John Wick is auctioning off some of his games and comics collection on eBay. Highlights include a copy of the ultra-rare Dune RPG, an Upper-Deck-employees-only Vs. System card, and an autographed copy of John’s own Way of the Dragon book for the Legend of the Five Rings RPG.
Kovalic on Hite
John Kovalic posted a bio he wrote about Ken Hite for an upcoming appearance at CONvergence. Amen, brother! I’ve been a part of those now-legendary meat-on-swords meals with John and Ken, and they’re often the highlight of any convention that includes them. If I edited novels, I’d toss enough money at Ken to get him to write his great conspiracy …
Robin’s Laws for Playtesters
On his blog, all-star game designer Robin Laws posted a set of rules for those who playtest tabletop games. Robin and I have chatted about this issue at length before, and I’m glad he’s pulled the curtain back on this issue for everyone else. One great way to break into game design is via playtesting games, and if you want …
Battle Dice Update
Since I last mentioned the Marvel Heroes Battle Dice website back on June 8, they’ve added: A list of the new powers from the upcoming Series 2. Two more sets of computer desktop wallpaper. A calendar of upcoming games, tournaments, and events. Be sure to stop by and check them all out. I like the new wallpapers a lot, although …
Mishler’s Manifesto
In the latest issue of Comics & Games Retailer, editor James Mishler makes an excellent point about one of the big differences between selling comics and selling games. These days, people buy comics because of the writers and artists involved with a particular book. With games, few people have any idea who the creators are. Some comics creators have attained …
WizKids Update
According to ICv2.com, WizKids laid off 15 of its 65 employees back on June 8. A few of my friends felt the axe, although since they’re not speaking loudly about it, I won’t name them here. Still, if you’re looking to hire some fine game designers, there are a number of them floating around out there these days. It seems …
Illektron v. Playmates Toys
A company called Illektron–which made a collectible card game called Battlez–has filed suit against Playmates Toys over the trademark for Battle Dice. I’m still poring through the PDFs of the court documents to see exactly what this is all about. (You can get these and the original press release about the lawsuit by clicking on the “News Wire” running scroll …
WizKids Reorganizes
According to a press release posted on GamingReport.com, WizKids has “reorganized.” This means some good people have lost their jobs. Without being on the inside, it’s impossible to know what the reasons for this are: poor sales, meddling by a corporate parent, or something else entirely. The management team at WizKids is filled with good people, and I know this …
Queen of Death for Halloween
It’s official. The Queen of Death–the final novel in my Eberron trilogy (The Lost Mark series)–is due out in October rather than December. That means cutting two full months out of that long, dreary waiting season that falls between novels. Plus, it means it’ll be out just in time for Halloween, which seems fitting for a trilogy that centers so …
Cathy’s Books Sells Out?
Monday’s New York Times featured an article on Cathy’s Book, the new blend between novel and alternate reality game created by Jordan Weisman and Sean Stewart. Apparently Cover Girl has arranged for product placement in the book in exchange for promoting it on BeingGirl.com, a website for adolescent girls. According to ICv2.com, Commercial Alert–an organization which “protect communities from commercialism”–sent …