Mischief Managed: QJ news tip submission is fixed!
Yes, we’ve heard you guys. Over at the forums. Over at the comments section. Heck, some of you even emailed us about having problems emailing us! (Err, what?) Well, that’s all water under the bridge now. The news tip submission system here on the front page is fixed!
See, some people have been pointing out that they’ve gotten some MAILER-DAEMON errors bouncing back into their inbox. But now, we had the issue investigated, and as a result, there you have it: both the “Send us news tips” and “Contact us” online forms on the front page are in full working order (err, a bit of a caveat below)!
Thanks to all of your feedback! Without some of the info we’ve been getting from you guys, we wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint where the little bugger took root. It’s squashed. It’s dead. It’s been flushed!
Now, if some of you don’t feel like contacting us via the front page forms, there are other alternatives too:
- there’s the forums - you can create a thread there, which could eventually be picked up by our trolling eyes…
- via the forums too, you can even send us private messages
- and then, if that’s not your thing, there’s still the FaceBook account - write on our wall, chat with us when we’re online…
The choice is definitely up to you! So the next time you have something to share with us (keep it safe for work please!), we’ve got all these options and means for you to contact us. Whether it’s about a news tip or maybe some other message you might want to communicate with us - a little bit of “QJ you guys rock!” doesn’t hurt every now and then, y’know. Cheers!
in full working order - except for attachments. D’oh! Yes, attachments don’t work in the “Send us news tips” form, however, it’s still possible to send us pics (say, you have a screenshot of something, a pic of streetbroken Killzone 2 or whatnot - just make sure they’re safe for work, we don’t want to see unmentionables please!) if you manually send us an email to tips@qj.net, through your own email client/service, with the attached picture or zip file.
Massively: WAR’s trial key offer extended to non-subscribers
Filed under: Fantasy, Warhammer Online, News items
Two days ago, we got word of a new 10-day free trial offer from Mythic and Warhammer Online. This promotion was originally only for subscribers who wanted to come back and try the game again, but today it has been announced that Mythic and FilePlanet will offer a limited number of these 10-day trial keys for non-subscribers as well.
That’s right, if you’ve been curious about the game but never actually took the plunge, you can have yourself a field day (or 10) absolutely free. Our previous post gave a good bit of info on the trial terms, but if you find yourself unsure, check out the complete Free Trial FAQ at Mythic’s website.
[Thanks Yulian]
Massively: LotRO releases new PTS and preliminary Book 7 patch notes
Filed under: Fantasy, Lord of the Rings Online, Events, in-game, Patches, Previews, News items
Turbine has just announced a brand new public test server for Lord of the Rings Online called Bullroarer. This test server will allow plays to experience content before it is ready to go live, allowing the players to help test the content and give their feedback. You will need to download Bullroarer separately from the live game client, and you must have an active LotRO account.
What’s even more exciting about this announcement is the fact that the newest content update, Book 7, is live on Bullroarer right now for players to explore! Since this is a test server, it will incorporate a copy from a live server. Right now that first server is Elendilmir, but anyone is invited to create a character and experience the new content. Turbine says they will soon enable the Eyes and Guard Inn in-game to allow anyone to boost their characters up to max level and experience everything. Check out the current Book 7 patch notes (that are subject to change before going live) and count on Massively for much more coverage of Book 7 as it nears live release.
Massively: Ex-Turbine exec to joins forces with Hello Kitty Online
Filed under: MMO industry, New titles, News items, Hello Kitty Online
“I am pleased to welcome Robert to Sanrio Digital,” said Yat Siu, chief executive officer of Sanrio Digital. “We are excited to secure such a well-respected and experienced industry professional on our team. Robert’s established background and reputation in MMOs and social gaming make him the ideal driver for our publishing and business development efforts across the Americas, Europe and other markets. I am certain he will contribute greatly to our global strategy and success.”
Massively: Linden Lab/IBM case-study on virtual-environment meetings
Filed under: Business models, News items, Second Life, Virtual worlds
Linden Lab have published a case-study based on their strategic technology partner IBM’s use of Second Life to save money on meetings and conferences. IBM’s experience is quite unlike Australian Bank Westpac, which did not find such a compelling case, but the details of Westpac’s findings are a bit vague.
In this case-study, IBM staffers talk about their experience with running a Conference and their Annual General Meeting in Second Life , though what seems a bit odd is that it is hard to shake the feeling that we’ve seen this particular case-study before. Nevertheless, feel free to take in the report, bearing in mind that it seems to be targeted towards those who have the least familiarity with virtual environments, only very carefully introducing concepts and tropes like presence, for those new to the notion.
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Are you a part of the most widely-known collaborative virtual environment or keeping a close eye on it? Massively’s Second Life coverage keeps you in the loop. |
Fly High Amiel Alcantara
I don’t know if I’m just a really sensitive or emotional kind of person but I can’t help but feel sad about what happened to Amiel Alacantara. To those who don’t know, Amiel was recently killed in a traffic accident inside the Ateneo campus. He was only Grade 4 and 10 years old. One of the qualities of a good school is brotherhood. I personally don’t know Amiel, but being from the same school, walking the same halls he did, and maybe even having the same teachers as him, I can’t help but sympathize with his family. My girlfriend, Mich, who is also an Atenean, was there at the mass for him this morning and she also couldn’t hold back the tears.
Photo from Noemi
A few more details about this incident (news report clip) and a some insights after the jump.
NEWS REPORT ON AMIEL’S ACCIDENT
That bump on the front of the van only means one thing - it was moving at a pretty high speed. The impact of that magnitude could definitely kill a 10 year old kid.
I’d just like to take this chance to offer a prayer for Amiel and his family. May the Lord accept you into His kingdom Amiel, and I pray that all the pain, suffering, and loneliness felt by those that have been left behind will be healed in time.
Thank you to Noemi for constantly updating her blog with the latest news and developments with Amiel. I found myself glued to her blog for the past few hours reading and watchig the videos.
Massively: Help World of Warcraft, come test Ulduar!
Filed under: World of Warcraft, Betas, Fantasy, Events, in-game, Endgame, News items
Or are we?
Our sister site, WoW Insider, got a hold of the test schedule of Ulduar raid bosses. Tonight is the first, Hodir, and he’s already started (since 7 PM)! If you can’t get on tonight (as some of our correspondents at WoW Insider are locked out) then no worries, as the Iron Council will be the boss for tomorrow night at 7. The full schedule is as follows:
On the North American test realms
Hodir - Thursday night, February 26, starting at 7pm EST/4pm PST.
Iron Council - Friday night, February 27, starting at 7pm EST/4pm PST
On the European test realms
Thorim - Friday night, February 27, starting at 7pm CET.
Freya - Friday night, February 28, starting at 7pm CET.
The full story is over at WoW Insider, so stop on by and check out how to find Hodir.
Naruto 437
In the last issue of Naruto, Pain literally kicked his ass all over the place. His rampage also went on and we saw more key characters die to his merciless and relentless offensive against Konoha. Pain went on to explain his twisted and sad life story - about how he wanted to save the world by blowing it up again and again and again. The issue ended with Pain standing over the immobilized and powerless Naruto, ready to suck away the powers of the Nine Tails. Onemanga recently uploaded Naruto 437 and it’s really getting more exciting with each issue! My review of Naruto 437 after the jump.
Hinata saves the day
Just before Pain finishes off Naruto, we see a very unlikely hero come in to save the day. Hinata finally admits her love for Naruto and steps in the fight. After confessing her love, she goes on to attack Pain, but only to be blown away by Pain’s Tensei. It’s not clear yet if she’s actually dead but there’s a possibility that she actually did. After Hinata falls, something snaps inside Naruto and we finally see the Demon Fox Cloak once again. This time though it is 10x even more scarier because Naruto has grown 6 tails. 3 left before doomsday!
Regardless if Hinata died or not, I’m really happy with how they rounded off her character with this issue. She finally steps out of the shadows, breaks away from her shyness, and grows into a strong and independent woman who knows what she wants. I find her crush on Naruto to be very cute and there’s a “kilig” factor when you see her finally say “I love you” to Naruto.
Naruto the beast unleashed
Naruto’s patience is broken and he partially transforms once again to the Nine-Tails. He now has six tails and has a bone-like armor which makes him look deadlier and out-of-control. The issue ends with Pain saying that he has experience more pain than Naruto - which basically implies that he can take Naruto on even with his transformation.
Rock Lee and Neji
Gai’s team, composed of Rock Lee, Neji, and that annoying weapons girl, is near Konoha already. They’ve already seen the big frogs knocked out. I’m guessing that they won’t be there to actually save Naruto but they maybe the ones that take on Nagato in his real form. This is just a guess. 
Can’t wait for next week’s issue! Rawr!
What I Hate About Console Gaming
This is in response to ARandomGamer.com’s post ” What I hate About PC Gaming“. I started out as a console gamer until that faithful day about 14 yrs ago when I got my first PC. For the next 5-6 or so years I gamed on both consoles and PC, until the last generation (Gamecube, PS2, Xbox) of consoles came out and I decided, f*ck’em, PC gaming is superior. I then decided I would come back to console gaming and bought a Wii the first week it came out and have also played many games on my friends Xbox360 and PS3. Conclusion, I haven’t used by Nintendo Wii in over a yr and could care less about the Xbox360 or PS3. Now that you have some background lets get to why I hate console gaming.
Hardware
You might say that you constantly need to upgrade your PC to play the newest games, but this is not true at all. My last upgrade was about 18 months ago and I’m still playing all the new games at max or near max settings and I don’t plan on upgrading anything for at least another yr. You’re PS3 might last 5-6 yrs, but guess what, in the last 2-3 yrs of your consoles life cycle the games are going to look like sh*t compared to PC games.
Crappy Controls
I have no clue how this became a plus for consoles, but mouse/keyboard combo dominates in almost every way possible. Real-time strategy (RTS) games are almost unplayable on consoles, one of the reasons there are almost none. First person shooters are also dominated by mouse/keyboards, one of the reasons no professional gamer uses a gamepad, you just can’t get the quick aiming you can with a mouse. Gamepads are great for platform and sport games that’s it, good thing PC’s can also use gamepads.
No Mod Community
Last I heard there was no moding on consoles. Sad because that’s what really makes PC gaming shine, player created content. I’m mean just look at Counter-Strike, the top FPS in the world created by gamers for free, at least at one point it was free. There have been hundreds of mods created for hundreds of different games, new maps, new skins, new game features all for free. Some Mods are massive, changing sci-fi strategy game into a FPS, while others are just tweaks to the user interface or inventory system.
Less Choice
Consoles lack in two major game genres, RTS and MMOs. Sadly MMO games have not faired well so far on consoles. Whether it’s the lack of online community or limits by the contollers, MMO games on consoles are few and far inbetween. There are a few, but nothing like the hundred or so on the PC. RTS games are also lacking on consoles, mainly because you can’t play them well using a gamepad.
We also get many of your games, GTA4, Halo 1&2, Assassins Creed, Gear of War, Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, 3, Guitar Hero 1, 2, 3 to name a few and when we do, they usually have more content and sometimes with upgraded graphics.
The Console
I hate the console itself, just another thing you have to hookup to your TV and that takes up space. I hate switching out the games and making sure I don’t scratch the disc. Once a PC game is installed I never have to touch the disc again. I hate that in 2009 consoles, except for XB0x, still have not learned that gamers like playing online vs other players. Sony might be working on it, but Nintendo is asleep at the wheel. I hate that I’m locked into a console once I purchase one. If I get a XBox, then decide to switch to PS, I can’t play any of my old XBox games without rewiring my TV.
Communication
With a PC, you can actually text chat with other people. You’re not forced to go buy headphones and listen to some 13 yr old kid who’s voice keeps cracking while there verbally assaulting you. Although the PC does give you that option if you want. I’m sure you can get a keyboard on your console to type, but that gamepad sure does get in the way.
Nintendo Wii
I’ve talked about Xbox and PS in most of this article and have left the Wii out of it for the most part, so I decided to give it own category so the fanboys will be happy. I hate the Wii cause I don’t want to move my arms around like an idiot. I don’t want to stand on a flat board and pretend I’m skiing or exercising . I hate the Wii cause I don’t want to play the same old games with barely updated graphics for the 10th time. I’m looking at your Mario, Zelda and Metroid. I hate the Wii cause it doesn’t care about mature gamers. Yes, there are games I’ve liked, but none that held my attentions for more than a few days.
For me PC games have far superior controls and communication, add a huge mod community and consoles are left in the dust. After this last generation, I just don’t see myself ever going back to consoles.
What I Hate About Console Gaming
This is in response to ARandomGamer.com’s post ” What I hate About PC Gaming“. I started out as a console gamer until that faithful day about 14 yrs ago when I got my first PC. For the next 5-6 or so years I gamed on both consoles and PC, until the last generation (Gamecube, PS2, Xbox) of consoles came out and I decided, f*ck’em, PC gaming is superior. I then decided I would come back to console gaming and bought a Wii the first week it came out and have also played many games on my friends Xbox360 and PS3. Conclusion, I haven’t used by Nintendo Wii in over a yr and could care less about the Xbox360 or PS3. Now that you have some background lets get to why I hate console gaming.
Hardware
You might say that you constantly need to upgrade your PC to play the newest games, but this is not true at all. My last upgrade was about 18 months ago and I’m still playing all the new games at max or near max settings and I don’t plan on upgrading anything for at least another yr. You’re PS3 might last 5-6 yrs, but guess what, in the last 2-3 yrs of your consoles life cycle the games are going to look like sh*t compared to PC games.
Crappy Controls
I have no clue how this became a plus for consoles, but mouse/keyboard combo dominates in almost every way possible. Real-time strategy (RTS) games are almost unplayable on consoles, one of the reasons there are almost none. First person shooters are also dominated by mouse/keyboards, one of the reasons no professional gamer uses a gamepad, you just can’t get the quick aiming you can with a mouse. Gamepads are great for platform and sport games that’s it, good thing PC’s can also use gamepads.
No Mod Community
Last I heard there was no moding on consoles. Sad because that’s what really makes PC gaming shine, player created content. I’m mean just look at Counter-Strike, the top FPS in the world created by gamers for free, at least at one point it was free. There have been hundreds of mods created for hundreds of different games, new maps, new skins, new game features all for free. Some Mods are massive, changing sci-fi strategy game into a FPS, while others are just tweaks to the user interface or inventory system.
Less Choice
Consoles lack in two major game genres, RTS and MMOs. Sadly MMO games have not faired well so far on consoles. Whether it’s the lack of online community or limits by the contollers, MMO games on consoles are few and far inbetween. There are a few, but nothing like the hundred or so on the PC. RTS games are also lacking on consoles, mainly because you can’t play them well using a gamepad.
We also get many of your games, GTA4, Halo 1&2, Assassins Creed, Gear of War, Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, 3, Guitar Hero 1, 2, 3 to name a few and when we do, they usually have more content and sometimes with upgraded graphics.
The Console
I hate the console itself, just another thing you have to hookup to your TV and that takes up space. I hate switching out the games and making sure I don’t scratch the disc. Once a PC game is installed I never have to touch the disc again. I hate that in 2009 consoles, except for XB0x, still have not learned that gamers like playing online vs other players. Sony might be working on it, but Nintendo is asleep at the wheel. I hate that I’m locked into a console once I purchase one. If I get a XBox, then decide to switch to PS, I can’t play any of my old XBox games without rewiring my TV.
Communication
With a PC, you can actually text chat with other people. You’re not forced to go buy headphones and listen to some 13 yr old kid who’s voice keeps cracking while there verbally assaulting you. Although the PC does give you that option if you want. I’m sure you can get a keyboard on your console to type, but that gamepad sure does get in the way.
Nintendo Wii
I’ve talked about Xbox and PS in most of this article and have left the Wii out of it for the most part, so I decided to give it own category so the fanboys will be happy. I hate the Wii cause I don’t want to move my arms around like an idiot. I don’t want to stand on a flat board and pretend I’m skiing or exercising . I hate the Wii cause I don’t want to play the same old games with barely updated graphics for the 10th time. I’m looking at your Mario, Zelda and Metroid. I hate the Wii cause it doesn’t care about mature gamers. Yes, there are games I’ve liked, but none that held my attentions for more than a few days.
For me PC games have far superior controls and communication, add a huge mod community and consoles are left in the dust. After this last generation, I just don’t see myself ever going back to consoles.
