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.

Q: What game that you publish has been the biggest surprise to you, the one you thought would do okay, but really blew you out of the water?

A: Ideology would have to come first. At the time, people thought the subject matter would not be of that much interest; I have found that political themes seem to gain a lot of people’s attention. Despite the newness of my company doing board games and despite the relative component quality compared to today’s production, that game had gained a lot of respect and it sold out within a year (or soon after a year, I don’t recall).

Q: Zev, Z-Man games has really been ramping up production lately and is becoming one of the great publishers of English language games. If we look at companies like Fantasy Flight, Rio Grande or Mayfair, they have a particular style of game they publish (with exceptions, of course). Where do you see yourself in that mix? How do you view the style of Z-Man?

A: First, let me clarify the “publisher of English language games” phrase, which also ties in to my style. Technically all my games are English language (duh)—however, I know the phrase is used more for games that were previously published in another language, then brought into the English language. That is only 1/3 of my style—if you want to call that a style.

I also do co-productions and completely original games. When a designer asks me what type of game I am looking for my first response is usually “a good one.” That’s what I look for: Good. Different. Cool theme. Cool mechanics. Etc. Also, I do have to be aware of what I think I can sell and that comes into consideration as well. So I don’t focus on one particular thing or genre of game. I try different things, I like different things, and will continue to do so as long as I publish.

Q: With your collaboration with Tenkigames on Chang Cheng, we saw a game that has gorgeous plastic bits, and some of your latest games, such as Duel in the Dark, have beautiful graphics and components. These have come a long way from the games you started out publishing; what can we expect from Z-Man in terms of plastic and chrome in future releases?

A: I plan some big, gorgeous, plastics-filled games in the future, perhaps in late 2008, but certainly by 2009. The recent successes have allowed me to look for new things to pursue, especially in plastic. Also, I have been finding some great graphic people to work with that have created some visually stunning graphics for the games.  If I can continue the streak of successful games, I will be able to do a lot more than I have done.

Narrowing the Focus
Q: What led to the delay in the Pandemic release?

A: I did too many games over the summer and fall that caused some bumps in the road. Plus we wanted to make sure that we were very happy with the look of the game and this took some extra time. Still, I thought I would be able to make it before Christmas, but the printer said they could not guarantee it, so I said, okay, get it down when you can—don’t rush it. Hence, it should be in my warehouse mid- to late January. (It will probably ship [from the printer] right around Christmastime or soon after.) [Editor’s note: I’ve updated the release dates for Z-Man Games’ announced titles for 2008. These dates are all subject to change.]

Q: Anything more coming from Jason Matthews & co.?

A: I know Jason is working with a few other guys on different projects. I believe at least one will be shown to me.

Q: What’s the expected date for Ubongo Extreme?

A: I wanted to do it and could have had a deal, but the poor exchange rate killed it. I’d have to sell the game for at least $50, if not $55, and I didn’t want to do that. Should the dollar fare better in the future, and the game still be available, I’ll most likely pick it up.

Q: Were you surprised by the quick run to 750+ preorders on Agricola? Do you see the market for this game as extending far beyond that number, or do you think most people who wanted it preordered it?

A: I was very surprised that it reached the total as fast as it did (and it is still climbing!). I am betting that there are many more people who want it that have not preordered it. [Editor’s note: Agricola can still be preordered through Z-Man Games through Dec. 31, 2007.]

Q: Does the success of the Agricola preorder mean that you’ll do something similar in the future for games that are extremely niche products or more expensive than the market average? Or was this a one-time deal? What’s your opinion of preorders in general?

A: I do things on a case-by-case basis, so I can’t say this will be the only time I’ll do this. But I think so far it has been such a success it will definitely be a consideration for future releases—depending on what they are.

But it is also a lot of work for me: I have to take all the preorders, respond to them (those not using the form), do a spreadsheet thing, then hope the shipping goes off without a hitch. If one thing were to stop me from doing preorders, it would be all this work. But so far I’m managing so we’ll see how it bears out.

I think preorders are great (when they work) because now I have the means to take care of the printing bill with very little risk and other options present themselves, like making more that I would normally make. —Zev Shlasinger

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