In Case You Haven't Been Paying Attention 10/24/08

We know.  You live a busy life during busy times.  Fortunately for you, we LIVE to inform.



So each week we'll keep bringing you "News for Lazy Bastards."  Because after all, knowledge is power.  And ignorance is...uh...like not paying your electric bill.  Or something.

Asmodee USA:

Asmodee has unvelied a new logo--sans the tricky accent that no American gamer seems to use anyway.  Definitely seems to put the focus more on "family fun", a line that Asmodee seems to be straddling very nicely lately.




In other Asmodee news:


From the Asmodee website:

"Draco Mundis is a game for two to four players, of ages 12 and up. Each player has a number of character and terrain tokens. During a first game phase, the players will place their tokens on the game board. The game itself then begins, each player being able to take actions such as: move, explore the jungle or fight their enemies. The objective is to score the most victory points. Each token can move in certain directions, a certain movement value, a combat score and one or more special powers.

 

The rules of Draco Mundis are rather simple, but mastering them requires a sharp sense of strategy and concentration worthy of a master tactician. Add a dash of memory and a bit of bluffing, and you get a rich and fascinating game. Diplomacy and forging alliances are also important part of the game when playing with 3-4 players. In the end, Draco Mundis is a small game on which luck has no impact, which uses some of the game mechanics from Dungeon Twister: same teams between players, victory points, special powers, action points, etc. Since its author is Christophe Boelinger, the creator DT, the rule similarities just make sense.

 

Draco Mundis will be available in late Fall / early Winter, and a website will soon be online, with the rules available for download.



Also from the Asmodee website:


"Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the most exciting news of the year! Formula D will be available in the US by the beginning of November! Formula D is a new updated version of the 90's best seller 'Formule Dé', a fabulous game which sold more than 100,000 copies all over the world during a 15 year span! This new version will be released simultaneously in French, German, Spanish, English, Dutch and Italian.

Fans of the original will be in familiar territory, as the new version is based on the former mechanics of 'Formule Dé' and will also be playable with the original racing boards. Gamers who are not familiar with the original version will discover that the content of this newer version creates a thrilling Formula One experience.

Formula D has been completely re-designed, the graphic contents have been updated and modernized and each element has been thoughtfully revitalized to generate a more realistic gaming sensation. Players now enjoy beautifully painted cars, super-realistic gear levers, and many more hidden surprises!

 Two different rule books are included: a short, simple version for beginners who want to jump directly into the game without blowing a fuse, and a more advanced version for hardcore gamers who enjoy exploring the entangled mechanisms within their brains!

Reach new levels as you step up to the podium.

It's still not over! A second board allows you to feel the speed and excitement of street racing. Get ready to enjoy a wild ride on the big city streets!

Two race boards are included: the legendary Monaco circuit and a street racing track too! Formula D invites you to enjoy two exhilarating experiences in a single box!

Play your cards - or rather your dice - right and you could become the new Schumacher!

Fantasy Flight Games

• Battlestar Galactica is apparently "on the boat."  Amazon is still showing early November for their shipping date.   Looks like it will make it in plenty of time for you to call grandma a "Frakking Toaster" after the big Thanksgiving meal.
• As reported in our forums, Fantasy Flight Games and Rackham have terminated their short-lived relationship.  FFG will no longer be distributing Rackham's titles, including AT-43 and others.

Essen in full swing:

Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, Essen is currently in full swing.  Try to contain your apathy. 



As a side note, anyone caught using the phrase "OMGESSEN" on our message boards will face swift and brutal retribution, mostly in the form of laughing and pointing at your genitals.

 

EliteXC Out of Business

Fledgling MMA company EliteXC is apparently out of business as reported by Sports Illustrated.  The company had been bleeding money for 22 months as it attempted to compete with MMA juggernaut UFC.  The last blow seemed to come when their poster child, Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, was knocked out in fifteen seconds by a guy who couldn't make the cut while fighting in UFC.  After the fight Seth Petruzelli went on to suggest in a post-fight interview that the results were "rigged" with payouts for certain types of victories, and this was enough for an investigation to be opened into the promotion, as well as giving CBS/Showtime cold feet about buying EliteXC.  When that deal went bust, so too did the company.


Kimbo Slice will still be taking bookings--though rumors that you'll find him in line at the soup kitchen are as yet unfounded.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Gets Order for Two More Scripts

Some of you may remember the reviews we published for the first few episodes of this show.  It was enough of a hit last season for Fox to renew it for a second season, with added cast member Shirley Manson of Garbage fame playing a villainous T-1000.

Initially the second season only received a 13-episode order; it appears now that Fox is happy enough with the series so far to order an addtional two more episodes.

In other news, Summer Glau's restraining order against F:AT contributor Ken B. is still in full effect.  (Editor's Note:  Summer!  Call me!  PLEASE?!?!)

 

Hasbro - Win a Copy of Risk Black Ops

Enter drawing to win a copy of the limited edition Risk Black Ops in the Hasbro Risk Contest.

Put dog poo in your neighbor's mailbox to win Manliness points by playing the online game Risk Factor.

 

GenCon Chapter 11 Filing Released

Regarding the $150,000 raised at the charity auction for the "Make a Wish Foundation," the documents say that GenCon has held the money in trust and wants to pay this debt immediately and in full.

No new dirt on the $950,000 LucusFilm lawsuit other than that they are still attempting to reach an agreement.





"The Incredible Hulk" comes to DVD

A movie that didn't get nearly the business it should and could have, The Incredible Hulk was overshadowed by Iron Man and then steamrolled by The Dark Knight.

Still, it was a great, action-packed movie.  You can check out F:AT's review of the theatrical release here:

http://fortressat.com/index.php/Articles/Trash-Culture/Movies-The-Incredible-Hulk-Review/menu-id-318

The 3-disc Special Edition DVD set costs extra but should be worth it, with an alternate opening, lots of behind the scenes footage, and an incredible amount of deleted scenes, many of which were the ones Norton had tried to preserve for the film's original theatrical cut.  Definitely sounds like its worth checking out.

If you find newsworthy updates, send them to Ubarose, Matt, Barnes, Skeletor, or Ken B. via PM. If we use your news item, we will credit you for finding it.


If you're a publisher or game company and you feel like you have news items that you'd like to see included in our weekly updates, send them to one of us via our PM system or email us using the CONTACT US link at the bottom of the site, and we will be glad to feature it here.