MMO news, guides, reviews, features, interviews and more at Ten Ton Hammer

The PC Version Is Still Making Too Much Money To Go Free-Box!

Light server loads on EQ's Mac-Only server have driven SOE to throw Mac gamers a bone: a free, downloadable client. Though Mac expansions only run through "Planes of Power," EQ's 4th of 10 expansions, this move seems to ensure the Mac project's continued life for the short term.

However, this isn't surprising to anyone who's played EQ Mac. The one server (Al'Kabor) was always more lightly populated than their PC cousins. The latest community manager even became more a fixture at a fan-based forum than the official ones, in a move eerily evocative of what became of EA's official support for Ultima Online.

Read more about Everquest free for Mac Users!

Economy Tanked, "Exchange" Skanked, H@ckz0rz Laugh All the Way to the Bank

Cnet reports that virtual coin "dupers" have hit Everquest 2's nascent Station Exchange program, causing 20% inflation in the 24 hours before they were caught. These hackers attempted to sell their plat for real-world money using the SOE out-of-game marketplace.

SOE proclaims its security mechanisms worked well to quickly catch the threat, though players on all EQ2 servers saw the player market grind to a halt for 48+ hours.

Sony claims that a group of hackers illegally created a huge amount of EverQuest II currency over the weekend, and it says the players caused the game's economy to suffer 20 percent inflation in just 24 hours before being caught.

According to Chris Kramer, director of public relations for EQ2 publisher Sony Online Entertainment, the players had, on Saturday, begun using their so-called "duping bug" to make large quantities of platinum, the game's currency. (A duping bug is a hack that exploits a weakness in online games' code to effectively create counterfeit currency or other goods.)

A gnomish replicator, numerous dyes, and a stamping machine were seized in raids late Friday and GMs lead the perpetrators (faces concealed by unfolded newspapers) away for the sentencing phase.

Anyway, read more facts about the Everquest 2 hacks here!

SOE Takes the Red Pill

Players have questions regarding Sony Online Entertainment's takeover of The Matrix Online, and SOE has some hard-to-swallow answers. MxO players can, however, look forward to 30 days of free play.

When will the transition from WBIE to SOE take place?
The transition is scheduled to occur on August 15, 2005. When you attempt to log in to the game on or following the scheduled August 15th transition date you will be notified that MxO is moving to SOE's Station platform. The notification window will carry a link to the Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) Station web site at which you will be offered the opportunity to create a new Station account.

In order to continue to play MxO as of this date, you will need to register with SOE by creating a Station account, submitting billing and other subscriber information, and agreeing to SOE's End User License Agreement, Terms of Service, and other rules and policies. You will only need to complete this full process of re-registration once.

Read more about The Matrix Online and the SOE Takeover here !

Minotaurs Ain't All Bad...

DDO Stormreach is out with another monster profile, this time examining the role that minotaurs will play. Apparently they're not all bullies ("bull"-ies? get it?).

Once the tormented slaves and beasts of burden of an ancient giant empire, today the minotaur of Xen'drik is a fearsome creature that stands a full foot or two over the typical inhabitant of Stormreach. These bullheaded shaggy humanoids aren't all completely devoted to evil - some of them have been seen peddling goods inside the city. In this they are no different than the common avaricious dwarf - though perhaps a bit more appealing to look at. Outside of the settled regions, minotaurs are almost completely devoted to violence and a militant defense of their territory. Venturing into such dangerous territory is exactly the sort of peril that brings an adventurer fame and fortune.

The complete monster profile at the DDO official site (free registration required).