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Magic: The Gathering Coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PC ... But It's Not What You Think
Today Wizards of the Coast announced that they have begun developing games for the Xbox Live Arcade and PC based on their Magic: The Gathering franchise. With their partnerships with Stainless Games and Mind Control Software, Wizards of the Coast have begun work on two games: one for the XBLA and PC, and another for 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. “It’s partnerships like these that will advance the strategy games category and transform it to meet the needs and desires of today’s digital gamers."
On would think that they were created an online version of Magic: The Gathering for XBLA, but earlier today I was standing right next to Ilja Rotelli, the Director of Online Media for Wizards of the Coast, as this announcement was made and he personally informed me that these games were not an online version of Magic: The Gathering.
He explained to be that if you wanted to play Magic they already have the brand new Magic Online III coming out later this year. That is their online version of Magic and it's nearly complete.
Instead they are brining "the Magic: The Gathering brand to multiple platforms." Exactly what this means Ilja wouldn't tell me. But he said to expect to hear a lot more on Wednesday at GDC.
After all, Wizards is the Platinum Sponsor for this year's Independent Games Festival, you don't throw around that sort of cash unless you got something big to announce...
Well that's too bad. I was looking forward to an XBL version of MTG.
Posted by Danzik at February 18, 2008 11:53 PMIf they're bringing the brand but not the game... I wonder if that means they're going to come out with something like Battlegrounds again?
Posted by Miral at February 19, 2008 12:13 AMHopefully this will be a remake of the 1998 release of M:tG Duels of the Plainswalker!
Posted by Zirky at February 19, 2008 10:24 AMHuh? What's the point of a MtG game on XBLA without online play? Is that what he meant?
Posted by Michael at February 19, 2008 12:57 PMAll I ask of the MTG brand is to use decent voice actors if voices are in the game. Battlegrounds was a great looking and playing game, but the voice actors were bad--Way of the Warrior bad. Ouch.
Posted by Robert Gauss at February 19, 2008 5:00 PMI really hope the games feature the actual card game. The card game is what people love about MTG, not lousy games loosely based on the MTG universe. (BattleMage, Battlegrounds) People want a faithful recreation of MTG card strategy. GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT! A remake of Duels of the Planeswalkers (and Shandalar) with updated rules and more cards would be PERFECT. I'm fully prepared for disapointment though. Videogame developers usually have no clue what the real gaming public wants.
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