If you’re an independent developer, one of the key questions is how much are you willing to take it to the limit and push your content to an even wider audience. For Australia based Lightmare Studios, they’re putting all their cards on the table (excuse the pun) by bringing the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” universe into their Infinity Wars world. During my conversation with Lightmare Studios creator Elphie Coyle, he explained how the trading card renderings of the Star Trek characters should please avid Trekkers.
“It takes a lot longer to get the cards approved,” said Coyle. “Before if we liked the cards, it was cool and we’d take it on. Now if a left cheekbone is off by two centimeters, we’ll fix that. And then that will add another half a day to the production because of the back and forth. It’s totally fine, you accept it part and parcel, and the unexpected benefit that we’ve had is that the artists have gotten far better at their skills at well.”
Currently in beta mode, “Infinity Wars” has generated a loyal following with over 6 million games played, and part of its initial momentum lies in its simultaneous turn game mechanic and since it’s a digital trading card game, the title puts a welcome emphasis on its visual design.
As much as I enjoy free to play titles, I’ll discard any game that goes for the money grab within the first several minutes of gameplay. Don’t expect that kind of freemium mess with “Infinity Wars,” as Coyle offers gamers a financial model that, for lack of a better word, is all about fair play.
“It’s basically kindhearted free to play,” said Coyle. “So every bit of game affecting content is available for free and is earnable in the game. When I say premium content, it’s two things: one is the ability to buy a package quicker and the other is all the prestige items (i.e.) extra battlefields, extra card backs, extra animation for cards. But nothing that will affect the gameplay.”
Here are a few features you’ll find in Infinity Wars:
- Over 300 cards currently available, with new cards released frequently
- Every single card beautifully animated
- Open trading between players
- Over 120 Single Player and Multiplayer quests to complete
- Simultaneous gameplay allows bluff and prediction mechanics never seen before in traditional TCGs
- Full deck builder allows for millions of custom deck combinations
- Cross-platform play across PC, Mac, iOS and Android
- Customizable Deck and Battlefield skins
- Star Trek: The Next Generation coming to Infinity Wars starting with 20 new cards releasing April 26
Before we finished the interview, Coyle explained how “Infinity Wars” and “Hearthstone” are games that are targeted to different audiences, adding that, in this case, the term “David vs. Goliath” should actually be changed to “David and Goliath.” Coyle also thanks the gamers around the world who have supported Infinity wars long, arduous, and ultimately fulfilling journey.
