Piles of news on smaller companies here – Face2Face is continuing their Sid Sackson revival line with an edition of Can’t Stop that goes back to the classic stop-sign board. Plus, Eagle has a new original(?) big-box combat game called Conquest of the Empire, and we see just how very
Category: Industry
GTS press wrap-up, part the first
Since we haven’t got a correspondent at GAMA this year, our coverage comes to you live from the OgreCave.com Worldwide Network GTS-CENTERPLEX Coverage Center (which looks suspiciously like the cubicles at our day jobs), where we tap into every GTS news source available to our high technology (which looks suspiciously
WotC senior designer on why books are not great sometimes
You don’t see this getting talked about in public much. And, well, it’s possible we weren’t supposed to see it in public at all. But more likely it came out of a forum or something. This (specifically, the curtailing of the scope and selection of Forgotten Realms sourcebooks) is what
Hero emphasizes direct sales; retailers emphasize unhappiness
After giving a respectful shout to their colleagues at Guardians of Order, the Hero Games folks announce a preemptive strike to keep from meeting the same fate. “Effective immediately, we’re going to start putting all of our books in the Online Store as soon as they become available to retailers.
Mike’s self-important year-end editorial: Do Market Research Or Die
Okay. We all know about the highest-profile product-launch disaster of the year. Let’s talk briefly about another launch, that of the Call of Cthulhu CCG. It went well, right? Sure it did. Well, except for that month or so when it wasn’t so easy for retailers to get starter decks.
Necromancer goes with Kenzer, stays with Sword & Sorcery
The march toward separation of development and publishing continues. Necro is apparently quite happy with S&S, but will be moving several of what look to be single adventures through Kenzer & Company beginning in June. I hope the industry fosters more of this kind of in-(or at least inter-)dependence.
Guardians calls for order
LiveJournal posts and RPGnet threads aside, the fact remains that Canadian RPG company has had a rough time of late. Rumors have circulated that GoO was closing its doors, or had laid off its entire staff to become a struggling company of one member. Though the company has suffered considerable
WizKids announces how they will make cons suck in 2005
Specifically, with their newest round of convention-exclusive figures. The good news is that the largest one is for Mage Knight, which is unlikely to draw the greasy retailers out of the woodwork at this point. Or it will draw fewer of them, but they will be the very greasiest. Among
Marvel sues over City of Heroes
Comic book company Marvel has
GAMA names new Executive Director
In a quiet announcement that apparently wasn’t sent to its news announcement list, GAMA promoted Anthony Gallela to the position of Executive Director. Gallela served as GAMA Operations Director and GAMA Event Manager previously, and co-owns one of the biggest game conventions out in my neck of the woods, Kubla
More ways to help former TSR artist
We’ve received word from Paul J. Stormberg, the fellow who is helping to run the Ebay auctions for ailing former TSR artist David Sutherland. In addition to the auctions, a PayPal account has been established to allow Sutherland’s family to receive donations from his many fans (click “Read more” for
Early TSR artist ill, auctioning game collection
Many in the industry have been saddened to learn that David C. Sutherland III, one of the first well-known TSR artists, has a terminal illness. An auction of Sutherland’s gaming collection is currently being held on Ebay to help pay for his medical bills and supplement his estate for his
Magic Worlds 04: yeah, we went
I don’t want to sound too complain-y here; the event was professionally run, gorgeously produced, and left in the dust the nearest organized-play program behind it (WizKids, I’m looking at you). That said, for the first world championship held in the States since what I interpret as the game’s rennaissance
Phythyon resigns from GAMA
So while ICv2 seems to be trying to find some closure with the multiple GAMA Board of Directors interviews (the first part has links to the other three), this new development was posted: GAMA announces today that Public and Member Relations Director John Phythyon has left the company. Mr. Phythyon
GAMA plays musical chairs
Perhaps in an attempt to quiet its recent critics, GAMA has taken a few steps toward rearranging its staff and Board of Director positions. Late last week, Mark MacKinnon of was named Treasurer, taking over the position vacated after Ryan Dancey’s resignation. Now GAMA has appointed Mike Stackpole to fill