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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!
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]
Baine Bloodhoof stomps his way into WoW TCG's War of the Ancients
As one of the featured races in the upcoming WoW TCG Timewalkers block, the tauren received the powerful Tribe keyword, which lets them activate each others' powers when they come into play. But they can't protect the timeways alone -- they need a chieftain to lead the charge and protect them. Enter Baine, Son of Cairne, the epic tauren ally in the upcoming War of the Ancients set that Cryptozoic sent us to preview. Baine comes packing the powerful War Stomp keyword, knocking out a hero or ally when he swings, and further damaging them when they exhaust. His high health pool and Protector keyword will let him protect your weaker allies to keep their Tribe powers rolling in the late game. We previewed the ultra-rare extended art version of the Malorne the White Stag master hero card last week, and Cryptozoic has begun their own official previews of War of the Ancients, which features playable lore characters as heroes for the first time in a standard WoW TCG set. Play as Malfurion, Queen Azshara, Broxigar the Red, and more heroes from every era of Warcraft history as you protect the timeways of the Caverns of Time with the Timewalkers faction. Timewalkers: War of the Ancients releases October 2nd.
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]
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!
CPU Wars and c-Jump: the nerdiest card and board games ever
Board games and card games are kind of dorky to begin with. And there are plenty of titles out there that hold a special place in the heart of the nerd (just ask one about Settlers of Catan). But, there is a line, a line which even the nerdiest amongst us might not care to cross. For example, c-Jump -- a board game that teaches the basics of programming. Some of the spaces you'll land on in the course of your journey down the mountain include "goto jump;" and "switch (x) {". Then there's CPU Wars, for the three people out there that think Magic: The Gathering is too mainstream. In this card battle game you pit CPUs from throughout history against each other and attempt to collect all your adversary's processors. You can order c-Jump through ThinkGeek for $25 and pledge cash to CPU Wars over at Kickstarter. You'll find a video of the card game after the break.
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!
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!
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!
Gold Capped: Staying ahead of inflation
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Fox Van Allen and Basil "Euripides" Berntsen aim to show you how to make money on the auction house. Feed Fox's ego by emailing him or tweeting him at @foxvanallen. Do you remember the moment you hit 1 gold for the first time? I do. I was killing mobs in Ashenvale, vendoring Light Feathers and other various trash drops. It was an epic moment. That first piece of gold felt like so much money. It wasn't a lot of money, of course -- it just felt like it. But still, it was worth a heck of a lot more than one piece of gold is worth today. The reason: Azeroth suffers from a constant state of hyperinflation. The purchasing power of 1g is always falling, and it's falling quickly. Thankfully, though, you don't have to stand by and be a victim.
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.
