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 May 8, 2008
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Ask the Publisher
Here's your chance to hear directly from the publishers of your favorite games. Okay, games you really enjoy. Games you like enough to keep the shelves from falling over? Whatever the case may be, now's your chance to ask questions of the following publishers:
- daVinci Games—Silvano Sorrentino
- Days of Wonder—Eric Hautemont & Mark Kaufmann
- Fantasy Flight Games—Jeremy Stomberg
- Red Glove—Federico Dumas
- Rio Grande Games—Jay Tummelson
- Valley Games—Kevin Nesbitt
- Z-Man Games—Zev Shlasinger
HeadlinesDecember 16, 2007 - Ask Z-Man Games: Looking Back, and Looking to 2008December 2, 2007 - Ask Rio Grande: Ten Years on the River November 29, 2007 - Ask Valley Games: You Have Questions, Kevin Nesbitt Has Answers November 28, 2007 - Ask Fantasy Flight: Hopes for Doom Doomed October 17, 2007 - Ask Czech Games Edition: Soooooo, What About the Distribution? October 16, 2007 - Ask Fantasy Flight: Blue Over Blue Moon Bonuses October 15, 2007 - Ask Asmodée: Will Racing Fans Feel the Love? October 14, 2007 - Ask Z-Man Games: Please Lie on the Couch October 13, 2007 - Ask Rio Grande: Please, Call It a Comeback October 12, 2007 - Ask Fantasy Flight: Expansions, Expansions, Expansions! October 11, 2007 - Ask Nexus Games: How Big a War? How Big a Ring? October 10, 2007 - Ask Z-Man Games: More Ubongo Please |
Articles
Ask Z-Man Games: Looking Back, and Looking to 2008
The end of the year brings a time of reflection—and a boatload of questions! Zev Shlasinger answers yours now:
Q: You started Z-Man Games to bring back the Shadowfist CCG—did you expect to come this far? Has the success, and particularly the recent successes of Z-Man, come as a surprise to you?
A: I did not expect to come this far. Honestly, I did not expect to do anything beyond Shadowfist. I am not surprised by the recent successes—I’m actually relieved! I put in a lot of work, time, and love into publishing, so relief is definitely what I feel. And happiness, of course, because I’m finally recognized for the work I have done and I have the wherewithal to continue doing it.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on December 16, 2007 at 04:00 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games
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Ask Rio Grande: Ten Years on the River
Eight titles from Rio Grande Games were released into the distribution stream in mid-November after most of them debuted at the Spiel game convention in Essen, Germany this past October. Does that satisfy a hungry gamer’s appetitie? No, they want more, more, more! Thus these questions:
Q: Hi Jay, what sort of ways is Rio Grande looking at celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2008?
A: Still looking at options, but I will have a party of some sort at Origins.
Q: Did you see the Kosmos Perry Rhodan two-player game at Essen? If so, are you reconsidering your decision not to publish this game?
A: What decisison not to publish? I am planning to publish an English version. [Editor’s note: Jay’s previous answers might have given the impression that he wasn’t doing this game, but he specifically said “I have no plans” and “I plan to discuss these at Essen."]
Q: Will Rio Grande release international versions of the Queen titles Giganten der Lufte and Eketorp? If so, when?
A: Still no word from Queen on this, sorry. [Editor’s note: Rio Grande does have the games listed on its website, but the release date is unknown.]
Posted by W. Eric Martin on December 2, 2007 at 04:00 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Rio Grande Games
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Ask Valley Games: You Have Questions, Kevin Nesbitt Has Answers
Things have been rough for Valley Games these past few months: Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage was delayed several times; Container barely made it to Essen, yet arrived before preordered copies; the Martin Wallace titles Mordred and Brass have filtered into retail stores, yet again before preordered copies; and the first showings of the new version of Titan have drawn scalding criticism. What’s a small publisher to do?
Well, if you’re Kevin Nesbitt, you take a long list of questions and answer them. Here goes:
Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage
Q: What’s the current status of deliveries of Hannibal? Which countries have received games, and which are still waiting? Why did some gamestores have copies for sale before all the preorder customers received theirs?
A: Hannibal is officially in print in most countries. Shipments were and still are radiating out from two areas—Germany and the United States—so some more distant countries have yet to receive their supply. Australia is one of those that comes to mind. [Editor’s note: Hannibal arrived in Canada on Nov. 28, so Canadian customers should receive their copies within a couple of days.]
Posted by W. Eric Martin on November 29, 2007 at 10:00 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Valley Games
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Ask Fantasy Flight: Hopes for Doom Doomed
Q:Are there any plans to offer more scenarios or expansions for the Doom board game?
A: Not at this time.
Q: It’s nice to see hear of the expansions being announced for your various games, especially the ones with miniatures, but we have yet to hear anything about an expansion for Marvel Heroes—and that game would be perfect for more heroes and more villains! Any plans for an expansion?
A: Not as of yet. The fine folks at Nexus (our Italian partners who designed the game) haven’t brought anything to our attention yet, but there does seem to be a lot of folks who are interested in an expansion.
Q: Are there any other Silver Line games that will get a makeover in the coming months? So far you have done a great job with updating some of these older titles.
A: Well, we’ve got “Colossal Arena” coming up next month, and I am aware of a few more on the horizon, but nothing in the first few months of 2008.
Q: “Runebound: Fourth Big Box Expansion” has been listed on BGN’s Gone Cardboard for quite a while with a generic 2007 date on it. Is there anything happening on this front?
A: Runebound: The Frozen Wastes will be released near the end of the first quarter of 2008. —Jeremy Stomberg
Posted by W. Eric Martin on November 28, 2007 at 10:00 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Fantasy Flight Games
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Ask Czech Games Edition: Soooooo, What About the Distribution?
Q: Are you in contact with publishers/players to have localized versions of your games in other languages, such as French, Italian or Spanish?
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 17, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher
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Ask Fantasy Flight: Blue Over Blue Moon Bonuses
Q: Are there any plans of making available again the bonus spirit cards for Blue Moon? Some of them were hard to acquire the first time around. Also, are there any plans of printing the new bonus cards such as the fourth Buka boat?
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 16, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Fantasy Flight Games
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Ask Asmodée: Will Racing Fans Feel the Love?
Q: When the Formula Dé game was reprinted early in 2007, why weren’t any expansion circuits printed at the same time? Are there plans to bring these back in print, whether in a new edition or the old one?
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 15, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher
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Ask Z-Man Games: Please Lie on the Couch
Q: How long has Z-Man been around, and is it a one man operation, like Rio Grande?
A: I incorporated in 1999, but published the first game in August 2000. And yep, it is just me—and a whole lot of talented help: artists, graphic designers, game designers, etc. I’m really tired :)
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 14, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games
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Ask Rio Grande: Please, Call It a Comeback
Q: I noticed that Ys is about to be reprinted. Do you know if the reprint will include components for five players, or will there be another printing of Ys+ which is the fifth player expansion for the original game? I have been looking forward to playing Ys with five for some time now.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 13, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Rio Grande Games
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Ask Fantasy Flight: Expansions, Expansions, Expansions!
Q: Is there anything in the works for a new TI3 expansion?
A: Not yet. We’re pretty heartened by the response to TI3: Shattered Empire, and people keep asking for more expansions to the game, so perhaps there might be something else down the road.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 12, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Fantasy Flight Games
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Ask Nexus Games: How Big a War? How Big a Ring?
Q: Will the Collector’s Edition of War of the Ring include also figures and rules from the expansion? If not, is a Battle of the Third Age Collector’s Edition in the works for the future?
A: To the first question, yes! But only those related to the Strategy game (i.e. excluding those of the “battle” games).
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 11, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher
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Ask Z-Man Games: More Ubongo Please
Q: Has Ubongo sold well enough to warrant Z-Man picking up Ubongo Extreme and/or Ubongo Mini as well?
A: Yes, though I don’t know if I want to do Ubongo Mini. I am meeting Kosmos at Essen to discuss Extreme.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 10, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games
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Ask Rio Grande: More Essen Questions
Q: I’d like to know if there is any timeline for a RGG printing of “Cuba”?
A: It will release at Essen and be here [in the U.S.] in November.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 9, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Rio Grande Games
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Ask daVinci Games: After Leonardo Comes…
Q: After Leonardo, are you planning to produce other “big-box” games, or is daVinci reverting to its main buisness of small games?
A: Leonardo was just the beginning—from now on, we are going to continue this line of gamers’ games. The next one is called Gonzaga, and it will be shown in prototype form during the Essen and Lucca conventions.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 8, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask daVinci Games
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Ask Face 2 Face: A Boomtown of Sackson Reprints
Q: In recent years, you’ve managed to put out four classic Sid Sackson games, and it’s great to see these games finding new audiences. Can we expect to see more of Sackson’s games from F2F in the future?
A: Yes, we are looking at Venture and Metropolis, but do not have a timeline right now on them.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 7, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher
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Ask Days of Wonder: TtR XBLA PDQ?
Q: Have you or will you consider producing a online version of Ticket to Ride for XBox Live? It seems like a great fit and a way to spread awareness of the Days of Wonder line.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 6, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Days of Wonder
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Ask Z-Man Games: What About ________?
Q: Any plans of picking up the new Kosmos Ubongo Extrem that’s due out at Spiel 07? As a Ubongo fan, I will get this, but I’d like to buy it in the States rather than getting an import.
A: I’ve got an email to Kosmos about it. I thought it was going to be a small expansion, so I didn’t pursue it, but then I saw it might be a completely new game.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 5, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games
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Ask Rio Grande Games: Too Many Rules!
Q: How much of the game price of Thebes is due to the extra full-color copies of the rules in six languages. These are very nice full-color rules that must raise the printing price by many dollars, in addition to adding to the shipping weight. Wouldn’t an English-only version save game buyers here in the USA quite a bit of money?
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 4, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Rio Grande Games
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Ask Valley Games: Gazing into the Crystal Ball
Q: Due to the increased number of publishers, how do you see the boardgaming industry in 5-10 years in the future? Do you believe Valley Games will be a big part of that future?
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 3, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Valley Games
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Ask Asmodée: That’s a Fact, Jack
Q: Will you be releasing the Mr. Jack expansion in North America?
A: For the expansion of Mr. Jack, nothing has been decided yet. It’s too early to answer this question as the game has only been in stores five weeks. We prefer to see how the game sells before we make a decision.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 2, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher
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Ask Days of Wonder: Lore of Yore?
Q: With all the recent announcements about Memoir ‘44 and its Air Pack, does this mean you are abandoning Battlelore? (Kidding!) Seriously, any chance you would release a Medieval Lore deck, with only the Lore cards described in the 100 Years War expansion. They could also have the Lore Costs all printed 3 more than the usual costs. That would make it easier to switch back and forth between “regular” Battlelore and Medieval Battlelore.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on October 1, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Days of Wonder
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Ask Z-Man Games: Sick of Waiting…
Q: When will the rules for Pandemic be available for download? Also, is there any artwork that can be shared?
A: I like to wait for the rules to be properly layed out and almost final or final.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 30, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games
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Ask Jay: Essen Expectations
Q: Last year I bought the German version of Fiji not realising that I could get an English version from you. Which games released at Essen in 2007 will you have available on your stand in English?
A: I cannot say for certain which Essen games I will have in English at Essen, but I can say which of the Essen games I am doing English versions of.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 29, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Rio Grande Games
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Ask Fantasy Flight: Boardgames? Who Needs ‘Em?
Q: How popular are your CCG & RPG games? Do you see a growing trend in the demand for these?
A: The A Game of Thrones World Championships at this year’s Gen Con was the largest field in years! There seem to be a lot of people that are just now discovering the game, and when the new novel in the series is published, I’m sure its popularity will only increase!
Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 28, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Fantasy Flight Games
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Ask Valley Games: Nearly 750 Words on 750 Special
Q: As Valley Games is reasonably new to the business and your “P750” business plan is slightly different than what most Eurogamers are used to, have you had any surprises so far in the way things have gone? What were your big “lessons learned” over the past two years?
Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 27, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Valley Games
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Ask Zev: Duel in the Dank?
Q: Can you comment on the problems some gamers have reported with Duel in the Dark boxes (mildew, wet, bowed)? What caused the problem, and will this problem affect any future releases, like 1960?
Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 26, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Z-Man Games
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Ask Red Glove: Future Plans?
Q: After “The Big Cheese,” do you plan to republish other Cheapass games?
A: At this time we don’t know. We examined various Cheapass Games and we think that some are very interesting, but we’re always searching for new and not published games, in order to make original Red Glove productions. Only the future can say what we will do. Surely, Cheapass Games aren’t in our near future plans.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 25, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Red Glove
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Ask Days of Wonder: Old Favorites
Q: How are your older (non-TTR) games such as Mystery of the Abbey and Pirate’s Cove doing? Do you expect to keep them in print for a while?
Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 24, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Days of Wonder
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Ask Jay: Tiling the World with Carcassonne
Q: After Carcassonne: Abbey and Mayor, there is apparently another Carcassonne expansion on the horizon. Adam Spielt lists a sixth expansion called Count, King and Consort that will be bundled with the main game. Is Rio Grande releasing this expansion in English? If so, can you tell us about the Consorts? (I presume that the Count and King refer to earlier Carc expansions.)
A: The 6th expansion is a combination of the small boxed expansions I have done. I understand it will also have a few new tiles, which I will make available somehow.
Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 23, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Rio Grande Games
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Ask Fantasy Flight: Thoughts on Theme
Q: Fantasy Flight is quite well known for games that are full of rich theme. Is a strong theme one of the main things you use to look for new games to publish? What other criteria do you use when you are selecting new games?
Posted by W. Eric Martin on September 22, 2007 at 12:15 AM in Special Features > Ask the Publisher > Ask Fantasy Flight Games
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