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newsletter, only from Ten Ton Hammer.
Server queues are trouble enough, but when we get a chance to
go to our version of Mecca, we’re hit with lines that make a
Thessala Hydra look tame in comparison. But the majority of the lines
are pointed into the various Blizzard swag shops, where items are
bought and then resold on eBay for twice their actual worth. Has
BlizzCon really become Bli$$Con? Read about this and more in today's
Loading... Bli$$Con 2009.
width="100%">
The Pulse
You vote with what you view at Ten Ton Hammer, and the
result is the Ten Ton Pulse (
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/thepulse/" target="_blank">What
is The Pulse?).
Here's today's top 5 Pulse results:
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/41"
target="_blank">World of Warcraft
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/860">Champions
Online
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/254">Aion
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/2213">Dragon
Age Origins
EverQuest
2
Biggest Movers today :
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/183"
target="_blank">
Guild
Wars 2 (UP 64 to #12)
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/2039">Jade
Dynasty (UP 6 to #17)
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/140"
target="_blank">
City
of Heroes (down 4 to #18)
Recent
MMO Releases
7/13
-
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/109">Darkfall
NA launch
7/21-
FFXI
"Moogle Kupo d'Etat" Addon (release date)
8/4 -
World
of Warcraft Update 3.2 (content patch)
Important
Dates
8/19 -
8/23 -
Gamescom
Cologne
8/21 - 8/22
-
href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blizzcon.com%2F&ei=xiVnSvL0HMKGtgfl-rGyAg&usg=AFQjCNGKwU-RZTKNzQpx97Vd3r9jBIAQRg">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 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
Lines, lines, everywhere a line. Not that last year's BlizzCon didn't
have it's own trouble with lines, but the problem is magnfied by 1/3rd
more people this year, and Blizzard might have crossed a tipping point
where the format becomes completely unwieldy. In typical game developer
fashion, rather than solving the problem outright by, say, renting out
the LA Convention Center and Staples Center, Blizzard chose to make the
problem a little more bearable by taking up the entire basement of the
Anaheim convention center (so at least the line is in dry, air
conditioned comfort, rather than the harrowing 70 degree and sunny
SoCal climate here), and apparently offering a mini-game to let people
entertain themselves in line (though I didn't actually see anyone
playing). The registration line moved admirably quickly, however, and
we left in search of other lines.
Lines for The Guild meetup in the Hilton last night, lines for
restaurants. The line to get into the convention wrapped all around the
convention center before the doors opened this morning at 10am,
inevitably creating another line to get into the Blizzard store. What's
particularly troubling to the real fans here is how much is bought just
to re-sell on Ebay. Of particular concern is the nutty little exclusive
plushies - why not put one of these in the Swag Bag rather than the
Starcraft 2 "noobz" figurine that most of us didn't really want? The
problem isn't limited to the store, either. Someone mentioned that
Summit ticket packages, those reeserved for prominent guild leaders and
fansites, were going for $5k on eBay just before the event.
The rest of the swag bag was fairly disappointing too, leading to
grumbles about how Blizzard had hiked the ticket price and cut back
hugely on many of the big reasons to attend, namely with the DirectTV
and Internet streaming video and the disappointing swag. BlizzCon seems
to be becoming Bli$$Con in more ways than one. Even this year's
lanyards are bits of silvery tight-wound giftwrap ribbon that seem
likely to pop and send your badge flying should you snag it in a crowd.
But gamers are nothing if not good at complaining. One big,
unexpected announcement would redress a hundred wrongs. Will BlizzCon's
true cataclysm be nothing but Cataclysm? We'll find out in a few hours,
so keep it tuned to Ten Ton Hammer and
href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=45605"
target="_blank">join the crowd in the
forums or email
me.
5 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 60 in August!
920 in
2009!
New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/72996">
Exclusive
Aion Screenshots - The Cleric
Aion's final closed beta event wrapped up this past
weekend, but that doesn't mean Ten Ton Hammer is going to leave you
hanging out in the cold is you wait for the next stage in development.
This set of exclusive screenshots focus on the Cleric class in all
their glory.
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/73023">Age of Conan a
Year Later - Part Three
Age of Conan has changed and grown a lot in the last
year and Ten Ton
Hammer dove back in game to see how these changes effected the game and
community. We've covered technical improvements, server population, and
gems in our first article. In the second, we touched upon combat,
questing, and PvP gameplay. Now, we take a look at what could be the
most important aspects of the game; classes, itemization, and crafting.
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/73049">Aion Spell
Lists: The Mage, Priest, and Scout
The path to Ascension is fraught with danger at
every turn. Only strength of will and an intimate knowledge of your
abilities will allow you to complete the journey intact. In an effort
to stave off defeat, Dalmarus has scribed the secrets of three
archetype classes to aid you in your quest for immortality.
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/73022">
World
of Warcraft -
style="font-weight: bold;"
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/73022">Mage Changes
in 3.2.2
Patch 3.2.2 is coming soon to World of
Warcraft and
it's bringing Onyxia back and some changes to many of the classes,
including the Mage. David "Xerin" Piner looks over the changes coming
to Arcane in patch 3.2.2 for the Mage. Don't be shocked by these
changes when they hit. Check our guide to the changes in 3.2.2 for the
Mage.
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/72961">World of
Warcraft - Paladin Upgrades from Call of the Crusade
The latest content patch for World of Warcraft, the
Call of the
Crusade, has brought more than 200 choices in gear for Paladins, and
that is just the Plate armor! With so many options, where can you turn?
Look no further friends. Today you are in luck as Medeor breaks down
the best gear available for both fresh level 80s to those wanting to be
"raid-ready."
Giveaways:
Runes
of Magic Item Giveaway
Hottest Content:
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/72961">World of
Warcraft
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/72961"> - Paladin
Upgrades from Call of the Crusade
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/73023">Age of Conan
target="_blank" href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/73023">
a
Year Later - Part Three
The
End of a Dragon in Dragon Age: Origins
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/72956">Guild Wars 2
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/72956"> Concept Art
Revealed
The
Consequences of True Choice – A Look at Decisions in Dragon
Age: Origins
Exclusive
Video Q&A - SOE's John Smedley
Talks Better Support for Guilds
Video
- Richard Garriott on Space Travel and
More from The Syndicate World Conference 2009
Guild
Wars - Rediscovering Tyria
Star
Trek Online Closed Beta to Begin in October?
Champions
Online: Exclusive Interview on Sidekicks, Super Groups,
and Supervillains
Real World News
href="http://www.wcpo.com/content/news/saywhat/story/Naked-Plane-Passenger-Arrested/4WuB0Icy3UqPDyKL_vbUaw.cspx"
target="_blank">Naked plane passenger arrested
Now that he is safely
in custody, authorities are unsure as to how they will properly
de-brief everyone involved.
href="http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/offbeat-news/scientists-create-lesbian-worms/381"
target="_blank">Scientists create lesbian worms
How they got combat
boots and little plaid jumberjack shirts on them, we may never know.
href="http://www.wbbm780.com/Woman-who-tried-to-kill-husband-three-times-gets-3/5054867"
target="_blank">Woman who tried to kill husband three times
gets 33 years
If she can't get it
right with THAT much time given to her, she might as well give up.
Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!
-Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle and the Ten Ton Hammer team