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Vainglory mobile MOBA launching on Tuesday

Justin Olivetti — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, Free-to-Play, Mobile, MOBA

Vainglory, "the MOBA perfect for touch," will be launching on the Apple app store in North America on Tuesday, November 18th.

"Once the game is live worldwide, you can look forward to future updates with more heroes, more player-requested features, and other fun stuff," the team promised.

If you want to give this free-to-play title a try, you're going to need an iPad 2 or better or an iPhone 5 or better. Vainglory is already out in other parts of the world and boasts a top-notch gaming experience for mobile devices. It was first mentioned during Apple's September press conference and was developed by former Blizzard, Riot, and Supercell developers.

Vainglory mobile MOBA launching on Tuesday originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 15 Nov 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vainglory announced as a tablet-focused MOBA

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Trailers, Video, New Titles, News Items, Mobile, MOBA

The MOBA arena is crowded, but the number of MOBAs you can play on your tablet is slightly more limited. Super Evil Megacorp, a new studio founded by veterans of Riot Games and Rockstar, is aiming to expand that number with its upcoming title Vainglory. Billed as the ultimate tablet MOBA, the preview trailer released today shows off a handful of the game's characters, environments, and attacks.

Vainglory is currently in limited release, with more information to come as it nears its full release on the iOS app store. The developers are also stressing that the game will deliver a full-featured experience for players despite being on tablets. So if you've got an iPad and just can't get enough arena combat, check out the trailer just past the break.

Continue reading Vainglory announced as a tablet-focused MOBA

Vainglory announced as a tablet-focused MOBA originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 05 Jun 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost your Grand Theft Auto Online character? Have some money instead!

Eliot Lefebvre — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, News Items, Consoles, Crime, Miscellaneous

For all the problems of online games, there's a certain assumption that your character is safe no matter what technical problems might hit the server. Sure, Grand Theft Auto Online has had some growing pains, but if your character vanishes for some reason you can still -- wait, no, apparently your character is lost forever and will never return to you. That's kind of the opposite of news you were hoping for. So in the hopes that you'll be distracted, Rockstar is throwing half a million dollars at you.

Before you get too distracted, you should know that this is in-game money.

Two payments of $250,000 in-game will be provided to players on two distinct dates, hopefully by the end of next week. While this won't exactly replace the time and effort lost via vanishing characters, it should at least take the edge off of Grand Theft Auto Online's unexpected problems.

Lost your Grand Theft Auto Online character? Have some money instead! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTA Online riches available for cash

MJ Guthrie — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, Business Models, Economy, MMO Industry, News Items, Consoles, Sandbox

Players looking forward to Grand Theft Auto Online, available on October 1st, are probably already contemplating ways to get and spend their in-game funds for the myriad of customization goodies within the persistent world of Rockstar Game's GTA5's multiplayer mode. Well there's a new addition to the acquire list: microtransactions.

Eurogamer.net shares a find that was first caught on Reddit, namely a publicly viewable XML file on the game's online store that shows in-game cash cards in denominations of $100K, $200K, $500K, and ~~$1.5M~~ $1.25M for purchase with real-life cash along with a description inviting players to solve their in-game money problems by buying these packs. The prices for these cash cards, however, are not stated. The same file shows items from the special and collector's editions, indicating that this exclusive content may also be made available to all for purchase later.

[Thanks Potaco for the correction.]

GTA Online riches available for cash originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Soapbox: That's not an MMO

Mike Foster — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, EVE Online, MMO Industry, Opinion, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-Play, MMOFPS, MMORTS, World of Tanks, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous, MOBA, League of Legends, MMORPG, Buy-to-Play

You may not be aware of this, but Massively is a website focused primarily on massively multiplayer online games. It's kind of what we do. However, the world of MMOs in 2013 is far different from the world of MMOs in 2007, when the site was founded. The niche has changed and the games industry has evolved.

There was a time when "online" told you everything you needed to know about a game because there was really only one type of online game. You knew in picking up an online game that you and some friends would be leveling, looting gear, and slaying dragons. It took a while for developers to notice that online play was actually a thing that could work in more than one particular format.

Nowadays, online games range from traditional MMORPGs like Guild Wars 2 and RIFT to MOBAs like SMITE and League of Legends. There's no clear definition for what an MMO is or isn't because so many games are massive, multiplayer, and online.

Maybe it's time to embrace MMO as a broader term than previously thought.

Continue reading The Soapbox: That's not an MMO

The Soapbox: That's not an MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Aug 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rockstar reveals Grand Theft Auto Online

Mike Foster — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, Trailers, Video, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Consoles, Sandbox, MMORPG

Rockstar Games today lifted the curtain on Grand Theft Auto Online, showing off the new title via a lengthy announcement trailer. GTA Online appears to be more than just a simple multiplayer iteration of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and features player housing, a persistent world, and player-generated content.

The game shares game elements and geography with Grand Theft Auto V and supports up to 16 players co-habitating in their own little online world. Players will be able to purchase and customize vehicles, own property, shape their appearance, and work their way through the criminal underworld, in addition to participating all the random acts of chaos the series has offered since its inception.

In Grand Theft Auto Online, players have the freedom to explore alone or with friends, work cooperatively to complete missions, band together to participate in activities and ambient events, or compete in traditional game modes with the entire community, all with the personality and refined mechanics of Grand Theft Auto 5.

Purchasers of Grand Theft Auto V will receive access to GTA Online when it launches October 1st on PS3 and Xbox 360 (and not PC). It is unclear whether the game will be available as a standalone product; we have reached out to Rockstar for clarification.

Check out the reveal trailer after the break.

Continue reading Rockstar reveals Grand Theft Auto Online

Rockstar reveals Grand Theft Auto Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Rockstar announcing a GTA MMO?

MJ Guthrie — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items

If you've been sitting back just waiting for a look at an online version of Grand Theft Auto, you'll have to wait a little longer... but at least not much! Rockstar Games has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto Online is on its way. The announcement, however, is just a teaser that the premiere of the game, along with a gameplay trailer and previews, will be incoming on Thursday, August 15th.

The move to an official online version is not unexpected. Back in January, the voice chat update brought the franchise one step closer to MMO-dom. We've even done an impressions piece on a multiplayer version of GTA San Andreas. And last month, Massively mused on the possibility of an MMO after noting some online features in the reveal trailer for GTA V. But will GTA Online be an actual MMO, or will it just be a multiplayer lobby for GTA V? The answer may be forthcoming Thursday.

[Thanks to Dengar for the tip]

Is Rockstar announcing a GTA MMO? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 Aug 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take-Two CEO: MMOs don't work in the US

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 31 May 2013 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business Models, MMO Industry, Miscellaneous

The good news: Take-Two Interactive chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick says that the company that brought you BioShock, Borderlands, Red Dead Redemption, and the GTA series is "actively investing in online and MMOs." The bad news: He adds, "We're just not doing it in the U.S."

Speaking at the Cowen and Company Technology, Media and Telecom Conference on Thursday, Zelnick reinforces what he believes many studios are learning the hard way, "MMOs don't work here. A couple of our competitors have found out that through very, very expensive lessons. One of our competitors just recently announced they're restarting an MMO project."

Take-Two is, instead, aiming at the Asian MMO market through partnerships with industry leaders such as Tencent and Nexon. This is where the company hopes to be successful in the genre, as Zelnick cites "10 to 20" MMOs are successful in that market.

[Thanks to Avaloner81 for the tip!]

Take-Two CEO: MMOs don't work in the US originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 31 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Burnout: Second time's the charm for L.A. Noire

Jef Reahard — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Historical, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Crime, MMO Burnout

I don't know about you, but I really wanted to like L.A. Noire at release. I mean, come on. It was Rockstar. It was also a gigantic open playfield based on the 1947 incarnation of a real-life town that's spilling over with sordid, sultry characters all looking to make their mark on post-World War II America.

Alas, something about the title just didn't jell with me at launch. In fact, I didn't even finish the original campaign on my Xbox 360, which is rare when it comes to personal gaming habits. Equally rare is the occasion when I repurchase a game that I didn't really like on a different platform, but that's what I did thanks to yet another ridiculous Steam sale this past December.

My second tour of duty as hard-boiled detective Cole Phelps has been decidedly more enjoyable than my first, and while L.A. Noire is still a flawed video game in some respects, it makes for an engaging vacation from massively multiplayer convention while riffing on some of the genre's new-school charms.

Continue reading MMO Burnout: Second time's the charm for L.A. Noire

MMO Burnout: Second time's the charm for L.A. Noire originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Burnout: Two weeks in the valley with Multi Theft Auto

Jef Reahard — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, Galleries, Screenshots, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Roleplaying, Crime, Hands-On (Massively's), First Impressions, Sandbox, MMO Burnout

OK, you know that guy who's always going on about how bloody awesome it would be if someone ever made a working multiplayer mod for Skyrim? If you don't know him, well, you do now, because he's me. Back before I was bitten in earnest by the MMO bug, I spent quite a lot of time messing with private servers of both the Jedi Academy and Neverwinter Nights persuasions. And when I say "messing with," I don't mean I logged into them, I mean I hosted them, made mods and skins for them, and generally wasted significant portions of my youth serving as a GM.

Needless to say, it was a blast, and the thought of having that experience again in a larger game world is just short of orgasmic. Alas, no one has made much of a multiplayer Skyrim mod yet, and while private servers for NWN and Neverwinter Nights 2 are still running and serving their niche communities quite capably, those are topics for another edition of MMO Burnout.

I'd like to tell you about something similar that I've been playing lately, though. It's called Multi Theft Auto.

Gallery: MMO Burnout - Multi Theft Auto

Continue reading MMO Burnout: Two weeks in the valley with Multi Theft Auto

MMO Burnout: Two weeks in the valley with Multi Theft Auto originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Would you play an MMO made by Rockstar Games?

Shawn Schuster — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO Industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous

I think its safe to say that most of us reading this have our own favorite MMO studios and developers, but when I'm dabbling on my console or in the single-player PC gaming realm, I find myself constantly attracted to all games made by Rockstar Games. Red Dead Redemption, GTA IV, L.A. Noire, and the upcoming Max Payne 3... are you kidding me, Rockstar? Here, just take my money straight out of my bank account. It's yours!

Ahem. Anyway. You could say I'm a fan of the studio. And while I'm completing yet another play-through of GTA IV, I can't help but think about how well Rockstar might be able to do a massively multiplayer, persistent online world. I'm not talking about a game made like a Rockstar game (like APB: Reloaded); I'm talking about any subject matter being turned into an MMO by Rockstar Games.

So I know I want to see a Rockstar MMO, but what about you? Should it stick to what it knows best (amazing single-player games) or join the BioWares of the world and make an MMO once and for all?

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!

The Daily Grind: Would you play an MMO made by Rockstar Games? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR hype in hyperspace

Larry Everett — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-Fi, New Titles, Opinion, Rumors, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon

The Hyperspace Beacon is a weekly guide and discussion by Larry Everett about the yet-to-be-released game Star Wars: The Old Republic.

In a world where MMOs are now commonplace, it seems as though he who has the hippest hype wins. E3 was all about convincing the media that your game or toy was the latest and greatest thing to hit the electronics industry since Pac-man. The media, being the attention-fiends they are, ate it all up. Even Massively wasn't exempt from basking in the spoils of temporary celebrity. I mean, really, did we do a featured news story on Gaia? Yes -- one. But we did no less than ten articles featuring SWTOR coming out of E3. According to some, we're now "Massively: Your daily news about SWTOR and some of these other games over here."

So with all this hippity-hype everywhere, pouring from all the latest sites popping up and just longing to be the your best source of SWTOR news, how do you determine which is the best? What do you read? What do you ignore? Which is rumor? Which is truth? Who is that masked man? And did you find the Sith Inquisitor in the midriff top as cute as I did? I know, right?! The answers to these questions aren't easy. Sometimes you need a guide to help you through the hype, a hype(rspace) beacon, if you will. This Beacon is here help you calculate the jump. So strap yourself in, kid. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR hype in hyperspace

Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR hype in hyperspace originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Go west young man

Jef Reahard — Mon, 31 May 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

Well, my wandering game eye is at it again, this time casting lustful glances over at the single-player space, and more specifically Rockstar's recently released Red Dead Redemption. Many of you are no doubt joining me in taking a bit of a break from MMOs to spend some time in the sprawling frontier sandbox, and I'm wondering if I'm the only one who thinks such a setting is fertile ground for the AAA MMORPG treatment.

I say AAA because an indie game based on the early American frontier has been languishing in lack-of-funding hell for seven years now, and it makes me sad to think that no established company has the gumption to pony up for a massive excursion to the land of six shooters and well-worn cowpokes. With Rockstar's game tearing up the sales charts, there is clearly an interest in the subject matter, and toodling around in the game's free-roam mode brings to mind all kinds of interesting possibilities for something new in our favorite genre.

So, what say you Massively readers? Why not the Old West? While we're at it, if Bioware can make the genre jump, why not Rockstar?

The Daily Grind: Go west young man originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 May 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Digital Continuum: SWTOR is in a year far, far away part 2

Kyle Horner — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: New Titles, The Digital Continuum, Star Wars: The Old Republic

Continue reading The Digital Continuum: SWTOR is in a year far, far away part 2

The Digital Continuum: SWTOR is in a year far, far away part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTA MMO would be a profitable venture, analyst suggests

Seraphina Brennan — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: At a glance, News Items, Opinion, Crime, Rumors

In a recent set of statements to Gamasutra, Mike Hickey, an analyst with Janco Partners, brought up the profitability of an MMO set within the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

While Hickey notes that success would only be possible if Take-Two partnered up with another company who had a well designed infrastructure and MMO experience, the whole paragraph is certainly a nod in the direction of online crime games at large -- a genre relatively untapped in the MMO landscape.

Certainly a Grand Theft Auto MMO would be the new gorilla of the online space, one can't easily forget about the stylized and anticipated offering from Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds, All Points Bulletin. A GTA MMO would certainly be nice, but APB will certainly be setting the bar for all upcoming crime MMOs, regardless of a GTA entry into the scene.

GTA MMO would be a profitable venture, analyst suggests originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 29 May 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All Points Bulletin to become Grand Theft Auto Online?

Michael Zenke — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, All Points Bulletin, Rumors

Eurogamer is reporting on rumors of what could be the holy grail of online gaming: a Grand Theft Auto massively multiplayer game. Rumors are circulating that Realtime Worlds reaquired the publishing rights for their in-development All Points Bulletin for a very specific purpose. Originally to be published by Webzen, Realtime now hopes to sell the game to Rockstar as a framework for a GTA MMO.

According to the site, they were tipped off that a GTA transition was the rationale behind the rights re-purchase. The article goes on to report that Realtime is claiming ignorance of this rumor. They admit that they pulled back the APB rights from Webzen to "give them some options", and that they'd be open to working with other companies to see the game published. Rockstar hasn't, as yet, commented on the rumor.

Have you been enjoying GTA IV? Would you jump into a GTA MMO?

All Points Bulletin to become Grand Theft Auto Online? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 May 2008 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMOGology: Grand Theft MMO

Marc Nottke — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: New Titles, Opinion, MMOGology, Crime, Rumors, CrimeCraft

On Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV), one of the most anticipated games of 2008. Based on early reviews (all of which have been unanimously positive) it looks like the latest installment in the series has exceeded expectations. Everything about GTA IV appears to have been kicked up a notch. The graphics are more realistic, the gameplay has been refined and tightened, and the characters and storyline have more depth. While this type of evolution is to be expected, one of the most interesting new features about GTA IV is that you can play it online. Unlike previous versions of the Grand Theft Auto series, this one will allow Xbox 360 and PS3 owners the ability to play with up to sixteen friends online. While sixteen players doesn't exactly qualify as "massively multiplayer", it's a step in the right direction for those of us eagerly anticipating a GTA-style MMO.

It seems like a natural progression for Rockstar to bring their venerable series to the massively multiplayer arena. After all, you've got a built in, recognizable franchise name based around the most classic multiplayer concept known to man - cops and robbers. I think every child has played a real life version of this game at some point in their lives (although perhaps more G rated). It's one of those universal themes that everyone instantly "gets", and yet, no MMO developer has cashed in on the concept. The time seems ripe for Rockstar to join Blizzard in the money printing business.

So how realistic is it that Rockstar might be producing a Grand Theft Auto MMO? Is such a game already in development? I did a little digging and I'll show you what I've been able to find thus far after the break. I'll also fill you in on a few MMOs with similar concepts that you might be able to play as early as this time next year.

Continue reading MMOGology: Grand Theft MMO

MMOGology: Grand Theft MMO originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SocioTown enters open beta

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, New Titles, Browser, Casual

SocioTown? Seriously, didn't anyone in the marketing department realize the potential implications of an ironic name like that? Despite the fact that SocioTown is not a new title by Rockstar Games, as the name would suggest, it is still creating a buzz. Who knows, maybe the out-of-context name will be a bonus for the game's sales. Heck, it worked for the Wii.

So besides the name, how is this new browser-based social-networking MMO any different from the others currently working their way through open beta? According to the website, SocioTown is "the biggest and most sophisticated browser-based 3D virtual world to date". Your friend network is automatically based on who you talk to the most, which is an interesting feature. You can even perform your own music within the game, to be rated by the other players in real time. If they love it, you're on the fast track to rehab, but if they hate it, you could end up with a temporary music ban! Now we just need one of those in real life.

SocioTown enters open beta originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rockstar founder calls GTA MMO "the Holy Grail"

Chris Chester — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Real-Life, Business Models, Interviews, MMO Industry, New Titles, All Points Bulletin

In case you haven't seen it, Crispin Boyer of EGM sat down for an interview with Rockstar founder Sam Houser to talk in-depth about all things Grand Theft Auto. In addition to some tasty preview bits, Boyer raked Houser over the coals a little bit, trying to glean from him what the future of the franchise might be. In terms of multiplayer, Houser didn't shy from expressing his enthusiasm for the idea of a GTA MMO. Specifically, he said such a title, "is very, very doable and is a very, very compelling proposition." In a subsequent question he refers to a mainstream subscription-based MMO on a console as "the Holy Grail."

The problem, as Houser sees it, is in combining the GTA gameplay with the idea of a persistent world. Without the right constraints, the game might amount to little more than a city of a couple thousand players all shooting at each other with rocket launchers, instead of an interesting, compelling MMO experience. From the tenor of his comments, it doesn't seem like Houser and Rockstar currently have any specific plans for an MMO just yet, but we imagine they're going to be paying very close attention to Realtime Worlds' All Points Bulletin when it comes out later this year, as its 'cobs and robbers' gameplay is the closest to GTA we've seen yet.

Rockstar founder calls GTA MMO "the Holy Grail" originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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