» 2003 » October
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
More WarCraft thoughts, or: I really need to buy someone in Michigan a drink
Our WarCraft board game story got picked up by Slashdot yesterday, and I found some stuff to say there, because even in the less-trafficked areas, where intelligence has a shot at shining through, Slashdot is always a reliable wellspring of hot and cold running stupid. People there seem to actually believe that a WarCraft board game will stimulate interest in Warhammer 40K, and further, that Starcraft is some kind of 40K ripoff. How they started talking about Starcraft, I dunno. Maybe I’m wrong: maybe turning elves into wacky armored fancy guys isn’t the sole completely obvious thing to do when you take a fantasy setting and turn it into sci-fi. In any case, the other WH rantings on the thread reveal, to my eye anyway, that video game players really do see us the way we see them. They look at our profusion of boards with little plastic dudes all over them and it doesn’t even occur to them that there might be huge vistas of emergent gameplay and behavior - that our games might not only have value, but be different from one another. Of course, as in the video games arena, our chainmail boobs are not helping us.
I looked for some info on when the game will be shipping, just so I could pretend I have some news, but there’s still nothing really firm on that from FFG. First week of November seems reasonable, and would certainly fit my lifestyle.
Monday, October 20, 2003
New Cthulhu mutation nearly determined
As mentioned before, a contest is underway at Yog-Sothoth to select the best idea for a new Toy Vault plush Cthulhu toy. The ten finalists have been chosen, and you can go vote. Kinda makes you feel powerful, in a “lord of the stuffed animals” type of way.
Saturday, October 18, 2003
Warcraft board game nearly in stores
Fantasy Flight’s website is abuzz with news of the nearly-released Warcraft: The Board Game. In his latest article, designer Kevin Wilson described his desire to have an endless variety of scenarios for the game, and how victory points and interchangable board pieces will make it possible. According to Wilson, FFG plans to host an area of the site specifically for sharing Warcraft scenarios, an idea I wholeheartedly approve of. The game’s being assembled for shipping, and considering there’s 13 board sections alone, helping bring the game’s component count to over 400 pieces, that could take a while. However, the late October release remains as the public street date estimate.
Dawn of the mutants… again
Sci-fi roleplayers are more than a little curious about the updated version of Gamma World coming up from Sword & Sorcery. That curiosity can be indulged now with the new Gamma World website, which details the reenvisioned setting, has a new adventure, a quick sampling of races, powers, and a few pages from the book itself. I particularly enjoyed the mention of the dog race not just biting the hands that fed them, but eating them as part of a ritual.
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Topps, WizKids confirm MLB SportsClix
As many suspected, this morning’s Topps/WizKids press teleconference, a sports miniatures game was the announcement. ESPN’s Keith Olbermann read a scripted release that revealed MLB SportsClix, a collectible baseball miniatures game, was scheduled for release in March 2004. Players will act as team managers, selecting specially designed dice to use with the stats in the click-base of the professional baseball player figures, and fielding their team on a baseball diamond-like playmat. Starter sets will contain nine figures, and boosters will contain either three or two figures (the latter being the version for mass market chain stores). Our notes on the conference call are below.
Read More…
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Blue torch special on Hasbro crap!
Hasbro-branded games are buy one, get one free at Toys ‘R’ Us this week apparently. (Some other possibilities - hey, they still make Crossfire!)
Monday, October 13, 2003
More lawsuit fun: WotC sues Pokemon USA, uses the word “tortuous”
Wizards alleges “patent infringement, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, tortuous interference with a business relationship, unjust enrichment and other claims“. Pokemon USA says, “We were sued the day after our distribution agreement with Wizards ended […] We are confident that we’ve acted both legally and fairly with respect to Wizards”. Mammon, I choose you!
Saturday, October 11, 2003
Vault of Fiends all tidy, ready for close-up
In case you missed the mention of it on the Atlas Games dispatches, word is that Dungeoneer: Vault of the Fiends has moved past card approval stage and is rapidly approaching release. The follow-up release to Dungeoneer,one of last year’s best stand-alone card games, looks to repeat that success with some minor-but-significant improvements. The best of these features, pumpable monster cards, will make those threats you throw at your opponents far more satisfying to bring out. And the two Dungeoneer games, both stand-alones, can be combined for two great tastes that play great together. Expect Dungeoneer 2: Electric Boogaloo… er, Vault of the Fiends to reach stores in November.
Friday, October 10, 2003
Spellflag freebie up at Human Head
Human Head Studios just sent word that the free PDF Matt Forbeck’s been feverishly working on is finally available. The free web enhancement for Redhurst: Academy of Magic presents rules for Spellflag, “the game of Wizards.” You can pick up your copy at the company’s download page, and see if it compares at all to Quiddich.
Vampyres spread through Cheapass
Cheapass Games has embraced the Halloween spirit by hiding the six Vampyre Button Men in various places around the company’s website. If you find ‘em and email the links, your next order will have a complete set of Vampyre Button Men coming with your next order. The new Deadland: On Location would be a good one to create an order for.
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