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Metaverse News
Massivelyop
4w
336
Perfect Ten: Ranking real-world holidays in MMOs from worst to best
- Valentine's Day is ranked as the worst real-world holiday in MMOs due to tacky themes and capitalization attempts by developers.
- Oktoberfest ranks low due to its underutilization in games, missing out on the opportunity for beer, pretzels, and Bavarian aesthetics.
- Talk Like a Pirate Day falls in the middle, losing its charm as it became overused in games with predictable pirate-themed quests.
- Thanksgiving struggles to stand out among other holidays and is often gamified with turkey-killing quests and Black Friday deals.
- April Fools' Day's ranking depends on the creativity of developers, offering potential for whimsical celebrations or falling flat as a lame joke.
- Lunar New Year gains popularity in MMOs, offering unique Chinese influences and a refreshing change from traditional European fantasy themes.
- Summer Festivals encompass warm outdoor activities and allow developers to creatively embrace the spirit of the season without specific real-world inspirations.
- Spring festivals in MMOs combine St. Patrick's Day and Easter themes, featuring vibrant colors and thematic rewards to welcome the season.
- Christmas offers MMOs a wide range of decorations and themes to customize their worlds, along with the tradition of giving out presents to players.
- Halloween is deemed the best real-world holiday for MMOs, perfectly aligning with the spooky, costume-filled nature of online roleplaying games with haunted houses and special events.
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Massivelyop
4w
66
Vague Patch Notes: The MMO starter experiences that fear new players
- Many games, like World of Warcraft, have early game experiences that are easy and fast, possibly to prevent players from encountering challenges.
- This phenomenon is not necessarily due to power creep but a deliberate decision to unbalance the game.
- Gacha games employ tactics like flooding players with rewards initially to keep them engaged and eventually introduce challenges.
- The goal is to get players invested before making the game more challenging to ensure player retention.
- New player experiences in MMOs may unintentionally discourage new players by making the early game too easy.
- Ensuring challenge and balance in games, especially for new players, is a complex task that requires careful consideration.
- Designers often prioritize making early game experiences accessible to prevent players from leaving due to difficulty.
- Finding the right balance between too easy and too hard is crucial for providing an engaging experience for all players.
- The issue of difficulty in games highlights the challenge of catering to different player skill levels and preferences.
- Observing and addressing the phenomenon of overly easy early game experiences is important for improving player satisfaction and retention.
- Game developers may focus on making early game experiences easier to ensure player engagement, potentially affecting the overall gameplay experience.
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Massivelyop
4w
186
WoW Factor: Undermine(d) highlights World of Warcraft’s chaotic silly side
- World of Warcraft Update 11.1: Undermine(d) is one of the most polarizing patches ever put into the game, with players either loving it or hating it.
- The patch introduces the Goblin aesthetic, which embraces the chaotic silly side of the Warcraft universe. Some find it amusing, while others find it immersion-breaking.
- The Goblin culture is described as funny, chaotic, and loud. They have a love for technological innovation, explosives, and Las Vegas glamor.
- The Goblin culture can be divisive due to their in-your-face nature, but it offers a vastly different and creative underground zone in the game.
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Psu
4w
257
Bam Margera Is Reportedly Not Included In Roster For Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 Remaster
- Bam Margera will not be part of the lineup for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 remaster.
- Margera, known for his antics with Jackass and CKY, was originally featured in the original lineup of the game.
- Bam Margera has struggled with alcoholism and has faced ongoing problems, leading to his exclusion from the remaster.
- The newly-published roster includes Tony Hawk, Bucky Lasek, Steve Caballero, and more.
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15 Likes
Insider
4w
173
Image Credit: Insider
Meta keeps secret 'block' lists of ex-employees — and even help from its C-suite can't get you off them
- Meta maintains internal blocklists of employees who are ineligible for being rehired, causing surprise among former employees who were on these lists.
- Former Meta managers noted the difficulty in getting employees off the list, even with strong performance records.
- Certain employees, despite good performance and praise, found themselves blocked from rehiring after layoffs at Meta.
- Internal blocklists at Meta prevent certain former employees from rejoining, with various designations like 'non-regrettable attrition' and 'do not rehire.'
- Tech companies are implementing stricter performance management systems post-layoffs, creating barriers for former employees seeking reemployment.
- Former employees discovered they were barred from rejoining Meta without explicit notification, a practice uncommon in the tech industry.
- Managers at Meta reportedly have the discretion to add names to blocklists without clear-cut reasons, raising concerns about fairness.
- Meta's decision to block rehiring is based on various factors like reason for departure, performance ratings, and HR violations, according to the company.
- Former employees faced challenges when trying to reapply at Meta, unaware of being on blocklists without explanation.
- Maintaining such blocklists is not illegal but could pose legal risks if it disproportionately affects protected groups, according to employment attorneys.
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TechCrunch
4w
204
Image Credit: TechCrunch
Growth at all costs is destroying the internet. PR maven Ed Zitron says that’s an opportunity for startups
- Online user experience is deteriorating due to factors like autoplay ads, pop-ups, and tracking scripts.
- Ed Zitron, CEO of EZPR, describes the internet's shift to prioritize engagement over user experience as the 'rot economy.'
- Zitron believes there is a significant opportunity for startups to challenge established companies across various industries.
- He criticizes Big Tech companies for prioritizing growth over product quality, resulting in subpar offerings.
- Areas like social media, enterprise software, and search are identified as ripe for disruption by Zitron.
- Startups are emerging as alternative options in social media, enterprise software, and search fields.
- Zitron highlights the shortcomings of major companies like Microsoft, Google, and Adobe in terms of product quality and user experience.
- He predicts a shift in consumer behavior towards favoring startups over established tech giants in the near future.
- Amazon's shipping and logistics business, real estate technology, and email services are also areas where startups could make an impact.
- Zitron advocates for a fresh approach to the venture capital model, suggesting a move away from growth-at-all-costs mentality.
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Digitaltrends
4w
31
Image Credit: Digitaltrends
Is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 cross-platform
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 will feature full crossplay support at launch.
- The game will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC with no barriers between platforms.
- Online multiplayer will allow up to 8 skaters to play together, depending on the mode chosen.
- Cross-save is not expected to be a feature in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4.
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Playstationlifestyle
4w
257
Image Credit: Playstationlifestyle
Major PS5, PS4 Shooter on the Cusp of Losing Support – Report
- A major PS5, PS4 shooter, Call of Duty: Warzone, is reportedly facing an uncertain future amid a loss of players.
- According to insider GhostofHope, if the return of Verdansk fails to retain players, there won't be a Warzone 3.
- The free-to-play shooter, Call of Duty: Warzone, has been out for six years and continues to see diminishing returns.
- Starting in 2026 with Modern Warfare 4, Activision will focus on current-gen and next-gen platforms, leaving behind last-gen platforms.
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Hypergridbusiness
4w
70
OSgrid enters immediate long-term maintenance
- OSgrid has entered emergency long-term maintenance after discovering that all IAR files have been corrupted.
- This has led to an indefinite closure of OSgrid, affecting residents who did not back up their inventories before the scheduled March 21 database reset.
- The grid administrators plan to rebuild the asset system from scratch due to the corruption issue, impacting users who may face permanent losses.
- The reconstruction process is described as lengthy and meticulous with no specific reopening date provided, contrasting the previous March 28 timeline.
- OSgrid users who were planning backups or using the grid's IAR export tool will no longer have access to their content due to the sudden closure.
- This closure accelerates migration pressure on other OpenSim grids as users seek alternative platforms to continue their virtual presence.
- Kitely CEO warns about the importance of maintaining daily backups to avoid data loss, emphasizing the need for robust backup policies as grids grow in popularity.
- OSgrid's history of challenges includes a previous extended outage in 2014-2015, but the current situation necessitates a complete rebuild of the asset system.
- As one of the largest hypergrid-enabled virtual worlds, OSgrid's absence will have a significant impact on the OpenSim ecosystem.
- Other grids like Wolf Territories, Kitely, and Alternate Metaverse have offered assistance to displaced OSgrid residents in the past.
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4 Likes
Insider
4w
395
Image Credit: Insider
I got laid off at Meta despite a glowing performance review. I went from crying in my room to launching my own business — here's how.
- Emily Pitcher was laid off by Meta in 2023 despite her high performance and accolades.
- Struggling to find a new job, she turned to developing a game as a passion project.
- After multiple job rejections and layoffs in the tech industry, Emily found solace in her indie game project.
- Despite being recognized in Forbes 30 under 30 for her game development work, Emily encountered difficulties in securing traditional employment.
- Feeling the pressure of failure, Emily started a new game project, Lily's World XD, which gained traction on social media.
- Emily now supports herself through content creation centered around her game development journey.
- Transitioning to being her own boss has presented challenges, including managing anxiety and self-pressure.
- Despite the uncertainties, Emily is determined to pursue her dreams and seek support from fellow creators.
- Her story serves as an example of resilience and determination in the face of setbacks and career transitions.
- To share similar stories, individuals laid off from their dream jobs can contact the editor at [email protected].
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23 Likes
TechCrunch
4w
1.6k
Image Credit: TechCrunch
Meta brings its anti-fraud facial recognition test to the UK after getting a thumbs up from regulators
- Meta has expanded its facial recognition test to the UK after receiving approval from regulators.
- The test includes two tools: one to prevent scams using likenesses of famous people and another for user account recovery.
- The facial recognition feature for protecting public figures will be available as an optional tool in the UK.
- Meta's history with facial recognition and AI has been problematic, but this test aims to address immediate issues and gain acceptance.
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Guardian
4w
417
Image Credit: Guardian
Revealed: the scammers who conned savers out of $35m using fake celebrity ads
- An organised network from Georgia scammed savers from UK, Europe, and Canada out of $35m using fake celebrity ads on Facebook and Google.
- Deepfake videos of celebrities like Martin Lewis were used to promote fraudulent schemes, with UK citizens being hardest hit.
- The scam was exposed through leaked call center data shared with international reporting partners.
- Cases of authorised push payment fraud have increased, indicating ongoing challenges in combating scams.
- The scammers operated from Tbilisi and targeted vulnerable individuals, tricking them into transferring millions from their savings accounts.
- Around 6,000 people globally were duped, with a significant number targeted in the UK.
- Digital banks like Revolut, Kroo, and Chase were used for processing payments in these fraudulent activities.
- Victims included retired individuals who endured long calls and were coerced into sharing substantial sums of money.
- The effectiveness of laws like the Online Safety Act in combating fraudulent advertising and protecting the public is under scrutiny.
- Authorities emphasize the need for social media companies to prevent fraudulent material from being promoted on their platforms.
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24 Likes
Massivelyop
4w
239
Massively OP Podcast Episode 508: Stars Reach fires up crowdfunding
- The Massively OP Podcast Episode 508 discusses the impressive Kickstarter success of Stars Reach.
- LOTRO's Update 43 receives mixed reviews.
- Jake Song resigns from ArcheAge Chronicles.
- The podcast also addresses the difficulty of ESO.
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14 Likes
Digitaltrends
4w
257
Image Credit: Digitaltrends
Everything we know about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is set to release on July 11, 2025.
- The game will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC.
- The reveal trailer showcases updated visuals and will feature legacy maps, skaters, and songs.
- Preorders are now available for the Standard Edition, Digital Deluxe edition, and Collector’s edition.
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Playstationlifestyle
4w
395
Image Credit: Playstationlifestyle
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Trailer Reveals Release Date
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is set to release on July 11 for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
- The game will include new content, such as new skaters and a water park map.
- Three different editions will be available for PS5, including a Standard Edition, Deluxe Edition, and Collector's Edition.
- Preorder bonuses for the Deluxe Edition include 3-day early access, Wireframe Tony Shader, and access to the Foundry demo.
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