SOE, Wizards Of The Coast Announce Online Magic TBS

Sony Online Entertainment is joining forces with Wizards of the Coast to develop an online strategy game based on the world of the long-running Magic: The Gathering card game. The game is not directly based on the rules of the card game itself, but rather on the "multiverse" in which it takes place, with the shared gameplay themes of turn-based "strategy and competitive play." Magic: The Gathering - Tactics is being developed for PC by SOE's Denver-based studio, and is planned for a first-quarter 2010 release. A PlayStation 3 version of the game is intended to follow at an unspecified date. "By collaborating with Wizards of the Coast, we’re able to combine the strengths of both companies to develop an innovative, online, 3D game based on an extremely popular IP," said SOE president John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. "We're going to be taking the Magic: The Gathering Multiverse places players have never seen." Wizards of the Coast president Greg Leeds called SOE "the perfect partner" for the project, and characterized Magic: The Gathering fans as having an "insatiable desire for great strategic game experiences." Like the card game on which it is based, Tactics is intended to feature ongoing tournaments, rankings, and content expansions.