulate video games as addictive substances, much like alcohol or drugs. The government, industry figures and professors discussed whether or not the law would fight addiction or risk backfiring.
Get a feel for Civilization Online with this beta video
The first round of closed beta testing for Civilization Online has wrapped up in Korea, and the folks at XLGAMES have put together a video showing off this online spin-off from the classic strategy series. The nine-minute video shows the collaborative efforts to build up a town and the equally collaborative efforts by enemy forces to destroy it. Also there are Dalek tanks, hot air balloons, and large mosh pits of Roman citizens. See for yourself after the break!
Rumor: Black Desert in 'final phase of negotiations' with NA, EU publisher
You know how Massively sometimes posts about feature-packed Korean sandbox import Black Desert? And you know how there's always that one commenter who's all "why are you writing about this? We'll never get to play it!" Well, that dude is apparently wrong. Korean website Inven says that Pearl Abyss is in the "final phase of negotiations" with a North American and European publisher. A PA rep wouldn't divulge the company or companies involved when asked at this week's E3, but he did say that the publisher in question "should be familiar when mentioned," according to MMO Culture.
Fans translate part of Black Desert's substantial lore
With the help of enterprising fans and a lot of workarounds, dedicated fans of Black Desert can do their best to muddle through the game's Korean beta if they don't read or understand Korean. Understanding the game's setting, however, is another matter entirely. But the fandom is still trying to translate and make the best of it, and now the game's first major lore article has been translated, covering some 50 years of history for the city Calpheon. In short, a plague rampaged through the city, and what started was a long campaign of war against the desert nation blamed for the contagion. This was followed by more wars, trades, magical artifacts, and... well, you get the idea. You can read the whole article to get a better sense of the world's history, whether you're trying to figure out how to interact with the game when you don't read the native language or just watching from afar. [Thanks to Irene-24 for the tip!]
Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy W blurs the line between phones and tablets
If you thought that big devices like the Galaxy Mega 6.3 were already blurring the distinctions between phones and tablets, hold on to your hat -- Samsung has just erased those distinctions altogether. Its new Galaxy W (not to be confused with the 2011-era W) blends the 7-inch screen of a small tablet with a relatively compact design that lets you hold it one-handed for phone calls. This isn't the first crossover we've seen by any means, but it promises to be more comfortable than truly finger-straining rivals like ASUS' Fonepad 7 or HP's 7-inch VoiceTab.
Lineage II classic server detailed
Lineage II will be opening a classic server to appease those players who miss the original version of the popular MMO. This classic server will be a hybrid of C1 and C2, offering everything from the old inventory system to the old party system to the old skill system, and more. The open beta for this classic server is going on now for Korean players and will end on June 3. After beta, the classic server will be pay-to-play.
Black Desert might have a PvE ruleset, separate F2P and P2P servers
Black Desert has found a Russian publisher, and while that news may seem like a tease to Western fans of the full-featured fantasy sandbox, there's a potential silver lining. 2P reports that the game may have separate F2P and P2P servers as well as PvE-only rulesets that disable open-world PvP in favor of arena matches, guild wars, and sieges. The site also mentions that Black Desert's Russian cash shop will be limited to cosmetic items, there will be no IP blocking, and there will be no dungeons (only open-world bosses). Finally, the site says the Russian alpha will happen in December 2014 with a closed beta to follow in January. Korea-based developer Pearl Abyss is actively shopping for a North American Black Desert publisher. [Thanks tandarighttanon!]
