Late last year Moments in History announced a schedule cutback in response to the soft market for wargames. In January, Critical Hit acquired MiH, so it looks like the MiH publishing schedule will get a boost after all. Clash of Arms, a group of guys who have been in this business for a while, did the math and announced that they'd have to stop offering CoA historical board games through distributors. XTR has also adjusted to the wholesale "implosion."
Meanwhile, both GMT and OSG have established a "pre-prepub" approach to garner at least enough orders to cover the cost of publishing proposed upcoming titles. Oh, yeah: a mainstream toy and game company bought out Avalon Hill. You might think we're in the thick of historical boardgaming's Big Contraction. Meanwhile The Gamers is carrying on with little apparent change, publishing games regularly. This is not to say that The Gamers has gone unaffected: Dean responded to the changing market in 1996, when he decided to stop supplying distributors.
I must say that, amid all this, I just can't work up any sense of alarm. For one thing, I'm still seeing enough good new games coming out to keep me busy. If anything, the proportion of good games to drek has risen since the days when lots of new games were landing on store shelves like a drumroll barrage. I feel confident that I and enough other gamers whose general tastes and spending habits match mine can keep our favorite publishers in business. Game prices being what they are these days, I buy good games that I really want to play. Gone are the days when I would pick up a game because it was fairly cheap and "looked kinda interesting." Maybe we should think of these days not as retreat or contraction but as pruning, the cutting away of deadwood to make the whole plant healthier.
What's a wargamer to do? Might I suggest a wargame? Against a live opponent? John Reed has put me wise to The War Room in Atlanta, a hobby shop with plastic models, figures, historical and fantasy games, and a large open gaming area. The War Room has scheduled gaming sessions most days, or you can just show up with a game and find some table space. John and I are playing THG there and meeting several interested bystanders. Atlantans can also find lots of games and potential opponents at The Sword of the Phoenix, a full-service game store. The point is that other wargamers are out there. Like you, they probably have too many games, too little time, and too few opponents. Go find them and lock horns. Yeah, I know you collect 'em, study 'em, and play 'em solitaire, but c'monÑthese games are made to be played live.
Other options for finding face-to-face play include clubs like the ones listed here in our mag (page 28), The Gamers opponents list service (call or write for details), and conventions. Speaking of the latter, I hope those of you on the other side of the lake seized the opportunity to attend HomerConÑEurope. Soon enough, I'll see you at Origins, 1-4 July. I'll probably be spending most of my time selling copies of Burma; check out Dean's preview on page 5 for demo games and other fun things The Gamers has planned for you. See you in Columbus. Or . . . see you in Homer.
This year HomerCon happens 16-19 September. As always there is no registration fee, but we'd appreciate you writing, calling, or emailing to say you'll be here so we know how many attendees to expect. We'll send you a handy packet of hotel and travel information, directions, and maps. You can also register through our web site: www.tgamers.com/HomerCon/homercon_1999.htm.
To reserve a room at the Red Roof Inn in nearby Champaign, call 1-800-843-7663 and refer to Block# B170 000256.
Got game? DAK has now gone out of print (no reprint planned) and both Hube's Pocket and Austerlitz are on the short list (less than 130 copies remaining as of April 1999). Austerlitz is available only in ziplock; the boxed game has long since sold out.
Back to Table of Contents -- Operations #33
Back to Operations List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master List of Magazines
© Copyright 1999 by The Gamers.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com