GAMES

QUICK LINKS:
HOME
MEMBERSHIP
SUBMISSIONS

MORE NEWS:
Collectible Game
Role-Playing Game
Electronic Game
Tabletop Games
Other

Submit news stories to news@nggnet.com

 

Other News

MomoCon Celebrates 2nd Year In Atlanta; Still Free!
Anime O-Tekku of Georgia Tech is proud to announce the return of MomoCon, Atlanta’s free anime/gaming/webcomic themed convention, March 18-19 2006 at the Georgia Tech Student Center in the heart of downtown Atlanta. MomoCon 2006 is happy to celebrate its second year with even bigger and better events all open to the public and free of charge.

MomoCon encompasses all facets of Japanese animation, video gaming, board/card/RPG gaming, live-action role-play, costuming, and more. Confirmed events for 2006 include: anime showing rooms, live-action showings, a free-play console gaming room (stocked with a 200+ game library for numerous current and vintage gaming consoles), open gaming areas, gaming company demo teams, an Artist’s Alley, a Dealer’s room, an arcade (complete with 8-lanes of bowling and billiards tables), and a late night dance featuring DJ Inubito.

As MomoCon ‘06 falls upon a full moon, 2006’s signature event is the Tsukimi, the traditional Japanese Moon Viewing Festival. Attendees will be treated to a kimono-clad wait-staff serving rice dumplings and tsukimi udon during the moonlight viewing.

For the gaming half of MomoCon, the crowning event will be the Gaming Decathlon. Contestants will test their mettle in 10 genre and console spanning games for the title of Emperor(ess) of Gaming.

Other events debuting at MomoCon ’06: a Japanese tea ceremony, a “Pocky Stop” snack station, a full Karaoke stage accompanied by a big-screen TV, a screening of the documentary Anime Invasion (as seen at film festivals across the country), and a J-pop lounge open to all con attendees.

Confirmed guests include Angel Hill (author of Soul Air), Jennie Breeden (author of The Devil’s Panties), Jawaboy (author of Counter Culture), webcomic group UpDown Studio, manga publishing company Purrsia Press, and video game production company Gamesare.

MomoCon invites all con-goers, young and old, to this family-friendly event. The aim of a free convention is always an enjoyable time, and the staff of MomoCon believes “You shouldn’t have to pay for quality.”

For more information about MomoCon, please visit the website - http://www.momocon.com

07-10-2005

10 Days in Africa Licensed to GameTable Online
Take a trip to Africa on GameTable Online! 10 DAYS IN AFRICA by legendary game designers Alan Moon and Aaron Weissblum takes two to four players on a tour of Africa by plane, car and on foot. In this multi-award winning game, you chart your course from start to finish using destination and transportation tiles. With a little luck and clever planning, you just might outwit your fellow travelers. The first traveler to make connections for a ten day journey wins the game.

GameTable Online is very happy to add this game to its lineup. "10 Days in Africa compliments our existing library of games wonderfully. Out of the Box makes games that are tremendously fun and this one is no exception. We look forward to bringing it to life online," stated Joe Minton, President of the online gaming company.

10 Days in Africa is "..."fast, simple, and enjoyable!" Shannon Appelcline, RPGnet.com, USA..."10 Days in Africa is a fine, challenging puzzle game." Kerry Handscomb, Abstract Games, Canada..."[10 Days in Africa] from Out of the Box in Madison blends simple mechanics, rapidly shifting situations, challenging strategies and a marvelously easy way to learn African geography." Dave Tianen, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, USA

http://www.otb-games.com
http://www.gametableonline.com

04-02-2005

Hey! You Got Your Game Mixed In With My Comics!
For generations Comic books have captivated the imaginations of untold numbers of children and adults alike. Similarly Video Games have easily become the new arena of creativity and enjoyment for all ages. So it should come as no surprise that the next evolution of graphic storytelling would come with the seamless integration of these two mediums, hence the origin of Gamics! Gamics, or "game-icks", are Game Comics which use game screenshots and comic book layout style to create something familiar yet completely original.

Nathan Ciprick, the founder of Gamics.com, has been creating Gamics for nearly two years now, and it all began as a Sunday afternoon hobby to showcase his love of LucasArts' MMO "Star Wars Galaxies". His epic ongoing Gamic called "Path to the Force" updates every week and is now over 150 pages long! The story chronicles the adventures of his Wookiee character E'nac as he travels the Galaxy finding peril at every turn.

Ciprick has created over a dozen different Gamics for games such as EverQuest 2, Grand Theft Auto 3 & Vice City, Matrix Online, Doom 3, and more. The site also welcomes reader submitted Gamics with several fan-created Gamics in regular rotation. Most recently Gamics has begun officially promoting games for Atari, starting with Eugen Systems upcoming game "Act of War".

With daily Gamic updates, a column/blog, top game news stories, and a very active Forum community Gamics is poised to become a break-out  site, and a welcome charge of creativity in the ever-changing games industry.

Check out www.gamics.com today to see what you've been missing!

03-04-2005

Mainframe Ent. & WizKids To Release MechWarrior DVD
Mainframe Entertainment, a leading creator of computer generated (CG) animation, and WizKids Inc., makers of the popular Mage Knight, HeroClix, and MechWarrior collectable miniatures games (CMGs), have teamed up to create a feature-length direct-to-DVD 3D animated feature based on the tremendously popular MechWarrior series of adventure games, books and toys. Producer Gregory Little brought the project to Mainframe and will produce under his Machine Age banner. MechWarrior creator Jordan Weisman will produce for WizKids, along with Marc Sachnoff. The feature is slated for release in 2006. The film will introduce new characters and storylines, and will introduce innovative techniques in CG animation that will give a unique look and feel to the story.

“MechWarrior continues our move towards developing proprietary properties in animation that have already established themselves in the toy and gaming worlds as long-term brands,” said Rick Mischel, CEO Mainframe Entertainment. “With this new action-packed DVD adventure, fans will be able to see MechWarrior come to life in a whole new way.”

Little said, “The growing DVD-direct market is a great alternative to a theatrical feature when you have a brand like MechWarrior to drive sales. We got a deal done quickly and have a lot more creative freedom than we would have had if this was a $100 million studio feature.” After working as Vice-President, Development for Mark Gordon, Little formed his company, Machine Age, in 2004 to focus on the DVD-direct feature market.

The story for the DVD feature picks up the MechWarrior far-future universe at a time when the old glory of the BattleMechs has passed. But now, with his home planet threatened by invasion, the story’s young hero goes on a quest for a cache of lost Battlemechs that will turn the tide against the invaders. “The story will satisfy longtime Mech fans,” said creator Weisman, “but also gives new fans a great point of entry by showing what the property is all about: big, powerful Battlemechs and the heroes who pilot them.”

MechWarrior has a 20 year history as an interactive property and is still growing. It has proven successful in every platform in which it’s been released including sales of over 13 million video games on PC and X-Box; the ongoing publication of 79 novels; and tens of millions of collectible game figures for WizKids MechWarrior: Age of Destruction tabletop game. Microsoft continues to release X-Box games under the MechAssault name, with the latest hitting shelves in early 2005.

www.wizkidsgames.com

02-07-2005

'Undefeated,' 'Amazing Stories' Temporarily Suspended
Paizo Publishing, LLC, publisher of special-interest gaming and entertainment magazines DRAGON, DUNGEON, Undefeated and Amazing Stories, announced today that it will temporarily suspend publication of two of its titles—Amazing Stories and Undefeated. Despite respectable sales and increasing circulation, both periodicals face substantial market pressures and competition. Paizo intends to use the break to explore unique opportunities to revamp and reposition each magazine.

“We remain quite proud of these titles, and are presently considering a number of options that should provide a long and exciting future for both magazines,” says Lisa Stevens, co-owner and CEO of Paizo Publishing. “Both Amazing Stories and Undefeated are doing well in their respective niches; nevertheless, we believe that they could be even more successful. We certainly value the support our subscribers and regular readers have shown to Amazing Stories and Undefeated, and we hope that this hiatus will be brief.”

Amazing Stories #608 went on sale January 4, with Undefeated scheduled to reach newsstands on January 18. These will be the last regular issues printed prior to the hiatus.

As Paizo is still developing plans for the continued publication of both magazines, at this time subscriptions are not automatically being cancelled or transferred to other titles. Subscribers wishing to cancel their subscriptions can contact Paizo Publishing at customer.service@paizo.com. Plans are also underway for subscribers and visitors to the Paizo e-commerce store--paizo.com--to obtain an exclusive e-copy of Amazing Stories #609 in early February.

Back issues of both magazines are also available at the www.paizo.com Web site.

01-22-2005

New Free 'Cross-Genre' Convention In Atlanta, Georgia
Anime O-Tekku of Georgia Tech presents MomoCon, an anime and gaming convention held in Atlanta, GA, March 26-27, 2005 at the Georgia Tech Student Center. MomoCon is a free admission convention, with local vendors and artists selling their wares in addition to numerous special events.
MomoCon’s anime events include panels hosted by anime company representatives, voice actor panels, karaoke events, anime showings (including company screeners), and promotional goodies from many anime companies. While it will not feature an anime music video contest, MomoCon will host AMV Iron Chef and AMV creator showcases of local talent in the school theater (with a large movie screen and ample seating). Console gaming at MomoCon will include a console gaming free-play room with numerous rare systems available to play and a rhythm gaming room, customized to host rhythm games like DDR, Beatmania, Donkey Konga, and Amplitude. MomoCon boasts a growing collection of almost 200 console games available to play throughout the convention. Board and card gaming at MomoCon includes a free-play room, with games and card sets available for checkout, and a demo room, to host company demos. Tournaments will include 4 Steve Jackson Games tournaments, with prize support from the company, and an official Magic the Gathering Tournament with a prize pack from Wizards of the Coast.

When the initial planning began for this zero budget, first year convention, it was difficult for the organizers to entice famous guests. Since they have no working capital, they cannot afford to offer hotel or travel expenses to guests, so MomoCon began the workings of a webcomic-themed convention. Webcomic authors are often local, and looking for the exposure that being a con guest can give, so MomoCon welcomes 12 webcomic guests to the convention this year. MomoCon is not limited to anime and gaming, but prefers to welcome all related genres, including costuming. They welcome world-renowned prop-maker Robert Bean, famous for his full Darth Vader costume and pieces, as well as cosplayer and published manga artist Yaya Han. Panels include a workshop on wigs held by a local wig-maker, and a basic cosplay panel from an award-winning cosplay troupe. But all of these features are not all that this free con has to offer. Other events include Vampire the Masquerade LARP, a late night dance, a cosplay café (full with costumed waiters/waitresses), and a panel featuring local anime clubs.
MomoCon welcomes all who would grace its front steps and wishes all fans to have no reserves about attending the convention. “The con feels like The Little Engine That Could,” says Head Director Jessica Merriman. “At first we couldn’t get people to even give us the time of day, now we get requests for guests all the time, and they are willing to make concessions just for us. We really couldn’t ask for a better set of guests.” The dedicated staff and, especially, the eleven heads of staff put hundreds of hours of work into creating a wondrous fan experience, and don’t want to charge you a penny to have fun!
For more information about MomoCon, please visit the website http://www.momocon.com. 

ABOUT ANIME O-TEKKU: Celebrating its 10th year of charter, the anime club of Georgia Tech, Anime O-Tekku (http://cyberbuzz.gatech.edu/anime) boasts almost 500 mailing list members as well as dozens of local supporters who help with events. They are responsible for providing Mid-Town Atlanta with previous events such as screenings of Spirited Away and up-to-date information on the newest and best anime out of Japan. You can read more about Anime O-Tekku and MomoCon in the February 2005 issue of Newtype USA.

MomoCon
Free Admission
March 26-27, 2005
Georgia Tech Student Center
Atlanta, GA
www.momocon.com

01-15-2005

Dungeon Dudes Deluxe Game System Now Available for Offline Use
The Dungeon Dudes "Not Just Another Virtual Pet" Deluxe Game System is now available for offline use. It is available from Dimensions Game Software http://www.dimensionsgamesoftware.com and sold through the software section of RPGNow.com.

The Dungeon Dudes have been available online for over a year. Players now have new characters to train and can enjoy added features and rules for playing offline.

This complete gaming environment includes all of the following: 30 characters to train, The Minotaur's Maze Tabletop Game, The Dungeon Dudes Gold Piece Editor, a computerized maze scenario, the Deluxe Offline Combat System, a simple computerized slot machine, a simple comuterized word game, a Random Monster Generator, a Random Dude Generator, and a computerized Dice Pad for players who don't have a complete set of role-playing dice.

These programs require a standards-based browser capable of displaying graphics and running Javascript. If you're not sure, please check out the free online stuff at http://www.dungeondude.com If you like the original Dungeon Dudes, you'll love the Deluxe Basic Set.

12-19-2004

Atlas Games: Email Is Hard: Blogging Is Easier
File this under "Really Bad Ideas": Atlas Games is no longer sending out email updates to customers and potential customers. Instead, they want you to remember to visit their website each and every day for updates. Hmm... So, as a casual observer of Atlas' products and news, now I have to go to their site to get updates? I haven't been there in many months! Heck - who needs new customers anyhow?

Here's the official announcement:

"Atlas Games is pleased to announce that our blog is now on the front page of our web site. Here you can find all of the product news, first looks, and insider info that you get from Atlas Updates, but in a much handier format that we're much more likely to keep updated. Not only are archives available for browsing, but you can also access our blog through site feed by Atom, or RSS feed by Feedburner. Just go to www.atlas-games.com to check out how easy the blog is to use, and you'll  find the feed links at the bottom of the page."

"Because the blog is so much easier for us to maintain, we've decided to discontinue the Atlas Updates email newsletter. We thank you for your interest in Atlas Games, and hope that you'll check back at www.atlas-games.com in the next week or so, when our site redesign should be up and running. You'll find the new design much easier to  navigate, and attractive to boot."

12-19-2004

Pee-Wee's Playhouse Coming To DVD Nov. 16th
Image Entertainment, Inc., a leading independent licensee, producer and distributor of exclusive DVD programming in North America, and Herman World, Inc. on November the 12th announced the November 16 premiere DVD release of the multiple Emmy Award-winning Saturday morning television classic "Pee-wee's Playhouse".

Over the years, "Pee-wee's Playhouse" has attained iconic status. In 2004 TV Guide named the show one of the top-ten television cult classics of all time. "Pee-wee's Playhouse" continues to hold a special place in the hearts of millions.

Paul Reubens, the creative genius behind Pee-wee Herman and "Pee-wee's Playhouse," said "I am thrilled that people will have the opportunity to see all 45 episodes of "Pee-wee's Playhouse" with the clarity of DVD. The 2 boxed sets contain eight (8) "lost" episodes which have never been available on home video...until now! And the Playhouse has never looked more colorful and beautiful!"

Groundbreaking and innovative, "Pee-wee's Playhouse" became a rare breed of Saturday morning television -- a program enjoyed by grown-ups and children alike. Audiences have always enjoyed the show's many double entendres. The show garnered top ratings throughout its entire 1986 - 1991 run on CBS and was the winner of numerous awards, including an amazing 22 Emmys.

Now fans can once again scream the "secret word" and re-live all 45 fun-filled episodes...and a whole new generation of fans will delight in discovering the humor and warmth of this television classic!

Pee-wee's Playhouse is a magic place where practically everything, from the floor to the furniture, comes alive. The program features beloved regulars, Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne), Reba the Mail Lady (S. Epatha Merkerson), Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart), Captain Carl (Phil Hartman), The King of Cartoons (William Marshall), Jambi the Genie (John Paragon), Ricardo (Vic Trevino) and Mrs. Rene (Suzanne Kent). Not to mention Chairry, Pterri, Conky, Clocky, Cool Cat, Dirty Dog and Chicky Baby, Penny, the Dinosaur family and the rest of the gang!

11-12-2004

National Games Week November 21-27
Games industry professionals throughout the country have joined together to promote the educational, social and entertainment value of playing games. During National Games Week, November 21-27, 2004, people across the country will be encouraged to turn off the television, step away from the computer and play a game. Any sort of game will do, such as board games, card games, role playing games, miniature games and family and party games.

During the past decade, there has been a boom in games. What was once considered a niche market has become mainstream. Board games have already set a sixth straight annual sales record, even before the key Christmas season. The art of game design and appearance has grown incredibly. There are thousands of games that adults and kids can play together, and all enjoy the social experience of a smart game, some competition and a lot of interaction. The industry has evolved to include 40,000 products with over $5 billion in sales expected for 2004*.

National Games Week is established as the fourth week of November every year. This year that makes it November 21-27, a Sunday through Saturday, when families and friends are coming together for the holiday and could use a great activity. The week coincides with the Million Minute Family Challenge, which challenges everyone to play games and log game-play minutes at www.MillionMinute.com.

“ Game enthusiasts already know that games are great, smart entertainment .” said Mark Simmons, Games Quarterly's Publisher and the coordinator of National Games Week, “We are encouraging individuals, schools, games stores, organizations, libraries, everyone, to hold a Games Day event during National Games Week, showcasing the fun of game for family and friends."

NGW events will take place, for this inaugural year, in an expected 15,000 homes, schools, churches, colleges, community centers and retail stores. Game retailers will host a variety of related events, while individuals will host events in their homes and elsewhere. Individuals can host an event at home, school, church or anywhere suitable, and invite whomever they want. Additionally, they can contact local game retailer to find out what events they are planning to run. To find such games try local specialty stores, via your phone book, or use the web site www.nationalgamesweek.net. 

Games Day Hosts will be provided with the tools to make a fun, successful event- posters, invitation cards, National Games Week Official U.S. postage stamps, information for teachers, even games. These will all be available on October 15, when the web site www.nationalgamesweek.net will launch. On this site anyone can get information, and those who join can order resources.

High level sponsors for this year include Wizards of the Coast, Upper Deck, Pokémon USA, Rio Grande Games and Mayfair Games. Find an entire list of sponsors on the web site, or contact Matthew Simmons Marketing for the list.

11-03-2004