Michael Cranford, a pioneer game developer best known as the creator of 1985’s The Bard’s Tale, and Krome Studios, best known for their TY the Tasmanian Tiger series, today announced a collaboration to develop Cranford’s new fantasy RPG Wisewands. Cranford’s new company Sundoulos will lead the design effort. The title will incorporate blockchain technology, allowing players to find value not just in the gameplay but in the game itself.
Wisewands will be a first-person, live-action multiplayer game that enlists players in epic campaigns to save the metaverse and earn rewards in the form of gear, in-game currency which can be traded as ERC20 tokens, and access to elite boss encounters. Players operate a wizard avatar with inherent abilities that provide boosts in certain types of encounters. Starting on Jan. 27, 2022, these avatars will be publicly released as NFTs (non-fungible tokens), available for sale on the project”Unlike some other NFT products, Wisewands will be built for gamers from the outset,” Cranford says. “We’re going to weave in play-to-earn components organically to enhance and not detract from a fun, immersive experience. There’s uncertainty in the gaming community right now about the play-to-earn model. We get where that’s coming from and we’re hoping to change that perception with Wisewands,” Cranford says.
Seamlessly integrated within later expansions will be an economy that supports investments in arcane discovery, breeding, and crafting with the chance to produce rare outcomes that have value in-game as well as in the digital marketplace. In-game currency and the most valuable epic assets exist as tokens (NFTs) that can be traded in Wisewands and sold to collectors.
“This game is first-person. You are the wizard, and the goal is to give everyone the experience of what it feels like to cast a spell, like one of your favorite characters from fantasy novels and film,” Cranford says. “It’s the kind of experience I had in mind when I designed The Bard’s Tale, but the technology was too primitive in the 80s. This new, developing space is a perfect opportunity to bring my ideas to light.”
Play-to-earn gaming enlists and shares profits with those who make games successful—the gamers themselves. “There’s so much potential there if it’s done right, and it’s why having the right development partner is so important. I was incredibly grateful to Krome for their work on The Bard’s Tale Trilogy remaster: the obvious care that went into it and how responsive they were to player feedback. They’re ideal partners for a game where the developer/player relationship is so important.”
“We had a great time working on The Bard’s Tale Trilogy, revisiting one of our favorite game series, and we’re excited to be collaborating with Michael on a new property,” Robert Walsh, Krome Studios CEO says. “Creating a new world with wizards, spells, spell creation, crafting… this style of gameplay is a passion that our studio shares in the games that we like to play. We’re excited about working with Michael to bring his vision to life, for gamers.”
The game will roll out in a series of phases (or expansions). The goal is to release an alpha version as a single-player PVE experience that builds value in anticipation of future releases (including multiplayer, open world, and PVP expansions).About Krome Studios
Krome Studios is the multi-award winning creator of the best-selling TY the Tasmanian Tiger series, and the developer of over 40 titles across PC, consoles and mobile; including Microsoft Game Room, The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. For more information, please visit www.kromestudios.com and follow on Twitter or Facebook.
About Michael Cranford
Michael Cranford, pioneer game designer, is CEO of Sundoulos LLC, a California-based
Source : https://www.newswire.com/news/gamedev-pioneer-returns-with-wisewands-a-new-game-in-a-new-space-21611021
