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Perfect Ten: Mobile apps to enhance your MMO lifestyle
We're living in the age of smart phones, when there are more cell phones than there are people on this planet. I can't go anywhere without seeing people constantly whipping out their little rectangular companions for the constant stream of information, social connection, and Candy Crush interludes. While MMOs aren't making great headway on these devices, in part due to the limited input scheme, several wise studios have made good use of the mobile market to give players a way to keep in touch with their games even while AFK. Today we're going to count down, count up, and count sideways 10 official mobile apps that will enhance your MMO lifestyle.
The Daily Grind: Do you log in for chance-based daily activities?
Daily quests are a fixture in MMOs. Whether a game is subscription-based or free-to-play, it has a vested interest in cajoling you to keep coming back (and spending money). F2P games in particular have latched on to a very specific type of non-combat daily "quest." In Free Realms, for example, players can spin a wheel once per day to receive a chance at random prizes and rewards. In Glitch, you can shuffle your upgrade cards for a new batch every game day. And the RIFT mobile app provides "Lootables," virtual lottery scratch-off tickets that you can play a few times per day for a chance for, well, loot in the real game. These types of "dailies" can sometimes put players who play in a few long bursts at a disadvantage to those who play in many short bursts. I know I'm annoyed when I constantly feel as if I need to log in and perform routine maintenance on a game so that my "real" playtime is enhanced. And that's without mentioning that some games will happily sell the equivalent of wheel spins to those players who didn't like the results of their freebie. Today, Massively's wondering what you think of non-combat daily quests transparently designed to keep you thinking about the game even when you're not playing it. Do you log in to spin wheels, shuffle cards, and scratch off virtual lottery tickets? Or do you ignore those daily activities? 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!
RIFT companion app brings chat, events, and loot to Android
RIFT is stepping up its mobile connectivity game with the newly released RIFT mobile companion app, now for Android. The application contains what you might expect from a companion app, such as friend and guild chat, officer chat, and other guild capabilities, but it also features unique bits like zone event notifications, which can notify you when a zone event begins on your server. Of course, you can also filter which of these battles deserves a notification. Perhaps most interestingly, you can also earn in-game loot by participating in what appears to be some kind of minigame. This game can reward players with crafting items, planar treasure, and artifacts, which are sent directly to their characters' mail-boxes. For the most part, it looks to be a pretty good tool for people who want to stay connected to the game even when they're not at their computers. For the full details on the app, just click on through the link below. Meanwhile, if you want to skip the fluff and just grab the app, it's available for free on the iTunes store and now on the Android Market.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Of apps and patches
On the surface, things have been relatively quiet in RIFT. The Fae Yule Event moved along merrily, but there hasn't been much revealed about update 1.7 yet. Fans are so used to the rapid pace of updates that they've made a minigame out of guessing what's coming and when it will arrive. But if you're wondering whether the team took the holidays off and left behind its work, fear not! Just a few days ago, Trion Worlds revealed a new iPhone app called RIFT Mobile and held its first developer Q&A with the community, during which it provided lots of new tidbits of information for RIFT fans to look forward to. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll look at the highlights.
Get your lootables and chatables on with Trion's new RIFT iOS app
With little fanfare, Trion Worlds has released an iPhone mobile app this past weekend for RIFT that should make staying in touch with guildies and in-game events far easier for the on-the-go set. The app is called RIFT Mobile and is currently available for the low, low price of "free." The app allows RIFT players to talk to friends and guildies whether they're in-game or also using the app -- and yes, there are push notifications if you so desire. The app also supports guild and officer chat, guild messages of the day, zone event notifications, and the guild wall. Probably the most intriguing feature of the RIFT Mobile app is something called "Lootables" -- ways to earn actual in-game loot while using the app. The app is available in English, French and German languages and can be used only by current players of the game. A community rep on the official forums has confirmed that it's "an early release/beta" and that more official info is on the way. [Thanks to Valotith for the tip!]
