Idle Speculation: The Potential of Mage Wars on the Nintendo Switch/3DS/2DS

[Obsidian Soul]

While I was hanging out yesterday with a friend who does not play Mage Wars, he commented on how he was surprised that Mage Wars had not been turned into an indie video game.  After some discussion, we determined that since Arcane Wonders owned the intellectual property and the creative content, they could probably make a good indie game for around $25,000 and put it up in the indie store for the Nintendo Switch/3DS/2DS.  Since Arcane Wonders could make more money off a $20 indie video game representing the base board game than they make off the $60 base board game, I think that it would be a wonderful idea, especially since I would love to have a video game version that I could play against AI opponents at variable difficulty levels (they could sell $10 expansions to the video game for the new Mages, $5 expansions to the video game for variant Mages, etc).

What do you think about the potential of Mage Wars for a console like the Nintendo Switch or a portable like the Nintendo 3DS/2DS?  Would you purchase the product if you could face off against AI opponents as well as human opponents?  Do you think that it would do well as a video game?

[Reddicediaries]

While I was hanging out yesterday with a friend who does not play Mage Wars, he commented on how he was surprised that Mage Wars had not been turned into an indie video game.  After some discussion, we determined that since Arcane Wonders owned the intellectual property and the creative content, they could probably make a good indie game for around $25,000 and put it up in the indie store for the Nintendo Switch/3DS/2DS.  Since Arcane Wonders could make more money off a $20 indie video game representing the base board game than they make off the $60 base board game, I think that it would be a wonderful idea, especially since I would love to have a video game version that I could play against AI opponents at variable difficulty levels (they could sell $10 expansions to the video game for the new Mages, $5 expansions to the video game for variant Mages, etc).

What do you think about the potential of Mage Wars for a console like the Nintendo Switch or a portable like the Nintendo 3DS/2DS?  Would you purchase the product if you could face off against AI opponents as well as human opponents?  Do you think that it would do well as a video game?

I would not play mage wars in video game form.
I simply perfer board games in general.

[keejchen]

I would not play mage wars in video game form.
I simply perfer board games in general.

And yet you play it on OCTGN, which is basically like playing a video game. 

I would absolutely buy and play the hell out of a well-made Mage Wars game!

[Jock McFistpunch]

As someone who is new to mage wars, a mage wars game would be awesome.  I've only played academy a few times, but I loved it enough to join this forum.  However, since no one around me plays mage wars, it would be great to have it in a video game format, especially if I could get it on Steam.

[Sailor Vulcan]

Don't get your hopes up. It's doubtful that such a thing will ever happen. Arcane Wonders is a small company and making a video game would be expensive.

Although I really wish that it would happen. A mage wars videogame would be amazing. Just one of those things that we'll probably have to wait until we are living in a post scarcity society before we have the chance to try it lol. Or in other words, we'll probably never get the chance to try it. Just like superstimulants that don't harm your body or mind, a version of pokemon go that is actually good rather than just kinda decent, or safe, affordable, space travel, or miniature portable tables that attach to your arm which can be used for augmented reality animated card games.

It's not that it's too good to be true, it's that it's not the kind of thing that would easily happen in the current state of things. If a mage wars video game does happen at some point before post-scarcity, I would expect that either Arcane Wonders partnered with a much bigger company to help them make it, or that Arcane Wonders lost ownership of mage wars. And since mage wars would probably have to be a lot more popular before a much bigger company would be interested in helping to make a videogame for it, they probably won't. Arcane Wonders is too small to make mage wars really anywhere near as popular as it deserves to be, unfortunately.

[Obsidian Soul]

Indie video games are not that expensive to program if you already own the creative content.  At worst, $25,000 for a barebones card game with adequate graphics and AI.

[silverclawgrizzly]

I'd probably actually go buy a switch. It's a good idea even if I prefer to play in person.

[Kelanen]

I would not play mage wars in video game form.
I simply perfer board games in general.

And yet you play it on OCTGN, which is basically like playing a video game. 

I would absolutely buy and play the hell out of a well-made Mage Wars game!

I don't play on OCTGN for exactly that reason. I love MW as a boardgame, and I love the tactile elements, as well as not enjoying online gaming at all.

When I'm sat in front of a computer playing a game it will be something that a computer does not best, not trying to replicate something that's best physically.

[keejchen]

I enjoy both, but you can't deny the benefits.

 - Instant setup
 - No clean-up
 - Unlimited access to cards and as many books as you want
 - Sbp counter, unlimited tokens with a search function
 - Automatic upkeep (no more "Did I remember to Channel/Regen/Ghoul Rot last round?"
 - Can play with friends around the world from my couch.

Also sort of free, but remember to buy the game and support Arcane Wonders!

I am struggling to come up with any cons at this point in time, other than "it doesn't feel right", which is a legit opinion, but not sure it goes on an objective pro/con list. It is hard to program certainly, and that would take time/money. Lack of eye contact? Feel free to fill in.

I do not expect a dedicated pc game to ever come out. But we are pretty much already living that dream, so I am not complaining.

[Coshade]

I can imagine there is a sort of anxiety/fear of playing someone online. If you are really good in your own local meta and you face the unknown online there could be some competitive anxiety in it. That happened a lot when LAN video games switched over to internet ones in the 90's

[Kelanen]

I don't think have a competitive anxiety - I've played lots of games to national championship level, I've had money finishes, and flown abroad to play foreign tournaments, and even ProTour. That's all new groups, new players, new environments. But I do have a UI anxiety of sorts I guess. I dabbled in playing MtG online and didn't get on with it. I'm an IT Director of 20+ years, I have no fundamental problem with technology or computers, but I like to devote my time to playing/doing best of breed activities if you like. If some things are better on a computer I'll do them there, and if other things are better on a board I'll do those there - I have far more hobbies than time, and there's no one thing I want to do so much, that I'd pick a suboptimal version of it. FWIW, I don't play any LAN games, any online MMO's etc - all those games I like to play on my own, just me and the computer. I played a LotRO character up to about L30-something but dropped it, because the  game kept forcing me to adventure with other players to get through checkpoints, when I just wanted to play it as an offline game on my own (that just happened to be online). It's just not my thing.

But for me it really is that I enjoy playing with the components (not just MW, any game). I have highly pimped out versions of many games, I paint figures, I'll happily pay double for deluxe versions of a game with better resources, etc. It's a big deal for me. Hell, even my playtesting cards are colour laser prints, spraymounted onto real cards, and they look just like proper cards unless you look close. Components are a big deal for me - I've dropped good games for bad components, and if I'm honest continue to play average games with gorgeous components too...

I honestly don't have a problem with setup/takedown time (MW is actually pretty light compared to many of may games, I'm cool with a 30 minute overhead, and MW is 5 mins max). My experience of MtG is that I very much dislike automatic tracking of stuff, and having to specify breakpoints - I want manual everything and control.

Having access to a bigger pool of players is a nice thought I'll admit. Fresh ideas and approaches, etc. But fundamentally, if I'm sat in front of a computer to play games, I'd rather spend that time playing Civ6, Beyond Earth, Total War, Skyrim, etc not MW. If I want to play MW, I'd rather do it with the 30 odd physical books I have built beside my desk, that are very carefully organised in various mnemonic orders, not just by type, and so on.

[exid]

switch doesn't drink a beer with me...
please! don't give them bad ideas! let them work on new arena mages!

[zot]

@kelanen

where are you located? perhaps you could make to mw indyweekend sometime. also there is a tournament at end of jan in illinois.

[Jock McFistpunch]

To me the benefit to a video game is that it handles all of the rules for you, which makes it easier to pick up.  Also, I do not know anyone else who plays Mage Wars in my area so video games and internet tools like OCTGN would work out for me pretty well.

I do really like these sorts of things in person more though.  I would much rather show up at a friends place or have some people come over and play.  Seeing people's reactions when a crazy roll happens or a good card is played can't be beat.