Loading... Cryptic Sunny Side Up on Poaching Incident

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The Pulse

You vote with what you view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the result is the Ten Ton Pulse (What is Pulse?).

Here's today's top 5 Pulse results for today:

Biggest Movers in the Top 20 today :

Lego Universe (UP 46!! to #13)
Bounty Bay Online (UP 11 to #6)
Darkfall (down 6 to #19)

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Loading... unloading the best and worst of MMO news daily.

Early yesterday one of our devoted newshounds emailed me a thread on F13.net which related the details of an apparent scheme by Cryptic Studios staff to fish targetted Champions Online beta players from City of Heroes / City of Villains using official forum PMs. Before I go any further, you obviously want the most vocal top gamers from competing games playing your beta, that's a given. It's widely known that Blizzard lured beta EverQuest 2 players into playing WoW beta, but through non-official channels (guild sites, community affiliates, etc.). This is a legitimate marketing aim. But even among media sites like Ten Ton Hammer and our competitors, there are unspoken rules (call it professionalism) that should forbid you from using a competitor's community tools (i.e. forums) for your benefit. As the F13 OP wrote, it's not just about being genteel or honorable either - you don't want to have to deal with someone doing the same to you.

In any case, I didn't let our team out the news because f13 isn't exactly a creditable source - born of jaded types who get their jollies smearing games - and I wanted more proof. In retrospect, we should have called Cryptic then and there for comment. Had I done so, as Wired did, we would have received a sort of "What's it to ya?" explanation from Ivan Sulic:

"So, we're currently running the closed beta test for Champions Online and a few of our employees thought it might be a good idea to contact avid MMO notables and various guild leaders floating about to see if they wanted to test. I'm certain this wasn't meant to be a malicious attack on a competing product, nor did anyone intend to steal players, violate user agreements, kill babies, or knife hardworking farmers in the back."

Not a good time for hyperbole, and I agree with Scott Jennings - this isn't much of an apology. Though in Sulic's defense (as I'm fairly positive he's not having a good day today) he did continue on to this less quoted semblance of a mia culpa: "We'll make sure to stay straight as an arrow from here on. Shills, poaching, bullshotting... No chance, man." Cowabunga, dude. Despite Wired's reputation as being affable, fair, and well-written, rule #1 for PR types: the media is not your friend. Be careful how you chat us up, especially when ethics problems are on the table. I recognize the charismatic posturing, but today I'd be writing your praises if you'd just said, "We effed up, we've apologized to NCSoft and we're apologizing to our loyal fans - good idea, terrible execution."

Maybe I'm making too much of this - a few friends I spoke with didn't seem to see anything wrong with what Cryptic did, especially in light of the history and tangled relationship between Cryptic and NCSoft. I still tend to view it as casual incompetence creeping into games marketing (I've talked about it before) at a time when we - gamers, developers, the economy - could really use a well marketed, high quality MMO.

Yet, not to wax too political, but maybe lack of professionalism and serious discussion of is the spirit of the age. If our president can chat up his NCAA bracket picks on ESPN and make light of the Special Olympics on Leno while the Treasury Department has dozens of vacant positions and the Fed is printing $1 Trillion out of thin air with zero public review or discussion, maybe it's time we stop taking everything so seriously and at least have a few postmodernist giggles.

Happy weekend, nonetheless. Agree or disagree with Cryptic's actions and their tone following the fireworks? Share your opinion in the Loading... forum, or toss me an email.

Shayalyn's Epic Thread of the Day

From our Articles, News & Events Discussion Forum

EverQuest III - The Return of the King

If
you've been playing MMOGs for a while, there's a fair chance that
EverQuest was the game that took your virginity. Many of us have fond
memories of wandering the wilds of Norrath and facing death penalties,
corpse runs, and raids that truly filled us with an exciting mixture of
anticipation and fear. Then EverQuest II came along, and while the game
came complete with some amazing bells and whistles many believe it
failed to match the spirit of its predecessor (although it's still as
solid a game as any).

Eric "Dalmarus" Campbell pondered the possibility of an EverQuest III in his latest editorial.
Could SOE pull it off? he wondered. And, perhaps more to the point,
should they even try? What challenges would an EQ3 face? What could we
hope that its developers have learned from the last two games?

Our thread discussing Eric's editorial has sparked some interesting conversation. Drop by our forum and tell us what you'd expect from another incarnation of EverQuest.

==============================
Epic Quote from the Epic Thread

"Thanks
for the read Dalmarus. I had to post and tell you of one of the
greatest MMO experiences I ever had. It happened in Kithicor. I was a
level 7 or so ranger out to get my short sword of Morin. I had to go
into Kithicor as part of the quest. I was so scared my mouse hand was
actually shaking. Now, that is immersion! I have never forgotten this,
so I strongly agree with you that it would be great to capture that
type of feeling again."

- delfina
==============================

Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? Tell us!

5 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 82 in March! 342 in 2009!

New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today [Thanks Phil Comeau for links and Real World News]

Loading... Live #9 - 38 Studios Dev Chat w/ Curt Schilling, Steve Danuser
For our ninth Loading... Live vooncast and fourth dev chat, we're joined by Curt Schilling and Steve Danuser of 38 Studios, currently deep in development on their super-secret MMORPG project with the working title of Copernicus.
While they weren't able to discuss their MMO in particular, Curt and Steve had a number of insights about the MMO industry in general, from working with a new IP compared to an established license, to PvP and storytelling, to a surprisingly simply answer to what made WoW such a success, to Curt's interest in hex gaming and why the success of Copernicus would be good news for war gamers everywhere.
Exclusive Earthrise Update Interview

Over the last few months, MMOs that focus on player versus player combat have really risen to the forefront of gamers’ imaginations. It seems like everyone in the world these days is interested in going one-on-one with their friend and blowing them to minuscule bits. One of those PvP-based titles on the horizon is Earthrise, a sci-fi MMO that features everything from big guns to cyber-enhanced psionics. Ten Ton Hammer recently sat down with the Earthrise team, and we discussed everything from the current state of the game to the closure of Tabula Rasa.
Can Players Build the Future of City of Heroes?

The world of City of Heroes is extensive but even the most talented developers in the world can only generate content so quickly. Now in testing is a system to allow players to generate their own missions bringing community involvement to a new level. Will this revitalize the game or could it spell disaster? We let you know just inside.
World of Warcraft: Selecting Talents for the Rogue

This week at Ten Ton Hammer we are looking at World of Warcraft talent specs and updating them with a level-by-level suggestion for each class and each build on where to spend your talent points. No fuss, no muss. Quick and easy charts are being put into all of our talent guides to help you spec with confidence. It's Jeff Francis' turn with the Rogue Talent Specs.
Goob & Begud: "Foreshadowing"

Ten Ton Hammer's weekly World of Warcraft webcomic is here with a mention of things to come. Goob & Begud, along with Bartle, are almost home free. But of course... things don't always go as planned. Impending doom approaches!
Warhammer Online: Slayer Career Mastery List

If you've been playing Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning lately, then you've noticed a sea of swarming red mohawks almost where ever you go. The Slayer is everywhere, and while some may equate the furious chord crunching of the speed metal band who bears the same name to the way those little shirtless mohawk sporting Dwarves rush off in to battle, not every Slayer in WAR is the same. What makes them different? Career Mastery paths of course! You can check out what paths you may want to take to make your Slayer unique with Ten Ton Hammer's Slayer Career Mastery List!

Hot Content - Or, what I took a fancy to:

Real World News

Man who plucked out his only eyeball and ate it at his death sentence hearing deemed 'sane' to be executed

It was a split decision, but the eyes have it.
Boy suspended from school bus for passing gas

When asked how he managed to cause such a disturbance, he said “it’s more fart than science, really.”
Naked teen walking dog assaults woman

Claims that she was staring at his weimaraner eyes looked kinda crazy.

Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!

-Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle and the Ten Ton Hammer team

To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Champions Online Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

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