After backers burned by Mythic, Privateer Press has news about Monsterpocalypse

Over the years I've expressed my fondness for Monsterpocalypse: Privateer Press's game of giant kaiju battling it out in cities that players put together before thrashing them to smithereens.  It's an awesome game that has a lot of appeal and when it first came out a decade and a half ago it enjoyed quite a dedicated fan base.

Then some decisions were made.  And they weren't necessarily for the better.  In its original iteration Monsterpocalypse was a "blind box" game that you bought a package of without knowing what was in the box.  The idea was that you could trade game pieces with others.  Some of us filled out our factions by purchasing the wanted pieces on eBay.  That in itself was sort of a fun pastime "game within the game".  That wound up being replaced by traditional packaging that let you see what you were getting.  And then came the movie rights getting optioned by Tim Burton, and that put the game in a holding pattern of sorts.  A few other things happened too that impacted Monsterpocalypse.

And then came the Kickstarter for the board game edition.  The one that licensee Mythic Games promised the fans.  It was basically the same game as the regular miniatures game, but with a few things like the game maps upgraded to sturdy stock as well as the pieces being higher quality plastic.  It was a project that launched on Kickstarter: the premiere platform for crowd-funded games, books, music albums and even movies.  The Monterpocalypse board game Kickstarter revved up on November 2nd, 2021 and by the time it ended it had pretty much met all its stretch goals.

And then for whatever reason, Mythic Games went bust.  There was going to be no delivery of the game.  Many people - and I was one of them - went "all in" on the project: backing the core game itself and all the miniature sets.  It was a few hundred dollars investment (but I had saved up from the COVID "stimulus checks" that the government had handed out).  Anyone who invested in the board game wound up all out of the money they had pledged.  Meanwhile Mythic seems to have split the scene entirely, and I don't think anyone got their dough refunded.

Here's my write-up about the situation, from October 2023.  That post got a lot of attention from all over the place.  Maybe what I'm about to post this time will be as widely read, for other reasons.  It's not a complete salve for the wound but it's at least something...

A few weeks ago on January 30th Privateer Press published a massive update on the state of Monsterpocalypse, with an especially strong emphasis on what went down with Mythic.  Privateer Press has expressed a lot of regret about what happened with the Kickstarter, and I believe we should take them at their word.  What happened was completely beyond their control.  But it looks like they are taking steps to make right that situation.

So going forward, Privateer has announced that they're shifting their production to make it "made to order" for Monsterpocalypse.  And that furthermore, those who got left high and dry by Mythic are going to be given the STL files that will allow players the option of 3D-printing the various monsters, units, and buildings.  There is also something of an authoritative book in the works, and Privateer is hinting that there may be other things coming down the pike for the franchise.

Personally, I think that Privateer is playing it safe, maybe too much.  The game started out solid and there's no reason why it can't be solid again.  The pieces don't have to be fully painted: just produce them the old-fashioned way with plastic molds and they will sell well in the brick-and-mortar stores.  All it needs is some marketing to help get it past the King Kondo-size gorilla in the room: the Mythic fiasco.  I for one would certainly invest a little in putting together a complete army for my favorite factions (especially the Lords of Cthul).

For anyone else with an interest in Monsterpocalypse, there may be reason to be of good cheer.  The franchise is back firmly in the hands of its creators and they are paying attention to what has happened and are doing something to win back the fans.  That's a lot of responsibility they're assuming and I think, again, we should take them at their word.

(Maybe I'l be able to once again play on my self-designed map of Reidsville, North Carolina!)

UPDATE 02/26/2025: Privateer posted a progress report a few days ago on February 21st.  Looks like they're going full-bore with their intention of making the 3D-printable files available to everyone who invested in the Kickstarter.  They get bigtime props from this blogger for that.  As you can see from the report if you were in on the Kickstarter, you can go to MyMiniFactory.com and create an account with the e-mail address you used with your Kickstarter account and that will get you on the way to (soon) getting the STL/LYS files.

I know very little about 3D printing at home other than it requires STL files to work from.  So if you have a printer perhaps this will all make sense to you :-)

Read More

Mythic Games: They'll NEVER deliver this Kickstarter

For a few months now I've debated whether or not to make this post.  I gave the company at issue a gracious amount of time to respond to the very MANY people who had taken them at their word and trusted them to produce a great product.

However it has now been almost seven months since anything in the way of official word has been published.  That should have been plenty of time to let the backers know what's up.  Claiming that it's been caught up in "manufacturing problems" isn't cutting it anymore.

So it's time for Mythic Games to level with us: Is there going to ever be a release of the Monsterpocalypse Board Game?

I've written before about my fondness for Monsterpocalypse: the miniatures game about giant kaiju monsters thrashing it out with one another atop a city that the players build, then demolish.  Monsterpocalypse was first published by Privateer Press in 2008.  And it enjoyed some terrific growth in popularity for a couple of years.  Unfortunately a series of business decisions (making the game "collectible" and having to buy blind boxes of minis, the mishandling of the movie deal among others) caused a dip in interest.  Privateer Press eventually brought the game back as a more traditional miniatures game, where players were free to buy whichever models they wanted and paint them on their own.  Which was certainly how the game should have been marketed from the beginning.  But it was still an awesome game.  I certainly enjoyed playing it, especially with my precious Lords of Cthul faction.

Anyway, Monsterpocalypse has lingered for some years now.  And then two years ago this fall a French company, Mythic Games, announced that it was adapting Monsterpocalypse as a board game.  Basically the same as the regular Monsterpocalypse but with miniatures that didn't call for assembly and painting, and playable on the resilient surface typical of most board games.

There was a lot of hype for this game.  And to finance it, Mythic Games turned to Kickstarter: that website devoted to letting people find backing from those who are interested enough to want a copy of the finished product.  Kickstarter has been a terrific platform for fostering innovation and creativity.  A few years ago I had thought about doing a Kickstarter, for a board game I had designed rules for.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) some friends convinced me of how politically incorrect the game would be, and that was the end of that particular project.

Mythic Games however, dangled a really beautiful carrot before us.  There was going to be the core Monsterpocalypse Board Game.  And the more backers supported it, there were "stretch goals" that would be unlocked: more miniatures that would produced.  As backing grew, so would the game itself.

The Kickstarter went live on November 2, 2021.  In a matter of minutes the core game set was fully funded.  And by the time the Kickstarter had ended on November 24th more than $1,300,000 dollars had been raised.  A handsome amount by any measure.

I backed the core game.  My finances were a little off-kilter at the time (in short, I was skint broke).  But then came the stimulus check from the government and I decided that I wanted to go "all-in" on the Monsterpocalypse Board Game.  When the pledge manager was activated after the Kickstarter itself, I loaded up and pledged support for all of the unlocked minis, as well as faction-dedicated boxes with more minis.  It wasn't every product that I put down for, but I wanted to have a complete set of all the factions so that if I played someone we would have all the options available.

Here.  Read this: My post from a year and a half ago about Monsterpocalypse Board Game.  That alone should convey how much I was looking forward to getting this game.

Well, delivery of the game and all it's associated products was stated to be around November 2022.  A reasonable amount of time.  Mythic Games after all had to mold the zillions of pieces, print the various paper/board components, do everything required for marketing a board game.  And for awhile we the backers were getting updates from Mythic about how the production was coming along.

And then, inexplicably, the updates - which had been weekly and then became something to expect monthly - began to decrease in frequency.

This concerned many backers.  Was there something wrong with production?  Mythic elaborated that time was needed to machine the molds.  And then it was the global supply chain breakdown that plagued many manufacturers world-wide.  And these were reasonable, the backers thought.

But the rate of updates was decreasing even more.  And some were now wondering if Mythic was committed at all to giving us Monsterpocalypse Board Game.

Well, some backers  began demanding refunds.  I cannot recall if this has at all happened.  I do know that Mythic Games is offering store credit for its other products.

Ahhhhh yes, the "other products".  Mythic Games meanwhile had been selling and doing Kickstarters for more games.  While apparently doing not only nothing at all about the Monsterpocalypse intellectual property, but it's been speculated by many that the company took that $1.3 million from the Monsterpocalypes drive and has been applying it to their own IPs.

Is that the truth?  I don't know... but I can report that bulk e-mails have been regularly received by my main account, pitching other games.  I've tried unsubscribing but that's not happening.

Those updates?  The ones that Mythic promised at the start of the year would be a regular feature?  The most recent update was on March 31.  There has been absolutely nothing from the company about Monsterpocalypse since then.  Complete radio silence.

This, is unacceptable.

If the company would be straight with us, and give assurance that the Monstepocalypse Board Game was being produced even now, then I might... might... be willing to wait another year.  I believe a number of backers of this project would be willing too.

Unfortunately the more shady that Mythic Games gets with us, the more that our patience runs thin.  The more that some might be inclined to press legal charges against the company.  Mythic Games is based in Paris however, which may make litigation that much more wonky.  But I'm sure there are some with a little know-how and understanding of the French legal system who could start a court case against the company.

A year and a half ago I was cheerfully steering readers of this blog to the Monsterpocalypse Board Game pledge manager.  I believed with honest intent that Mythic Games was going to deliver on this product.  However it increasingly is becoming apparent that the resources pledged on this particular Kickstarter have been misappropriated and abused and that there is no publishing of this game that is actively being pursued.

Mythic Games made me look foolish.  It did that for everyone who was enthusiastic about Monsterpocalypse not only about this particular product, but about the entire franchise.  Monsterpocalypse is a very fun pastime.  To see it treated like this, is abhorrent.  It deserves much better.  Maybe it's primary publisher Privateer Press can take over the project.  But that would require the original funding being transmitted to them, and I don't think that's going to be possible.

What am I trying to say with this post?

Avoid Mythic Games like the plague.  That company has abused our trust in it.  If you've been contemplating getting this Monsterpocalypse-based game, DO NOT DO SO.  Neither would I recommend any other product that Mythic Games is presenting as a game.

Mythic Games owes us a solid explanation.  And if there is no Monsterpocalypse coming, it owes us our money back.

Will that happen?  I doubt it.  But at least with this article some may have warning against doing business with them again.

EDIT 10/18/2023 8:53 PM EST: A correction.  I have been notified by a number of readers that while Mythic Games has much of their operations in France, their headquarters is located in Luxembourg.  This blogger appreciates that bit of information.

Read More

Monsterpocalypse Board Game is coming at ya!

Several years go, this blogger went a little nuts over Privateer Press's Monsterpocalypse.  The kaiju-inspired miniatures game became a staple every week at friendly local game store HyperMind.  I ended up collecting a complete army for all the factions that got released.

Then something happened: Privateer Press sold the rights to a Monsterpocalypse movie.  The project - which was to have been helmed by Tim Burton - did not get made.  And the game languished in licensing hell for several years.  And then a few years ago Privateer Press brought Monsterpocalypse back: as a "hobby game".  The minis were no longer pre-painted, although they were somewhat larger than the original models.  By that time I wasn't feeling up to getting into the game again, though my love of the concept was always there.

Well, call Monsterpocalypse the franchise that just won't die, because soon there'll be ANOTHER way to get your kaiju-crushing kicks!  A few months ago Privateer Press announced along with Mythic Games the coming of the Monsterpocalypse Board Game:

Look!  Game trailer!

 

 

A Kickstarter campaign followed and it was very successful at meeting its aims (I think the final "stretch goal" was the mini of a giant radioactive corgi dog).

 

The project is now on Gamefound, where you can do a late pledge for the core game along with any of the add-ons... and there are MANY.  The game will be released for retail sale but if you want to get in on it sooner (estimated shipping date for the Kickstarter product is November 2022) you'll want to go to the above link on Gamefound and get at least the Smasher pledge.  That'll snag you not only the Core box's eight monsters, you're also getting the unlocked fifteen other monsters: that's at LEAST a seven hundred dollar value for $119.

 

Needless to say, I'm back in the game.  I pledged during the Kickstarter and have since tacked on a few of the add-ons.  Especially the Simian Corp one (because really, who can resist giant monkeys and evil conglomerates?).  It's a great deal and if you like giant monsters and robots thrashing the crap out of each other, you're DEFINITELY going to want to check it out!

Read More

It was Professor Plum, in the kitchen, with the wrench

So about thirty years after I initially learned about it, this past weekend I finally played my very first game of Clue.

Up 'til now, my only real exposure to the Clue franchise was the 1985 film, which had three different endings. I got introduced to that back in college, by roomie/now filmmaking partner "Weird" Ed Woody. I told him then that Clue was always a game that I'd wanted to try but never had the chance.

That finally came on Sunday afternoon. It was raining hard in Norfolk (while everyone back home was getting snowed hard upon) and instead of going out, the four of us opted to stay in and watch movies, play games and such. And so it was that Clue was brought out.

I didn't know anything about the actual rules, but I quickly was brought up to speed. For my piece I chose Mrs. Peacock, only because she was already on the side of the board that I was sitting on.

And I didn't win. That honor belonged to our friend Grace. But I had a heck of a fun time! Lord willing we have some children ('cuz Clue needs 3-6 players) I'm definitely gonna invest in a copy of this game.

So that's one more thing scratched off my "Must Do Before I Die" list. Now if I can only see a real tornado. And live long enough to see Elon's basketball team go to the NCAA Tournament...

Read More

I've gone mad for Monsterpocalypse!

A lot of you probably remember how over the summer I made this video on behalf of HyperMind - that groovy game store in Burlington - for a contest entry. It was for the Monsterpocapalooza event sponsored by Privateer Press for that company's Monsterpocalypse collectible miniatures game. Well as is usual whenever I'm about to get involved with something, I research the bejeebers out of it! I never get involved with a project regarding something new to me without giving it the hard hairy eyeball and reading everything that I can find on the subject. The store's owners gave me a copy of the Monsterpocalypse rulebook and I scoured the Internet for whatever I could find, and in the end we banged out a darn good video. It even made the top ten of the Monsterpocapalooza finalists. And I also have a nice letter from the president of the company praising how we parodied Cloverfield with it!

Along with the letter, Privateer Press also sent over some boxes of limited edition minis from the game. Between seeing how pretty those were, and observing how everyone in the store was way enjoying Monsterpocalypse, it was more than enough to entice me to give it a try. And that's how it all started...

So now five months and several booster box purchases later (in addition to scouring eBay for a few hard-to-find minis) I must confess: I am officially a Monsterpocalypse junkie.

Awright well, what exactly is Monsterpocalypse and why am I feeling obligated to sing its praises here? It's a game based around the "giant monsters" genre... and it's a heck of a lot of fun!!

Monsterpocalypse is a game between two players (although some ambitious folks have created custom maps that let four, six and even eight people play against each other). The game is played on a playmat. On each player's side of the mat there's "storage" spaces for your various units and both forms of your monster (more on that later) along with "wells" for your various dice. Taking up the bulk of the mat is the city map, arranged in a grid. At the beginning of the game players take turns putting various building figures onto the map, constructing a city that they will soon proceed to destroy.

Gameplay revolves greatly around how you use your dice. You've got ten "action dice", ten "power dice" and you can use any number of "boost dice" depending on what figure you're using and other factors. If you want to "spawn" a unit - which are classified as either grunts or elites - onto the board you have to spend a die (and it'll cost ya two dice for an elite). Want to move a unit? It'll cost ya one die. Attack with it? That'll cost ya a die as well. But "spending" means moving the dice from your unit pool to your monster pool... which will let you wreck even more carnage with your big monster. So there's not only a lot of strategic thinkin' that Monsterpocalypse calls for, but also a good sense of economics and wisely using your resources. If all that sounds too complex, don't worry: it's not. Games are usually very fast paced and most last under an hour. Hey, this is about ginormous monstrosities unleashing death and destruction, not... chess!

The object of the game is to destroy your opponent's monster. Which ain't as simple as it sounds. Ya see, you and the other player actually have two figures representing each of your respective monsters! The primary is the "alpha" form, which is what that monster looks like in its natural state. But accumulate enough power dice (earned by destroying units and brawling building into rubble) and you can switch your monster from its alpha to its "hyper" form: a bit more powerful and often with even cooler abilities than the alpha. Your goal in Monsterpocalypse is to inflict enough damage that both of the other player's monster forms have zero on their health trackers.

Monsterpocalypse came out a year ago and it's become a huge success for Privateer Press. When the game first came out it introduced its first six factions: G.U.A.R.D. (sorta like G.I. Joe or S.H.I.E.L.D. from the Marvel comics), Martian Menace (from the red planet), Lords of Cthul (my personal favorite faction, take a guess why), Terrasaurs (think Godzilla's kinfolk hooking up with radical environmentalist terrorist wackos), Planet Eaters (also a favorite) and Shadow Sun Syndicate (sorta like the Power Rangers on steroids). Last month Series 4 of the game, Monsterpocalypse Now! was released and rolled out six new factions: Elemental Champions, Tritons (a threat from the ocean), Savage Swarm (Them!? You'll wish it was just them), Subterran Uprising (molemen... really big molemen), UberCorp International (run by a thinly-veiled parody of Howard Hughes) and a group that's fast running up players' lists of most-liked factions, the Empire of the Apes (see the gun that Kong-sized gorilla is wielding? That's really a salvaged howitzer).

So, all of this sound like oodles of fun? It most certainly is! Nothing feels quite like building up a town only to thrash it to pieces with exotic weaponry and kaiju critters. And you can find Monsterpocalypse at most of your friendly local game stores. A lot of those usually have a dedicated group of players that meet regularly. I've started playing at HyperMind in Burlington on Thursday nights, and we've a good bunch that congregates there (including one particular 11-year old who handed my butt to me with his Subterrans last night despite my use of G.U.A.R.D.'s heavy air support... but he won the Mega Mantacon figure and is happy, so it's all fine :-).

One of my favorite online resources for all things Monsterpocalyse is Team Covenant and if you're looking for any particular figures, Team Covenant's online store is well worth visiting! They not only carry the starter box sets and boosters but also special bundles and some very good custom Monsterpocalypse dice that if you start getting heavy into this game you might wanna consider getting, 'cuz the blast markings on the regular dice have a tendency to "wear off" after several games. And 'course there's also eBay, that good ol' standby (and maybe your last, best hope of scoring a Mega Yasheth figure... hey, I am big into the Lords of Cthul, y'all ;-) And it goes without saying that the official Monsterpocalypse website is a must-see if you're thinking of getting into this game. Privateer Press just overhauled the site and among other things there's a gallery featuring every mini the game has to date, including stats. There's also a lively message board for players to discuss various aspects of the game.

Monsterpocalypse gets this blog's highest recommendation for entertainment worth checking out. There's a little something for players of all ages to enjoy... and they certainly do. And if you're in this part of North Carolina, drop me a line at theknightshift@gmail.com and let's see if we can hook up and play a round some evening :-)

Read More

Because there aren't enough movies based on board games getting made lately...

Sony Pictures has now bought up the rights to develop Parker Brothers' classic strategy game Risk into a feature film.

Read all about it here.

Unlike other properties like Monopoly (being adapted by Ridley Scott) and Candyland and Battleship, I can envision Risk being a kick-butt motion picture. It'll basically be World War III.

And every country on Earth fighting to control Australia, 'course...

Read More

Monopoly helped British POWs "Get out of jail free" from Nazi captors!

If Ridley Scott wants to make a Monopoly movie so bad, he should scrap his plans for a straight adaptation of the board game and film this instead: the ingeniously crazy and TRUE tale of how British soldiers in German POW camps during World War II used Monopoly to escape from prison. Historians are now saying that thousands of British military personnel could have literally gotten "out of jail free" and safely out of Nazi clutches... with a little help from Parker Brothers.

During World War II, as the number of British airmen held hostage behind enemy lines escalated, the country's secret service enlisted an unlikely partner in the ongoing war effort: The board game Monopoly.

It was the perfect accomplice.

Included in the items the German army allowed humanitarian groups to distribute in care packages to imprisoned soldiers, the game was too innocent to raise suspicion. But it was the ideal size for a top-secret escape kit that could help spring British POWs from German war camps.

The British secret service conspired with the U.K. manufacturer to stuff a compass, small metal tools, such as files, and, most importantly, a map, into cut-out compartments in the Monopoly board itself.

"It was ingenious," said Philip Orbanes, author of several books on Monopoly, including "The World's Most Famous Game and How it Got That Way." "The Monopoly box was big enough to not only hold the game but hide everything else they needed to get to POWs."

Right when I'd thought that I'd heard every bizarre story out of World War II, then this one comes along. Just outright amazing! Mash here for more about "Monopoly: The Stalag Edition".

Read More

Department of Homeland Security halts Monsterpocalypse strategy guide publication! "Radical ideas" espoused by board game a terrorist threat?!

Folks, please understand something: this is NOT a joke! That was my first thought when I read about this situation late last week. And then over the weekend I played Monsterpocalypse for the very first time (and very much enjoyed it) at HyperMind and this was the #1 topic of discussion among the faithful players meeting there.

So then I contacted the good people at Privateer Press, the producers of Monsterpocalypse, and received confirmation: the Department of Homeland Security has delayed the publication of the Monsterpocalypse Series 3: All Your Base Strategy Guide due to "national security concerns".

Throughout the day I have made attempts to contact the Department of Homeland Security, by both phone and e-mail. As of this writing no one in any official (or unofficial for that matter) capacity with the United States government has gotten back with me about why a collectible miniatures game focusing on giant monsters, aliens and robots wrecking havoc on tiny plastic cities is supposed to be a threat to national security.

But look! Press release!

Bellevue WA July 21, 2009—Privateer Press reports that the release of the Monsterpocalypse Series 3: All Your Base Strategy Guide for the Monsterpocalypse collectible miniatures game will be delayed due to national security concerns.

Homeland Security pulled the shipment for an intensive examination last week when it arrived in the United States. While no comment was made to the nature of the investigation, several crew members within Privateer Press believe the government became concerned over some of the more radical ideals espoused by several factions within the Monsterpocalypse game.

Privateer Press Chief Creative Officer Matt Wilson said of the investigation, "Privateer Press would like to extend its complete support to the men and women who defend our national security on a daily basis. However, I am confident that the investigation's outcome will reaffirm the rights of free speech and protest of the radical environmental group Green Fury at the perceived devastation man is having on our planet as well as the freedom of people to practice religion without governmental oversight—even those religions which may very well bring forth the minions of the ancient Lords of Cthul."

For more information and updates on this and other Monsterpocalypse news visit www.monsterpocalypse.com.

About the Monsterpocalypse Collectible Miniatures Game

The collectible miniatures game (CMG) Monsterpocalypse brings the giant-monster genre—a pop culture favorite—to the tabletop in the form of a fast-paced, action-packed game. Designed by Matt Wilson, the award-winning creator of WARMACHINE and HORDES, Monsterpocalypse leverages the critically acclaimed abilities of Privateer Press as a leading miniatures manufacturer to enter a new category of product with a property that appeals to a worldwide fan base of all ages. Players can visit www.monsterpocalypse.com for game previews and updates.


About Privateer Press, Inc.

Privateer Press, Inc. is a privately held producer of entertainment and hobby brands based in the Seattle area. Its products include the newly released Monsterpocalypse collectible miniatures game, the award-winning WARMACHINE and HORDES hobby miniatures games, the award-winning Iron Kingdoms property, Bodger Games, the full-color No Quarter Magazine, and the Formula P3 hobby line. To learn more about Privateer Press, visit www.privateerpress.com or contact the president, Sherry Yeary, at (425) 643-5900 or sherry@privateerpress.com.

July 21, 2009

Incidentally, something very similar was reported a month ago happening to comic book artist/writer Mark Sable, whose new graphic novel series Unthinkable deals with possible terrorist scenarios that begin coming true.

But so far as Monsterpocalypse goes: I suppose that this might well mark the very first time, ever, that the U.S. government has made an official position against giant dinosaurs, Martian invaders, and Lovecraftian horrors from beyond the realm of normal space and time.

Sleep soundly, folks! Whether it be protecting us from Taliban terrorists or Green Fury activists, the Department of Homeland Security is on the job!

I just wish that I could be anything but a nervous wreck. I mean, after making this video for HyperMind's entry for the Monsterpocapalooza event...

...does this mean that I'm now suspected by Homeland Security of colluding with "terrists" and using weapons of mass destruction?!?

In a different time and a saner age, that might be pretty funny. But when tiny plastic toys are considered a legitimate enough danger to American sovereignty as to warrant spending time and money stopping the publication of a game manual, something is seriously off-kilter in this country.

Read More

HyperMind's video for the Monsterpocalypse contest makes the Top Ten!

Two weeks ago I let y'all know about a promotional video that I worked on for HyperMind, that groovy game store in Burlington. The video was for HyperMind's big Monsterpocalypse day this coming Saturday, and was also an entry in that game's Monsterpocapalooza mega-event going on this summer.

Well, the votes have been tallied and our lil' video has made it into the Top Ten! There wound up being about 22 entries altogether. We are very thankful to be in one of the top spots, and we wish to thank everyone who voted for us!

Here it is again if you haven't seen it yet...

Again, thank you to all who watched and rated our video. The final winner will be announced on July 31st... and we'll be keeping our fingers crossed 'til then! :-)

Read More

Promo video for the MONSTERPOCAPALOOZA event at HyperMind!

So for the past several days I've been engulfed in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects and whatnot. Hard at work for some good friends: HyperMind in Burlington (click here for the first write-up I did about 'em). Well, among the very popular games that HyperMind carries is Monsterpocalypse, and this summer its publisher Privateer Press is having a mondo ginormous event called Monsterpocapalooza. As part of the festivities leading up to the release of a new add-on for the game is a contest where game stores are invited to make a promo video for their Monsterpocalypse events.

So anyhoo, here is HyperMind's entry. I thought it would be neat if we spoofed Cloverfield. And it came out pretty good!

Thanks to everyone in the HyperMind extended family for making this video possible! And if you enjoyed their efforts, please feel free to give a high rating on the promo's YouTube page, 'cuz we're hoping to land a huge launch party for the upcoming Monsterpocalypse Series 4: Monsterpocalypse Now!

Read More

Quentin Campbell fights the Zombies!!!

So a few days ago en route to see Star Trek at the Wachovia IMAX in Raleigh, good friend/fellow blogger Phillip Arthur and I stopped by HyperMind in Burlington, 'cuz Phillip is a fellow geek in good standing and I thought he'd get a kick out of this place, and we had plenty of time before the 10 p.m. showing (we also hooked up with Chad Austin, who really needs to update his blog sometime 'specially since he now has only 26 days left as a free man before taking the vows). But anyway...

While we were in HyperMind, I spotted this game box and took a picture of it with my new cellphone. It's something called Zombies!!!, the "Director's Cut" version. And I've been told that it's a pretty popular tile-based strategy game. But what caught my eye was the chainsaw-wielding protagonist fighting off the undead on the front of the box.

I can't figure out if that's supposed to be Quentin Tarantino or Bruce Campbell.

Just for fun I took it around the store and showed it to some more people. The opinions were pretty evenly split: about the same number of people thought it was Bruce Campbell as thought it was Quentin Tarantino.

What do you think? If you need a better look aim your sights at the Zombies!!! entry on BoardGameGeek.

Read More

No Verbinski, no! Make BIOSHOCK instead! PLEASE!

The last time I heard any news about Gore Verbinski (who helmed the Pirates of the Caribbean movies for Disney), he was gearing up to direct the big-screen adaptation of the video game BioShock. And Universal was said to be wanting it to come out in the summer of 2010.

Apparently, plans have changed.

The Hollywood Reporter is breaking the word that Verbinski will be working for Universal all right... but on a feature film version of the board game Clue.

I wish to heck that I were making this up.

Look, here's the thing: Clue has already been done! It was a movie that came out in December 1985 starring Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn and Martin Mull (among others). And it was a good movie, as its now-cult status has proven. If you've never had the pleasure, I would definitely recommend getting it via NetFlix or whatever. The gimmick of Clue the movie is that they filmed three different endings, so depending on which theater (or which screen at that theater, as some carried more than one version) you went to see it at, there was possibly a whole different outcome of the story. It was a brilliant take on the rules of the classic game.

Trust me: this is one movie that doesn't need to be remade. It is well enough on its own, still today. But Hollywood now seems hellbent on exploiting board games as its next "money-making" genre, what with Ridley Scott directing Monopoly, Michael Bay producting Ouija Board and Ethan Cohen writing the script for Candyland (?!?!?).

Gore Verbinski, if you ever read this: I'm begging you good sir, please... don't do this. There's nothing wrong with BioShock. That's a movie you were born to direct. Trust me: there's nothing but grief that can possibly come from another Clue. In the name of all that's good and holy, I urge you to reconsider.

Read More