Because Magic The Gathering isn't Expensive Enough

I had seen some preview product shots before, but it wasn’t until Penny Arcade pointed me to the in-depth Gamespot preview did I become interested in a new PS3 product. (Not quite so interested as to go out and buy one, but to have finally found a product that I might want to buy if I owned one already.)

One of the more unique attachments for the PS2 was the EyeToy, a webcam-like attachment that took direct video of you and placed it in a game, where usually you had to do something like bounce balls off your head.

Sony is now showing off the next generation of the EyeToy, now just being called the Sony Eye. What is new about it this time is that not only will it take images of you, but it comes with a tripod that can look at and recognize THINGS.

But not just any things: the Eye will actually come with a CCG. What? Now that’s something new.

From the Gamespot article:

You’ll set up the camera to overlook your play mat, matching the grid being displayed onscreen by using the included stand. The first time you play the game, you’ll need to register your cards into the game by placing them in front of the camera, which will read a special bar code on each card. Once that’s done, you’ll shuffle your cards and deal yourself a hand of five before setting your deck down. From then on, you’ll simply follow onscreen prompts to go through each of the different stages of play.

The article goes on to describe gameplay which sounds like a hybrid of Anachronism and Magic. Of course, the reason it’s like Magic is because Wizards of the Coast worked on the game.

While I find it to be a fascinating idea- and one that seems oddly inspired by Yu-Gi-Oh- I’m not sure it’ll find a market. First, you’ve got your expenses: you have to have a PS3, the Eye, and the game… and then in typical CCG fashion, you’ll need to buy starters and boosters. Second, what’s the benefit of having the real cards? It’s not clear from the article if you can play against a friend without the benefit of the PS3, or if there’s elements in the game that require the computer to judge something. If there’s not, then why not just go all digital, ala Magic Online?

Then there’s the question if the gameplay is going to be any good or not. WotC hasn’t had the greatest track record in designing CCGs that aren’t Magic. (If I recall correctly, they didn’t design Pokemon either, they just distributed it.) From what I can tell of the core gameplay, it’s a lot of elements that have been used in other games, and nothing terribly unique except for, of course, the way you actually play it.

Though there’s a pretty big “wow factor” at work here by placing cards which then trigger all kinds of computer animations and whatnot, I’m not convinced that it’s something that really makes best use of both worlds. I do like that this technology is being developed so that another game can come along someday can works perfectly in the physical and virtual worlds (and if you need help designing it, Sony, I work a lot cheaper than WotC!)

Now what they really need to release is a download to go along with the Eye to play Werewolf online and to facilitate tabletop RPGs. Then they’d really have something.

(And be sure to check out this week’s Penny Arcade comic for another look at the Eye. Palantir not included.)