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

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).

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More new content across the network today. The Pepto-Bismol enemas and brain-washing seem to be working. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. I'll be handing over the reins to Ethec for Saturday and Sunday. The guy just never sleeps. He's a monster!
What's new on the network.

• Meta Search Tool Gets Some Fixin', just like Mojo Nixon - Pirkle, Lee
• High Level Heritage Quests Guide EQ2 - by Okooo
• Right Off The Isle - EQ2 Newbie Guide - by Ethec
• Lunch of the Rings - LotRO fans get lunch on us - BlindHarper

What was recently recent, or what we still want you to see...you decide.

• Shroud of Anonymity in MMOGs - An Op/Ed by yours truly
• The Importance of Flag Running - Guild Wars Guide
• DDO IRC Channel - Chat with the TTH team about DDO
• Relive Your EQ1 Glory - A look back, Ethec style.
• Vanguard Fan Fiction - Chapter 3 - by Nu Akii Kuraii

Now on to the real world. You can't make this stuff up.

• Monks Run Out Of World's Best Beer
  
  Toga outfits now make so much more sense.
• Jerk-O-Meter For Phones Developed at MIT
  
  Cancer still not cured.
• Coyotes Invade Residential Neighbourhoods
  
  Roadrunner seen leaving the city. Giant Acme catapult appears on local hill.
• Video Game Toilets
  
  Because a day without a poop story, is like a day without porcelain.
• Perseid Meteor Shower to Peak on August 12th
  
  Date for Mickey Rourke shower still not set.
• Scientists Untagle Inca Number Strings
  
  Next on the list, figuring out those pesky cats in the cradle problems.
• Web Entrepreneur Banks on Bum-Vertising
  
  We so wished this was an Angelina Jolie story, but the homeless will have to do.
• Scientists See Chernobyl As Successful Wildlife Preserve
  
  By successful they deadly.
• Da Vinci Code Movie To Placate Catholics
  
  Prostitution, Opus Dei, Sex Rituals...what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas we say.