WotC Press Release -- V:tES
Joseph Cochran
----------------------------------------------------------
VAMPIRE: THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE (TM)
SCHEDULED FOR FALL RELEASE
Renton, Wash. (October 9, 1995)--Wizards of the Coast, Inc. announced
today that the release of its trading card game Vampire: The Eternal
Struggle(TM) (V:TES) and the game's first expansion set, Dark
Sovereigns(TM), are due for release in November.
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (formerly known as Jyhad(TM)) and Dark
Sovereigns are being printed by The United States Playing Card
Corporation (USPC). This is the first time Wizards of the Coast(R) has
printed cards in the United States. To date, all of Magic: The
Gathering has been printed by Carta Mundi in Antwerp, Belgium.
"We are excited to use a new printing technology for this production
run," said Jim Stanton, Vice President of Product Group One. "Wizards of
the Coast is proud of its reputation for producing top quality games,"
said Stanton. "We are confident this new release of V:TES will further
demonstrate our commitment to leading the industry."
Earlier this year, Wizards of the Coast announced that along with
renaming the game, the rules had been adjusted. "We rewrote and
reformatted the rules for easier reading and to shorten the game time,"
said Matt Burke, Product Manager for V:TES. "We have not changed the
game mechanics--we have only rewritten them to make them easier to
understand." The new version of the rules appears in instructions that
accompany each V:TES starter deck and the separate player's guide,
Darkness Unveiled (TM), which will be released in December.
The release of the new Vampire cards will not affect the playability of
the Jyhad cards currently on the market. Jyhad cards will still remain
legal for all tournaments and are completely compatible with Vampire
cards. This eliminates the need for players to exchange their Jyhad
cards for Vampire cards.
Dark Sovereigns, the first expansion set, contains more than 100 cards
which explore the rich myths and folklore of vampires in Europe, and
introduces both new vampires and new categories of vampires.
Wizards of the Coast signed a contract with White Wolf, Inc. to change
Jyhad's name to Vampire: The Eternal Struggle after recognizing that the
game's title was not always distinguishable as vampiric. The card game
involves the players as vampires fighting an ancient war, based on White
Wolf's storytelling game Vampire: The Masquerade(TM).
--------
Wizards of the Coast is a game publisher based in the Seattle, WA
area. The company created a worldwide sensation when it released the hit
trading card game Magic: The Gathering(TM) in August 1993. Since then,
more than half a billion cards have sold around the globe and an entire
market has grown up around the game. In April 1994, the company expanded
into a second branch in Glasgow, Scotland, followed by a third office in
Antwerp, Belgium three months later. To date, more than 200 people work
for Wizards of the Coast in its three offices.
####
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and Jyhad are joint trademarks of Wizards
of the Coast, Inc. and White Wolf, Inc. Magic: The Gathering, Deckmaster
and Wizards of the Coast, Inc. are trademarks of Wizards of the
Coast, Inc.
Alec Habig
>Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (formerly known as Jyhad(TM)) and Dark
>Sovereigns are being printed by The United States Playing Card
>Corporation (USPC). This is the first time Wizards of the Coast(R) has
>printed cards in the United States. To date, all of Magic: The
>Gathering has been printed by Carta Mundi in Antwerp, Belgium.
Now that's a piece of good news! USPC is in Cincinnati, Ohio. That makes for
a lot less trouble in shipping, one would hope. They're the people who make
the "Bicycle" cards (among others), and also are the largest supplier of cards
to casinos.
A question - will the cards be of proper playing card stock/stiffness, like one
would find in a casino, or will they remain flimsy?
>The release of the new Vampire cards will not affect the playability of
>the Jyhad cards currently on the market. Jyhad cards will still remain
>legal for all tournaments and are completely compatible with Vampire
>cards. This eliminates the need for players to exchange their Jyhad
>cards for Vampire cards.
Well, this paragraph is only marginally true, at best. Even Tom was
reccomending trading strategies to make your mixed decks work under the DC
rules :)
--
Alec Habig, Indiana University High Energy Astrophysics
aha...@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu
http://www.astro.indiana.edu/home/ahabig/
Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my guns.
Brian Wilson
> Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (formerly known as Jyhad(TM)) and Dark
> Sovereigns are being printed by The United States Playing Card
> Corporation (USPC). This is the first time Wizards of the Coast(R) has
> printed cards in the United States. To date, all of Magic: The
> Gathering has been printed by Carta Mundi in Antwerp, Belgium.
I, for one, have been waiting for this to happen. You pick up a deck of
Bicycle playing cards and compare it with, say, Illuminati or Shadowfist
and you can tell what a real playing card is supposed to feel like. Carta
Mundi prints nice cards, but I've wondered when someone might release a
nice, plastic-coated, easy to shuffle, regulation sized playing card.
Of course, the way thing are going, VTES will in fact be released on
nice, plastic-coated, easy to shuffle, regulation sized playing cards
that look and feel completely different from existing Jyhad cards. Odds,
anyone?
--
"It's at the end of his arm," thought Frito, nervously | Brian
shaking it, "it's got to be a hand." | Wilson
Biomech8
:Of course, the way thing are going, VTES will in fact be released on
:that look and feel completely different from existing Jyhad cards. Odds,
:anyone?
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had seen some V:TES cards, they were
printed on the same type of card as the Jyhad cards. Though I don't know
if the cards I saw were printed before or after the printing company was
changed. I would hope that similar cards will be printed. A higher
quality cardboard would be nice.
On "Vampire Day" when I recieved my first cards (free!) I took them
home and spread them out to look at them. I had some friends over and we
played a game of WH40K that lasted all day. While we played my cards sat
in the sun, and when the day was over and I went back to my brand-new
never played before Jyhad cards they were all warped in a potato chip
fashion. I found it ironic that my Jyhad cards took a little aggravated
damage from the sun (the cards came out fine by the way, after a long rest
in torpor).
Joseph Cheek
>Brian Wilson (bwi...@news.gate.net) wrote:
>: Before I could do anything to stop it, Joseph Cochran wrote:
>: > Vampire: The Eternal Struggle (formerly known as Jyhad(TM)) and Dark
>: > Sovereigns are being printed by The United States Playing Card
>: > Corporation (USPC). This is the first time Wizards of the Coast(R) has
>: > printed cards in the United States. To date, all of Magic: The
>: > Gathering has been printed by Carta Mundi in Antwerp, Belgium.
>
>: I, for one, have been waiting for this to happen. You pick up a deck of
>: Bicycle playing cards and compare it with, say, Illuminati or Shadowfist
>: and you can tell what a real playing card is supposed to feel like. Carta
>: Mundi prints nice cards, but I've wondered when someone might release a
>: nice, plastic-coated, easy to shuffle, regulation sized playing card.
>
>I disagree; I play with my Bicycle cards rather more infrequently than I do
>with my Magic or Jyhad cards, and they're still in much worse shape. I like
>WotC's standards of card quality; in 50 years I want to be able to play their
>games with my grandchildren (and no, not because they're probably the only
>people who'll accept my house rules). It's a lot easier to replace that
>stomped-on, beer-soaked seven of diamonds than that mistreated Ritual of the
>Bitter Rose.
As I remember correctly, USPC makes several different playing cards, the three
that stand out most in my mind are Aviator (cheap, wear out in a month or two),
Bicycle (decent, last quite a while) and Bee (my personal favorite, and the
only playing cards I enjoy playing with). I guess my point is that just
because USPC is printing V:TES does not mean that the cards will be thicker.
Although I am certainly glad that we have an in-states printer.
--
Joseph Cheek/Cheek Cards and Gaming (ch...@xmission.com)
http://www.xmission.com/~cheek (970) 257-9089 voice/fax
1306 N 25th St, Suite 208, Grand Junction CO USA 81501
currently featuring online diplomacy
Brian Wilson
> I disagree; I play with my Bicycle cards rather more infrequently than I do
> with my Magic or Jyhad cards, and they're still in much worse shape. I like
> WotC's standards of card quality; in 50 years I want to be able to play their
> games with my grandchildren (and no, not because they're probably the only
> people who'll accept my house rules). It's a lot easier to replace that
> stomped-on, beer-soaked seven of diamonds than that mistreated Ritual of the
> Bitter Rose.
I think that if you read my original post, you'll find that I applauded
the quality of Carta Mundi's product, which means WotC's product. Take a
look at Illuminati (they didn't even get the size right) or Shadowfist
(love the game, but I'm playing with baseball card stock) to see what I mean.
My "perfect card" would be a standard WotC issue with a plastic coating.
> How odd that people who are out to change the face of Gaming As We Know It
> should make such ephemeral products. I think (this is not an extreme
> statement coming up now, is it?) limits on card commonality and availability,
> while an indisputably wondrous marketing device, ultimately cheapens the
> gamers' pleasure.
I agree. I'm afraid that with so many new games coming out, if they want
players they will have to change either their pricing scheme, their
distribution scheme, or both. The card-game genre may grow into something
much bigger if the collector aspect is somehow reduced.
> The reaction in my little circle has been to specialize:
> "Here, Neil, we'll sell you all our Jyhad cards, so you can be the Jyhad
> specialist. When we all want to play Jyhad, we'll borrow one of your decks.
> In return, we'll lend you a Magic/Rage/whatever deck when you want to play
> with us." Now we think (I speak only for my little circle) that not everyone
> need afford a formidable collection of every game they want to play -- in the
> same way as there need to be only half as many chess sets as players. But I
> think a year ago we wouldn't have reacted this way.
That's an interesting solution. However, as the game glut continues, even
this well collapse under the weight. With so many games to choose from,
players will have to aim their dollars carefully at the games that they
know will played in their area. This may be a cause in Magic's continued
popularity. Despite its flaws, you can always find a game, and you can
always find cards to buy or trade. Until the games become truly
affordable, spin-offs (even those from WotC like Jyhad) will play second
fiddle and suffer occasional droughts.
Brian Wilson
> As I remember correctly, USPC makes several different playing cards, the three
> that stand out most in my mind are Aviator (cheap, wear out in a month or two),
> Bicycle (decent, last quite a while) and Bee (my personal favorite, and the
> only playing cards I enjoy playing with). I guess my point is that just
> because USPC is printing V:TES does not mean that the cards will be thicker.
> Although I am certainly glad that we have an in-states printer.
Maybe the next print run of VTES will be on poker-sized cards. Of course,
they'll still be compatible with Jyhad.
Alec Habig
>I think that if you read my original post, you'll find that I applauded
>the quality of Carta Mundi's product, which means WotC's product. Take a
>look at Illuminati (they didn't even get the size right) or Shadowfist
>(love the game, but I'm playing with baseball card stock) to see what I mean.
Illuminati's cards sized wrong? They're self consistent, and fit in baseball
card holders/bixes just fine - what's the problem?
I really like the heft of Illuminati's cards. This would be a problem in a
game with a larger deck, though, but it's perfect for INWO.
Alec
Keith Rohrer
Brian Wilson <bwi...@news.gate.net> wrote:
>I think that if you read my original post, you'll find that I applauded
>the quality of Carta Mundi's product, which means WotC's product. Take a
>look at Illuminati (they didn't even get the size right) or Shadowfist
>(love the game, but I'm playing with baseball card stock) to see what I mean.
corners tend to take damage and fold up, and they'd be hard to shuffle in
decks the size of other games), the size _is_ right: as long on the long
dimension as the others, and a different side length ratio would've fouled
up how the arrows line up, which is an important part of gameplay.
Keith
--
Disclaimer: Despite the fact that I disclaim any connections between the
opinions expressed here and any other person, group, or entity which has not
licensed said opinions, my opinions are in fact not connected with any other
person, group, or entity which has not licensed them.
Brian Wilson
> Umm, as far as Illuminati, while I do think the stock is too thick (the
> corners tend to take damage and fold up, and they'd be hard to shuffle in
> decks the size of other games), the size _is_ right: as long on the long
> dimension as the others, and a different side length ratio would've fouled
> up how the arrows line up, which is an important part of gameplay.
I chatted this topic with Steve Jackson here in this news group when the
game first came out. I asked why they picked such an oddball size, and he
admitted that the size was supposed to be different, but some production
error occurred and that it was too late to correct it.
Brian Wilson
> I chatted this topic with Steve Jackson here in this news group when the
> game first came out. I asked why they picked such an oddball size, and he
> admitted that the size was supposed to be different, but some production
> error occurred and that it was too late to correct it.
Sorry, it was in rec.games.trading-cards.misc, back before Jyhad was
split out.
Frederick Scott
>Before I could do anything to stop it, Brian Wilson wrote:
>
>> I chatted this topic with Steve Jackson here in this news group when the
>> game first came out. I asked why they picked such an oddball size, and he
>> admitted that the size was supposed to be different, but some production
>> error occurred and that it was too late to correct it.
>
>Sorry, it was in rec.games.trading-cards.misc, back before Jyhad was
>split out.
You mean rec.games.deckmaster? rec.games.trading-cards.misc was created the
same day as rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad.
Fred