Published on: 17/08/2022

Digital trading card game Emergents releases public beta

Emergents, a blockchain-based trading card game that aims to take on popular titles such as Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering, has launched its public beta.

As part of the launch, gamers will have the opportunity to purchase unique and rare buy and sell cards that are unavailable elsewhere. These cards are included in the limited edition Super Booster packs.

The various packs featured in this release include the same old, unusual, and epic versions of the game and exclusive artwork only found in the recreation. They also randomly assign playing cards, which means that consumers have the chance of getting an incredibly rare and precious item when they exchange it in a third-party marketplace.

The Super Booster packs, which are available now, are designed to give players instant access to their favorite playing cards. Each pack features a unique comedian quilt artwork from the creators of Emergent Universe. Some prominent artists featured in the collection include Amanda Conner, Colleen Doran, Juan Doe, Steve Ellis, Adrián Gutiérrez, Bill Sienkiewicz as well as Yuko Shimizu.

The Rare Super Booster Pack contains up to six playing cards exclusive to the game. These are incredibly rare and unusual. The rarest playing cards will most likely be the first-generation playing cards or the primary version of a certain NFT. However, these will not be the only exclusive items that can be acquired with the packs. It also has 28 unique playing cards that can be exchanged for physical comic book artwork.

The game is one of the year’s most anticipated titles — at least among the blockchain gaming community. The game is completely virtual, and it utilizes the Tezos blockchain.

Problems with virtual trading card games before Emergents

Several attempts have been made to establish virtual trading card games using blockchain technology. These games aim to cater to people who are not satisfied with the free-to-play model of video games.

Unfortunately, the initial efforts to establish virtual trading card games didn’t capture the players’ imagination. Due to the complexity of the blockchain, it was not feasible for card-collecting enthusiasts to easily arrange a wallet and buy cryptocurrencies.

To overcome this issue, Emergents TCG has created an in-person interface that allows players to conduct business using fiat money or cryptocurrencies. The game’s developer, InterPop, said the game’s mechanics are so simple that most people don’t even realize they’re using blockchain technology.

The playing cards in the blockchain allow players to act as unique entities, performing various functions, such as releasing certain qualities and promoting their products. In order to ensure that the playing cards are unique entities, Tezos uses a unique hashing algorithm to ensure that the historical ownership of each card is fully traceable.

Of course, these complex details are hidden behind a simple UI that the players interact with — card-collecting enthusiasts don’t have to understand how the Tezos system works to enjoy the game. Rather, InterPop expected that players would play the game the way traditional TCGs are played.

“Our goal has never been to ‘build the best blockchain game’, it’s always been to build a bigger recreation than what was previously available in the market,” InterPop CEO Brian David-Marshall said. “[A game that] could go with the best trading card games in its class and recapture some of the excitement that came from buying, selling and trading Magic or Pokemon cards in the real world.”