Loading... August 31st, 2010 - Scammed Again

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Posted Tue, Aug 31, 2010 by B. de la Durantaye

Loading... is the premier daily MMOG newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer!

Welcome to the 1,408th edition of Loading...

The ongoing saga of the Stargate IP and Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment is a tale of sorrow for the many fans of the franchise. This situation just highlights that even the MMOG market is not immune to fraud and deceit. Follow the crooked twists and turns of this sad case in Loading...Scammed Again.

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Loading... now with half the calories.

The saga of litigation and underhanded marketing tactics continue withCheyenne Mountain Entertainment and the Stargate franchise.

Here's a company that just won't quit. CME has gone through so many litigations and the Stargate franchise has been dragged through the mud far more than any self-respecting IP should. Uncovered yesterday was the latest scam that has been attempted to be pulled off.

Not so long ago the MMOG Stargate Worlds was canceled due to shady business practices. During that time developers weren't even getting paid. They stuck with the project though, because as is the case with most developers, they believed in their product. To CEO Gary Whiting, however, it was all just a way to scam money. And that he did, with absolutely no regard to the fanbase or the developers whose bills were piling up with no pay.

The more recent saga came in form of Stargate Resistance. Somehow the fraudulent company was able to convince investors that this new game was one worth investing in. After an alleged 10 million dollars went into the investment, CME again filed for bankruptcy, but not before selling all the assets to the accomplice company, Dark Comet Games. Dark Comet bought the $10M game for $100,000.

Now to be accurate, CME is not named as a defendant in the proceedings, but rather Dark Comet Games and Fresh Start Studios are being held responsible for this newest charade. The point of interest though, is that a formerly fired employee by the name of Timothy Jenson appears to have been plotting this bogus scheme with CME CEO Gary Whiting as far back as March 2nd--the same Whiting that fired Jenson.

The whole thing is simply nauseating. It's no surprise that scam artists (if you can even call these types of clowns artists) have dug their dirty greedy hands into an IP and industry that many, many people globally are invested in as a means of entertainment. The real tragedy is the amount of developers, programmers and other personnel who keep getting caught in the middle of an obviously untrustworthy group of individuals. For most of these people in the industry, they're following a dream. The individuals responsible for continuing to abuse the investment of trust and finances turn these dreams into nightmares. Several of those caught in the first scandal have either left the industry all together or gone into hiding until they feel confident enough to be able to return to the workplace they once loved.

So to our readers, I say put aside your wishes of a great Stargate game for now. Anything involving this IP should be approached with extreme caution until all remnants of CMG and Whiting's troupe of bandits have been put behind bars. Stargate could make for a really cool game; of that there's no doubt. But until the license is out of the hands of crooks, they're only going to find new ways to steal from investors and the public. We're denying some potentially great developers the chance to work on potentially great games the longer we allow anyone to think of giving these scoundrels another go. Get the IP to a proven company already.

Mad too? Express yourself in the forums.

Shayalyn's Epic Thread of the Day

From our Ten Ton Torched (Flames) forum

George and his bloody toys

How did Star Wars toy sales change the ending of Return of the Jedi? You'll have to check out today's Epic Thread to learn more and comment on whether you think George Lucas is a still a genius after all these years and all these movies, or whether commercial interests rendered him incapable of staying on target. We may even throw in a little Star Wars: The Old Republic launch speculation for good measure. Discuss!

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Awesome Quotes from the Epic Thread

"There's a quote from Tom Hanks which I always remind myself of every time I check my lottery ticket: you can only eat so well. By that time George was already rich. The guy sold out his art for even more money he would never spend."

- Mikes
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New and Exclusive Content Today at Ten Ton Hammer

8 new and exclusive Ten Ton Hammer features today! 126 Ten Ton Hammer features in August! 942 in 2010!

GAMESCOM 2010

HOT! London Calling - An Exclusive Interview for The Secret World
http://www.tentonhammer.com/tsw/interviews/tornquist-london

Ten Ton Hammer was introduced to social hubs and training areas in The Secret World at gamescom 2010. London will be the main social hub for all players to congregate, party, and socialize. Players will be trained in a surreal area known as Tokyo Future where they will also be introduced to the evil of the world in the game. We sat down with Ragnar Tørnquist of Funcom to discuss London, The Crucible, Tokyo Future, and more. Read our notes about the game's features and check out our video interview to find out Ragnar had to say.

VIDEO! Experience gamescom 2010 - A Ten Ton Hammer Video Tour of the Show
http://www.tentonhammer.com/events/gamescom2010/walkaround-vid

Ever wonder what it would be like to actually go to gamescom? We know you have, so we here at Ten Ton Hammer decided to give you a little video tour. This video includes just one of the five halls at gamescom 2010. Join Ben and Reuben as we walk around the floor, checking out the booths, the games and the babes. You may not have been able to be in Cologne for the event, but you'll think you were.

INTERVIEWS

Ready…Aim…Fire! A Gadgeteer Class Q&A for Mythos
http://www.tentonhammer.com/mythos/interviews/gadgeteer-skills

With the rise of co-op multiplayer and action RPGs, fans are eagerly anticipating the long awaited action MMORPG, Mythos. Hardly able to contain ourselves at the thought of dungeon-crawling for fun and profit, Ten Ton Hammer talked to Demian Moreno, Redbana’s Mythos Community Manager. Demian Moreno gave us details about the long range, death-dealing, bomb-using, bad-ass Gadgeteer class as well as the Marksman skill tree.

MEDIA

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http://www.tentonhammer.com/dcuo/screenshots/wonder-woman

Few female superheroes are as recognizable or iconic as Wonder Woman. Since her inception into the DC Universe in the 1940s, this super heroine has gone on to spawn several comic books, cartoons, television shows, and movies. So it was only natural that the voluptuous Amazon and her Lasso of Truth would be making their way into Sony Online Entertainment'supcoming superhero-based MMOG, DC Universe Online. With a character such as this you need epic artwork symbolic of the heroin and SOE has released a batch of new images that depict Wonder Woman in all her Amazonian glory.

Take a Scenic Tour of Mytheon with Six New Screenshots
http://www.tentonhammer.com/mytheon/screenshots/august2010

Mytheon's open beta comes to a close today and the game will soon be making its way to North American players. And thanks to a publishing deal with gamigo, European players won't be left out of the fun when it comes to slaying the gods of Olympus. To help showcase what the publisher plans to deliver to players with Mytheon, gamigo has released a new batch of screenshots showing various areas in Mytheon and a particularly nasty looking Cyclops.

REGULAR FEATURES

WoW Weekly Report - PlayerScore arrives at TenTonHammer!
http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/newsletter/issue82

The WoW Weekly Report is our newsletter dedicated to giving you a wrap-up of the previous week in news, stories, and more. This week we present Ten Ton Hammer's new WoW add-on and website, PlayerScore, our latest articles including zone previews, new abilities, and new talents, and all the news regarding World of Warcraft so you don't miss a thing.

FEATURES & GUIDES

WoW Cataclysm Preview: Tanaris, the Jewel of the Desert
http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/cataclysm/tanaris-preview

Tanaris, that arid desert zone in Southern Kalimdor, is full of rugged inhospitable terrain populated by Goblins, Ogres, Pirates, and even some Trolls. Most players will remember this zone fondly thanks to the charm of the city of Gadgetzan. So it leaves us to wonder how Tanaris has fared against the changes Cataclysm brings. Has the zone been torn apart or has it flourished?

EVE Online: Carebears Anonymous - Ten Steps To Recovery
http://www.tentonhammer.com/eve/guides/combat/carebears-anonymous

In this accessible guide to jumping feet-first into PvP,Space Junkie explains how to stop mining and start blowing people up.