Did I miss this? SOE Pirate game involving blocks or something

[schild]

AVAST! SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT TO COLLABORATE WITH WIZKIDS INCORPORATED TO BRING PIRATESTM CONSTRUCTIBLE STRATEGY GAME ONLINE
Newly-Acquired SOE-Denver to Develop Online Version of Popular "Build-And-Battle" Strategy Game

GENCON, Indianapolis, IN – August 10, 2006 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced a joint venture with Bellevue, WA-based WizKids Incorporated to develop an online version of their popular Pirates™ Constructible Strategy Game (CSG). Developed by SOE’s new Denver studio (also known as Worlds Apart Productions), SOE will bring all of the fun, strategy and excitement of this new and rapidly growing game to computer desktops everywhere.

“As the newest member of the SOE family, the SOE-Denver team is very excited about working with WizKids to bring the world of Pirates online,” said Scott Martins, director of development SOE-Denver. “Our Collect! Trade! Play! Platform is a proven means of translating the CSG experience to a digital medium, and gamers of all types will have a blast playing Pirates on their PCs.”

WizKids introduced the CSG genre with the launch of Pirates in 2004. Packaged like a collectible card game, players use die-cut parts from each card to construct 3D galleons, schooners and pirate ships, seeking treasure on the high seas while fending off enemy attacks.

The game is easy to learn and fast to play. Each game pack contains everything a person needs to play, including two ships, crew and treasure, an island, complete rules, and a die. Initial production runs, planned for a two-year lifespan, sold out one month before the product released.

Following a successful launch into the hobby games market, Pirates expanded into the mass market in March 2005, and was supported by a national television advertising campaign. Pirates can be found in stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, Toys ‘R Us, 7-11 as well as gaming, comic, and hobby stores everywhere.

“WizKids couldn’t be happier working with SOE to bring the Pirates CSG game to the online masses,” said Joe Hauck, Executive Vice President Sales, Marketing and Product Development. “The enormous success of this property combined with fast and easy game-play will translate well to this format.”

The Pirates CSG Online is expected to launch this fall, featuring sea monsters and the supernatural with the Pirates of Davy Jones Curse and an online version of WizKid’s upcoming Pirates board game, The Quest for Davy Jones Gold.

The online game will feature tools to manage offline and online Pirates CSG collections, as well as quick and easy match-making for a variety of two-player and multiplayer game formats and scenarios, a robust fleet-building utility, secure ship trading, league and tournament play, and great promotional tie-ins between the offline and online versions of the game.

Games in the Pirates franchise have received critical acclaim and awards from publications such as InQuest, Creative Child and Playthings Magazine, as well as and endorsement from the well respected Dr. Toy and the prestigious Vanguard award from the Game Manufacturers Association. Since the original game’s release in 2004, there have been four sequels plus a booster pack that incorporates new features into the base game.

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[Venkman]

They bought that Denver company because of their experience in online collectible/tradeable card games. SOE seems to want their own M:TGO. This IP is a good start for them.

[schild]

I would love for them to make a better MtGO. There's really no game like it and structuring a game to emulate, but fix a lot of the brokenness would be fantastic. And no doubt the client would be better.

[Rithrin]

Well, this game is on a totally different level than MtG. Its got next to no strategy to learn or anything, and if the amount of Pirates players at my local gaming shops reflects its popularity then it doesn't have much of a chance. There are very few "cards" to collect and not much variety between all of them so it won't have a very good market for buying the cards online and since its nowhere nearly as complex as MtG it doesn't have as much expansion potential. I don't think it'll go nearly as well at they hope.

Of course they may have changed a lot about the game, who knows.

[Telemediocrity]

I'll try anything once.

IMHO, a lego MMORPG - with player created content - would be nirvana.

Edit: Motherfucking win.

[HRose]

I'll try anything once.

IMHO, a lego MMORPG - with player created content - would be nirvana.

It's not a mmorpg but I would suggest "Dwarf Fortress". IT IS gaming nirvana.

I'm addicted beyond belief.

[schild]

Dwarf Fortress? Are you talking about that ansi thing?

[HRose]

Dwarf Fortress? Are you talking about that ansi thing?

Yep.

Run, RUN for your life till you can!

[Endie]

I'll defend anything once.

Fixed.

[shiznitz]

If anyone cares, Topps - the baseball card and candy company - owns WizKids as of 2004. If this game is good at all, it would be a material positive event for Topps which is a dirt cheap stock now as it is.  I do not work for Topps but I have owned it for about a year now. It has bounced around between $7 and $9.

[Viin]

Oh sure, my super secret news was blown almost a month ago and I didn't even notice!

[SnakeCharmer]

Seems about as exciting as watching paint dry.