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Metaverse News
Massivelyop
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World of Warcraft’s anniversary classic servers are back to Zul’Gurub again
- World of Warcraft's anniversary Classic servers have reintroduced Zul'Gurub content for the WoW Classic Classic servers.
- Players can now revisit the fourth phase of WoW Classic content, including fighting Trolls and pursuing tier 0.5 armor.
- The reintroduction of the Zul'Gurub content offers players the opportunity to experience familiar challenges and rewards in the game.
- The update went live for the WoW Classic Classic servers as of last night, bringing back nostalgic gameplay elements for veteran players.
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The Verge
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277
Image Credit: The Verge
How Apple lost control of the App Store
- Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple needed to change the way it handled external payments, buttons, and links in apps, which Apple has already started implementing despite planning to appeal.
- The ruling marks a significant shift in the app economy and raises questions about the future of app development on the App Store.
- The Vergecast discusses the implications of the ruling, including Apple's closed-door meetings about app commissions and developers' reactions to the news.
- The case also involves Meta and Google still in a court fight, adding to the ongoing discussions about monopolies in the tech industry.
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Massivelyop
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273
Hearthstone adds new mini-set May 13, Overwatch 2 collabs with Gundam, Warcraft Rumble launches Season 14
- Hearthstone will release a new Embers of the World Tree mini-set on May 13th, introducing 38 new cards with unique mechanics like smoldering and new Druid cards playing with fire.
- Overwatch 2 collaborates with Gundam Wing for special skins and in-game challenges until May 12th to celebrate Gundam's 30th anniversary.
- Warcraft Rumble Season 14 is live with features including normal and heroic Molten Core variants, permanent additions to the GRID, 1v1 duels, and XP leveling curve adjustments.
- Blizzard faced criticism over robotic-sounding character voices in Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV, clarifying that it was due to placeholder bugs and certain localized voice lines being unavailable or unchanged.
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Arstechnica
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Image Credit: Arstechnica
New study accuses LM Arena of gaming its popular AI benchmark
- A new study accuses LM Arena of gaming its popular AI benchmark, favoring large companies near the top of the index.
- LM Arena, created in 2023 as a UC Berkeley research project, allows users to compare AI models through a chatbot competition.
- Companies like Google and DeepSeek pay attention to LM Arena rankings to track improvements and market performance.
- Operators of LM Arena dispute the study's claims, stating it draws incorrect conclusions about unfair practices.
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Insider
3w
22
Image Credit: Insider
Meta has a new stand-alone AI app. It lets you see what other people are asking. I'm confused.
- Meta has launched a new stand-alone AI app called Meta AI, which is a chatbot assistant chatbot with a public feed feature where users can share their AI conversations.
- The app allows users to ask questions, chat, and create images, with an option to share their conversations on a public feed by choice. Some users have shared personal queries unknowingly on this public platform.
- The public feed includes a mix of silly images and serious inquiries like medical advice, legal matters, and health insurance queries, raising concerns about accidental oversharing and privacy.
- Despite Meta's intention to foster a social aspect with the AI app, the practicality and appeal of viewing other people's AI chats on a public feed remain questionable, leaving many users puzzled about the purpose and interest in such a feature.
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Dataprivacyandsecurityinsider
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17
The VPPA: An Old Law with New Streams
- The Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) was enacted in 1988 to regulate video rental and sales data disclosure, intended for the videotape industry.
- Plaintiffs are applying the VPPA to current contexts like online video subscriptions and pixel tracking tools.
- Recent lawsuits, like one against a cinema chain for using Meta tracking pixel, indicate the continued relevance of the VPPA in modern digital scenarios.
- Companies offering video content online need to consider obtaining separate user consent for disclosing consumer information to third parties to comply with the VPPA.
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Massivelyop
3w
111
Not So Massively: Overwatch 2’s stadium mode is a huge accessibility win
- Overwatch 2's stadium mode introduces accessibility features like a third person camera and power customization, appealing to a wider audience.
- Stadium mode has two teams of five in a best of seven match with no hero swapping but unlockable powers and customizable abilities.
- The addition of the third person camera in Stadium mode significantly increases accessibility and control for players who may struggle with first person cameras.
- Players can customize characters with powers like the 'Coulder' for Mei and auto-aiming ultimate for Soldier: 76, reducing the need for precise aiming.
- Stadium mode has faced criticism for long match times and waiting periods between rounds, leading to the call for balancing and tweaks.
- The availability of Stadium mode only for ranked play has been questioned, with suggestions for a casual play option.
- A major issue in Stadium mode is the lack of back-filling for players who leave or disconnect, impacting match balance and enjoyment.
- While requiring fine-tuning, Stadium mode shows promise in making Overwatch more accessible and enjoyable for a broader range of players.
- The new mode may attract players who previously found traditional Overwatch gameplay too challenging to engage with.
- Stadium mode offers a different experience, creating a divide in the Overwatch community between those who love or dislike the mode.
- Despite being more of a back-burner game for some, Stadium mode has the potential to open up Overwatch to a wider audience.
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Medium
3w
22
Image Credit: Medium
Meta’s LCMs Are Watching: How AI Learns From Your VR Sessions, Deleted Texts, and Hesitations
- Meta's Large Concept Models (LCMs) are collecting vast amounts of biometric data from VR sessions, deleted texts, and hesitations.
- LCMs process 247 unconscious cues per minute, aiming to understand human behavior through movements, pauses, deletions, and blinks.
- Meta's AI powered by LCMs can predict life events such as divorce or job loss in advance by analyzing micro-behaviors in VR.
- Concerns arise regarding the use of unconscious behavioral data for medical predictions without explicit consent and the need for increased privacy protection measures.
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The Verge
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251
Image Credit: The Verge
Mark Zuckerberg just declared war on the entire advertising industry
- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed his plan to eliminate the entire advertising ecosystem with the help of AI during a conversation with Stratechery's Ben Thompson.
- Zuckerberg mentioned that with AI improving ad targeting, Meta is now focusing on automating the creative aspect of ads to a point where an infinite number of ads can be generated and tested.
- The goal is to make it easier for businesses by possibly providing ad creation services directly, disrupting the current advertising industry.
- This move could potentially revolutionize how advertising is done on platforms like Meta and Google, as AI continues to play a significant role in shaping the industry.
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Silicon
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57
Image Credit: Silicon
Meta Benefits From Strong Ad Sales, Despite Tariff Concerns
- Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, reported strong financial results with a 35 percent increase in profits and a 16 percent rise in revenues, attributed to robust advertising revenues and AI tools.
- Despite layoffs in the Reality Labs division, which makes wearable devices, Meta performed well financially, posting a net profit of $16.6 billion in the first quarter of 2025.
- Meta's advertising business saw a 5 percent increase in ad impressions and a 10 percent rise in the average price per ad during Q1, while the company boosted its 2025 capital expenditure plans to between $64 billion and $72 billion.
- While Meta faces regulatory challenges, including concerns over potential impact from tariff issues, the company remains cautious about geopolitical challenges and the potential impact on its business and financial results.
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Insider
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221
Image Credit: Insider
AI slowdown? Big Tech earnings are telling a different story.
- Microsoft and Meta reported strong earnings, indicating their continued heavy investments in AI technologies.
- Despite reports of a possible slowdown in AI demand, both companies showed no signs of slowing down their AI investments.
- Microsoft and Meta's increased capital expenditures reflect their commitment to meeting the high demand for AI services from customers.
- Other tech giants like Google also demonstrated strong revenue growth in their AI-focused cloud units, suggesting that the AI trend is still going strong in the tech industry.
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The Verge
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163
Image Credit: The Verge
Meta and Spotify are teaming up to lobby against Apple and Google
- Meta, Spotify, Garmin, Match, and others have formed a lobby group to represent their interests against Apple and Google.
- The Coalition for a Competitive Mobile Experience will focus on issues like age verification responsibility, promoting fair competition, and supporting antitrust cases against Apple and Google.
- The priority of the group is to push for app stores to take responsibility for age verification instead of individual apps.
- The coalition aims to support legislation similar to Utah's law on age verification and assist in Meta's efforts to change lawmakers' perspectives.
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9 Likes
Massivelyop
3w
291
World of Warcraft previews new rotational assistance UI tool, nixes some automating addons
- World of Warcraft introduces a new rotation assistance tool in the latest episode of Wowcast videos.
- The tool helps players with spec suggestions and gameplay tips, catering to those unfamiliar or returning to the game.
- Blizzard announces plans to phase out automation addons like WeakAuras and Deadly Boss Mods to prevent automated guidance in raids.
- Game director Ion Hazzikostas explains the decision is to make raid mechanics less reliant on third-party mods for progression.
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Insider
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13
Image Credit: Insider
Meta's advertisers didn't flinch after it shook up content moderation
- Despite Meta introducing major content moderation changes, advertisers spent more than $41 billion with Meta in the first quarter.
- Meta's revenue from advertising reached $42 billion in the quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations and increasing by 16% year over year.
- The company's AI-powered ad tools, Advantage Plus, were credited for the strong performance, automating various aspects of ad campaigns.
- Meta's ad business remains robust, with expectations to post revenue between $42.5 billion and $45.5 billion next quarter, ahead of analysts' forecasts.
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Dev
3w
415
Image Credit: Dev
Multiplayer VR Development using Unity XR Interaction Toolkit and Photon Fusion 2
- With the rise of VR technology, there has been a surge in Metaverse and Social VR applications, enabling global connections in shared virtual spaces.
- Developing a Social VR experience is now more attainable, catering to developers, clients, and entrepreneurs in various industries.
- VR technology has evolved to be used in defense training, medical simulation, manufacturing, and more with major brands investing in new devices.
- To build a Social VR experience, key features like multiplayer sessions, avatar interactions, voice chat, and interactable items are essential.
- The tech stack for implementation includes Unity as the game engine, XR Interaction Toolkit for VR interactions, and Photon Fusion 2 for multiplayer networking.
- Features like joining multiplayer sessions, seeing other avatars, voice chat integration, and interacting with items are crucial for immersive VR experiences.
- Implementation involves Photon Fusion 2.0 for managing multiplayer sessions, avatar synchronization, voice chat with Photon Voice, and interactable object syncing.
- The development roadmap focuses on creating VR Player Entity for player representation and Interactable Item Entity for object interactions.
- Tasks include setting up XR Rigs, implementing networked player movement, synchronizing player movements, and enabling real-time voice communication.
- Components like UI screens for interaction, manager classes for session handling, and the use of XR Interaction Toolkit and Photon Fusion 2.0 are vital for development.
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