Tekken Card Tournament, an online card battle game with a physical card component, was announced today by Namco Bandai for release later this year.
It will exist in two distinct "phases," according to the company. The online game, which will be available "in the next few weeks," will be free-to-play on tablets and smartphones and in browsers. This spring, retailers will begin to sell booster packs of physical cards. They'll be playable as a standalone face-to-face game, and players will also be able to use them to augment the virtual game by scanning QR codes on the cards.
Bringing cards into the game will provide character upgrades or new characters. The cards will also function as a base for augmented reality gaming — pointing a mobile device's camera at cards will bring the Tekken universe alive on its screen with the cards' characters.
"By bringing the Tekken universe into the game card world and especially through this unique project we hope to offer to Tekken fans and game cards players a unique experience," said Yuji Kawada, general manager of Bandai's card business department.
Namco Bandai did not specify which mobile platforms Tekken Card Tournament will be available on, but said it will launch in North America, Europe, Latin America and Australasia.
