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Loading... A Pwn in Their Game - Ten Ton Hammer

Ethec — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:09:47 -0500

#1,213 - Why is MMO and FPS such a tough match?

The idea of a Call of Duty MMO was met with a lot of hostility from the Ten Ton Hammer boards, which doesn't bode well for what will prove to be a major theme in 2010 - the persistent world...

Loading... Market Mudflation Overload - Ten Ton Hammer

Sardu — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:13 -0500

# 1,212 - Should level capped players directly control the new player market?

One of the frequently overlooked though integral aspects of character advancement in MMOGs ties directly into whatever shape the in-game economy ultimately takes. Players obsess over seeing the...

Loading... You Don't Know What You Want - Ten Ton Hammer

Shayalyn — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:49:42 -0500

#1,211 - Are gamers really clueless when it comes to knowing what's best for them?Most of us have been playing MMOGs for several years now, and when it comes to our games we know exactly what we want. Or do we? Developers have been delivering plenty of what gamers seem to be...

Loading... The Search for the Holy Grail - Ten Ton Hammer

B. de la Durantaye — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:56:12 -0500

#1,210 - The Search for the Holy Grail

The search for the ultimate MMOG has become almost crusade-like for thousands of gamers. A lot of these gamers come from earlier times, with fond memories of experiences that have happened a...

Loading... Taking a Toll - Ten Ton Hammer

Ethec — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:02:47 -0500

A few subscription MMOs have made a succeessful switch to the microtransaction / "freemium" pricing model. Is this the right way to turn fan-favorite games into legacy builders and even long-term...

Loading... The Uncooperative RPG - Ten Ton Hammer

Ethec — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:44:57 -0500

#1,208 - A look at MW2 and the state of co-op gameplay in RPGs and FPSs.Today's Loading... looks at Modern Warfare 2 and asks these questions: have first-person shooters become the nexus of cooperative gameplay, and why does every recently released RPG (MMO or...

Loading... Bundled Betas - Ten Ton Hammer

Sardu — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:51:44 -0500

# 1,207 - A look at adding beta offers to multi-month subscription plans

With Funcom’s recently announced incentive to revitalize interest in Age of Conan, the developer joins the swelling ranks of studios attempting to sweeten the deal on multiple month...

Loading... Blind Rage - Ten Ton Hammer

Shayalyn — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:06:51 -0500

#1,206 - How far must game developers go to accommodate the disabled?The disabled gaming community has made many strides in pushing for accessibility in MMOGs and other video games, but a recent lawsuit by a visually impaired gamer against Sony Online...

Loading... For the Love of PvP - Ten Ton Hammer

B. de la Durantaye — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:46:02 -0500

#1,205 - How to make a proper PvP MMOG

PvP has become such a large part of our games, and yet, disappointment with the results is abundant. Almost every game launch in the past few years has had at least some focus on PvP, and it is...

Loading... Let's Make a DLC - Ten Ton Hammer

Ethec — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:14:14 -0500

#1,204 - Premium download content is here to stay, but what's the hidden cost?

Thanks to RockBand and Fallout 3, DLCs are more popular than ever, and premium download-only content may soon be coming to an MMO near you. Turbine went DLC in a big way with Dungeons and Dragons...

Loading... Fabled or Forgotten? - Ten Ton Hammer

Sardu — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:50:23 -0500

# 1,203 - Have holiday events taken the thunder out of anniversary celebrations?

Once upon a time in the magical land of MMOGs, in-game anniversary celebrations set the bar for what would become one of the staples of the industry in the years to follow. Much of the more recent...

Loading... DragonAge: Origins First Impressions - Ten Ton Hammer

Ethec — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:01:50 -0500

#1,202 - A spattering of thoughts on how great story can carry choppy gameplay.

DragonAge: Origins is perhaps the most anticipated Fantasy RPG of the year, and with good reason. It's a BioWare game (need we say more?) and its production values are top notch, but how does its...

Loading... No Bad Words - Ten Ton Hammer

Shayalyn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:20:49 -0500

#1,201 - There are no bad words, but plenty of bad intentions.We all have different tolerance thresholds when it comes to language--what some find offensive, others shrug off. Words aren't innately bad; it's the intention behind them that matters. But are...

Loading... Dragon Age Origins - Now Available on the Everything - Ten Ton Hammer

B. de la Durantaye — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:35:51 -0500

How to decide on which platform to buy your games

Today is Dragon Age: Origins Day! Even though not an official holiday, it should be. BioWare's biggest RPG hits the shelves today, and Ten Ton Hammer Executive Editor, Benjamin J. de la Durantaye,...

Loading... Expansion Month? - Ten Ton Hammer

Ethec — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:32:00 -0500

#1,199 - November used to be the month of expacs... what changed?

November used to be the month of MMO expansions, now it seems like every developer is angling for their own spot on a crowded release date calendar. What's behind a mostly expac-less month this...

Loading... Less Tricks, More Treats - Ten Ton Hammer

Sardu — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:00:09 -0400

#1,197 - MMOG mechanics that should go the way of the dinosaur

We all have them – the MMOG mechanics that drive us bonkers each time we see them crop up again in a newly released title. The things that leave us scratching our head and wondering if the...

Loading... A Grind by Any Other Game - Ten Ton Hammer

Shayalyn — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:18:57 -0400

#1,196 - Can grinding be fun? It all depends on the game.Peruse any MMOG forum and you'll hear the same criticism over and over: "[Insert Game Title] is nothing but a grind." But are those words critical or merely factual? Perhaps MMOGs are a grind...

Loading... Laryngitis - Ten Ton Hammer

Ethec — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:21:30 -0400

#1,195 - Voice chat vs. text chat - fight!

Voice chat has improved at a lightning pace over the past few years, yet the non-raiding, non-coop PvP MMO crowd still emphatically prefers the plain comforts of decades-old text chat. Raids and...

Loading... The Sinking Sub - Ten Ton Hammer

Ethec — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:25:51 -0400

#1,194 - What can save the subscription model? Should it be saved?

Ten to twelve years ago, players got nothing more than the ability to play an MMO and an occasional minor patch for the price of the monthly subscription. The rise of subscription-free gaming led...

Loading... Halloweenery - Ten Ton Hammer

Ethec — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:55:07 -0400

#1,193 - Ten holiday events that offer MMO players plenty of tricks and treats.

Ah, fall. The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and the evil undead are rising up to eat our brains. Halloween is always a popular season for MMO holiday events, and there's no shortage of...