EDITOR'S LETTER

I Want More
C.C.G.s

To be more specific, I want more good C.C.G.s. Yeah, I know the
market is flooded with games, but the majority of them are just...blah.
Some gaming companies seem to be under the assumption that all you
have to do is slap together a C.C.G. and it'll sell. Or that all you need is
to rip off a popular game's game system. Or that a shoddy game will be
masked by a really exciting license.

That sort of thinking kills me. This is such an exciting new industry,
it drives me out of my mind when I see a neat idea for a game (or a
C.C.G. license of a really cool property) strive to be nothing more than
a mediocre game and a quick way to slap some dough in the company's
pocket. C.C.G.s like Magic: The Gathering catered to tried-and-true gamers
but brought new people into roleplaying as well. Fans riding high on
Magic were later turned off from giving newer games a chance, finding
that the majority of these releases were quickly slapped together by com-
panies looking to cash in. Fans, rightfully so, felt cheated.

For a C.C.G. to be a continually successful product, it has to be sev-
eral things. First, it's gotta be fun. Who wants to play a crappy game? Sec-
ond, the game play has to be something different. The same old same
old just don't cut it. Third, it has to be a balanced game. How many
C.C.G.s have you seen that would've been cool if not for the fact they were
more unbalanced than a one-legged midget hopped up on speed? Lastly,
you have to capture the player's imagination. While C.C.G.s aren't as in-
depth as some R.P.G.s, you still want the players to lose themselves in the
roles they're acting out when playing.

Combining an original, balanced and entertaining system of play with
a really cool property is something that still eludes manufacturers. Why?
Could it be because these licenses cost an arm and a leg to get, leaving
less in the budget for designing and play-testing? But those are the games
that would drive roleplayers out of their minds. It would also bring new
fans into this hobby, drawn in by their favorite properties and then kept
in by an engrossing, challenging and, most importantly, fun game.

Licensed C.C.G.s have a head start on games with original concepts.
What's more immediately recognizable and appealing: playing a magical
being conjuring weird creatures and summoning warriors or playing Darth
Vader, commanding a fleet of T.I.E. Fighters while blowing up anything
that might be a rebel? Me, I'd rather blow up rebels. Or better yet, Ewoks.

The list of licenses that would bring in herds of new fans is endless.
The X-Files. Terminator. Jurassic Park. Universal Monsters. Godzilla. Doom.
Street Fighter. Conan. RoboTech. The Vampire Lestat. Mortal Kombat. Mad
Max. Disney (y'know, for the young uns). The Prisoner. Dune. Battlestar
Galactica. Combine any of these with a strong, well-thought-out game
system and they'd be the hottest thing on the planet.

And that's really what I want to see: Collectible card games viewed
as a natural extension of a strong license, just like a video game, toy line
or cartoon, bringing new people into this hobby, and games that are the
best they can be, so we keep 'em here.

Pat McCallum
Editor-in-Chief