A Video Look at the Star Wars Pocketmodel Game

Wizkids put this, somewhat cheesy, video together to show what retailers are saying about the new Star Wars Pocketmodel game. It doesn't tell you too much about the game itself but you do get a look at the ships. Also, a bunch of people you probably don't know tell you how cool it is.

The Death of Dragon, Dungeon Magazines

I thought that Dragon and Dungeon magazines being pulled out of house to Paizo Publishing was a big change for the magazines, but the announcement of their imminent demise certainly eclipses that by a wide margin. Here's the official announcement:


Dear friends,

Today, Wizards of the Coast and Paizo Publishing announced the conclusion of Paizo's license to publish DragonDungeon magazines. The magazines will cease publication following the release of the September issues, which ship to subscribers and newsstands in August. The final issues will be Dragon #359 and Dungeon #150.

Wizards of the Coast will be moving the kind of content currently found in Dragon and Dungeon to an online model. Both companies remain on good terms and continue to discuss future opportunities for publishing partnerships.

Today also marks the official announcement of Pathfinder, a new monthly 96-page, perfect-bound, OGL-compatible full-color softcover Adventure Path book printed on high-quality paper for use with the world's most popular roleplaying game. Over the last several months, the same editors who bring you Dragon and Dungeon have been developing the next evolution in RPG campaigns, and we hope you'll take some time to look at what we have to offer. Pathfinder will debut in August at hobby retail stores, bookstores, and here on paizo.com, and—though it's a book, not a magazine—we'll be offering a subscription service for gamers eager to add a vorpal edge to their campaigns. In fact, you can subscribe to Pathfinder right now and receive a free bonus Player's Guide to the first Pathfinder Adventure Path: Rise of the Runelords.

Speaking of subscriptions, the discontinuation of Dragon and Dungeon will leave many of our valued subscribers with excess subscription credit. Paizo has set up a special Transition Page that offers multiple options to these subscribers.

We're sure many of you have questions about this development, so we've developed a special Frequently Asked Questions page that covers many of the issues you'll wonder about. If you don't see your question listed there, drop by the new Magazine Transition forum on our Customer Service messageboards, which we will be monitoring closely.

If you're concerned about the future of Paizo, you can relax. We're very excited about Pathfinder, our GameMastery line of RPG modules and accessories, our Titanic Games line of deluxe board games, and Planet Stories, our recently announced line of classic science fiction and fantasy novels. No Paizo staffers have lost their jobs as a result of this development—in fact, we're so enthusiastic about our future that we've recently hired several new employees. However, if you're wondering what you can do to help Paizo succeed in our new ventures, please visit our What Can I Do to Help? page.

Dragon and Dungeon have been the backbone of Paizo Publishing for five years since we spun off from Wizards of the Coast's periodicals department in 2002, and both magazines have been an integral part of the RPG publishing world for decades. Bringing the magazines to you every month has been a true honor, and we in the Paizo family look forward to the continuing honor of serving your gaming needs for years and years to come.

Sincerely,

Erik Mona
Publisher
Paizo Publishing, LLC
April 19, 2007 announced the conclusion of and

New Allen Steele Novel - Spindrift - Now Available

June 1, 2288-Europe's first starship, the EASS Galileo, launches on its maiden voyage to investigate an unidentified object, code-named Spindrift, which is traveling outside our solar system. An object that may be alien in origin. The Galileo disappears soon after...

February 1, 2344-The Galileo's shuttle returns to Earth carrying three surviving expedition members, who still appear to be the same age they were when they departed. They report that they have, indeed, made contact with an extraterrestrial race-and become enmeshed in a conflict that brought them face to face with the most apocalyptic force in the galaxy.

It is up to Director General John Shillinglaw to piece together the puzzle created by these events- for the survivors tell their stories from their own conflicting perspectives. And the truth is more difficult to glean than it appears.

Yeah, we don't carry any fiction if it isn't game related, but I bring this up for two reasons:

First, I'm a huge fan of Allen's work. Ever since 1988 and seeing his stuff in Asimov's. I've always liked his ability to do science fiction but make the characters more "working class" than you normally see in traditional sf. I've read every one of his novels, but not all of his short fiction... yet.

Second, Allen was once my neighbor and is still a friend and occasional customer in the store. So he gets free advertising here whenever something new comes out. That's just how it works.

Anyway, I'm a few chapters in and it looks to be another good read. I'm really looking forward to another good story set in the Coyote universe.

Pick up a copy of Spindrift here, or grab one at your local bookstore!

New Star Wars Saga Edition Preview

Wizards of the Coast has put up another early look at how their changing their Star Wars RPG for the better. Head over there and have a look.

New Star Wars RPG in May

In case you hadn't heard, Wizards of the Coast is planning to release a new edition of their Star Wars RPG in May. It's being called Star Wars Roleplaying Game: Saga Edition.

A new preview is up on the WOTC site that gives a little glimpse at some of the changes that they're making. In particular, talent trees and force powers. They've also put up some sample characters for you to check out.