This past weekend was a big deal for both apps, with Bunt launching their coverage of the 2015 All Star Game, and the crew at SWCT attending the ever famous San Diego Comic Con. Both events had corresponding releases in the game, and I want to take a moment to talk about how successful each of the events seemed to be.

Bunt at the 2015 All Star Game

Bunt’s ASG coverage will continue through Thursday, so we are far from over.  So far, the releases have been really cool. They have spread them all over the map, with sets that range from REALLY hard to collect to pretty easy to collect. There is literally something for everyone.

I love the design of the main set this year as stated earlier, and I think it is a big win to have the cards as 1 per pack guaranteed. Everyone can pull for their favorite all star, and because the inserts are readily available, they can usually trade for that person with no issue if they came out with someone else.

With the addition of the Final Vote winners, and the five other scratch replacements, value has been definitely skewed in a major way. Where most of the cards are in the thousands by now for counts, the new cards are only in the hundreds. You have a ton of people who all need them to complete their set, and you know that they are rabid. I had to trade a TON of cards to get them, and it was a relief to get the sets done. That being said, I have never had to try so hard for a card that comes 1 per pack.

The Home Run Derby set made its debut yesterday, and like the ASG set is a bit easier to collect this year. Although they were listed at 1:30 packs, I was averaging one every other pack, with 2 packs that had multiple HRD inserts in them. My only complaint is that these cards look practically identical to the ASG cards, which makes them very confusing in some of the trades. Be careful, as I have already seen people pulling some scams.

We also got two flavors of All Star legends, with the 1970 and 1988 sets being released. The first was close to impossible to pull, with the cards coming 1:75 packs, but looked awesome none-the-less. I had to get me a Killebrew, and was lucky enough to pull Johnny Bench to get my trade done. The 1988 set was a bit easier to pull, and I dont think the checklist was as strong. You gotta love that design though, wow.

Lastly, the Fox Sports set was released, and the cards look tremendous, as we saw in the preview I posted last week. I think a few people were rightfully saying they wished this was the main set design, but I actually think main set looks really nice on its own. The cross promotion is VERY beneficial, with Fox Sports tweeting out the cards over the weekend. The more visibility Bunt gets, the better. To have branded cards is a cool idea, especially with how many people follow Fox Sports.

I expect many more cards today, including maybe Fan Fest candid shots, and another limited set if I had to put my money on it. Dont forget to buy the 50k and 20k bundles to get the fan fest cards too.

SWCT at San Diego Comic Con

When it comes to entertainment, there is no bigger event than San Diego Comic Con. What started out as a place for comic nerds like myself to get together and buy, sell and trade comics, has turned into a star studded event. With the advent of superhero blockbuster movies raking in the dough, more and more people have been turned onto the source material. Thus, here we are.

Star Wars has always been a big part of Comic Con, so its no surprise that Topps Digital wanted to get in the door. They definitely did a great job on the floor from what it looks like, offering the first ever available Topps Digital shirts and promo codes.

They also announced a big partnership with Battlefront – including the release of some awesome looking cards to commemorate the announcement. I love the “widevision” style approach of the design, and the scenes are some very dynamic depictions of what Battlefront is all about.

Here is the thing. The Star Wars universe is so vast, that you have to be a BIG fish to do anything that allows for the attention that brings more users. There are so many different players that the small fish get swallowed up quickly. SWCT is becoming a bigger fish by the day, and their ability to network with established brands in the industry is admirable. They are doing things the right way. Hopefully they will find ways to get more out of their license each time a new partnership opportunity presents itself, which will only mean more cool content for the game.

They also found time to release a few variant cards as well as a Classic Comic series that I absolutely LOVE. You obviously cant celebrate a presence at Comic Con without bringing the comics to the game, and to find a way to make it work without infringing on rights is a victory. The cards are a cool nostalgic element that everyone can appreciate. Who doesnt love the overdrawn 80s comic art? Its amazing.

As we saw in Huddle with the NFLPA Rookie Premiere, and now in the other apps this year as well, events are becoming just that – events. Its a rallying point for the games, and I am loving every minute of it. Both the ASG and SDCC have shown the true capabilities of what Topps is committing to the brand, and we should all be excited for what is to come.