obsession
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Catch The Raid's world premiere for free
Hot on the heels of 2009's Second Skin, MMO players are once again the subject of an in-depth documentary about their lives and playing styles as Gamebreaker.TV is hosting the world premiere of The Raid for all to enjoy. Directed by gamer Kevin Johnson, The Raid follows a guild of World of Warcraft players who tackle some of the toughest challenges of the game and open up about what being a raider means to them. The 20-minute runtime examines what drives players to the raiding scene and introduces outsiders to the collaboration and competition that goes on during these events. The primary focus, however, is on the social aspect of raiding and how it binds a group of people together for a single purpose. You can catch the documentary after the jump until Wednesday evening at 10 p.m. EDT. Please note that the film starts around the 26-minute mark if you don't want to sit through the pre-show interviews. Give it a watch and let us know what you think -- did The Raid hit the spot or miss its target?
iPhone, iPad top 2010 "obsessions" list
This may come as no surprise to readers of TUAW, but Apple has scored two of the top three spots on Yahoo's "10 Obsessions of 2010" list. Coming in at #1 was the iPhone followed by the iPad at #3. Sandwiched between the two was Lindsay Lohan (get your minds out of the gutter). Yahoo said their choice of candidates for the obsession list were partly based on a person's need for compulsive, constant web surveillance and vigilance in getting the scoop as soon as any new information was available. That definitely describes the fixation interest most people seemed to have for Apple's iOS devices this year. Next year promises only more of the same with the coming of the second generation iPad and the fifth generation iPhone. And who knows? Maybe if Lindsay Lohan decides to stay home in 2011, Apple could sweep the top three if they unveil a real Apple TV.
Breakfast Topic: What cemented your interest in WoW?
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. A few months ago, my girlfriend finally got me to take the leap and start a WoW account. I realize now that in most cases, this is the other way around. Admittedly, I did not know too much about the backstory or how to effectively play my class. Like most players (I hope), I made some serious noob mistakes, such as leaving my pet on aggressive while in The Stockades and Ragefire Chasm. Luckily, I quickly learned what I was doing was wrong. Being a hunter means that I often played solo a lot, and I figured as long as I am leveling and not dying that often, that qualifies me as being a "good" player. However, it only took one wipe before the final boss deep within the Sunken Temple to alter my viewpoint. The group quickly began to disband, leaving me wandering the Swamp of Sorrows desperately looking for my corpse. The last member of the group remaining started blaming the wipe on me and attempting to really go to town on how terrible I was. I tried to be civil about it and why she felt that way -- or if she had any advice that would help me -- but that did not work at all. I finally lost it and went on my own rant in retaliation. From that point on, I wanted to be the best, to know all about not only my class but my race as well. That one wipe seemingly snowballed into my seeking out fan sites and reading novels not only on lore but books taking an academic approach to the game, as well. Now I cannot seem to shake this WoW obsession. What was that crowning moment that pushed your interest in WoW over the edge ? Was it piece of incredible lore, some jerk from a RDF group, or something different entirely?
Apple 'Friend Bar' will coddle and nourish your inner fanboy (video)
Do you find there aren't enough hours in the day to sing Apple's praises to the fullest? Does your list of deities begin with Steve and end with Mr. Jobs? If so, you'll want to make your way to your nearest Apple Store nice and quickly. That most reliable source of news before they happen, The Onion, reports Apple is about to open up a Friend Bar, where folks with AppleCare warranties and an unhealthy devotion to The Fruit can spout off about anything to employees trained to handle their inanity. Genius Bar productivity is said to have skyrocketed since the introduction of the new Friend staff, but don't take our word for it, skip past the break to see the 100 percent genuine news report in full.
Windows Mobile 7 megarumor: LG Apollo and HTC Obsession running flagship '720p' specs, Zune Phone Experience
Alright, this is some wild, heavy stuff, but the folks at WMExperts have compiled what they believe to be true about Windows Mobile 7, including a whole bunch of previously undisclosed info and even a couple of flagship phones. We can't vouch for the rumors, but there's a ring of truth to plenty of it, and most of the rest of it we want to be true. First off, Microsoft is approaching the revision with two flavors: Windows Phone Seven Business Edition, and Windows Phone Seven Media Edition. The former is a stripped down OS that will allow OEM overlays like HTC's Sense UI, and includes lower minimum specs -- though a WVGA "minimum" is nothing to get angry about. Meanwhile, it sounds like the Media Edition is the quasi-"Zune Phone" we've been dreaming of, with a heavy emphasis on HD media playback and capture, along with social networking activities like Xbox Live, Facebook and Twitter. Other features include cloud-style services on the Business Edition side for live manipulation of stored data, a long with a location-aware platform dubbed "Orion." This all sounds great, but what's really exciting is what Microsoft is dictating should be in some of these Media Edition phones. The first two to break cover are the LG Apollo and HTC Obsession. The Apollo is a 3G worldphone (EV-DO and HSDPA) that runs a 1.3GHz Qualcomm QSD8650 processor and a 3.8-inch AMOLED 1280 x 720 WXGA display. The phone also is purported to have a 10 megapixel camera capable of 720p video recording. Meanwhile, HTC's HSDPA-limited Obsession runs a mere 1GHz Qualcomm QSD8250 proc, with a 3.7-inch AMOLED display, 5 megapixel camera and 720p video recording. The Apollo is due in August or September of this year, with the Obsession following in October. Now, some of these specs are admittedly suspect, like the WXGA resolution on the Apollo and that seemingly 10 megapixel sensor, but we want to believe. As for what we know to be true? Well, we know we'll see something at MWC next month, unless Robbie Bach is just joshing around, and we also know HTC has confirmed its involvement with Windows Mobile 7 -- lending some credence to rumors of the Sense UI sticking around for a new-generation -- and that LG has gone on (and quickly off) record as well saying it'll have a WinMo 7 phone in September. It's all a lot more vague than the pages of specs we're staring at now, but it's clear that something is brewing. Hit up the source link for the full nitty gritty.
Raid Rx: 3 steps to assigning healing roles
Raid Rx has returned from retirement! Every Thursday (usually), Raid Rx will help you quarterback your healers to victory! Your host is Matt Low, the grand poobah of World of Matticus and a founder of PlusHeal, a new healing community for all restorative classes. This week we're going to cover the steps in figuring out who heals who! Last week I looked at addons for the healing lead. I suggested using a combination of macros and addons like Surgeon General. But what about the actual logic and process of assigning healers themselves? As in deciding who covers who? That's a much more trickier process that comes with time and experience. I'll share some of the basic mindsets here. This week's Raid Rx is inspired by a topic from Plusheal. When assigning healers, I try to have a general idea of what the players and the classes excel at. I keep that in mind when picking out the healers and tanks.
Are you an MMO fanboi?
We all love massively multiplayer games. Otherwise we wouldn't be here reading this right now. But when does your love for a certain game become an unhealthy obsession? We're not talking about addiction, but we're talking about defending your favorite game regardless of the problems the game may have or what the game's developers might do to completely change the difficulty level.There can be a fanboi (an interestingly unisex term) for every context, but for the sake of this article, we're going to focus on the fanboi as it pertains to MMO gaming. It's safe to say that most of us can consider ourselves fanbois in one form or another. The question is, do you realize the severity of your fanboi-itis? Are you in fanboi denial? How many times can I say fanboi in one paragraph?
16 year-old girl stalked from WoW to her high school
In today's online world of MySpace and Facebook, the trend seems to be against what the media has been warning the public of for years. Don't mention your name, your school, your town; wait, I meant, please join the "School X" and "Town Y" social groups! No one wants to feel anxious about their online identity these days. We all want to connect, to play, to share information, to put ourselves on Youtube videos, post photos, and it has even become uncool to be antsy about meeting people you met online. Unfortunately, regardless of what we'd like to believe, stalking still happens. A high school girl was recently approached at school by a man who crossed borders and travelled hours to find her.
Thompson mentally fit according to Dr. Wunderman
Following the Florida Bar's option of seeking psychological testing or face a 91-day suspension, GamePolitics has the details of Jack Thompson seeing a psychologist on his own dime who said he is allegedly free of mental health issues. The analysis was done by a Dr. Wunderman and Thompson filed the psych. report yesterday to go with a pair of lawsuits he has against the Florida Bar.According to Thompson's psychologist Dr. Wunderman, "Mr. Thompson appears to be a thoughtful, prosocial and erudite man whose life is anchored, fortified and enriched by his Evangelical Christianity. I find no evidence that his faith distorts, clouds or impairs his personal or professional judgment." Wunderman during his analysis focused on if Thompson suffers from mental illness, if he's obsessed with porn and obscenity and if he's obsessed with stopping the sale of violent games to minors. "Obsessed" being a clinical term here and not what we'd all clearly say is obsession. Thompson also says he will try to cut down on his use of hyperbole and sarcasm in his motions and says he knows he may have offended with his writings. It'll be interesting to see if the Florida Bar asks for Thompson to see their own psychologist.
Line Report: Sherman Oaks, CA Apple Store
The store has officially closed for the time being (until 6PM, of course) and they have put up black material covering the windows. Its all very theatrical and adds to the element of excitement. The line is now up to more like two hundred but I've also heard reports from other Los Angeles area stores like the Glendale Galleria, that the lines are stretching all the way outside and winding through the parking structure.I feel bad for those people and a little better abbot my 95th place i line -- at least according to the last count conducted by mall security. At the moment, people are well-behaved. I just hope that continues when the covers come off the windows and the selling frenzy begins. On a very positive note, some Apple Store employees have just come by with boxes filled with bottled water are are giving it away for free to the people in line. A very nice gesture indeed and appreciated. Although, I would appreciate it more if they told me they had enough iPhones to sell to all the people in front of me and that I could still get one. Oh well, at least I got some water out of it.
My Date With iPhone
My soon-to-be date with the iPhone began innocently enough with the wanting. Then, obsession began to set in. Now that I'm actually in line, as of Noon Pacific time, waiting patiently at the Sherman Oaks, CA Apple store and "borrowing" a steaming cup of wi-fi, I can say my date has definitely begun in earnest. Although, as they say, waiting is the hardest part. As everyone knows, I cannot actually, formally begin my date until 6PM when the iPhone goes on sale. Until then, I will wait patiently in line with about a hundred others with similar obsessions to myself. As I wait, several questions come into my mind. Why am I here? What will it be like when I first get my hands on one of those shiny beauties? Will there be enough iPhones for everyone (especially me)? And most importantly, shouldn't I be doing something else with my time instead of waiting in line for a phone? I don't know the answer because, as any good Psychologist would tell you, obsession isn't always rational. So, knowing I may not be completely right in the head, I will sit here, waiting, wanting, wondering, and hoping that once my iPhone and I are united, it will all be as good as I dreamt it would be. Until then, here I sit.
Stringer: The Xbox 360 is an "obsession"
Well, you know what they say about what to do when you have nothing nice to say ... erm, say that the competing gaming platform (in this case, the 360) is an "obsession"?That's exactly what Sony CEO Howard Stringer had to offer in an interview with Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal recently. While sharing how The Da Vinci Code from Sony beat up on "X-Men 3" (aka The Last Stand) over in Europe, he seemed to mistakenly throw in "Xbox 3" in the stead of Fox's great summer blockbuster hope. Following Mossberg's correction, Stringer is reported to have retorted, laughing, "There's an obsession!"We don't know if he's referring to the media's obsession with the corporate gaming rivalry, his own obsession with the console that would dethrone the PlayStation, or some combination of the two (irony really doesn't help here), but he does seem to at least outwardly admire Bill Gates' salesmanship (as well as his hypocrisy in delaying Windows Vista while lambasting the PS3 delay). Of course, a lot of supposed compliments could go both ways, so we've provided a few handy links below to check out what other "nice" things hardware execs have had to say about their competitors lately. We're sure it's all in good fun.[Thanks, JC & SickNic; also via GameDaily BIZ]See also: Nice words -- "Thanks," "flattered," and "flattering." Not-so-nice words -- "Plagiarism," "no need for PC," "not mainstream for most games," and "same old experiences with new graphics."
