Welcome back Matt! Our "real news" fans have been asking about you.
In anyones wildest estimates did they predict that World of Warcraft would have 6.5 million subscribers and still be the #1 selling game in the United States nearly two years after its release? It sells more new copies than games without monthly fees. Guild Wars, I'm looking at you.
I have always downplayed the doom-mongers who railed that WoW was destroying the MMOG industry; making it impossible for independent companies to deliver a product that was profitable enough to result in acceptable technical support and acceptable expansions.
An announcement made yesterday has me rethinking the situation. During a Wall Street presentation a Vivendi representation said,
"All Blizzard franchises will become MMOGs."
That means World of Starcraft and World of Diablo will become massively multiplayer persistent worlds. I have often voiced my opinion that World of Starcraft would actually be a more entertaining backdrop than World of Warcraft and that the science fiction genre was lacking a true champion. I had hoped for Tabula Rasa to be the early leader with Star Trek Online and StarGate Worlds muscling in a year later. It appears that there is a new contender though how innovative the game can be is in doubt given the following quote from F13.net,
"They claim they have a model now to develop an MMOG in 3 years for $50 million. WoW cost 50 million euros and took 4 1/2 years."
I haven't had enough time to really mull over the implications of this announcement, but if games like Hero's Journey, The Chronicles of Spellborn and Pirates of the Burning Sea can get enough subscribers it seems to simply mean more choices for players and that is never a bad thing.
How do you feel about the World of Starcraft announcement?
Make your mark. Mark your territory. Post a comment. If are shy you can E-Mail me.
Every good guild needs a home. A home free of gold ads, secondary market farmers. Look no further than GuildPortal.com.
Exclusive new TenTonHammer.com Content!
Let us entertain you or at the very least waste some of your time at work.06.014.2006
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Dungeons and Dragons Online: Paladin's Toolbox
"Save-vs-DM, DDO @ Ten Ton Hammer's resident Paladin Specialist, invites us to take a closer look at Paladin Enhancements. He tells us what they do and which ones are useful." -
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes - All Guilds Are Equal, But...
"The definition of a guild is; an association of people with similar interests or pursuits. In MMO's people of all kinds of diversity come together under a united banner for one reason or another. AnomalousSilence gives us his look at different types of guilds and how he feels about their existence.. "
Vin Diesel Fact of the Day - Vin Diesel "Pities that fool Mr. T."
Now on to the real world. You can't make this stuff up.
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Michelin Bibendum Challenge [Thanks Matt]
Smart Cars, unless you need to carry another passenger, groceries, or drive for more than an hour. -
The Worst Music You Will Hear Today [Thanks Matt]
Stalin-era prison music mixed with Hawaiian surf music. Sometimes these write themselves. -
Bottle-feeding Risky - Warning Labels Required [Thanks Matt]
Hands up, who wants to apply the labels when breast-feeding is deemed risky? -
Teachers Swopped Food For Sex [Thanks Matt]
Horizontal mombo lessons deemed inappropriate. -
Bush Administration Attacks Porn Industry
Operation "A hand in the bush is just foreplay" underway.
As always, thanks for visiting TenTonHammer.com,
-- John "Boomjack" Hoskin
