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NEWS RELEASE
DECIPHER GAME STUDIO
WARS TCG To Launch in October
Popular Game Engine From Star Wars CCG Returns
"When the screen is rolled up the great sky opens."
–
Wu-men kuan
(Norfolk, VA–April 30, 2004) – "It is Earth-year 2391. Through
a vast tear in the fabric of the universe, alien warriors emerge to fight
an already embattled humanity. The sky is burning. The Gateless Gate has
opened. The cosmic rip meanders like a burning string across the galaxy
and slices through the asteroid field near the orbit of Jupiter. The great
opening becomes known as, 'The Mumon Rift'..."
WARS: The Mumon Rift ™, a proprietary science fiction property
and trading card game from Decipher will debut October 6, 2004. WARS TCG
will have the same game mechanics that made Star Wars CCG one of
the industry's leading core products. The familiar game system will combine
with an all-new science fiction setting, Joseph Campbell sensibility, and
near limitless creation of new locations, powerful characters, and cool
weapons. Former Star Wars CCG players who fondly remember the "flow of The
Force," "destiny draws," and "Force-draining" will find familiar mechanics
and much more. Advanced TCG players looking for a new challenge will discover
a multi-faceted combat system that provides movement among multiple theaters
and a play experience unlike any other TCG.
"We've received tens of thousands of emails from people asking us to bring
back the mechanics from our Star Wars CCG," said Warren Holland, Decipher's
CEO. "They tell us that no other TCG has been able to capture the excitement
of battling in a sci-fi universe as well as the original. Re-introducing
the game system with a proprietary storyline allows us to control its destiny
for a long time to come. The WARS TCG will combine the familiar features
players love from the original gameplay with major improvements designed
to enhance long-term playability. This is Decipher's way of returning the
gameplay to the players once and for all."
John Howe will develop conceptual drawings to serve as a basis for many
of the characters and locations illustrated in the game. Howe, one of the
world's best-known fantasy illustrators, helped create the look and feel
of Middle-earth for The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. "We are
enormously excited to have John add his creativity to our team," said Holland.
Unlike the original game that used film images, the WARS TCG will
be illustrated by Decipher's award-winning art studio and independent artists
engaged by the company.
Well-known sci-fi writer Michael Stackpole is collaborating with Decipher
on the development of backstory for WARS: The Mumon Rift, that will
serve as the basis for a series of short stories. "The WARS TCG will
feature a science fiction setting with a plot that unfolds through each
new expansion much like that of the original game," said Tim Ellington,
VP of Decipher's Game Studio. "With WARS TCG, you'll see an infinitely
broader cast of characters, conflicts and situations than we had to work
with in Star Wars. We won't be limited to six hours of film; our only limits
will be our creativity and imagination," adds Ellington.
The WARS TCG is being developed with a decade of development knowledge
and feedback from players on how to improve gameplay. "One departure for
fans of the original game is that WARS TCG will feature a single
card back," Ellington said. "The one-deck system provides much greater efficiency
in deck construction and tournament play." The one-deck system also allows
the game to be draftable, a popular format for organized play that was awkward
with the Star Wars CCG. Prospective players will be able to follow the game's
development, participate in active community boards, offer feedback to the
designers, and volunteer to playtest the game at WarsTCG.com beginning June
1st. The first official playtest of the new game will take place at Origins
Game Fair in Columbus, OH, June 24-27, 2004. A preview of the game will
be available at Gen Con Indy 2004, August 19-22, 2004. The First Tournament
Weekend for WARS TCG is scheduled for Spiel Game Faire in Essen,
Germany, October 21-24, 2004.
The Star Wars Customizable Card Game was a top-selling CCG throughout
its entire six-year run. After Decipher's license ended, production of the
game stopped in 2001. A Player's Committee formed to service the continuing
organized play community with financial backing from Decipher of prize money,
donated product, and a worldwide tournament ranking system. An active community
of players still exists for the game.
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