MMO news, guides, reviews, features, interviews and more at Ten Ton Hammer

A Conference Way Down Under
MMORPGDot.com
sent a reporter into the wild of Austrailia for the Australian Game Developers
Conference. "Muun" reports about the fantastic time he had:

There he was; this guy who looked exactly like me, wearing my brown linen
pants and my beloved Ranma shirt…holding…an…IRON. He stared
back at me from the mirror dumbstruck for a few minutes and then; it slowly
dawned on me: I … was… ironing! I've had my fair share of important
interviews and hot dates and yet, I could not remember the last time I had
even contemplated ironing an item of clothing (barring terrible flashbacks
featuring my mother holding a double barrelled shotgun and piles of recently
washed clothing). Yet here I was, quite happily ironing my funkiest black
Japanese designer shirt and pants. And then I remembered a recent article
by Deljarum here at MMORPGDot, which commented on a similar fixation with
ironing prior to conferences. This relaxed my fears of an emergent split personality
disorder and I proceeded to spend the next two hours trying to transform those
valleys and mountains of drill cotton into gentle plains of black.
I don't know how much better of an impression I made on the people I met
at the AGDC but one thing is certain, I definitely missed out on the whole
card trading game. Word of advice: if you're going to a big conference or
gathering and don't want to feel like an elf at a rally of the local Dwarven
Beard Trimming Guild do yourself a favour and print out a few cards. Even
if it's just a simple name, number and address - play the card game. Even
if you don't want to make an impression on anyone, play the card game. Why?
Because you get this half disgusted, half demeaning look from people who ask
"can I have your card?", that just puts you one down in the exchange
that follows.

Sounds like fun! Hope he got to see Crocodile Dundee!
Check
It Out

Weird Science
MMORPGDot.com
has an interview from OGaming
about the science of MMORPGs. Now that the theme song to Weird Science is stuck
in your brain:

OGaming talks with Project Massive's A. Fleming Seay, a PhD student
at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute,
about the science of MMORPGs.

OGaming: Why, of all things to study, choose to focus on massively multiplayer
online gaming trends?
A. Fleming Seay: My interest is primarily driven by a belief that multi-person
experiences are the future of interactive entertainment and a desire to participate
in the creation of that future. Project Massive has given me the opportunity
to learn quite a bit about the current market; who plays, why, how they communicate,
etc. I’ve also been able to look at issues like the operation of player
organizations and the effects of play on the individual. Some of it is straight
social science, some is more market oriented.

• Nope, no Anthony Michael Hall. Sorry.
• Here Is The
  Complete Story. No John Hughes either... bummer.

Almost six years and still going strong! Let's hear a Boo-Yah! for the game that got me started in this crazy MMO world. Friday, SOE posted Kytherea’s Keepsakes on the Developers Corner at the EverQuest Live Official Site. She shows off some really great concept art in comparison to what these Gods look like in game. It almost makes me want to go back and play again... almost..

To follow the journey traveled by a piece of artwork from the imagination, to paper, then implemented in a game such as EverQuest is truly an interesting adventure. I enjoy traipsing through old folders of concept art from time to time, both to see what the artists have imagined over the years and also to see how the concepts of long ago have developed into the living, breathing world of EverQuest. In one of my frequent expeditions I tripped over the concept art for some of the EverQuest deities (from all the way back in 1998!). When I looked at each piece of artwork I was amazed at how closely these depictions of the deities represented their physical forms in the world of EverQuest and I wanted to share these with you.

More EverQuest Live News and Information

Ohhhh Great Zwatwalla-Awen! What do you have for me today?

Well Bob, we have some terrific information on restrictions and a dandy new list of skills for you at the Dark and Light Official Website

This list of skills and the table of equipment will allow you to determine the character you wish to incarnate in Settlers of Ganareth.

If you were lucky enough to subscribe you should definately check this information out. On a side note.. Burger King fries suck.

Take a Look at Our Dark and Light Info and News Page