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Why Robin Makes Batman Better Here’s a train I’m surprised EA hadn’t hopped on sooner. BattleForge is an online collectible card game fantasy RTS under development at EA Phenomic in Germany that will see players assembling an army out of virtual trading cards and using them to battle against other players, form guilds, and engage in tournaments using cards bought and sold via a robust online marketplace “BattleForge is the next step in compelling RTS gameplay by taking the battles completely online,” stated Executive Producer & Vice President Richard Leinfellner. “With co-op play, challenging tournaments, Guilds, chat rooms and a robust marketplace for trading and buying your cards; BattleForge is the first RTS to add integral social and community components to an exciting fantasy RTS.”
In what may be news only interesting to me and my occasional pilgrimage of interest to Magic the Gathering, Magic Online III has launched, allowing players all over the world to duke it out with virtual cards in the virtual world. Unfortunately, only 1,300 players caused the servers to crash on launch day. Since then, there have been frequent reports of lag…a disappointment for a bandwidth-light card game.
Hasbro and Universal pictures today announced the formation of a six-year strategic partnership to produce movies based on the toy company’s most popular brands. You know what? Just read it yourself. It’s pretty short. Hasbro Inc. (HAS) and Universal Pictures formed a six-year strategic partnership to produce at least four motion pictures based on brands such as Monopoly, Candy Land, Ouija, Battleship, Magic, the Gathering and Stretch Armstrong.
I’d say I was completely shitting you if not for the fact that I just blockquoted their official release right there. Stretch Armstrong? Magic: The Gathering? Monopoly the Movie? I can already hear the actors viciously fighting over who gets to be the race car. We’re so doomed. Luckily the first film won’t be released until 2010 or 2011, which is plenty of time for us to dig very large holes to hide in.
Back in December Wizards of the Coast announced a partnership with Stainless Games for an unannounced downloadable game on an unannounced platform, and while I called it with Magic: The Gathering for Xbox Live Arcade, it really was to much of a no-brainer for me to feel all uppity about. While still remaining characteristically vague, WotC has announced plans to extend the M:tG franchise, with Stainless doing a game for Xbox Live Arcade and PC and Mind Control Software doing one for the PC and Mac. “We’re excited to bring the Magic brand to new platforms and give our fans new ways to experience this great property,” said Jared Gustafson, Brand Director for Magic: The Gathering at Wizards of the Coast.
As to what exactly the games are going to be…well that’s anyone’s guess, though I am leaning strongly towards card, and not a rehash of the crappy Xbox title Magic: The Gathering – Battlegrounds.
