Collectible card games like Magic The Gathering and Hearthstone are still very popular games up to this day. But even though they have found their way into the digital playground, they miss a crucial functional marketplace. Obtaining new cards and trading cards is quite a hassle. Blockchain can provide a solution here with NFT’s (Non-Fungible Tokens). NFT’s are unique tokens. Of each token, only one exists. For example: 1 XTZ is one of many of the same, but an NFT would be something like a unique painting, only one exists. NFT’s can be used to register a unique item, owned by one specific player, like a specific playing card, with specific value and functionality. When these items are registered as NFT’s, they can be tradable and, if there is demand, have value. Collectible card games and blockchain form a perfect match and a new collectible card game will have its Alpha release this April on the Tezos blockchain: “Emergents”.
Emergents has been in development for a while. Besides fun and challenging to play, one of the objectives of the developers of the game is to make it enjoyable to watch. This makes it not only more accessible and easier to learn, but it will also make contests and tournaments way more interesting. This will help growing a thriving community. If we look at Magic he Gathering (one of the most successful collectible card games) and its community as an example, we see that it has an exceedingly high level of engagement with Magic’s creators. For Emergents, community involvement will be encouraged as the Tezos governance model will be applied in Emergents. “Players will be given a voice in community decisions based on a combination of what they own and what they have accomplished, as appropriate to the current decision.”
The number of specific cards will be limited. This will enable players to build a unique collection of cards perfectly shaped for their playing style. Some cards will obviously be more useful or popular than others and this will create a certain demand and value. So the value is tied to its scarcity and usability. On top of that, extra info of your cards accomplishments will be registered on the blockchain. Certain milestones can be reached which will unlock options, modifications and premium levels. This means that playing will also increase a cards value (both in gameplay and in trading value).
Gameplay, community engagement, an easy access functioning marketplace, should capture a lot of what makes physical card games great. Combined with the possibility to unlock certain potential of cards Emergents should be a very interesting game to play. The team behind the game justifies high expectations of the game itself. The creative minds behind Emergents are:
- Brian David-Marshall: writer and creator for Marvel Comics, Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Historian, and a former player. He is one of the founders of Gray Matter Conventions, one of the first Magic: The Gathering tournament organizers, and Neutral Ground, formerly the largest gaming location in New York City. Currently he is mostly involved in the collectible card game industry. Brian is one of the premiere commentators and consultants for Magic: The Gathering, the first collectible card game. (Wiki)
- Zvi Mowshowitz: Former professional Magic: the gathering player and ranking in the hall of Fame. Involved in the collectible card game industry through research and development and consulting for various games.
- Alan Comer: “Chief Technical Officer, built AI and rules engines for popular franchises like Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering online edition. He has over 20 years of experience building rules engines and digital card games. He most recently worked at Valve Games, one of the most successful gaming companies in the US.”
- Kathleen Breitman: Co-founder of Tezos
You can sign up for the Alpha release here: www.emergents.gg
