Ten Ton Hammer
Featured Previews

MMORPGs

• Legends of Norrath Trading Card Game - On Friday night of the SOE FanFaire '07, CEO John Smedley announced a new trading card game would be added to both EverQuest games. RadarX had the opportunity to sit in on an entire roundtable dedicated to answering player questions and concerns regarding this unusual new product. How do you exchange loot cards for in game items and when will the beta begin? These and many more questions are answered inside. - August 7, 2007


• A Video Preview of Northrend Zones from BlizzCON 2007 - Blizzard presented a sneak peek of a half-dozen World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King expansion zones as part of the expansion panel at BlizzCON 2007 last week. Now, free of the surging crowd and faint tinge of body odor, you can view the same concept art and experience the same in-game video and developer commentary (from Blizzard's Jeff Kaplan, Tom Chilton, and Corey Stockton) that we did. We've split our coverage into 7 bite-size, highly entertaining segments ranging from 3 to 9 minutes a piece, so get your WoW post-event expansion fix on a coffee break, commercial break, or maybe while you're waiting for the zeppelin! - August 7, 2007


• Lead Designer Tom Chilton on the Death Knight - What follows is Tom Chilton's entire presentation on the Death Knight hero class, an unlockable, high-level class to be featured in the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. Tom covers the basics of unlocking this special hero class, the feel and mechanics of the class, and also offers some interesting concept art. Take a look! - August 7, 2007


• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Death Knight Discussion - Direct from BlizzCon '07 we now have all of the information that you're seeking on the Death Knight, the new class in the upcoming expansion World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. Blizzard went into great detail about the Death Knight's role, how he uses runes instead of mana, his weaponry (including the awesome ability to tank with a 2-handed weapon), and even more amazing details that can be found in our coverage of the Death Knight Discussion available here at TenTonHammer.com! - August 6, 2007


• Hands-On with Fury During the Beta Event Weekend - Snap-quick decisions, frantic hotkey pressing, and painful deaths are all an inherent part of the Fury experience. Managing editor, Cody "Micajah" Bye, had the opportunity to try Fury out for himself with thousands of other players during Auran's beta weekend, and the results were fantastic! With his sword and shield in tow, Micajah has written up his thoughts and observations of Fury in a hands-on preview for you to enjoy! - August 6, 2007


• Gods and Heroes Previewed at Comic-Con '07 - Our culture is fixated on past cultures. If you don't believe me merely take a look at the number of movies that have been released that are based in the Roman / Medieval eras. Perpetual Entertainment and the folks at SOE have taken this a step further and have created a game based entirely upon the ancient Roman pantheon, Gods and Heroes. Garrett Fuller had the opportunity to play G&H at Comic-Con '07, and he's relayed back his thoughts on the game in this preview! - August 2, 2007


• Tabula Rasa "Medic" Class Previewed at Comic-Con 2007 - Join Ten Ton Hammer's Cody Bye and Tabula Rasa Community Manager April Burba for an exclusive first look at the medic, a just-announced tier 4 (of 4) class. April explores the medic's healing and offensive abilities while demoing some of the game's core features, making this a fairly comprehensive video intro to Tabula Rasa for the uninitiated! - July 27, 2007


• Warhammer Online Comic-Con 2007 Quest Preview - In the Warhammer Online universe, you rarely find an Orc that is willing to allow you to talk to him, let alone follow him around for a few hours. At Comic-Con 2007, the Ten Ton Hammer team was lucky enough to encounter Murgash the Choppa, a passionate Orc who was willing to take us into his world and show us what being a young Orc is all about. Entertainment and slightly British dialects await! - July 26, 2007


• Fury E3 2007 Video Preview - For the last of our video interview and preview series from E3 2007, we bring you four members of the Fury team with a look at Auran's fast-paced, PvP-intensive fantasy MMORPG due to be released later this year. While John "Boomjack" Hoskin goes hands-on with the game, Content Designer Michael Hampden and Lead Designer Adam Carpenter explain various aspects of the game, especially focusing on scoring, rankings, and matchmaking. Take a look! - July 24, 2007


• Aion: The Tower of Eternity E3 2007 Preview - Aion: The Tower of Eternity was one of the highlights of our visit to NCSoft's suite at Santa Monica, CA and E3 last week. "Gorgeous" would be an understatement to describe this atypically deep and robust Korean import in development, and the Asian flavor only augments Aion mechanics unique to Aion such as flying combat. Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle shares his impressions of Aion's visuals and gameplay in our latest E3 preview. - July 18, 2007


• Tabula Rasa Hands-On Preview at E3 2007 - Although E3 may have been drab and flacid compared to years past, a shining star rose above the ranks of the other MMOGs and shone brightly. The originality and innovative gameplay of Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa made John "Boomjack" Hoskin wish he had more time with the game, but he was eventually pried away from the keyboard and has written up a terrific preview of the upcoming MMORPG. Take a look! - July 18, 2007


• E3 2007 WoW Preview: A Visit to Zul'Aman - What tricks did Blizzard have up its sleeve for World of Warcraft at E3 2007? Ethec and Shayalyn toured the upcoming 10-person raid instance of Zul'Aman with WoW's Associate Producer, Robe Foote, and learned about some of the clever dynamics that should make this raid both challenging and fun. - July 18, 2007


• Age of Conan E3 Preview - Age of Conan from the crew at Funcom was showing at E3 in Santa Monica this year, and it was too good an opportunity to miss!  Read on and see what Product Director Jørgen Tharaldsen presented in the deep, dark Eidos dungeon at the Fairmont hotel… - July 16, 2007


• LOTRO's Book 10 Previewd at E3 2007 - Ever think, "Man, my MMO gaming experience would be complete if only I could just play a chicken!"? Yeah, me either. But who can withstand the coolness of an attack named Threatening Cluck? Chicken play is among the many new features coming in the next free update of Lord of the Rings Online. Shayalyn serves up this preview direct from E3. - July 16, 2007


• The Fast and the FURYous: An E3 Preview of Fury - An extravagant presentation and numerous E3 activities drew the attention of the Ten Ton Hammer team to the Gamecock presenters area, and John "Boomjack" Hoskin was subsequently dazzled by the companies lone MMOG candidate, Fury. A combination of FPS and MMOG, Fury is fast, brutal, and not for the weak of heart. Check it out! - July 13, 2007


• Pirates of the Burning Sea E3 Video Preview - We have a Pirates of the Burning Sea update today, on-site from E3 in Santa Monica, California. CEO Russell Williams talks briefly about beta status and progress being made since Flying Lab Software's recent signing with SOE Platform Publishing, and Kevin Maginn takes us through the newly revamped Pirate town of Marsh Harbour, boarding and avatar combat, plus a new look at open sea travel and the player-optional supernatural story arc. Take a look! - July 13, 2007


• Everquest 2: Rise of Kunark E3 Preview - Scott Hartsman, Senior Producer of EverQuest II, took 15 minutes from his hectic E3 schedule to show us what SOE has planned for the game's late 2007 retail expansion, "Rise of Kunark." As the name suggests, this expansion is all about the new Sarnak race and their destiny to grow in stature and prominence on the troubled continent of Kunark. The expansion will include low level (1-20s) content for new Sarnak, as well as high level content for all players. At work and can't watch the video? We've included a text-only wrap up of our conversation with Scott too! - July 12, 2007


• A Pre-E3 Preview of Age of Conan - With October quickly approaching, barbarians everywhere are salivating over any news that comes out of the Norway-based Funcom development studio. Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle had the opportunity to get a hands-on taste of the nitty-gritty combat of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. - July 2, 2007


• Free Realms Previewed at SOE Games Day 2007 - Sony Online Entertainment has a full platter of MMOGs that are currently in the works, everything from online card games to expansions to existing products. The Ten Ton Hammer team had the opportunity to see one of those upcoming games, Free Realms, during the SOE Gamer Day in May. Garrett Fuller's preview of this family-friendly game is waiting for you inside! - June 11, 2007


• A Preview of the Agency from SOE Gamers Day 2007 - The modern day spy MMO has finally arrived via the fine folks at Sony Online Entertainment. This game was the real show-stopper at SOE Gamer Day back in May, and we can finally talk about it this month. Ten Ton Hammer's Garrett Fuller has written up an exclusive preview of the game based off his impressions from SOE Gamer Day, so go and check it out immediately! - June 11, 2007


• An In-Depth Preview of Sword of the New World: Granado Espada - The attitude in Sword of the New World: Granado Espada can be described with the phrase, "the more the merrier". The ability to control three characters at once while also killing dozens of monsters at the same time is a typical part of the SotNW experience. Cody "Micajah" Bye takes an in-depth look at Sword of the New World and outlines the inherent differences and similarities between SotNW and other MMOGs in his preview. Read on! - June 6, 2007


• Lord of the Rings Online Hands-On Preview - For this hands-on preview of LotRO, Cody "Micajah" Bye decided to jump into more of a storyteller role and give you his very first impressions as he took his initial few steps in Middle Earth. If you're looking for details on monster-play or the founder's system, look elsewhere. Here you'll find the gut feelings of a Middle Earth fan and learn just how the world looks through his eyes in the crucial first moments of his testing experience.- March 29, 2007


• 9Dragons Preview - As Acclaim's 9Dragons nears release and finishes up the last few weeks of open beta, players are flocking to the test servers in droves. Cody "Micajah" Bye visits the world of 9Dragons, spends some time with the clans, and learns just how much mouse-clicking is involved in balancing your Chi. All this and more inside the 9Dragons preview - February 27, 2007


• Myst Online: Uru Live Preview - The Myst series has no shortage of fans, and on February 15th, the latest and most ambitious of the series will launch in MMORPG form. Myst Online: Uru Live was the result of integrating Cyan Worlds' efforts in classy, cooperative, non-combative gaming with Turner's innovative Gametap service. With Gametap's 800+ games in addition to Myst Online for less than the price of a traditional MMO, it's hard to go wrong. But Myst Online stands on its own as, in many ways, a true credit to the Myst franchise. - February 12, 2007


• Archlord Preview - There are plenty of MMORPGs out on the market right now. Many of them are out shadowed by the major popularity of the current MMORPG juggernauts. This may not always be the case with the upcoming plethora of new and fresh MMORPGs. One of these upcoming MMORPGs is an Asian game by the name of ArchLord that provides something a little different then the current fare offers. - September 12, 2006

Events

• A Preview of Comic-Con 2007 - With the International San Diego Comic-Con only a day away, Cody "Micajah" Bye gives Ten Ton Hammer readers a preview of what they should expect from the Ten Ton Hammer staff and a selection of the studios that the TTH reporters will be featuring in the next few days. In short, expect wackiness, wonderment, and a load of articles to come from the warm coastal waters of San Diego in the next few days! - July 24, 2007