On a recent episode of The Colbert Report, show host (and confessed ex-roleplayer) Stephen Colbert tells us about his D&D character and what impact the advent of D&D Online may have on our society. It’s hilarious.
Blasts from My Past
Getting ready to attend my 20th high school reunion (and to drool over the just-announced Mutant Chronicles Collectible Miniatures Game from Eric Lang and Fantasy Flight) has made me a bit nostalgic. To see if you’re on the same wavelength with me, I present two amazing bits of clever webbery: Star Wars: A New Hope (abridged) set to Journey’s “Don’t …
Masters of American Comics Coming to Milwaukee
According to ICv2.com, the lauded Masters of American Comics exhibits from two L.A. museums will be shown together this summer at the Milwaukee Art Museum. It runs from April 29th through August 13. I have to find a free day for this.
World Without Games
For the latest issue of The Escapist, game designer Allen Varney posits the question: “If you were legally enjoined from creating games, what would you do instead?” He quizzed a number of game designers (both of the computer and tabletop varieties), including Steve Jackson, Raph Koster, Sandy Petersen, Don Perrin, and me. Their answers are a ball of fun. For …
Stafford on Genera v. Generic
Greg Stafford, the wise (not wizened) shaman of the adventure gaming industry, posted an excellent article on one of the most basic choices a designer has to make with each roleplaying game he or she tackles.
Silent Auction for Downing Family
Marcus King of Titan Games (and VP of GAMA) is setting up a silent auction at the GAMA Trade Show. He properly gives credit to Rowan Guenther of Diversified Games in Chehaalis, Washington, but he’s doing a lot of the legwork, along with the GAMA staff. If you’d like to donate something to the auction, and you’re going to be …
Charles Ryan Selling His Games
My pal Charles Ryan is selling off his rare games collection. Charles founded Chameleon Eclectic way back when, then came to work for me at Pinnacle. After that, he moved on to Last Unicorn Games and finally to Wizards of the Coast, where he worked his way up to brand manager of Dungeons & Dragons. Charles got let go from …
D&D Online in the NY Times
The New York Times ran an article recently on the launch of the D&D Online MMORPG. I think Gary Gygax puts it well when he compares playing RPGs at home and online to stories told on the stage and television respectively. For me, the coolest part of the article is seeing quotes from people I know like Gary, David Eckelberry, …
Game Designer Woes
Being a game designer is a dream job, but it’s not always easy. As with any creative endeavor, it’s hard to get anyone to pay attention to you at the start, and even if you manage to get published, that’s just the first step in building any kind of career. Of course, some people have it harder than others. Much …
Pent-Up Raves
I’d like to run through a number of recommendations fast, so hold on to your seats. The Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF) was a blast. I only got out for one night, but Ann and I crammed three films into those hours. Two of them were excellent. Novem is a documentary about nine college students from the ’70s who recorded …