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

As with many holidays, we tend to lose sight of the true meaning of Thanksgiving: a time to come together with friends and family to reflect on and celebrate all of life’s blessings and to give thanks for whatever good fortune we have. As gamers it is easy to fall into a trap of negativity and disillusion, but the past year and the promise of things to come in 2010 should give even the most jaded of gamers reason to celebrate. Join me this week as I take a look at my top five reasons to be thankful, gamer style.

5. Technology

While the recession has been brutal to many sectors of the economy, it has been a blessing in disguise for gamers fortunate enough to stay gainfully employed. Prices for everything tech related have plummeted--from consoles to PC upgrades this has been a great year to upgrade to the latest and greatest without emptying your bank account. All three console manufacturers have significantly reduced the cost of their machines with the PS3 cutting the fattest chunk off its original price. PC users have equal reason to get excited as everything has dropped in cost, other than RAM prices which continue to fluctuate more than Kirstie Alleys weight. Video cards and monitors in particular are great buys. Look for some insane deals on Black Friday as retailers look to drum up business. Their loss is your gaming goodness gain.

4. Free-to-Play MMOGs

No, not Frito-Lays, free-to-plays, although chips are also a large part of gamer happiness. This year has seen the launch of some quality free-to-play imports that have elevated the sub genre from relative obscurity to a legitimate force in the MMOG world.  Leading the charge has been Runes of Magic, a F2P so compelling that it makes many pay-to-play games look like the cheap imitators that RMT style games were once perceived as. While most of the games are of the fantasy variety the scope is beginning to broaden to include everything from old west shooters to massive versions of reaction-based dance games (link to bens article). As micro-transaction models continue to gain mainstream acceptance they show the AAA title developers that broader markets exist and give rise to the possibility that the big boys may green light games outside of their usual comfort zones. The success of RMT has also made possible our next category….

3. Free At Last – Major Games Drop Subscriptions

What do you do when your game stagnates and subscription numbers dwindle? The old business model was to simply pull the plug and walk away, but 2009 saw a new way to tackle this problem: make your once AAA title free-to-play and reap the rewards. While this isn’t a completely original idea (Anarchy Online was among the first to go this route), the implementation is new. What once meant putting a game into “maintenance mode” and selling in-game advertisements has been replaced by adding a micro-transaction store or selling premium content to players who desire it. Leading the charge into this paradigm shift has been Turbine with Dungeons and Dragons Online, now known as Dungeons and Dragons Unlimited. DDOU’s free-to-play model has created massive new interest in the game. The renewed commitment from its developer, Turbine, has enticed gamers to open their wallets with the assurance that the re-release isn’t merely a money grab, but a legit desire to keep the game going and growing. I hope the folks at EA are listening, Warhammer deserves better than the whack job it’s most likely going to receive now that Mythic has been gutted. (Ok, off the soapbox and back to the giving of thanks!)

2. Space and Sci-Fi MMOGs

Two major titles, headed our way next year, look to finally establish space and sci-fi games on the mainstream MMO scene. While EVE Online certainly gives its fans plenty of reason to be joyful, lets face it, it lacks the mass appeal and accessibility that the current gaming market expects and demands. Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Trek Online both have the makings of great games and the big time backing to get the job done. I was lucky enough to get invited to LucasArts HQ in San Francisco this month for a little hands on time with SWTOR and while I can’t get into any real specifics, I can tell you that this is going to be a fantastic game that everyone from diehard fanboys to casual gamers will be able to sink their teeth into. The glut of fantasy games on the market makes them hard to tell apart these days, so the thought of having not one but two great sci-fi games to play is enough to me downright giddy.

1. Other Gamers

That’s right folks, the top reason for gamers to be thankful this year is other gamers. In the age of solo-friendly titles it is sometimes easy to overlook what makes our brand of gaming so special and interesting: the fact that we get to do it with our peers in a big ol’ virtual sandbox.

As gaming grows in popularity, online gaming leads the segment in total growth with the number of players increasing every day. What was once a niche community of rich nerdy kids (my first PC was almost four grand; I think I’m still paying it off) has grown into a diverse group that now includes every creed and color and, thankfully, the fairer sex. This diversity allows us to make some great new friends, gain insights into other cultures and perspectives and, most importantly, keeps the developers and game companies focused on creating great games to keep the community growing and the cash flowing. The relationships forged in online games range from casual friendships to real life marriages and everything in between. As we enter the second decade of this virtual adventure it has become clear that these bonds are not ephemeral and fleeting, but lifelong and meaningful and truly one of the best parts of being an online gamer.


Our reasons for giving thanks are as diverse as our community, so as we gather around our virtual tables this year please join me in sharing what it is that you have to be thankful for both in game and post it here for all to see. Until next week, be safe and have in your favorite games, and please, don’t trample each other trying to get to those Black Friday bargains.