Jeckyll and Hype

Welcome to the 600th Edition of Loading... If you aren't reading this in your e-mail, you could be. Sign up.

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

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

1. Daily Column

Today marks the 600th time that Loading... has reared it's ugly head to deliver a daily dose of what is moving and shaking the MMOG industry.

Loading... has seen TenTonHammer.com take a gold-free stance, World of Warcraft launch and change the face of the market and SOE gobble up numerous games to create the impressive stable that they own today.

The most written about game on the network over that period was no surprise, World of Warcraft with 872 news stories. Surprisingly, the second most written about game was Vanguard: Saga of Heroes with 641 news stories.

Here is a list of the Top 10 most hyped (if news stories constitute hype) games on the TTH Network.

10- Age of Conan - 180 Stories

9 - Pirates of the Burning Sea - 197 Stories

8- Warhammer Online - 200 Stories

7 - Guild Wars - 318 Stories

6 - Auto Assault - 308 Stories

5 - Lord of the Rings Online - 406 Stories

4 - Dungeons and Dragons Online - 535 Stories

3 - EverQuest 2 - 612 Stories

2 - Vanguard: Saga of Heroes - 641 Stories

1 - World of Warcraft - 872 Stories

Some of these titles succeeded, some failed and three of them aren't even released yet.

With the exception of Guild Wars these titles are all subscription based, monthly pay-to-play titles. Recently a concept that have proven successful in Asia has found its way to the North American market. Micro-payments or small payments made to acquire access to special game areas, gear or bank space are a staple of the Asian MMO market. Rather than paying a monthly fee for everything, the customer pays a bit at a time as they see fit. This doesn't mean that the games cost less to play, but that the mechanism by which you pay is broken down into smaller pieces. It can actually cost more to pay a micro-payment game than a monthly subscription title.

How will the current trend towards micro-payments affect the MMOG Industry?

Magnus Bergsson, the CMO of CCP (EVE Online) had this to say,

"I believe that micro-transactions can be fantastic for casual games where those payments actually enhance the game itself and are not used to nickel-and-dime the gamer to death - Which unfortunately has been somewhat of a trend here in the West. On the other hand, I don't believe micro-transactions are THE way for not-so-casual MMOGÂ´s such as EVE Online. Continuous payment requests are emersion breaking, don't add much of a value to the gameplay, and can be extremely cumbersome for those players that don't have credit cards. So I predict that we will see games in the future that will offer both options to players, and allow them to choose to method that is best for them and not just the developer."

Magnus had a lot more to say, on other issues in this four-page interview.

If you haven't tried EVE Online, I recommend that you do. It isn't a game for everyone, but those that enjoy it, truly love it.

Here is a 14-Day Pass to check it out.

I couldn't end the column without thanking you for taking the time to read Loading... each day. I appreciate it and I know that the rest of the TenTonHammer.com staff do as well.

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

2. New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today

Dungeon Runners: Review
"Often, laughter can help ease our tensions and relieve our spirits, and it's something that is quite lacking in most of today's MMOGs. NCsoft's free-to-play game, Dungeon Runners, has changed all that with its promise of fun and frivolity, but did it succeed in its ambitions? The Ten Ton Hammer team sent Cody "Micajah" Bye into the deepest dungeon, and he's returned with a review of Dungeon Runners!"
EverQuest 2: Tier 7 Leveling Guide - Groups
"Wrapping up our series on tiered leveling, we have completed the Tier 7 Leveling Guide for Groups! Not sure where to go and what to do for that high level grinding? We have some great tips on T7 quests, instances, and heroic zones to make the most of your group adventuring experience.
EverQuest 2: How Long Does EverQuest 2 Have?
"It's common for many avid Massive Multiplayer Online game fans to worry about the health of their favorite game. How are the populations? Are subscriptions up or down? RadarX takes a look at EverQuest2 in light of a recent MMOG Chart update and explains why the game isn't going anywhere."
Lord of the Rings Online: Evendim Screenshot Gallery With Commentary
"I took Xerin's suggestion and made a cool centralized screenshot gallery with commentary instead of the vanilla interface we have normally. Go go screenshot power (and go go more ad-views)!"
MU Online: New Screenshots
"Despite being one of the first free-to-play games to launch in the West, Global MU Online's player base continues to grow and expand. Recently, K2 Networks announced that the Global MU Online Season 2 is going to be released later this month. With their update quickly approaching, K2 has proudly presented the MMOG industry a sneak-peek of Season 2 content via a selection of screenshots and an official press release. Enjoy the press release and the screenshots, courtesy of Ten Ton Hammer!"
Vanguard: Armor Project - Healer's Sandstone
"Want to collect a set of armor that'll allow you to step out for an evening of slaughter in high style? The Ten Ton Vanguard Armor Project caters to your every fashion whim. Today we're displaying a nifty set of Healer's Sandstone armor. Check out the stats and screenshot before you head out to hunt it down or shop the broker.
Vanguard: Necromancer Spells Updated Levels 1-25
"Polkadots has reviewed the Necromancer spell lists and submitted several changes, most dealing with tomes."
Vanguard: Necromancer Spells Updated Levels 26-50
"Polkadots has reviewed the Necromancer spell lists and submitted several changes, most dealing with tomes."
Wiki Updates: Terms, Notum War, 9Dragons
"A new page for the first Anarchy Online expansion â Notum War â was added. Some links on the 9Dragons page were fixed and lots of new MMOG terms were added to the Terms page."

3. Hot Content

4. Real World News

China Grabs US Nuts [Thanks Matt]
Ballsy move.
China Has 93 Million Wangs
Hence the story above.
19th-Century Weapon Found In Whale
It's a good thing we killed that ancient whale to get it back.

Thanks as always for visiting TenTonHammer.com

John "Boomjack" Hoskin

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

Featured

About The Author

Comments

Related Content