TSR, the company behind D&D, even went kaput before it was absorbed Borg-like into the collective belonging to the new kid in town, the Magic The Gathering collectible CCG card game bods.

Nice idea (and one that made its founders rich beyond the dream of Jeff Bozos). CCGs are kind of a cross between role-playing games and collectible bubblegum cards. Each card has powers, and of course, some are rare, and many packs must be bought to find these scarce little babies.

You know the kind of thing. I have Throng the Barbarian, he carries the Stone of All-seeing Kickarrrse. I see your goblin and raise you a Ranger of Goodness.

Now the new gun in town is itself being challenged, this time by a more recent craze called Chron X. It's practitioners refer to themselves, apparently, as Chron Monkeys.

Run by Sony, our Japanese chums came up with the idea for an on-line collectible card game, called Chron X. Basically, this is just a shallow wheeze to get you to visit and revisit their web-site, hoping to pick up some new online e-cards with great powers.

this is the new king, but for how long?

You can of course play it over the Net. Or as they say on their site...

<SNIP>

Chron X is a turn-based strategy game in which you battle your opponent over the Internet with an arsenal of agents, weapons, programs, and resources chosen from your deck of virtual cards.

The futuristic world of the game is a richly detailed tapestry of global corporations, anarchist cults, and dying nations.

You can play Chron X for free! Log in to the Chron X server, chat, find opponents, and play games as much as you like, for no cost! If you want to join the global ranking system, trade cards with others, and buy booster packs, you can register for as little as $9.95.

<END SNIP>

Looks like a nice idea. It'll be interesting to see if evolution runs its course and this kind of on-line game gives Magic The Gathering a run for its very large pot of money.

You too can become a Chron Monkey at Sony.