Loading... E3 2009 Day One

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We have the lowdown from the first day of E3 2009 including
new previews of Star Wars: The Old Republic, DC Universe Online,
Jumpgate Evolution, and much more live from the show floor in today's
Loading... E3 2009: Day One!

It's
all geek to me is the lighter side of Ten Ton Hammer,
offering Coyote's humorous take on all things geek in one daily column.
Today's topic: Left
4 Dead 2? (Send more paramedics)

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 Pulse?).

Here's today's top 5 Pulse results for today:

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/41"
target="_blank">World of Warcraft href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/115">Age of
Conan (UP 2) href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/117">EverQuest
2 (down 1) Champions
Online (down 1) href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/254">Aion
(UP 3 to #5)

(See more

Biggest Movers in the Top 20 today :

Earthrise
(UP 31 to #13 href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/68412"> size="-1">) Darkfall
(UP 6 to #18) Tabula
Rasa (UP 6 to #19) Recent MMO
Releases 5/15
- href="http://www.eveonline.com/updates/patchnotes.asp?patchlogID=187">EVE
Online Apocrypha 1.2 (patch) 5/19
- Warrior
Epic (launch date) 5/19
- href="http://vgplayers.station.sony.com/newsArchive.vm?id=888&section=News">Vanguard
"Halls of Pantheon" (content patch) size="-1">5/28
- Dragonica
(CBT key giveaway) Upcoming
Releases 8/25
- CrimeCraft
(release date) 9/1 -
Champions
Online (release date) Early 2010
- APB ??
- Jumpgate
Evolution (release date) Important
Dates 6/2 - 6/4
- E3 2009

Loading... Daily

Ah, the craziness of E3. One example of how E3 works: Square
Enix has a super secret press conference scheduled where they
would shock and amaze those lucky few who booked to attend. Final
Fantasy XIV seems very likely to be the super secret (see the epic
thread below), but clever E3 goers might have noticed gargantuan anime
figures on three banners literally the size of multi-story buildings
outside the event boldy proclaiming the existance of Final Fantasy XIV.
And you, constant reader, knew about its MMO-side before we did, simply
because it's one of those announcements without a lot of floor presence
this go round.

But enough on that, here's what we do know, in brief reader's
digest condensed form since we're about ready to run out the door and
do it all over again:

DC Universe Online and the Agency have come a very, very long
way from even just a few months ago. The graphics and animations for
DCUO didn't stutter in the least as Jens Andersen demoed a Solomon
Grundy encounter for us (video tonight) and the likes of Wonder Woman
and Green Hornet showed up to stifle our villainous looting of Grundy's
genetic material for Lex Luthor. The SOE team has the feel of their
game down and knows how to polish. Now it seems to be just a matter of
cranking content and playtesting and this game might turn even the most
die-hard Marvel fan into a DC dabbler.

The Agency was likewise looking very good. Kevin O'Hara ran a
mission in which we sneaked into a swanky soiree somewhere in the Alps.
There was a bonus for using stealth means such as a blowgun to get past
the guards, but if you wanted, you could just run and gun. Once inside,
you put on your evening dress or tux and work in tandems to distract
the guards while your partner snaps photos of the security measures.
You can go it alone too, but one bonus area is heavily watched by
guards. O'Hara noted that it was important for them to let you solo the
game if you wanted to, but they wanted to provide plenty of interesting
hooks to get you to group up. The Agency had a lot of polish in the
areas we saw too, from the out of focus look when your camera zooms, to
English-tailored spy gear (if you saw it, you'd say the same), to the
overall feel that SOE has another standout must-play MMO on their hands.

From there it was over to a closed door showing of Star Wars:
The Old Republic. Gordon Walton says this game requires more content
than all the previous Bioware games combined, and we believe him now
that we see how the impactful choices that you make branch gameplay in
an impressively huge way. The Smuggler class reveal, the impact of a
new cover mechanic and the surprising way that having a fully
voiced-over game increases the immersion rather than slowing down the
gameplay were just a few of the highpoints you can find in our href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/69111">E3 2009 SW:TOR
Preview and be sure to check out the href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/69099">trailer
too.

Huxley: The Dystopia offered a nice little break, sort of a
MMOFPS where if you don't use skills like invisibility and setting a
decoy, you're toast (this is no run and gun game). Closed beta starts
today. NHN was showing AVA (Alliance of Valiant Arms) for the first
time - a modern day, Battlefield 2010 with more MMO tendancies sort of
game. We'll have a full report on these two games shortly.

Finally, Jumpgate Evolution. Indoor combat in a space combat
MMO? You betcha. Scott "Scorch" Brown demoed "The Descent" a
capture-the-flag style PvP map which occurs inside a twisting,
transluncent arena. As for the lore behind it, the three factions
created this area to serve as a place to prove their combat
superiority. It works in JGE because this is very much a skill-based
game, and only the best pilots can thrive in this kind of map without
bouncing out of control off the walls to become easy prey for a PvP
opponent. Different vessels have different tactics; Scott noted that
heavy fighters cling to the walls to cover their backs, and
demonstrated that you can turn off the "dampeners" (the helpful way
slow down or not oversteer in a frictionless environment) to execute
brilliant maneuvers like hairpin turns. That and achievements will be
the focal points of the video when I can post it later on today.

Discuss what you've see so far in the href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=43331">Loading...
forum, or as usual, feel free to href="mailto:ethec@tentonhammer.com">email me.

style="font-weight: bold;">Shayalyn's Epic Thread of the Day

From our href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6">Articles,
News and Events Discussion

Sony
Announces Final Fantasy XIV Online Exclusively on the Playstation 3

Well,
it's for the PC, too...

The
announcement was a bit deceptive, but it's for real--Final Fantasy XIV
will be a MMOG, and it will be launched some time in 2010 on both PC
and PS 3. (The "exclusive" part relates to console exclusivity and
isn't an indication that FF XIV will be a console-only MMOG.)

Ten
Ton Hammer's Danny "Ralsu" Gourley is a Final Fantasy geek and is
all over this topic like Spam on Wonder Bread. If Final Fantasy is your
thing, too, I bid you to check out this epic thread and href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=43335">join
the conversation.

==============================
Awesome Quotes from the
Epic Thread

"I
missed the boat on FFXI, but I vowed to get in on the ground floor for
the next one. If they keep the same great story telling elements and
carry over what they have learned about players in the United States
(more beginner friendly, more solo content, etc), it will be a big hit
for me."

- Ralsu
==============================

Have you spotted an Epic Thread on our forums? href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=41426">Tell
us!

12 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 20 in June! 657 in
2009!

New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/69111">E3 2009: Star
Wars: The Old Republic Demo Report
Over in lovely Los Angeles, the Ten Ton Hammer staff got their first
true look at actual gameplay in href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/swtor" target="_blank">Star
Wars: The Old Republic.
During the demonstration, we received looks at the Smuggler, Bounty
Hunter, and Sith classes and some of the intriguing abilities that each
Star Wars standard brings to the game. There
were some very revealing moments, so don't miss this article! href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/69099">E3 2009: Star
Wars: The Old Republic CG Trailer
The years haven't been kind to many Star Wars fans. Although highly
successful, the prequel trilogy from Goerge Lucas (Episodes I-III) left
many fans of the franchise with a bitter taste in their mouth.
Continued success in the video gaming industry has kept many Star Wars
fans hopes and dreams alive, and now they have an even better reason to
become enthralled by the lore once again. For their upcoming MMO href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/swtor" target="_blank">Star
Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare put together arguably one of
the best CG trailers ever conceived by a video gaming company. The
action, voice-overs, and atmosphere are all top notch, and many
disheartened Star Wars fans are finally coming out of their stupors.
Although it doesn't showcase any gameplay, a trailer of this quality
should translate into an extremely slick original product. If you
haven't watched it yet, please take a look. It's worth it. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/69124">E3 2009: Star
Wars: The Old Republic Screenshots
There has been so much happening at E3 this year but a major presence
has definitely been BioWare with all the Star Wars: The Old Republic
coverage that any fan could hope for. While our boys at E3 wheeze and
pant and try to keep up with it all, we
have more SWTOR content for ya! Check out the E3 released screenshots!
If you've been following SWTOR, then some of these might look familiar
and some will be completely new to you. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/69100">E3 2009:
Jumpgate Evolution Trailer
Even though the launch of Jumpgate Evolution was
recently target="_blank">delayed,
it's hard not to get excited about NetDevil's upcoming space combat MMO
game. To help whet our appetites, NetDevil brought a new game trailer
with them to E3 this year. This promotional short can be found along
with ten tons of other E3 content at href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/events/e309" target="_blank">Ten
Ton Hammer's E3 2009 Coverage. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/68819"> face="Arial" size="2"> size="2">E3
2009: New APB Screenshots
face="Arial" size="2"> size="3">Realtime Worlds big announcement at E3 2009 was the
joining with EA Games for their upcoming MMOG, APB (All Points
Bulletin). Since the announcement, additional screenshots have been
made available from the game that show off some of the criminal gangs
and environments of APB. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/68911"> face="Arial" size="2"> size="2">E3
2009: New Final Fantasy XIV Screenshots Revealed
face="Arial" size="2"> size="3">Sony dropped a bomb at E3 when they announced that
Final Fantasy (FF) XIV, a new FF MMORPG by Square Enix who created the
franchise. After the announcement, the PR machine went into overdrive
as the target="_blank">Official Final Fantasy XIV website
was launched and several new screenshots were released of the game for
FF fans to drool over. href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/tid/2099">E3 2009:
New Free Realms Screenshots
target="_blank">Free Realms
has only been out for a short while, but it has already had a huge
impact on the free to play and microtransaction market. Boasting over
two million players, there's no doubt Sony Online Entertainment has
found the formula for a fun game that everyone can enjoy. To help
capture the spirit of this hit title, Ten Ton Hammer brings you
caboodles of new screen shots, hot off the floor from E3. color="#888888">
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/68937">LOTRO: Volume
II: Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm Preview
The Turbine team has been hard at work creating new content for Lord of
the Rings Online. Last week, Aaron Campbell, the Live Producer of
LOTRO, was kind enough to give Eric "Dalmarus" Campbell (not related) a
guided tour through their new instances and more. From The Mirror-halls
of Lumul-nar to the creepy depths of Dâr Narbugud, there was
adventure to be found at every turn. This is one tale you don't want to
miss!  href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/druid/glyphs">Geeked
- "She Broke Him"
Ten Ton Hammer's very own satirical webcomic on all things geek-related
is here with a look at what happens when an attractive woman says yes
to a geek when asked on a date. Not unlike a special on the discovery
channel, only slightly more pathetic: href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/paladin/glyphs">Guide
to WoW Paladin Glyphs
With so many choices, which glyphs should you choose? Some appear to be
tailor made for certain specs, but upon further review, they don't
quite work as you might hope. This guide will walk you through the
major and minor glyphs currently available. Find out which ones work
best for each of the talent builds at today's "Glyph Guide for
Paladins." href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/wow/guides/classes/priest/glyphs">Guide
to WoW Priest Glyphs
There are so many glyphs to choose from and only a few places to put
them. Here is my short and simple guide to Priest Glyphs. It narrows
down your choices of glyphs to choose from depending on your spec and
my thoughts on each of the glyphs that I have chosen.

Hot Content
- Or, what I took a fancy to:

href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/69111">E3 2009: Star
Wars: The Old Republic Demo Report href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/68937">LOTRO: Volume
II: Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-Dûm Preview href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/68911"> face="Arial" size="2"> size="2">E3
2009: New Final Fantasy XIV Screenshots Revealed href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/69099">E3 2009: Star
Wars: The Old Republic CG Trailer Earthrise
Interview: Guilds and Territory Conquest Champions
Online Powers Interview #1 - Gadgeteering, Munitions, and Archery target="_blank">Exclusive Dragonica Online Beta Key Giveawa E3
2009: Heroes of Telara E3 Trailer target="_blank">Aion: Class Interview - The Ranger target="_blank"> href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/tid/2070">Exclusive
Aion Ranger Screenshots

Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!

-Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle and the Ten Ton Hammer team