While the idea of trading card tie-ins is not new, Rory Starks, one of the designers and artists of Arden, reports that Sony will make a trading card game that is played from within the MMO. There are some new issues. Rory's analysis:
**** BEGIN QUOTE***
EverQuest: Legends of Norrath: Oathbound: The Trading Card Game
Rory Starks
During the Fan Faire MMO event a couple of weeks ago, SOE president John Smedley revealed a new trading card game based on the Everquest franchise – "Legends of Norrath: Oathbound". At first glance, this news was not too entirely exciting considering that EQ fans can play the EverQuest pen-and-paper RPG, various spinoff games, and they can even light up their cigarettes with EQ-emblazoned Zippo lighters (provided they have the requisite skills in fire crafting). On the other hand, what was interesting about this announcement was that Smedley revealed that the game is online-only and played from within EverQuest 1 and 2. Players can purchase cards and construct decks inside the two games and then challenge other players to a game. There will eventually be a standalone client so that players can even play the game outside of the two EQ titles (and without having to have a subscription).
Starks continues:
CONTINUE QUOTE**********************************
Despite the term "Trading Card Game" being thrown around in the press
release, it is not entirely clear to what extent players will be able
to trade cards. In his interview with Smedley, Michael Zenke of MMOG
Nation asked if players would be able to trade cards. Smedley
responded by saying "No" and that SOE wanted to stop gold sellers from
getting involved in the card game. This contrasts with the information
given on the official Legends of Norrath website where it gives
specific guidelines with regard to trading:
*You can get packs and promo cards from global drops in both EverQuest and EverQuest II
*You can trade any individual Legend of Norrath card or pack in the LON client.
*You can trade any UNREDEEMED Loot card in the LON client.
*You can trade any UNREDEEMED Legends of Norrath item (pack/promo) that you get as a drop on the broker equivalent in EQII/EQ.
*You CANNOT trade any redeemed or /claimed loot item.
(taken from
http://legendsofnorrath.station.sony.com/faq.vm)
If we are to believe the information on the website, then it certainly is possible for players to trade cards. Pardon me if I am mistaken, but this doesn't seem like a viable solution to stop RMT – if that is something SOE is truly interested in stopping. Trading is an integral part of these types of games, but is there a way to curb online auction sales of the cards? More importantly, is it necessarily a bad thing if players sell the cards outside of the client?
Trading aside, "Legends of Norrath" sounds like a very fun and exciting addition to the EverQuest series. Casual players who aren't entirely interested in grinding to high-level content will have a new game to play with their friends. Although there are certainly mini games available in other MMOs, this new TCG for EverQuest could pave the way for other big name games to offer similar services.
Interview with John Smedley on MMOG Nation: http://www.mmognation.com/2007/08/03/john-smedley-interview-on-legends-of-norrath/
Legends of Norrath Official Website: http://legendsofnorrath.station.sony.com/index.vm
END QUOTE ***********************
I raised the issue of trading cards on my blog as well, and a developer for the feature confirmed that the FAQ is right. You can trade cards, but you can't trade redeemed rewards.
Trading is an integral part of these types of games, but is there a way to curb online auction sales of the cards?
Not if they want to be taken seriously as a collectable card game. Games like Magic the Gathering demand that a player be able to get key deck components to make a 'deck engine' that works. If a player couldn't trade for or buy selected cards necessary to compete, that entire play style is negated.
The ONLY way to stop RMT, truly, is to remove all value and utility from in-game digital objects. Of course, if your items have no value and no utility, this probably means that your game design sucks.
Posted by: Damion Schubert | Aug 17, 2007 at 11:11
Great analysis Rory.
I got the impression from "unredeemed" that maybe you don't know what it is until you redeem it? If not, then it seems a bit nonsensical to even make the distinction.
It's strange that I had never really considered the parallel between RMT of characters and that of the trading of traditional TCG cards (Black Lotus plz!). It works so well. This serves as either a great argument for proponents of character RMT overall, or nice leverage for Sony to keep RMT out of their card-game, a medium which traditionally supports it.
Posted by: Aaron Sarazan | Aug 17, 2007 at 11:12
I am excited about the possibility that people will gather in taverns to do stuff.
Posted by: Edward Castronova | Aug 17, 2007 at 11:36
Bazaar: MyTrader SHOUTS, "Who needs a tavern?!"
Posted by: Chuc McGuire | Aug 17, 2007 at 12:42
I take it this is different from the PS3 Eye Toy augmented reality eye of destruction
As edge magazine pointed out this AR version of a card trading game suffers from the card photocopying, though that misses the point that collectors like to collect.
That as an aside, attempts at control and restriction, just like region lockout on game titles seems very, well, feudal.
Posted by: epredator | Aug 17, 2007 at 13:01
I've always expected that MMORPGs would start to implement larger and more 'serious' "mini"games into their virtual worlds and I think Sony is on the right way here by adding their TCG into the EverQuest series - I'm sure it will work out just fine.
I'm less positive about the trading restrictions they want to stick on their TCG cards (under the defence that it leads to RMT). As you already point out, a significant loophole already exists in the UNREDEEMABLE cards anyway, which will be used for RMT instead then.
And besides that, Sony can't even use its "to prevent RMTing" arguement on the EQ2 Exchange-Enabled servers that actually allow it through their Station Exchange.
Posted by: Duke Freedom | Aug 17, 2007 at 13:45
See also Combat Cards, a user created trading card game that has been played in Second Life since early 2006 (video here).
Posted by: Jim Purbrick | Aug 17, 2007 at 15:00
Doesn't Final Fantasy XI have an in-game collectible card game?
Posted by: euphrosyne | Aug 17, 2007 at 21:56
Yes, euphrosyne, FFXI does come with a card game called Tetra Master, but as far as I know it is not played within FFXI itself. It is part of the PlayOnline service.
Posted by: Rory Starks | Aug 18, 2007 at 00:57
Playing in-game games isn't a completely new idea. Asheron's Call had some giant size chessboards in the countryside; you could play on them with another player. AC2 had in-game collectible cards (with a stunning resemblance to Tarot cards) that you could collect and trade (and possibly turn in for stuff--I don't know the details because I didn't play that one past beta and a later demo?). And of course SL had casinos, although you didn't play against other people. Re Edward Castronova's comment: yes, perhaps the way to create social centers is to require that you be in a tavern to play, possibly face to face with your opponent. If there's a ladder, it might be required that you travel to meet and play with them. Despite the fact that that isn't necessary, it might be interesting.
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