Welcome back! This is the 91st attempt at this column. 



91 is the sum of the squares of the first six integers.  Is is also the international calling code for India.   If you have one penny, one nickel, one dime, one quarter and one half dollar you have 91 cents. 



I’m John Hoskin and I’ll be your MMOG guide today.   



“Stay hungry.  Stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs



Let’s go with this…



Steve Jobs -- 1955-2011





Thanks for taking some time out of your day to read this column.  I truly appreciate it.    If you happen to use Twitter, you can follow me @BoomjackTTH.   I rarely use Facebook, but I do occasionally post gaming related tidbits on Google+ where you can find me under my real moniker John Hoskin. 

 

I apologize for the lack of updates last week.   I was flying half-way across creation and back dealing with the advertising side of this industry.  

 

Fortunately, I’m back, doing a much more enjoyable aspect of my job this morning, writing this column.  

 

A generation of human beings lost a great mind while I was flying around the world.   Steve Jobs, a visionary and creative thinker will be missed by every industry that uses a computer.   His impact on our world, especially those of us who rely on computers was ground-breaking.  

 

If you have time, watch the video that I have linked above.  It will give you a very personal glimpse into the mind of a man that many of you will now never be fortunate enough to meet.   

 

Our dedicated Premium Member prize team is giving away some DC Universe prizes this week.    It may not be Diablo III beta keys like a week ago, but who else gives you a DC Universe cape?   Seriously, why don’t I get cool stuff like that?  It would petrify my wife, but I’d wear that cape around the house to tease the kids.   Here’s the DC Universe Superhero Prize Packif you are interested in entering. 

 

Thanks to everyone who has supported TenTonHammer.com as a Premium Member.   It costs a small fortune, literally to run this network each month.    Your support makes a difference.

 

Small fortunes may also be made from a vanity pet that Blizzard is introducing to World of Warcraft.   David explains his take on WoW Allowing Gold Selling, but I thought it was important enough that I also share my thoughts on the subject. 

 

In a nutshell, Blizzard is going to let a pet that can be purchased through their online store with real money be sold on the auction house for virtual gold. 

 

This isn’t the first time in MMOG history that something like this has been condoned by a developer.  EVE players have long sold Game Time Cards for ISK (the virtual currency in EVE). 

 

On the surface, it seems tame enough.   A player with lots of gold in the game can use some of it to purchase a vanity pet that has no effect on gameplay.   The player with real money and no gold can acquire some gold without grinding, using professions or any of the other in-game methods of acquiring currency. 

 

Given the glut of gold in the current WoW economy it is unlikely to have a dramatic effect on the auction house, but it does give players with more real world funds an advantage.   They can spend more time doing what they enjoy and less time “working” for gold in-game.   They will be able to bid on items that they previously could not bid on, winning them over someone who built their gold bank account through in-game means.

 

How many people will actually pay for one of these pets is uncertain and how long the market for them will last is even more unclear, but at least for a short window of opportunity, there will be advantages to be had for someone. 

 

What are your thoughts on this issue?  Would we have even believed this was not an April Fool’s joke just two years ago?

 

That’s it for today.  Thanks again for reading and as always, may your dreams be big and your worries be small. “

 

As always, you can contact me a number of ways:

Until we meet again,

John “Boomjack” Hoskin

Latest MMOG Features

Rage (PC) Review - All the Rage?

After a five year hiatus, id Software is back with another graphic card-straining, groundbreaking shooter. Is Rage a game of the year contender, or have we somehow spun our wheels through this wasteland experience before?

WoW's Guardian Cub & Sanctioned Goldselling

World of Warcraft has recently released a new pet that will be purchasable with cash and can be traded for gold. Find out the effects of this officially sanctioned gold buying pet here at Ten Ton Hammer.

Rift Mount Guide: Guardian Mounts

Our latest addition to the Rift mount guide highlights the standard mounts available to players of the Guardian faction.
Latest MMOG News

Mythic Celebrates Dark Age of Camelot's 10th Anniversary

Dark Age of Camelot celebrates its ten year anniversary with a new video and bonus experience for all.

TERA Producer Talks Alpha Testing

While beta and launch dates were not revealed, Producer Chris Hager did explain that the crew at En Masse Entertainment are preparing to ramp up their alpha testing in October.

Tribes Ascend Beta Lifts Off on November 4th

The announcement comes from a Cyberlink interview with Hi-Rez Studios COO Todd Harris. Harris also touches on the classes of the game and additional ways that players can get into beta.

Win a Superhero Prize Pack

Each week we clean out our closets and give some nifty swag to our premium members. This week's loot is a DC Universe Super Hero Prize Pack that will help you flex your superpowers. We'll ship the following stuff to one lucky winner:

  • DC Universe Online Batman hat
  • DC Universe Online Superman hat
  • DCUO cape (yes, really)
  • DCUO bumper sticker

Imagine your delight when you open a box from Ten Ton Hammer containing this steaming pile of...well, never mind.



We know you want to enter. (If anything, you need to own a cape.) If you're a premium member, you can just give us your deets below. (And if you can't see the form, get help here. If you've entered a previous Bunch of Crap contest don't worry--you're already entered in this one.

If you're not one of the cool kids yet, become a premium member and the world could be your Hefty bag!





Find us on Facebook

TenTonHammer.com

 
 © 2011 Ten Ton Hammer | 


Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

About The Author

Jeff joined the Ten Ton Hammer team in 2004 covering EverQuest II, and he's had his hands on just about every PC online and multiplayer game he could since.

Comments