by Jeff Woleslagle on Dec 09, 2008
Welcome to the 971st Edition of Loading...
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World of Warcraft Warhammer Online Age of Conan City of Heroes Stargate Worlds (UP 4) City of Villains Atlantica Online (down 1) EVE Online (down 1) Star Wars: The Old Republic (UP 1) Guild Wars (down 2)If the Top 10 isn't enough, we also show the Top 20 and Top 50 lists as well, available to everyone on our homepage.
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This just in - Atari buys Cryptic Studios. This news, along with the retail publishing deal announced last month for EVE Online's March 2009 expansion, means that Atari is making itself a serious name in the western MMOG market. Blizzard, EA, SOE, Turbine, NCSoft and now Atari?
Unlike other acquisitions as of late, I don't think we have anything to fear from this one. Atari is definitely trying to repurpose itself, and its course will be determined by its next big publishing success as much as anything. Cryptic is Cryptic - anyone that's spent five minutes in a room with Jack Emmert knows that that particular developer has as good a chance of standing up to any potential publisher nonsense as any developer. I am wondering where the 2K Games publishing deal for Champions Online stands as a result of this announcement, so we're still digging on that front.
As much as that first announcement plays mild, our second news bit is big and ugly: Sony cuts 8,000 jobs and seeks to "pull out of unprofitable businesses" to shave $1.1 billion in costs.
This one has me afeared, even though all the specific language in the official announcement seems geared toward Sony's electronics and manufacturing arms. There is this troubling little sentence though: "downsize or withdraw from unprofitable or non-core businesses." Is Sony Computer Entertainment America (North American operations for PlayStation 2 and 3 and the PSP, and now SOE finds itself in their org chart as well) considered an unprofitable or non-core business? We know and know well that the PS2 is SCEA's bread and butter, with the PS3 still losing more money than it generates.
As it's unthinkable that the push behind glitz and glamour consoles like the PSP and PS3 should be toned down - just a quick look at the Sunday ads for big box retailers will clue you in to where marketing priorities stand - so will all or part of SOE be sacrificed on the corporate altar? Initial reports from the inside (nothing I can quote) are an emphatic no, but we'll report what we can find out once the west coast offices open for the day.
It's a big news day, so discuss your hopes and fears in the Loading... forum, or as always feel free to email me directly.
Shayalyn's Epic Thread of15 new MMOG hand-crafted articles today! 58 in December! 3032 in 2008!
New MMOG Articles At Ten Ton Hammer Today [Thanks Phil Comeau for links and Real World News]
Interviews
Final Fantasy XI: The Future of FFXI InterviewCommunity
CME Kids Holiday Donations Drive - Day 2Guides
Age of Conan: Field of the Dead Quest Guide - Fire Beacon Lookout Warhammer Online: Guide to DragonwakeHot Content - Or, what I took a fancy to:
CME Kids Holiday Donations Drive - Day 2 Final Fantasy XI: The Future of FFXI Interview The Agency: Advancement Q&A with Matt Staroscik Warhammer Online: 1.1 and You - A Look at the Next Patch Warhammer Online: 7-Day WAR Report Warhammer Online: WAR Torn - "Last Chance" 38 Studios: Senior UI Designer Irena Pereira Ten Ton Turnip #2 - Blizzard Buys Mythic! Top Ten Free-to-Play Games - Distributive Properties World of Warcraft: Goob & Begud - "Not So Bad"Real World News
Canadian filmmaker to have wireless camera installed in eye socket [Thanks Ralsu!]Thanks for visiting the Ten Ton Hammer network!
-- Jeff "Ethec" Woleslagle and the Ten Ton Hammer team