Essen Spiel is coming in October
It’s to Europe what GenCon is the the U.S. Yeah, it’s that big. And it’s also that expensive to go, so stay home and prep by reading Board Game Geek’s Essen preview.
Among the many releases at Essen is the much anticipated Pandemic: The Cure, which will also be made available to stores soon after.
Scrabble World Record of 878 Scored by 9 Year Old
Makes you feel sick, doesn’t it. My high score was in the low 300s….
The boy, from Pakistan, was playing in an International tournament held in Sri Lanka. The kid’s bingos included sheriat, retsina, headers and gruntles (triple word score).
Playdek to release an organized cross-platform play system
Playdek, creator of apps for Ascension, Agricola, Summoner Wars, Can’t Stop and Tanto Cuore, promise you’ll never have to deal with lame AI opponents again. Their organize play system – now in Beta – offers better social interaction and opportunities for customizable tournaments.
Playdek’s Press Release is mirrored at Gamasutra.
Barnes & Noble Slows the Bleeding
ICv2 reports that B&N stock hit a 52-week high as losses decline, beating experts’ expectations. Toy & Game sales continue to show double digit growth, now accounting for 23% of Barnes & Noble’s sale
The Bloomberg business news site also filed a report, B&N Fights Book Decline by Selling More Toys. Well, games, too. But mostly toys..
Czech Games Edition (CGE) is severing ties with Z-Man & Rio Grande
From now on they’ll publish their own games in the US/UK, and at lower prices. Their catalog features games by superstar Czech designer Vlaada Chvátil (Galaxy Trucker, Through the Ages).
New Game Design Contest at the Game Crafter – the Time Challenge
The Game Crafter is a really cool indie publisher that promotes a new game design contest every quarter. This is centers around games that use time as a resource. But there are restrictions: No timers, and no turn counters. You have to think of a novel way to introduce the passing of time to your game.
The contests are open to anyone with a good idea. While the generous deadline is still weeks away (November 17) designers need to be ready to publish, with rulebook, components and box design already print-worthy.
