Chaotic Cards – The Future of TCG’s?

I want to push some buttons in your brain a second. No not literally. I don’t want to reach in and start seeing how squidgy and mushy your brain is (my guess is very) but I want to see how you think about Chaotic cards and how they may effect the future of TCG’s.

I ask because I’ve been thinking about Chaotic cards a lot recently, not just in a ‘I’ve started playing and obsessed with my new craze’ kind of way, but ever since I have been giving away free Chaotic codes on the forum I’ve been wondering about them as a medium.

The Chaotic TCG

Now obviously the Chaotic TCG is nowhere near the size of some of the TCG’s. Whilst it’s relatively big (think I remember reading it is the 4th biggest selling TCG in USA supermarkets and 2nd biggest in Canada, could be wrong though) it is neither turning much of a profit nor does it measure up to the sheer volume of players that Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, Yo Gi Oh and others have.

It’s growing, but it’s reach is nowhere near that of the more established Trading Cards Games.

So where does that leave them? Can they compete in the future or will they forever be relegated to the role of little brother behind the ‘big boys’ of the CCG world.

The Future of TCG’s

The question really becomes a matter of how the trading card games are going to develop. Already with other games we have seen them, or their fans, move decks online, develop the ability to use their cards in online battles.

But none of them have approached the Chaotic online game for versatility or its interaction with the traditional game. They don’t give anything like the ‘Chaotic code’ that allows the physical cards to be used in the interactive, online world.

And that gives Chaotic and edge, for the moment, over rivals CCG’s such as Pokemon. It means that players can trade, play and plan all over the world. Debates on TCG forums can be easily solved – by battling it out!

It also removes the problems of using fan driven websites and online battle strategy games. By Chaotic online being the OFFICIAL game you can play as Maxxor, Chaor, Klasp or Lore whenever you want, safe in the knowledge that they are quality.

And that’s what matters, the quality of the online game. Fan sites are all well and good, this is one for example, they have a place in marketing, in fandom and in interacting with users. But they are still fan based and the quality can vary.

By having an official site for the game to be played online then Chaotic allow themselves to control the quality of the online experience. Yes they gives themselves other headaches but they control everything about their offering.

Almost all services are moving online. Newspapers are struggling to compete with online media, shops are doing more sales online than they are in their bricks and mortar establishments, letters have become emails, magazines have become newsletters (by the way have you signed up to ours yet?). Should TCG’s be any different?

Games are always progressing, lines are being blurred between consoles and computers. One of our regulars on the forum is currently accessing it via his Nintendo Wii, another via his mobile phone. Chaotic the computer game is coming out… things progress.

Marvel changed things up with the introduction of their own TCG that was based entirely on a computer console, no ‘real’ cards involved. Chaotic have bridged the gap between that and traditional card games by providing both – based off of the same cards.

THIS is what I see the future of TCG’s doing. Many will love the cards, not every game will go completely online (many have). The artwork, the feel, the style of cards in trading card games is something to be treasured – and the cost of starting up ensures that only those interested in quality are likely to bother. But it is not enough to suit a demanding market any more.

The players of TCG’s are traditionally far more technology savvy than the average man (or woman) on the street. They spend time on the internet, they (and myself) enjoy interacting there – talking to people on forums (I even met my girlfriend on a forum, though it wasn’t a Chaotic one). So it is, in my opinion, inevitable that the cards progress from hard copy to digital – whilst still containing the elements that makes the industry so successful. The collectiblity, the options, the story, the art work.

That, for me, is why Chaotic cards are the future of TCG’s. But that’s enough of my meanderings. What do you think?

Lots of people are hitting the blog and the forum looking for free Chaotic codes – so I thought I better say at least a little bit more about it.

Yes there really are free Chaotic codes available on the forum.  No you can’t get them immediately.  The way it works is that you join the forum (located here) and then have to make 10 forum posts.  When this happens you will be granted access to a secret ‘hidden’ forum.

Inside that forum the codes are put up for grabs via a number of methods, such as quizes and free draws.  We are looking to give away an average of 2 or 3 Chaotic codes a day at the moment, more as we get more popular.

What have we given away so far?  Well just for starters some of the freebies given away recently include

Free Makrabon code

Free Garv code

Free Lobanne code

2 Free clodor codes

Free song of the Dyad code

Free Dexterous storm code

Fancy gettign your hands on some of these free Codes?  Get over to the free Chaotic forum and get posting!

Chaotic Booster Packs?

Just how random are the Chaotic cards that you find in the Chaotic booster packs? I know it sounds an odd question but I was in town with the girlfriend the other day and nipped into Toys R Us to buy a couple of Chaotic booster packs.

To my delight they had the Silent Sands packs – my local Toys R Us had, until then, only been stocking the Zenith of the Hive packs and I was looking forward to getting my hands on a few more, new, cards.

Unfortunately I didn’t have my wallet on me so only managed to grab 3 booster packs from the tenner I had in my pocket – fine enough though, should be 27 new Chaotic cards, give or take a double or two.

Or not.

Two of the packs I had were exactly the same, with exactly the same cards – not one different. Now I have little problem with that right now, as I said I had no Silent Sands cards so I can use the two of each of the cards. BUT if I were to buy more Chaotic booster packs would I be likely to get EXACTLY the same cards again – or was this a ridiculous fluke of luck?

I have not been buying the cards long enough to have much knowledge myself so it could be either or, my guess, somewhere inbetween with the ‘randomness’ just being a pattern repeated but in a large number of other patterns so the likelihood of getting the same pack is slim – and very slim when only buying 3 packs!

So how about you more experienced Chaotic gamers – this ever happen to you? Can I expect for this to happen a lot or is it very, very unlikely?

Free Chaotic Codes

I am pretty sure that anyone who has ever started playing Chaotic online will have, at some point, done a Google search to try find free Chaotic codes at some point. The lure of adding to your online Chaotic deck for free is a strong one – which is why ‘Chaotic Wednesdays’ worked so well as a selling point for the main Chaotic site, until they ended them of course.

So how do people go about getting hold of these free Chaotic codes now? Where can I get free Chaotic codes?

Chaotic Forums

The good news is that you can actually get free Chaotic codes right here on Chaotic Masters. That’s right, you don’t have to go anywhere! We are starting to use our Chaotic Forum to give away free Chaotic codes to members. Every week we will be running different competitions with different Chaotic codes and for different ways of winning.

For example this week I am giving away the free Chaotic code for Overworld creature Garv to a randomly selected member with over 10 posts. So all you need to do is register on the forum and make 10 (non-spam) posts to be in the draw. If there are a large number of people in the draw then I will add a couple of other cards.

More Free Chaotic Codes

In September I shall start adding a huge amount more free Chaotic codes – I will be bringing the cards in wholesale and so have large numbers of Chaotic codes that I shall be giving away as prizes to members of the forums.

So if you want to be getting free Chaotic codes to add to your online deck then make sure you get yourself over to the forum and start posting about Chaotic, or pretty much anything else in the Off-Topic sections of the board.

Good luck!

Chaotic Shadow Warriors – Preview

Now this is hardly news, but considering the interest that my posting the ‘making of Chaotic the computer game‘ post got I thought I would show people this wonderful preview (above) of the Chaotic computer game that is coming out for all the major consoles – Wii, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

I have to say I am still excited, but a little bit worried.  Why worried, well check out this forum thread discussing the making of the Chaotic video game to see why – here’s a hint, it’s to do with what it may or may not do on the Nintendo Wii version of the game.

But all in all Chaotic Shadow Warriors looks an excellent game that belongs in the gaming lists of any console owner, or Chaotic player!

I can’t wait to get my hands on my copy.

Chaotic Names

Where do they come from?

An odd question I know but where do the Chaotic names come from?

I ask because my background is in Ancient Civilizations (especially Greeks and Romans, which is what I did my degree in) and usually I can recognize the ‘root’ or inspiration for a name, but I am struggling with those of the Chaotic characters and Chaotic creatures.

Some are recognizable, some look like they are done with branding in mind, but in the main the inspiration for the Chaotic names escapes me entirely.

Of course I am not talking about the TV characters such as Major Tom here, they are easily recognizable as westernised names mixed used for branding purposes and to align the Chaotic line with the Chaotic online game.  No what I am talking about is the names of the Chaotic creatures, those mighty warriors that they ’scan’ on the Chaotic TV show, and that we use our Chaotic cards to represent in our games, both online and the physical TCG.

Other Companies

To be honest I can’t always get it.  Take Pokemon for example, I am a huge fan of that but I will never (or at least its highly unlikely that I will ever) understand the Japanese language and word structure and so I don’t ‘get’ their naming systems.  But other systems are easier.

Games workshop, both Warhammer and Warhammer 40k, are games I am a fan of (especially their background) and it is usually easy to find the root, or at least the inspiration, for the names of their characters, races etc.  They are easy to place because the imagery they use is easy to pinpoint and then the names are easy to take from the culture that the imagery comes from (e.g. ‘The eye of Horus’ and the name Horus have strong mythological roots).

But the names of the Chaotic creatures escape me, I just can’t work out where their root comes from at all.  I know it is geeky, and not of interest to many Chaotic players, but it is something that intrigues me.

So if you have any insight about the Chaotic names please do leave a message in the comments, if not nip over to the Chaotic Forum here at Chaotic Masters to start chatting about all things Chaotic.

Chaotic Online Game and Bad Sportsmanship

Now I haven’t been playing the Chaotic Online Game much at all, I’m still getting to grip with the basics of the game, never mind the nuances. But one thing that has annoyed me is the bad sportsmanship that goes on in Chaotic online gaming. It shouldn’t surprise when playing a kids game – many aren’t very mature in terms of age or how they act. But it still grates my nerves when an opponent is using the chat function to taunt you in a childish manner.

Hotekk Drome

I was playing a game in the Hotekk drome yesterday and lost 2 creatures in quick succession, so my opponent took that as a sign to start telling me how rubbish a player I am, how pathetic my game is and how I may as well quit to save myself embarrassment. To be frank I’m not going to be embarrassed by my poor showing in a game, I am still learning the basics of it. As it happens I then won the next two battles and he just beat me on my last creature – not that losing those two stopped him from gloating a lot at me. Maybe it’s the fact that Hotekk doesn’t do Mugic, or because at 3vs3 it is the place that more ‘newbies’ (and therefore childish) can play. But I have to say that my experiences there have been like that a few times.

Growth of the Chaotic Online Game

If Chaotic is to grow as a game then it needs newbies joining constantly. It needs fresh blood and growth. Taunting new players, making them feel small and pathetic, is not the way to do this. Unfortunately the ‘anonymity’ of being an online game coupled with the target age group of Chaotic Online means that many think it’s ok to give abuse to players just because they are winning. So let us try act like grown ups. That is easy for me to say as I am a grown up (in age, if not mentality), but for those who are able to find this place by search and understand words such as ‘anonymity’ then you are easily capable of being courteous and a ‘good sport’. Let us encourage new players, show them how fun it can be and bring them into the game. You want the game to grow then you need new players. The more players the better the game and the more ‘mainstream’ it becomes. Good sportsmanship matters, let’s try it out. Especially those in the Hotekk drome please! Don’t forget to visit our Chaotic forums to discuss this and any other Chaotic Online Game topic.

Chaotic the Computer Game

Chaotic is set to become a computer game for all major console formats, Nintendo Wii, Xbox360, Playstation 3 etc. Great news as far as I am concerned, I love playing on my Wii – Mario Kart and Pokemon Battle Revolution are my 2 main games, though I’m also starting to get the hang of Super Smash Brothers.

Shadow Warriors, the Chaotic computer game, is looking very exciting indeed. I just came across this ‘making of’ on Chaotic TV.

Have to say that I am excited! It looks pure quality and its good to see that they have taken it seriously and integrated various features rather than taking the online computer game and turn it into, well, an online computer game for computer consoles!

Going to be intrigued to see if its more ‘live action’ or turn based – the video clip seems unclear as it had both, which is teh bigger part?  Odds are turn based but it seems it has 1st person shooter elements, RPG elements and the like.

What do you guys think? We’re asking that question in the forum right now – join in the debate!

Chaotic Mugic

It can be difficult to get the hang of masters battles.  You need to understand just how the Chaotic mugic system works, which is difficult enough without trying to understand the nuances. Which might explain how I don’t understand the nuances at all!

Yesterday I tried my first ever attempt at a Chaotic battle with mugic in it, and boy was it tough. I lost, lost my Klasp (an Underworld creature) with what felt like no warning (he didn’t get into battle, was just taken out by mugic) and generally struggled to do anything (managed one battle win).

My team

I was fighting through with Klasp, Magmon and Toxis – mostly with supportive spells (forget their names but one destroys battlegear, one deals 10 damage and the last one knocked 15 off each of the opponents attributes).

It’s tough. I’m taking part in the Oron dome – the Chaotic dome for 3v3 Master battles that this month is only allowing Dawn of Perim cards.

But the good news is I have some help. Mandible Muge has been in the forums helping me out with what I should be doing (such as bringing in Lore) and how I should use mugic. Want to see what he had to say? Check out this thread http://chaoticmasters.com/forum/playing-the-game/just-played-my-first-masters-battle-need-help!/

I am slowly picking up a couple of wins and am now about to give Lore my first effort (have decided not to sacrifice Klasp as I love him as a creature, and will partner him with Toxis) so wish me luck!

In the mean time I am hoping a few more people might pop into our Chaotic Forums and give me some advice about Chaotic mugic – I really am clueless!

The company with a large stake in Chaotic, the 4Kids TV Network, has turned a massive loss for it’s Q2 reports according to some news sources.  A $13.8million loss has been reported as the final figure of the quarter – a figure which is truly staggering when the company only made $4.4 million sales in the same time period.

Extenuating circumstances

It seem’s 4Kids has been quick to blame a number of exceptional circumstances for this loss.  Firstly it points out that over half the loss ($7.25 million) was due to a loss made in the sale of an Auction rate security – something that would usually have been a safe bet if it wasn’t for the volatile financial market.

Chaotic Sales

Blame has also been placed on Chaotic.  A change in how they charge retailers and distributers for the products of our favorite TCG means that they have not recieved income that they would usually have done.  Because they have moved the price model to a ‘pay on scan’ system they are yet to see monies returned for the $2.6 million worth of Chaotic products they have shipped in that time period.

The good news is that 4Kids CEO, Al Khan, said that sales of products of the Chaotic TCG had almost doubled since the Cartoon Network started syndicating episodes.

From what I can see they are disturbing figures but the Auction rate security sale will be a one off and losses are happening all over the industry so we shouldn’t be too worried.  What will be interesting is seeing how the sales of the TCG are going once profits from the new sales model start coming in, and seeing if the effect of the Cartoon Network will continue or level/drop off.