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PAX East 2013: Blizzard announces Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft CCG
What's the "something new" that Blizzard promised at PAX East? Is it Titan? A Diablo III expansion? The Lost Vikings Online? Nay, it's Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, a digital collectable card game. Blizzard announced Hearthstone in the opening minutes of the convention. The game is being developed by a new, smaller team at the studio that wanted more freedom to experiment and create quicker titles. Hearthstone is a free-to-play title that will pit players against each other over an animated 3-D table with nine classes from World of Warcraft. It will use Battle.net matchmaking to pair up users. Packs of five cards (with varying degrees of rarity) can be either earned through playing the game or purchased separately. The team wanted to make the game intuitive and simple to play, as well as dynamic and exciting to watch. Duplicate cards can be disenchanted to create new cards as well. You can watch the trailer after the jump. [Update: To be clear, the cards are earned through Hearthstone play, not WoW play.]
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.
Tekken Card Tournament shows its hand: free online game, premium physical cards
A new trading card game based on Tekken is making its way to the arena. Tekken Card Tournament is a cross-media TCG being rolled out in two phases: a free-to-play online card battle game for mobile devices and browsers, followed by physical booster packs available for purchase in-store. The free-to-play game is coming "in the next few weeks," while the physical card follow-ups will strike a battle pose on store shelves some time later this year. The two will work together – the standalone cards can be played on their own or entered into the online game through QR code scanning, which will either upgrade the appropriate fighter in your online stable or add him/her/a panda bear to your online roster. %Gallery-176876%
Cryptozoic reveals World of Warcraft TCG Set 20: Betrayal of the Guardian
Return to the days of the first and second war, when Orcs first came to Azeroth with Betrayal of the Guardian, the second set in the epic Timewalkers Block! Medivh, the last guardian of Tirisfal, first orchestrated the eventual wars that pitted humans versus orcs by bringing the bloodthirsty orcs and Gul'dan to Azeroth through the Dark Portal. Relive the first moments of the original Warcraft games with cards that harken back to this time. Will you be part of the stalwart humans, the bloodthirsty orcs, or will you be tempted to support the Monsters that have been left to lurk in Karazhan after Medivh's corruption? Cryptozoic, the company who brings us the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, has revealed the latest set. Betrayal of the Guardian, as the set is titled, is set 2 of 3 in the Timewalkers block, with 232 cards including 30 hero, 60 rare and 30 12 epic. Players can ally themselves with the Timewalkers, who become more powerful if you control multiple copies of a Horde or Alliance race. You can choose to aid the Alliance, help the Horde, or become a Monster and fight against both factions! Cryptozoic has a selection of sample artwork from the set, along with further information. The set will be available for purchase in early 2013, retailing at $3.99 per booster pack. A few WoW Insider writers were lucky enough to have their characters included in the set, so we'll all be rushing out once it's released to obtain a copy of our cards and those of our colleagues!
12 Days of Winter Veil Giveaway: World of Warcraft TCG Feast of Winter Veil Collector's Tin
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. Today we're giving away a Feast of Winter Veil Collector's Tin from the World of Warcraft TCG, courtesy of Cryptozoic Entertainment. The delightfully festive collectible tin includes: 1 Card Set (9 Rares) 2 Mini-Pet Cards 3 Packs of War of the Ancients 1 Deck Box To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. ET, Friday, December 28, 2012. 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 whichever method you've used to comment. Official rules here.
The Tattered Notebook: How Legends of Norrath influenced EverQuest II
Earlier this week, we reported on a change in the Legends of Norrath. Gold members have received free LoN packs each month, and they would stack up so that even if you didn't log in during a certain month, you'd still receive the pack. Going forward, you have to log in each month or you won't get the pack for that month. It might seem like a small change, but there are a surprising number of players who participate not necessarily for the game cards but for a chance at one of the rarer loot cards. Over the years, Legends of Norrath has actually had several loot cards that created some controversy, and one could argue that LoN helped ease EverQuest II's transition to the Marketplace and even to free-to-play. Let's look at some of the more notable loot cards in this week's Tattered Notebook.
Super Hero Squad Online tops four million registered players
If big numbers and dubious milestones are your passion, then have we got a post for you! Gazillion announced that its Super Hero Squad Online just crossed the four million player line. Of course, these are registered players, so that includes actual players of the title and anyone who just signed up on the website. Gazillion President David Brevik popped the celebratory cork anyway: "Breaking four million registered users is a tremendous achievement for Super Hero Squad Online and for Gazillion Entertainment. We love the passion that our players have shown for the game, and we are excited to continue to put out new and exciting content for them to enjoy." The studio is working hard to expand the overall service of the game, including a redesigned website that will allow European players to access North American servers. [Source: Gazillion press release]
WoW TCG Timewalkers: War of the Ancients previews have begun
It's all a matter of time - time, and those walking in it, that is. Welcome to the Timewalkers: War of the Ancients preview up on the official WoW TCG site. Even if you don't play the TCG, just as a lore nerd or art loved these cards have a treasure trove of neat new things for you. I honestly plan on collecting several of them just for the art alone, like our old friend Broxigar the Red up there in all his wooden axe wielding glory. Have you ever seen a tree that could chop down another tree? Now you have. But for players of the game, there's a lot more than pretty art and cool characters in store. (Although those are definitely part and parcel of the experience.) The new keywords in the set allow for themed decks built around various races (in this case, humans, orcs, tauren and night elves) to be constructed and to gain synergy and benefits from doing so. If you remember our preview of Malorne, that's just one of many awesome cards available in this set. The Ancients, heroes of legend, and even the mysterious Timewalkers faction await your discovery. Remember, the Timewalkers: War of the Ancients officially releases October 2nd, but there will be sneak previews at various game and hobby shops September 22nd and 23rd, so keep an eye out for your chance to play it early. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
MMO Family: Clone Wars Adventures' tale of two card games
Even though Clone Wars Adventures is a kid-friendly MMO, I've always been a fan of the title, partially because it sort of came out of nowhere and launched soon after it was revealed and partially because it's done a terrific job of matching content and itemization with the TV series. The Darth Maul content update was a household favorite, particularly because the pint-sized players in the family got a chance at going face to face with one of Star Wars' major baddies after seeing him on the animated show. Talk about an epic moment for a CWA fan! The most recent update, though, left me scratching my head a bit. Clone Wars Adventures has had a trading card game called Card Commander for quite a while. Recently, though, SOE added a completely new trading card game called Card Assault. What's the new game like, and why would an MMO have not one but two card games? This week's MMO Family will take a look at the new game and theorycraft on why we're neck deep in cards!
Stephen Reid is 'on again' with Gazillion Entertainment
Stephen Reid, most recently one of the folks steering the consular ship that is the Star Wars: The Old Republic community, has found a home (once again) with Gazillion Entertainment. The industry vet has worked as Gazillion's Community Director previously and says he's both really happy and "strangely nervous" to be back to the job and working on Marvel games. "The future of gaming isn't certain and a 'job for life' doesn't exist. All you can do is follow your passion and your heart and hope it leads somewhere great. That's what I've done for my entire career, and I'm not going to stop now." Reid's now working on the up-and-running Super Hero Squad Online and the soon-to-be-launched Marvel Heroes. If you want to know more about the move, hit up his Tumblr post or listen in on this TORWars.com podcast.
The Daily Grind: Are cash-shop lotteries a black mark on MMOs?
Western players gripe about random number generators, especially when it comes to cash shops. Many of us rebel against paying for lockboxes in Star Trek Online, TCG cards in the now-defunct Star Wars Galaxies, and super-packs in City of Heroes because we want to buy a thing, not a chance at a thing. Apparently, the idea annoys at least one government too. Earlier this week, rumors began swirling that the Japanese government might crack down on social games that employ "konpu gacha" -- essentially a crafting mechanic that requires a succession of lottery-esque random rolls. To gather the random and rare items you need to craft the gizmo you really want, you wind up spending tons of real cash on a bunch of stuff you don't. Sound familiar? I'm not a fan of legislative meddling in how fools and their money are parted, but I'm still wondering what you all think. Are these kinds of cash-shop tricks fair play, or do you think the genre would be better off without them? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Super Hero Squad Online introduces Ant-Man, new Avengers costumes
Avengers, assemble! In Super Hero Squad Online, that is. The fine folks at Gazillion Entertainment announced today that in order to celebrate the upcoming release of the much-anticipated Avengers film, the latest update to the free-to-play title will allow players to assemble the original Avengers team thanks to the introduction of Ant-Man and a new World-War-II-era costume for Captain America. As comic aficionados know, the original Avengers team (unlike the team featured in the upcoming film) consisted of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, and Wasp. Now that Ant-Man has joined the fray, the entire roster of original Avengers characters is now available in SHSO, and not a second too soon. The mischievous trickster-god Loki is back in business, and it's up to players to protect Baxter Plaza and the fallen remains of Asgard from his destructive antics. So what are you waiting for? Assemble your team and get to work; humanity is depending on you, heroes. [Source: Gazillion Entertainment press release]
Cryptozoic announces Battle of the Aspects raid deck
The WoW Trading Card Game just got a whole lot more epic with Battle of the Aspects, the newest raid deck that pits three or more players against an automated Deathwing, complete with heroic modes. Yes, you heard that right -- Deathwing in the Battle of the Aspects raid deck has varied levels of difficulty. Raid decks allow players to take on the role of one of the four dragon aspects fighting against Deathwing. Each character has unique abilities and are displayed on oversized hero cards with (presumably) beautiful-as-always Cryptozoic art. The coolest feature, in my opinion, is that Deathwing himself has different tentacles that you can add to the game that increase his power and the game's overall challenge. Cryptozoic promises that even veteran players will be up against the wall if they play on the hardest setting. There are even achievement cards that force you to change the rules or play the game differently in order to meet a new goal and still come out victorious. Suffice it to say, there's a lot of replayability. Battle of the Aspects is part of the Aftermath block of the WoW TCG and will be launching in August for an MSRP of $30, with nine-card treasure packs for $6 each.
MMO Family: Kid-friendly MMO roundup, part 1
With all of the buzz centered around "grown-up" MMO titles like Star Wars: The Old Republic and Guild Wars 2, it's easy for the kid-friendly games to get lost in the shuffle. There may not be as many kid titles on the horizon, but for the games that are currently out there, there's been an amazing amount of activity going on in these virtual worlds. I decided to take a peek at some of my (and the kids') favorites, along with a few games that we've done first impressions on, to see what they've been up to lately. Since there are too many great kid-friendly MMOs out there to fit into one column, this will be the first of what will probably be many follow-up entries covering other games, so if you don't see your favorite family-friendly game here, fear not!
Super Hero Squad trading card game to feature bonus MMO content
For those of us who grew up as sports fans during the early 1990s, the name Upper Deck is synonymous with baseball cards. Nowadays, the firm has branched out into customizable trading card games, and the latest such is a tie-in to Gazillion's kid-friendly Super Hero Squad Online MMO. The Super Hero Squad TCG features a 300-card base set chock-full of the usual Marvel suspects. Alongside the Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Captain America cards are special loot inserts with reward codes that unlock bonus items and exclusive playable characters in SHSO. Look for booster packs at your favorite gaming retailer on April 24th. [Source: Marvel press release]
Cryptozoic's giving away mounts for the holidays
Are you a fan of awesome in-game mounts from WoW TCG? Well, you should be, because it's awesome, and Cryptozoic is giving you a chance to win three different mounts from its new Facebook contest. Between now and Jan. 2, 2012, you can go to Cryptozoic's Facebook page, become a fan, and then Like, comment, and share the loot giveaway picture for your chance to win. Up for grabs are the coveted Spectral Tiger mount, a Wooly White Rhino mount card, and the new Wasteland Tallstrider, one of the first new tallstrider mounts to be introduced to the game. Remember, you must become a fan of the WoW TCG on Facebook in order to be entered, as well as sharing, Liking, and commenting on the promotional picture. Good luck!
MMO Family: Heroing-up in Super Hero Squad Online
There's a growing number of great kid-friendly MMOs available, and one that I've been meaning to check out for a while now is Super Hero Squad Online. The game has only been out for eight months, yet in that short time, it's reached over a million registered users and added lots of new content and characters. I've spent some time in the game, along with my two young testers, to find out what the buzz is all about. We formed up a squad and set off to check out missions, the card game, our headquarters, and the opportunities for exploration out in the world, and our first impressions are found below. If you've ever wanted to know what the little super heroes eat or what holiday treats are available at the Parker household, you'll definitely want to read on!
WoW TCG: Fall 2011 Class Starter Decks available Dec. 6
Cryptozoic has announced the release date for the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game Fall 2011 Starter Decks. These decks will feature 10 unique heroes (five Horde and five Alliance) for players to collect and will be specially designed so that a new player can purchase a single deck and be ready to play. Each deck will also contain a World of Warcraft in-game item (such as the Party G.R.E.N.A.D.E., the Spectral Kitten/Spectral Tiger Cub, or the Dragon Kite), a War of the Elements booster pack, and a reprint of a previous fan favorite card. The decks are are projected to be available on Dec. 6, 2011, and will retail for around $10.99. For more information, visit Cryptozoic's website.
Cryptozoic announces new WoW card game Clash of Champions
Cryptozoic Entertainment, which puts out the WoW Trading Card Game, has announced a new way for you to enjoy the Warcraft universe with Clash of Champions, a new deck-building card game. This game allows you to take on the role of a major hero of the Warcraft universe such as Thrall, Jaina, King Magni, Garrosh, or Varian Wrynn and fight monsters and epic bosses. As you fight, you level up, and you can add new abilities and loot to your card deck. As you may expect from the basic outline of the rules, this will be a separate game from the TCG, with new rules and new ways to play, but it sounds like an epic playing experience and a fun way to battle with your favorite characters from the Warcraft mythos. The new game is expected in spring 2012.
WoW TCG: Throne of the Tides Alliance and Horde ally previews
The newest WoW TCG expansion, Aftermath: Throne of the Tides, isn't just about monsters like the naga, murlocs, and ogres. No sir, not at all. The Horde and the Alliance are both well represented in the coming card set, featuring new allies for both factions. As with all Cryptozoic card sets, the art for the cards is amazing and worth a look even if you aren't a die-hard TCG fan like so many are. New Alliance allies are hitting the TCG, including Faithseer Jasmina, a Worgen priest with the ability to keep herself alive through preventing lots of damage, making Worgen one of the hardest races to take down in the card game. The other Alliance ally previewed is Mekkatorque, King of the Gnomes, who has the ability to reconstruct lost equipment during the game into strength for himself. The new Horde allies hitting the battlefield include Alana the Woebringer, an Undead priest, and Lordann the Bloodreaver, a Blood Elf warrior. Alana the Woebringer has a dangerous ability that allows her to cut the opponent's deck in half at the start of each turn. She is a total deck destroyer, removing cards from the game until you bring her down. Lordann the Bloodreaver gets big bonuses for having your hero having lots of damage and will be especially useful with aggressive players. Aftermath: Throne of the Tides will be released on Oct. 11. Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
