Bryan Ansell, considered the grandfather of Warhammer, has passed away at the age of 68. Ansell played a significant role in transforming Games Workshop from a hobby game retailer to a miniature wargame manufacturer, with Warhammer becoming a central focus. Ansell co-founded Asgard Miniatures in 1976, which caught the attention of Games Workshop founders. In collaboration, Citadel Miniatures was established in 1978, becoming a profitable part of Games Workshop. Ansell’s leadership saw a shift towards the production and sale of miniatures, and Warhammer Fantasy Battle, co-authored by Ansell, played a crucial role in this transformation. Ansell bought out Games Workshop founders in 1985 and remained involved in the wargames industry. He started Wargames Foundry in 1983, a separate miniature manufacturer. Ansell stayed connected with the ‘Oldhammer’ community until his passing.

Jennell Jaquays, a significant figure in the development of Dungeons & Dragons and the tabletop roleplaying game industry, has passed away at the age of 68. Known for her contributions to games like Dark Tower and Caverns of Thracia, she worked as a game designer and artist, creating RPG covers, including Dragon Mountain. Jaquays was associated with TSR, Judges Guild, Chaosium, and various video game companies, contributing to titles like Quake and Age of Empires. Beyond her professional achievements, she was an activist for trans rights and played a crucial role in legislative changes as the creative director for the Transgender Human Rights Institute. Her recent years were marked by struggles with Guillain-Barré syndrome. The industry mourns the loss of this legendary figure, remembering her impact on both gaming and the advocacy for trans rights.

Mantic Games, developers of Kings of War, will partner with 343 Industries to create a new Halo tabletop miniatures game based on the Halo videogame franchise, set to launch in September 2024. The game will feature 40mm Spartan miniatures and will be suitable for both newcomers and veterans.There will be no crowdfunding campaign as the game is going direct to market.

Wizards of the Coast and AI: Wizards of the Coast (WotC) denies using AI in recent Magic: The Gathering images, emphasizing that the art was created by humans. The denial follows accusations from fans who believed AI was involved in a promotional image. WotC acknowledges the need for better transparency and disclosure regarding AI use in creative processes. Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft: The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI, claiming the unauthorized use of millions of its articles to train large language models. The lawsuit seeks damages in the billions of dollars, alleging systematic and competitive infringement. Wacom and Wizards of the Coast Controversy: Wacom and Wizards of the Coast face criticism for allegedly using AI-generated images in their recent ad campaigns. Artists accuse Wacom of using AI in a dragon illustration, and Wizards of the Coast issued an apology for using AI-generated elements in an ad. The controversies raise concerns about the impact on creative professions and trust in companies within the creative community.

A D&D historian and writer, Ben Riggs, claims that the Golden Age of tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) is coming to an end. Riggs argues that the peak, brought in by the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) in the 2010s, is declining due to the aftermath of the Open Gaming License (OGL) controversy. He suggests that the emergence of new RPG systems, while successful in crowdfunding, is a sign that the industry has peaked rather than grown. Riggs predicts that the upcoming 6th edition of D&D may not match the success of its predecessor, leading to layoffs at Wizards of the Coast. He contends that the diversification of RPG systems will result in a fractured community, making it harder for businesses to thrive. Riggs draws parallels with the 1990s, citing TSR’s downfall due to splitting the fan base among various settings. Criticism of Riggs’ viewpoint comes from D&D Twitter, with some arguing against his D&D-centric perspective and pointing out inaccuracies in his claims. Despite Riggs’ warnings, TTRPG creators seem undeterred, with figures like Matt Colville dismissing the idea of a decline, suggesting that the so-called Golden Age was primarily beneficial for investors and D&D’s owners. Riggs concludes with predictions of a less successful 6th edition, decreased crowdfunding success for TTRPGs, plateauing attendance at gaming conventions, and a less diverse and interesting TTRPG landscape, unless significant changes occur in the industry.

#BryanAnsel #JennellJaquays #mantic #AIart

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Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), is delaying the shipment of its physical release, The Deck of Many Things, due to defects in the product. The defects include issues with the shape of the cards, tight paper bands damaging the foil on the cards, and size discrepancies among the cards. The publisher intends to re-manufacture and re-distribute copies without these issues and is suspending the initial ship date.The specific defects in the cards and how they impact gameplay. Wizards of the Coast remains confident that pre-order customers may still receive their orders before the end of 2023, but inspection and replacement will take time. These issues are not related to a cost-saving strategy but could be due to using paper packaging instead of non-biodegradable plastic wrapping. The publisher’s effort to reduce plastic waste in packaging might have led to some of the problems.

The Army Painter has introduced a new line of paints called Warpaints Fanatic, which has been in development for four years. This line includes 216 new paints, featuring eight reformulated skin tones, reformulated metallics, 18 effects paints, and a wash line with 18 colors. The paints are designed to have excellent coverage, making them suitable for professional painters and tabletop gamers. They incorporated feedback from various painters to ensure the quality of the paints. The Fanatic paints also use significantly more pigment (300%-700% more) without sacrificing coverage, thanks to the addition of a stabilizer. The paints come in a flexible six-color triad system for versatility and are color-matched to The Army Painter’s existing line of sprays and air paints. The line includes mixing balls, and the paint bottles indicate their triad set and actual color on the side. The Fanatic paints will be available for pre-order in various sets starting in early 2024.

Jennell Jaquays is an American game designer, video game artist, and illustrator known for her contributions to tabletop role-playing games, video games, and fantasy art. Throughout her career, Jaquays has made significant contributions to RPG adventures, video games, and art, earning recognition for her work. She has also played a role in game development education through her involvement in establishing the Guildhall at SMU. Unfortunately, she has faced health challenges, including Guillain-Barré syndrome. A fundraiser has been organized to support her in covering the substantial medical costs associated with her treatment and recovery. Jaquays’ career has been marked by creativity and contributions to the gaming industry, and her supporters are coming together to assist her during her time of need.

Forbidden Psalm: The End Times Edition is the ultimate version of the Forbidden Psalm tabletop miniatures game. It combines the Core Book and the In the Footsteps of the Mad Wizard expansion into a single comprehensive edition. The game is compatible with the MÖRK BORG TTRPG and is designed for 28mm miniatures. It allows players to use their existing miniatures or create custom ones with random tables provided. The game offers solo play and cooperative rules, with unique warband members generated by random generators. Players recruit a warband of five members to undertake missions for Vriprix the Mad Wizard, facing rivals, monsters, and dangerous relics in their quest. The game is known for its disposable warband members who can suffer injuries, flaws, and wield dark magic. The End Times Edition includes new content, art, and lore, offering 25 scenarios for players to explore. While the core rules remain the same, this edition provides a better design, rules clarification, and combines the Mad Wizard expansion into the Core Book. It comes in hardcover or softcover versions, with the hardcover edition exclusively available through this Kickstarter. Additionally, mini-expansions from Forbidden Psalm are collected into a new edition, featuring over 20 scenarios, horrors, new weapons, and more. This softcover book is expected to be 80-100 pages long.

Mantic Games, a well-known miniature wargame studio, is set to launch a Kickstarter campaign in 2024 for an “epic-scale” Warpath game. Initially conceived as a larger version of Firefight, Warpath aimed to support sprawling battles with numerous vehicles. However, the concept evolved to focus on smaller-scale battles, allowing players to field massive armies. The game’s development has involved considerations like starting factions, materials, and rules. Mantic Games engaged with fans to gauge interest and found substantial enthusiasm for the Warpath universe at a smaller scale. Fans can follow the Kickstarter campaign page for updates, and Mantic Games has a track record of successful projects, making this new Warpath game an exciting prospect for enthusiasts of smaller-scale wargames.

Tom Bloom, the creator of the webcomic “Kill Six Billion Demons” and the mech TTRPG “Lancer,” has developed a new wargame called Magnagothica: Maleghast. It features a gothic, punk, and heavy metal theme set in a city where death is broken, and the dead return. The game is designed for virtual tabletop play and includes tactical necromancer action. The game is designed for two to four players and uses a square grid for gameplay. Players control a group called a Black Mass, which includes a Necromancer and minions. There are six different factions in the game, each with its own unique style and soundtrack. Tom Bloom created the game, including the design, layout, writing, and artwork, in a short time frame, and he hopes players will enjoy it.

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Magnagothica: Maleghast on Itch.io:

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Res Nova has decided to order a tactical retreat and cancel the Warzone Eternal Kickstarter campaign regardless of the fact that they hit their funding goal on the first day. In an update posted on crowdfunding page they point to a slowdown of funding growth and complaints varying from the high price of unit boxes to the lack of painted models in the campaign page. We really hope to see a triumphant return of this game to crowdfunding or however else they want to proceed. Everyone’s heart seemed to be in the right place. It may just be that the company’s vision for the game and the fans’ expectations just didn’t line up.

Goodman Games Announces Caverns of Thracia for 5E and DCC RPG. Continuing in the tradition of bringing classic adventures to new life for the next generation of fans of role-playing games, Goodman Games is proud to announce the acquisition of the acclaimed adventure The Caverns of Thracia from Judges Guild and will republish it in fully converted 5E and DCC RPG editions with a targeted release date of 2023. Coming on the heels of the acquisition of Dark Tower, The Caverns of Thracia is the second acclaimed adventure from designer Jennell Jaquays to join the Goodman Games stable. Both were originally published by Judges Guild.

Several popular tabletop franchises are getting a full radio drama experience. Earlier this month, Aconyte Games, a publishing house owned by board game maker Asmodee, announced an audiobook partnership with Graphic Audio. Under the partnership Graphic Audio will produce twelve of Aconyte’s novels into dramatized audiobook adaptations, with sound effects, cinematic music, and a full cast. The first of these books – Wrath of N’Kai” by Josh Reynolds – was released on May 16th. Five other Arkham Horror books, three Twilight Imperium novels, and three Zombicide books will also get adapted into cinematic audiobooks.

The Embracer Group has announced its preservationist Embracer Games Archive. So far collected “50,000 videogames, consoles, and accessories” in its vault in Karlstad, Sweden. A team consisting of a CEO, archivist, assistant, technical engineer, and supply manager runs the archive. Is this a good thing or does Embracer just have trouble keeping its tentacles off of everything?
#warzone #goodmangames #arkhamhorror
#embracergroup

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Wizards of the Coast starts a new video game studio for a new original IP and James Ohlen, Ex-Bioware designer, is leading it. He also had a very successful Kickstarter with Odyssey of the Dragonlords, a 5E setting. Chris has almost finished the character for Ironsworn. Judges Guild loses business over controversial online comments, including Bat in the Attic, Frog God Games and DriveThruRPG. Onyx Path will release the second edition of Hunter:The Vigil. CMON takes preorders, I mean, pledges for a chibi Marvel superhero game. Freddie Prinze Jr. will be playing the DC Heroes RPG in the unscripted DC Universe All-Star Games tv series. The Gauntlet is holding an incursion-writing contest for Trophy Gold. Will Chris enter in time?

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