‘Magic: The Gathering’ Gives Xbox One First Strike In Console Wars With ‘Duels of the Planeswalkers’
Magic: the Gathering is a 21 year old trading card game created by Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast. Duels of the Planeswalkers, the video game based on the card game, was released in 2009 and has had a PlayStation version in each new release.
Wizards of the Coast recently announced that Magic 2015, the latest installation in the Duels of the Planeswalkers series, will be released this summer for Xbox One. Other platforms that Magic 2015 will be available on include: Xbox 360, iPad, PC, Android, and Kindle. One console is conspicuously missing from the list: PlayStation.
Although Wizards of the Coast stated that release dates often vary from platform to platform, they have confirmed that both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 will miss out on the game.
According to IGN, the PR firm for Wizards of the Coast had no idea why PlayStation wasn’t included. “All the info I have is what’s included in the press release – including info about which platforms are available. We don’t have any other announcements planned at this time.”
The PR firm also confirmed that Wizards of the Coast continue to hold publishing rights for Magic 2015. Since Microsoft is not involved in the publishing of the newest Magic: the Gathering video game, there remains a curiosity as to why the console was left out.
For gameplay, Magic 2015 will include a host of new features in comparison with the previous editions. There will be an advanced ability to customized decks, premium booster packs with downloadable content, and a better deck builder. The Magic: the Gathering 2015 Core Set will also be included in the available cards.
Where story-line is concerned, Magic 2015’s tagline is: “Hunt Bigger Game.” The tagline is a hint to the plot. The player will be actively hunted by Garruk Wildspeaker, a Planeswalker associated with the color green in Magic: the Gathering.
Magic 2015 isn’t the only new project to look out for whereMagic: the Gathering is concerned. The popular card game has been put into video games, comics and books in the past, now it seems fans might get to see it on the big screen.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Fox purchased the screen rights for Magic: the Gathering earlier this year and is hoping to turn it into a mega-franchise like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Whether or not it can meet the requirements to become a mega-franchise has yet to be seen, but Magic: the Gathering does have a rich history within their story-lines and there should be no shortage of content available to translate into a movie.
