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to the 1,330th
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Loading... is the premier daily
MMOG news and commentary
newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.

The Internet was abuzz over the weekend with talk about the Games Workshop v. Warhammer Alliance lawsuit. While we might not agree with everything Curse does, it could be something of a landmark case in what sort of control developers and publishers can legally exert over their fan communities. More analysis of the lawsuit and its chances in today's Loading... Stifling a Curse.

The Pulse

You vote with what you
view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the
result
is the Ten Ton Pulse ( href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/thepulse/" target="_blank">What
is The Pulse?).

Here
are today's top 5 Pulse results:

1. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow">World
   of Warcraft
2. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/eq2">EverQuest II (UP 1)
3. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/aoc">Age
   of Conan (down 1)
4. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/vanguard">Vanguard:
   Saga of Heroes (UP 3)
5. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/ddo">Dungeons and
   Dragons Online (UP 3)

Biggest
movers today:

1. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/284">The Agency (UP 22 to #18)
2. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/287">Free
   Realms
   (UP 16 to #12)
3. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/265">The Secret World (UP 15 to #16)

• size="-1">2/16
  - href="http://everquest2.station.sony.com/expansions/sentinelsfate/index.vm">EverQuest
  2: Sentinel's Fate (expansion)
• size="-1">2/16
  - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/81479"> LotRO:
  Oath of the
  Rangers (content update)
• size="-1">4/5
  - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/83086">Pocket
  Legends (iMMOG - release date) size="-1"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/1004">
  
  
• size="-1">5/1
  - href="http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/game_updates/issue_17/issue_17_overview.html?utm_source=COHemail&utm_medium=US&utm_campaign=banner">City
  of Heroes - Issue 17: Dark Mirror
  (content
  update)
  
  
  

• size="-1">May
  11,
  2010 - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/aoc">Age
  of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer size="-1">
  (expansion)
• size="-1">May
  18,
  2010 - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/eve">EVE
  Online: Tyrannis (expansion)
• size="-1">May 27,
  2010 - Craft of Gods (release)
• size="-1">June
  30,
  2010 - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/998">APB
  (US - July 2 in EU)
• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">Q2 2010
  - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/1801">Mytheon
• size="-1">TBA
  2010 - href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/2079">Final
  Fantasy XIV size="-1">
  
  
  
  

size="-1">Upcoming
Events

• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">6/15 -
  6/17 - href="http://www.e3expo.com/">E3
  Expo
• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">6/25 -
  6/27 - href="http://www.lfgexpo.com/">Looking
  for Group
  Expo
• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">7/22 -
  7/25 - href="http://www.comic-con.org/">Comic-Con
  International
• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">8/5 -
  8/8 - href="http://events.station.sony.com/fanfaire/">SOE
  Fan Faire 2010
• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">9/3 -
  9/6 - href="http://www.dragoncon.org/">DragonCon
• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;">10/22 -
  10/23 - href="http://us.blizzard.com/blizzcon/?rhtml=y">BlizzCon
• size="-1"> style="font-weight: bold;"> 3/24
  -
  3/26 (2011)- href="http://fanfest.eveonline.com/">CCP
  FanFest
  
  
  

Loading... Daily

Not in a million years would I thought I'd be rushing to the defense of Curse. Personally speaking, I like some of the gents I've met from their network over the years, but aside from UI addons for WoW and WAR (which is their bread and butter, as Annache pointed out in the epic forum thread below) and speaking only of editorial policy and industry relations, Ten Ton Hammer and Curse are at opposite extremes. We usually cooperate with the wishes of devs and publishers except when said devs and publishers show bad faith - one of our core tenets is that players and devs might have our disagreements, but in the end we're on the same team. Curse, however, has a history of walking the edge a bit, arousing developer ire over posting dubious translations of patch notes and other perception-shaping info for Aion and Final Fantasy XIV.

Nothing about Warhammer Online could be lost in translation, of course, but being primarily a forums-driven site, the tone of the site has trended toward negativity since the game's launch in 2008. My feeling is that the powers that be at Games Workshop feel that Warhammer Alliance has outlived it's usefulness. Coupled with the general feeling that WAR hasn't lived up to its financial expectations (to put it mildly), perhaps GW thinks that taking the extraordinary step of suing a fansite will help recompense their apparent losses.

It's a bold move, but an ill-considered one, I think, and it illustrates in a nutshell why Games Workshop has had such trouble transitioning to the new economy. Don't get me wrong: a trip to any fan convention will show you that tabletop gaming is far from dead and miniature painting is not a dead art, but neither is what you'd cally a growth industry. My own mini-obsession used to be Axis and Allies miniatures, and I remembered staring dumbly at a hobby shop owner that suggested I drop my A&A minis in drano, then repaint them. Painting is at once relaxing, tedious, and frustrating, but most importantly it takes time, and the core enjoyment for me is the game. No one in my circle of friends would appreciate the Afrika Korps paint scheme I'd applied to my Tigers or invasion strips I'd put on my P-51D Mustangs, they'd think I was weaker for not using the little time I have for such pursuits to think of creative 100-point builds and new strategies. It's all about how you play.

I know things are a little different in the Warhammer world, but it's hard to imagine that the pageantry surrounding tabletop gaming has benefitted from this braver, faster, more achievement-oriented gaming world we've created for ourselves. Yet GW still clings to old economy moneymaking tactics. Gone are the days when you can pay your employees in bits and discounts on models to teach painting (well, you can, but unless you're reporting it as equivalent income, the IRS might want a word). And while you might still succeed in courtroom bullying, you'll probably lose in the courtroom of public opinion. The Warhammer Fantasy IP (can I say Warhammer without being sued?) will never go mainstream so long as GW sits on it like a dragon on its treasure horde.

This lawsuit won't fly. Running a fansite or network at scale these days isn't easy, nor does it come cheap. CNN, Bloomberg, and Fox News makes tons of money off of what's happening in the world, Facebook makes tons of money from what's going on in your life, and Curse and Ten Ton Hammer can and should be able to make money about what's going on in the games we cover. And (by the way) should be able to say whatever we can prove about a game. Moreover, GW should be grateful for the attention, positive or negative, they've received from fan networks instead of biting the hand that feeds them.

I know we have some Warhammer tabletop types in the audience, what's your take? Is GW to WAR what LucasArts was to Star Wars Galaxies? Do you ever foresee a 40k MMORPG given how things have gone for WAR? Share your take in the Loading... forum, or for more discussion of the case, take it to today's epic thread!

Shayalyn's Epic Thread of
the Day

From our WAR: News & Announcements forum

Games Workshop vs. Warhammer Alliance

We
ended last week with a strange news story from the Warhammer Online
front. Games Workshop filed suit against the Curse network for its WAR
fansite, Warhammer Alliance, citing trademark infringement,
cybersquatting (on the domain name), dilution and unfair competition.
Does Games Workshop have a case? Join the conversation.

==============================

Awesome Quotes from the
Epic Thread

"Funny
thing is the response from the community. [Warhammer Alliance] fans are
all pissy about it, but a lot of others are anti-Curse and want to see
them get kicked in da jibblies."

- Annatar
==============================



Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? Tell
us!

New
and Exclusive Content
Today at Ten Ton Hammer

5 new Ten Ton Hammer
articles today! 27 Ten Ton Hammer
features
in May! 498 in 2010!

INTERVIEWS


Ragnar Tornquist Answers Ten Ton Hammer Reader Questions for The Secret World
http://www.tentonhammer.com/tsw/interviews/vip

One
of the coolest benefits of being a Ten Ton Hammer Premium member is
that every once in a while you get to ask the devs of your favorite
MMOGs questions about their games. This week The Secret World fans are
in for a treat. We spoke with Ragnar Tørnquist, Creative Director and
Senior Producer at Funcom for The Secret World and asked him your
questions. Ragnar graciously obliged.

Ten Ton Hammer Live Ep. 6 Transcript - David Georgeson on EQ2
http://www.tentonhammer.com/podcasts/live/6/transcript

In
this week’s installment of Ten Ton Hammer Live!, our intrepid hosts
track down the elusive David Georgeson, Senior Producer of EverQuest 2
at Sony Online Entertainment. After capture, Jesse Cox and Benjamin J.
de la Durantaye pick his brains on upcoming changes to EverQuest 2.
Please note that no animals were harmed during the production of this
podcast, only people.

REVIEWS

Nvidia 3D Vision Review
http://www.tentonhammer.com/reviews/nvidia/3d_vision

After seeing the Nvidia 3D Vision first hand at
Pax East, Mattlow had to grab a pair of the glasses to play with... er, test out
and review for our readers.

FEATURES & GUIDES

StarCraft II - How to Deal With a Zergling Rush
http://www.tentonhammer.com/starcraft2/guides/zergrush

We've
all been there before. You've got your economy up and running, with
nearly double the workers you started with, your first population
increase is almost done, and first unit producing structure is on the
way. It all seems like routine to you at this point, and then something
happens that makes it anything but. Six Zerglings steamroll past your
defensive wall-in before you even have a combat unit out. We give you
the tips and tricks needed to deal with this threat before it cripples
you to the point of no return!

Casually Casual WoW: Episode III - Casual… Raiding?!
http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/editorials/CC/three

Want
to have the World of Warcraft raiding experience but don’t have the
time? Can’t seem to get a group together that can kill anything but the
easiest bosses? Tired of being unable to obtain the gear you desire?
Jason “Mem” Bechdel may have a solution to the problem.

Today's
Hottest Articles, Guides, and Features

1. Ragnar Tornquist Answers Ten Ton Hammer Reader Questions for The Secret World
   
2. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/interviews/fallen-earth-downsizing">(Prairie)
   Chicken Little Be Damned - An Exclusive Fallen
   Earth Interview
3. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/editorials/cataclysm-alpha-leaked">Someone
   Call Merry Maid - Cataclysm
   Leaked All Over the Net
4. Nvidia 3D Vision Review
5. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/reviews/guildleaders_handbook">The
   Guild Leader's Handbook Review
6. Ten Ton Hammer Live Ep. 6 Transcript - David Georgeson on EverQuest II
7. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/rift/interviews/intro-scott-hartsman">Rift:
   Planes of Telara Intro Q&A with Trion's Scott Hartsman
8. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/84071">Exclusive
   Fallen Earth Blood
   Sports Developer Journal
9. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/seasonal/childrensweek">WoW:
   Children's Week Guide
10. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/podcasts/live/5">Ten
    Ton Hammer Live Ep. 5 - Developer Guests for Guild
    Wars, Guild
    Wars 2,
    and City
    of Heroes

Thanks
for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!

- Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle
and
the Ten Ton Hammer team