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Are you looking for the latest industry headlines? Look no further.

  1. Daily Column
  2. New MMOG Articles at TenTonHammer Today
  3. Hot Content
  4. Real World News - You Can't Make This Up

1. Daily Column

The Vanguard hub-bub continues. It's funny how nobody likes the game, but everybody is talking about it. F13.net (Because they were slower getting their domain name than the conspiracy theorists at F13.com) deliver the latest bit of rumour and speculation because, well, we're right out of facts.

The interview with an anonymous and obviously disgruntled alleged ex-employee of Sigil is a good read if you understand from the get-go that it might be completely untrue. There isn't a lot of responsibility for your actions when you are anonymous. Here are some of the juicy bits.

"There are a lot of people, Brad included who were certain it [WoW] would be a short-lived game. Some, in fact, including Brad, never played it. WoW should have been the example of 'look at what a good game can do!' when instead it was often spoken of like a bad thing."

Eureka! We have discovered the one gamer who has never played WoW and drumroll please, it is Brad McQuaid the lead on a game that was touted to dethrone the WoW juggernaut.

"...but there was no scripting language for example, even though nearly everyone wanted one except for the people who decided if we got one or not."

And now we know why there are no scripted encounters.

"What people don't understand, is the game that went out the door was literally created in the last 15 months. Design worked 12-18 hour days for 9+ months. Coding and Art worked insane hours as well, all trying to actually get something playable out the door."

Other interesting bits were the statements that there was only one quality assurance (QA) person and that after Beta 2 Brad McQuaid never came to the office.

Read the full interview right here at F13 remembering that I can't confirm that this interview was with an actual ex-Sigil employee. Take what is there with a grain of salt. The information rings true, but as our own Karen Hertzberg so wisely stated, "Take this disgruntled ex-employee interview for what it's worth and keep in mind that there's three sides to every story, Side A, Side B, and the truth."

You can chit-chat about this debacle in our forums.

--

To lighten things up a bit I give you this, where "this" is a person asking in the cesspool we affectionately call the World of Warcraft official forums for help planning a WoW Theme Wedding. Now I have read it all. It's a troll, but it's a good one.

"Thanks to WoW I met a wonderful woman in game and fell in love. We are planning our WoW theme wedding this summer in Nebraska!

We are both going to dress up as Night Elves in Arena gear for our wedding to celebrate the game that brought us together. My future mother-in-law is helping design our costumes. If any of you have any good ideas for our wedding please post them here. Remember we are trying to keep with the WoW theme. "

Can you imagine the memories years down the road when they look back upon their special day?

What if they aren't the same faction? Will that constitute giving each other the silent treatment?

Instead of laughing out loud when they make a joke will they just say, "LOL"?

I can't wait until the 'wife' says, "BTW, Im rly a guy".

I think I found a picture of the wife-to-be. [Turn down your sound if you are at work.]

I think I also found a video of his first (unannounced) marriage. [Sound again.]

That's enough for me. I'll write again tomorrow!

Comment in the blog (now with direct link goodness) or email me directly.

2. New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today

  • Blog: Vanguard - My Security Coffee Pot
    "Ralsu relates a peculiar tidbit about his childhood and discusses the content plan for Ten Ton Hammer now that SOE runs the show:"
  • OGDC: How Developers Use Public Relations To Build A Brand
    "Ever think about what it takes to generate a buzz for an MMO in development? You may not think often about how generating good PR works, but you've certainly seen it in action. In her presentation at the Online Game Development Conference, PR giant Sue Bohle talked about how devs build brand recognition. Our OGDC coverage offers an inside peek at the how the PR machine works to generate buzz for a game from announcement to launch."
  • OGDC: An Analysis Of Video Game Writers
    "Video game writers are often some of the more under appreciated members of a video game development team. Jess Lebow, Content Director for Flying Labs Software, argues against this fact and provided a thorough analysis of the roles of a writer in his lecture, "Writer: The Red-Head Stepchild of the Video Game Industry". Cody "Micajah" Bye has a summary of the session in his article!"
  • Dungeons and Dragons Online: The Necromancer
    "Necromancy is a powerful spell school with many unique and interesting effects that the skilled necromancer can call to an adventuring party's use. Find out how to make an excellent necromancer with Darkgolem's build, The Necromancer!"
  • Mixmaster Online: Ready For Launch
    "MixMaster Online, an anime-styled MMORPG where blending monster-pets together is the trademark of the game, is set for release this Friday. The game, which is solidly aimed at the teenage marketplace, looks like it could provide hours of Hench creating fun. Ten Ton Hammer has picked up the press release and several of the screenshots for your reading and viewing pleasure."
  • Lord of the Rings Online: Need Before Greed - Enhancement or Extraneous?
    "Loot changes are on the way! Turbine recently revealed a need before greed system is currently being tested and scheduled to be released next month. Like Paris Hilton's jail time, these changes look inevitable so Ten Ton Hammer examines the pros and cons."
  • Lord of the Rings Online: Crafting Mastery Guide
    "What's the deal with these "master-crafted" items you've been hearing about and how exactly does someone make one? Stop wondering and start making cash by selling shiny purple master-crafted items on the auction house! Our latest guide gives you all the info you need."
  • Pirates of the Burning Sea: Video Interview With John Scott Tynes
    "John Scott Tynes, Producer of Pirates of the Burning Sea, takes us on a 15 minute tour of the latest features added to the game, which is set to release in late summer 2007. First up, the visually robust character creation system, followed by a look at the "lively town" feature and the "open sea" travel system. Then we continue on to sea combat and an exclusive first look at how boarding actions will be resolved."

3. Hot Content

4. Real World News

Thanks as always for visiting TenTonHammer.com

John "Boomjack" Hoskin

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

About The Author

Dissecting and distilling the game industry since 1994. Lover of family time, youth hockey, eSports, and the game industry in general.

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