Obituary: Hugh Hancock
Hugh Hancock died on February 5. Hancock created Strange Company to make movies, shorts, and machinima and developed the VR RPG Left-Hand Path. Among his earlier work was the mechanima film Bloodspell.
Mayfair to Close
Mayfair Games has announced that after 36 years in the gaming industry, they will be closing their doors. Prior to making this announcement, Mayfair Games has sold all their assets to Asmodee North America, which will continue to produce and distribute their games. Over the years Mayfair produced Empire Builder, the Role Aids series, and introduced Catan to the US market.
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Obituary: Michael Satran
Game designer Michael Satran died on October 28 from a brain tumor. Satan Began gaming in 1979 and worked as a designer for Hero Systems, publishing several sourcebooks and modules for the Champions system. He also created the Iron Sky RPG.
Pastimes Hit By Van
A minivan crashed into Pastimes Comics and Games in Niles, Illinois on October 12, causing the store to close while cleanup was underway. Pastimes has noted that nobody was in the store at the time of the accident and cleanup was proceeding quickly. The driver of the van, a 73 year old man, had struck another van before driving through the store window. Both van drivers were taken to a local hospital.
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Star Wars Reality Game
LucasFilm has announced “Find the Force,” an augmented reality game that can be played on cell phones by visiting retailers from September 1-3 to find virtual Star Wars characters. The game begins on “Force Friday II,” the date of a massive product launch in preparation for the December release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
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Ennie Award Winners
The ENnie Awards honor the best in Role-playing publishing. The awards were presented at Gen Con on August 18. The judges for the 2017 were Jakub Nowosad, Kayra Keri Küpçü, Reece Carter, Kurt Wiegel, and Stacy Muth.
Judges’ Spotlight Winners
- Rippers Resurrected, selected by Stacy Muth
- The Ninja Crusade 2e, selected by Jakub Nowosad
- Tales from the yawning Portal, selected by Kayra Keri Küpçü
- Coriolis – The Third Horizon, selected by Kurt Wiegel
- Broodmother Skyfortress, selected by Reece Carter
ENnie Awards
- Best Adventure: Blood in the Chocolate
- Best Aid/Accessory: Call of Cthulhu – Keeper’s Screen Pack
- Best Art, Cover: Call of Cthulhu – Invesitgator Handbook
- Best Art, Interior: Tales from the Loop – Roleplaying in the ’80s That Never Was
- Best Blog: Gnome Stew: The Gaming Blog
- Best Cartography: 7th Sea: Map of Théah
- Best Electronic Book: The Things We Leave Behind
- Best Family Game: Bubblegumshoe
- Best Free Product: 7th Sea: Basic Rules
- Best Game: Tales from the Loop – Roleplaying in the ’80s That Never Was
- Best Miniature Product: chtung! Cthulhu Skirmish: Servitors of Nyarlathotep
- Best Monster/Adversary: S. Petersen’s Field Guide to Lovecraftian Horrors
- Best Podcast: Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff
- Best Production Values: Call of Cthulhu – 7th Edition Slipcase Set
- Best RPG Related Product: all of Cthulhu: The Coloring Book
- Best Rules: 7th Sea: Core Rulebook
- Best Setting: Tales from the Loop – Roleplaying in the ’80s That Never Was
- Best Supplement: Pulp Cthulhu
- Best Website: Tabletop Audio
- Best Writing: Tales from the Loop – Roleplaying in the ’80s That Never Was
- Product of the Year: Tales from the Loop – Roleplaying in the ’80s That Never Was
- Fan Choice for Best Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Diana Jones Winner
The Diana Jones committee announced Gen Con as the recipient of its 2016 award for Excellence in Gaming on August 3, 2016. The Diana Jones Award has been presented annually since 2001. It takes its name from a destroyed copy of the Indiana Jones Role Playing Game.
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Diana Jones Nominees
The Diana Jones committee has announced the shortlist for its 2017 award for Excellence in Gaming, to be presented in Indianapolis on August 16, 2016. The Diana Jones Award has been presented annually since 2001. It takes its name from a destroyed copy of the Indiana Jones Role Playing Game.
- The Beast, a card game by Aleksandra Sontowska and Kamil Węgrzynowicz
- End of the Line, a LARP by Bjarke Pedersen, Juhana Pettersson, and Martin Elricsson
- Gen Con, a games convention
- Gloomhaven, a board game by Isaac Chidress
- The Romance Trilogy, RPGs by Emily Care Boss
- Terraforming Mars, a board game by Jacob Fryxelius
Nebula for Game Writing
SFWA President Cat Rambo announced that there will be a fifth Nebula Award presented beginning in 2017. In addition to Nebula Awards for Best Novel, Novella, Novelette, and Short Story, there will be an award presented for Best Game Writing. Details of the award have not yet been announced.
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Ward in Hospital
Game designer James M. Ward is currently in the hospital in Milwaukee and expected to be there for several weeks. Ward has been suffering from neurological disorders since 2010. Ward was an early player and designer of Dungeons and Dragons and also founded Fast Forward Entertainment.
Cards can be sent to Ward at
James M. Ward
St. Luke’s Hospital, North Building, Room E3238
2900 W Oklahoma Ave;
Milwaukee, WI 53215