Pulp Gamer

Pulp Gamer Inside Track: PGIT 062: John Wick

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:54:08 -0500

Don spent some time with John Wick at RinCon in Tucson Arizona. The new Houses of the Blooded was a large part of the conversation, but significant talk was also given to Seventh Sea and Legend of the Five Rings. John is currently a co-owner of the Wicked Dead Brewing Company.

Gen Con Seminars: Virtual Worlds: Making Imagination Come Alive

Gaming Media — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:56:21 -0500

Our panel discusses virtual worlds, from Second Life to Eve Online. Explore how these platforms can build community, provide unique services, and facilitate commerce.

Panelists include Ed Healy and Ryan Dancey.

Pulp Gamer Out of Character: PGOC 063: Stocking Stuffer Games

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:06:50 -0500

We were inspired with a gift basket question to start addressing small and affordable games for stocking stuffers, secret Santa gifts, or other office celebrations over the holiday season. This turned out to be quite a list. Enjoy looking more closely at these titles:

Catan Dice, Family Business, Megastar, Bison, Gloom, Once Upon a Time, Mad Scientist University, Fluxx, Are you a Werewolf, Chrononauts, Treehouse, Dungeoneer, Treasure Fleet, Liar's Dice (play online here), Coloretto, Set, Take 6, Iliad, Jungle Speed, Citadels, Management Material, Marriage Material, and playing cards from Gemaco.

Other games include Ron's review of Last Night on Earth. Mayfair has also announced a new train series by Martin Wallace, based on Age of Steam. We have also been playing Intrigue and To Court the King.

Our gateway RPG discussion continues with RECON, Microlite20, Tunnels and Trolls, and Tactics. The discussion on roleplaying tips also continues. Tim offers one of his blog posts for more.

RinCon is done for the year. Jess shows us some of her pictures. We have more excitement coming up. We will be starting to think about Phoenix Comicon very soon. Join us in Tucson to game by visiting SAGAgamers.com. The most recent game days added to Tucson's schedule will be taking place on Wednesday nights at Safehouse. You will definitely want to join us in the Caribbean, though. There is still time to register for this cruise.

We are in a winning mode. Jeremiah was sent a prize from the Wandering Geek podcast. Derek won a drawing sponsored by Game Daze at RinCon.

We also took a look at American Nerd by Benjamin Nugent. Jeremiah reads a small excerpt and have a good time with it, including shamelessly plugging the Ramsey County Public Library. Jeremiah also mentioned some Cthulhu Cycle books.

Gen Con Seminars: RPG Bloggers Unite!

Gaming Media — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The past year has seen an explosion in the number of people blogging about RPGs. Come meet some of them, and find out why they do it, what they write about, and tips for any aspiring bloggers out there.

The panel is lead by Dave Chalker. He is joined by Phil, Tahsa, Yax, Bob, and Danny.

We also want to welcome RPGBloggers.com to the internet.

The Game Kennel: PGGK 023: Megastar

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:47:20 -0500

Derek gives us Megastar, a music band themed card game of market manipulation. There are a few things to work out such as how much to invest in certain bands and how much to just ride the market. Looking into the future is a tricky business with so many uncertainties, but if you watch closely you can at least get an idea of your competition's motives.

Megastar
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Card Game
Designed by: Friedemann Friese
Players: 2-5
Play Time: 45 minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $10.00

Gen Con Seminars: Content is King

Gaming Media — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

To create an exceptional podcast, you will need to prepare before your lips come anywhere near the microphone. We will discuss format, scripting, round-table discussions, pacing, news coverage, and how your favorite podcasters prepare for their shows.

This panel is led by Ryan Macklin and also includes Clyde, Josh, and Brian.

Pulp Gamer Out of Character: PGOC 062: Gateway Roleplay

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:04:54 -0400

We had a great time with a number of things in today's show then we are off to RinCon for the weekend. The GAMA Trade Show Seminars are complete. The Gen Con panels are up and running at full speed. We touched on Twitter. Continuing on our Games as Art discussion, The Philosopher's Zone talked about what qualifies as art. You must also check out the Citizens of Virtue.

We kick the day off by taking a look at the book, The Elfish Gene written by Mark Barrowcliffe and published by SOHO Press. It is easy to relate to this account of growing up geek. It's humorous and a lot of fun. We took turns reading our favorite passages to each other. On the same topic, we also talked about a youtube video we found linked on the author's blog that was a lot of fun as well.

Our main topic was Gateway Roleplaying games. What is the best game to introduce someone new to? Perhaps even your mother can play. Those mentioned include Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, Prime Time Adventures, Risus, Call of Cthulhu, Savage Worlds, The Fantasy Trip (Wikipedia),Long Live the King, and Once Upon a Time.

Some podcasters that came up in today's show or otherwise deserve credit in today's discussions include Antti, Tim, Ryan, Ross, Ron, and Paul.

Pulp Gamer Inside Track: PGIT 061: Richard Borg

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:16:40 -0400

While at Gen Con, Jeremiah was able to get some time with Richard Borg. He is in more places in the game industry than his name appears and his design ranges from Yatzee Free for All and Liars Dice to BattleLore and Memoir 44. We also mentioned Wyatt Earp, and Stonehenge in today's show. Richard was a blast to visit with and is full of good information.

Richard’s professional game credits cover a broad spectrum, which includes over 50 titles. Milton Bradley published his first game, ‘Liars Dice’ a family dice game, in 1988. Following up this initial success were AD&D games (TSR), X-Men games (Pressman Toy) and another hit for Milton Bradley ‘Times to Remember’.

In 1993 ‘Liars Dice’ went to Europe as ‘Bluff’ and won the German Prize ‘Spiel des Jahres’. Richard was part of the ‘Star Wars’ customizable card game design team and involved with a number of other collectible card games. Some of his recent designs, that are currently available, include: Hera & Zeus (Rio Grande Games), Memoir ’44 (Days of Wonder), Commands & Colors: Ancients (GMT Games), BattleLore (Fantasy Flight) and Stonehenge Anthology (Paizo Publishing). Richard's newest family game design, Yahtzee Free For All (Parker Brothers) is already receiving acclaim from the game community.

Because his body of work does encompass so many age groups and genres, you just may have one or more of Richard’s designs in your personal game collection.

Gen Con Seminars: Working in Print

Gaming Media — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Wolfgang Baur shares the Kobold Quarterly story and talks about the challenges of print. Learn about what it took to get the magazine off the ground and the challenges of running a magazine. Find out what works and what doesn't.

Pulp Gamer Inside Track: PGIT 060: Jean Vanaise

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:39:47 -0400

Jeremiah has the opportunity to visit with Jean Vanaise at Gen Con to talk about music, the economy, and of course, games. Jean has been producing games with his own company Flying Turtle for years but has also produced for such companies as West End Games, Iron Crown Enterprises, Ravensburger, and Mayfiar Games. Some of his titles you may be familiar with, to include Shark, Dicemaster, the Hobbit Adventure Boardgame, and the most recent Egyptian themed tile game, Horus.

Seminars of the GAMA Trade Show: GTS08 21: Lessons Learned - GTS Wrap-up

Game Manufacturer's Association — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:06:41 -0400

Speakers: Anthony Gallela, Executive Director of GAMA; Kell Wallace, GRD Chair; Trey Reilly, Program Director, GAMA Members of the GAMA Board of Directors, the Retail Division Board, and the GAMA Staff are waiting to hear from you about what went well this year and where there is room for improvements.

Gen Con Seminars: Advertising: Effective Brand Communication

Gaming Media — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:55:02 -0400

During this hour we will explore how advertising campaigns are an integral part of a brand communications program. The emphasis will be on exploring "why and when" advertising works, and how to create a campaign that people will engage with, instead of feeling interrupted by.

Branding: What sets your company apart from your competition? What is your promise to your customer? Things to remember when you consider your brand.

Communication: What is the difference between marketing and sales, and where does advertising fit into your communication plan? Things to think about when designing your marketing plan.

Advertising: What is the purpose of advertising? What are some of the things to consider when building your advertisement?

Effective: It's important to test the effectiveness of your advertisements. Google Analytics, special store codes... always be testing. Also, a short intro to Facebook Ads.

Looking for advertising opportunities for your games? Consider these resources:

Magazines: Dragon Roots (dragonroots.net), Game Buyer(impressionsadv.net/gamebuyer.html), Kobold Quarterly (koboldquarterly.com), WIRED (blog.wired.com/geekdad/)
Podcasts: Board Game Podcasts (boardgamepodcasts.com), RPG Podcasts (rpgpodcasts.com)
Websites: EN World (enworld.org), Kobold Quarterly (koboldquarterly.com), RPGnet (rpg.net), and many more

Further Reading:
(1) Ogilvy on Advertising, by David Ogilvy
(2) Tested Advertising Methods, by John Caple

The Game Kennel: PGGK 022: Theophrastus

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:13:30 -0400

Derek picks up the mortar and pestle and takes direction from Theophrastus. His alchemy skills will grant him the ability to become his next apprentice. He may have the best brew, or just mess with the others bad enough to beat the curve.

Theophrastus
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Card Game
Designed by: P. R. Chase
Players: 2-5
Play Time: 30-45 minutes
Ages: 9+
MSRP: $25.00

Pulp Gamer Out of Character: PGOC 061: Spooky!

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:37:13 -0400

Most of us agree that Halloween is our favorite holiday. This Halloween, we will be at RinCon. The preregistration is coming down upon us, so get signed while you can. Also upon us is an important date for securing your spot on the Caribbean Gamer Cruise. There is limited space available, so you will want to secure your spot now. Oh, and here is that list of things to do in Jamaica we promised you.

During feedback, the topic of Accent Your Character comes up. We were also sent some pictures from our friends from the Wrecking Crew.

Games to play this Halloween...

Pulp Gamer Inside Track: PGIT 059: Ethan Skemp of White Wolf

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:24:50 -0400

Jeremiah catches Ethan Skemp at Gen Con. Ethan has a long list of credits with White Wolf. There is a lot of talk given to the contrast between the new and the old versions of the many White Wolf roleplaying games, such as Vampire, Werewolf, and Changeling.

Seminars of the GAMA Trade Show: GTS08 20: Comics in the Game Store

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:06:26 -0400

Speaker: Jim Crocker, Modern Myths
Many game stores sell comics, and many comic shops sell games. This seminar reviews everything you need to know about selling comics, whether you’re starting from scratch, or integrating them into your existing product line, with a special emphasis on graphic novels and the book trade. Stores that already carry comics are encouraged to attend to share their strategies, boost sales, and better integrate other products into a "hybrid" store.

Gen Con Seminars: Setting Up the Studio

Gaming Media — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:23:14 -0400

Part of making a quality podcast is the hardware. We will discuss microphones, sound boards, and acoustic treatment of your recording room. We will also discuss some software packages that you will need to produce and polish your show.

This panel is led by Ryan Macklin and also includes Chris Perrin, Ross Payton, and Josh.

Pulp Gamer Inside Track: PGIT 058: Erik Yaple of Privateer Press

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Jeremiah had the pleasure of visiting one of the biggest and baddest men in gaming, Erik Yaple. Erik has taken over the Monsterpocalypse project with Privateer Press. This is a very appealing game of monstrous combat. He caught him between games at Gen Con where he spent a lot of his weekend showing the game with a horde of fans.

Seminars of the GAMA Trade Show: GTS08 19: Manager Awareness

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:11:03 -0400

Speaker: Dave Wallace, Fantasy Shop Comics & Games
This session covers the 'big picture', how good managers integrate the various aspects of their jobs to make sure their stores run smoothly. Learn how to evaluate your performance and your staff's, and how to respond as necessary.

Gen Con Seminars: Introduction to Podcasting

Gaming Media — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:28:58 -0400

No longer are we tied to the channels of content on the television. Advances in technology and the evolution of consumer habits have brought on a new era of media. Radio and television programing is available on demand over the web with concepts as specific as worm farming. Learn more about it from both ends of the microphone.

This panel is led by Ethan Parker and also includes Chris Perrin, Zeke Russell, and Fraser Ronald.

Pulp Gamer Out of Character: PGOC 060: Clubbing Up

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:56:18 -0400

Our headline topic is about meeting other gamers and finding space to build your group or a full fledged club. This is such a huge topic that we can barely scratch the surface, but some great ideas came to light, like game stores, conventions, meetup.com, or even just google.

In our need to continue reminiscing about Gen Con, we talked about the Q-Workshop Dice, Midnight Syndicate's trailer to The Dead Matter, and The Dead Gentleman's movie, Dorkness Rising. Our discussion of media continues to talk about Journey to the Center of the Earth and Igor. And in our own kind of media, Polymancer releases their podcast, DiceCast. We welcome Polymancer to the world of podcasting.

Coming conventions of note include RinCon over Halloween weekend and the Caribbean Gamer Cruise. We also had correspondence regarding FlatCon and Gamer's Reunion.

Be sure to check out our dialect training CDs for roleplayer's, storytellers, and other casual pretenders. Accents include the Queen's English, Cockney, Irish, and Scottish. Accent Your Character can be found at Paizo, Lovecraftiana, and RPG Now.

Pulp Gamer Inside Track: PGIT 057: Nicolas Logue

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:25:36 -0400

Jeremiah was able to catch Nicolas Logue at Gen Con and uncovered a wealth of interesting thoughts. Nick talks about the crossover between improv acting and roleplaying and about several projects he has been working on. We most recently know have been seeing his work on Paizo's Pathfinder, several great articles in Kobold Quarterly, the Open Design Project, and of course, Sinister Adventures. We wish him well on his adventures to come and hope to see him again very soon.

Nicolas Logue works for Paizo Publishing and Wizards of the Coast as a freelance game designer. He has also recently launched his own design studio: Sinister Adventures (www.sinisteradventures.com). Nick has done extensive work on Paizo’s new Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting and the Eberron Campaign Setting for Wizards of the Coast. His recent credits include numerous adventures and articles in Dungeon and Dragon magazines, Crown of the Kobold King, Voyage of the Golden Dragon, Eyes of the Lich Queen, Monster Manual V, Dragons of Eberron, Carnival of Tears, Hook Mountain Massacre, Edge of Anarchy, Hangman’s Noose and City of Stormreach.

Nicolas is also a Fulbright Fellow, an award winning stage actor, produced playwright, budding screenwriter, fight director and a Full Instructor with Dueling Arts International who has performed and taught theatre and stage combat in New York, Honolulu and throughout China. He is a member of the avant garde theatre troupe Cruel Theatre, based in Hawai’i and Manhattan.

His next horizon of adventure: Nick was recently hired to head up the World Theatre Program at the University of Essex’s East 15 Acting School. England beware.

The Game Kennel: PGGK 021: Journey to the Center of the Earth

The Pulp Gamer Crew — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:40:19 -0400

Derek gives us a look at Journey to the Center of the Earth. Its an adventure game based on the Jules Verne novel by the same name. You work together with your opponents to move the party through treacherous terrain, over the underground sea, and then get shot out a volcano. The one that emerges with the best collection of treasure will be the victor.

Journey to the Center of the Earth
Publisher: Mayfair Games
Style: Board Game
Designed by: Rüdiger Dorn
Players: 2-4
Play Time: 60-75+ minutes
Ages: 10+
MSRP: $49.00

Seminars of the GAMA Trade Show: GTS08 18: Demographics

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:53:02 -0400

Speaker: Mel Thompson, Melchior Thompson & Associates
Analyzing demographics is a key part of finding a good location for your store. Learn the things you to look for before ever requesting a lease.