» WizKids takes another crack at CMGs for the kids
Monday, October 17, 2005
WizKids takes another crack at CMGs for the kids
Zypods are basically Russian nested dolls with Clix-oid rules and game features instead of little babushka faces. The press release says it’s launching in a test market now… but the product page indicates that the test market is essentially half the major cities in the center of the country. (Plus Boston.) This looks decently thought out – the price point is certainly right – but it remains to be seen what it will take to make a hit with the kids’ market these days. At least this is not completely wild-assed, or a CCG. For more details, here’s the playmat PDF.
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Chris Says: October 17th, 2005 at 6:53 pm
Wonder if this is anything like the Pokemon one that is being released in europe…
Philip Reed Says: October 20th, 2005 at 6:28 am
I might be really stupid but:
“1 card board or miniature figure”
So I might or might not get a miniature in my miniatures game?
James S. Says: October 20th, 2005 at 9:44 am
It seems that way Phil.
This would be, in a way, like the clix games. If you go and look at the full press release, the actual miniature is susposed to the most powerful piece in the game so, again relating it to the clix games, it would be the “rare” or “unique”
Philip Reed Says: October 21st, 2005 at 10:09 am
I sure hope they don’t try and call if a miniatures game if every pack doesn’t include a mini.
Jonathan Says: October 24th, 2005 at 4:21 am
I’ve read the rules and scoured WizKids’ Zypods site. The game seems fundamentally sound and the price point on the “boosters” is very low. I could see dropping $50 (the amount I’d spend on a large board game or a high-quality RPG book) and using the Zypods purchased with that as a shared set to play quick “beer and pretzels” games with my friends.
The components to seem a little “crushable”. It’s going to require a new kind of carrying case if kids are going to play it at school or in stores. I see old shoeboxes becoming a valued commodity…
john Says: November 4th, 2005 at 6:58 pm
OK, y’all. I live in Wichita, KS (NOT one of the test market cities, hmmmm, go figure) and i saw theses things at a local convenience store and decided to pick some up. After playing a couple games with my ten-y-o daughter I can say that WizKids MIGHT have a hit on their hands. Each “pod” costs 4 smackers and the game itself pretty much takes the same amount of time and strategy as a game of checkers. The pods seem sturdy enough to throw in a backpack and not worry about. Kids’ll dig it and I even had a little fun myself but not enough to squander the kids’ college funds to collect.