RPG News Headlines for Thursday, 20 October, 2011

[Morrus]

• CCP Games (who make Eve Online and the World of Darkness products) recently announced a restructuring and refocus which involves the layoff of a number of staff. They've laid off about 20% of their staff, and intend to focus more on their Eve properties.
• In Grave Plots, designer Joshua Zaback discusses ways of making bandits a more interesting part of your campaign, while in Dark Designs, designer Alex Riggs discusses the finer points of banditry and game design, and why they don't usually mix.
• The update for Dungeon Mapp iPad app is live on the iTunes store. Dungeon Mapp 1.2 includes new tiles and decals, more character options, Initiative roller and tracker, dice roller, saving Mapps to your hard drive to email to others, and much much more.
• Ultramodern4, Dias Ex Machina's upcoming universal 4th Edition science fiction / modern game system will be offered as an OGL. Anyone will be able to download the bare files for free. Any publisher under the GSL can use them in their own game. DEM will not be distributing the final production for free, just the raw rules. The game is still expected for a winter release.
• Rite Publishing has released The Secrets of Tactical Archetypes for Pathfinder, which offers new options for cavaliers, gunslingers, magi, rangers, samurai, and summoners.
• BlackStar Studios invites any and all interested gamers, science-fiction and fantasy enthusiasts, or RPG industry professionals to their One-Year Anniversary & Fundraising party on Sunday, October 23rd SoHo Gallery for Digital Art, 138 Sullivan St, New York, NY from 6:30-9:00 PM. The party will include wine & cheese, and the chance to meet and talk with members of the development team.
• Megaminis has a bunch of new tribal elf miniatures. The Vengequan can be used as post-apocalyptic native American troops or futuristic Elven warriors. 28mm scale cast in tin and sold unpainted.
• Game fans from California to New Jersey will soon be fighting each other live at a virtual convention called Filsinger Games "CONquers the Galaxy" Day.

 

[Dannager]

Just a quick correction: CCP Games is laying off 20 percent of their staff (not just 20). Their Wikipedia page puts their workforce at 600 (though that may be out-of-date; their growth over the last few years has been significant, so it's likely that the number would be higher rather than lower), so the number of laid off staff is probably in excess of 100.

 

[Morrus]

Just a quick correction: CCP Games is laying off 20 percent of their staff (not just 20). Their Wikipedia page puts their workforce at 600 (though that may be out-of-date; their growth over the last few years has been significant, so it's likely that the number would be higher rather than lower), so the number of laid off staff is probably in excess of 100.

Thanks!

 

[Mark CMG]

Game fans from California to New Jersey will soon be fighting each other live at a virtual convention called Filsinger Games "CONquers the Galaxy" Day.

This is a neat idea.