Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

The game launched August 25th, and if player population is any indication, it has not been picked up as well as it could have been. You’ll quickly notice this yourself if you log in from day to day, noticing that the player population on the one or two servers listed at entry seem to always say “Low Population.” You’ll also soon recognize that the players you are playing with tend to be the same players as the day, or week before. Opinions aside, what this tells me is that this game has not yet taken off. Perhaps it’s due to the harsh experience of the first-time player, or perhaps it’s due to a proportionately new market segment.

Vogster Entertainment acknowledges that breaking into a market that has yet to be explored has its challenges. Casey Dickinson, Senior Marketing Manager elaborates.  “We knew that this was going to be a game where value propositions were going to be tough. It’s going to be tough to get people that are used to playing shooters for free to pay for a box, and then pay for a sub. We knew that was going to be a hurdle. So we’re addressing a lot of that stuff.”

The team of 75 is entering the first stage of their plan this month to increase the value of the game. October will see the first content update and there are several changes and additions planned, not the least of which is a change to the subscription model. This new plan allows anyone to try the game and play it as long as they like, free. A varied subscription plan is also now available for $4.99 a month, in addition to a premium plan, which runs at $9.99 per month. The difference between the three plans affects which content can be accessed, how many skills a player can bring with them into a fight, the level of customization available, and the rate at which experience is earned. There are also advantages to buying the box as opposed to the free download, and that equates to an included three month premium subscription and a hoard of exclusive in-game items.

Further to an optional subscription, players can opt to buy gold bars, which are used as the game’s microtransaction currency. With gold bars, more customization options are open, including different outfits and accessories, hair styles, and colors. All services available through microtransactions are purely cosmetic, and will not affect the player’s potency in the game. As an example, if you find a cowboy hat that drops from one of the missions and has great stats, but you prefer the look of your baseball cap, for about 25 cents you can have the baseball cap take on the stats of the cowboy hat.

As for the rest of the planned content updates, soon players will see an in game newspaper called the Sunrise City Times. This paper will include gang achievements and player-generated content. Want to try your hand at being a reporter or a writer? Now’s your chance!


Several new NPCs are coming to the game as well, including celebrated former UFC lightweight champion, Jens Pulver. “Lil Evil” will be added into the game later this year as a mission and job NPC. Additionally a Municipality Overseer will be added to communicate more of the game’s story, which takes place after an ecological disaster, forcing cities to build walls to keep some semblance of order.

Gang hideouts will be expanded. Gangs can currently level up, making more amenities available for their hideout, and this will be fleshed out even more in upcoming content releases. Keep a lookout for bigger, better cribs to hang out in with the rest of your gang. Gang webspace is currently available, and gang forums are being looked at to be added in the future.

Loot will be added to riot mode gameplay. Vogster analyzed that riots haven’t been getting much attention from the players, so in an effort to make them more appealing, they will become the only PvP-type match where loot can drop.

There is no doubt, to me, about the enthusiasm and passion behind CrimeCraft. These guys love their game. You can feel this when you play too, with some seriously cool skills and weapons. Apart from the brutal new player experience, which again can be remedied simply enough with a more intuitive tutorial, the only thing missing from the game to make it an immediate contender is a healthy population.

Give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose when the free trial opens up. And if I’m wrong, you can take a number to shoot me in the face.