Seth Jaffee, board game designer of games such as Eminent Domain, posted an article up on his blog (edjtroll.blogspot.com) about the importance of game content.

I came across this excellent post on Jamey Stegmaier’s blog from 2 months ago (at the end of the Dungeon roll kickstarter project), and in the comments I saw something that bothered me a little bit. Here’s an excerpt from commenter “Kim”:

“I also thought the stretch goals of single new cards were in fact VERY measly (they probably each represent say 10 hours of design and testing, a piece of art, and the additional print cost).”

Of course, however Kim feels about the stretch goals for that project is fine and valid. What I am uncomfortable with is the idea in the parenthetical. Suppose Kim is exactly right – that a Dungeon Roll Hero represents 10 hours of the artist’s time for an illustration, 10 hours of a designer’s time to invent, test, and balance the new character, and additional printing cost. I’m curious what people think that should cost.

In my experience, many (maybe most) people don’t tend to value game content creation. I have seen posts and comments up and down the internet complaining about the price of a game which is “essentially just a handful of cards and a board” or whatever. They say they could print it out at home for cheaper than buying it in a store. Everybody sees the value of the physical bits, but nobody wants to pay for the actual game content.

If you frequent game design forums, you’ll see time and time again how games take hundreds and hundreds of hours to design and develop, not to mention the total man-hours spent playtesting (which grows exponentially when new groups of blind testers are involved). In those posts you’re likely to find the context to be about the level of royalties a designer gets, and how little money that translates to on a per-hour basis for the blood, sweat, and tears they have poured into their pet project over the years. Most designers do not design games because it’s lucrative. With very few exceptions,you can’t really make a living out of it – and if you do then you’re probably self publishing, and therefore not designing as much as you might like.

You can read the entire article over at Seth’s blog here.

iSlayTheDragon posted an informative article where they discuss the action point allowance board game mechanism.

Action Point Allowance System: How Does it Work?

Now wait a minute, don’t you take action in every game?  So what’s so special about this mechanic, then?

Yes, obviously all games involve doing something, which would logically be defined as “action.”  However, the action point allowance mechanic refines that into a more specific structure, with an emphasis on allowance.  In its purest form, there are three prominent characteristics to this system.

The first trait is that you are allowed do more than one thing on your turn, during a phase, or in a round, etc.  There are many games that give you one move or action each turn, yet that is hardly in the spirit of an allowance system.  However, this mechanic does not grant you unlimited actions.  Some designs allow for open-ended moves, permitting you to do as many things as possible based on what you have and/or can pay for.  Instead, the action point allowance system allocates players a certain number of action points, although different games may call them by other terms.  Usually that number is consistently fixed, but some games include mechanisms in which to earn extra action points, increase the number available, or even lose some.

Railways of the World (2005) is currently the highest-rated, almost pure action point allowance game (#38 on Board Game Geek).  There is a bidding phase for turn order at the beginning of each round and an income earning phase at the end.  However, both are highly influenced by the action phase, the heart of the game.  Each round, players alternate taking three actions.  They can lay track, urbanize a city, upgrade their engine, deliver a goods cube from one city to another, or take an Operations card.  You always have three action points per turn and the pool of options remains the same every round.

According to BGG’s database, Special Train (1948) was the first title to utilize action point allowance.  However, from the information posted about the game, not only are action points earned randomly by rolling a die, they’re also just really movement points to get your trains from one point to another.  Having said that, the mechanic has evolved from the concept of movement points, which early titles employed primarily to resolve mobility.  That aspect has been fundamental to an untold number of war and miniature games over the years at various levels of complexity.  In addition to mere movement or attacking, points might be expended for other things like form square, recover, entrench, and numerous other possibilities.

Fantasy Flight Games announced the release of its most recent expansion to their Star Wars LCG game entitled A Dark Time.  They posted, on their website, a bit more details on this pack which continues the Hoth series.

Several of the new objective sets in A Dark Time encourage players to forge their own stories within the Star Warsuniverse. They hint at hidden Sith schemes and trace the efforts made to ready the Cloud City carbonite chamber for activation. They explore the unsung heroics of Renegade Squadron, and they draw attention to discontented survivors of the Clone Wars who fled to the wilds of the Outer Rim to hide from Imperial detection.

The Struggles for Self-Preservation

After the execution of Order 66, belief in the Force nearly became extinct. The vast majority of the Jedi were hunted down and destroyed by the Emperor and his minions. Those who survived were forced to flee to the farthest edges of the galaxy, and the Galactic Empire decreed that the use of the Force was a crime punishable by the harshest measures. In the span of a few short decades, with nearly all evidence of the Jedi destroyed, most of the galaxy forgot the order and dismissed the Force as an ancient religion.

To find out more, you can click here to visit FFG’s website.

ICv2 recently posted an article where they created a Top Ten Tabletop Game on Kickstarters list.  As you may know, Kickstarter, in their Games category, include both video and tabletop games.  On top of that, we thought that the chart was just really neat.

The most recent addition is Robotech RPG Tactics, which funded yesterday at over $1.4 million (see “$1.4 Million+ for ‘Robotech RPG Tactics’“).

It’s clear that tabletop game projects are among Kickstarter’s most successful categories, with five projects at over $1 million, and three over $2 million.

The number of backers and dollars per backer vary widely, reflecting varying levels of engagement by the supporters of projects.  The top project in dollars per backer, Kingdom Death:  Monster, with over $378 per backer, is over twice
the dollars per backer of the lowest project in that measure on this list, Zombicide, at around $149 per backer.

Reaper’s Dark Heaven:  Bones had the highest number of backers at over 17,000, though, with over five times the number of backers of the lowest project in that measure on this list, Relic Nights, with around 3,500 backers.

Top Ten Tabletop Game Kickstarter Projects as of May 20, 2013
Rank	Title	Total Raised	Date Funded	Backers	Dollars/ Backer
1	Dark Heaven: Bones minis by Reaper Miniatures	$3,429,235	08/25/12	17,744	$193.26
2	Zombicide: Season 2 by CoolMiniOrNot	$2,255,018	03/31/13	8,944	$252.13
3	Kingdom Death: Monster by Kingdom Death	$2,049,721	01/07/12	5,410	$378.88
4	Game Tiles by Dwarven Forge	$1,908,155	04/30/13	5,398	$353.49
5	Robotech RPG Tactics by Palladium Books	$1,442,312	05/20/13	5,342	$270.00
6	Sedition Wars: Battle for Alabasterby CoolMiniOrNot	$951,254	06/30/12	4,278	$222.36
7	Myth miniatures by MERCS Miniatures	$926,112	04/24/13	5,360	$172.78
8	Ogre Designer’s Edition by Steve Jackson Games	$923,680	05/11/12	5,512	$167.58
9	Relic Knights by CoolMiniOrNot	$909,537	09/09/12	3,459	$262.95
10	Zombicide by CoolMiniOrNot	$781,597	05/06/12	5,258	$148.65

You can view the article here.

ACD Distribution Partners with Rebel.pl for Exclusive U.S. Distribution

Madison, WI - (May 23, 2013) –ACD Distribution has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Poland’s Rebel.pl (also known as Rebel Centrum Gier S.C.). Effective immediately, ACD Distribution will become the sole distributor of Rebel.pl in the U.S. market.

This decision will help Rebel.pl expand its reach, said company representative Hubert Bartos. “Being located in Poland, we were always looking for one stable partner for the US market who will cover and support our line of products. We went through many negotiations and heard many proposals, before finally deciding that ACD Distribution offered what we need the most: easy access to our games for the U.S. market, a wide distribution network, and full support. We also received some good recommendations from our other partners, and after reviewing our options, decided to go exclusive with ACD Distribution.”

ACD Distribution’s President, Bob Maher, said, “We are pleased to partner with Rebel, and to help bring their games to more people in the United States. Bringing more choices to our customers is always a goal for ACD, and we’re excited to be the exclusive distributor of their products.” His comments were mirrored by Bartos, “We are also very excited about this fact and we are looking forward to working with ACD.” Retailers are encouraged to contact ACD distribution regarding orders for Rebel.pl’s line.

About Rebel.pl
Rebel.pl is a board game publishing company with its own wholesale distribution network as well as the largest online store dedicated to boardgaming in Poland. This year Rebel.pl celebrates its 10 year anniversary. Since its creation, Rebel.pl has published some great titles like The Cave, City Tycoon, and Slavika which have attained wide notice. For more information, please visit rebelgames.eu.

About ACD Distribution
ACD Distribution, is a leading distributor of hobby gaming products, working with over 300 of the industry’s top manufacturers. ACD supplies retailers from across the country with board games, card games, role-playing games, dice, fantasy and science fiction miniatures, historical board games and miniatures, modeling tools, and card storage products. ACD is proud to be a partner to the many retailers it supplies, providing convenience with three warehouses (located in Fresno, CA, Harrisburg, PA, and its headquarters in Madison, WI) and giving knowledge and support through flexible ordering options, real-time inventory information, 24-hour ordering and account access, and a friendly, experienced staff. For more information on ACD Distribution, please call 1-800-767-4263 or visit www.acdd.com.

AEG PRESS RELEASE

Smash Up: The Obligatory Cthulhu Expansion

Just when you thought Smash Up might escape… the International Gaming Authority reminded us we were honorbound to include Cthulhu in one of our products. So we set on to make the Cthulhuest product ever which you now hold into your hands.

Smash Up: The Obligatory Cthulhu Set features crazy Cthulhu cultists, fishy Innsmouth locals, horrifying Elder Things, and good old Miskatonic University members (the Fightin’ Cephalopods). To be certain we got it right, this set also includes a new card type fittingly known as “Madness”, that each of these groups use to various effects. But remember that Madness brings you power but at a price (joking!).

If you’re ready to embrace the creatures beyond the understanding of mortal men, then shuffle up these guys with your pirates, bear cavalry, and others for the most awesome fit of crazed insanity you’ve had in a long time!

Contents: 4 factions with 20 cards each, 8 base cards, 30 madness cards, VP tokens, rulebook

Players: 2-4 (with base set)

Ages: 14 & Up

Playing Time: 45 Minutes

WizKids, partnering with Irrational Games, announced the lineup of their upcoming Bioshock Infinite Heroclix figures.

Hillside NJ – May 22, 2013—WizKids Games, the leader in collectible miniatures gaming, has announced a new collection to the HeroClix line-up; BioShock Infinite HeroClix miniatures, featuring themed collectible figures based on the highest rated game of the year to date. The latest collection to join the HeroClix family, the BioShock Infinite: HeroClix Starter Pack and Gravity Feed will launch this summer and is available now for pre-order.

Containing everything needed to get started in the world of Columbia, the BioShock Infinite: HeroClix Starter Pack includes six exclusive figures along with Powers and Abilities Cards, two special maps, Object and Terrain tokens, dice and HeroClix Core Rulebook. Collectible figures included in the Starter Pack are Booker DeWitt, Elizabeth, Automated Stallion, Daisy Fitzroy, Flakman and Handyman.

 

Also available is a 24-figure Gravity Feed, which contains 14 different figures to expand on the collection and adventure featuring popular characters such as Zachary Hale Comstock, Booker and Elizabeth, Motorized Patriot and more.

As with all HeroClix collections, figures included in the BioShock Infinite series sit atop a custom Combat Dial™, tailored for the special figures.

BioShock Infinite and HeroClix players, fans and collectors can pre-order both BioShock Infinite: HeroClix collections at participating online retailers before they hit shelves this summer.

For more information on BioShock Infinite: HeroClix, visit http://wizkidsgames.com/bioshock-infinite-heroclix/

About WizKids

WizKids/NECA, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NECA, is a New Jersey-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating games driven by imagination. WizKids first pioneered the Combat Dial system featured in HeroClix, the most successful collectible miniatures game on the market today, with over 400 million miniature game figures sold worldwide. WizKids continues to produce new proprietary game platforms and properties including the award-winning board game Mage Knight, the groundbreaking Dice Building Game engine used in the critically-acclaimed game Quarriors, as well as the innovative Connect with Pieces puzzle building game platform.

About BioShock Infinite

BioShock Infinite puts players in the shoes of U.S. Cavalry veteran turned hired gun Booker DeWitt. Indebted to the wrong people and with his life on the line, DeWitt has only one opportunity to wipe his slate clean. He must rescue Elizabeth, a mysterious girl imprisoned since childhood and locked up in the flying city of Columbia. Forced to trust one another, Booker and Elizabeth form a powerful bond during their daring escape. Together, they learn to harness an expanding arsenal of weapons and abilities as they fight on zeppelins in the clouds, along high-speed Sky-Lines, and down in the streets of Columbia, all while surviving the threats of the air-city and uncovering its dark secret.

BioShock Infinite is rated M for Mature by the ESRB and is available on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. For the latest news and information on BioShock Infinite, become a fan on Facebook and follow Irrational Games on Twitter.

The official announcement was made here.

Shannon O. Wells, with The Portland Tribune, recently wrote an article about a Beaverton couple that was bringing a board game museum to the public.

After years of collecting and curating all manner of board and parlor games and sharing their passion with friends, the Beaverton couple found a public home for their Interactive Museum of Gaming and Puzzlery. The nonprofit, 501(c)(3) public charity organization will celebrate the grand opening of its new headquarters and clubhouse at 8231 S.W. Cirrus Drive, today, beginning at 11 a.m. The regular $5 admission will be waived through Saturday.

Featuring a collection of more than 1,600 games, ongoing exhibits related to gaming culture and history — and a play area where members can try an old favorite or previously unexplored game — the museum will offer refreshments and special activities through Saturday.

After a long, meticulous search for the right combination of storage and public space, Engen, 49, and Mathewson, 43, are excited about unveiling their new, 2,100-square-foot pop-cultural vortex to the general public.

“I feel like we’ve got a unique niche,” says Engen, a self-employed website designer and computer specialist. “Now that we’ve got a place, we can really start reaching out to people. We’re interested in bringing in as many diverse groups as we can.”

Surveying the space as it takes shape before Thursday’s opening, Mathewson agrees.

“We encourage people to come in to hang out and ask questions,” she says. “It’s like our years of being collectors have paid off somehow.”

You can read the entire article here.

 WizKids Games Press Release!!

Hillside, N.J. – May 22, 2013 – WizKids/NECA, LLC (WizKids), the leader in collectible gaming, announced the Dominion War Organized Play event for the forthcoming Star Trek HeroClix™ miniatures game line-up— Star Trek: Attack Wing.

In September, WizKids Games kicks off a six-month storyline Organized Play program centered around The Dominion War. In The Dominion War, the Alpha Quadrant is in a time of struggle and chaos. The Jem’Hadar and the Breen Confederacy have established a presence for themselves in the Alpha Quadrant, and with the help of their recent allies, the Cardassian Union, they plan to conquer everything in their path. This engagement proves to be the most devastating ever fought in the Alpha Quadrant.

In the storyline Organized Play program, stores carrying Star Trek: Attack Wing will host tournaments for players to challenge each other for dominance of the Alpha Quadrant. Players will collect a participation prize each month as well as compete for a new playable ship that will only be offered via the Organized Play events. The player with the best record over the six-month event will be bestowed the title of Fleet Admiral and awarded a special grand prize at the end of the program.

Preorders are still being taken for the Star Trek: Attack Wing Starter Set and first 8 expansions packs that launch this August at GenCon 2013, during which players can experience demos at the WizKids booth as well as limited tournaments to get a first look at this exciting game system.

Under license by CBS Consumer Products, Star Trek: Attack Wing utilizes the FlightPathTM maneuver system featuring pre-painted miniatures of iconic ships from the Star Trek universe. Assemble your fleet and customize your ships with different Captains, Crew, Weapons and Tech upgrades. The Star Trek: Attack Wing Starter Set (SKU 71120)— which includes the U.S.S. Enterprise-D/Galaxy-class, I.K.S. Maht- H’a/Vor’cha-class and I.R.W. Khazara/D’deridex-class ships as well as a rulebook and all the components needed to play— releases in August along with the first 8 expansion packs of two each of Federation, Romulan, Klingon and Dominion faction ships.

For more information about Star Trek: Attack Wing, visit WizkidsGames.com/StarTrek or follow WizKids on Facebook and Twitter.

© 2013 WizKids/NECA, LLC. WIZKIDS, HEROCLIX, and COMBAT DIAL are trademarks of WizKids/NECA, LLC. All rights reserved. TM & ©
2013 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Right Reserved. FLIGHTPATH is a trademark, and FANTASY FLIGHT GAMES is a registered trademark, of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

About WizKids Games

WizKids/NECA, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NECA, is a New Jersey-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating games driven by imagination. WizKids first pioneered the Combat Dial system featured in HeroClix, the most successful collectible miniatures game on the market today, with over 400 million miniature game figures sold worldwide. WizKids continues to produce new proprietary game platforms and properties including the award-winning board game Mage Knight, the groundbreaking Dice Building Game engine used in the critically-acclaimed game Quarriors, as well as the innovative Connect with Pieces puzzle building game platform.

Z-Man Games announced, on their Facebook page, that in anticipation of Robinson Crusoe being available in the States they have posted their rules online.

You can download them here.