Bryan Gannon Chaotic Forum Interview
Toys & Video Games
Q: Will the card scanners be "a key item for the
brand?" If so, how will you enter the cards into the scanner?
We
are planning many exciting licensing opportunities for Chaotic. Chaotic is
a technology-based brand and the Chaotic Trading Card Game, with its unique
alphanumeric code system and variable power and discipline structure, brings
a new level to trading card games. The scanner will be a very important
extension of the TV show for our fans and we are interviewing together with
4 Kids Entertainment for a master toy partner that can bring the same level
of innovation to the scanner and the full range of Chaotic brand toys. We
are challenging all of our licensees to take Chaotic branded products to the
next level. You will start seeing licensed Chaotic products within the next
year including a game play strategy guide, T-shirts, hats, and trading card
accessories.
Q: If you make video games of Chaotic, will they
be available for x box, x box 360, ps2, ps3? How will the appearance of the
next generation consoles (Wii, X-box 360, PS3, DS) and their new features (Wii
Remote, Wi-fi Play, Touch Screen) influence your decisions about a Chaotic video
game?
Video games are certainly a part of Chaotic’s future. We plan to develop a
series of Chaotic video games that will be cross-platform, from hand held
portable devices all the way up to PC and console driven games in the
formats you have described.
Q: If a video game was to be made, would you get
some mediocre developer to develop the game or would you aim for quality and get
the best developer you could find?
Any Chaotic venture we pursue will be undertaken with the same high level of
quality we expect from all Chaotic products. There is a great opportunity
with Chaotic for our video game partner to build games in several formats
that can utilize the revolutionary database and ChaoticGame.com platform we
have created. We envision video games based on our trading card game, as
well as based on the incredible fantasy based worlds of Chaotic and Perim.
Q: Besides the cards, will there be any action
figures made of the Chaotic Creatures?
Yes, we will be working closely with a licensee who will be developing
Chaotic Creature figurines. Again, we will be expecting and requiring a
high level of quality for this product and will be challenging our licensee
to utilize technology features in this product as well. The goal is to have
this product out in late 2008 or early 2009.
Q: Will any episodes of the animated series be
put on DVD?
Yes, the episodes will be available on DVD. A release date will be
announced.
Q: I noticed that other TCG's have tin sets. The
tin sets contain a special card, and about 5-6 booster packs. Will you do the
same with Chaotic?
Several of us here at TC Digital have a strong experience level with, and
appreciation for, holiday sets and sets in custom tin configurations. In
the future there will be specialty Chaotic Trading Card sets available, but
you can expect us to challenge ourselves to be more innovative than what is
currently being delivered in the tin sets
Q: Any plans on Chaotic comic books?
Plans for Chaotic comic books are already underway.
Q: Will there be any plush toys made?
There will be a number of licensed Chaotic items available in the future.
Plush toys are not part of our current plans.
Accessing Chaotic
Q: Will Chaotic be playable on the browsers of
mobile devices?
This is a complicated question. There will be several experiences that can
be delivered to our players from a mobile device. One mobile experience
will be communication from ChaoticGame.com once cards are uploaded and
challenges are accepted. We also have future plans for a game experience
to be available to mobile devices as part of Chaotic’s multiplatform plan.
Q: The game is targeted at kids around the age of
12-14 and most of these kids don't have a really strong computer/internet
connection. What have you done/will you do that will help to reduce lag in the
online portal?
Our research and experience has shown that computers of three years of age
or newer have the required CPU and graphics card capabilities to experience
ChaoticGame to its potential and at an acceptable speed. Our game works
best with a high speed connection such as cable or DSL. We are working
everyday to help and assist any interested player to experience Chaotic the
best way they can with the connection and computer they have. The
ChaoticGame Forums have many useful and helpful resources to accomplish
this.
Delays
Q: I was wondering what was the biggest reason
for your almost full year delays?
The launch of Chaotic was scheduled for fall of 2007 to
ensure that the quality of the ChaoticGame website would match the high
quality of the trading cards and the overall goals of the Chaotic Brand.
During this entire development process the online game experience underwent
internal and external testing, as well as improvements in both performance
and design of the site in the months prior to the public beta launch. We
did this based on the feedback we received and the advancements we
accomplished during this time
Q: Why did the online portal take so long to
update on the 24th?
Our plans were to bring the portal up during the afternoon of
the 24th. We had some significant personal challenges during the
days of 10/22 through 10/26 here in San Diego due to the San Diego
wildfires. Many of our employees were in the affected zone and were forced
to evacuate their families to safety. I am incredibly proud of the effort
made by our team during this time and I know Al Kahn and the executives at 4
Kids Entertainment were very concerned for our safety and appreciative of
the work our development team put forth. Two of the 4 Kids executives Carlin
West and Tina Burke were actually here assisting us during this challenging
time and were able to fully appreciate the efforts our team put in. To have
launched on the 24th during these fires displayed the great
dedication the Chaotic team has.
Q: How difficult was it, from start to finish, to
get Chaotic on the market over here? I know there were a few delays that ended
up pushing the release date back almost a year. What hang-ups were there that
warranted the delays?
There are always many steps and challenges in the process of
launching a new brand especially one with the technology component that
Chaotic has. Our mission has always been to introduce Chaotic and the
evolutionary platform it sits on as the next step in trading card games.
The release dates were carefully discussed and moved as a direct result of
our goal to create a quality product and make sure that Chaotic would meet
the needs and expectations of the fans.
Current Launch &
Future Launches
Q: When does Chaotic come out in major retailers
like Wal-Mart?
Chaotic will be available in major retailers including FYE,
Game Stop, Target, Toys ‘R’ Us and Wal-Mart in the first quarter of 2008.
Q: When will Chaotic go international? (i.e.
appear in Britain, Europe, Australia, etc)
In addition to the United States, Chaotic Trading Cards are
also currently available in Canada. Our international plan is in
development, and translations of the cards and website for the international
market are already in the works. Expect to see Chaotic in more
international markets in 2008 as we finalize our plans and TV agreements.
Q: Will Stelgar be in the second set?
Sorry, but you will have to wait for the teasers to come
out. You can rest assured that the Creature line up for next year is very
strong. I am sure fans of your site can count on Chaotic to give you and
your fans an early notice if they keep a close eye on your site.
Q: What will you do when you run out of code
combinations for each card
The codes are made up of both letters and numbers to create a
nearly infinite number of possible combinations. There will be billions of
codes.
Q: If something in the game seems unfair is there
a possibility that the rules may change?
As with most card games, there is an element of luck with
Chaotic. You never know which cards you will get in your decks, but that is
part of what makes the game fun and exciting. Over time, players will learn
more about the game and discover the strengths and weaknesses of all the
cards. At that point, game play will be less about the “fairness” of the
cards you’ve acquired, and more about developing strategies that will
emphasizes the strengths of those cards. The Chaotic Forums, the Learn
Sector and meeting up with our teams at shows are all methods by which we
can assist and help players to learn the game and the strategy behind some
of the pairings of Creatures and Battlegear.
Q: Later on, once the game starts to run
smoothly, will the codes off of the TV work on the Chaotic game website?
The beta game is running smoothly. When we become aware of
bugs, we work to fix them right away. Yes, these codes from the Chaotic
animated series are a part of the online game now. If someone tries to
upload one of those codes and it is displayed as invalid, it is because that
code and card have already been uploaded and assigned to the one player who
first uploaded that code. Multiple players cannot play with the same code,
as each code is unique and will belong to only one player. The codes
collected by Chaotic Explorers on ChaoticCode.com are valid and are now
available to be uploaded by the players that captured them.
Q: Like in the show, will there be any code
masters for us to fight against and if so is there going to be a like a bonus
card for beating one?
This is something we are still working on for future game
releases. Be sure to check ChaoticGame.com for future updates and release
information.
Q: How many Chaotic Sets will there be after the
Releasing Set?
Chaotic is a full feature trading card game and will bring to
the collectors and game players a full set of Starters and series of
Boosters each year. The next set to launch to the hobby market will be the
second set of booster packs in early spring of 2008.
Miscellaneous
Q: Who/what's your favorite Chaotic Creature/Mugic/Battlegear/Attack/Location?
Blugon is my current favorite Creature, because Blue is my favorite color. I
like to play him armed with Riverland Star Battlegear so that he deals 5
extra damage and also heals 5 every time he plays a Water Attack. My
favorite Attack is Unsanity, my current favorite Location is Riverlands and
favorite Mugic is Song of Resurgence.
Q: Will you be releasing any other online TCGs
like Chaotic in the future, and if so what will they be like?
Right now we are concentrating all of our efforts on Chaotic.
Q: Will you be playing online Chaotic?
I
play Chaotic online every day!
Q: Will they be making more seasons of the
Chaotic show to keep the card game going and more series of cards to keep the
show going?
Chaotic has been picked up for a full second season in the US and Canada
with plans for more seasons underway. I expect the Chaotic Trading Card
Game and Chaotic the animated TV series to grow together along with the
great online game community we are building right now at
www.ChaoticGame.com.
Q: What made you make cards like Chaotic?
One of the really intriguing things about Chaotic that sets it apart from
other trading card games is the variable power structure of the cards. This
is important because it means that virtually no two Creature Cards are
exactly the same. In addition, Chaotic is the first trading card game that
you can play in person or online by uploading the unique alphanumeric codes.
We feel that today’s children are technology driven and are spending more
time playing games online and over wireless devices. Chaotic provides the
natural bridge between physical trading cards and the online game play of
MMO’s and online trading card games.
Q: If the game does not live up to expectations,
what will happen to the game and the TV show?
Chaotic has already been exceeding our expectations since the launch, so we
are very confident that both the TV show and the game will continue to be a
huge hit with the fans.
Q: Will you release a remake of the original
version of Chaotic that is different from the current version as either a comic
book or TV series as part of your plans?
With this current version of Chaotic we honor the tradition of the original
game and bring technology, art and game play advancements to it.
Thank you Mr. Gannon for answering our questions!!!
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