Herois e vampiros

Herois e Vampiros (Heroes & Vampires) is an online multiplayer trading card game with a television convergence model.

The Game

Herois e Vampiros was designed to follow the release of a telenovela (or soap opera) about vampires, called 'O Beijo do Vampiro' (Vampire's Kiss). As a card game, players could spot clues in the TV show about how to get special cards and powers within the online game. Similarly, some events from the game also influenced the script of the TV show: the balance of forces between Good and Evil in television were the exact representation of what was going on in the game environment.

As a trading game card, it presented unique features, especially in the strategic side. Playing either as a hunter or a vampire (including female variations), you gained some advantages and drawbacks. For example, vampires always stroke first in the beginning of the game, and female variations could rely in some enticing powers do distract the male opponent. Some advanced combos could include up to 8 cards in the hands of experienced players. Usually a match lasted around 15-20 minutes, but it is known that once a match between two clan leaders in São Paulo city, for a local championship, lasted 6 straight hours. Apparently, the major strength of this game was in its accurate balance between the cards – not even one of such cards was altered or banned during the game's operation time.

Despite being designed to last only six months (the duration of the TV show), the game survived due to its popularity for more than four years, topping 120000 active players. Clans were built around it by fans and soon you could spot casual matches and even small championships being held in any lan house across Brazil.

Since the game wasn't designed to last for so long, few or no update was provided during its life time. After four years of operation, it was discontinued in the end of 2005, followed by some minor protests from online communities against [http://www.globo.com/ Globo.com] / Globo.

ee also

*"Globo" - the Media Group / Broadcast company
*"Deborah Secco" - actress from 'O Beijo do Vampiro'
*"Glória Menezes" - actress from 'O Beijo do Vampiro'
*"Henrique Olifiers" - lead game designer of 'Herois e vampiros'.