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11 more wins until the Stanley Cup Parade in Sabreland.
I've mentioned this before to lukewarm response, but I believe that it is time to change the format of this blog and it's accompanying mailing list. There is far too much "Bling" in the layout of the mailing list for my liking.
It was a fantastic way to start 567 editions ago, but is time we went back to a simpler, easier to follow format.
The real question isn't whether we should remove the bling, but should we alter or adjust what I am writing each day? I'm not alluding to the numerous spelling and grammatical errors. I'm referring to the actual content. What is most important to you? Does the Real
World News or Vin Diesel Fact detract from the MMOG content? Is the opposite true? Should I perhaps just give up and write comics for a living?
I would love your feedback. What brings the 500,000+ of you back each month to this blog and newsletter? Comment in the blog, or fire me an e-mail and let me know how important each of these areas is to you.
MMOG Headlines
Hot Content
Real
World News - You Can't Make This Up
Vin Diesel Fact
Today's Exclusive TenTonHammer.com Content
My daily article on the industry
Perhaps the content is just peachy, or perhaps it should be split into separate articles, or perhaps some of it should just be put on the shelf, retired and thanked for a job well done. Whatever the case, I truly appreciate that you read this every day and I value your feedback. Send it in!
I'm not sure how I missed this announcement, but apparently you all missed it as well. Sony Online Entertainment sends out an abundance of press releases. I do read them all, eventually, which is why I noticed something peculiar about a release that went out on April 11th.
The title was unnecessarily lengthy and may be the reason that I abandoned reading it the first time. It went something like this, "SOE
Taps Industry Veteran To Further Strengthen San Diego Company's International Presence in Online Gaming"
They had me at "SOE Taps", which is also where I terminated my reading the first time. My short, let's call it economical attention span was the reason that I missed this gem folded so deftly into the bowels of the release in the first place.
"Prior to joining SOE, Christensen served as Vice President of Business Development for IGE where he drove the company's relationships with the massively multiplayer publishing community."
IGE is of course the company that has endeavored to single-handedly undermine every MMOG on the market through the sale of virtual currency, items and accounts. They have delivered the one-finger salute to every developer and publisher while smiling one of those disturbing smiles that don't show any teeth.
Is it stranger that SOE would side themselves with the former Vice President of Business Development for IGE or that they would announce it to the world that "...he drove the company's relationships with the massively multiplayer publishing community"?
He drove those relationships to a point where they can never be recovered. Publishers, developers a show of hands please...how many of you are as excited about IGE as SOE seems to be? Can you
have a relationship if you won't interract with the other party?
I see many of my tinfoil hat wearing readers also pointing out that SOE's new gold farming expert was introduced by the Chief Financial Officer. Gold farming and finances go together like Rosie and verbal diarrhea. You can't find one without the other. (Rosie is leaving The View. Hoorah) Is SOE going to take Station Exchange to the next level?
You
can read the full release here.
I received a letter, presumably sent to most of the free world from Mark Jacobs of EA/Mythic with the following bad news:
"We have made the decision to move our ship date for the US and Europe to the first quarter of 2008. (Release dates for Asia will be announced at a later date.) Since our acquisition by EA, we have been afforded many wonderful
