Neither rain, nor snow, nor slack-jawed convention security were going to keep this rabid reporter-- your finger on the pulse of the industry--out of this year's GAMA trade show. As you probably know, the Game Manufacturer's Association yearly convention is one of the paper game industry's biggest shindigs.

What it lacks in attendance (and it does pale in comparison to Gen Con and Origins) it more than made up for in frenzied back-room dealing, elegant after-hours receptions, and new product releases. There is also an abundance of gossip available for those who are members of the elite innermost circles of the game industry--or those who manage to sneak into the good parties.

Since GAMA is a trade show, your average, run-of-the-mill gamers are cordially uninvited. Only those gamers that are fortunate enough to own a game store or company attend; where your devoted newshound kits in will be left as an exercise for the reader.

Archon

Archon Gaming was one of the biggest surprises of the show. Film noir is their beat, and the Noir RPG looks like it delivers in spades. More surprising than the debut of an RPG based on the works of Chandler and company was the size of the reception that Archon hosted. Even Wizards of the Coast's mondo boffo reception looked a tad frumpy compared to Archon's dimly-lit ballroom complete with a live band, celebrity impersonators, and--can you stand it?--ice sculptures. Archon has sold 90% of the first print run of Noir already and is apparently wasting no time spending the profits.

For those of you not in the biz, receptions are where game company guys stand around eating free food, swilling cheap beer, and talking about people from other game companies behind their backs. The joy of free jumbo prawns is occasionally punctuated by the excitement of trying to dodge conversations with people you don't want to talk to--and if you get trapped, you can't take the easy way out and chew off a limb like a mink in a trap.

White Wolf

But enough about how many limbs this joumalist may, or may not have lost this last week. On to more pressing matters, such as what the the folks at White Wolf are up to these days. Word on the street is that Rein-Hagen's sci-fi RPG Exile has been indefinitely put on the back burner. It seems that the business model of Rein-Hagen's "Null Foundation" non-profit RPG enterprise is rather at odds with the most assuredly for-profit model that White Wolf itself operates under. For this reason, Exile has been ousted and there's a new kid on the block--Aeon.

While details are still fuzzy, this muckraker sees in his crystal d20 a battle among the stars in which psionically superpowered PCs try to fry each other's brains. There's no need to save your pennies yet; the only material existence of Aeon's existence to date is a couple of boxes of T-shirts given away at the show. If you ask nicely your roving reporter may even allow him to be strapped to the scanner here in SHADIS HQ, in order to bring a reproduction of the spiffy Aeon logo to the unwashed masses.

West End

West End Games will be adding yet another movie license to their RPG line. This time, it's Mr. ones and Mr. Smith in the Men in Black RPG. This reporter's sources tell him that West End will try to get Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith themselves to sign copies of the RPG at Origins. Tommy Lee Jones signing copies of a roleplaying game? This hobby may become legitimate yet (but please excuse this reporter if he doesn't hold his breath).

Corsair Publishing is another new face in this little sandbox we like to call an industry. Based in Wisconsin, Corsair aims to publish gaming works from a variety of authors. Traveller capo Marc Miller has already signed on, and his new fantasy RPG Companions of the Road should be out in August if the stars are right.

One has to wonder what a Miller fantasy RPG will be lilce, but judging from the materials your man in the field was able to secure it looks like there will be a crunchy Tolkein-esque shell filled with the trademarked Miller mindbenders. And, lest we gyp those other hardy souls who have thrown in with Corsair, let us now drop like an atom bomb the names Lester Smith and Bryan Winter. Rest assured you will be the first to know, Constant Reader, when more news of their new projects leaks into the industry backwater that is SHADIS.

Steve Jackson

The wacky guys at Steve Jackson Games also produced some lovin' from the oven last week. Hardbound In Nomines look shippable, and they come in your choice of angelic white or demonic black. This reporter prefers the spooky black cover ta frighten relatives at family gatherings. GURPS Reign of Steel will ship shortly, and it's just what you've been waiting for if you like the idea of hiding in ruined cities and avoiding death-dealing robots.

Terminator fans take note--Pulver's latest GURPS excursion (does the man sleep?) is the closest thing yet to licensed RPG. GURPS Time Travel crossover, anyone

Chameleon Electric

The good people at Chameleon Eclectic notified this agent that soon indeed Millennian's End supplements will be reprinted--never fear if you missed the first run on books like Ultramodern Firearms. The Babylon Project RPG will also be seeing more book soon, to feed that sci-fi monkey on your back. And speaking of B5, Agents of Gaming are producing a miniatures wargame based on everyone's favorite Trek killer. Played on a hex map, the game is reported to be "like Star Fleet Battles, but faster." Let's hope so.

TSR

Would you believe TSR is releasing a new sci-fi game as well? Called Alternity, it will be releasec many moons from now. The first campaign book promises to be easy~to-digest space opera, with other more outlandish settings to follow. Your loudmouthed insider can't speak for everyone, of course, but he at least is looking forward to more sci-fi from the same company that gave us Sathar and Dralasites.

Your trusty reporter cringes as he writes this paragraph, imagining barrages of spiky d20s thrown his way, but there was even some card game news fron GAMA. Last Unicorn Games is producing a Dune card game. So far, things are looking boss for Atreide and Harkonnen wanna-bes everywhere. Interesting times indeed, friends!