Atlas Games offers a wide selection of great pastimes for experienced gamers, hobbyists, and families. Our
award-winning products are some of the most respected in the industry.
Dispatches:
News from Atlas Games
Once Upon a Time as Game Aid
Once Upon a Time got a mention in Johnn Four's
Roleplaying Tips Weekly newsletter #400, according to Special Ops member Kate Manchester, as his recommended GM Aid. Johnn says:
"I'm recommending this game to you because it will beef up your improv skills and get you thinking more on the story level of games. It builds quick-thinking in a GM oriented way because you need to weave the story when it's your turn in such a way that it allows you more moves. Nice! You can also take the story from other players in new directions when you have a card that matches the current story element and play it quickly. In a time when it's hard getting a gaming group together on a regular basis, this game will keep your storytelling and improv skills sharp."
40 Years & Societates as Origins SemiFinalists
Atlas Games is pleased to learn that two of our products made it to this year's
Origins semifinalists list.
40 Years of Gen Con made the top 10 non-fiction publications of the year, while
Houses of Hermes: Societates for Ars Magica is on the roleplaying game supplment short list. Congrats to all of our authors and artists!
Education Focus at GTS
At the GAMA Trade Show we met several retailers who were interested in
Once Upon a Time and
Letter Head as educational games ... I directed them to the "In the Classroom" articles I designed for each, which are on their respective product pages in the right hand colum. I thought I'd post links to those pages here to make them easier to find.
Note, too, that Once Upon a Time was recommended in the first Games in Education brochure put out by the Game Manufacturer's Association (GAMA). The link to download that brochure is also on the Once Upon a Time product page.
Mad Scientists are Hip ... Who Knew?
We just got back from the GAMA Trade Show in Las Vegas, showing off Mad Scientist University to very positive response. People universally liked our "30 second demos," and the storytelling aspect of the game that makes it so fast and easy to learn. We had several podcasters stop by the booth, so we should hopefully be putting up links to their reviews in the coming weeks.
It turns out that this is the year of the mad scientist. White Wolf with its new Mwahaha board game, and upstart Bucephalus Games -- headed by Dan Tibbles -- with THREE new mad scientist-themed games coming out soon. I personally liked the sound of the one featuring mutated escaped lab rats ... who doesn't love rodents with tentacles? Bucephalus has an ambitious schedule planned for the year ... over 30 games in the works! And from the looks of the demos at their booth, we can expect good things from them in the future.
We also featured a prototype of our upcoming Where the Deep Ones Are children's book at our booth. It generated a lot of excitement, and the promise of a 2-page article on it in an upcoming issue of Game Trade Magazine!
Realms of Power Sneak Peek
The table of contents for Realms of Power: Magic is now up on its
product page, along with the entirety of its appendix: the Book of Mundane Beasts. Enjoy!
Matt Drake from Drake's Flames has just posted a review of
Pieces of Eight. Matt says:
"If you want to play a really cool game with a sweet gimmick that you can enjoy in 15 minutes and teach to a twelve-year-old, Pieces of Eight should be a must-buy."
Read the review now!
GAMA Trade Show
The Atlas Games offices will be closed for most of next week, as John and I will be out of town at the GAMA Trade Show through Thursday.
Atlas Games' "Purchase"
Some of you might have clicked on that link in the "Ronin Arts to Buy Atlas Games" post, and noticed that Ronin Arts announced its purchase by Steve Jackson Games ... then followed THAT link and found that Atlas Games has plans to buy Steve Jackson Games, as well. Others might have taken the faster approach and just noticed the date on our post ... April 1, 2008. Either way, we hope our little joke helped make your day. :)
Ronin Arts to Buy Atlas Games
Anyone who has observed the adventure games industry in the past decade has witnessed online sales of digital role-playing books grow from a tiny niche to a vital part of the market. While traditional retail outlets have struggled, these new media have thrived – bringing wealth and power to those who have led the way. In turn, those cash flows need to find new places to be reinvested, to strengthen and diversify the industry titans of the PDF field.
Thus we come to today's big news. It is my pleasure to announce that in the wee hours of the morning, negotiations were completed and I inked a deal with a businessman and creative professional I have long admired, Phil Reed. His company,
Ronin Arts, will be acquiring all of the assets and liabilities of Atlas Games, effective one year from today.
We'll be following up tomorrow with further details, but I didn't want to make fans wait for this exciting news any longer than necessary.
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