Yesterday, I drove up to Madison for the first big meeting of the new local chapter of the IGDA (International Game Developers Association). (That’s computer games, for those keeping score at home.) Alex Seropian (founder of Bungie Software and Wideload Games) gave a great speech about the new business model he and his partners are using for Wideload, which seems …
A Wild Weekend
I had an amazing weekend, a strange combination of family, politics, football, drama, and even games.
The Silent Enemy in Stores Soon
Late last week, a package showed up from Ace Books with my copies of The Silent Enemy by Richard Knaak. This is the last of the Age of Conan series of novels I edited for Ace and Conan Properties, and it’s a doozy. Richard does a great job with taking the hero from his first two Age of Conan novels …
RPG Player Styles
My pal Charles Ryan set up a quiz that answers the question, “What kind of roleplayer are you?” It’s based on Robin’s Laws of Good Game Mastering by my friend Robin Laws. I take quizzes like this for fun sometimes, but I rarely publish the results. (After all, do you care which superhero I’m most like?) This time, though, the …
Scrye Buys GamingReport.com
GamingReport.com is, bar none, the best news site out there for the tabletop gaming industry. (ICv2.com rocks too, but it covers comics and manga as well, and its coverage of games isn’t as broad, mostly because it’s aimed at retailers, not players.) F+W Publications, owners of Scrye and Comics & Games Retailer just bought it. This makes good sense for …
Games Quarterly #11 Hits Shelves
The latest issue (#11) of Games Quarterly Magazine just showed up in my mailbox. This issue features my interview with Anthony Zuiker, the creator of CSI. A Las Vegas latchkey kid, Anthony created over 500 tabletop games as a kid, and his first published effort hit shelves this fall: CSI: Senses. Be sure to check it out.
Haunted Castle Review
The Haunted Castle (my adventure for Faery’s Tale) received a kind review on RPGNow.com. The reviewer transformed it into a d20 adventure and loved it. Currently, the slim and inexpensive PDF is the #3 best seller for Ronin Arts via RPGNow.com.
The Magic Apprentice
It seems this has been going on since August, but I just learned that Wizards is running a web-based elimination contest to find their next R&D intern for Magic: The Gathering. The dismissal tagline? “Game Over.”
Marty’s Oliver
My eldest son Marty is appearing in his first-ever play this weekend–the Kids Fun and Drama production of Oliver!–as Orphan/Urchin #1. He sings in the chorus and even has a few lines. As you might imagine, Ann and I are proud as can be. If you’re in the area, the show is November 16—18 at 7 PM and November 19 …
Ellroy’s Murder by the Book
Tonight on Court TV, Murder by the Book premieres. This new show covers the true crimes that inspired some of the greatest living writers of crime fiction to start telling tales. The first episode features James Ellroy talking about his mother’s death, which inspired him to write The Black Dahlia. Back when I was working on the original Mutant Chronicles …