Brian Wilkinson
May 23, 2002, 04:10 pm
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/logos/WizardWorldEast_logo.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/logos/WizardWorldEast_logot.jpg" align=left alt="WizardWorld East logo"></a>Article by: Jeromy Lloyd, plaidchocobo@yahoo.com
WizKids' new tabletop combat game Marvel HeroClix: The Infinity Challenge was demonstrated to thousands of convention-goers at Wizard World East in Philadelphia this past weekend. Based on the characters of the Marvel Universe, it has been eagerly anticipated by both gamers and comic fans alike who will use speed, attack, defensive, and damage abilities to pit our favourite Marvel heroes against their most hated foes. X-Fan was in Philadelphia to make note of the reception HeroClix received. The results are in, and things look good for WizKids.
"It's simple without being boring or repetitive," says Aaron, a 22-year old from Pittsburgh. "{For} other tabletop games, you need paper, calculator and a thick rule book. All you need for this game is your dice and your figures."
"People appreciate that the game is easy to learn," reports Don, one of the game's demonstrators at the WizKids booth. "People will hover around and watch us play with eleven-year old kids and their parents. Eventually, most make it to a table to give it a try."
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_spiderman_01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_spiderman_01t.jpg" align=right alt="Marvel HeroClix Spider-Man figure preview"></a>But what about those who had played WizKids first offering, Mage Knight, which is similar is style and game mechanics? Would they like this slightly altered version that was aimed at comic fans instead of hard-core gamers? Tyler, a 28-year old Philadelphian believes "this game is a nice improvement (over Mage Knight). You can do lots of things that they would do in the comics like break through walls and throw things at other characters. You couldn't do that in Mage Knight. And I like that you don't need a ruler to play like before, just the game board."
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_uwolverine_01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_uwolverine_01t.jpg" align=left alt="Marvel HeroClix Unique Wolverine figure preview"></a>The vendors seemed to like HeroClix as well. Bill Krenson, proprietor of The Silver Unicorn in Richmond, VA, said that the eight-figure starter packs and four-figure boosters accounted for nearly sixty percent of his revenue over the first two days of the convention. "It's a dual market of gamers and comic fans. Some want them to play with, others just want action figures to paint and put on a shelf."
Bob Sowers from Capt. Comics in Birmingham, AB, went as far as calling it "kiddie crack", saying that people couldn't get enough of it. According to Sowers, Wolverine, Spider-Man and Captain America were the most asked-for.
"People usually buy a starter pack or a couple of boosters, and then want to fill out their collection with individual pieces that we sell for two or three dollars apiece, depending on their rarity. There hasn't been a minute since we got here that we haven't been swarmed."
The HeroClix highlight of the convention was the Wizard World East HeroClix Championship Tournament, in which players competed for the custom-sculpted Sentinel trophy. We watched as dozens of players pitted X-Men against the <a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_sentinel_fulltrophy.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_sentinel_fulltrophyt.jpg" align=right alt="Marvel HeroClix CMG Sentinel trophy preview"></a>Brotherhood, Avengers against Hydra, and mixed-teams against Spider Man and some of his amazing friends. To see who won the tourney, as well as check out the game rules and pictures of the figures, go to WizKidsGames.com (http://www.wizkidsgames.com/heroclix/marvel/) . See for yourself what the fans in Philly were so excited about.
{Jeromy Lloyd is an occasional features writer for X-Fan.}
WizKids' new tabletop combat game Marvel HeroClix: The Infinity Challenge was demonstrated to thousands of convention-goers at Wizard World East in Philadelphia this past weekend. Based on the characters of the Marvel Universe, it has been eagerly anticipated by both gamers and comic fans alike who will use speed, attack, defensive, and damage abilities to pit our favourite Marvel heroes against their most hated foes. X-Fan was in Philadelphia to make note of the reception HeroClix received. The results are in, and things look good for WizKids.
"It's simple without being boring or repetitive," says Aaron, a 22-year old from Pittsburgh. "{For} other tabletop games, you need paper, calculator and a thick rule book. All you need for this game is your dice and your figures."
"People appreciate that the game is easy to learn," reports Don, one of the game's demonstrators at the WizKids booth. "People will hover around and watch us play with eleven-year old kids and their parents. Eventually, most make it to a table to give it a try."
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_spiderman_01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_spiderman_01t.jpg" align=right alt="Marvel HeroClix Spider-Man figure preview"></a>But what about those who had played WizKids first offering, Mage Knight, which is similar is style and game mechanics? Would they like this slightly altered version that was aimed at comic fans instead of hard-core gamers? Tyler, a 28-year old Philadelphian believes "this game is a nice improvement (over Mage Knight). You can do lots of things that they would do in the comics like break through walls and throw things at other characters. You couldn't do that in Mage Knight. And I like that you don't need a ruler to play like before, just the game board."
<a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_uwolverine_01.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_uwolverine_01t.jpg" align=left alt="Marvel HeroClix Unique Wolverine figure preview"></a>The vendors seemed to like HeroClix as well. Bill Krenson, proprietor of The Silver Unicorn in Richmond, VA, said that the eight-figure starter packs and four-figure boosters accounted for nearly sixty percent of his revenue over the first two days of the convention. "It's a dual market of gamers and comic fans. Some want them to play with, others just want action figures to paint and put on a shelf."
Bob Sowers from Capt. Comics in Birmingham, AB, went as far as calling it "kiddie crack", saying that people couldn't get enough of it. According to Sowers, Wolverine, Spider-Man and Captain America were the most asked-for.
"People usually buy a starter pack or a couple of boosters, and then want to fill out their collection with individual pieces that we sell for two or three dollars apiece, depending on their rarity. There hasn't been a minute since we got here that we haven't been swarmed."
The HeroClix highlight of the convention was the Wizard World East HeroClix Championship Tournament, in which players competed for the custom-sculpted Sentinel trophy. We watched as dozens of players pitted X-Men against the <a href="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_sentinel_fulltrophy.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/games/heroclix_sentinel_fulltrophyt.jpg" align=right alt="Marvel HeroClix CMG Sentinel trophy preview"></a>Brotherhood, Avengers against Hydra, and mixed-teams against Spider Man and some of his amazing friends. To see who won the tourney, as well as check out the game rules and pictures of the figures, go to WizKidsGames.com (http://www.wizkidsgames.com/heroclix/marvel/) . See for yourself what the fans in Philly were so excited about.
{Jeromy Lloyd is an occasional features writer for X-Fan.}