Loading... Fan Events and Other Cataclysms

Tags: in

Posted Tue, Aug 11, 2009 by Ethec

Welcome to the 1,141st Edition of Loading...

Loading... is the premier daily MMORPG news and commentary newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.

Details and speculation about what exactly Blizzard has in store for us next week at BlizzCon 2009 are starting to emerge, so we'll do a little detailing and speculating of our own in today's newsletter. If we know most of what we'll find out at these fan events beforehand (and, odds are, we'd know more of what's going on if we were simply sitting at home with a DirectTV or streaming Internet feed from the event) why do we go? Is it the atmosphere? The connections we make with people that enjoy the same hobby we do? Thoughts on fan events in today's Loading... Fan Events and Other Cataclysms.

Jay "Medeor" Johnson's weekly WoW newsletter "The Overpull" comes out every Tuesday and keeps you entertained and informed on all the latest developments in WoW. Today's issue takes patch 3.2 to task and looks ahead to BlizzCon 2009. Sign up to receive "The Overpull" regularly in your in your inbox!

The Pulse

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

Here's today's top 5 Pulse results:

Biggest Movers today :

Global Agenda (UP 16 to #15)
Jumpgate Evolution (UP 15 to #8)
EverQuest (UP 9 to #7)

Recent MMO Releases

7/7 - Darkfall Player Housing Expansion
7/13 - Darkfall NA launch
7/21- FFXI "Moogle Kupo d'Etat" Addon (release date)

Important Dates

8/19 - 8/23 - Gamescom Cologne
8/21 - 8/22 - BlizzCon '09
9/4 - 9/6 - Penny Arcade Expo (PAX)
9/15 - 9/18 - GDC Austin

Upcoming Releases

8/25 - CrimeCraft (release date)
9/1 - Champions Online (release date)
9/9 - Dungeons & Dragons Online Eberron Unlimited (release date)
9/9 - Fallen Earth (release date)
9/22 - Aion (release date)
10/9 - Cities XL (release date)
Early 2010 - APB

Loading... Daily

Let me tell you something that you probably know: studio-driven events like SOE Fan Faire or EVE Fan Fest or BlizzCon aren't just the corporate equivalent of a debutante ball. If it weren't about quality entertainment instead of (or in addition to) shameless hawking, these events probably wouldn't last past their first year. But SOE just completed its seventh Fan Faire, CCP will host its sixth Fan Fest this October, and BlizzCon, the youngest of the venerable group, will see its fourth iteration at the end of next week.

Each of the events has it's own strange sense of etiquette. For example, at EVE Fan Fest you'll probably introduce yourself by character and alliance, at BlizzCon conversations tend to start with what server you play on. I've never been to SOE Fan Faire despite my wishes and intentions, but since SOE has such a number of games under its belt I imagine that The hype is fun, if kept in context, but the connection to other fans is better. Here's hoping you're able to attend a fan event or con at some point in your gaming run, it's well worth the pilgrimage.

In the "quality entertainment" column, Blizzard announced that Ozzy Osbourne will be going off the rails of the BlizzCon crazy train this year. Will Sharon will be playing the part of Lady Sylvanas? Will Kelly get her Thrall on? Probably not, but we can always dream the big dream together. As for what else we might see at BlizzCon, I can't put it any better than Jay "Medeor" Johnson, who had this to say in today's Overpull regarding the Cataclysm leaks that have started to appear:

When all else fails, slap a new coat of paint on it and ship it. New furries and greenies will be heading our way apparently. Recently leaked and highly speculated news shows the Worgen becoming a playable race for Alliance and Goblins switch-hitting and going to the Horde. Amongst my playing buddies we file news under good, bad and meh. New races fall somewhere between meh and bad. I have too many of each class now (for instance I have multiple end game Paladins and Shaman, do I really want to level a Worgen Shaman?). I keep track of friends who have left the game and call them with this kind of news to see if it inspires them to return. According to my buddy Aslow, a new race makes him want to stay away from the game even more. A new class on the other hand might bring him out of retirement. I couldn't agree more. I know the cinematic will be cool and we'll all get a full dose of Coolaid at Blizzcon, but this expansion needs a lot more lipstick.

I appreciate the fact that Blizzard seems to hold nothing as sacred, and all parts of the game are up for review and revision. I feel like the game is ambling along in random directions though. Major class changes are now routine, historical sacred cows are slaughtered at every patch (see the parts about transferring from PvE to PvP servers from the last major patch and now being able to have characters of both factions on PvP servers). I will have my account(s) into the foreseeable future, but I have to admit even I feel some cracking in my rock-steady support.

The discussion about WoW's recently released patch 3.2, new races that probably are, and new classes that should have been continues on in the WoW forums.

Patch 3.2 and Cataclysm aside, what drives you to attend fan events and conventions? Is it the hype, the expansions, and in general the Kool-Aid drinking? Should we cover these events as press types, reporting the facts and figures without bias, or as fans, inserting plenty of color commentary and player opinion? Your thoughts and opinions are always welcome in the Loading... forum, or feel free to email me.

Shayalyn's Epic Thread of the Day

From our Tavern of the Ten Ton Hammer forum

N00b boyfriend!

Viral video alert!

The N00b Boyfriend video from CollegeHumor.com started making the rounds among my dev and gamer Facebook friends today. If you haven't seen it yet, I think you likely will soon. Might as well get the jump on this gaming-related video while it's still fresh. (Bonus: this particular video is safe for work.)

Yes, I'm going to make you visit our forums for the link. I'm a PR chick and that's how I roll. While you're there, leave a comment, if only to tell me I'm cruel for not posting the link in Loading....

==============================
Awesome Quotes from the Epic Thread

"I admit I had a mean grin on my face as I saw this.

- Kralle
==============================

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

5 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 36 in August! 896 in 2009!

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

Aion Beta Key Giveaway for Closed Test #6
Over the last few months, the anticipation concerning Aion has exponentially grown. Players are practically falling over themselves to get into this fantasy-based title, and most of the excitement derives itself from a simple - yet completely game changing - new feature. Flight! Thankfully, the freedom of flight is a simple mouse click away. That's right Ten Ton Hammer readers, the staff has gotten ahold of hundreds of Aion closed beta test keys for you to use! As always, we've reserved a few hundred of these keys for our premium members along with our normal allotment of public keys. These keys are good for the North American version of the game only, but if you're interested in jumping into Aion for this weekend's upcoming beta test, we've got the keys for you!
Champions Online Travel Powers Video
Today we were able to sneak out some video of all of the different travel powers in game. That's right, one video with all 13 travel powers from the game. So kick back relax and get ready to see all the marvels of travel Champions Online promises.
Lost in Translation? A Guide to Asian-based MMOGs
The wildfire of MMO popularity that swept through the North American market in 2004 had been burning brightly for years in the Asian markets. The launch of World of Warcraft that brought massive multiplayer to the masses here also did the same throughout Asia. It wasn't the first western game to gain market penetration in those areas, but it definelty was the biggest. Now a game looms on the horizon that looks to do the same but only in reverse.
World of Warcraft: Patch 3.2 - The Mighty Winds of Change
Patch 3.2 went live this week, and with it come a host of new changes. There are some very interesting additions and revisions among the lengthy list of game modifications. This week we will explore the changes in depth to speculate what effect they will have on WoW long term.
Zeroes - "Firecracker and the Urinator"
Champions Online is based entirely off of superheroes. The big, the bad, and the bold all share Millennium City as their home. But what about the less than average caped crusaders? Who will tell their story? This week, Bill Murphy introduces you to Firecracker and her faithful mutt The Urinator!

Hottest Content:

Real World News

Man blames child porn on cat
Both to be brought up shortly on charges of possession of kitty porn.
Woman tricked into changing healthy man's diapers for three months
When asked if she'd ever answer another Craigslist ad ever again, she said, "It Depends."
Homeless man guilty of smash-and-grab theft
Judge sentences him to 90 days house arrest.

Seen news you think I can mangle into a vaguely amusing snippet of text? Send it to me.

Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!

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