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Make My MMO: Crowdfunding September 22 - October 5, 2013
Not all games that turn to crowdfunding need a boost to get off the ground. In fact, one new addition to our column this week -- 8BitMMO -- is utilizing this avenue to help accommodate the exponential growth it has experienced over the last couple of years. The other newcomer, however, is actually trying to build from the ground up; City of Titans wants to give displaced City of Heroes fans a new home. In other news, Star Citizen was the news! Videos, interviews, new goals, and more poured forth from this crowdfunding giant this week. We also heard from Embers of Caerus (which has been pretty quite for a long while). Even Neo's Land chimed in with a new demo. And you can get the whole scoop here!
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding September 8 - 21, 2013
In the oft changing world of crowdfunding hopefuls, faces come and faces go... and sometimes they come back again. If one of the newcomers to this edition of Make My MMO looks familiar, that's because the game ran a shorter, unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign last July. With a longer run this time around, perhaps Story Quest Online will fare better. On the flip side, one campaign flipped sections: We congratulate StarCraft Universe on meeting its goal and joining the ranks of the fully funded. Plenty of other news came from the funded ranks as well, from the crowdfunding king hit more funding goals (again) to progress reports and new feature reveals. You can catch all the details right here.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding August 25 - September 7, 2013
If you build it, they will come. While that adage hold true for baseball diamonds in cornfields, it's a little bit different for MMOs. If you're set on developing a new virtual playground, you get them to come so you can build it! That's the philosophy behind crowdfunding, anyway, and many are latching onto it. So how fare the fields of crowdfunding lately? New projects (Alteil Horizons, Epic Space) sprouted up, one took root and grew stronger (Divergence), and others (Project Snowstorm, Realms of Creation, Enspira Online) withered away from lack of nourishment. See how your favorite projects are growing right here in Make My MMO.
Apocoplay unveils new digital CCG, Alteil: Horizons
Seems like everyone's getting into the digital card game business, with Blizzard's Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft and Cryptozoic's HEX leading a pack of big-budget, flashy releases due sooner rather than later. As of today, there's one more contender in the ring. Boston-based indie startup Apocoplay has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund Alteil: Horizons, a digital collectible card game that relies on "turn-based RPG-style tactics" and the introduction of a day and night cycle that changes the behavior of specific cards. Apocoplay is reaching out to notable artists for card designs; according to the studio, interest has been "secured" from the likes of Ctrl+Alt+Del's Tim Buckley and Saturday Morning Breakfast's Zach Weinersmith, along with artists who have worked on things like Pacific Rim and The Legend of Zelda. Here's head producer Sean Molyneaux (no relation to Peter Molyneux) on the announcement: I've been in this industry long enough to see collectible card games grow from a niche interest here in the US to a hugely popular mainstream genre. Fast growth like this means that new CCGs have to be very high-quality to get attention, and with the caliber of artists we've signed and our focus on deeper, tactical gameplay, Horizons can be the best out there. Apocoplay is seeking $100,000 for Alteil: Horizons' development and is offering decks and other bonuses to funders. [Source: Apocoplay press release]
World of Warcraft Trading Card Game closes its doors
The latest release in the WoW TCG -- Timewalkers: Reign of Fire -- is also its last, according to an announcement on the official site. For nearly seven years, the WoW TCG has been a staple among players in and out of the game alike -- tournaments hosted around the world were as wildly popular as the loot cards in decks that could be turned in for in-game items. Reign of Fire not only tackles the events and story of Warcraft III Timewalkers style, it also includes every loot card that has ever been released for the popular TCG. Although this is the last set release for the WoW TCG, players will still be able to redeem loot codes for the game on the official website -- so don't despair if you've yet to use your codes for in-game loot! This announcement also marks the end of official tournaments hosted by Cryptozoic or Blizzard, but player-run tournaments will likely still be around for some time to come. At the moment, it seems that Blizzard will not be renewing the license for the WoW TCG. This is, of course, not the last we'll see of Blizzard-inspired card games, with Hearthstone on the horizon. However, the WoW TCG, introduced during the Burning Crusade expansion, has been a constant for WoW players, and its contribution both in and out of the World of Warcraft will be missed. The announcement on the official website has more information for players, as well as a short FAQ.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding August 11 - 24, 2013
Just when you think it will be a quiet couple of weeks on the crowdfunding scene... it isn't. Crowdfunding hopefuls seem to be following the advice of The Gambler this week: Know when to hold them, when to fold them, when to walk away, and even when to run! The funded crowd is holding steady with only a few bits of news, but two projects are on the brink of folding as they are both far short of their goals. Legends of Firestorm, on the other hand, didn't just walk away -- it high-tailed it out of Kickstarter without a word of explanation. In the meantime, thwo new projects (StarCraft Universe and Enspira Online) have joined the scene, and another project resurfaced. Check out the details right here.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding July 28 - August 10, 2013
Ah, the joys of bringing more games into the fold. Sadly, we don't know whether this will be just a brief passing in the night or a more permanent stay; that all depends on how newcomers Project Snowstorm and Legends of Firestorm do on their respective Kickstarter campaigns. Will the community help them make their MMOs? We'll keep watch and keep you informed. Speaking of keeping informed, a few of the funded projects found themselves in the news lately -- and we mean more than just crowdfunding king Star Citizen! And we've got it all rounded up right here for your perusing pleasure.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding July 14 - 27, 2013
Another fortnight down; another MMO hopeful lost. The casualty? Story Quest Online, which didn't come close to meeting its Kickstarter goal. The newest addition to this list, Realms of Creation, is still moving toward its goal and has another 34 days left to reach it. To see more about it, check out the new video after the break. In other news, Pathfinder Online also has a new video, and Star Citizen's Chris Robert's talked at length in an exclusive Massively interview. Even controversial Greed Monger headlined with a demonstration of its house building feature. Catch all the links to these stories right here in Make My MMO.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding June 30 - July 13, 2013
The last two weeks haven't been quiet on the crowdfunding front. While Star Citizen takes the lead with the most news (from ever-expanding coffers to just "finding ways to make the game more awesome"), other titles had their own snippets to report as well. There's also some upheaval in our ranks: We gained a new MMORTS/MMORPG mix project but lost two others from our list when both Skara: The Blade Remains and Anthym didn't meet their goals. And yet another title makes its final appearance before moving on to Betawatch! That's right, folks; TUG is saying hasta la vista to Make My MMO in favor of alpha land. Curious as to what all else has transpired? Then check out the details after the break.
Make My MMO: Crowdfunding June 16 - 29, 2013
Go ahead -- make my MMO. And here you thought this phrase only worked when interrupting a robbery! What was a unique phenomenon in the not-too-distant past has become an increasingly popular trend: crowdfunding new MMOs. Whether they're using the Kickstarter funding platform or another, more and more developers are turning to the public instead of publishers to take their designs from the drawing board and into reality. In fact, sometimes it feels like there are just too many to keep up with! Besides the new campaigns that seem to be popping up like dandelions, there are the successfully funded games to keep an eye on. So here's what we're going to do for you: We'll make it easier for you to keep tabs on both the new campaigns hitting the crowdfunding scene and the progress of those MMOs that already made their goal and have moved on in their development journeys (but haven't made beta yet). Join us past the break for the inaugural Make My MMO, a biweekly accounting of all MMOs crowdfunded. Have you heard about new campaigns that aren't listed? Send us a note and let us know!
WoW TCG introduces Timewalkers: Reign of Fire and more loot cards
Mourning that you never got some of the great loot cards of earlier WoW TCG sets? Well, you're in luck, because the latest expansion to the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, Timewalkers: Reign of Fire, is all about time travel, which means loot cards long gone are back again. That's right: this expansion features every loot card that we've seen in the game to date. We're sure this is going to make it a hit with WoW players looking for swag, but if you're more interested in the TCG itself, Timewalkers: Reign of Fire sends TCG players back to the era of Warcraft 3 to fight -- or aid -- the Burning Legion. Have we piqued your interest? Timewalkers: Reign of Fire will be available in stores on July 23rd. Let the loot card wars begin! Thanks Lenny for the tip
E3 2013: Taking another look at HEX
HEX. It's a difficult concept to grasp: a massively multiplayer online trading card game, combining elements of roleplaying goodness and the thrill of building a deck of powerful cards to combat the next evil underlord monster. At this year's E3, Massively sat down with Cory Jones, president of Cryptozoic Studios, to get the skinny on what HEX is all about.
HEX Kickstarter finishes strong
HEX: Shards of Fate is a trading card game and MMO hybrid created by Cryptozoic, the studio behind the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. If that sounds like a thing you would like to play, you're not alone: HEX's Kickstarter campaign just coasted to success on the pledges of over 17,750 backers, raising over $2,277,000 and obliterating the team's original goal of $300,000. (And those numbers are still rising!) Thanks to HEX's massive cash haul, Cryptozoic will be able to add 17 of its 18 stretch goals, including a HEX-themed novel from a "premiere fantasy writer," tablet support, a motion comics game intro, playback support, more particle effects for cards, 10 extra dungeons, and five additional game boards. Cryptozoic is continuing to accept pledges through its official website -- there are 17 backer tiers available promising access to the game's beta and the usual special backer-type items. [Update: All backer tiers are now sold out except for the $50 "Slacker Backer." Thanks to Eamil for the tip.]
HEX: The MMO is in the cards
Massively was recently invited to meet with Cory Jones, president and chief creative officer of Cryptozoic, to get some greater insight into HEX, the studio's upcoming MMOTCG -- that is, massively multiplayer trading card game. At first, I had a difficult time associating a "massively multiplayer" aspect with a trading card game. My two-decade-old memories of very briefly playing Magic: The Gathering simply wouldn't let me get past my initial assumption about the head-to-head nature of these types of games. Even the online version of Magic used essentially the same structure as the offline version, with digital representations of Magic cards and an online challenge ladder. So imagine my surprise when a well-established box-and-trading-card-game company like Cryptozoic announced it was producing HEX, an MMOTCG using Kickstarter as a funding vehicle.
MMOTCG HEX doubles Kickstarter goal with 3 weeks left
HEX: Shards of Fate, the MMO trading card game that we first introduced last week, is doing fairly well in its current Kickstarter campaign. How well, you ask? So far the company has raised over $600,000 of the game's $300,000 goal with 21 days still to go! That's thanks to almost 5,000 backers so far. While these numbers are impressive one week into the campaign, it should be no surprise considering the talent working on this MMOTDG. Cryptozoic Entertainment is a veteran studio that has developed and published several other trading card and board games for The Walking Dead, Lord of the Rings, DC Comics, World of Warcraft, and more. With the game already funded at this point, it's still worth checking out the game's reward tiers and stretch goals to see if it's something you might be interested in supporting. You have only 21 more days! [Thanks for the tip, Sounder!]
Cryptozoic smashes funding goal for new Hex TCG
You've no doubt heard about Cryptozoic, who makes the World of Warcraft trading card game. But these days, Blizzard is focusing on its home-brewed digital TCG Hearthstone and Cryptozoic is working on a new project: Hex, which they call an MMO trading card game. Hex takes advantage of its all-digital nature to add some MMO elements like characters, gear, and guilds to a traditional TCG game. And, while it's not out yet -- Cryptozoic expects the beta to start this September -- the Kickstarter campaign to fund the game is happening now. With 21 days to go, Cryptozoic has already blown past their $300,000 funding goal with $567,000 raised at the time of this writing. Now they're working on stretch goals which will add new gameplay features for everyone -- and new bonuses for backers -- as they're reached. If you're interested in a different kind of TCG -- or a change of pace from World of Warcraft -- you might want to check out Cryptozoic's Kickstarter. Contributing $10 will get you into the beta this fall and $20 and up gets you beta access and cards once the game launches -- including some special cards you'll only ever be able to get through this Kickstarter campaign.
Introducing HEX, the MMOTCG by Cryptozoic
Cryptozoic Entertainment has just revealed the Kickstarter for its upcoming MMO trading card game, HEX: Shards of Fate. Cryptozoic is claiming that the game "combines the amazing community and storytelling aspects" of MMOs with the "compelling collectible and strategic game play" of TCGs. Players will roll a character (from a selection of six classes and eight races), collect gear, explore dungeons and raids, join guilds, and do other stuff that you'd usually associate with an MMORPG. They'll also be able to unlock and utilize more than 350 cards (in the first set), socket those cards for customization, and compete in a manner fairly typical of TCGs. Each card tracks its own leveling bar (the completion of which will transform the card into its foil variant), a trophy case for showing off what you've won while using that card, card-specific achievements, and more. Cards can also be transformed mid-match, giving you the ability to, say, hatch an egg to produce a dragon to help you out during your fight. The Kickstarter project is trying to reach $300,000. Rewards start as low as beta access at the $10 level and go on up to the "producer tier" for the five people who first choose to throw $10,000 or more into the hat.
Batman: Arkham City is a board game now
Batman: Arkham City Escape is a board game based on the game sequel to the game based on the comics, due in the UK this June (and elsewhere in "Q2") from Cryptozoic Games.In the two-player game, one player controls Batman's villains, using their special abilities to escape from Arkham City with hostages in tow. The other player controls Batman, using his stealth, tools, and impressive glower to prevent their escape. Randomly located gargoyles help him travel around the board, just like in the video game.Start working on your utility-belt style card holster now!
WoW TCG Betrayal of the Guardian exclusive preview: Aegwynn
Fans of the WoW TCG already know a little bit about the next set available, but we have an exclusive preview of one of the cards from the new set. Betrayal of the Guardian is the second set in the Timewalkers block, sending players back to the days of the First and Second Wars on Azeroth -- the days of Orc vs. Humans and Tides of Darkness. Of course, you can't really call a set Betrayal of the Guardian without an appearance by the Guardian herself -- Aegwynn, Guardian of Tirisfal. Aegwynn was appointed Guardian by the Order of Tirisfal in the earlier days of Azeroth's history. She accomplished more than a few astounding feats during her time as Guardian, including the defeat of the Avatar of Sargeras in Northrend. But what she didn't realize was that Sargeras' spirit then leapt to her body, and later, to her unborn son. When Medivh, Aegwynn's heir and the next in line for Guardian, was born, he was born with that piece of Sargeras' spirit slumbering inside of him, waiting for the right opportunity to wake up and take over. But enough about Aegwynn's history. Let's take a better look at that gorgeous card after the break.
12 Days of Winter Veil Giveaway: War of the Ancients WoW TCG Epic Collection
12 Days of Winter Veil is under way here at WoW Insider. That means 12 days of giveaways, 12 chances for you to win some of the awesome swag we've accumulated over the year. Whether you've been a good goblin or a naughty night elf, there's a chance that WoW Insider has a holiday gift for you this season. On the 11th of Winter Veil, we're giving away a War of the Ancients Epic Collection from the World of Warcraft TCG, courtesy of Cryptozoic Entertainment. While it doesn't have the sweet tin we gave away last week, it does come packaged with a whole lot of great stuff, including: 6 War of the Ancients Booster Packs 1 War of the Ancients Playmat and Deckbox Collectible storage box with class dividers 1 Loot card War of the Ancients visual pocket guide 5 random foil War of the Ancients heroes To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. ET, Sunday, January 6, 2013. You must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). You may only enter once. One winner will be chosen at random and we will contact you via whatever method you've used to comment. Official rules here.
