| Collectible Card Game |
Article Index for Collectible |
Website Links For Collectible |
Information AboutCollectible Card Game |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT COLLECTIBLE CARD GAME | |
| collectible card games | |
|
The first collectible card game was '''', designed by Richard Garfield , published by Wizards Of The Coast in 1993 . GAMEPLAY Each CCG system has a fundamental set of rules that describes the players' objectives, the categories of cards used in the game, and the basic rules by which the cards interact. Each card will have additional text explaining that specific card's effect on the game. They also generally represent some specific element derived from the game's genre, setting, or source material. The cards are illustrated and named for these source elements, and the card's game function may relate to the subject. For example, '''' is based on the Fantasy genre, so many of the cards represent creatures and magical spells from that setting. In the game, a Dragon is illustrated as a reptilian beast, may have the ''flying'' ability, and has quite formidable game statistics compared to smaller creatures. Almost all CCGs are designed around a single resource system by which the pace of each game is generally controlled. Frequently, the cards which comprise a player's deck are also in and of themselves a resource, with the frequency of cards moving from the deck to the play area or player's hand being tightly controlled. Relative card strength is often balanced by the number or type of basic resources needed in order to play the card, and pacing after that may be determined by the flow of cards moving in and out of play. Resources may be specific cards themselves, or represented by other means (i.e. tokens in various resource pools, symbols on cards, etc...). Players select which cards will compose their deck from the available pool of cards - unlike traditional Card Game s such as Poker or UNO where the deck's content is limited and pre-determined. This allows a CCG player to strategically customize their deck to take advantage of favorable card interactions, combinations and statistics. During a game, players traditionally take turns playing cards and performing game-related actions. The order and titles of these steps vary between different game systems, but these are typical:
Internet play Modern CCGs have also been developed that are played over the Internet . Instead of receiving physical cards, a player establishes a "virtual" collection that is kept only in electronic memory and cards can be purchased or traded within this environment. There are online versions of games that originated as physical CCGs, as well as games that exist solely online. As an example, Tokenzone produces and manages online-only collections of CCGs and Virtual Property for Media and Entertaiment Companies. The first online CCG was known as Chron X and was designed and produced by Genetic Anomalies . DISTRIBUTION Specific game cards are most often produced in various degrees of scarcity, generally denoted as ''common'', ''uncommon'', and ''rare''. Some games use alternate or additional designations for the relative rarity levels. Special cards may also only be available through promotions, events, or redemption programs. Most ''collectible card games'' are distributed as sealed packs containing a subset of the available cards, much like Trading Card s. Some of the most common distribution methods are:
PATENT Wizards Of The Coast holds on trading card games. The Patent , filed in October 1995 and granted in September 1997, covers:
As a holder of the patent, Wizards of the Coast has requested that all trading card game publishers license the mechanics described in the patent, usually for a royalty fee based on total sales. In October 2003 , Wizards of the Coast filed suit against Nintendo and related companies in U.S. District Court in Seattle shortly after its distribution agreement expired. The suit alleged, along with other claims, that the Pokémon Trading Card Game infringed on the company's patent. In December of that year, the parties settled the case on undisclosed terms, precluding a judicial ruling which might have been the first test of the patent's legal validity. As a result of this suit, the "magic cards" in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game are now called "spell cards". REFERENCES
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|