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The Daily Grind: Do you report gold spammers?
There you are, minding your own business, when someone named Fghdsjfta walks up to you and says "***---~~~BUY GOLD CHEAP FAST DELIVERY <<500 = $5>> FAST DELIVERY!! CHEAP GOLD TO YOU NOW!!~~~---***" This wouldn't happen in real life (besides, how would someone pronounce a tilde?), but it can and does in your favorite MMOs. Most of the time these gold-selling messages are repeated in your chat window over and over again as you try to figure out how to report the character for being an annoying spammer. Or do you? After having this conversation with some friends, I've found that not everyone reports these gold sellers. Some block the name, some turn off chat channels completely, and others simply ignore it in hopes that someone else will deal with it. So where do you stand? Let us know in the comments below! 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!
Wolfram Alpha lets you stalk yourself on Facebook, reminds you how noisy you are
You know Facebook's got dirt on you, it's one of modern life's unavoidable trade offs. Now though, thanks to Wolfram Alpha, you can data-mine yourself -- something its creator has been doing for years -- and get a true sense of exactly what the social network knows about you. You'll first have to head over to the computational knowledge engine, then search "Facebook report." Follow the prompts to give the app permission etc, and you'll be rewarded with a detailed breakdown. The data shows information about your interactions, friends, most popular photos, most common demographics and more. For example, you might discover that you know someone in the Philippines, have a clutch of non-connected friends weirdly in the same location, or that you mom is your top post commenter. Though you probably knew that last part already. Paranoid or curious? Jump on the source link to get started.
Fair Labor Association's Foxconn investigation notes improved factory conditions
Back in March, the Fair Labor Association issued the results of its investigation of Foxconn's Chinese plants, spurring a joint effort between Apple and the manufacturer to make working conditions better for employees. The non-profit has since followed up to investigate the fruits of the companies' promise, visiting three Foxconn facilities for a visual inspection of the factories and review of documentation like payroll records and policies. The FLA discovered a fair amount of progress being made on its visits, noting, Many physical changes to improve worker health and safety have been made since the investigation, including the enforcement of ergonomic breaks, changing the design of workers' equipment to guard against repetitive stress injuries, updating of maintenance policies to ensure equipment is working properly, and testing of emergency protective equipment like eyewashes and sprinklers. Foxconn has also engaged consultants to provide health and safety training for all employees. Also on the list is the election of unions, extension of insurance coverage and the reduction of the work week down to (a still over-the-limit) 60 hours. The organization has promised to continue to monitor progress as Foxconn and Apple work to meet all of its goals. Check out the source link below for a more complete look at the findings.
FCC report says 19 million Americans still without broadband access
The FCC believes that 19 million Americans don't have access to broadband, defined as internet access at a speed of 4 megabits per second or more. Understandably, rural areas are the worst hit, with 14.5 million out in the sticks without access, with areas like West Virginia lacking coverage for 45.9 percent of its population. It's not limited to the wide open spaces of states like Montana (16.7 percent) however, even tech-heavy states like California lack access for 35 percent of its denizens. The commission's Connect America fund is charged with closing this gap, and has already awarded CenturyLink $35 million to connect 45,000 homes in under-served areas as part of a plan to help seven million more people get online by 2018.
Barnes and Noble sees quarterly sales surge, losses fall to $41 million
Barnes & Noble has had a quarter worth remembering, bringing in $1.5 billion and reducing its losses to $41 million -- down from $57 million last year. Retail business was up, thanks to the closure of Borders branches and blockbuster sales of Fifty Shades of Grey, while College sales increased quarterly losses by $2 million to $14 million. While online sales fell 7.6 percent and the Nook business remained flat, the company saw digital content purchases skyrocket by 46 percent -- and the company couldn't produce enough GlowLight devices to satisfy demand. Wondering about the company's tie-up with Microsoft? There's still no news beyond that it hopes the new partnership will be up and running by the fall.
NY Post: Electronic Arts 'quietly exploring a sale'
According to unnamed "sources" speaking with the New York Post, Electronic Arts may be seeking buyers. Both KKR and Providence Private Equity Partners are named in the piece as exploring the purchase, though talks are said to be in the "early days." Providence Equity Partners owns a partial stake in Bethesda parent company Zenimax Media; both PEP and KKR declined to comment on the report.Electronic Arts is a publicly traded company, and its share price is currently just over $14 – according to one NYP source "familiar with the company," EA would "do a deal at $20 a share." EA also declined comment. "We don't comment on rumors and speculation," a rep told us this morning.
Lenovo's Q1 shows 'record high' market share, profits up 30 percent to $141 million
After delivering an overachieving laptop, Lenovo has delivered financial results that also exceeded expectations, producing $8 billion in revenue and $141 million net profit. Those figures are up 35 and 30 percent respectively over last year, which the company has chalked up to a higher than ever market share of 15 percent. That growth came in part from a 59 percent sales bump in emerging markets like India and Brazil, on top of a 9 percent spurt in its home market -- lifting the company 24 percent in world-wide PC shipments for the quarter. Lenovo has also become the second largest player in China's smartphone market, after Samsung, now up to a 13 percent market share. CEO Yang Yuanqing also proclaimed that, unlike other Redmond partners, he wasn't stressed about Microsoft's Surface tablet -- and that his company had "much better hardware" than the software giant.
Reuters: Vivendi finds 'few takers' on Activision stake sale, eyes other departments
Vivendi's planned sale of its 61 percent controlling stake in Activision is apparently waning, according to Reuters. Vivendi is said to be eying a sale of Brazillian telecommunications company Global Village Telecom (GVT), which would bring in anywhere from $8.59 to $10.42 billion – a distinctly larger number than the $8.3 billion Vivendi's stock in Acti is worth. Vivendi reportedly sought "at least 12 percent" more than the $8.3 billion stock valuation, which potential buyers turned down (Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and several other companies were reportedly offered the stock).Vivendi is a French conglomerate, and it's not in great financial shape. In an effort to shore up capital, it reportedly sought a sale of its controlling stake in Activision, turning to its GVT wing less than two months later in a similar effort. The French conglomerate purchased its stake in Activision back in 2007, forming what is now known as Activision Blizzard in the process.Economically minded readers may notice that Vivendi's interest in retaining control of Activision began declining along the same downward slope as the international economy. Though Vivendi's current financial situation is more complicated than "bad economy, sell parts of business," the worldwide recession surely can't be helping its standing.
Report: Global MMO spending to top $12 billion in 2012
Number-crunching services SuperData Research and Newzoo released reports today forecasting strong growth in the MMO industry. According to the analysts, worldwide spending on MMOs will top $12 billion this year, and that's not all: The companies also predict that this number will increase to a whopping $17.5 billion in 2015. Other facts released in the reports: Yearly MMO market growth increased by 14% in the U.S. and 24% in Germany. The number of MMOs in the field has doubled since the start of 2011. Twenty-three of the 50 million U.S. MMO gamers spend money on subscriptions or microtransactions, a 3% increase from 2011. The yearly average amount spent is $127. More German players spend money on MMOs than in the U.S. -- 13% more, to be exact. Free-to-play revenues in the U.S. now account for 50% of the market, up from 39% in 2010. Science-fiction MMOs make up to three times as much money as their fantasy counterparts. SuperData CEO Joost van Dreunen says that the race for gamers' wallets is only getting started: "The current market saturation forces MMO publishers to compete over a finite gamer population." [Source: SuperData Research/Newzoo press release]
Report: Rocksteady's next Batman game to be a Silver Age-based prequel
Rocksteady's next game could be yet another Batman adventure, albeit in a new timeline, Variety reports. According to unnamed sources speaking with the film industry publication, Rocksteady's currently at work on a "new, highly stylized" Bats prequel game "that revolves around Batman's first meeting with the Joker."This new game – not expected until 2014 at least – is supposedly set in the Silver Age of comics. Warner Bros. has yet to confirm the news, and Rocksteady hasn't said a peep about any new projects since Arkham City wrapped last year. And as far as we know, no one's discovered any hidden rooms in Arkham City that reveal future games. Hey, it wouldn't be the first time!
Report: Xbox Music to allow subscription streaming, a la carte purchasing
The recently announced Xbox Music service will feature both a subscription-based model and the ability to purchase individual tracks, according to a Bloomberg report. The service will reportedly allow users to stream music for a monthly or yearly subscription, in addition to traditional purchases.Furthermore, an "online locker" of sorts may allow customers to store their music collections online for a fee, with the really intriguing part being that the locker could store music purchased from other services as well. As previously announced, said music will be playable across a range of devices, notably those that run Windows 8.In other words, it sounds like Xbox Music will offer similar functionality to what is currently offered by the Zune service, with the added benefit of having a name that isn't associated with grim failure.
iOS claims 65% of mobile web marketshare
NetMarketShare has released its latest report on Internet usage by mobile devices, and not only has iOS remained on top for Internet usage, but Apple's OS has grown its lead up to 65% of total mobile Internet traffic. In just the last month, usage on iOS went up by 3%, and the year-over-year figures line up to almost 15% growth. That's incredible -- it's a sign that not only is Apple selling more and more iOS devices (including those new Retina iPads, which certainly made up a nice chunk of this new Internet browsing), but that users are depending on them more and more for connecting to and interacting with the Internet. It's also worth noting that iOS users are generally heavy 'net users as well. Even though there are more Android phones out there, iOS users are browsing enough to keep the totals in their favor and growing. [via 9to5Mac.com]
Sprint's share of iPhone sales at big box stores double that at Apple retailers
A new study by CIRP shows that even though Sprint is finally carrying the iPhone in the U.S., it might have come a little too late to the party. According to the study, Sprint is selling twice as many iPhones at big box retail stores like Best Buy than it's selling at Apple Stores. That's interesting, mostly because AT&T and Verizon's sales are about the same share in both places. So why is Sprint at such a disadvantage in Apple Stores as compared to more traditional places like Best Buy? CIRP says it's simply because both users and retailers are more used to AT&T and Verizon selling the iPhone, and that Sprint might have fallen back simply because it only started selling the iPhone recently. When current AT&T or Verizon users go to upgrade their phone, or when new users go to pick up a phone, Sprint ends up being last on the list at the Apple Store. AT&T's got the original base of users, Verizon has the folks who were waiting for a second carrier and Sprint has gotten lost in the mix. Sprint didn't confirm this information, and realistically, outside of working on a better partnership with Apple or separate advertising, there's not a lot it can do to beef up its Apple Store sales. But it is interesting to hear that Sprint might have arrived slightly late to the iPhone party. [via MacRumors]
Barnes & Noble's Q4 and FY 2012: revenue up, losses up, hopes Microsoft hurries up
Barnes & Noble has released its financial results for both the final quarter and full financial year of 2012. It's a picture of a company that's holding steady in the face of continued onslaught from its rivals, albeit with some hope on the horizon. In preparation for its as-yet-unnamed venture with Microsoft, the company has begun the process of spinning off its Nook and College businesses -- while sales from stores and BN.com now come under the umbrella term of "retail." On that front, it sold $1.1 billion worth of books in the quarter and $4.85 billion for the year -- down from $4.92 billion in 2011. Nook-wise, the company had turnover of $933 million, with device sales increasing 1 percent for the quarter and 45 percent of the year -- but had to eat a loss on taking back unsold Simple Touch readers. Content sales on its various devices increased 65 percent in the quarter and 119 percent in the year -- clearly showing where the market is headed.
Report: Thief 4 development in trouble
As disconcerting as it may be that we haven't heard or seen anything regarding Thief 4 in quite a while, recent career changes for several key folks at Eidos Montreal suggest there may be trouble with the game's development. After all, it took Eidos Montreal four years to bring Deus Ex: Human Revolution to retail – almost how long Thief 4 has been in development.According to a report on Kotaku from internet sleuth Superannuation, not only did audio director and composer Paul Weir leave Eidos Montreal, but so did lead level designer Adam Alim, senior concept artists Nicolas Ferrand and Dan Blomberg, senior technical level designer Eugene Kuczerepa, senior animator Marie-Chantal Larocque and senior level designer Patrick Garon. In addition to the departures, there's also apparently a completed CG trailer created by Goldtooth Creative – the same firm responsible for Deus Ex: Human Revolution's CG and cutscenes – that never saw the light of day, and was planned for a December 2011 unveiling, according to this resume.So what could be the situation? One level designer still at Eidos Montreal says he designed the last level in the game – take from that what you will. In light of all this, we've followed up with Eidos Montreal and Square Enix for official comment.
Report: Vivendi looking to sell 'part or all' of majority stake in Activision
Activision's French multimedia conglomerate parent company, Vivendi SA, is said to be considering a sale of its 61 percent controlling stake in the US-based Call of Duty publisher. Bloomberg reports that Vivendi is holding a meeting on June 22 to discuss the potential for a sale of "part or all" of its Acti holdings. The report comes from "people with knowledge of the matter," who refused to be identified due to the privacy of the June 22 event.A Vivendi representative confirmed the upcoming executive get together, but didn't discuss the specifics of the meeting. Said meeting has taken place annually since 2005, and the rep noted it's intended as "a forum of exchange and discussion, not for quick-fix decisions or solutions."Vivendi and Activision came together in 2007, creating Activision-Blizzard as a result of the merger. Vivendi sold three percent of its Activision stock in late 2011, but kept approximately 60 percent of its holdings. Since today's report, Vivendi's stock rose 3.7 percent in Paris markets.Update: To help contextualize some of this super business-y madness, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter told Joystiq, "Some believe Vivendi is worth more if it is split up into various parts. The potential split doesn't really mean anything for Activision, other than a lot of shares on the market all at once. I don't think a sale is likely, as there are few potential buyers, if any. Instead, it makes more sense for Vivendi if they have Activision borrow a lot of money and pay a dividend of all of its cash. Spin it off to Vivendi shareholders." He added that he's not sure if the report is accurate or not.
Report: UK retailers list Assassin's Creed 3 and 'Ghost Recon: Final Mission' for Vita
GameSpot reports that UK retailer Play.com posted a listing for an unannounced Vita game called Ghost Recon: Final Mission, which has since been removed.Concurrently, retailer Zavvi posted a listing for a Vita version of Assassin's Creed 3 – Ubisoft announced an Assassin's Creed game being in the works for Vita last August, alongside games like Dungeon Hunter, Lumines, and Rayman Origins that have all since been released. The Zavvi listing remains active.We'll check with Ubisoft; however, for an actual status update about these games, we're sure we'll need only to wait for E3.
Trip Hawkins steps down as Digital Chocolate CEO, layoffs reported
Mobile and social games publisher Digital Chocolate may be in danger of melting. Noted industry veteran Trip Hawkins has stepped down as CEO, noting on the Digital Chocolate blog that he is "transitioning now into a consulting and advisory relationship" with the company. He added that Digital Chocolate is "narrowing its focus and it made sense to get more streamlined."Meanwhile, Digital Chocolate president Marc Metis will step in as interim CEO while the company will also lay off up to 180 across the company's offices in Russia, San Mateo and India, according to a TechCrunch report. The site reports that the San Mateo and Bangalore have had their staffs reduced by half, while offices in Mexico, Armenia, Washington and Russia have been closed entirely.While Digital Chocolate has yet to confirm the news, Francisco Casanova, general manager of Digital Chocolate Mexico, has tweeted that his branch has closed its doors.
Google reportedly planning stable of Nexus devices with Android 5.0, will sell 'em direct
Hand firmly grasping hat? Good. The Wall Street Journal is reporting on quite the bombshell today, noting that Google is about to cause its carrier partners in the States all sorts of grief -- indirectly, of course. Just weeks after placing its heralded Galaxy Nexus on sale for $399 unlocked, the report states that said move is only the beginning of a new initiative. Likely to be formally revealed at Google I/O, the mega-corp is planning to partner with a variety of OEMs (rather than just one at a time) in order to have up to five Pure Google (read: Nexus) devices available at once. Better still, the whole stable will ship with Android 5.0 (Jelly Bean) and will be sold directly from Google in unlocked form to consumers in America, Europe and Asia. The move is significant in a myriad ways. For one, more unlocked Nexus devices means more choice when it comes to carrier selection. Furthermore, the move is likely to quell fears that certain partners may have about Google making Motorola Mobility its favorite after a $12 billion acquisition. Not surprisingly, Google's not commenting on the matter, but sources "close" to the situation say that the company's hoping to have the 5.0 cadre on sale by Thanksgiving -- you know, just in time for Black Friday and the looming holiday shopping season. We're all guessing that this will address the growing "app situation" head-on; by making a push to eliminate carrier-infused bloatware (while also providing early Android OS access to more partners), we're hoping that the whole "skinning" dilemma is addressed, too.
LightSquared officially files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
As expected, May 14th is indeed a dark day for LightSquared. The company has just filed paperwork in order to initiate Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in Manhattan's US Bankruptcy Court, effectively killing its dream of providing a high-speed mobile wireless network to upwards of 260 million people. Not quite a year after Sprint and LightSquared put together an agreement that would ensure 15 years of blissful LTE enjoyment together, Philip Falcone's baby looks weaker than ever. With the Sprint tie-up now void, and over $1.6 billion in debt, there's probably not too many places for LS to turn. The primary hurdle -- one it never could seem to overcome -- was the FCC's outright refusal to believe any of the company's mitigation proposals in relation to GPS interference issues. Despite "profoundly disagreeing" and raising all sorts of chaos in an effort to get its way, LightSquared never did manage to convince the powers that mattered. Where it turns from here is anyone's guess, but it won't be a quiet fall from grace, we're surmising.
