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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
State of the Mongoose ‘07: aggressive and hungry
For everyone’s safety, we try to keep tabs on any snake-eating mammals lurking nearby, and come to grips with what Mongoose Publishing plans to unleash on gamers in the year ahead. The traditional State of the Mongoose address was posted today, this time as a temporary forum, and so far, we’ve learned the following: Read More…
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Magnamund tourist season nearly open again
As promised last year, the Lone Wolf gamebooks, a popular entry point into roleplaying for many nostalgic gamers, are returning this September thanks to Mongoose Publishing. Original series author Joe Dever has expanded and updated the 28 original books, which Mongoose will release in both paperback and hardbound collector’s editions (now you can choose not just your adventure path, but your level of buy-in). The the fabled, yet-unwritten final four gamebooks in the series are finally due as part of the series’ return, as are Lone Wolf novels. The Darklords start things off with their strike on the Kai Monastery when Lone Wolf 1: Flight From the Dark - Collector’s Ed hits at the end of July for $19.95.
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Saturday, January 13, 2007
Torchlight Gamebooks Unveiled — Free!
For years, Wayne Densley’s world of Arborell has been growing through the online publication of gamebooks and fiction at www.arborell.com. Today, the latest addition has been unveiled: Quest for the Orncryst, the first in the Torchlight series of card-based gamebooks. Through a combination of a 101-page book and several decks of cards, a player can have an ever-changing solitaire role-playing experience, exploring a dungeon that never has quite the same layout or dangers twice. Best of all, the whole thing is free — you just provide the paper and scissors.
Saturday, October 7, 2006
Dungeons & Dragons Online wins British award
On Thursday, the British Academy of Film & Television Arts (similar to the Oscars) announced its 2006 winners in Video Games categories - and we’re as surprised they have the categories as you are. In the Multiplayer category, Atari’s Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach took the prize, which must mean they’re doing something right even if World of Warcraft hasn’t been pushed off its throne. Other notable winners were Shadow of the Colossus (for Artistic Achievement and Action/Adventure), Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War (for Strategy), and Lego Star Wars II (for Gameplay). Also of interest is the Academy’s games committee list, which includes none other than Ian Livingstone, of Games Workshop and Fighting Fantasy fame, among other achievements.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
A step beyond making scene selections
I’m surprised our gamebook specialist Demian never posted about this, but then again, he’s adjusting to being a newlywed (congrats, man!): the first Choose Your Own Adventure animated DVD. This thing is being pushed hard - I keep running into online ads and TV commercials for The Abominable Snowman, which is based one of the classic interactive books. In fact, the big marketing push for the DVD has encouraged big bookstore chains like Barnes & Noble to stock up on Choose Your Own Adventure books, introducing them to a new generation of gamebook players. Now, if we can just get the Lone Wolf books stocked right next to them, we can convert more youth into the fine, upstanding gamers of tomorrow.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Project Aon Pleases Lone Wolf Fans, Depresses eBayers
There are a few rare and valuable books that could be considered the holy grails of gamebook collecting, and most of them are part of Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf series. One such book is The Magnamund Companion, a full-color, large-format reference book featuring everything from a short solo adventure to instructions on building miniatures. Often found selling for ludicrous sums on eBay, it can now be downloaded free and legal from Project Aon, the official online home of Joe Dever’s gamebooks. Just click on “The Books,” and you can find the PDF file in the “Other Materials” section. Enjoy!
Monday, March 21, 2005
Freebie Update
The Internet is a great source of freebies for gamers, and two reliable producers of cost-free goodness have both struck again at nearly the same time. First, Project Aon went and released another free Lone Wolf adventure, The Legacy of Vashna. Soon thereafter, Invisible City did their thing, providing two free creations, the all-new family card game I Want Candy, and a revision of their Easter candy-themed Peep War. Whether you prefer to adventure in Magnamund, relax with the kids or command legions of marshmallow fluff, you should be able to find something entertaining to do today without spending a penny!
Tuesday, February 1, 2005
New Arborell Gamebook Arrives
Although the elusive Earth and Stone is still under development, a new interactive mini-gamebook has been added to the online Chronicles of Arborell series. In Shards of Moonlight, a prequel to the main series, the reader takes on the role of Tansen’Delving, a character who figures into the later Chronicles. This is just the beginning, though — more adventure will be coming soon in a second story, A Murder of Crows.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Sports Gamebooks Reach the UK
It’s not often that a new gamebook series hits the market these days, but Fighting Fantasy publisher Wizard Books has just launched a new product likely to bring page-flipping to a different demographic. The Football Fantasy Gamebooks allow players to control the actions of football (i.e. soccer) teams, playing either solo or against a human opponent. Each book represents a different team and features a design by gamebook veteran Jon Sutherland and extensive visuals by Lone Wolf illustrator Gary Chalk. It’s hard to say whether these will get an American release in the immediate future, but British collectors can find them in stores everywhere while Americans can get them shipped in via amazon.co.uk or the overseas bookseller of their choice.
Saturday, October 9, 2004
Joe Dever Captured by Mongoose
Well, perhaps that’s putting it a bit strongly… but Mongoose Publishing will be having an open house on November 6th which will feature a live appearance by Lone Wolf gamebook author Joe Dever. He will be chatting and signing autographs. Only one catch — you’ll have to be in England at the time. More details are available here. Speaking of all things Lone Wolf, Mongoose is also offering some nice new freebies for their RPG based on the gamebooks including character sheets and a D20 conversion of the first adventure. Check it out here.
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