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Telegram adds iMessage-style reactions and hidden text for spoilers
You'll be able to translate messages as well.
Watch new 'The Last of Us Part II' gameplay here at 4PM ET
Catch some never-before-seen gameplay footage of Naughty Dog's next horror epic.
'Westworld' creators have an unusual approach to S2 spoilers
During a Reddit AMA with Westworld show creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, Nolan made an unexpected announcement -- instead of making fans cry, they'd spoil their own show. Usually, for a mysterious show like this the fan community spends all season trying to connect threads and predict the plot's resolution without any real idea of what's happening (unless there's a leak). But maybe there's a way to skip all that, and experience the show like Game of Thrones where many people read the books first. The deal was to do it, without saying goodbye, if Nolan's comment received 1,000 upvotes, which it did, and you can view the video after the break. We'd tell you what's in it, but that would be a spoiler, and we'd never hurt you.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Rooting through Guild Wars 2's Point of no Return
How about that Guild Wars 2 season finale, huh? Although it's not the major event last year's was, it threw a huge chunk of fuel on the ol' rumor bonfires. Despite the buzz surrounding GW2 lately, I know a lot of players expected ArenaNet to underplay the last chapter of season two. Instead, we got a massive reveal and a surprise look at what ArenaNet plans to show off at PAX South on January 24th, and it's more full of exciting possibilities than I could have predicted. This article will necessarily contain spoilers, more spoilers, and even more spoilers, so make sure you're up to speed before reading further. Or don't, and suffer the consequences (I love saying that).
Chaos Theory: A guide to TSW's Christmas Conspiracies event
Silver bells, Krampus and Hel, It's Christmas time in The Secret World Ring a ling, hear them scream, Soon you will see a Christmas play! Ahh, it's the holidays. A time when other games pull out the stops on cute and cuddly, flinging festive colors and joviality about like Christmas confetti to make a joyous celebration. Then you have The Secret World. In TSW, the season is dark, twisted, and fiendish; nightmares are brought to life, and conspiracies worm their ways throughout even the most revered of traditions. And we wouldn't have it any other way! I always wonder how on earth the devs are going to top themselves each new event, and this season's Christmas Conspiracies definitely does not disappoint! From the story to the puzzles, this mission chain fits right in. It even incorporated my favorite new element introduced this year -- music -- and literally makes you play for your reward. Want to experience it? You've got until January 5th to thwart the conspiracy and collect all the treasure you can. (Of course, even if you have done the two previous Christmas' events, you'll want to do them again just to get the special goodie bags!) Here's a not-quite-a-guide to help nudge you through. As always, I won't offer a direct step-by-step walkthrough but instead will just drop hints (in italics) to help you along. That said, here's your warning: There will be spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk! If, however, you want even more spoilers, watch Massively TV tonight, December 25th, at 9:00 p.m. for a Stream Team walkthrough special.
The Borderlands timeline unfurled
With the recent release of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Gearbox knows it may have some fans with questions on how the series' timeline is organized. That's understandable when your latest game is sub-titled "The Pre-Sequel." To bring order to the chaos, the series developer offered an "ultimate Borderlands timeline" on its blog late last week. The comic-style timeline divulges major plot points from before the original Borderlands through its direct sequel, Borderlands 2. Viewers beware: Gearbox didn't shy away from spoiling those major events in the timeline, including that of The Pre-Sequel. Our review of the latest game noted that the game is "missing just a bit of soul," but still "has the makings of a pretty great Borderlands game." The series' overarching story will continue with The Walking Dead developer Telltale's adventure game, Tales From the Borderlands, which is expected to launch this year. [Image: Gearbox Software]
World of Warcraft drops spoiler-filled cinematics
Some World of Warcraft players want to know the whole story of an expansion before they've even started playing. Some others would prefer to know nothing about the game until it's time to play, experiencing everything completely fresh. If you belong to the latter group, you won't want to click on the latest update from Blizzard Entertainment because it's full of spoilers. It is, in fact, the spoiler-filled cinematics from all through Warlords of Draenor, conveniently collected in a single place. Why? Essentially, the development team would rather give players a clear picture of the story than force them to rely upon datamined reveals and guesses. If you'd like to be spoiled on the storyline before you can even play it, you can click on over and watch through all of the in-game cinematics in quick succession, painting a broad if not detailed picture of the game as a whole. If you'd rather not be spoiled... well, avoid that link. And the comments. And the forums. Basically, just shut off your discussion venues for a couple of months.
Full SWTOR expansion information coming this month
If you're like many other players of Star War: The Old Republic, then you've been wondering and waiting to hear what the fabled next expansion is supposed entail. Producer Bruce Maclean told forumgoers earlier this week that they will have to wait only until the end of the month, explaining that the team didn't want to give away any content spoilers. Now that the gurrcat is out of the bag with Update 2.10, information about 3.0 is right around the corner. Maclean wrote today, "We're letting folks have a little time with Rakata Prime and then spilling the beans on 3.0. Look for a teaser within a week, and then a full announce before the end of [the] month!" We're guessing the Rakata Prime flashpoint has more than a little to do with it...
Warlords of Draenor: New voice files datamined
Adriacraft over on Youtube has been hard at work downloading a variety of different voice files from the latest beta build. Included in the mix are what seems to be most of the tracks for the Tanaan Jungle starting experience, as well as a few different vignettes and scenarios, some of which haven't been seen on the beta as of yet. Several of the orc warlords have been dug up, as well as a full ten minutes worth of vocal tracks from Yrel. Needless to say, every single last one of these files are full of spoilers for story lines and events in Warlords of Draenor. If you are deliberately avoiding spoilers, listening to any of these would be a very, very bad idea. And if you do choose to listen to them, keep in mind that these are beta files, and therefore may or may not actually be found in game once the expansion is released.
Warlords of Draenor: The Iron Horde invasion, Alliance edition
One of the newer additions to the Warlords of Draenor beta is the Iron Horde invasion of the Blasted Lands. I'm a bit unsure as to whether this is a permanent change or if this is a testing phase for a temporary event, but the new flight point makes me lean toward permanent. You can grab the breadcrumb quest into this series from the Hero's Call Board in Stormwind, where you are told that Vindicator Maraad awaits you in the Blasted Lands. There's a convenient portal right next to the board so you can just hop on in and head over to the new quests. Beyond this point lie some fairly hefty spoilers for the early part of Warlords of Draenor, so if you're trying to avoid those, pass this article by!
Spoiler Shield is the first line of defense against spoilers
Chances are good that if you've followed a big hit show -- say Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, or Scandal -- at some point the internet has ruined a big plot twist. You've got the episode DVR'd at home, waiting for you while you live your life. Then, while checking your Twitter or Facebook timelines, some jerk you follow suddenly spills the beans: Can't believe they killed all those dragons in Game of Thrones with AK-47s. Didn't see that coming. - John-Michael Bond (@BondJohnBond) April 18, 2014 All you can do is scream "NO!" to the heavens. You wouldn't want to seem overly sensitive for deleting someone just for spoilers. Up until now your only options were to avoid social media or deal with the consequences, but now there's a better way. Spoiler Shield is a free iOS app that allows you to scan your Facebook and Twitter feeds without worrying about unintentionally finding out who killed who this week. When you're viewing your feeds with the app, any post that matches your specified "shields" appears blocked, with the option to reveal the devious text if you'd like. You can see what that blocking looks like in this screenshot. Your shields block spoiling tweets regardless of when they appear during the week, so it's an easy and efficient way to keep yourself in the dark. Spoiler Shield doesn't just work for TV nerds; assorted shields are available blocking spoilers about various sports leagues and celebrities. Best of all, it allows you to select which specific teams to have shielded so you can keep up with scores without ruining the game you want to watch. While the app has an incredibly broad list of shows that can be shielded, it doesn't allow you to input custom options, so you're out of luck on more obscure programs. Even if you don't use the app to block potential spoilers, it's worth considering as an alternative to the native Twitter or Facebook apps. It's nice to be able to post, like, comment, retweet, and favorite without having to switch in and out of apps. The interface is fast and clean, and short of private messaging capabilities Spoiler Shield can basically do everything those other apps do. With weeks left in season 4 of Game of Thrones and summer series just around the corner, it's wise to safeguard your friendships from spoiler arguments. Convincing people online not to be jerks is hard. Take the option out of their hands with Spoiler Shield.
The Daily Grind: Are you for or against data mining?
I'm just as much of an information and news junkie as most of you are. I probably wouldn't be working for Massively if I weren't, really! So yes, I like to know the full scoop as soon as possible, and I really can't resist getting sneak peeks at the good stuff. But there's a line that can be crossed in this relentless pursuit of information, which is being totally OK with data mining. Data mining is the act of combing through game files to find hints of upcoming content or to completely spoil current content in the game. Sometimes it's employed by sites to break NDAs and spill secrets that devs want kept until a later date. Sometimes it's used to grab maps or discover the existence of a new class in the making. There have been plenty of times that data mining efforts resulted in rather large spoilers that robbed the official reveals of their impact. So I'm curious: Are you for or against data mining? Is it too spoilery for you or do you appreciate the sleuthing efforts of dedicated fans? 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!
Breakfast Topic: Why I'm not reading the spoilers
I'm going to be doing something different this time around in the beta -- I'm not going to be reading all the leaks and spoilers. Over the past decade I've had all of Warcraft spoiled for me, there's never been a surprise that I didn't know about well in advance. And really that means there's never been a surprise at all. That's disappointing. I knew for months what happened at the end of Wrath, we heard long ago who the "big bad" of MoP was going to be. In my line of work finding out these things is par for the course. A lot of time we don't publish anything because they're just rumors; but obviously some of them become true. This time though? I'm not going to pay attention to them. Already I'm making it a point not to read quest text or conversation strings. I'm not going to watch videos of cinematics, and I'm not going to participate in lore discussions when leaks or spoilers are involved. In fact, I'm going to do everything I possibly can from editing those posts. There's other editors around that can do that. /cough Alex and Anne I know some of you are going to want to read them. Heck I can see it in the hits every time we post a spoiler (I'm looking at you new leader of the Horde post, which was one of AOL's most viewed posts the day it happened). We'll still do that stuff. But you know what? I'm just going to close my eyes and pretend they don't exist. As long as Alex and Anne don't kill me.
Know Your Lore: Warlords lore, spoilers and you
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. It's about that time again. The time in which an expansion is waning towards its inevitable end, and a new one sits on the horizon. The time when that expansion isn't quite available for play, but is now the subject of copious amounts of clever datamining to pluck out all those interesting details before they've even had a chance to fully see the light of day. For most players, it's incredibly fun to see the details as they are released, particularly since Blizzard has been so careful this time around to clarify any changes that may appear a little weird. For fans of the lore, it means one of two things -- a ton of delicious tidbits in regards to story information, or the inevitable launch of a minefield of spoilers that will have to be dodged for the next several months until the expansion is in hand. But is it really worth it to give them a look? Is it worth it to discuss them?
Chaos Theory: First five favorite moments in The Secret World
I've been asked many times why I love The Secret World. And I have always answered enthusiastically about my favorite parts of this unique game. But a more interesting take on the question presented itself recently: When did I love The Secret World? This query gave me pause as I thought back to the point at which my I'm-having-fun feelings turned into bona fide squeals of delight and shrieks of surprise. And I came to the conclusion that all I really needed to love The Secret World I learned in Kingsmouth. If you think about it, that's a pretty good thing. Since Kingsmouth is the first real adventure zone after your tutorial (I'm not counting the faction cities), having experiences that grab folks' interest there is vital to producing long term-players. In a game, just as in a book or a movie, it is important to hook your intended audience early on so its members stick around to see what's going to happen next. And hook me Kingsmouth did. The following are the first five moments that captured my heart (and mind -- this is TSW we're talking about, after all). They are by no means the be-all, end-all of the game; they are very simple, in fact. But these particular moments did help define my appreciation for the game and ensnare me enough to keep me coming back for more.
The Mog Log: After the story of Final Fantasy XIV
First of all, putting this front and center: there are spoilers aplenty in the article past the cut. You have been warned, and will be warned again. I wrapped up the main story of Final Fantasy XIV a little while ago, got to see the final cutscenes that last for about a month, and was rewarded with a nice new mount for my trouble. I also got some big metaplot advancement and access to the endgame dungeons that I'll be running until we get more of them, so that was nice. But today I don't want to talk about how Amdapor Keep and Castrum Meridianum do an excellent job of being an endgame without being one, I want to talk about the actual story as a whole. Including the final revelations, the pacing of the plot, and where the game has to go from here. Again, spoilers past the cut. If you have not beaten the main story and want it to remain a secret, please, don't read past this point.
TV on Twitter gets a boost: CBS offers in-tweet highlight videos, Netflix keeps spoilers out
TV-loving Twitter users just got two big upgrades to their experience. To start, CBS has reached a deal with Twitter to offer ad-supported, in-tweet highlight videos through the Amplify program. The partnership will include content from 42 shows spread across 20 of CBS' web and TV brands. Meanwhile, Netflix has launched a new Spoiler Foiler website that prevents Twitter friends in other regions from ruining Breaking Bad. Sign in, and the page will automatically censor tweets with likely spoiler material; you can click the blacked-out text to see what you're missing. While it's not clear when CBS' highlight videos will be available, Spoiler Foiler is available today.
Community Blog Topic Results: What is your spoiler policy?
In last week's Community Blog Topic, we talked about everyone's spoiler policy. It was particularly timely due to all the brouhaha with the Siege of Orgrimmar and what happens at the end. Many people say that it's the individual's responsibility to avoid situations where spoilers can happen, while others say it is the responsibility of the speaker or the site to warn of spoilers. SparkysShocker at Blood Sweat and Honor voiced a common opinion about the big warchief reveal. ... with the advent of LFR I think the safe time period to discuss major lore spoilers is once the last LFR wing is released, because at that point it is safe to assume that everyone who wants to see it for themselves has.
Community Blog Topic: What is your spoiler policy?
In patch 5.4 there is the big reveal of Garrosh's fate and who becomes the new Horde leader(s). But in order to get that knowledge, you either need to beat the Siege of Orgrimmar, watch the end cinematics, or read about it on fansites like this one. Many people want to wait to find out on their own, but others want to talk about it now. In the daily Queue column, we answer a lot of questions about a lot of things. And those who want to talk about the big reveal now ask now. Those who don't want to know yet get upset when they read the Queue and its comments. But how long after the information is known should we (or anyone) wait to talk about it without issuing major spoiler alerts?
World of Warcraft reveals the next Warchief of the Horde
If you have even a peripheral interest in World of Warcraft, you've caught wind of the fact that Garrosh Hellscream has not been a very good leader of the Horde. He's managed it so badly that he's the final boss of the expansion for both factions, which is not the sign of a capable leader. And his ultimate defeat means it's time for a new Warchief to step forward... a leader named... Basic campfire? You didn't think we were going to spoil this right here on the front page, did you? If you're still playing the game and want to see the end on your own, that's fine. If you would rather just find out the answer now, though, you can find the answer buried within our sister site WoW Insider's considerate-of-spoiler-warnings post right over here. (It's actually a Sickly Gazelle riding on a Spectral Tiger mount, but that's just a placeholder model.)
