The Bad, The Good, and The Interesting

Today, we bring you news and ideas from all over the spectrum, including a good reminder that changing passwords regularly is always a good idea, word that Microsoft may not be completely off its rocker, and new games to check out. Without further ado …

Change Your Passwords! Cyber Attack

We highly suggest that Konami players reset their passwords for their IDs. Between June 13th and July 7^th, a cyber-attack ensued, prompting 35,252 unauthorized logins. This has resulted in names, addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers, and email addresses being exposed.

If you were affected, Konami probably already contacted you. However, this is a great reminder to change your passwords regularly (in every game or virtual world you frequent).

New Angry Birds

This just in (from the Rovio blog itself) a new Angry Birds game is coming out this Monday, July 15^th! In classic Rovio fashion, they’re failing to give out any details, although they are promising an amazing cast of characters and new powers, all of which will make you fall in love with Angry Birds all over again. Have your download finger ready on Monday!

Something Good About Xbox One (For Once)

Since E3 and the whole “you must log on every 24 hours” debacle (which has since been fixed, thank-you-very-much) Microsoft and its latest Xbox One haven’t been getting a whole lotta love. However, they are trying to change that, and they’ve come up with a pretty good idea. Apparently, the new Xbox will be outfitted with an integrated Skype, allowing players to talk face to face. In fact, it’s going to be in 1080p and you can initiate calls with voice command through the microphone on your Kinect.

So yup – Microsoft is taking trash talking to an entirely new level!

Hey There Fashionista!

CrowdStar launched the mobile game Covet Fashion for the iPhone and iPad today, and if you love to shop, you really need to check this one out. The game lets you buy outfits and accessories that are modeled after the current seasonal offerings from some of your favorite brands. On top of that, you get to form alliances with your preferred style houses, give feedback on the outfits of friends, and get votes on your own contributions.

And what’s best? There’re prizes! If you’re the creator of a top-rated ensemble, you get to win real merchandise. And if you really get the urge to shop, Covet Fashion has well-integrated links for most pieces that take you directly to a site where you can get your real hands on your virtual love. Oh, and it pins to Pinterest too!

So what brands are there? So very glad you asked! Rebecca Minkoff, Hudson, Cynthia Rowley, and Cut25 to name a few. Right now, there are over a thousand different pieces to choose from! Check it out!

A New, Free, Unique Puzzle Game

Violet 2000 Games has released a new, free puzzle game for the iPhone, iPad and iPod (although it’ll work best on your phone).

Man-Chine is set in a post-apocalyptic world and requires that you move balls around until only one remains. Each puzzle has a specific solution, and the game lets you undo a move without restarting. It keeps track of current rankings, automatically saves, and is perfect for those times when you just need a breather from real life.

Pay to Play Developing Games

While we love a free game just like the next person, sometimes you get what you pay for. So what if you could pay a relatively small fee to play developing games, not only trying something new but helping to work out the kinks and providing feedback to hopefully make the game better?

Well, now you can! Here’s a few of our favorites (more to come later!):

The Castle Doctrine: Running for about $8, this works on PC, Mac, and Linux. It is essentially a massively multiplayer home invasion game in which you build a house full of traps and then other players try to sneak through it.

Scrolls: From the makers of Minecraft, this nearly $21 game works on PCs and Macs, and requires that you collect different scrolls. Very reminiscent of Magic: The Gathering, it’s rather complex, but if that’s your thing, you will likely love it.

Wildfire Worlds: This PC and Mac game is really, really new, and playable for $15. It’s kinda the opposite of SimCity: instead of building a city, you try to tear one down by creating riots.

Comment below and let us know what you think!