Everything old is new again? Kinda.
Talisman: back in print and looking good with its 8th expansion in the works.
Wiz War: back in print and looking sexier than ever. Hopefully, there’ll be a 5 & 6 player expansion really, REALLY soon. Hint-hint.
Merchant of Venus: in the works and being given the Fantasy Flight Games treatment.
OGRE: had an initial minimum goal of USD$20,000 on Kickstarter and has, as the scribbling of this post, accumulated over USD$627,000. Steve Jackson will be re-releasing OGRE in a new edition and there will be a dedicated OGRE Line Editor to not only develop and expand the boardgame, but also a new edition of the OGRE miniatures rules AND put the miniatures back into production. There are now plans for a video game! I mean, I like Munchkin as much as the next guy, but, see: WE WERE RIGHT! And, best of all, we’re getting the option to buy the latest edition of OGRE in a pocket box edition – but not until the summer of 2013. Now that’s how to indulge in nostalgia without the need to clear-cut a rainforest.
UPDATE! The Kickstarter project has closed at $923,680. Once again: WE WERE RIGHT!
Dungeon: Wizards of the Coast (the current owner of Dungeons & Dragons) jumps on the re-releasing old games for fun and profit band wagon and has announced this venerable TSR boardgame of dungeon crawling will be hitting the shelves at the end of 2012!
Some of these games are more than 30 years old. Why are they being brought back? It’s rather simple, really: money. That’s it, kids. Someone honestly believes that there’s profit to be generated by giving these classic games a facelift and making them available to nostalgic oldsters and kiddies who have heard the stories but never had the chance to play.
There are going to be some differences with the new editions: usually capped at 4 players instead of the traditional 6, classic art and design will be replaced with modern, marketable graphics, South America and a major chunk of Africa will have their forests eradicated to produce all that cardboard, etc. And the rules will be tinkered with, which may not be THAT bad, as game mechanics have evolved over the years and there were plenty of suggestions on how to circumvent shortcomings of the original releases or simply better ways of accomplishing things.
Will I purchase the USD$100+ 6th Edition OGRE? Hells no! I will be buying the updated miniatures rules, the re-released miniatures and the pocket box version of OGRE 6th Edition. And a t-shirt or two. So, yes, it’s still a win. Dungeon and Merchant of Venus are also on "The List".
Over all, I’m supportive of this trend, and look forward to see what other titles will be brought back from the dead.
What classic, out of print game(s) would you like to see re-released?
I always wanted Gunslinger to come back in print, although I imagine the whole rule book would be archaic and out of date! Other wild west games don't seem to do it for me.
ReplyDeleteAlso Magic Realm. I think they might be my top two.
Never played Avalon Hill's Gunslinger, but a re-released Magic Realm could be fun.
ReplyDeleteOh, and it's official: CAR WARS will be back.