Warhammer Online at Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMOG Gamers to the Next Level!

By Josh Drescher, Associate Producer for Warhammer Online

We wrapped things up today.  I’m going to start by offering Solace and Comfort for the throngs of concerned readers:

I did get to see a full demo of LEGO Batman and it was Good.  It’s got a great sense of the character, its history and – perhaps most importantly – its villains.  They’ve gone for an overall aesthetic that combines the very best of the 1940s Dick Sprang stories and environments with the joyous DC Animated universe of the 1990s cartoons.  My favorite bits were the EXCELLENT batarang implementation and – quite surprisingly – the delightfully characterful movement found in the walk animations of each model in the game.  If you’ve been a fan of any of the previous LEGO Star Wars or Indy games, this one’s a clear Winner.

As for the show overall, I’m not sure this final day was needed.  Much of the energy of the earlier days (from the attendees, that is) was lacking and – to be honest – there’s something about journalists who bring their luggage with them to the booth that just screams “we were done yesterday”.  Anyone who says we should expand it next year MAY be crazy and anyone who thought it was a waste of time didn’t try very hard, so bear that in mind in the coming weeks.

That being said, I consider E3 2008 to be a real success.  I had the chance to debrief some trusted folks in the media and they seemed to agree that having the chance to REALLY spend a decent amount of time with developers proved extremely valuable.  Not being forced to waste 50% of their time covering the spectacle of the event was – they grudgingly admit – great for them.  The same holds true for us.  I’ve often said that our game shows off better the longer we’re able to demo it, so not having to fight for five minutes worth of time with each journalist as they tried to run to the next T-Shirt Cannon Event was really great.

For those who are tracking closely with our appearances over the summer, I’ll see you guys at San Diego Comic Con, which takes places… dear lord… NEXT WEEK.  It’s a wide-open event and we’ll have TONS of stations available, so if you’re anywhere on the West Coast of the US, I insist that you attend.  Barnett will be giving a full-fledged lecture that he refuses to show us, so that alone is worth the price of admission.  Unfettered access to WAR just sweetens the pot!

Before I sign off, I suppose now’s as good a time as any to admit to a ritual I’ve been undertaking over the past year or so in hotel rooms around the world.  People who meet the Mythic team tend to be impressed by our uniform and fanatical devotion to the project, the studio and to one another.  Like any good cult, we like to spread our Message far and wide.  In the interest of that, I make a deposit in every hotel room I stay in – hoping to spark the minds and imaginations of those who stay there after me.  After all, there’s a long tradition of people leaving books in hotel rooms.  It only seems fair for me to add to that tradition myself.

With that, I’ll put E3 2008 to bed.  Thanks to the TTH Crew who – as always – are a bunch of cool Cats and Kittens.  It’s been fun recording the unique and strange world I live in for you all and I hope I’ll get the chance to do it again soon.  Until then, keep the WAAAGH going and I’ll see you on the battlefield!

(Editor's Note: You can see all of the WAR E3 blogs by clicking here!)