Welcome to the 730th Edition of Loading...

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

Daily Column

10 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 162 so far in December!

Level UP!: Funcom for always answering what we ask.

Kicked From Raid: Verne Troyer World of Warcraft Ad. Where's the funny?

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First up, a quick reminder that we have an opening on the Ten Ton Hammer team. From yesterday:

"We want to pay you. We have a position as Age of Conan Community Manager starting soon (yes, that means our AoC premium community is also almost here. Merry Christmas!). If you are interested in joining the TenTonHammer.com team, love games (especially AoC), have a reasonable grasp on the written word and aren't afraid of being mentioned in Loading... then please send a letter of interest, MMORPG game history and guild affiliations to Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle. Rodeo clown experience is a plus, but not required. DO NOT, send me your application unless it includes naughty pictures and then only if you are female. Bribes, flattery, remarks of adulation and sweet talk will be received at this address.

"

Medeor sent me a link to the following site: LiveGamer.com . For those of you who don't want to click here is the short and skinny of it.

"NEW YORK CITY, DECEMBER 17, 2007 – Live Gamer Inc™ (www.livegamer.com) today announced its introduction as the premier provider of a publisher-supported, secure platform for real money trading of virtual property. Live Gamer is partnering with top massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) publishers and virtual world operators worldwide, including Funcom GMBH, Sony Online Entertainment, 10TACLE STUDIOS, Acclaim, GoPets LTD, and Ping0 Interactive Limited. The company was founded by industry veterans and backed with $24 million in venture funding from Charles River Ventures, Kodiak Venture Partners, and Pequot Ventures.

On behalf of the board of directors, Mitch Davis said, "Even in illicit form, the virtual trading economy has proven that vast demand exists; now Live Gamer will allow this thriving marketplace to reach its full potential. We're confident in the Live Gamer team and its ability to execute successfully, together with the industry's leading publishers, to create a safe and easy option for real money trading.""

Scary.

Garrett was kind enough to knock on the SOE door (on which was hung a large "no comment" sign). We didn't contact Flagship (the Ping0 folks) to give Bill Roper a wedgie, but if they have a comment then fire away!

Funcom had this to say when we rang their bell:

"We're very excited to be working on a new project with Livegamer. Funcom has always been about innovation and exploring new business models that benefit our players,(as seen with ad supported free play in Anarchy Online) and this represents an interesting new path in game development that will work well with an upcoming casual title." -- Morten Larssen, Funcom Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Since only one person with facts will comment that leaves the rest to me, you lucky darlings!

I don't think that "legalized" real money trading coming to the industry is a shocker to anyone. SOE already runs "Exchange Servers" which allow you to exchange your hard earned cash for virtual tidbits. Outsourcing the system to a third party takes the heat off of the publishers. "We're not destroying the game that you love, we're just allowing somebody else to do it. It's arms length. Nothing to see here, move along, move along." That said, in SOE's case. I would think that they have the wherewithall to do it all themselves.

The heart of the matter is that some players feel that it is cheating to purchase items, currency and levels from anyone, including the game's publisher. It isn't playing the game "as it was intended to be played". This is true in our current environment, but what if SOE condones real money trading in EverQuest 2? SOE sets the rules, so technically it is no longer cheating. Is it?

How would you feel about real money trading (RMT) coming to your EverQuest, EverQuest 2, Star Wars Galaxies or Vanguard server?

Funcom fans, do you want RMT as part of Age of Conan? I don't expect that it will be part of that title, but I didn't expect to see a press release from a RMT company come floating my way without first hearing from the publishers. They're funny that way. It wasn't unusual that Funcom responded to us immediately. They always seem to have time for the community.

The titles I have just mentioned are all subscription based games. Does your feeling towards RMT change when I mention BOTS!!, 9Dragons, 2Moons or Mythos? What about Anarchy Online? Is RMT more palatable when the game is free to play?

Developers and players, don't be shy -Post your thoughts in the Loading... forums!

Do you feel the need to contact me? Your wish is my command. E-mail or Forums - The choice is yours!

New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today

• Anarchy Online: Developer Journal #2 - Your Questions Get Answered
• Legends of Norrath: Forsworn Expansion Developer Interview
• Lineage II: The Kamael Transformation Video
• Lord of the Rings Online: Evendim Quest Guide
• Lord of the Rings Online: Guide To The Shire
• Silkroad: Devilwing Images
• Tabula Rasa: Guide To Grenadiers
• Tabula Rasa: Guide To Fort Dew
• Tabula Rasa: Guide To Eloh Vale
• Vanguard: Coterie Infineum Sanctuary Guide #13

Hot Content - Or, what I took a fancy to.

1. Anarchy Online: Developer Journal #2 - Your Questions Get Answered
2. Legends of Norrath: Forsworn Expansion Developer Interview
3. Lineage II: The Kamael Transformation Video

Real World News

• Britney's 16-Year-Old Sister Is Pregnant
  
  Who said that big sisters don't teach their siblings?
• Man Survives Six-Story Fall Into Trash Compactor
  R2! Shut down all the trash compactors on the detention level!
• Axe Carrying Man Wanted To Take Queen's Photograph
  ...and axe her a question or two.
  

Thanks as always for visiting TenTonHammer.com

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