August 10^th, 2006 (10:38pm) - Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) has announced a joint venture with Bellevue, WA-based WizKids Incorporated to develop an online version of their Pirates Constructible Strategy Game (CSG) developed by SOE’s new Denver studio (also known as Worlds Apart Productions).

WizKids introduced the CSG genre with the launch of Pirates in 2004. Packaged like a collectible card game, players use die-cut parts from each card to construct 3D galleons, schooners and pirate ships, seeking treasure on the high seas while fending off enemy attacks.

The game is easy to learn and fast to play. Each game pack contains everything a person needs to play, including two ships, crew and treasure, an island, complete rules, and a die. Initial production runs, planned for a two-year lifespan, sold out one month before the product released. Following a successful launch into the hobby games market, Pirates expanded into the mass market in March 2005, and was supported by a national television advertising campaign. Pirates can be found in stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, Toys ’R Us, 7-11 as well as gaming, comic, and hobby stores everywhere.

The Pirates CSG Online is expected to launch this fall, featuring sea monsters and the supernatural with the Pirates of Davy Jones Curse and an online version of WizKid’s upcoming Pirates board game, The Quest for Davy Jones Gold.

The online game will feature tools to manage offline and online Pirates CSG collections, as well as quick and easy match-making for a variety of two-player and multiplayer game