Welcome to the 683nd Edition of Loading...

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

1. Daily Column

10 new MMOG articles today. For those of you keeping score that's 127 pieces of MMOG entertainment that you can't find anywhere else, built just for you this month. No other network comes close.

Give her an inch and she takes the forums, literally. In what could be construed as an anti-Loading... move Karen "Shayalyn" Hertzberg would like to know how you feel. Normally I'm against this mamsy-pamsy stuff, but Karen insisted and she can be quite persuasive. If I don't post this, I won't get any Loading... PR done today.

"Our global forums are celebrating their one year anniversary! In that year, we've seen a great community emerge. And now we'd like your help in making it even better. How can we improve functionality on our forums? What works for you? What doesn't? What sorts of cool additions could we make to celebrate one year of community goodness?These are your forums, so let's talk it up. What can we do to ensure we keep on delivering the best MMOG community on the Interwebs?" - Karen "Shayalyn" Hertzberg

Maybe if every Loading... reader posts once, even in protest of this gushy-mushy talk she'll leave us alone. Seriously, go post....Fight the power! I dare you to post, just once. Even if it's just to say that we need a Loading... forum. Go...run, don't walk!

I returned home from coaching hockey last night to a barrage of IMs and e-mails regarding what might be the biggest story of the year. Wait for it...

Electronic Arts purchases Bioware, Pandemic Studios for $860 million.

Thump!

Now read the news story.

It was March 13 of 2006 when Bioware made an announcement that rattled the MMORPG industry. They were creating a MMOG. The announcement came three months after development had started. So it was that in December of 2005 Bioware fans had another reason to love their hobby. By November of 2006 the team had announced that it was using the Simultronics HeroEngine and that the game design document was complete.

Fast-forward to today. EA has purchased Bioware in which seems the strangest of bedfellows. Bioware has a rabid, loving, truly fanatical following in the RPG space. EA is the Marion Jones of MMORPGs, pumping them up with PR steroids for the public before unveiling the less than adequate products.

GameSpot has posted a Q&A today with Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk which dances around some of the questions that we want answered.

"GS: Now one of the main reasons EA gave for acquiring BioWare/Pandemic was the upcoming massively multiplayer online role-playing game you're developing in Austin. After listening to John's comments in the conference call, one walks away with the impression that said MMORPG is a wholly owned IP of BioWare--and therefore EA. Is that correct?RM: We haven't revealed any details about the game. It's super secret right now. It's got all the characters and story arc that BioWare is known for, and I wish I could say more. It's the best of breed of MMO, with the magic BioWare's associated with, and our goal is to make sure people can't stop playing it.

GZ: I can say one thing: It looks awesome! [Laughs] We can say a second thing, too: It's really fun to play. We're already playing it. We were playing it just last week."

So there you have it. I have to say that I have a knot in my gut that just won't go away. Bioware is a pillar in the pergola of game design. From a player's perspective it is hard to believe that the games created at Bioware will be better as part of the EA juggernaut. On the bright side, the MMOG industry can only be stronger with the backing of dominant companies like EA. It wasn't so long ago that Mythic Entertainment took the plunge into the EA pool.

What is your take on this buyout? Good? Bad? Will EA-Bioware create the next industry changing MMOG?

Comments, questions or naughty pictures? Hit the blog or hit my mailbox. --Boomjack

2. New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today

• Blog: Cries of a Bioware Fanboi - Cody "Micajah" Bye
• EverQuest 2: The Day The Patch Notes Stood Still
• Metin2: Four New Classes Added - Screenshots
• Op/Ed: The Cutting Edge #5 - Player Imagination - Garrett "ClarkKent" Fuller
• Sword of the New World: Images of the Undead
• Tabula Rasa: AFS Field Report Week of 10.12.2007
• Tabula Rasa: Updated Guide to Soldier and Specialist
• Vanguard: Weekly Hot Topics
• World of Warcraft: Shatar Reputation Guide
• World of Warcraft: Serpentshire Caverns Guide

3. Hot Content - What our readers viewed the most yesterday! Did you miss anything?

1. Comics: Listing
2. Comics: Borat Plays WoW
3. Ten Ton Hammer Gallery
4. Tabula Rasa: Pre-Launch Q&A With April Burba
5. Comics: My Little Pwny
6. Loading... WoW To Implement Easy Button
7. Comics: Frozen Sword
8. Comics: WoW In 5 Years
9. World of Warcraft: Overview
10. Warhammer Online: Beta Servers Closed For Two Months

4. Real World News

• Vet Finishes Surgery Outside After Clinic Catches Fire [Thanks Karen]
  Like a Bob Barker tailgate party.
• Google Bans Ads That Criticize MoveOn.org.
  V1agrA shakes fist!
• Mother Held Child Outside of Vehicle Window
  Mother of the year then urinates on the car.

Thanks as always for visiting TenTonHammer.com

- John "Boomjack" Hoskin and the Ten Ton Hammer Team