Though some sites posted news of this prematurely, it is now confirmed: Dave Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, passed away today after a long battle with cancer. Arneson was the creator of Blackmoor, a game of medieval miniatures exploring creature-filled dungeons, which had profound influence on the original D&D
Wizards pulls PDFs, sues eight for copyright infringement
It was an eventful Monday for Wizards of the Coast. First, the company discontinued all sales of its products in PDF form, through sites such as DriveThruRPG and Paizo.com. The same day that WotC took its digital product marbles and went home, the company filed suit against eight defendants, in
The snuggly warmth of your own Tauntaun carcass
As usual, April Fool’s Day spawned a number of hoax announcements, including one about this Star Wars sleeping bag. Note the intestine pattern on the interior, to maximize the realism of being stuffed inside a freshly gutted tauntaun. Also note the “glowing lightsaber zipper pull” that opens the carcass, which
Catalyst drops 'Classic' from Battletech for 25th Anniversary
Just to make sure no one gets confused, Catalyst Game Labs, which has steadily worked on the ShadowRun and Classic BattleTech game lines for the last few years, is dropping the “Classic” designation and just going with BattleTech, as it should be. This is part of Catalyst’s celebration of the
GAMA Trade Show 2009 looming ever closer
As most of you know, the GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association) Trade Show in Las Vegas is just around the corner. During April 14- 17, game manufacturers, retailers, distributors, suppliers and independent professionals, all related to the non-electronic gaming industry will meet up in Sin City to discuss and promote new
I went to GameStorm and some stuff happened
First, The Free RPG Blog is rad. Just had to get that off my mind. Now: GameStorm! The best thing about Portland’s largest game convention is that it’s smaller than anything in Seattle. This makes all the industry heavyweights who live in Seattle feel all relaxed when they come here.
OgreCave review – Exquisite Replicas
The reviews just keep coming around here, and this time, we’ve got Lee’s look at Exquisite Replicas by Abstract Nova. Lee lets you know if this game system right for your group, or if there’s something worthwhile to glean from it for your own games.
Asmodee update
Asmodee recently dropped us a line to keep us updated on the company’s latest developments. Here’s what we know: The sled racing game Snow Tails, a big hit at Essen last year, will arrive in stores in the U.S. this May. Briefly renamed Too Mush, the gaming community’s reaction convinced
Worldwide D&D Game Day this weekend
Wizards of the Coast is all set for Worldwide D&D Game Day 2009 this Saturday, March 21st. The event is timed to promote Player’s Handbook 2, just released today – other Game Day events will accompany the releases of Monster Manual 2 in May and Dungeon Master’s Guide 2 in
Gen Con deadlines looming
If you’re on the fence about heading to Gen Con this year, there are a couple of upcoming deadlines to keep in mind. Event Submission – a big deadline for exhibitors – ends this Friday, March 20th, and Event Registration will begin (and rapidly fill, undoubtedly) on April 19th. Now
Guilty plea in $1.5 million Decipher embezzlement suit
A few years ago, Decipher was one of the major game publishers in the industry, giving Wizards of the Coast a run for its money. Time went on, and several factors, including the company’s loss of the Star Wars CCG license back in 2002 led to Decipher being a much
Audio Report – Lists and holidays
As we continue to get caught up, the OgreCave podcast crew presents the long lost (well, long delayed, at least) end-of-2008 episode of the OgreCave Audio Report. Steve returns to tell us how the season treated him as a retailer, and how gift guides can have a big impact. Then
Paizo releases Pathfinder Compatibility License
Hear that? It’s the call to battle between editions of Dungeons & Dragons, and Paizo Publishing has sounded the horn. Late yesterday, Paizo released a pair of licenses: the Pathfinder Compatibility License and the Paizo Community Use Policy. As the press release states, and as you probably guessed, the Pathfinder
OgreCave reviews – World War 5 & Basic Roleplaying
We’ve got a pair of new reviews to keep you busy today. First, Lee takes a close look at World War 5 from Looney Labs, a light strategy game of world domination, and a Treehouse/Icehouse add-on product. Then Demian give us his thoughts on Basic Roleplaying from Chaosium – the
Audio Report: Autumn madness
As it was held hostage for a time by real life woes and computer wackiness, we’re pleased to finally present this recently arrived refugee episode of the OgreCave Audio Report. Held over from just before the Christmas season, this episode hit right after the WizKids implosion, which Mike and I