Origins:  Unplugging Games, cont.

By Justin Hall

In a crowded collectible card game market, where comic book characters compete with wrestlers, baseball players and even porn stars, being affiliated with last year's leading PC strategy title could be a great way to attract an audience larger than the card hobbyist market. Seated on a carpet in their booth at Origins, Journeyman Press game designer Marcus D'Amelio recounts that were looking for a way to make a name for themselves, and they wanted to develop a licensing relationship with Microsoft. Age of Empires 2 the card game closely mirrors the popular PC game - you can actually see your village taking shape, much as you can in the game. Judging from the gameplay demo we watched at Origins, Age of Empires 2 should attract people who are looking for the real-time strategy experience in a real-time social environment.

Another popular real-time strategy game, the ever-green Starcraft is being released as a role playing game. Wizards of the Coast will release their version of StarCraft as a supplement to the science fiction role-playing world of Alternity. In the computer game, players control legions of troops and buildings that make those troops; in the role playing game players must assume the role of only one of those lowly units as they try to solve missions based in the world of the game. Wizards of the Coast plans to release metal miniatures based in the world of StarCraft along with the game, mostly for use as props. They aren't planning much support or further work in the world of StarCraft, they're mostly excited to use StarCraft as a way to lead PC gamers to the Alternity role-playing system.

They're not the only people leading PC gamers to role-play: Myth, the real time fantasy battle simulation has been written up as a role-playing supplement for the GURPS system, and also GURPS promises a Alpha Centauri sourcebook.

Whether these kinds of games can lure players into unplugging themselves and venturing out to hobby stores is up to proper game design. If players don't feel the same surge of adrenalin or a similarly engaging emotional response, they won't stand by the side of the gaming table interacting with real people over cardboard for long: they'll return to hunch over their PCs in their underwear, clicking away in blissful solitude.