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Are you looking for the latest industry headlines? Look no further.

1. Daily Column
2. New MMOG Articles at TenTonHammer Today
3. Hot Content
4. Real World News - You Can't Make This Up

1. Daily Column

Four days. That’s the amount of time you’re going to be stuck with me, Cody “Micajah” Bye, Ten Ton Hammer’s too wordy, comma-happy Managing Editor. Your normal Loading... wordsmith, John “Boomjack” Hoskin, has taken his leave from the frontlines after having to suffer through a painstakingly anticlimactic E3 2007. Even though we still managed to wrangle up a basketful of articles for you to read through and videos to watch, the show was nowhere near as big (or exciting!) as E3s of yesteryear. In fact, there’s a whole slew of industry and press personnel that believe E3 has been gimped, neutered, or whatever you want to call it. My personal favorite has to be the Gamecock E3 Funeral Procession and Mike Wilson running around in a hospital gown. From the Gamasutra interview:

Gamasutra: So why are you in a hospital gown?

Mike Wilson: I was in the ER at St. John’s Medical Center. I think I got some E3 on me and I’ve gotten very sick for the last couple of days. I had to be rushed to the hospital in the night after shaking in my bed for hours for the second day in a row.

I would’ve given my arm (but no legs) to see that.

Too bad the folks that run E3 forgot to send me an invite. Not that I’m bitter.

One piece of interesting information did float out of E3 via the Gamasutra website, and mentioned the existence of a THIRD Blizzard team that isn’t working on World of Warcraft, Starcraft II, or any of their cinematics.

Here’s the official quote from Gamasutra:

"Our global headcount is 2,700," said [Frank] Pearce, "And most of that is customer service for World of Warcraft! In terms of development staff it’s probably around 350. World of Warcraft is about 135 people, 40 for Starcraft II, 40 for team 3, our cinematics team is about 85 guys. Then there’s sound and Q/A and that sort of thing."

Like most information that runs on a Friday, the Gamasutra article seems to have been lost in the tide of Monday previews and interviews, but the article is their and the individual being interviewed was none other than Frank Pearce, founding member and senior vice president of product development. This isn’t some average Joe dropping hints, but a full-blown Blizzard exec!

The buzz is starting already, with this article Blizzard has every excuse to “leak” information (like the previous Starcraft MMOG info that a certain virtual magazine picked up) and to generate as much hype about an upcoming game as possible. Is it an MMOG, an RTS, or something entirely new? Blizzard hasn’t developed a new IP in years, and it’s about time that they stretch their legs a little.

The “third team” comment isn’t the only thing that’s hinted at in a Blizzard employee interview. In our interview with Rob Foote, an associate producer on the WoW team, there were a few comments that could be linked to a potential announcement of an upcoming expansion for WoW. Although the majority of the interview focused on Zul’Aman, there is one section midway through the interview where the question about an expansion is raised and answered with some hesitancy. While an expansion isn’t as “big” as a full-blown new game, it still is enough to get the Blizzard fanbois drooling.

With all this “information” out on the table, the buzz may reach deafening proportions by the time BlizzCon arrives. Starcraft, Diablo, Warcraft, even the Lost Vikings are all properties that could be transformed into new properties. Here’s hoping for another Blizzard MMOG (maybe a Lost Vikings MMO) by the end of 2012!

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Congratulations to JimSocks, grand prize winner of our "Trip to SOE FanFaire" contest! Jim will be flying out to Las Vegas, NV to enjoy the sights and sounds of Fan Faire, staying at a top rated hotel, and enjoying some food and spending money courtesy of Ten Ton Hammer. Congrats again, and thanks to all who entered!

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Missed out on our BlizzCon and SOE Fan Faire trip giveaways? Stay tuned for more great contests and offers exclusively for Ten Ton Hammer Premium Members!

What do you think about the Blizzard buzz? How often do developers just "slip" and leak a secret and when is it simply a marketing ploy? Comment in the blog (now with direct link goodness) or email me directly.

2. New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today

• Blog: Collectible Card Games
  "Collectibles card games have always appealed to Cody "Micajah" Bye, but so have MMOGs. In his blog, "So Your Wife Doesn't Game?", Cody explores the reasons behind his attraction to both types of games and why the cross-over of the World of Warcraft trading card game has him in tempting bind."
• E3: Aion Combat Trailer
  "In our other Aion video, we show you some of the beautiful backdrops and landscapes of Aion: Tower of Eternity. Chances are, however, you don't play MMORPGs to tour the glorious vistas. This video is all about combat in Aion, melee, ranged, magic, pet-based, and PvP combat. Unfortunately, one of Aion's most interesting combat mechanics - aerial or "winged" combat - is currently undergoing development While combat in the unfriendly skies didn't make the trailer, you'll see a number of other, more traditional fighting mechanics in Aion's fluidly attractive Asian styling."
• E3: Gods and Heroes Explored in Latest Video Interview
  "Over the last few days, the Ten Ton Hammer team has been providing you, the reader, with several articles discussing the finer points of Perpetual Entertainment's debut MMOG, Gods and Heroes. To top off our coverage, we have posted a video interview with Chris McKibbin, Executive Producer of Gods and Heroes, who led us through the epic twists and turns of Gods and Heroes, discussed more about minions, and generally was a fount of knowledge concerning the game. Being an E3 event, the booth was a bit noisy, so please excuse the background noise and simply hear the words pouring from Chris's mouth. The interview lasts approximately 16 minutes, so sit back, grab a soda, and enjoy!"
• E3: Guild Wars Expansion Video Preview
  "Arena.net is calling Guild Wars: Eye of the North the game's first "true expansion," but with 4 races, 18 (18!) dungeons, and an entire new continent and several new cities to explore.... well, you've probably read feature lists of newly released games that have less to offer. In this 12 minute video, Michael Gills of Arena.net walks us through a demo of the latest expansion for Guild Wars. Take a look!"
  
• E3: Landscapes Emerge in Aion Video
  "If you could soar into the heavens in your favorite MMOG, where would you go? For those of you that answered or pondered over this question, there's an upcoming game from NCsoft that may appeal to your sense of freedom and flight. Dubbed Aion: The Tower of Eternity, this MMOG completely strips away the need for players to keep two feet on the ground by introducing winged avatars. Since we have our own flights of fancy, the staff at Ten Ton Hammer scooped up the video trailer from probably the most beautiful MMORPG we saw at E3 2007: Aion: Tower of Eternity."
• E3: Post-E3 Fury Video
  "Every time the Ten Ton Hammer staff gets a chance to see Fury we're amazed at the speed of the game, fall at least once to the blades of our enemies, and learn that grinding, looting, and player death should not be the epitome of MMOGs. Fury allows players to concentrate on defeating their enemies, taking the player vs. player combat and totally reworking it to appeal to the action-oriented crowd. In a post-E3 exchange, Ten Ton Hammer has received an exclusive video that showcases the quick action, excellent animation, and beautiful graphics of Fury's violent world. Watch out for flying swords!"
• E3: World of Warcraft Video Interview Featuring Zul'Aman
  "In online computer gaming history, there's never been a product as successful as World of Warcraft. With their constant updates, free content expansions, and celebrated gameplay inventions, Blizzard has created a game that will go down in history. When the Ten Ton Hammer team was given the opportunity to interview the folks behind World of Warcraft and hear about Zul'Aman, we jumped at the opportunity. In our 13 minute video interview with Associate Producer Rob Foote, we discuss the intricacies of Zul'Aman (with some spoilers included), the challenges of class balancing, and some hints towards a possible 2008 expansion."
• Dungeons and Dragons: Quest Guide - Guard Duty
  "Feel the salt spray in your face, battle pirates on the high seas, and say Arrgh, a lot! Find out how to best play this quick, fun, sea-battle quest with Khalas's new quest guide: Guard Duty!"
• Everquest 2: Achievement Point Basics
  "Achievement points, abilities, trees, respecs? What does it all mean? Savanja takes the mystery out of achievements by laying out the basics, from earning points, to how to change them once they are spent, this is the info that all players will need!"
• Lord of the Rings Online: Guide to Leveling Hobbits
  "The true heroes of Middle-earth the Hobbits are a versatile and strong race of creatures destined for greatness in Lord of the Rings Online. Join RadarX as he lays out a suggested path of leveling and explains why people get annoyed when you say "Hobbitses" over and over."
• Vanguard: Warrior 11-20 Progression Guide
  "Ralsu describes Warrior levels 11-20 as the perfect time learn the ropes as tank. He brings you a guide to those critical levels."
• World of Warcraft : A Look Back at TenTonHammer's WoW Topic of the Week
  "This week marks the end of a long standing tradition here on the WoW TenTonHammer site, the death of a weekly topic in our forums. Don't worry, its not a sad time, and it's not disappearing forever. It's just that we have covered almost every imaginable topic of the last year that there isn't enough left to talk about on a weekly basis, so we are going to give it a rest for a while."

3. Hot Content

• E3: Age of Conan Preview
• E3: Gods and Heroes Explored in Latest Video Interview
• E3: Guild Wars Expansion Video Preview
• E3: Lord of the Rings Online - Book 10 Preview
• E3: Vanguard - Interview With Bill Fisher
• E3: World of Warcraft Video Interview Featuring Zul'Aman
• Hardware: Sandio 3D Mouse Reviewed
• E3: EverQuest 2 - Rise of Kunark Preview
• Jumpgate Evolution: Interview With Darren Klein
• Marvel Universe: Face To Face With Jack Emmert and John Layman

4. Real World News

• Wish for Rain to Wash Away Homer
  D'oh! (Thanks John!)
• Tooth Embedded in Rugby Player's Head
  Keeps tooth by bed, waiting for his quarter from the tooth fairy.
• Pizza Hut Waitress Gets Enormous Tip
  If only we all were so lucky...

Thanks as always for visiting TenTonHammer.com.

Cody "Micajah" Bye