Can HEX: Shards Of Fate Survive With Predominantly Pay-To-Play PvP?

The recent and incredibly successful release of Blizzard's CCG Hearthstone has thrust the CCG/TCG genre into the MMO spotlight but are players ready for an almost exclusive pay-to-play game like Hex: Shards of Fate? It's unfair to compare the two games on many levels as at the very foundations of gameplay, they're completely different games. However, they do occupy the same genre and currently there's very little competition for Blizzard's Hearthstone, so naturally players will discuss certain similarities and they will both appeal to CCG/TCG fans.

One of the most interesting elements that's going to dominate the debates surrounding these two titles are the chosen financial models used by both games. Hearthstone adopts a typically friendly free-to-play MMO approach. Players can earn in-game currency through beating AI opponents, completing quests and defeating other players in PvP. These points can then be spent to purchase decks to further increase their collection of cards. A premium currency is also available and obviously increases the potential for rare cards, but almost everything is available for free players. The cards collected in Hearthstone are available in both PvE and PvP.

Hex: Shards of Fate stands to offer an entirely different approach, almost completely relying on premium purchases to participate in PvP. The game is currently still in early closed-beta testing so a lot of the features are still waiting to be implemented, however the developers have been totally clear with the approach they're taking. Currently players can only obtain new cards if they purchase packs with premium currency to enter tournaments, although draft matches and whatnot can reduce the cost to $1 per pack; so it's not terribly expensive.

Players can unlock cards with in-game currency eventually but these cards will be restricted to PvE. The only real technique available to free players is to earn in-game currency and then purchase cards from the Auction House sold by other players. It's not set in stone but as people will in essence be paying real cash for the vast majority of cards they receive, it's very likely that the more rare and powerful cards will be incredibly difficult to obtain through in-game currency.

So is the CCG/TCG community ready for Hex: Shards of Fates unique transaction model? In the most part, no. The casual TCG/CCG player will likely find more comfort and enjoyment in Hearthstone and other more accessible games however, Hex isn't trying to be accessible. Hex: Shards of Fate is attempting to attract the hardcore players of the TCG and CCG genre. Players that are familiar with spending cash on a regular basis for physical cards, and many will be willing to do the same in a virtual setting. There are also many unique aspects to Hex's economy such as drafts and chests, but all-in-all the average player will have to buy packs on a regular basis. I don't think it will be a problem.