Late yesterday, Precedence announced both their 2002 release schedule, and the fact that the Wheel of Time CCG wouldn’t be a part of it. The company has “canceled its ongoing efforts to produce a 2nd Edition set for the Wheel of Time CCG. While development of the previously announced 2nd edition / White Tower expansions was substantially complete, they will not be printed as a direct result of insufficient sales demand.” Precedence promised to “continue to explore new avenues of release [ala Cycles] in an effort to insure that those that love the game may eventually be able to get new product.”
Precedence plans to continue fully supporting the game in terms of customer service and tournaments for the foreseeable future, as they will for all their game lines. According to Precedence CEO Paul W. Brown III, “[Precedence] got in this business to make games that players could enjoy playing for a lifetime. So long as any game we have made is being played, we will be there to support that game.” A fine and noble idea, so long as the money from successful game lines keeps rolling in. For the sake of their older products, I hope Rifts does well.
Here’s a quick look at Precedence’s 2002 schedule, which includes a new CMG (say it with me now: Collectible Miniatures Game. Good! You’re getting it.) :
- Q1: Rifts CCG – Gargoyle Empire; Star Legions CMG – First Wave
- Q2: Star Legions CMG – Entrobeasts
- Q3: Rifts CCG – Atlantis: The Civil War; Star Legions CMG – WarFleet
- “Secret Projects” to be announced for late 2002
Decipher Calls Off Convention, Gives Prize Money To Charity
Decipher’s Chairman & CEO Warren Holland, siting “the September 11 tragedies …, resulting airline safety concerns, and expected military action in the near future,” has taken steps to reduce the amount of travelling Decipher’s employees and fans will have to undertake. To that end, the European Decipher team will represent at Spiel Game Faire in Essen, Germany, rather than flying a bunch of folks across the pond to run things. Additionally, Decipher has called off DecipherCon entirely, opting instead to donate the $50,000 prize money to whatever charity the 300 qualified champion players vote for. The money will be donated in the players’ name, not Decipher’s, and will mark the beginning of a series of fundraising tournaments and events.
But what of the first ever sanctioned tournament for the Lord of the Rings TCG, originally planned for DecipherCon? A series of sanctioned tournaments at numerous locations worldwide (still to be announced) will take place instead. The qualifying champions that would have competed at DecipherCon will be invited to serve as guests of honor at their local sanctioned event.
Stuperpowers Deluxe Shipping
Wingnut Games announced that Stuperpowers Deluxe is on its way to distributors, and should reach stores by mid-October. Almost time for Noodle Boy to come out of retirement, fighting evil once more with his al dente charm.