Capcom puts cards on the table

In something of a surprise announcement, Capcom has revealed that a trading-card game based on the publisher's PlayStation 2 title Sengoku Basara 2 is scheduled to go on sale in Japan tomorrow, according to the publisher's IR Web site. Capcom decided to enter the trading-card market--worth about 50 billion yen ($434 million) in Japan--because "trading-card games based on arcade games command popularity among the young demographic and form a stable market," the company said in a statement.

The game has been planned and developed by Capcom's Toy & Hobby Office, formed in April. Capcom said the new card game is only a "first step"--implying future video-to-card-game transitions. For its current fiscal year, the company aims to rake in 500 million yen ($4.34 million) from Sengoku Basara 2 and other card games.

Capcom said it wants the game to be as accessible as possible and has enlisted "popular manga artists" to create artwork for the game. The total number of cards is 158, including 48 rare cards. The starter deck, consisting of 63 cards, will cost 1,575 yen ($13.68), while eight-card booster packs will be available for 252 yen ($2.19) each. A box of 20 booster packs--that is, 160 cards--will sell for 5,040 ($43.77) yen.

This card game is the latest step in Capcom's strategy of using a single intellectual property to spin off a variety of products into different media. Other tie-ins, such as self-published strategy guides and toys, are in the works.