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Unbelievable that some games get published... (Ben10 card game)

9 replies [Last post]
Sun, 01/04/2009 - 17:03
d3nial
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Joined: 07/30/2008

For Christmas I bought my daughters the Ben10 card game. It comes in a nice tin (!) with nice graphics. The components are a large card token printed on both sides and a deck of cards (72 cards I think).

I was expecting a game a little like Top Trumps where aliens are pitted against each other on attributes like speed, strength etc, but no, it is simply play a card and the highest/lowest number wins (depending on which side of the card token is face up, i.e. high or low). On a tie, another round of cards is played and the winner takes all.

I was stunned... think about how much source material there is in Ben10 and what could be done with it. Instead a game that took about 3 minutes to design is somehow deemed worthy of lavish packaging and graphics.

By contrast I also bought Munchkin Booty for them and it seems to be fun, although I am working out how to combine it with Pirate's Cove to make it a little less abstract for my daughters, i.e. sail from island to island, deal with the "door" card at each island and then get the "booty". I'll record how that goes and post it here.

d3

PS. sorry if this is in the wrong forum.

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Sun, 01/04/2009 - 20:41
#1
apeloverage
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Joined: 08/01/2008
Sadly, I suspect

that from the manufacturer's point of view, the important thing about your post is that you bought the game :(

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Mon, 01/05/2009 - 14:41
#2
larienna
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Joined: 07/28/2008
this is why my average game

this is why my average game rating on board game geek is 5/10. Because on my point of view, a lot of games are bad. Some have good idea, but in overall, it could be better. That is why I love so much to make game variants.

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Mon, 01/05/2009 - 18:13
#3
d3nial
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Joined: 07/30/2008
the funny thing is...

...it's not even "bad", it's barely even a complete game... it's like a small uncomplicated, incomplete game mechanic in nice shiny (licensed) packaging. such a waste, because now there won't be a decent Ben10 card game because the muppets in management will say, "but we already have a Ben10 card game". *sigh*

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Mon, 01/05/2009 - 18:41
#4
InvisibleJon
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Joined: 07/27/2008
*sigh*

=(

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Tue, 01/06/2009 - 04:13
#5
coco
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Joined: 07/27/2008
Sad

So sad, but that's how this works, folks. Some companies don't even need to make a good game. Just print a deck of cards with a franchised theme and sell them.

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Tue, 01/06/2009 - 10:06
#6
Darkehorse
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Joined: 07/21/2008
Mass Market games

Unfortunately, most mass market games, like a lot of products, exist for the sole reason to separate a consumer from their cash.

Fortunately some mass market designers do have a conscious. Brian Yu has put out some excellent mass market games with licensed material. Unfortunately again, he is the exception to the rule.

Remember though, that anyone can purchase a license to use a intellectual property if they are willing to pay the price that the owner of that property demands. So it is possible that someone might come along and make a good Ben 10 game.

-Darke

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Tue, 01/06/2009 - 15:06
#7
kungfugeek
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Joined: 09/10/2008
Speaking of itellectual property...

As an example of something cool to do with some licensed property...

A friend of mine designed a really great Godzilla game. Even has a BGG entry...
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39289

He says he's not even considering publishing it because he knows the licensing will be a stickler. What are some options? I mentioned re-themeing it to him, but after playing it, I can honestly say that the theme and mechanics are inseperable here. Thoughts?

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Tue, 01/06/2009 - 17:05
#8
Katherine
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Joined: 07/24/2008
How does your friend know

How does your friend know that the licensing will be a stickler, has he asked the question or based that on assumption. Perhaps if he asked then the company might ask to see his game.

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Tue, 01/06/2009 - 22:45
#9
Gizensha
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Joined: 07/26/2008
d3nial wrote:I was expecting

d3nial wrote:
I was expecting a game a little like Top Trumps where aliens are pitted against each other on attributes like speed, strength etc, but no, it is simply play a card and the highest/lowest number wins (depending on which side of the card token is face up, i.e. high or low). On a tie, another round of cards is played and the winner takes all.

So... Top Trumps without the rudimentary strategy ("Pick best attribute") present in Top Trumps? And approximately as much game present as Snakes and Ladders. (A game with no decissions is more a simulation than a game, even if its simulating nothing)

Quote:
I was stunned... think about how much source material there is in Ben10 and what could be done with it. Instead a game that took about 3 minutes to design is somehow deemed worthy of lavish packaging and graphics.

From a purely business perspective, for the mainstream publishers, 'does it make a profit' is pretty much the only consideration. And, given the average game consumer (Who, lets not forget, thinks Monopoly is one of the best boardgames there is), 'good IP + good packaging' isn't significantly worse off than 'good IP + good packaging + good game' and, sadly, has an advantage over 'good IP + good game' and 'good packaging + good game'...

Quote:
By contrast I also bought Munchkin Booty for them and it seems to be fun, although I am working out how to combine it with Pirate's Cove to make it a little less abstract for my daughters, i.e. sail from island to island, deal with the "door" card at each island and then get the "booty". I'll record how that goes and post it here.

And I believe this illustrates the difference between the quality of the products from the hobby publishers and the mainstream ones... I'd use Hollywood vs Arthouse movies as a metaphor, except that from the description you gave you managed to hit the approximate equivilent of a Uwe Boll movie with the Ben10 game so it would make it sound like I was being too harsh on Hollywood...

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