Chron X Meshes Online Gaming with Collectible Cards

According to a survey conducted recently by Zandl Group, collectible card games are making the most growth in gaming. According to other sources, online gaming will be a million-dollar source of revenue in coming years. Taking advantage of this data, a company called Genetic Anomalies is combining the two genres in the creation of Chron X, a collectible card game played over the Internet.

Released in the beginning of June, Chron X is an urban combat game that takes place 100 years in the future, when the human population is running out of resources and nations are near collapse. Players use decks of virtual cards to uncover and destroy their opponent's headquarters. The cards provide them with operatives, sleuthing tools, programs, weapons, bases, and other gadgets.

The game includes a technology called Collectible Bits, letting online users own and accumulate virtual property in a secure environment. Genetic Anomalies hopes it will be a litmus test as to whether or not people will value online property, since the cards do not exist at all in real-space. They must be collected and traded online.

Players can download a 60-card starter deck (random decks for each player) from the Chron X Web site for unlimited online play, or register for $25 to get bonus cards, the ability to trade, and enter in tournaments. A spokesperson for the company said Genetic Anomalies will charge for additional cards and produce them for sale online on a continual basis.