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Last chance to join Star Wars Galaxies sunset
In June, we broke the sad news that Star Wars Galaxies would be shutting down this December. But if you were hoping to check out one of the best sandbox MMOs in existence before the final curtain falls, you're running out of time. According to Sony Online Entertainment, only accounts that are active and in good standing on September 15th will be eligible for the sunset period and events, so if you want to play, you'll have to plan ahead and reactivate your account one last time to make sure your account is active on Thursday. After that, your account will remain active for free until December 15th, when the galaxies are closed down for the last time. Confused? Mepps on the official forums has an even more detailed explanation for all the caveats and what-ifs you can dream up. Players meeting the criterion will also find that their accounts are flagged for free access to other SOE games (including EverQuest II and DC Universe Online) from October 15th to the end of the year, further sweetening the deal. Finally, although the SWG TCG will remain in operation as long as the game does, loot cards cease being redeemable after September 15th, so grab your free loot cards while you still can!
WoW TCG: Throne of the Tides monster preview
The World of Warcraft Trading Card Game is getting a monstrous new expansion set on Oct. 11, bringing new creatures such as the ogres, murlocs, and naga into the game as playable characters. Aftermath: Throne of the Tides is the first set in the Aftermath series, set after the Cataclysm and Deathwing's rage-fueled destruction across Azeroth. Matt Place, the head designer of WoW TCG and lead designer on Aftermath: Throne of the Tides, wrote up a comprehensive preview of the new mechanics and many new heroes coming with the newest set. New monster heroes and allies will be given brand new rule sets that make them unique and fun, providing lots of flexibility for deck builders and new game play experiences. Monster allies, for instance, have no restrictions based on the hero that the deck is built around, giving them added flexibility. On the flipside, a monster hero deck featuring only monsters gets some cool benefits as well. Monster heroes each have a permanent power on the back of their cards. The murlocs run in packs, granting each other bonuses that the others possess. I immediately thought back to my Magic: The Gathering days with the Slivers and was instantly excited, since the Slivers were some of the coolest creations in TCG history. The murlocs sound like they are going to be a numerous force at all times, swarming your opponent and building up lots of cool bonuses.
Exclusive: Referee Ruby plays Treasure War in Free Realms
Referee Ruby is back again this week with another exclusive Free Realms video, this time showing off the Treasure War card game. Accessible through Greenwood Forest, Treasure War is a simple, card-styled rock-paper-scissors game in which players pit their cards against opponents' cards in an attempt to steal -- you guessed it -- treasure. The game features three modes: Quickplay, for low-risk, speedy, and fun matches vs. other players; Campaign, which requires the participant to face off against increasingly difficult NPCs for prizes; and Tournament, a competitive version of Quickplay that offers lucrative rewards. Ruby notes that Treasure War isn't a standard TCG in which you build a custom deck; instead, your cards are chosen at random from your collection by the game itself. Of course, the Free Realms cash shop sells gems that can boost your odds of winning if you really need that extra edge. You can also purchase card packs for a chance at rare prizes like the glowy phoenix mount Ruby's riding at the end of the trailer. Enjoy the full video just behind the break!
Kard Combat gets four new mages and two new modes in free update
Have you already burned your way through the four main campaigns of Hothead's recently released iOS strategy title, Kard Combat? First of all, you need to slow the heck down. How are you supposed to enjoy anything in life if you consume it with such terrible avarice? Secondly, you'll want to update the game through the App Store as soon as humanly possible -- the developer recently launched a massive update for the title, which notably adds four new decks to the mix: Demon, Chaos, Deception and Arcane. These new decks and campaigns (as well as a new Challenge mode and Timed Multiplayer mode) are free to anyone who purchased the full game unlock -- as all future deck expansions to the title will be. We're glad every other TCG on the planet isn't quite as generous. We're not sure the support struts of our house could withstand the weight of all those metric tons of Pokémon cards.
WoW TCG: Aftermath: Throne of the Tides adds monsters to the mix
As the Worldbreaker series comes to an end, we now turn to the aftermath of Deathwing's destructive awakening into Azeroth and the continued battle against the elements and the Twilight Hammer Cult. The newest WoW TCG expansion, Aftermath: Throne of the Tides, puts players in control of murloc, naga, and ogre heroes as exciting new additions to the WoW TCG hero lineup. Playing as some of the more monstrous races in the World of Warcraft universe is pretty cool, with all new keywords and abilities to take advantage of during gameplay. In addition, Throne of the Tides has been built from the ground up to be a smoother draft and sealed play experience, preparing even the newest players for fun, engaging tournament play. Read on to learn about the Epic Collection and the new in-game goodies that await TCG fans.
Cryptozoic and the WoW TCG at Gen Con 2011
From Aug. 4 through Aug. 7, Cryptozoic Entertainment will be hosting the Darkmoon Faire Indianapolis at Gen Con Indianapolis 2011. Players can check out the newest WoW TCG sets, learn from the Cryptozoic pros, compete in a beginner's tournament, and challenge Alexstrasza to become a Dragonslayer. Class starter decks for the WoW TCG will also be on sale at a discount at Gen Con and you can check out board game demos as well. If you're going to be at Gen Con Indianapolis 2011, check out Cryptozoic and the WoW TCG at booth #1749. Cryptozoic loves to teach the WoW TCG to new players and is really welcoming when it comes to learning about the game. You'll have a blast. See if you can try out the Assault on Icecrown Citadel four-player game while you're there. Our own Mike Sacco loved it.
Portabliss: Kard Combat (iOS)
Did you know that you can download handheld games now? That's amazingly convenient! The only inconvenient part of it is finding the right games to buy -- and that's where we come in. Three times a week, our new Portabliss column will tell you about a downloadable game on the iPhone, iPad, Android device, DSi, 3DS, PSP, etc. Today: Kard Combat! Considering the microtransactional crossover between traditional trading card games and iOS apps, it's astonishing the two haven't blown up into their own, obscenely lucrative industry. Not that I'm complaining -- my wallet can't afford to be gripped by the plaguing addiction of another Magic: The Gathering or Pokémon TCG. Perhaps that's why I enjoy Kard Combat as much as I do; not only is it an excellent, compelling game, but it also won't send you into an inescapable spiral of bankruptcy, which is awfully nice of it. This mercy is surprising, considering the involvement of Magic creator Richard Garfield, whose influence can be seen in Kard Combat's every mechanic. The game actually plays like a smartly boiled-down version of Wizards of the Coast's TCG: two players summon creatures using mana to attack the opposing team's roster or, with luck, the other player themselves.%Gallery-126811%
Exclusive: Smedley on the sunsetting of Star Wars Galaxies [Updated]
When I penned this week's Soapbox about Star Wars Galaxies and the NGE, I had no idea what was in store for MMO gamers today. In fact, I was so confident that the pre-eminent MMO sandbox was going to be around forever (or at least another eight years) that I reassured commenters that there was no need to fear Star Wars: The Old Republic. The two games might both feature the Star Wars IP, but their goals are so dramatically different -- one being a dialogue-driven themepark, the other being a player-driven sandbox -- that they shouldn't conflict unduly. Surely Star Wars fans could play both indefinitely and enjoy both types of gameplay. Unfortunately, on Thursday we learned that just won't be so. Sony Online Entertainment has announced that Star Wars Galaxies will be shutting down on December 15th of this year, marking what is in my mind the most significant sunset of a major MMO to date (and a personally painful one for many on the staff at Massively, including me). I know what you're thinking, and no, the impending closure is due neither to the hackings nor to a dwindling playerbase. Past the break, an audibly regretful John Smedley, President of SOE, sits down with us to chat about SWG's sunset, explaining the reasons that led to the decision and offering a new hope for the future.
Captain's Log: The lower decks
Captain's Log, Stardate 64977.3... Spock, Riker, Kira, Worf, Chakotay, and T'Pol. What do they all have in common? They are the notable men and women who served under their Captains as First Officer. Joret, Sito, Alyssa, Taurik, Sam and Geniveve. What do they all have in common? No one knows who the heck they are. In the world of Star Trek, these "unknowns" are the members of the lower decks, people whose work goes unnoticed, whose accomplishments are unacknowledged, and who are often killed off at the end of the episode when you finally do get to know them. While the ships in Star Trek Online currently seem to be manned only by the Captain, his or her Bridge Officers (BOff), and some random crewmen walking around the ship, this is about to change. In the next couple months, get ready to welcome new members to your ship's lower decks. The Duty Officer (DOff) system will be adding a new form of gameplay to STO and give players even more ways to level characters and become immersed in the universe surrounding them. While there are a ton of random pieces of information about it floating out there, I think that Captain's Log is the perfect place to put it all together and give you a more concise picture of how it will work. Ensign, warp 10! It's time to attend your new favorite class, DOffs 101...
The Soapbox: The Uncle Owen paradox
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. This week, the venerable Star Wars Galaxies celebrates its eighth year of existence. I was there in the beginning -- before the beginning, in fact. I did what a lot of you early SWG players probably did: I had a guild and a guild city, multiple accounts, a booming business as a chef, and a character who could entertain and fight. Even then, we realized how different SWG was from its immediate predecessors like EverQuest and Dark Age of Camelot. We'd returned to the earlier age of Ultima Online, of persistent worlds (as the term was used back then). It was more a world than a game, and in it we could roleplay whatever we liked, to a point. Nowadays, we'd call it a sandbox. Old-school MMO gamers know well that the sandbox is under attack. Some will blame it on EverQuest, some on World of Warcraft, some on the free-to-play phenomenon. Among the Massively commenters, there's a large contingent of gamers who consider SWG's own NGE to be the beginning of the end of the classic sandbox. I can't say they're wrong when it comes to the philosophy governing new MMOs, but the sandbox isn't dead yet.
Hothead Games settles on Kard Combat, deals out some details
Hothead Games, we have never been this disappointed in you. After you asked for titles for your magically-charged iOS trading card game, and we responded with pure gold like Hocus Poker and Guess Who: Portraits of Power, you went with ... Kard Combat. Sure, it succinctly sums up the free-to-play game's two biggest constituent elements, but we think that moniker could have used a bit of spicing-up. Also, some spell-checking, because "Card" is spelled with a "C," you silly geese. Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield served as a co-designer on Kard Combat, and explained in a press release, "For years I've wanted to create Magic-like experiences for people who play video games. Kard Combat on iPhone and iPad does this and is simple enough for anyone to pick up and play, but with plenty of depth for the hardcore player." Check out the gallery below and the trailer after the jump to see just what kind of depth we can expect from the egregiously misspelled title. %Gallery-126811%
Madden NFL 12 video highlights Madden Ultimate Team changes
Since debuting in Madden NFL 10, EA Sports' card game version of football, Madden Ultimate Team, has apparently resonated with fans as it will be returning for a third year in Madden NFL 12. In this trailer, EA Sports highlights some of the changes in this year's version.
KingsIsle brings Wizard101 goodies to Canada
KingsIsle Entertainment, maker of the very popular card-based freemium title Wizard101, announced today that it will be releasing a brand-new mega-bundle pre-paid card to stores across the country. Here's how the cards work: Players pay a set amount and receive a card with a code that, once redeemed in-game, can add all sorts of gold, goodies, and other options. The new card features a new flying carpet mount, a massive sultan's palace complete with a mirage, 5000 crowns to be used in the cash shop, and several other fun items. It's no wonder the cards have become one of the best-selling cards at Gamestop -- they offer an all-in-one package that is easy to pick up. Canadians worried about getting their hands on these cards can rest easy -- KingsIsle is pushing the cards into major Canadian retailers this fall. Concerned players who have been "surprisingly vocal" about the lack of card access will also get the chance to own exclusive pets available only in their area. This move will bring Wizard101's combined retail presence to over 50,000 stores. Not bad -- not bad at all. So, what's next for the freemium giant? Well, KingsIsle just partnered with Gameforge to bring the game overseas. Interesting things happen when you have to port a fully voice-acted game like Wizard101 to a place like Germany. The UI and map has to be tweaked to allow room for the longer written language, and everything needs to be localized. There are also cultural differences to consider, and the cash shop can be received differently than here in the U.S. The new game cards will be offered for $39, but the items included are valued at over $100.
WoW TCG art gallery updated
Do you love absolutely awesome art? Good news! Blizzard has updated the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game art gallery. The folks at Cryptozoic have some amazing artists putting out gorgeous character pieces and card art. Of this batch, I am particularly in love with the art of Myzrael, the titan watcher and princess of the earth.
Cryptozoic announces WoW TCG Twilight of the Dragons expansion
WoW Trading Card Game fans are about to get really excited, as Cryptozoic has just released details on the third installment of the Worldbreaker set, Twilight of the Dragons. From the details released, this set will be Deathwing's break into Azeroth, releasing the Twilight dragonflight upon us all. Hit the jump for all the details and an awesome artwork gallery. %Gallery-122227%
Cryptozoic invites you to Darkmoon Faire Chicago this weekend, April 1-3
Cryptozoic invites all WoW and TCG players out to Darkmoon Faire Chicago this weekend, April 1-3, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. This is Cryptozoic's first Epic Con, their new traveling gaming convention for all games, not just the trading card games. There is going to be plenty of fun awaiting attendees, so hit the jump for all of the activities planned this weekend.
WoW TCG: War of the Elements worldwide release April 26
Cryptozoic has just announced that War of the Elements, the first WoW TCG Worldbreaker expansion, will be released worldwide on April 26, 2011. The expansion is being released in four languages at the same time around the world, a first for the trading card game. War of the Elements also features loot cards, as usual, for WoW players to redeem cool pets, mounts, and other in-game items from WoW TCG cards. War of the Elements will include Landros' Lichling, Fool's Gold, and the Savage Raptor mount. War of the Elements will also feature two new dragonflights: the bronze and blue flights, with respective leaders Nozdormu and Kalecgos. What is interesting is that the TCG has solidified Metzen's statement that Kalecgos would become the new leader of the Blue Dragonflight and plays up the importance of these two flights in the coming patches and content in Cataclysm. %Gallery-119621%
Review: WoW TCG Assault on Icecrown Citadel Four-Player Game
Ever since acquiring the license to the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, Cryptozoic Entertainment has been making a huge push to make the game even more accessible. This doesn't mean just accessible for people familiar with hobby games -- it also means accessible to someone who's a huge World of Warcraft fan, but never got into hobby games. One of the steps in this process was the release of the Assault on Icecrown Citadel Four-Player Game. You might be familiar with the "raid deck" format (utilized previously with Molten Core, Onyxia's Lair, Magtheridon's Lair, Black Temple, and Naxxramas), wherein a group of players play cooperatively against one of their friends, who's controlling the boss(es) of the dungeon. But there's a stumbling block for those who want to just jump right in and play a raid: you have to buy your own cards and construct your own deck if you want to play as anyone but the bad guy. Assault on Icecrown Citadel changes up the format slightly, instead putting players in the roles of Tirion Fordring, Jaina Proudmoore, and Sylvanas Windrunner as they battle the Lich King. Each hero has their own themed deck included in the box, along with Arthas' boss deck, meaning that the moment you pick up the game, you can crack it open and play. I'm not a huge hobby gamer. I played Magic: The Gathering in middle school, but the WoW TCG is pretty much the only card or board game I play with any regularity. And I have to tell you: Assault on Icecrown Citadel is an absolute blast.
PAX East 2011: Cryptozoic Entertainment's big year
It's been almost exactly a year since it was announced that Cryptozoic Entertainment, a new company founded by former employees of Blizzard Entertainment, Upper Deck, and DC Comics, would be taking over the license for the WoW Trading Card Game from Upper Deck. With no other products under the company's belt, players were understandably skeptical that a startup would be able to develop the TCG effectively, but looking at the actual talent behind the company rather than the age of the company told a different story. Cory Jones, one of the company's founders, was the director of global business development and licensing at Blizzard, for example, and John Nee was DC Comics' head of business development. Couple that with designers and other employees who came over from other successful card games and companies, and you have a dynamite combination. I caught up with Ben Cichoski, head designer for the WoW TCG, at PAX East. WoW Insider: It's been a pretty busy year for you guys. What do you consider the company's biggest accomplishment so far?
WoW TCG Assault on Icecrown Citadel 4-player game now available
Grab three friends and roll the dice to see who gets to be the Lich King -- Cryptozoic Entertainment just released the Assault on Icecrown Citadel four-player game! The game is built on the WoW Trading Card Game, but rather than having to build and use your own deck, you take control of decks themed around Icecrown's biggest heroes: Tirion Fordring, Sylvanas Windrunner, and Jaina Proudmoore. Each hero plays differently, and you'll need all of their unique abilities and weapons to defeat the Lich King, also controlled by a player. To top it off, it's packaged with a special Treasure Pack containing cards unique to the set and Worldbreaker loot cards. I was lucky enough to get to play the game before its release, and I can vouch for its fun factor. Being able to play as a lore hero instead of an average Joe gives the game a really epic feeling. The Assault on Icecrown Citadel game retails for $39.99 and is available at retailers now.
