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Magic The Gathering: Tactics (yeah, who saw THAT coming?)

eatmosushieatmosushi __BANNED USERS regular
edited January 2011 in Games and Technology
DENVER, Colo. – November 2, 2009 – Today, Sony Online Entertainment LLC, and Wizards of the Coast LLC announced they are developing Magic: The Gathering – Tactics, an online, 3D turn-based strategy game played within the rich Magic: The Gathering Multiverse.

“By collaborating with Wizards of the Coast, we're able to combine the strengths of both companies to develop an innovative, online, 3D game based on an extremely popular IP,” said John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. “We're going to be taking the Magic: The Gathering Multiverse places players have never seen.”

The growing Magic: The Gathering community has an insatiable desire for great strategic game experiences. Sony Online Entertainment is the perfect partner to transform the best of Magic's story, strategy and competitive play into a fantastic ‘Tactics' game experience for current and new Magic fans,” said Greg Leeds, president, Wizards of the Coast.

Magic: The Gathering - Tactics will allow players to command forces of dramatic 3D figures and powerful spell cards pulled from the Magic: The Gathering Multiverse. Players can participate in single player scenarios or jump right into PVP action against other players worldwide, 24 hours per day. Magic: The Gathering – Tactics is expected to feature regular content expansions, a robust tournament environment, an achievement and rankings program, and original stories of the Planeswalkers of Magic: The Gathering.

Magic: The Gathering - Tactics is being developed by SOE's Denver studio and scheduled to be available for the PC in early 2010, with a version for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system to follow.

For more information on Magic: The Gathering - Tactics, visit www.magicthegatheringtactics.com

Interview conducted by Tycho of PA with the SOE fella.
Magic: The Gathering Tactics
Tuesday, November 3 2009 - 1:54 PM
by: Tycho Historically, we've had a strange relationship with SOE's John Smedley - though I think it's more or less reached equilibrium now. We received a press release for a new game he's catalyzed over there, namely Magic: The Gathering Tactics, but since we don't run press releases there's no place for that. This being established, I think a lot of their work out of their Tucson and Denver studios is woefully underappreciated, and I want to show some support. I gave him a call yesterday to see if I could find anything out, and while I don't know if I succeeded especially well, if you share my vague enthusiasm for this currently mysterious game, read on. I have taken the liberty of adding smileys where I believe he was being ironical.

Me: Your press release contains no information. That's not a question, so much as a statement. You can't just say there's a Tactical Magic: The Gathering game, swirl your cape, and then leave!

Smed: Sorry. :)

Maybe this will help. It's a turn-based strategy game based not just on Magic, but the idea of Magic.

Me: Are you saying that the existing interpretations don't communicate the entire game? Like Duels of the Planeswalkers, for example, which is more like Magic: The Gathering recast as a fighting game?

Smed: First and foremost, we're trying to retain the core idea of Magic, or at least what we think it is. The whole idea is that we can provide the depth and variety of the card game online. Players will tell us if we've done it right, but I think they'll agree with us that deckbuilding is core to the experience of playing Magic. The idea that you never really know your opponent's true capabilities is so important - what's on the table doesn't represent everything they can do. Obviously we'll have dueling, and we'll investigate other ways to use your cards, but the single player experience is also very important to us. Long term, campaigns are a major focus.

Me: I'm glad to hear that. I own decks and cards for a ton of games from SOE Denver and SOE Tucson, but going online to be obliterated by strangers isn't something that really appeals to me.

Smed: You're in the majority, about seventy percent of Legends of Norrath and PoxNora players play it that way.

Me: Really? I guess you would know. Actually, there is one game that I duel online in, which is Free Realms - but that's only because I feel like I'll probably be matched against a child, who I'll be able destroy.

Smed: I don’t know. Some of those kids could probably destroy you!


Me: Well, let's not dwell on it. When I think about games that are online, tactical, and collectible though, I think immediately about SOE Tucson's Pox Nora, which we both got into back when they were still Octopi. Did SOE Denver seek their input in creating Magic: The Gathering Tactics?

Smed: The design was completely collaborative in fact, and it's not just a reskin of our existing games. It's a completely new codebase, something we made from the ground up to live on the PC and the PlayStation3. The PS3 version comes out a little later, but obviously they're both very important to us.

Me: Will the two versions share an account? i.e., can I play the PC version at work when I should be working, and then jump on the PS3 version when I get home? All my decks will be intact and so forth?

Smed: Absolutely.

Me: Yeah, I've been trying to figure out when you would start doing things on the PS3. You've been pretty good about the "Online Entertainment" part of SOE, but maybe not so hot on the "Sony."

Smed: Well, we do have three MMOs in development, all launching next year on the PS3. Our strategy is very broad, and it's taken a long time to arrive there, but we're getting close.

Me: How should tweens refer to the game, when referencing it in their tweets? Is it the straight up M:TGT, or will Sony Online Entertainment be insisting on the hyphen?

Smed: M:TGT ought to be fine :)



Uninformative animation below.
www.magicthegatheringtactics.com

BETA SIGN UPS COMING SOON

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    truck-a-saurastruck-a-sauras Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    SONY NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I know the XBLA magic has made me quite happy, but now I'll have a burning desire to get a PS3 now.... great.

    truck-a-sauras on
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    eatmosushieatmosushi __BANNED USERS regular
    edited November 2009
    Couldn't help but notice that there isn't even a screen shot available and they want to get this out the door first quarter 2010.

    Thoughts? Hopes?

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    AshtonDragonAshtonDragon AKA The Nix Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    "Coming to the PC", eh? Good, good. I was concerned for a moment there. I'd have to dismiss it, if it were PS3-exclusive.

    Well, I'm not sold on this idea yet, but I'll keep an eye out for more information. It has potential.

    AshtonDragon on
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    eatmosushieatmosushi __BANNED USERS regular
    edited November 2009
    I guess I'll just follow along quietly.

    I see something along the lines of Fantasy General.

    Hell, I'd just settle FOR Fantasy General.

    eatmosushi on
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    ChenChen Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    Wouldn't this just be, you know, exactly like the game, only with apparently shitty 3D models?

    Chen on
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    MalyonsusMalyonsus Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    I figured it'd be like a tactics game just with Grizzly Bears and Planeswalkers instead of (say) white mages and fighters. I'd be surprised if it had too much in common with the card game rules.

    Malyonsus on
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    eatmosushieatmosushi __BANNED USERS regular
    edited November 2009
    No because um you uh...

    man I don't know

    I like magic and I like tactics.

    Maybe something along the lines of.... making it a bit more... duel-esque.

    Like, there's you, and the 'battle field', and oh but how would we deal with creatures dealing damage?

    Hum I really am having a hard time figuring out how they would really integrate M:TG canon into anything other than like

    final fantasy tactics with units named after M:TG cards and such

    all like

    Benalish heroes banding with pearl unicorns and getting all healing salved while twiddling bone flutes to summon primordial oozes

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    eatmosushieatmosushi __BANNED USERS regular
    edited November 2009
    Oh snap it'd be just like that game from Naughty Dog where you're this giant robot called 'The Master' or something and you suck up minerals and trees with your de-atomizer and then create buildings and units to kill the opposing 'Master' and you'd defend yourself with the monsters that you 'summon' and can cast spells and such.

    Mana = Ore ?

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    TheUnsane1TheUnsane1 PhiladelphiaRegistered User regular
    edited November 2009
    please don't be like battlegrounds...

    TheUnsane1 on
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    troublebrewingtroublebrewing Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    this has a lot of potential to be awesome. I'm holding out hope that it will be cool.

    it kind of makes me think of that Master of Magic game but I guess that is somewhat of a different genre. What was the name of that game that was supposed to be the successor to it?

    troublebrewing on
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    eatmosushieatmosushi __BANNED USERS regular
    edited November 2009
    Gosh with Dragon Age about to hit I wonder if I can see anyone at all caring about this

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    JaysonFourJaysonFour Classy Monster Kitteh Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    I guess Wizards of the Coast hasn't learned its lesson with slapping the "Magic" name on any kind of video game they can find. They tried this once before- with Magic: The Gathering: Battlemage for PS1. It was one of the best examples of a video game made exclusively to cash in on a brand name.

    The game lured players in with the appearance that it was going to be "just like the card game", but in reality it was an extremely shitty strategy game made by Acclaim or Activision or some other company out for a few quick bucks. It was universally hated by critics and players alike. I'm so happy I only rented it for a night.

    When Wizards gives us a Magic video game (see "Magic Online" or "Duels of the Planeswalkers"), we like it, because it's awesome, because we like to play Magic. We don't want to play some awful piece of shit that just had "Magic: the Gathering" added in as a piece of shiny foil to get gamers to buy it.

    I hope it's a decent game, but I'll give it a few months after release to see if it's any good.

    JaysonFour on
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    FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    edited November 2009
    JaysonFour wrote: »
    I guess Wizards of the Coast hasn't learned its lesson with slapping the "Magic" name on any kind of video game they can find. They tried this once before- with Magic: The Gathering: Battlemage for PS1. It was one of the best examples of a video game made exclusively to cash in on a brand name.

    The game lured players in with the appearance that it was going to be "just like the card game", but in reality it was an extremely shitty strategy game made by Acclaim or Activision or some other company out for a few quick bucks. It was universally hated by critics and players alike. I'm so happy I only rented it for a night.

    When Wizards gives us a Magic video game (see "Magic Online" or "Duels of the Planeswalkers"), we like it, because it's awesome, because we like to play Magic. We don't want to play some awful piece of shit that just had "Magic: the Gathering" added in as a piece of shiny foil to get gamers to buy it.

    I hope it's a decent game, but I'll give it a few months after release to see if it's any good.

    Basically this.

    The appeal of Magic lies in the mechanics of the card game. With the exception of some spectacular card art, the Magic brand itself - the characters and themes and settings - aren't all that interesting.

    Feral on
    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
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    CoJoeTheLawyerCoJoeTheLawyer Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    TheUnsane1 wrote: »
    please don't be like battlegrounds...

    I remember being so excited for M:TG Battlegrounds, then after 20 minutes of playing it, placing it back into the case and returning it for store credit.

    I want this to be the PS3 version of "Duels of the Planewalker", but I'm afriad we're going to get Magic the Gathering Battlegrounds 2: Eletric Boogaloo.

    CoJoeTheLawyer on

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    TheUnsane1TheUnsane1 PhiladelphiaRegistered User regular
    edited November 2009
    How they can come up with stuff like this yet not come out with games like duels of the planeswalkers for DS baffles me. They could even pitch to activision since every year they just release the previous years block as a game... I would pay next gen level prices for MtG:Alara Block ds.

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    warder808warder808 Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    Battle Grounds was fun: I said it.

    As long as you knew it wasn't supposed to be the videogame form of the card game. (XBLA game)

    warder808 on
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    4rch3nemy4rch3nemy Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    I love tactical RPGs. I love Magic: The Gathering. But this is going to suck. I'm calling it now.

    I want, desperately, for it not to... but it will and that makes me very sad. :(

    4rch3nemy on
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    Alfred J. KwakAlfred J. Kwak is it because you were insulted when I insulted your hair?Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    Let me guess - buying a mandatory "booster pack" every month is their subscription model?

    Alfred J. Kwak on
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    eatmosushieatmosushi __BANNED USERS regular
    edited November 2009
    I for one welcome our digitized cardboard overlords.

    eatmosushi on
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    truck-a-saurastruck-a-sauras Registered User regular
    edited November 2009
    Wait..... that story you posted is from Denver. Aren't they currently buried under like 19 feet of snow. Is this just some cabin fever ramblings of an insane snow covered madman?

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    eatmosushieatmosushi __BANNED USERS regular
    edited November 2009
    Per... perhaps?

    eatmosushi on
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    eatmosushieatmosushi __BANNED USERS regular
    edited November 2009
    So how do I rename a thread? :x

    eatmosushi on
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    BuraisuBuraisu Psychomancer Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Hey, the game is coming out this month and it's going to be free to play. :D

    Also, it's been a year since the last post. >.>

    Buraisu on
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    LunkerLunker Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Lunker on
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    jammujammu 2020 is now. Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    So is it going to be 'Pokemon: The Gathering'?
    Hunt rare cards for your decks and beat those wacky Team [strike]Rock[/strike] Jaceteers.

    jammu on
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    CullenCullen Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    http://www.magicthegatheringtactics.com/faq.vm
    FAQ wrote:
    Magic: The Gathering - Tactics is free to download and play. Players will enhance their gameplay by purchasing digital booster packs that contain a mix of figures and spells that they can add to their spellbooks. Players will also be able to purchase additional campaign scenarios for more single-player fun.

    I thought 'free' was too good to be true for Wizards.

    Cullen on
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    CullenCullen Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    jammu wrote: »
    So is it going to be 'Pokemon: The Gathering'?
    Hunt rare cards for your decks and beat those wacky Team [strike]Rock[/strike] Jaceteers.

    There was a MTG game for the PC released in the late 90's by Microprose that was essentially this. You started off with a bunch of crap cards and got more by beating opponents, buying them from shops or beating dungeons for really powerful cards (like the P9). It was great. Probably looks and plays awfully now.

    I doubt this new game will be like it. There is scant gameplay information on the website. The video makes it look like battles in Final Fantasy, but with some kind of board. I'm not impressed so far - all the art looks seriously substandard compared to the normal game.

    Cullen on
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    EvilMonkeyEvilMonkey Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Cullen wrote: »
    There was a MTG game for the PC released in the late 90's by Microprose that was essentially this. You started off with a bunch of crap cards and got more by beating opponents, buying them from shops or beating dungeons for really powerful cards (like the P9). It was great. Probably looks and plays awfully now.
    I was thinking about this game the other day and then saddened when I couldn't find it on Steam. You whippersnaps and yer new cards and rules. In my day we didn't have that crazy stuff. Summoning sickness I tells ya. Summoning sickness!

    EvilMonkey on
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    Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    'Free to Play' in this case most likely means 'Pay to stay competitive.'

    Good old Tragic.

    Jam Warrior on
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    GanluanGanluan Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Lunker wrote: »
    Looks like WOTC has been tapping me

    tee hee

    Ganluan on
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    BuraisuBuraisu Psychomancer Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Well we can always get mountains of commons for free. :D

    Buraisu on
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    Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    I certainly intend to check out what fun can be wrestled from it for free.

    Jam Warrior on
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    Smaug6Smaug6 Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    I couldn't find much description of how the game played last night. The actual website for the game has surprisingly little information on it. From the screen shots, the battles look like something out of might and magic, which could be interesting.

    Smaug6 on
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    RanadielRanadiel Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    I still can't believe that Smedley is the President of SOE now. It's just baffling.

    Ranadiel on
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    ZoonpZoonp Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Video from the singleplayer:

    http://www.gametrailers.com/video/tactics-walkthrough-magic-the/708150

    The unit models look good but the environments are a bit ugly.

    Zoonp on
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    BuraisuBuraisu Psychomancer Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    The game is finally released and.... IT'S FUN! :) I give it a 8 out of 10 for game play. Though, it's still very buggy. Crashes sometimes or just won't start up. They really need to do some heavy patching and testing. It doesn't even say "beta" I don't think so they officially released this buggy game to the public.

    Buraisu on
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    BuraisuBuraisu Psychomancer Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Oh yea, I forget to mention. The promo card for joining right now is a 40/40 regenerating giant troll which has an ability that gives him +200/+200 and makes you skip the turn of a random amount of creatures you control the add up to 100 power together. This promo card is amazing. :)

    I used him as a meat shield for about 30 turns as I tried to get an archer out to kill my opponent who had two 20-120/30ish vampires (+10 power each turn) and an army of four 10/10 skeletons, a 10/40 flyer, two 20/10ish ghosts that can walk across or through objects. Regenerating causes you to reset your creature's turn count so I could never control him. He ended up going all the way around my hiding hole to where I sat up a 40/120 wolf that couldn't move. Nice enchant that gives you like +0/+40 but prevents a creature from moving. I also got him to 40 life before retreating to my hole and got one shot off with my first archer to get him to 10 life. He blasted her fast and I finally got another one out but by then, it was too late and he was in my hole through the back with one of the vampire and all his men. All I had to defend me was a 70/70 giant beast, 10/40 giant Knight, 20/30 wolf, and the 30/10 Archer which I just casted last sec. I call them giant because they take up 2x2 squares instead of one. The front entrance where my troll was 2 wide and the back was 1. I had a 3x7 space to work with. Also, you can't pass thru your own men so the giants were stuck back there and I was in the corner.

    Buraisu on
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    BuraisuBuraisu Psychomancer Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    They have been constantly patching the game and going down for maintenance. A lot of the bugs have been fixed and the AH isn't super laggy anymore. Haven't crashed yet since the latest patch.

    Oh and my username is Naivedo if anyone would like to play me. ;)

    On a side note, the cards are way too expensive to buy but you can do a daily that earns you $0.20 worth of gold a day. They cost about the same as real cards which is more expensive then MTGO.

    Buraisu on
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    Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    You can earn cards instead of buying them? Interest gained a little more. Will hopefully DL and check this out tonight.

    Jam Warrior on
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    BuraisuBuraisu Psychomancer Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    If you are really good at online auctioning, you can get every card for free. :D Story expansions cost direct money instead of gold and so does boosters and booster boxes and their are also a couple special cards that you can buy directly. Though, to get all the cards into the player base, someone had to pay. Players can only deal with other players with gold which can be earned through dailies or directly buying gold. Tournaments cost gold and in some cases boosters. One tournament style costs 1 gold per fight and over 3 hours whoever gets the best win count wins a big prize. Though, it sucks up your gold fast.

    Buraisu on
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