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Call in sick to work, because Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft just launched for OS X
Blizzard's Warcraft-inspired collectable card game, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, is now available for anyone and everyone with a capable Mac running OS X 10.8 or newer. The game -- which has been in closed beta for a number of months -- has seen a meteoric rise in popularity since its debut, and as a player myself I can tell you that it's definitely worth checking out. The game is free to play, with additional card packs available for purchase in-game. You can also earn game currency by besting opponents online, which you can then also spend on upgrading your card collection. Head over to the official Hearthstone homepage to download the game and give it a go. Blizzard is also planning a release for Hearthstone on iPad which should take place later this year.
SWG to release seventh trading card game expansion
It has been nearly eight months since Star Wars Galaxies has seen a new Trading Card Game expansion, but this week, Sony Online Entertainment has announced the seventh expansion: The Price of Victory. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Empire Strikes Back, this expansion includes gameplay scenarios, and of course, loot cards that revolve around the second movie release in the Star Wars saga. After the crushing blow to Imperial morale with the destruction of the Death Star, the Empire strikes back hard by weeding out Rebel insurgents galaxy-wide. The Price of Victory features 10 brand-new story-arc scenarios, which delve deep into the story of the Empire's revenge. The new and unique 175 playing cards are all highly detailed and inspired by the Empire Strikes Back. Then, of course, there are the loot cards inspired by Episode V. They include cards for the tauntaun armor statue, the cloud car vehicle, and the Cloud City-inspired player house. You can catch more information about this new expansion on the official Star Wars Galaxies website or by visiting the Trading Card Game forum. So what is the price of victory? $2.99 a pack.
PAX 2010: It's clobberin' time with SHSO's PvP online card game
Massively has taken a swing at Marvel's Super Hero Squad Online several times in the last few months, now. So, on our trip to PAX, the boy-in-grown-up-shoes, Jay Minn, could not wait to show us the newly announced PvP portion of this dynamic game. Minn, who is the Director of Games for The Amazing Society, turned in to a giddy imp and directed me to a computer station that had a burning Human Torch on the screen, all prepared to fight some bad guys. Even though PvE wasn't what I was there to cover that day, Minn just had to show me anyway. "Click on a bad guy," he told me, "and good things just happen." I obliged; the Torch lit up and chased some bad guys away! At that point, we were told we had to move on to the PvP portion of the demonstration. Marketing people can be such spoil-sports sometimes. The giddy grin returned to Minn's face as he gave me instructions on how to get into the online card game. In the lower right-hand corner simply sat an icon that looked like fanned-out cards. As part of the demo I was able to pick my opponent, and since I just love seeing the Ol' Canucklehead Wolverine get beaten down, I picked him for my enemy. And who is the best Marvel superhero? Spider-Man, of course. I had to choose him as my character. Hero up with me after the break to find out the details of my adventure through this shiny and lively online card game.%Gallery-101337%
Exclusive: SOE talks Clone Wars Adventures
Last Tuesday, we gleefully reported on Sony Online Entertainment's brand-new, upcoming Star Wars game: Clone Wars Adventures. We'd heard the rumors, but confirmation sent us into pure fan-frenzy! This kid-friendly virtual world promises a free-to-play romp through the Clone Wars era, allowing players to jump into Star Wars minigames and join the storied heroes of the Republic in the fight against the Separatist armies. That's what we could dig up on the official site, anyway -- but don't you want to know more? Well, Star Wars fans, you're in luck, because we've landed a juicy interview with the Lead Designer of CWA, Matt Higby. Join us after the break as Matt graciously answers all our eager questions about purple lightsabers and parental tools, cartoons and cash shops, and why adult fans (not just kids) will want to check it out!
Yu-Gi-Oh! Decade Duels coming to XBLA this spring
Click on the image and yu-can-go into our gallery The beautiful part about having Yu-Gi-Oh! on your Xbox 360 is that you can still partake in that most guilty of pleasures, but you don't have to wade through the cesspool of people that enjoy that brand of self-deprecation. Konami has announced that Yu-Gi-Oh! Decade Duels is coming to Xbox Live Arcade in Spring 2010 and will feature "the most robust card offering and the opportunity to purchase additional card packs through Xbox Live." There's no word on price right now for the initial game, so we've contacted Konami. We'll let you know what we hear back. %Gallery-90104%
Dragon Quest Victory attacks Wii this summer in Japan
Been hankering for more Dragon Quest since the release of The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors? Square Enix has announced Dragon Quest Victory for Wii in Japan, an adaptation of the Dragon Quest Monsters Battle Road arcade game. The Wii version is set to launch this summer and features card-based battles for up to four players via local split-screen and the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game will also include a "Tournament" mode, in which players face off against a succession of NPCs in a virtual town, collecting cards. Perhaps the coolest feature of all is connectivity between the arcade and Wii games, using a DSi. Players will be able to download a special DSiWare app that will scan in the arcade version's cards, allowing transport over to the Wii game. The price of the DSiWare app is currently unknown. [Via andriasang]
The Free Realms trading card game arrives this week
We've known for a while now that the Sony Online Entertainment studio in Denver has been hard at work developing a collectible card game to coincide with the launch of Free Realms. SOE and Topps have partnered to create and distribute the Free Realms Trading Card Game which will hit store shelves this week. The Free Realms Trading Card Game bridges the gap between a physical card game and the MMO with virtual rewards like pets, clothing, and 'special character effects'. There will be over 180 game cards, with 50 virtual reward cards that can be redeemed for in-game items. In fact, each pack sold will have a virtual reward card. In addition, there will be 16 cards with codes that unlock their corresponding card in the game. Free Realms players interested in checking out the trading card game can pick up the 'Passport to Free Realms Starter Pack', at $10, which includes a 40 card deck with virtual benefits in the MMO: a card that unlocks a Black Lab, a t-shirt for your character, three jumbo health potions, a virtual 'Cardie Racer', and one month of full (subscriber) access to Free Realms. Booster packs will also be available at $4 each. Booster packs will include 10 game cards, one virtual reward card, and 50 Station Cash.%Gallery-37937%
World of Warcraft miniatures game launches
One of the biggest names in the trading card industry is Upper Deck Entertainment. Given the success of their World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, they've released a follow-up game this week: The World of Warcraft Miniatures Game. The World of Warcraft Miniatures Game went on sale worldwide as of Tuesday, November 11th. There are 70 different miniatures, including Warchief Thrall, Varimathras, and yes... even Leeroy Jenkins. There's a bonus for your actual WoW characters as well -- miniatures booster packs come with sample packs from the WoW Trading Card Game which might include Loot cards. Essentially, they're unlocks for "cosmetic in-game upgrades for their online World of Warcraft characters". Check out the Upper Deck launch announcement for their World of Warcraft Miniatures Game for the full details. One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!
Exclusive first look at Star Wars Galaxies TCG loot cards
Here at Massively, you may have noticed we love trading card games set inside MMOs almost as much as we love MMOs themselves. That's why we're really happy to bring you the first in a series of sneak peaks, looking ahead to the release of the Star Wars Galaxies Online TCG: Champions of the Force. Today we've got two loot cards, the special items that unlock in-game fripperies for your enjoyment. They're both items you can use in your character's house; we expect you'll see a lot of housing loot items, as the game's housing system is one of the most robust of any MMO we've played. The first (pictured right) unlocks the ability to drop a vendor in your house that looks like a Jawa. What might these scavengers of the desert be hawking from your front room? Easy to find out once you've obtained one of these brown-robed miscreants. The other is a simple statue, a bust of the dread Sith lord Count Dooku. The feature text for the bust reads, "A bust of Count Dooku like the one found in the Jedi library. Once a respected member of the Jedi Council, Count Dooku embraced the dark side of the Force and fell from grace. Many remnants of his celebrated years remain and like this bust, can be displayed in your house. "Check back soon for more Champions of the Force goodness.%Gallery-27590%
