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

By Paul Barnett, Creative Director, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

It's big. Really big. And crowded. For the people who have been to video game conventions that are reading this, it's like the old E3: lots of noise, people, poor food and slow moving crowds. It's busier than I imagined and the thing that caught my eye are these strange old bags. At shows you often get bags. It’s a way for individuals to carry stuff (“hey a bag!”), a way to show devotion (“hey a Batman bag!”) and a way to advertise (“hey a LEGO Batman bag!”).

Paul Barnett, Creative Director for WAR

This year the winner by a long way is the crazy big DC bags. These things are huge; they have to be about three feet square with a long shoulder strap. They are so big that if you have one of these on you look like you are a midget. And they are everywhere. Never mind if the bag looks a little silly, its got the Watchman on it. The watchman, I mean you understand right, that's the Watchman. I guess adding Watchman to anything at the moment gives it instant cool. I gather this reasoning from the owlship (that’s the ship one of the Watchman characters flies around in, he is called the owl, think Fatbatman with feathers).

And that’s all well and good. I like the Watchman, but then I hear the news. The Xbox… the Watchman Xbox. I mean now we are talking. And before you know it we are all gripped. Like addicts in withdrawal, you get computer geeks like me going when you start talking about these two things combined.

Mmmmmmm....Xbox.

Mmmmmmm....Watchman.

It's like a wonder sandwich made when I am drunk and hungry. Composed of left over food, fried, and somehow tasting like the gods breathed upon it with their godlike sandwich tasting breath.

In my mind it’s the greatest Xbox ever built, I say in my mind because I was chained to doing interviews and thus could not see the Xbox in question. But I heard all about it, the raffle to win it, the 'it will be mine' comments. As more people turned up at our booth, some dressed as, well I am not sure its like they are dressed as. Characters I should know but it’s seen through a crazy lens, a sort of confus-o-vision.

Eventually I got a few spare moments and had to think hard. I mean I needed to check the room for my talk, meet up with the Penny Arcade guys to talk shop, catch up with Scott from 38 studios, sort out my lunch and try to sneak a peek at the Xbox.

I got a ticket for a Watchman thing (apparently you get a signed poster) and handed it to a young person who really, really looked like they wanted to go. I passed the Alex Ross stand and gasped at the prices for his artwork. Later on I stumbled across a crazy Batbike that looked like it was from the old Batman TV series. Avoided the twenty foot He-man statue and got confused by the Star Wars clone wars figures. After my time with Penny Arcade I heroically failed to get much further and had to return to the booth. Thwarted once again to catch a glimpse of the Xbox, I asked someone - anyone - to take a photo.

Later, I had to leave the con to grab lunch and I had arranged a few other meetings and interviews outside so I get recharged, see the day-star and return, fuller and with sore feet.

Back at the con, it was time to check out my room. Apparently there was no stage, no wireless mike and a bunch of tables in the way. Also no chance for altering any of that, no chance to move anything. So I guess I will have to stand up and sort of shout. Never mind.

I have been a little worried about the talk. I am not worried about not giving the talk, more about what I will talk about. The style, the tone, the content. I have decided to go broad, I want to talk about three things that I think are important and those three things don't really wrap around Warhammer. Oh sure they are all in Warhammer, they are part of why the game works but the actual things are weaved into stories about Star Wars, the chicken and archeology.

Back to the booth. More press. Apparently the Tonight Show wants me to appear on something. Go figure. I suspect they want me to be mean to the people in outfits, difficult because I quite like the people who turn up in fancy dress.

Con over. It was off to dinner and getting ready for the EA party. Still the Watchman Xbox eludes me. Tomorrow, oh yes tomorrow, I will see it.

(Editor's Note: You can read all of Paul's Comic Con blogs by clicking here!)