Archive for August, 2007
Out of Character 031: Jeremiah is Pregnant
We have arrived home safely from Gen Con and have just started to sift through a bunch great games and our notes. We also get a first chance to catch up on feedback in a while. Some of that feedback pointed us back to Ptolus and we promised to give you that link again.
It has been mentioned before, but we wanted to like the fine parsec awards organization again. Well, it could also be that we wanted to gloat a little more. The truth is we are keeping some mighty fine company and are honored just to be mentioned next to our contenders. We’ll see how the awards will fall in the ceremony at Dragon*Con this weekend.
We have a featured interview for today’s show. It is F. Wesley Schneider, Associate Editor of Pathfinder. We took our first look at Pathfinder during today’s show and were thoughtfully impressed. Great job guys! We have already started putting together a new gaming group for the event.
Derek was stopped by Zaon Studios while trying to make his way through the exhibit hall of Gen Con. He couldn’t let even one episode go by before mentioning the beautiful poster sized ship deck plans they make. Derek felt like he had enough information to build himself a ship and that it looked good enough to hang in the house.
We touched on a number of games that we received from Chris Clark of Inner City Games Designs. He has given us several signed copies to test out and then give to you in some coming contests. We have already started setting one up for next episode and just reading the rules was fun. His sense of humor really shines well in his work. Be sure to pay close attention in the next few months for more details.
The guys from Polymancer studios give us an inside look into running a convention booth. It is an entertaining listen to even those who haven’t yet had the pleasure. Polymancer magazine is a multi-genre magazine about roleplaying games (RPGs), miniature wargames, LARPs, and more. Articles are written so that they can be useful to gamers of all kinds, no matter which rules they prefer to use. This is done by making the articles “system-independent.” There is a complete adventure scenario in every issue. This is not an e-zine, but the real thing: an honest to goodness, printed magazine for gamers. Find out more at www.polymancerstudios.com.
Gen Con Panel 001: Podcasting 101
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We kick of the podcasting track in an obvious place, Podcasting 101. Panelists give a realistic look at the transition from being a fan, to being a fan with a voice. We look at staring software, hardware, preparation, editing, and format. Some useful resources mentioned include libsyn.com, feedburner, gbncom.com, and rpgpodcasts.com. |
Panelists include Christopher Perrin from The Cannon Puncture Show, Ryan Macklin from The Master Plan, Ethan Parker from Gamer’s Haven Podcast, and Jeff Lower from The Sons of Kryos.
Inside Track 030: Peter Adkison and Gen Con
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Peter made a special appearance during our podcasting track at Gen Con to subject himself to interview by Jeremiah Lynch and the live audience. We all learned quite a lot, both from and about Peter. He is a jovial and open personality, a successful business man, and a gamer like the rest of us. |
Peter Adkison has been an avid gamer all his life. He started off playing family games as a child and has never lost his love of games since that time. In 1978, Peter discovered Dungeons & Dragons and has been a dedicated player of roleplaying games ever since. His favorite games are Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and Formula D.
Peter’s early educational background was as a graduate of Walla Walla College in 1985 with a BS in Computer Science. After college, he worked for Boeing for six years as a systems analyst. About half way through his Boeing stint, he and some friends founded Wizards of the Coast. After Magic: The Gathering was released in 1993, Wizards had enough money to hire Peter full time and move out of his basement into a real office. Peter continued on as CEO, growing the company exponentially until January 2001 when he sold it to Hasbro.
During his tenure at Wizards, Peter earned a few design credits, including authoring of The Primal Order, some work on Magic: The Gathering in the early days, and, his proudest accomplishment, setting the overall direction and design for 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons. During this time Peter also returned to school to earn his MBA.
Since “retiring” in 2001, Peter made his debut back into the gaming industry by purchasing an entity he always favored—Gen Con a game fair from his old company, Wizards of the Coast. Gen Con, LLC produces the largest consumer fantasy, sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America. Its’ operations include: Gen Con Indy, Star Wars Celebration IV, and licensees for European and Asia Pacific Gen Con shows. In addition, Peter is CEO of Hidden City Games the creator, manufacturer and marketer for the gaming industries first throwing game—Clout and an innovative new card game for girls with an electronic component called Bella Sara.
When not gaming, Peter enjoys rock climbing, dancing, snowboarding, travel, and spending time with friends and family. Peter is married to Melissa Reis Adkison and lives in Seattle.
GTS Seminars: Surviving Your First Year
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John Riley pays close attention to the lessons learned in the first year so that you may have a head start right out of the gate. You might be surprised at the very basic details you missed such as starting with a mission statement. |
Out Of Character 030: Live from Gen Con 2007
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We had a great time recording Live in front of the crowd at Gen Con 2007. One of the hot topics for today’s show was the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. |
We heard from our friends at Asmodee games to include the designer of Dungeon Twister, Christophe Boelinger. Chistophe had come hear all of the way from France. We hope he had a great time here. We certainly had a great time with him both on and off the mic.
We also heard from Jeremy Stomberg from Fantasy Flight. They had a huge beautiful setup at Gen Con and a lot of hot news for us. We started by talking about the first few copies of StarCraft, the Board Game that were made available here at the convention.
There was a lot of podcasting action going on here at Gen Con. On today’s show we especially wanted to thank Geeklabel Radio for warming everyone up with a few beers on Thursday night, JJ Lanza from Fist Full of Comics and Games for organizing the schedule at the podcaster fan booth, Paul Tevis for organizing the Podcaster’s meet and greet, and everyone else for their participation on the podcasting panels. It was especially a real treat to have Dan from Fear the Boot on today’s show. He is really knowledgeable and a real treat to have involved in the podcasting panels.
Everyone in the audience received a copy of Polymancer Magazine. Polymancer magazine is a multi-genre magazine about roleplaying games (RPGs), miniature wargames, LARPs, and more. Articles are written so that they can be useful to gamers of all kinds, no matter which rules they prefer to use. This is done by making the articles “system-independent.” There is a complete adventure scenario in every issue. This is not an e-zine, but the real thing: an honest to goodness, printed magazine for gamers. Find out more at www.polymancerstudios.com.
Congrats go to Have Games, Will Travel and Yog Radio for receiving the ENnies first and second place awards respectively. We are contending ourselves in the next Podcast awards ceremony, the Parcec Awards. We will be at Dragon*Con in just a few days to find out the results of that contest.
Inside Track 029: 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons with Scott Rouse and Bill Slavicsek
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One of the biggest announcements of Gen Con was the coming release of the 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. To get the inside scoop, Jeremiah was able to get some time from the brand manager of D&D, Scott Rouse, and the director of R&D for this and several Wizards of the Coast projects, Bill Slavicsek. |
The 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons will include the books we are accustomed to but also include online content. This content and more information about 4th edition is available at Dungeons & Dragons Insider. Also, be sure to check out the YouTube Teaser Video.
GTS Seminars: Demos that Rock
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Chris Clark teaches us a little about showmanship. Demos are an important part of the business and a necessary excitement building tool. But like any tool, there is an optimal way to use it. This presentation was recorded at the 2007 GAMA Trade Show. Hand-outs and show notes are avilable to members from the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA). |
Chris Clark began his ‘professional’ gaming career in 1977 running events at Gen Con in Lake Geneva Wisconsin. He formed his first gaming company, Inner City Games Designs, while in college at the University of Illinois in 1981. His first published game, the Inner City RPG was also published in its original format that year. Chris still owns and operates Inner City Games Designs which now has more than 40 titles currently in print. It is one of the oldest small press companies still in existence.
Chris formed Hekaforge Productions with Gary Gygax in 1998 in order to launch Gary’s newest role-playing creations, the Lejendary Adventure™ and the Lejendary Earth™. While still small, Hekaforge currently has 20 titles in print, and shows no signs of slowing its steady growth.
Since 1980, Chris has written more than 100 published role-playing, miniature, card and board games, including Fuzzy Heroes and War PIGs, and is still writing them for both Hekaforge and Inner City Games Designs. He is also an avid member of the Game Publishers Association, and engages in freelance writing for several magazines as well as other game publishers. You can find out more about Chris at www.fuzzyheroes.com.
Kings Court 030: Wicked Witches Way
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We had an absolute blast with Wicked Witches Way. At the start of every turn you must clear your head and focus on a formula; one that will propel you through a broom race. This is a game that you can bring out for kids and your gaming buddies. |
| Wicked Witches Way Publisher: Asmodee Editions Designed By: Serge Laget, Bruno Cathala Players: 2-6 Play Time: 30 minutes Ages: 8+ MSRP: $29.99 |
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GTS Seminars: Demographics and Negotiations
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Mel Thompson joins us again for an awesome presentation in demographics and geography. Store placement is a very important part in any retail business. Mel consults in the comics and games industry and shines with knowledge we can all benefit from. More information can be found at his website, comtrac.net. |
This presentation was recorded at the 2007 GAMA Trade Show. Hand-outs and show notes are avilable to members from the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
Inside Track 028: Daniel Rowen of Playroom Entertainment
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Today we step back again to Origins to talk to Daniel Rowen. Dan has spent the last few years building up Playroom Entertainment to the success it is today. We had a great time visiting about how he and his company has grown, and what the industry can do to continue to grow the market. |
| Playroom Entertainment has a variety of games for all ages. Some of the values that came out while talking to Dan include the quality family time their games contribute to, and the importance of embedding learning opportunities into fun activities like games. |  |
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One of the new releases for this month is the Onyx Booster Deck for Killer Bunnies. This has been one of the wild successes of playroom entertainment. Keep as many of your bunnies alive as you can while arming your bunnies to assault your rivals. |
| Another game we are looking forward to taking a closer look at is Portobello Market. Dan tells us it has the strategic intensity of a train game, but still plays very differently. You are competing to build market stalls in the best locations you can in London’s Portobello Market. |  |
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Another title that was just released is Unspeakable Words. It has a familiar element of score counting for building words, but introduces the insanity we know and love from everything Cthulhu. The trick is to win this game before going completely mad! |
Kings Court 029: Before the Wind
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Its back to work and you have ships to fill. The market is rough and you have to procure goods, warehouse them, and then meet the demands of the ships before they set sail. We think you will agree that Before the Wind is a fun and challenging addition to your collection. |
| Before the Wind Publisher: Mayfair Games, Phalanx Games Designed By: Torsten Landsvogt Players: 2-4 Play Time: 75+ minutes Ages: 10+ MSRP: $30.00 |
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GTS Seminars: The Bottom Line, Part 2 of 2
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Dave Wallace continues his discussion of numbers. Your numbers will show the difference between a healthy store and one on life support. |
This presentation was recorded at the 2007 GAMA Trade Show. Hand-outs and show notes are avilable to members from the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
Out of Character 029: Tennis Star
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Boyan Radakovich of Shifting Skies Games joins us to fill Jeremiah’s shoes while he plays warrior in the woods. He is also going to be with us at Gen Con. His first order of business is to report to us about his adventure at Comic-Con in San Diego. |
We release some more information about the products we will have available at Gen Con to include specially made shot glasses, coffee mugs, mouse pads, Accent Your Character, High School Drama, and custom dice sets made especially for the Tennis Star for Button Men. Make sure to visit us at Booth 2224, the podcasting fan booth, and in the podcasting track room for Pulp Gamer Live and other events.
| Promotions we are participating in for Gen Con also include Cheese Weasel’s Con Games. Be sure to pick up your card from the guys with the exclamation point above their head and come by our booth to get it punched. Completing the card enters you for a chance to win prizes! |  |
We have also just signed up to participate in a game company card hunt hosted by flying buffalo. Make sure to visit their booth to get started with this collection.
Bo shared with us the location of some of the Button Men. Outside of ourselves, these locations will include Asmodee, TableStar Games, White Wolf, Hero Games, and Edge Games (Science Fusion). We also spend some time talking to the designer of Science Fusion, Andrew Leach at Origins and share that interview with you today.
One of our topics today include PBM (play by mail) systems. We touched on CyberBoard, VASSAL, and ZunTzu.
Gamer Chris shared his web site with us. Stop by his site and say hello.
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Thanks again to Polymancer for their support! Polymancer magazine is a multi-genre magazine about roleplaying games (RPGs), miniature wargames, LARPs, and more. Articles are written so that they can be useful to gamers of all kinds, no matter which rules they prefer to use. This is done by making the articles “system-independent.” There is a complete adventure scenario in every issue. This is not an e-zine, but the real thing: an honest to goodness, printed magazine for gamers. Find out more at www.polymancerstudios.com. |
Inside Track 027: Michael Gray of Hasbro
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Today we visit with Michael Gray. Mike is a senior director of new product acquisition for Hasbro. He gives us a peak at the things Hasbro is looking for in a game, and what he is looking for in his personal collection. Mike had also spent some time working for TSR and has designed several of his own titles. |
Kings Court 028: Mall of Horror
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Flee for your lives! You have been trapped in the mall and zombies are everywhere. There is but one way to survive, make sure your friends get eaten first. Mall of Horror is a fun zombie game with a voting element and lots of spilled blood. |
| Mall of Horror Publisher: Asmodee Editions Designed By: Nicolas Normandon Players: 3-6 Play Time: 60 minutes Ages: 14+ MSRP: $44.99 |
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