Gamers Alliance REPORT
Spring 2004 Vol. 2 No. 10
EDITORIAL
A Beautiful Thing
What a difference a day makes! It seems that only yesterday (actually, it was last issue) that we bemoaned the state of gaming and how new releases did not seem to reach the mark that we've come to expect. And that was just the latest in a series of disappointments.
European style games were slow in making an appearance on this side of the Atlantic. We've always argued that there was a vast, untapped, market here in the States for European style games. We've always campaigned to get European style games over to America faster and with English rules but it simply wasn't happening. We've had to do with German language editions and make-shift translations. Some companies (Queen being a notable example) wouldn't put out an English language edition at all! If we were really lucky, we'd get an English language edition only after waiting for months on end. For years, our words had fallen on deaf ears. But change, ladies and gentlemen, is here and change can be a beautiful thing.
There has been a palpable shift in attitude - and game production. Many European games are SIMULTANEOUSLY being printed in ENGLISH and released in America at virtually the same time! Leading the way is a host of new (and not so new) companies who are maintaining the same high production quality of the European games but now WITH English rules! Joining the ranks of Rio Grande Games and Mayfair Games, who pioneered European releases into the American market, are such up and coming companies (and this is only a partial list) as Days of Wonder, Face 2 Face Games (who are also making a home for re-releases and NEW designs from American game designer Sid Sackson whose classic creations found such great popularity both here and in Europe), Fantasy Flight Games, GMT Games (who are experimenting with Euro-style releases including Winds of Plunder by Al Newman, currently on their P500 list), Out of the Box Games, Playroom Entertainment (including releases from English designer Maureen Hiron), Plenary Games and Überplay (who are bringing Queen releases to our shores).
To make matters even better, we're optimistic about the QUALITY of design of these upcoming releases as, from what we've seen so far, they seem to rise to the high levels we've come to expect. (This issue is super-sized with outstanding games - and we'll have more on the upcoming releases coming down the pike.)
Where 2003 seemed to be a weak link in the chain of gaming, 2004 seems to be a very welcome change. And change can be a beautiful thing.
In this issue, we grab a ticket to ride the rails, do some development work in greater Greece, visit "abstract heaven", go to war over ideas, trade in 14th century Europe, do some code-breaking and visit sunny San Juan. Greg Schloesser goes island-hopping while Larry Levy sits comfortably on a throne. And, of course, much more. Until next time, Good Gaming!
Herb Levy, President