Tag: App

Steam Cleaning: Valve Bans Yet Another Title For Impersonating Dota 2


It must be a day ending in Y, because Valve has terminated yet another Russian developer for publishing a game on the Steam marketplace with the express purpose of scamming items from established Valve titles. In this case, the creator in question was able to change the title of his game to Dota 2, including adding the official Dota 2 logo as his own, and began uploading items with the same art, description, and titles as those in Dota 2. The developer would presumably be able to distribute items to himself and friends in order to better facilitate their crimes.

Thankfully Valve implemented changes the last time this incident occurred, adding a warning to players trading for items from a game they do not own. This developer went even further and apparently discovered an exploit that allowed him to upload items without approval. In order to stem scams, Valve requires that games past a certain trust threshold before they can make use of Steam inventory and trading cards.

A Valve representative posted that the exploit has been patched.

“Scammers figured out a way to get items in the Steam economy without having their game approved for release first. We fixed that today.”

The title was quickly removed and has been virtually scoured from Valve’s systems, going as far as deleting the app and its community hub entirely.

(Reddit)

Apple Rejects Steam Link Streaming App For iOS


Apple has rejected Valve’s Steam Link app for iOS, the company announced this week. The app, released on Android with no apparent problems, allows users to stream their Steam library to their tablets or phones. According to Valve’s press release, quoted below, Apple cited business conflicts as the reason for their rejection of the app.

“On Monday, May 7th, Apple approved the Steam Link app for release. On Weds, May 9th, Valve released news of the app. The following morning, Apple revoked its approval citing business conflicts with app guidelines that had allegedly not been realized by the original review team. Valve appealed, explaining the Steam Link app simply functions as a LAN-based remote desktop similar to numerous remote desktop applications already available on the App Store. Ultimately, that appeal was denied leaving the Steam Link app for iOS blocked from release. The team here spent many hours on this project and the approval process, so we’re clearly disappointed. But we hope Apple will reconsider in the future.”

In other words: It allows people to play games without Apple getting a cut of the revenue.

(Source: Valve Press Release)

Jagex Brings RuneScape to the Amazon Alexa


RuneScape is great, but what about those times when you don’t want to play RuneScape but you’d like to listen to it, preferably through a smart device manufactured and sold by Amazon. If you fit that demographic, there is finally good news. Jagex has partnered with Amazon and released RuneScape Quests: One Piercing Note, an interactive murder mystery audio adventure in which the player takes on the role of investigator.

Showcasing dramatic voice acting and atmospheric music wrapped in compelling audio gameplay, RuneScape Quests: One Piercing Note is based on a classic quest adapted from the PC MMORPG. Players become the voice of a courageous adventurer, tasked with solving a murder at the Abbey of St Elspeth. The crime scene investigation soon takes a turn for the unusual as demonic dark secrets are uncovered in the seemingly serene abbey.

RuneScape Quests: One Piercing Note is available in the skills section of the Alexa app.

(Source: Jagex/Amazon Press Release)

Neverwinter: Leadership Suspension Hasn’t Led To In-Game Botting


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I’ve talked about Neverwinter’s Gateway app, a handy tool where players can level up their crafting professions even while not in-game. Unfortunately the ease of access means that the professions tab can be used by bots to mass-produce astral diamonds via the leadership profession, which is exactly what bots have been doing in Neverwinter: Using the Gateway to mass produce astral diamonds, inflating the economy, and raising prices of goods in the process.

Last month, Cryptic decided to fight back by removing the leadership profession from the Gateway app, leading to further concerns that this would simply drive bots into the game, filling up the servers. After studying the servers, it has been concluded that there hasn’t been any significant increase in the amount of botting in-game.

We also understand your concerns regarding the cost of goods versus the amount of Astral Diamonds coming into the economy. In the short term, we are keeping an eye on the supply of Astral Diamonds to make sure it performs as expected. We will also be running multiple “2x AD” events to make sure adventurers are able to get the Astral Diamonds they need. In the long term, we are re-examining the various non-profession methods of earning Astral Diamonds. It’s important to us that playing the game rewards AD sufficiently.

(Source: Neverwinter)

MMOments: RuneScape Companion App


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I finally had a chance to try out the RuneScape companion app on my iPad today. Currently the app isn’t an actual app, as in one that you download through the Google Play store or Apple store, but exists as a website you access through your device’s browser. The app allows access to a multitude of features, including your bank, the Grand Exchange, stock market, chat, and more. I tested this out using an iPad mini, and found performance to be mostly alright. There is a bit of annoyance in setting up the device, as you are required to have an authenticator set up to access features like the Grand Exchange, which is likely on the same device. You also have to talk to the tutorial NPC at the Grand Exchange and enable access through the game.

As a companion app for RuneScape on the go, this is turning out to be a pretty good program. Trading is done seamlessly via items stored in the bank, and anything purchased through the Grand Exchange is stored in your bank as well. Merchants can use the app on their phone while out of the house to continue making money flipping items (buy low, sell high), which is what many seem to already be doing. You can even simply use the app to keep up with your friends and clan using the chat program. The distractions & diversions window shows progress and reset timers on activities, making it possible to check progress without actually going in-game.

But none of this is useful if you want to have the companion app open while playing, as currently you cannot be logged into both simultaneously (which is unlikely to change). Logging into RuneScape will kick you out of the companion app. On the other hand, you can also access the companion app from your desktop browser, meaning that you don’t need one of those fancy smartphones or tablets to enjoy the convenience.

I have high hopes for the RuneScape companion app.

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