2009 JuneThe Games Workshop Ltd. miniatures game Blood Bowl is now available for the PC, Nintendo DS, and Sony PSP. Wikipedia reports that the portable versions of this game are missing career league play and other functionality that is available in the PC release. For those who can’t wait for their local store to carry this product, a downloadable version is available for purchase for $49.99.
Archive for June, 2009
Blood Bowl Now Available for the PC
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Dominion wins 2009 Spiel des Jahres
Monday, June 29th, 2009Not content to win the 2009 Origins Award for Best Card Game, Dominion has now also won this year’s Spiel des Jahres. The card game that takes the collectible card game side-activity of card drafting and makes it the game’s central activity is at the height of its popularity right now. The first expansion, Dominion: Intrigue, was shown at Origins this past weekend, and should be in stores soon. I know several gamers who’ve ordered it already – and you probably do, too.
OgreCave reviews – Kung Fu Fighting
Monday, June 29th, 2009Today we’re joined by Dennis, who provides his take on Kung Fu Fighting by Slugfest Games. This card game is fast becoming a go-to favorite in local gaming circles, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, see what Dennis has to say, and go try it out for yourself. And if his write-up puts you in the mood for other martial arts themed games, don’t forget our Games of the Ninja 2008 feature.
Upper Deck Signs Long-Term Deal with Marvel
Friday, June 26th, 2009Today Upper Deck Entertainment signed a multi-year licensing deal to use characters from the Marvel Universe. Covered products will include trading card games (TCGs), miniature games and trading cards. The agreement also includes rights to develop products based on Marvel’s upcoming films. The first products are expected to be released in January of 2010.
BattleTech’s “Unseen” revealed by Catalyst
Thursday, June 25th, 2009Catalyst Game Labs is continuing its quest to fulfill BattleTech fans’ every wish by bringing back the out-of-print illustrations for several mech models. The press release has more:
In 1996 numerous images originally licensed from several Japanese anime sources were retired from use within the BattleTech universe. Those illustrations formed the bedrock of the BattleTech 2nd Edition and BattleTech 3rd Edition Box Sets and were generally considered “fan favorites” across the board. These images—such as the Warhammer, Marauder, BattleMaster, Phoenix Hawk and so on—became known as the “unseen.”After much blood, sweat and tears, Catalyst Game Labs is exceptionally pleased to announce the return of these “unseen” images.
New versions of some of the “Unseen” mechs will show up in upcoming BattleTech books. The return of these image rights will be particularly useful for Catalyst’s BattleTech: 25 Years of Art and Fiction, which is already being previewed here.
BattleLore: Heroes expansion due this fall from FFG
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009It seems like anytime a BattleLore enthusiast talks about the game these days, they bemoan Days of Wonder not getting around to releasing the Heroes set. Well, today the game’s current publisher Fantasy Flight just announced a release date for BattleLore: Heroes. According to FFG’s website, the expansion will include “10 unique Hero figures, a Rules booklet, 110 Skill, Artifact, and Landmark cards, and much more”. Several previews are planned at the company’s website, and the Cleric is already on display along with the abilities of Riding, Chant, and Herbal Remedy. At a pricetag of $39.95, FFG will release BattleLore: Heroes this fall.
OgreCave reviews – Genji
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009To keep our flow of reviews moving along, we offer Demian’s review of Genji from Z-Man Games. The attractive card game gives players the opportunity to win the hearts of Japanese princesses through poetry – but how much challenge does the game offer? Click through to find out.
Deadlands, Martians game details updated at Twilight Creations
Thursday, June 18th, 2009I heard about this from Twilight Creations’ Todd Breitenstein at KublaCon ’09 last month, but this is the first visual evidence I’ve seen of it: Deadlands: The Battle for Slaughter Gulch, a licensed board game of the Weird West for 2-6 players. Due out around August ’09, the game will involve claiming ghost rock, shootouts at high noon, and the walking dead, of course. Part of me wonders how similar this will be to the old Doomtown CCG, which I enjoyed to an extent. The Twilight Creations site also has new images from Martians!!!, which is due out this month (or at least by Origins), so swing by and have a look at all the freshly-revealed goodness.
Mutant Chronicles Movie on Sci Fi Channel
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009The Mutant Chronicles movie is coming to the small screen on the Sci Fi Channel (soon to be the SyFy channel). For those who blinked and missed it, Mutant Chronicles premiered in theaters in April 2009 and its already coming to TV. That’s gotta be one of the shortest turnarounds from big screen to small screen on record for anything other than an independent film. The hobby game-inspired movie stars Thomas Jane and co-stars Ron Perlman, John Malkovich, and Devon Aoki. Its first Sci Fi showing is Saturday, June 27 at 9 p.m., followed by a planned repeat on Sunday, June 28 at 6:30 p.m.
The movie’s official site (with trailer) is here.
Matt Forbeck gives a Mutant Chronicles author’s perspective on the film here.
Come Out and Play ’09 came and played
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009Another June, and once again, I’m somewhat annoyed that I didn’t get myself out to New York City to participate in Come Out & Play, the annual weekend festival of city-wide games that strike an odd balance between LARP, sport, and flash mob. Sprawling throughout Times Square, Central Park, Brooklyn, and even venturing into Grand Central Station (as you can read in this article), CoaP organized dozens of game events that ranged from board games with live pieces (players, not pigeons) to iPhone-enabled hide-and-seek games and scavenger hunts. Similar to some ARG events or certain LARP events at RopeCon in Finland, CoaP is the sort of event that could be set up in multiple cities nationwide, or worldwide even. If anyone made it out to CoaP this year, let us know how it went in the comments.
Toys R Us wins lawsuit against Amazon
Monday, June 15th, 2009Toys R Us is in the news again. No, it’s not buying another competitor. This time, the company has won $51 million in its lawsuit against Amazon.com. This comes three years after the early end of the ten year exclusive contract Toys R Us signed with Amazon in 2000, which made Amazon the only online sales venue for certain Toys R Us products. In that supposedly-exclusive partnership, Amazon didn’t remain exclusive on its end, and allowed other companies to sell identical toys, games, and other items through its site (hence the lawsuit). While there’s still talk of appeals, Toys R Us seems to be on the upswing right now.
Small World Game Design Contest
Saturday, June 13th, 2009Days of Wonder has a great contest open to hobby game designers and fans of its new Small World game. From now through July 31, Small World fans are encouraged to submit their best Race and/or Special Power designs to Days of Wonder in the hopes of winning the Grand Prize: round-trip train or airfare; accommodations; and €200 in cash to spend at Essen Spiel ’09 in Germany. The winner will also receive 24 copies of a mini game expansion containing their winning work which will be released at Essen. For more information, visit the Small World contest page.
Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game – Pegasus Expansion announced
Friday, June 12th, 2009Battlestar Galactica, the popular board game of cautious cooperation/suspicion, is preparing to receive an expansion set. Fantasy Flight is working on the Pegasus Expansion, which will add two new game boards – one for the Battlestar Pegasus, and the other for the planet of New Caprica. The expansion will also add “seven new characters, a new Cylon Locations overlay, two plastic Basestars, as well as new Destination, Crisis, Loyalty, Quorum, Super Crisis, and Skill cards”, plus a Cylon Leader character with a new Treachery Skill card type. Of interest to both gamers and BSG fans is the option to use the Pegasus board alone or with the New Caprica colony board, apparently to simulate different parts of the series’ timeline. Admiral Cain and her ship will arrive this fall to rally the Colonial Fleet at game tables. So say we all.