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Volume #4

Issue #17P o l y g l o t ™

The language of gaming

A free publication by Polymancer® Studios, Inc..20 Weredale Park, Westmount QC, H3Z 1Y6 CANADA

(514) 667-1585 (Canada) • Skype: Polymancer • Twitt er: Polymancerpolyglot@polymancerstudios.com, www.polymancer.com

Green Ronin to Release DC Adventures RPG Books _ 1John Eric Holmes, MD: 1930 - 2010 _______________2Be Bold & Brave ____________________________ 3Important Information About Necronomicon ______4Hârn News ________________________________ 5Moms Are Gamers Too! ______________________6Latest Staff Reviews from OneBookshelf __________ 7God the Dyslexic Dog Vol. 3 and Wonder Con 2010 _ 14Palladium Books v. Trion Worlds, Inc. et al _______ 15News from Flying Buffalo ____________________ 16New This Week – Traveller and Deus Vult ________ 17Naval Week at Avalanche Press! _______________ 18Tips from About.com _______________________ 19Mongoose to Supply Official D&D 4e Sets from Gale Force Nine _______________________________ 20

Featured reviews from WargameVault.com _______ 21Upper Deck Lands Paul Meyer as New President ___ 23More News from Avalanche Press ______________ 24The Unexplained now Available in Hardcover _____ 24From P.I.G. _______________________________ 25From Forge World _________________________ 26Palladium Books vs. Trion Worlds: The latest Court Documents _______________________________ 27Be A Hero – Special ICONS Release For Gulf Spill Charities _________________________________ 34NEW LIGHT TANKS _______________________ 35MEDIEVAL GAMERS: LET’s GO TO TOWN _____ 36IPG releases “Third and Long” ________________ 36News from Dark Sword Miniatures: 13 New Releases & New Sculpts ______________________________ 37

American Artifacts Now Available from Hex Games 38The Elementals Have Awaken… Within You! _____ 38Otakuthon Announces Guest of Honor _________ 39‘WARMACHINE: Prime Mk II’ Wins Top Honors at RPC ____________________________________ 39DFC Intelligence Forecasts Worldwide Game Market to Reach $70 Billion by 2015 _____________________40New Infantry Fighting Vehicles in the NATO Module 41Tech News from ZDNet _____________________ 42News from GameIndustry.com ________________ 43Max and the Magic Marker (PC & MAC) now available on Steam WORLDWIDE ____________________ 44Wizards of the Coast Brings Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers to PC Users via Steam __ 45Legal notice regarding the content of Polyglot™ ___ 46

Green Ronin to Release DC Adventures RPG BooksGame Industry Leader Signs Licensing Deal with DC Comics

SEATTLE, WA and NEW YORK, NEW YORK—Green Ronin Publishing announced today that it has signed a licensing agreement with DC Comics and will be releasing the DC ADVENTURES RPG book this August. The game is based on Green Ronin’s Mutants & Masterminds, the leading super-hero RPG in the tabletop gaming world.

“It is DC’s 75th anniversary this year and I'm delighted we can help celebrate it by bringing the DC Universe back to the roleplaying hobby,” said Green Ronin President Chris Pramas. “The team-up of the DCU and the creators behind Mutants & Masterminds will create an unstoppable force of great gaming!”

The DC ADVENTURES game will consist of four books, each done in full color and beautifully illustrated by top comic artists. The line launches in August with the DC ADVENTURES Hero’s Handbook. Following it will be Heroes & Villains, Volume 1 in the fall. Then 2011 will see the release of Heroes & Villains, Volume 2 and DC ADVENTURES: Universe.

More information and previews of the DC Adventures line will appear on

www.greenronin.com and www.mutantsandmasterminds.com in the coming months.

About Green Ronin Publishing

Green Ronin Publishing is a Seattle-based company known for its dedication to quality books and games. Founded in 2000, Green Ronin

has won more awards for excellence and innovation than any other game company in the new millennium, and took home the coveted ENnie Award for Best Publisher an unprecedented three years running. With great licenses like Dragon Age and A Song of Ice and Fire, groundbreaking games like Mutants & Masterminds and Blue Rose, and a roster of top fl ight designers

and illustrators, Green Ronin Publishing is a leading light in the hobby game industry.

About DC Comics

DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Sandman. These DC Super Heroes and others have starred in comic books, movies, television series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences of all ages for generations. DC Comics' Web site is located at www.dccomics.com.

Green Ronin, Mutants & Masterminds, and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing.

The DC Univ erse and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics © 2010. All Rights Reserved.

we can help celebrate it by bringing the DC Universe back to the roleplaying hobby,” said Green Ronin President Chris Pramas. “The team-up of the DCU and the

for Best Publisher an unprecedented three years running. With great licenses like Dragon Age and A Song of Ice and Fire, groundbreaking games like Mutants & Masterminds and Blue Rose, and a roster of top fl ight designers

and illustrators, Green Ronin Publishing is a leading light in the hobby game industry.

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John Eric Holmes, MD: 1930 - 2010A D&D dabbler who worked on the original Basic Set

It recently came to be known that the editor of the original Dungeons & Dragons®

boxed set passed away in the past few months. Details are sketchy at this time, partly because of the intense privacy of John Eric Holmes’s life, but mostly because he was a somewhat obscure fi gure in the hobby game industry, in spite of the important role that he played in it.

We will never hear any recollections about Dr. Holmes from E. Gary Gygax or Dave Arneson, because Mr. Gygax died in 2008 and Arneson died in 2009. It is unfortunate, however, that the very nature of the hobby game industry – indeed the publishing industry in general – is such that people who play vital roles in the processes behind producing the products that we know and love often pass unnoticed. Editors bear the ultimate responsibility for taking written work and making it suitable for publishing. The vast majority of written work is simply not fi r for public consumption until an editor has worked on it. In the case of Dr. Holmes, he was hired by TSR as an outside writer to take previous editions of the rules and re-write them to create a consistent, readable, offi cial version of the game. Such an important role was played by someone who is almost never named in the various written histories of the gaming hobby. We should pause and take note of the editors, art directors, proofreaders, paginators, graphic artists, and other silent contributors who each lend their special talents to creating the works that we enjoy.

Certainly, Dr. Holmes will not be forgotten. He wrote many novels that were licensed by the estate of Edgar Rice

Burroughs for his Pellucidar world and other works of fi ction, too. Many of his short stories appeared in Dragon magazine, back when it was called The Dragon, as well as some serious gaming articles for that magazine. His works covered H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos and topics relating to the “lost civilizations” fi ction trope. An interest in the pulp era is plainly evident; and it is notable that a pulp era infl uence still permeates throughout the roleplaying hobby to this day. Not to mention that Holmes was a neurologist and a professor of neurology. He reportedly did important research into Parkinson’s Disease. Yet even this “serious”

pursuit did not escape roleplaying, as he wrote some articles about the subject in magazines like Psychology Today and even a serious academic book on the topic.

We should also take note that the popularity of various “ret-clones” of earlier editions of Dungeons & Dragons are very popular now. Through all the enthusiasm for D&D 3.5Edition, 4th Edition, and Pathfi nder™, a growing number of gamers are appreciating the charming elegance of the edition of D&D for which Dr. Holmes was responsible.

What little we know about John Eric Holmes is enough for us to know that he was a remarkable man, which should remind us to pay closer attention to the names on a book’s credits page. Perhaps that would be the best way to remember the man.

The Observer

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Be Bold & BraveAnd other news from PIG

Go super with Bold & Brave, the heroic add-on for genreDiversion™ 3E. Create paragon, gadgeteer, mutant, alien, and constructed heroes. This is a must-have book for genreDiversion fans with tons of powers, new exploits, power limitations, hero weaknesses, acclaim and heroism meters, sample heroes, and more. Now available!

For more information, click here.

Disposable Heroes® Galore

Take your pick from lots of new paper miniatures sets, available in both Customizable and Statix versions, and some pre-printed titles.

Print your Customizable Sets to Order!!The biggest news is that you can now save customizable

settings and have them printed and shipped to you in full-color on quality cardstock (requires customizable sets).

Coming Soon: Build Your Own Sets 2 and 3The fi rst Build Your Own set lets you upload your own

artwork to create truly customizable paper miniatures, but

the upcoming Sets 2 and 3 will do the same for large fi gures (2x normal size for Set 2 and 2.5x normal size for Set 3). Keep your eyes open for these revolutionary services.

For more information, click here.

Treasure Awaits! Pocket Edition Coming Soon

A special pocket edition of Ancient Odysseys: Treasure Awaits! is now at the printer. This small book includes the same content as the books in the boxed set, but in a much more portable format. Look for it in the Precis Intermedia catalog shortly.

Dungeon-crawls have never been like this, as the game supports GM-less, solo, and traditional gamemaster play. Quick and easy confl ict resolution requires only a six-sided die. Experience perilous traps, vicious monsters, toxic poisons, powerful magics, and valuable treasures in an affordable package that is perfect for beginners and veteran gamers alike.

For more information, click here.

Get Ready for another 666 Clearance Sale

Be sure to follow Brett’s Blog, so you don’t miss the latest clearance sale on miscut, misprinted, and just plain sub-par books sitting in storage. If you're looking for a new game and don’t mind a few problems here and there, you can pick up one of these books for only $6.66. But, you have to be fast, as orders are taken on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis with very limited quantities. The start date of the sale will be announced on the blog, so make sure you watch it or subscribe to its RSS feed to stay informed.

Free Downloads

Don’t miss these downloadable freebies:

• The Pundit on Dungeons, advice for creating dungeons.• Treasure Awaits! Clerics, guidelines for adding Warrior-

Wizards to Treasure Awaits!• More Weapons, a bunch of new weapons for HardNova 2.• Armor & Powersuits, a bunch of new armor options for

HardNova 2.• Treasure Awaits! In Town, equipment lists and random item

tables.• Civilization’s Fall Part 1, an adventure for the upcoming

Stormrift game, but usable with EarthAD2 and genreDiversion.

the upcoming Sets 2 and 3 will do the same for large fi gures

your eyes open for these revolutionary services.

Treasure Awaits! Pocket Edition Coming Soon

Awaits! is now at the printer. This small book includes the

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We had 4 more games added to the schedule and expect more to come over the next couple of months.http://www.rjritchie.com/nomicon/index.htm

Game Masters, if you plan to run something for us, please sign up or email and give us a heads up. Space is limited (we only have 1 room, and it’s one of the ones we had round tables in at Necronomicon, so you know it’s not huge) and we also want to contact gaming companies for prize support. Knowing what games we'll have will help us know which companies to contact.

TWITTER NEWS

Be sure to follow us on Twitter for the latest news on the convention https://twitter.com/NecroGamingAnd if you want to be notifi ed whenever a new game is registered be sure to follow @NecroStonechatPlease be sure to follow @thinkgeek, our gaming prize sponsor!If you're on Twitter and we're not following you, drop us a note on Twitter @NecroGaming and ask us to follow you.FACEBOOK NEWS: If you're on Facebook you can join our group “Necronomicon Science Fiction Convention - Tampa,

Fl” here: http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=595013810&k=5V13X46ZUT6F2EMBSEZT2USTQSDEXU2&oid=40466053591And our event page is “Necronomicon Game Day 2010” http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=595013810&k=5V13X46ZUT

6F2EMBSEZT2USTQSDEX34&oid=115261491826505We look forward to seeing you online and in July.

Thanks,

Dean & Heather DryerGaming Directors

Important Information About Necronomicon Game Day!

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Hârn News

Upcoming HarnQuest Releases (coming in May)

HârnQuest subscribers will be billed later this week. Please update accounts as necessary. The new issue will include:

• Bedenes Keep (North Rethem)• Birds (Bestiary)• Atlas Hârnica Map C6

Free RPG Day

Saturday June 19th, 2010 and many local stores. Columbia Games is supporting this event and is looking for Gamemasters who are able to run a Hârn event in their local store on Free RPG Day. Read more at: http://www.freerpgday.com/

Contact us directly to arrange additional support.

HARNCON 2010

HarnCon VIII will be held in the beautiful and sunny city of San Diego, Friday July 30th, 2010 to Sunday August 1st, 2010.The Con will be held at the San Diego Downtown Holiday Inn:

http://www.hisandiegodowntown.com/index.phpThe Con itself will be held on the 16th fl oor, in the Skyline Room: http://www.hisandiegodowntown.com/gallery/large/12.

jpg, registration for the Con itself costs $25.00 USD a person to offset the cost of the meeting space.Read more at: http://www.lythia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=11151

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Moms Are Gamers Too! – Tabletop Adventures' Sale

Tabletop Adventures announces our sixth annual “Moms Are Gamers Too!” sale in honor of Mother’s Day. We are offering 10% off on all our products from now through Tuesday, May 11. You can fi nd our products at RPGNow and DriveThruRPG.

In addition, if you are a mom who is a gamer, have a mom who is a gamer, or know a mom who is a gamer, write us and tell us about her and we will give you a coupon for 30% off the product of your choice.

Send your mom info to publisher@tabletopadventures.com. Please tell us about the gamer mom you know (or are), let us know where you heard about the sale and indicate for which product you would like a coupon. (Coupons will be good through June 30, 2010.) These accounts of moms in gaming may show up on our web site, with all identifying information removed, of course. To read some of the great comments we received in previous years, see the sale information page of our web site.

In other news, Tabletop Adventures now has a Facebook page. There you can fi nd announcements, product samples, and occasional witty banner. We invite you to join us on Facebook!

Also, in case you missed the announcement, Tabletop Adventures recently made available The One Page Dungeon Codex 2009, Deluxe. This excellent free product is the culmination of a contest sponsored by two prominent RPG bloggers: to describe a system-neutral dungeon (or other adventure setting), complete with encounters, in a single page. The winning entries are collected in this full-color e-book and we are pleased to offer it as part of our mission to provide Help for the Harried Game Master.

Take advantage of any of these special offers, and join Tabletop Adventures in celebrating Mother’s Day. Buy it Today, Play it Tonight!

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Latest Staff Reviews from OneBookshelf

When you have been Dungeon Mastering as long as I have, you can get quite bored with the way most gamers play the game. Roll dice, try to metagame the enemies weaknesses and exploit them with your supped up special attack or magical combo. But I continue Dungeon Mastering because I love fi nding and playing with the player who thinks outside the box and uses strategy and tactics to play the game.

I do not know what cool group Flynn Dielle fi rst sprouted his creative brain, but it’s the kind of awesome character I love to design adventures for and the voice behind 4 Winds Fantasy Gaming’s Strategists & Tacticians The Defi nitive Guide to the Clever Warriors.

Strategists & Tacticians is surprisingly mechanic driven in its presentation. The 82 page PDF goes a different route than similar books, avoiding strategies and tactics for current class abilities and feats and instead presenting all new variations of them that support “creative” uses more so than the current batch. In what would fi rst seem like an odd deviation comes across as a great idea. Instead of providing classes, feats and spells that rub the power ceiling, it goes the right of creating fl avorful new toys that add diversity on the battle fi eld.

For the PlayerThere is a little something for every type of gamer in this book. For the most

part, by using mechanics instead of fl avor, it allows even the hack and slasher to fi nd something he can use to add a bit more variety to his arsenal. Fighters will love the brutal feats that allow you to severe limbs effecting other enemies in several different ways. For those who really want a change, there are 2 new classes and 14 prestige classes that are quite unique. Jinx, a luck manipulating prestige class, is one of my favorites.

For the Dungeon MasterTactical Maneuvers have been done before, but they have a crisp and easy new

presentation that bonds well with Pathfi nders Combat Maneuver Bonus system. There is a great table on limb severing that should be used with caution. If your players react extremely negatively to losing items, imagine what they would do if they loose a leg. Thoughtfully, the author has included an appendix that provides some prosthetics.

The Iron wordStrategists & Tacticians is an adventurous endeavor that slides into the strike

zone by inches to provide a fun alternative to the power creeping game style.

Strategists & Tacticiansby 4 Winds Fantasy Gaminghttp://rpg.drivethrustuff .com/product_info.php?products_id=80668&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $10.95Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (from Nathan Collins)

This time, Super Genius Games was designed a product a little too creative for their own good. The Genius Guide to the Shaman is a fantastic and diverse presentation of a shaman class for the Pathfi nder Game system, but it may be too innovative for some.

Its innovation comes in the form of giving the players the power to pull just about any spell or ability out of the d20 universe and use it for their ability with a few rolls. In a short 13 pages, The Shaman provides a strong 20 level class designed around a character that can summon spirits and use their abilities. The power is checked by its length of time, several ability checks and rules that call for the player to role play out every spirit interaction.

This is a class for a player who believes in role-playing. In the hands of a player who loves to role-play, it can be one of the most entertaining designs that have come around in a time. However, in the hands of a powergamer or munchkin, this class can easily be broken and create a character that is direly unfriendly to play with.

The Genius Guide to the Shamanby OtherWorld Creationshttp://rpg.drivethrustuff .com/product_info.php?products_id=64629&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $1.99Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (from Nathan Collins)

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For the PlayerIf you enjoy combining fl avorful mechanics with in character role-playing, The

Shaman delivers a fun experience. The class can substitute as a healing class and, played creatively, can become a formidable control and damage caster.

For the Dungeon MasterKeep this class out of the hands of any player who does not absolutely love role-

playing. It took me only one week to realize I made a mistake when I allowed a player to play this class. I had a specked out low-level character dreaming of new ways to cast 8th and 9th level spells by altering his abilities.

The Iron WordThe Shaman is one of my favorite classes by Super Genius and yet most frustrating.

It is a class you can not introduce into every gaming group. However, if you have a good roleplaying focused group, this class is a great replacement for the mundane cleric healer and melds smoothly with wilderness campaigns.

Deep, complex intrigue lies at the heart of A Song of Ice and Fire, and this adventure is jam-packed with it! Featuring a complex plot designed to cast the characters and their House in the worst possible light while advancing another fellow to high position in both his own House and the land, there is absolutely no chance for any character to sit on the sidelines and observe. A Royal Tournament is to be held in King’s Landing, a chance for young men of mettle to impress... while in the background nobles of all ages plot and connive for position no less fi ercely.

The plot, albeit complex, is laid out very clearly for the GM in the Introduction, and a range of ideas are provided to get characters even more embroiled than they will be anyway including suggestions for mystical foreshadowing of events (coupled

with ideas of how to present both foreshadowing and event effectively). As it is a very plot-driven adventure, another useful section explains ways of dealing with both characters who fathom the plot too quickly and those who stand looking puzzled and let the 'Bad Guy' run rings around them. There’s also advice on how to make the core adventure work with groups of characters less likely to succeed, such as ones that are weak in combat skills or with an unusual range of classes - the adventure works best if you have a couple of knights, if only to have them participate in the tournament that provides pretext and backdrop for the main action, but other options are possible, even the delightfully off-beat one of a group of youngsters sent to observe proceedings!

So, on to the actual events. Chapter 1 deals with the journey to King’s Landing and events along the way - some, but not all, are germane to the plotline. Myriads of NPCs are detailed to bring even a journey to life: making it more than a mere interlude to get the characters to where they have to be. With Chapter 2: Welcome to King’s Landing, they arrive and settle in. Despite there being plenty going on, the GM is encouraged to weave character-specifi c events in at this point, another example of how the whole adventure is presented as something the GM can personalise for the characters concerned, rather than railroad them through a plot regardless. However, the main plot is not forgotten with comprehensive detail of who is up to what and a timeline to help keep everything on track. There are also hints as to how best to introduce any characters from the books on which this game is based, yet another nice touch.

Peril at King’s Landingby Green Roninhttp://rpg.drivethrustuff .com/product_info.php?products_id=63601&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $12.00Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (from Megan Robertson)

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Chapter 3: The King’s Tourney details events once the tournament proper begins, beginning with the formalities of parades and a banquet. The game rules for jousting are given, clearly distinguished from 'real' fi ghting - while accidents do happen nobody is supposed to be killed! Again there is plenty going on, both on and off the fi eld, and much for characters to get involved in, whether their interests lie in intrigue, combat, gambling or anything else.

Finally, Chapter 4: Poisoned Words introduces yet more twists to the plot even as it is resolved. Many permutations and possible outcomes are laid out to aid the GM in determining what happens, and what the consequences will be. Put it this way, nobody will forget the closing feast in a hurry!

As an appendix, there is a Guide to King’s Landing, useful during the course of this adventure and whenever your characters might happen to be in town. While there’s a fair bit here, even more detail is to be found in the SIFRPG Campaign Guide... but you have suffi cient here to make the city come to life in your game. There are also copious notes on all the major players that your characters will encounter during this adventure. And, should you wish to jump straight in, some pre-generated characters.

This adventure is exciting and fi lled to the brim with intrigue. While there are plenty of opportunities for combat as well, you need players who enjoy plotting and conniving, who will relish complex politics - but if you do, this will make a memorable game.

Set in Open Design’s campaign world that has already explored for both the 3rd and 4th Editions of Dungeons & Dragons, this Gazetteer describes the Principality of Morgau and Doresh and Realms Subterranean; the powerhouse of the undead in this setting. In the Introduction, Wolfgang Baur explains his fascination with death and the undead and their suitability as major-league villains within role-playing games. Highlighting the tendency of many games to restrict them to skulking in crypts, here is presented undead society in all its glory, princes and lords of their lands, at least as potent as any mortal monarch.

Chapter 1 tells of the Princes of Morgau and Doresh, once as unremarkable as any noble but now exclusively drawn from the ranks of the undead: ghouls, vampires and

other undead with suffi cient intelligence for the role. Always a bit of a haven for bandits and the lawless, things started to go downhill with the arrival of an exotic nobleman who just seemed to... take over. Promoting the worship of the Blood Goddess Marena and dealing harshly with anyone who questioned his status, this Prince Lucan was soon founding the Order of the Knights Incorporeal and leading the people of Morgau in conquest of Doresh - and so this rich tapesty of background and history goes on up to the present: a land constantly at war with its neighbours possibly to keep the citizens too occupied to rebel against masters who require not just taxes and military service, but their very blood! However, the various undead nobles don’t just make poor neighbours, they are continually bickering amongst themselves as well. Rich detail on the personalities involved (and Pathfi nder game stats, should your characters meet them) are supplied. It’s a fi ne Ruritanian setting, all crags and castles and petty nobles seeking advantage while everyone else seeks to survive - just reading about it spawns adventure ideas a-plenty! And the wealth of information ends with a note that few outsiders know much of what is going on here, so your characters can have fun (?) fi nding out - with a few ideas about how to persuade them to visit!

Chapter 2 explores the Ghoul Imperium. This lies under Morgau and Doresh, with the ghouls generally only coming above-ground to feed. They fi ght a fair bit when below ground as well, amongst themselves and anyone else they encounter. The place is a swirling maelstrom of intrigue, individuals and religious cults vying for power; with slaves an important currency - even if frequently eaten by hungry ghouls. There is much here that is unusual and fascinating... if you can stay uneaten

Imperial Gazetteerby Open Designhttp://rpg.drivethrustuff .com/product_info.php?products_id=80998&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $9.95Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (from Megan Robertson)

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long enough to discover it.Chapter 3: Underdark Locations and Encounters provides an underground gazetteer for anyone tempted to visit the

Ghoul Imperium (or who survives being captured and taken there by force). It could be quite interesting to go spelunking here, but fairly deadly as well. NPCs you are likely to meet and rumours you might hear are well-described, fertile material for interaction for those brave enough to venture down here. Not everyone down here is undead, and apart from the Ghoul Imperium described in the previous chapter there are other settlements and groups who may prove somewhat more welcoming, or at least unlikely to eat you! One brilliant aid for the GM is that the distinctive smells of each place are described - most fairly vile and the well-prepared traveller might want to take a nosegay or improvise a gas mask (such a device is detailed as a magic item available in the Ghoul Imperium, although I didn’t think bad smells bother them...). The smell of a place can be very evocative and potent in setting the scene, so it is good to see it mentioned here.

Continuing the exploration of subterranean realms is Chapter 4: Darakhan, the City of White. Capital of the Ghoul Imperium, it’s a hard and unforgiving place, under the sway of undead legions, much of the population impoverished and scavenging for scraps, fi lled with intrigue and endless striving for advancement and advantage.

Finally, Chapter 5: Monsters, provides details of many new underground denizens, mostly but not all undead, who can provide extra challenges to unwary travellers. All are described with great attention to detail - society, appearance, habits - as well as the information necessary to use them in a fi ght. Whether your characters wish a brawl or a conversation, you have what you need to run them effectively. Strange indeed are the mycolids, for example, sentient mushrooms that farm and trade far underground.

Above ground and below, this book provides a wealth of resources, places and people to bring undead - well, I was about to say 'to life' but that doesn’t sound right - into prominence in your game, whether in the intended setting or transplanted to a suitable location in your regular campaign world. Undead can be a whole lot more than combat fodder, and this work gives you ideas and tools to use them to full effect.

The Fantasy Companion your standard races of elves, dwarves, halfl ings and half-orcs, but also features the Saurians and Rakashans, lizard-folk and cat-folk respectively. With a few quick little tweaks, you’ve got your Dragonborn and Tiefl ings from D&D quite easily. There are some awesome rules for sieges, which I will implement post-haste if I’ve got the chance to run a fantasy game. There’s a ton about magical items, as well as many intelligent items, and a large bestiary. Also, their magic has been greatly expanded upon in

this book, adding trappings to powers to make them quite different. One wizard could employ two different bolt powers and they’d be very different if he used either ice or fi re as the trapping on the power.

Savage Worlds Fantasy Companionby Pinnacle Entertainmenthttp://rpg.drivethrustuff .com/product_info.php?products_id=64257&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $14.99Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (from Mark Meredith)

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By the time I got into comic books, it was all superheroes. I was much too late to have missed the earlier days when the comic industry was trying all sorts of different genres to keep afl oat. Weird pulp tales and pirate comics were already collectibles, and format had long since been settled into the traditional set of panels seen now. But sometimes I wonder what the old comics were like…and while I don’t know for certain, Mars Invades Venus certainly seems to be calling up that old style.

Published by Erisian Entertainment, Mars Invades Venus is published as being a “serial graphic novel,” though I’m unsure if that means that there’ll be a second issue or not. Presumably so, since the story doesn’t even try to come to a resolution. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The book is in PDF format, and is twenty-fi ve pages long, consisting of a cover and twenty-four pages of the story; oddly, there’s no credits page or introduction or anything, not even a back cover. Each page is a single panel, with a small narrative (usually a paragraph long) tucked into one of the corners. The title is also present in a corner of each page, which seems strange that it labels itself so much…it gave me the impression that these were all separate pictures that were put together and had the text added later to create a narrative whole, though I have no idea if this is true or not.

Graphically, the book is quite a feast for the eyes, as the book is entirely composed of full-color full-page spreads. The art style seems fairly retro, though I’m not well-versed enough in comic art to describe the specifi cs of it. Still, I found it to be fairly well-done in terms of coloration, proportions, and detail.

Where some people won’t care for the book, I think, is in terms of the story it tells (and how it tells it). The plot here is extremely thin, and can be pretty well fi gured out from the title alone. The inhabitants of Mars – all of whom are hideous green men with claws and faces like skulls – are dying. Despite their advanced technology, they’re unable to deal with their planets ecological changes (Mars is growing colder) or the fact that there’s no more DNA from their extinct females left to reproduce with. Thus the decision is made to invade their ancestral planet, Venus…though I’m unsure if it’s to conquer the planet, or take women from it and return home.

Venus, by contrast, is a jungle-world fi lled with all sorts of dinosaurs and ferocious mammals (some real, others made-up), and is home to warring tribes of amazons. Of course, the amazons are all bikini-wearing sex pots who ride dinosaurs and round up men like herd animals. Interestingly, while it’s never hinted at, the understanding here seems to be that the Martians were men who fl ed from this sort of treatment in the fi rst place…or at least, that’s what I thought.

This consists of just a fraction of the panels, before we get to the actual invasion and war. Despite their tanks, fl ying pods, mecha-armor, and ray guns, the majority of the story has the Martians getting their green asses kicked more often than not. In large part this seems to be because the amazons keep sicking their dinosaurs on them…and this is where the story goes from campy to downright unbelievable, since while it might be plausible that a tyrannosaurus rex could stomp through mecha-armor, I have a very hard time believing that a pterodactyl-riding spear-throwing woman could down an alien fl ying pod, or that the Martians would be stupid enough to do the majority of their raiding on foot.

Simply put, most of the situations have isolated Martians getting harried by the local fauna largely because the full-page spread looks better with a sexy woman up front. Almost no logic is shown on the Martians part, but reading this makes me think that asking for anything other than a shoestring plot is foolishness anyway. This comic exists largely to show off T&A, particularly in contrast to green men and giant lizards. In fact, given that there’s no resolution to the invasion by the end of the book, it’s likely that there’s more on the way.

For those worried, there’s no actual nudity here, though the amazons never wear more than a bikini, and sometimes less. All the naughty bits are covered, keeping this fi rmly in the realm of cheesecake.

Mars Invades Venusby Erisian Entertainmenthttp://comics.drivethrustuff .com/product_info.php?products_id=80745&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $2.50Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (from Shane O'Connor)

animals. Interestingly, while it’s never hinted at, the understanding here seems to be that the Martians were men who fl ed

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Ultimately, Mars Invades Venus is a fairly light-hearted bit of fl uff that only wants to show off hideous monsters and sexy ladies, giving only a light plot to string the pictures together. If that’s all you’re looking for, and don’t take any of the rest of it too seriously, then you’ll enjoy this comic for what it is. Start applying actual logic here, though, and things will quickly break down, so take note; people looking for realism and logic need not apply.

After all, when you’ve got amazons in bikinis having dinosaurs attack death ray-wielding aliens, what else is there to do but sit back and enjoy the spectacle?

I have to make a confession. It’s not an easy confession to make since I’ve been a card carrying sci-fi geek all my life, but it’s best you all know the truth. The truth is this: I know next to nothing about the Doctor Who Series. Cubicle 7 games have decided to introduce me (and many others) to the good Doctor in a big way. Although I’m reviewing a full-color PDF of the game (thanks to Cubicle 7 for my reviewer’s copy), they have created a RPG rarity in this day and age–the RPG box set. Yep, for $59.99 game lovers will get three books–players, game masters, and adventures, a handful of blank and fi lled-out character sheets, and other bits of goodness. All of these are also in full color and look quite smart.

Let’s talk about that smart look right

now. The book is laid out in full-color glory. Beautifully bordered by graphics that include the TARDIS, the two-column layout is impressive. Sidebars are off-set in blue and work to keep (a) information separated properly and (b) important information in a good place. For example, the core make-up of characters–attributes, skills, and traits–earn one of the fi rst sidebars. The character sheets look good, but are eerily similar to Eden’s character sheets for Buffy, Ghost of Albion, and Army of Darkness (more on this later). The graphic design and layout team did a stand-out job on this project from the books to the gizmo sheets. About the only thing that isn’t really attractive (or needed) are the Story Points sheet. Sheets like these aren’t really important because I fi nd most groups tend to use chips, coins, or a myriad of other tokens. Printing out oodles of heavily colored paper probably won’t appeal to most groups.

There is a four-page quickstart guide, which is handy for giving to all the players at the table. The player’s guide proves to be a great starting off point for the game. It’s here we fi nd four chapters–an introduction, character creation, basic rules, and a short tidbit on player advice.

The Dr. Who game has a great deal of promise. I thumbed through an opened hard copy at my gaming store and must say it’s a quality made product. Likewise, the PDF looks fantastic.

I have my problems with the system, but I think there are enough differences between it and Unisystem for me to get over it. Some artwork would have been nice, but most license-based games do the exact same thing.

Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Spaceby Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd.http://comics.drivethrustuff .com/product_info.php?products_id=68979&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $34.99Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (from Flames Rising)

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At fi rst glance this seems like it could be tagged as “The Punisher Meets Blade,” and that’s not necessarily a bad thing because there are solid differences that give this comic its own signature stamp, so endless comparisons are not needed. In the fi rst panels we’re introduced to William Garrick, a man that’s part of

a special task force hunting “the things that aren’t human.” But he’s also on a personal mission of revenge. The opening gives enough background to get things started before the story moves into a tense and revealing action sequence.

The protagonist here has a slick “don’t mess with me” attitude and there’s a nice mixture of darkness and humor. Some of the dialogue in a few spots is a bit cliché but, because of the fast pace of the story and the composition within the panels, it doesn’t detract from enjoyment of the narrative. Instead, that seems to serve as more of a tongue-in-cheek wink-wink to the readers that would likely be familiar with other works in this genre.

The artwork is strong; there’s depth, a feeling of immediacy, and the action sequences as well as the slower panels fl ow. There’s a very nice use of page space and also an overall glossy look to the art that gives it that “live” feel. The cover composition foreshadows with artistically detailed and carefully-placed items. I also found that the dialogue bubbles were easy to follow from one speaker to the next and the lettering throughout was solid.

This comic seems like it will continue to deliver a decent read and a visual experience that will be welcomed by many readers.

Zero Hunters #1by Cinemacomicshttp://comics.drivethrustuff .com/product_info.php?products_id=50993&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $0.00Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is a collection of short stories from numerous authors, all set in the imaginary town of Pinebox, Texas: the setting for many of 12 to Midnight’s adventures.

There’s a reasonable map of the town (not everywhere mentioned is shown, but enough to get you oriented) at the front, then the fi rst item is a series of transcripts of conversations between a freelance journalist researching a travel article and

various townspeople. It’s a good way to suck you in, hearing about the town from the viewpoints of various locals - each of course with their own opinions and bias. I can see a lot of them turning up as NPCs in games set in Pinebox.

And so it goes on. Many of the tales involve locals, and they too might well fi nd a place in your game. The stories might provide inspiration for adventures, or at least rumours and tall tales that your characters might hear if they get into conversation with the right people. However, if you do intend to mine this for adventure ideas, rather than atmosphere, you'll need to do some work as most of the stories are a little vague about what is actually going on even if they provide plenty for your characters to investigate. I regard this as a good thing because it enables the GM to put his own spin on them if he does decide to use them for inspiration for his own adventures.

Buried Tales of Pinebox, Texasby Pinnacle Entertainmenthttp://comics.drivethrustuff .com/product_info.php?products_id=62934&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $4.99Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (from Megan Robertson)

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A real gem for the GM who does want to use anything from this book is at the back, a collection of newspaper articles which cover events that take place in most of the stories. Even if you don’t intend to use the stories as a basis for your own adventures, these newspaper clippings will prove wonderfully atmospheric - and perhaps provide red herrings when your characters are really supposed to be investigating something else!

Just as a tool for introducing Pinebox as a living (or in some cases, perhaps not) setting, this book is excellent. GMs will have to decide whether it will be fl avour material to pass round their players, or to hang on to it as a resource for their own adventures - or perhaps, do both as the 'what is actually going on' in any story is undefi ned enough that even a player who’s read it will not be signifi cantly advantaged in his investigations, but will benefi t from really getting into the alternate reality that is Pinebox. Quite a few of the characters in the stories will make excellent Pinebox NPCs even if the stories themselves are not to feature in a game. If you want to run adventures in Pinebox, you defi nitely want to read this!

UPDATE: God the Dyslexic Dog Volume 3 and Wonder Con 2010The fi nal chapter (and battle) is almost here - God the Dog vs. Darwin!

We are happy to announce the upcoming release of God the Dyslexic Dog Volume 3, featuring over 100 fully colored pages of mind-bending art from the great Alex Nino.

The softcover graphic novel will premiere at the 2010 San Diego Comic Con this July, then will be available at your local indie loving comic shop or through Diamond Distributors, or better yet, through our website, where you can purchase signed copies at no extra charge plus free shipping: godthedyslexicdog.com

Bliss on Tap Publishing / God the Dyslexic Dog will also be at WonderCon 2010 in San Francisco this weekend, Friday April 2nd through Sunday, April 4th. Stop by the booth and say hi if you're going to be in town.

Until this summer in San Diego, doG bless from your friends at Bliss on Tap.

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Palladium Books, Incorporated v. Trion Worlds, Inc. et alFrom RFCExpress.com

Lawsuit details

RFC Case Number: T-P10-11859T

Court Case Number: 2:10-cv-11859-JAC-PJK

File Date: Friday, May 07, 2010

Plaintiff: Palladium Books, Incorporated

Plaintiff Counsel: Peter M. Falkenstein of Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC

Defendant: Trion Worlds, Inc.Trion World Network, Inc.

Cause: 15:1114 Trademark Infringement

Court: Michigan Eastern District Court

Judge: District Judge Julian Abele Cook

Referred To: Magistrate Judge Paul J. Komives

Docket text

Date # Docket Text

5/7/2010 5 STATEMENT of DISCLOSURE of CORPORATE AFFILIATIONS and FINANCIAL INTEREST by Palladium Books, Incorporated (Falkenstein, Peter) (Entered: 05/07/2010)

5/7/2010 4 Trademark Report Sent To Washington (Falkenstein, Peter) (Entered: 05/07/2010)

5/7/2010 3 SUMMONS Issued for *Trion World Network, Inc.* (TMcg) (Entered: 05/07/2010)

5/7/2010 2 SUMMONS Issued for *Trion Worlds, Inc.* (TMcg) (Entered: 05/07/2010)

5/7/2010 1 COMPLAINT and Jury Demand filed by Palladium Books, Incorporated against Trion World Network, Inc., Trion Worlds, Inc. with Jury Demand. Plaintiff requests summons issued. Receipt No: 0645-2458295 - Fee: $ 350. County of 1st Plaintiff: Wayne - County Where Action Arose: Wayne - County of 1st Defendant: Out of State. [Previously dismissed case: No] [Possible companion case(s): None] (Attachments: # 1 Index of Exhibits, # 2 Exhibit 1 -- Printout from Plaintiff’s www.palladiumbooks.com website, # 3 Exhibit 2 -- Certificate of Registration for RIFTS; Registration No. 2,889,353, # 4 Exhibit 3 -- Certificate of Registration for RIFTS; Registration No. 3,036,181, # 5 Exhibit 4 -- Certificate of Registration for RIFTS; Registration No. 2,045,806, # 6 Exhibit 5 -- Copy of the specimen submitted to the USPTO in conjunction with the federal registration for “Rifts: Promise of Power” computer game, # 7 Exhibit 6 -- Certificate of Registration for RIFTER; Registration No. 2,328,782, # 8 Exhibit 7 -- Printout from Defendants’ website at www.riftgame.com, # 9 Exhibit 8 -- Printout from Defendants’ www.trionworlds.com website, # 10 Exhibit 9 -- Printout from www.mmorpg.com website, # 11 Exhibit 10 -- Printout from USPTO’s TESS database for “Rift: Planes of Telara”; Serial No. 85/022,202, # 12 Exhibit 11 -- Printout from www.godaddy.com website, # 13 Exhibit 12 -- Printouts of Google searches for “Rifts MMO”) (Falkenstein, Peter) (Entered: 05/07/2010)

5/7/2010 A United States Magistrate Judge of this Court is available to conduct all proceedings in this civil action in accordance with 28 U.S.C. 636c and FRCP 73. The Notice, Consent, and Reference of a Civil Action to a Magistrate Judge form is available for download at http://www.mied.uscourts.gov (TMcg) (Entered: 05/07/2010)

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May 2010 News from Flying Buff alo

And two more new Hobby Japan books are available to be shipped now. They are Queen’s Gate: Lili from Tekken, and Queen’s Blade Rebellion: Gemstone Princess Eilin and Iron Advisor Ymir. You can see pictures of them at

• http://www.fl yingbuff alo.com/queensgate.htm and • http://www.fl yingbuff alo.com/qbrebellion.htm

(Yes, Iron Advisor Ymir seems to be the same Ymir that was in a book by herself over a year ago, which is still available from us.)

Our sales of these Hobby Japan books have slowed down a bit - I'm not entirely sure whether that is because of the economy, or because I raised the price $3 back when the Yen went up in value. At any rate, if you have avoided purchasing these books because of the price, order ANY TWO of Lili, Eilin, Kasumi, Cham Cham, or LuneLuna and at the same time send me an email saying: “I saw your email and I'd like a $6 refund” and I will refund $6 of your payment, which will put the price back to $25 a book (plus shipping). (And yes, you can order all fi ve and get a $15 refund). But ONLY if you order between now and May 12th, and ONLY if you send me an email asking for the refund.

Origins Poker Deck: the 2010 version is ready to go to the printer, and should be available by the end of June. We are honoring the four Game Designers Workshop guys (Frank Chadwick, Loren Wiseman, Marc Miller, and Rich Banner) as the four kings. Take a look at http://www.fl yingbuffalo.com/pokerdeck.htm and you'll see some sample cards. You will also see a picture of our new DECISION DICE.

Yes, Decision Dice. Use this die to determine who will play fi rst in whatever game you are about to play. These will be available in June, and you can pre-order them now.

The next convention I will be attending is Texicon at the Fort Worth Sheraton hotel May 21-23. Come play in one of my games and tell me you read this email, and get a free gift. And after Texicon I will be at KublaCon at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame, California May 28-31. Likewise, visit my table and ask for your free gift. I will be mostly running games at Texicon, and mostly at my booth selling games at Kublacon. And I can’t promise anything, but I **MIGHT** have a few preview copies of the Decision Dice at Kublacon to sell to a few lucky customers.

Facebook: we are a small company, and can’t afford a lot of advertising or promotion. I go to a lot of conventions to promote our products, but facebook and the internet provide a great opportunity. If you like our products, please “friend” me there, and fi nd the “Flying Buffalo” page and the “Decision Dice” page and the “Nuclear War” page and the “Pizza Dice” page and “like” them. I plan to also put up a “Lost Worlds Fantasy Combat Books” page and a “Tunnels & Trolls RPG” page and probably others. Thanks!

Rick Loomis

Stuff I told you about last time:

2010 is Flying Buffalo’s 40th Anniversary. In celebration, we have created a special limited edition anniversary tshirt. You can see it at http://www.fl yingbuffalo.com/tshirt.htm It is a tan shirt with black printing. It is $14.95 plus the usual shipping charge. And if you wear one of these shirts and visit our booth/table at any game convention, I will give you a free 6-sider die.

During 2010 I am also offering a bargain special on two of my play by mail/email games. See http://www.fl yingbuffalo.com/pbmnews.htm for details on how you can play Starweb for less than 1/4 the usual price.

RPG Now has some more new Flying Buffalo products available as pdf documents. Click on this link

http://rpg.drivethrustuff .com/index.php?affi liate_id=193885

to buy them. Or you can go to our home page and click on the link on the bottom of the page. They now have the Complete Dungeon of the Bear (a gamemaster adventure for T&T); and three more solitaire adventures: Caravan to Tiern and Labyrinth for T&T, and Jade Jaguar, a solo for MSPE.

The third annual T&T convention and the 38th annual Flying Buffalo PBM convention is going to be July 22-25, 2010. Probably at the Holiday Inn in Scottsdale. Note that this will be Flying Buffalo’s 40th Anniversary, so we are going to try to make it special. If you have ever attended one of our conventions before, please consider attending this year. If you've come before, I'll give you a special award of some kind! More details at http://www.fl yingbuffalo.com/tntconv.htm

Rick

Flying Buffalo Inc www.fl yingbuffalo.comPO Box 8467, Scottsdale, AZ 85252

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New This Week – Traveller and Deus Vult

Two new books will be appearing in your local stores this week from Mongoose. One for Traveller, the other a campaign for Deus Vult.

Book 8: Dilettante

Dedicated to nobles and entertainers, Dilettante looks at the wealthier and more ambitious careers. Whether your character is a Baron of the Imperium or a young hopeful setting out to become the galaxy’s greatest rock star, Dilettante contains all the options and items you need to get the best out of it. From throwing banquets on a planetary scale to starring in the latest blockbuster vids or performing live across an entire star system, Dilettante provides new rules and new career specialities for nobles and entertainers alike.

For more information, visit http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/detail.php?qsID=1772

Ex Cathedra

A cathedral is a prayer in stone, a vaulted hymn of masonry and devoted labour. The great cathedrals are symbols of the great faith of the people and the power of the Church. Soon, they will burn. Madness and misrule are loose upon the world, and only the assassin-monks of the secret Order can set things right again. From the Champagne Fair at Troyes to the uttermost depths of the Earth, the hunt is on - but who is the hunted, and who is the hunter, in a time when all law and even sanity itself is overturned.

Ex Cathedra is a series of three linked adventures for Deus Vult.

For more information, visit http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/detail.php?qsID=1795

Matthew Sprange

Mongoose PublishingTel: +44 (0)1793 434488 Fax:+44 (0)1793 497999 Mob: +44 (0)7891 624298http://www.mongoosepublishing.com

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We're getting ready to launch Coral Sea, the newest Second World War at Sea series game, and to help us celebrate we have a special coupon: 35% off Second World War at Sea games, supplements and books included in any order of $50 or more by using the coupon code SEA.

New Content

Imperial and Royal Ship Data: Austria-Hungary’s fl eet disappeared at the end of World War I, but that doesn’t have to happen on your game table, thanks to Imperial and Royal Navy. We have this supplement’s ship data sheets available for FREE download. The supplement’s in stock right now, with beautiful, thick die-cut counters.

Sons of Poland: In 1939, Poland’s leaders realized that Germany would soon attack and ordered “secret mobilization,” retaining soldiers who ordinarily would have been released back to civilian life after summer maneuvers. We look at how Polish forces are portrayed in our book Panzer Grenadier: White Eagles.

Visit us soon at www.avalanchepress.com.

Naval Week at Avalanche Press!

Austrian Capital ShipsType Name Secondary Tertiary Torp. Speed Hull FuelPrimary

Kaiser Franz Josef (80)BB01 2+-

AA

5 3

Don Juan d’Austria (80)BB02 2+- 5 3

Laudon (80)BB03 2+- 5 3

Hunyadi (80)BB04 2+- 5 3

Viribus Unitus (67)BB05 2- 4 2

Tegetthoff (67)BB06 2- 4 2

Prinz Eugen (67)BB07 2- 4 2

Admiral Haus (145)BB08 3- 9 7

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

2 1

2

2

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

5 3 1

Karfreit (145)BB09 3- 9 7 - 5 3 1

Lissa (145)BB10 3- 9 7 - 5 3 1

Triest (31)CA01 3+2 4 2 1-

Trent (31)CA02 3+2 4 2 1 -

Bozen (31)CA03 3+2 4 2 1 -

Zara (31)CA04 3+2 4 2 1 -

Fiume (40)CA05 3+2 5 3 1-

Pola (40)CA06 3+2 5 3 1 -

Dubrovnik (40)CA07 3+2 5 3 1-

Cattaro (40)CA08 3+2 5 3 1-

Custoza (145)BB11 3- 9 7 - 5 3 1

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Tips from About.comDesign, Web, and Business

Web

HTML 5 Just Came to Dreamweaver CS5On May 19, Adobe announced the release of an extension

for Dreamweaver CS5 to support HTML 5 and CSS 3 (at least a “set of currently implemented features"). If you have already upgraded to Dreamweaver CS5 (compare prices), you can go to Adobe Labs and download this extension. I have barely begun to play with my review copy of Dreamweaver CS5, but this extension looks like it will make it even more fun.

An App to View How Fonts LookI downloaded the free app Font Displayer. It’s an app to

show you how a font would look at various sizes, columns, and background colors. There are some shortfalls in the app, but if you like fonts, you'll like it. Best of all, it’s a free app. Read this review of Font Displayer iPad app. Do you know of any good font apps for iPhone, iPad, or Android? Why not submit a review iPhone and iPad apps or Android apps.

What Web Designers Should You Follow on Twitter?There are hundreds and hundreds of Web designers you

can follow on Twitter. And there are as many reasons for following them as there are people to follow. But these are some of the Web design and development experts and sites that I follow to get my fill of Web design news in 140-character chunks. Who do you follow for Web design on Twitter?

Design

Show Off Your Creative WorkspaceI have both a home office and a mobile office. I spend

much of my day in one or the other. I like surrounding myself with “stuff” -- pictures, books, objects that provide me with visual and mental stimulation. I’m also working on bringing more order to my workspace.

How about your office, studio, cubicle, or corner of the room? I’ve posted a peek at my work-in-progress home office and Jim Q. has submitted info on his office in his apartment (so neat and orderly!). What kind of work area do you have? Show Us!

HTML to RTF ChallengeIf you have some time and the inclination, skelley24 has

a little problem that needs solving -- trying to get an RTF file to look the same as a corresponding HTM file.

Do You Remember PageStream?I’ve heard of it but honestly hadn’t thought of this

program in ages. Thought it was long gone. Well this thread about PageStream was posted in the forum way back in 2004. But dguzman revived it just this week with a post about his experiences with PageStream in the 80s/90s. Got me curious so I went looking. PageStream for Windows, Mac, Linux, Amiga, and MorphOS is still alive and kicking. The most recent beta (Windows) and RC versions (Mac) are from 2009. Looking for a low-cost ($99) alternative software? It might be worth checking out.

Business

Making Trade Associations Work for Your Entrepreneurial Business

In your business, do you belong to one or more trade associations as a vendor or supplier? I have a love-hate relationship with one that I belong to. While business models... Read more

Becoming an EntrepreneurMaking the choice on becoming an entrepreneur can

be a challenge unto itself. Start here for information on the entrepreneurial lifestyle, types of businesses you can start, and other information you’ll need to help you decide if the life of an entrepreneur is right for you.

Tim Ferriss Explains: How to Monetize Your BlogNew York Times Bestselling Author and the original life-

hacker, Tim Ferris, was recently interviewed in a video posted on YouTube. The video is entitled: Tim Ferriss: how to make... Read more

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Mongoose to Supply Offi cial D&D 4e Sets from Gale Force Nine

Mongoose Publishing is proud to announce that we have become offi cial suppliers of the Dungeons & Dragons accessories made by Gale Force Nine, under licence from Wizards of the Coast.

The fi rst release is the gorgeous looking Dungeon Master’s Token Set, available in June.

Dungeon Master’s Token Set

After unwrapping this treasure trove of tokens, the DM will fi nd that these accessories are contained in a handsome wooden box. Inside, the box is divided into compartments to sort and store your tokens and any other items the Dungeon Master will be using; dice, pencils, miniatures or whatever! The lid of the box is lined with felt, turning it into the perfect dice tray to keep wild rolls under control.

You can fi nd more information at http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/rpg/detail.php?qsID=1835

Inn of the Welcome Wench Game Mat

These high-quality vinyl surfaces are ideal for staging encounters during your adventures! Each mat lies fl at for ease of play and is sold in sturdy polycarbonate tube for easy storage and transport. The mats may be marked with WET-ERASE markers to temporarily alter terrain areas or make other notes about battlefi eld conditions during play. These Game Mats measure 20” x 30” and are marked with a 1” grid. All of GF9’s Game Mats are based on artwork provided by Wizards of the Coast.

The King’s Road Game Mat

The King’s Road represents a stretch of road or trail through the wilderness, perfect to stage an ambush on the party as they travel between dungeons, encounter a mysterious wanderer or camp for the night after a long day’s journey. The mat has plenty of cover during battle with many rocks, trees and rocky slopes as well as a trio of roadside graves.

For more details of this exciting new range, along with future releases, including Player Token Sets and new Game Mats, visit http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/rpg/series.php?qsSeries=54

Matthew Sprange

Mongoose PublishingTel: +44 (0)1793 434488 Fax:+44 (0)1793 497999 Mob: +44 (0)7891 624298http://www.mongoosepublishing.com

The fi rst release is the gorgeous looking Dungeon Master’s Token Set,

After unwrapping this treasure trove of tokens, the DM will fi nd that these accessories are contained in a handsome wooden box. Inside, the box is divided into compartments to sort and store your tokens and any other items the Dungeon Master will be using; dice, pencils, miniatures or whatever! The lid of the box is lined with felt, turning it into the perfect dice tray to keep wild rolls

adventures! Each mat lies fl at for ease of play and is sold in sturdy polycarbonate tube for easy storage and transport. The mats may be marked with WET-ERASE

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Riddle me this: have you ever been in a situation where you want to test your PCs with a brain-teaser, only to fi nd that you can’t think of a good one? Ideally, this is a problem you’d run into when designing your adventure, rather than panicking right at the game table as you realize you’re stumped to come up with a stumper. Still, it’s a bit worrisome to think that – notwithstanding the old classics – you can’t think of a riddle.

That’s where Stainless Steel Dragon comes in, with 101 Fantasy Riddles. The title alone should tell you exactly what to expect, as it contains exactly the listed number of fantasy-based riddles. Of course, by “fantasy riddles” it means that it doesn’t have anything dealing with modern objects or ideas – these are all things that people in a medieval world (whether fantasy or not) would likely have come up with.

The book’s format is fairly standard. After the cover, there’s no other artwork to be found here, save for the company logo on the credits page. The table of contents lists the various riddles found per page, though it lists them by their subject, which usually gives away the answer as well – be sure not to let players peruse the book.

You’ll actually fi nd all of the riddles here listed twice. The book fi rst prints them all with their answers listed immediately afterwards, and then reprints them all again without the answer, instead having an answer key at the back of the book. This struck me as somewhat unnecessary, since it probably would have made more sense just to list them all without an answer and then refer to the key at the end, but I suppose there’s no harm in doing it both ways here.

Presumably many of these riddles are original; I say presumably because a signifi cant number of them are tagged with the notation “Classic Riddle of unknown origin,” though I’d only ever heard of a few of these previously. Still, it underlines a certain aspect of the book: these all deal with fairly mundane concepts. By that I mean, don’t expect anything particularly dealing with dragons or orcs or anything particular to fantasy – these are “one size fi ts all” for

any sort of rustic campaign, and don’t get into particulars. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you want a riddle based around the lunar cycles of your campaign world’s three moons, you’re out of luck here.

Ultimately, this book does exactly what it promises, and nothing more: it delivers 101 riddles that would conceivably be found in a fantasy world. Not diffi cult, none of them are exactly easy either, which will probably make them exactly what you need them to be, though any tweaking for specifi city will have to be done on your own. Still, it fulfi lls the niche it sets out to.

Featured reviews from WargameVault.com

101 Fantasy Riddlesby Stainless Steel Dragonhttp://www.wargamevault.com/product_info.php?products_id=60385&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $4.95Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (from Shane O'Connor)

here, save for the company logo on the credits page. The table of contents lists the various riddles found per page, though it lists them by their subject, which usually gives away the answer as well – be sure not to let players peruse the book.

their answers listed immediately afterwards, and then reprints them all again without the answer, instead having an answer key at the back of the book. This struck me as somewhat unnecessary, since it probably would have made more sense just to list them all without an answer and then refer to the key at the end, but I suppose there’s no harm in doing it both ways here.

number of them are tagged with the notation “Classic Riddle of unknown origin,” though I’d only ever heard of a few of these previously. Still, it underlines a certain aspect of the book: these all deal with fairly mundane concepts. By that I mean, don’t expect anything particularly dealing with dragons or orcs or anything particular to fantasy – these are “one size fi ts all” for

The preview to this product shows exactly what you'll get: eight printable stand-up miniatures, each in color and black and white. The product “cover” illustrates the line art/cartoon style. You can use these in just about any modern-era game. They're not stellar, but they're not bad, either.

Civilians 2by Runestone Entertainmenthttp://www.wargamevault.com/product_info.php?products_id=79996&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $1.95Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (from Christopher Heard)

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Empty Room Studios scores a big hit with this bundle, which includes three sets of dungeon tiles, two sets of stand-up doors, and a helpful mounting and cutting tutorial.

The two base sets together give the DM a wide selection of rooms, corridors, and accents with which to create a customized dungeon layout. In order to offer both generic and highly detailed scenes, the product comes as a layered PDF. For example, one room is 20' x 20' with a crumbling pool in the middle. If you don’t want the pool, just turn off that layer. Remove entrances by turning walls on and off. Add treasure chests, barrels, and crates. All of that on just one of the many pages of layouts! This level of customizability sends the product’s utility and value through the roof.

The two doors sets help you add a 3D element to your table. Doors Set 1 offers wooden doors in two sizes, one and two squares wide. This set does not make use of layered PDF technology, so all the doors look the same. Doors Set 2 offers more variety, featuring metal doors of several descriptions, enruned stone doors, and mystic portals. The pieces in Set 2 are also easier to cut out, because the doors are set into stone walls and you don’t have to negotiate your scissors or hobby knife around any curves.

The Putrid Pit set combines features (but not specifi c elements—there are no “repeats") of the base sets and the doors sets. This set is less “modular” than the two base sets, in some ways, but it’s still extremely fl exible, and hugely customizable with the various layers provided in the PDF. It also comes with 3D elements to help spice up the gaming table.

Each of the products in this bundle could add a lot to your gaming table. Do be aware, though, that these tiles don’t really constitute a basic dungeon-building set like SkeletonKey Games’s dungeon sets or Wizards of the Coast’s physical dungeon tiles. The tiles in these sets are a bit more specialized than that. But with creative use of the PDF layers, you can still get almost as much fl exibility out of this bundle as the other sets I mentioned. I still prefer preprinted dungeon tiles, but for printable tiles, these do a stand-out job and will look great on your table if you follow the printing, mounting, and cutting advice given in the “how-to” PDF.

Dungeon Bundle 1 [BUNDLE]by Empty Room Studios Publishinghttp://www.wargamevault.com/product_info.php?products_id=63090&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $18.99Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (from Christopher Heard)

With several different wall and roof styles to choose from, this product actually gives you nine variations on a single small house. The artwork is excellent, though the scale of the grass and ground cover on the base may be a big large for 28mm fi gures. To get the most value for your money, mix and match the roofs and walls and make a whole village. Note that you get only the exterior here; there is no interior fl oorplan.

The lumberman’s houseby Lord Zsezse Workshttp://www.wargamevault.com/product_info.php?products_id=81047&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $3.45Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (from Christopher Heard)

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A really useful set of dice fonts that allow you to put a huge variety of dice imagery into your documents or home made charactersheets, cards or games. Personally, I used it for making unique Savage Worlds character sheets and am looking for more uses - there is almost too many dice images to use here! As well as all the common polyhedrals it also has font-images for the more exotic d30, not that I have a use for that particular one! though it does not have a d100, you can easily cover this with the d10 font. I really liked the fact that I could choose between d6 with the number or the pips (my preference

- it looks more “dicey"). If you are a game designer looking for an easy way to populate your documents with dice notations, or just enjoy making your own custom charactersheets etc, this is a handy resource.

Art’s Polyhedral Dice Super Font Bundleby Skullduggery Presshttp://www.wargamevault.com/product_info.php?products_id=64621&it=1&SRC=polyglotPrice: $19.99Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (from Nathan Russell)

I used it for making unique Savage Worlds character sheets and am looking for more uses - there is almost too many dice images to use here! As well as all the common polyhedrals it also has font-images for the more exotic d30, not that I have a use for that particular one! though it does not have a d100, you can easily cover this with the d10 font. I really liked the fact that I could choose between d6 with the number or the pips (my preference

Carlsbad, CA — The Upper Deck Company, the worldwide leader in sports and entertainment trading cards, is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Meyer as its new President. A proven leader with more than 20 years of executive-level experience, Meyer brings enthusiasm, energy and a fi nely honed vision to Upper Deck as the company embarks on its 22nd year in business.

“I’ve been following Upper Deck for years and I am confi dent I can provide the kind of senior leadership the company needs, given my background in consumer products and operations improvement,” said Meyer, who most recently served as President and Chief Operating Offi cer for Shuffl e Master, Inc., the gaming industry’s premier supplier of automatic card shuffl ers and proprietary table games. During his fi ve-year tenure with Shuffl e Master, Meyer played an instrumental role in growing the company’s revenue from $58M to $200M. He also played an integral part in expanding the company’s international presence by negotiating major acquisitions overseas to signifi cantly increase business.

Prior to Shuffl e Master, Meyer served as President of the Integrated Solutions Division of Concurrent Computer Corporation and has held leadership positions in a wide range of industries, including toy manufacturing, video game developing and publishing and turnaround/restructuring consulting. He brings signifi cant in-the-trenches knowledge to his new post at Upper Deck. His impressive track record made him a terrifi c candidate for Upper Deck’s Founder and CEO Richard McWilliam.

“Paul is a proven leader who possesses enormous experience in a broad range of businesses, which made it compelling for me to bring him on board as our new President,” said McWilliam, who will remain as the company’s visionary. “As a company, we look forward to having Paul help lead us during 2010 and beyond.”

A born-and-bred New Yorker, Meyer grew up in Hicksville, Long Island and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from C.W. Post College. A lifelong Yankees’ fan, he enthusiastically shared that an autographed Derek Jeter jersey is his most cherished sports collectible.

“What do I look forward to most? Probably working with Upper Deck’s Product Development Team to identify ‘the next big thing,’” he answered when pressed about the trading card sector.

Asked to identify the greatest challenges facing Upper Deck in today’s hobby and retail marketplace, Meyer doesn’t hesitate with his answer. “The economy, increased competition and the need to continue to offer innovative products that collectors must have,” he said.

“Upper Deck’s reputation is one of producing matchless quality in sports and entertainment cards, unique collectibles and creative promotions,” he continued. “And it’s that kind of product innovation and investment in partnerships that will put Upper Deck back at the top.”

Upper Deck Lands Paul Meyer as Company’s New PresidentSeasoned operational executive to lead trading card company

Media Contact:

Terry MeliaPublic Relations Manager, Upper Deck760-929-3055terry_melia@upperdeck.com

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Coral Sea Now Shipping

Yes, it’s another boxed game from Avalanche Press heading out the door to gamers worldwide. If you haven’t ordered Coral Sea yet, get yours in right now to join the fun.

This game has more pre-orders than any we've put out in many years. It may be the most ever -- we're not sure, Third Reich had a lot, too, but pre-dates our current database. Either way, it’s a beautiful package with everything you expect in an Avalanche Press naval game at a price of just $19.99.

New Content

Left Up in the Air: The forces of the smaller nations involved in the vast confl ict of the Second World War are often given just a cursory glance. In our big games Third Reich and Great Pacifi c War, the Dutch and Belgian air forces tend to come and go quickly. David Meyler explains how in reality they were quite distinctive in the short time they survived in combat.

Visit us soon at www.avalanchepress.com.

More News from Avalanche Press

(Londonderry, NH) The Unexplained, the new storytelling game about paranoramal investigation and high strangeness is now available in hardcover.

You can buy your hardcover edition of The Unexplained on the Products page at http://www.carnivoregames.com

“Personally, I love hardcover game books,” Says

Bradford Younie, President of Carnivore Games. “So I'm glad to fi nally be offering the quality hardcover book.”

Visit http://www.carnivoregames.com for information on this and other great products.

The Unexplained now Available in Hardcover

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From P.I.G.

Prepare to Launch Assault Squads!

Board enemy vessels and either sabotage or commandeer them with this expansion set for Warcosm. Features new rules for assault craft, boarding parties, hyper-shunting, and ramming. New ship systems include assault bays, chaff launchers, plasma bursters, and tractor emitters. Note: this is the Supplementary Edition; a stand-alone version that uses miniatures to represent individual troopers will also be released.

Warcosm is the easy-to-learn and quick-paced tabletop game that simulates fl eet-based space battles using either miniatures or fl at counters. Mix tactics with starship

prototype design to outwit your enemy.For more information, click here.

Disposable Heroes: Soldiers 3 and Build Your Own 2

Perfect for New World Disorder or any game requiring a more civilian-looking soldiery, the Soldiers 3 (Planetary Militia) paper miniatures set is a joint production with Arion Games, offering 3D-rendered fi gures and vehicles. Choose from Customizable, Statix or the Arion Games version.

The fi rst Build Your Own set let you upload your own artwork to create truly customizable regular-sized paper miniatures. Now Set 2 does the same but for double-sized fi gures. Upload and create armies of large miniatures as a-frame and tri-fold stand-ups, as well as fl at counters with this revolutionary new service from Precis Intermedia.

For more information, click here.

Ancient Odysseys: Treasure Awaits! Pocket Softcover

Now Available! Take your Treasure Awaits! game on the go with this special pocket edition. Assume the role of a mighty warrior, powerful wizard, or crafty rogue and explore ancient dungeons, catacombs, and ruins in search of treasure and glory. This introductory fantasy RPG contains the same content as the Boxed Set books, only it’s much easier to carry around with you. As a bonus, the downloadable PDF version of the rules is also included. Now you have three choices: Boxed Set, Pocket Softcover, and Downloadable PDF.

For more information, click here.

On the Horizon...

Look for amazing upcoming titles, including Peter C. Spahn’s Stormrift RPG (GD3E); Warcosm Assault Miniatures Game; RPGPundit’s GMing Guide; A Fistfull of Miniatures 2E Advanced Rules; and of course new Disposable Heroes sets like Critters 3, Napoleonic Soldiers, Fantasy Extras, Fantasy 4E Core 2, and more.

Ancient Odysseys: Treasure Awaits! Pocket Softcover

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From Forge World

The Indescribable Power of the Grot – Grot Tanks available to pre-order Now

Grot TanksAcross the Forsarr sector, whispers and rumours rise of a threat greater even than the Kill Tanks that have so decimated the Elysian operations on Kastorel-Novem.

The thunder of engines and the blast of cannons heralds the advance of a new and deadly form of greenskin war machine in numbers beyond comprehension.

Armoured tracks grind inexorably onwards, driving all before them in a storm of destruction, as greenskins cackle madly at the sheer joy of their onslaught.

This devastating Grotzkrieg has laid waste to Imperial, Chaos, Tau, Eldar and Tyranid forces throughout the galaxy, and it seems that no fi ghting force in Warhammer 40,000 can stand against this new Gretchin devilry! (That’s what the Grots believe, at least!)

It is with some trepidation at the horror that will be unleashed across gaming tables everywhere that we can announce the release of the Grot Tank Set which is available to pre-order now for despatch in the week commencing June 21st. First previewed at the Forge World Open Day earlier this year, these extremely detailed and unique models have been wildly anticipated. Forge World designer Daren Parrwood has created a set of four fantastically ramshackle war machines that are complimented by four unique tank Kommandaz sculpted by Mark Bedford. The full resin kit allows you to build three Grot Tanks and a Kommand Tank, equipped with an additional hull-mounted weapon.

These new Grot Tanks are a revolution in miniature modelling and wargaming. The set contains four different variant chassis, tracks, exhausts and turrets as well as four fantastic Grot Tank Kommandaz and 5 different, incredibly shooty, weapon options. As you may have seen at the Forge World Open Day, and on the Games Workshop Blog, Forge World designer Daren Parrwood has taken care to ensure the kit is fully modular – all of the chassis, turret, exhaust, track and weapon options are completely interchangeable. This allows more than a thousand individual tanks to be built from the kits, before even considering the possibilities that rise from a bits box or other items in the Forge World range, such as Grot Crew and the recently-released Weapons Set.

Full rules for using a Grot Tank Battle Mob can be found in the Dread Mob army list included in Imperial Armour 8: Raid on Kastorel-Novem, but Imperial Armour writer Alan Bligh was so excited about the release of the Grot Tanks that he has created a deliciously unhinged Apocalypse formation that you can download here.

Forge World Events News

Forge World will be attending Games Day Spain on July 4th, and Games Day Baltimore on August 21st. We are now taking reservation orders for both of these exciting events. Just send an email to forgeworldreservations@games-workshop.co.uk including your name and a list of everything you'd like to reserve, and title your email `Games Day Spain Reservation` or ` Games Day Baltimore Reservation`. We must receive Games Day Spain reservations by June 21st at the latest, and Games Day Baltimore reservations by July 5th at the latest.

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Palladium Books vs. Trion Worlds: The latest Court Documents

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN

SOUTHERN DIVISION

PALLADIUM BOOKS, INC.,a Michigan corporation, Case No. 10-11859

Plaintiff, District Judge Hon. Julian Abele Cook

v. Magistrate Judge Hon. Paul J. Komives

TRION WORLDS, INC., a Delaware corporation, and TRION WORLD NETWORK, INC.,a Delaware corporation,

Defendants. _____________________________________________________________________________/Peter M. Falkenstein (P61375) Nicholas B. Gorga (P72297) Lawrence R. Jordan (P27169) Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn, LLP Joan H. Lowenstein (P39422) 2290 First National Bldg. Emilija Avsharian (P72001) 660 Woodward Ave. Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, PC Detroit, MI 48226 201 S. Main St., Suite 300 (313) 465-7000 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 ngorga@honigman.com (734) 222-4776 Attorneys for Defendants pfalkenstein@jaffelaw.comAttorneys for Plaintiff

____________________________________________________________________________/

PLAINTIFF’S REPLY BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF ITSMOTION FOR LEAVE TO CONDUCT EXPEDITED DISCOVERY

LIMITED TO THE ISSUE OF PERSONAL JURISDICTION

Case 2:10-cv-11859-JAC-PJK Document 32 Filed 06/08/10 Page 1 of 7

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Plaintiff Palladium Books, Inc. filed this action in this Court confident in belief that this

Court has personal jurisdiction over the Defendant Trion Worlds, Inc. (conceded by Defendant to

be one and the same company as Defendant Trion World Network, Inc., having merely changed

its name recently.) Defendant states on its website that:

Trion Worlds is the premier publisher and developer of connected video games. With groundbreaking new server platform capabilities, Trion delivers high-quality, fully dynamic and massively social content across video game genres, gaming platforms and mass market entertainment formats.

(Exh. 11 to FAC, printout from Trion website.) The “connected video games” and “massively

social content” Trion claims to be delivering currently to “mass markets” is the MMORPG

games that are the focus of its business model. MMORPGs, as shown by evidence already

submitted are designed to be marketed nationally and internationally, to obtain thousands or even

millions of subscribers. There is no doubt that a substantial number of Trion subscribers would

be in Michigan.

Trion castigates Palladium for having assumed, based on Trion’s own assertions, that it

was carrying on business on a worldwide basis, including in Michigan. (Response Brf. at 2).

Now, however, Trion states, it has actually never done any business at all in the MMO market,

apparently having falsely claimed to be the “premier publisher” of connected video games.

Nonetheless, as demonstrated in Palladium’s response to Trion’s motion to dismiss for lack of

jurisdiction, Palladium believes it has demonstrated a prima facie case that Trion has sufficient

contacts with Michigan, given that it is accused of infringing the trademarks of Michigan

resident Palladium, under the accepted principle that trademark infringement, plus some

additional factors, confers personal jurisdiction over a defendant in the Plaintiff’s home forum.

(See generally Pl. Response to Motion to Dismiss [D/E 22] and cases cited therein.)

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Trion also complains that Palladium, in seeking limited discovery, is itself seeking to

delay a ruling on its preliminary injunction motion. Trion misperceives Palladium’s motion.

Palladium filed its motion for leave to conduct limited expedited discovery in conjunction with

its response to Plaintiff’s motion to dismiss, so that in the event the Court does not find personal

jurisdiction based on the current state of the record, Palladium may flesh out that record

in ways relevant to the specific issue of personal jurisdiction. Given the pendency of

Palladium’s preliminary injunction, Palladium could not take the time to conduct discovery prior

to a hearing on the injunction, which would have meant that the motion for injunction could not

be heard prior to a key event at which Palladium seeks to enjoin use of the RIFT mark – the E3

Expo.

Indeed, if the Court finds jurisdiction is established per the current record, there will be

no impediment to immediate entry of an injunction (if warranted on the merits), which is

precisely what Palladium asks the Court to do. But, if the Court finds that jurisdiction is still at

issue, Palladium clearly should be given an opportunity to conduct the discovery that would

permit the case to remain in its chosen forum, and for the Court to then proceed to rule on the

motion for a preliminary injunction, even if that means at a later date. Palladium should not

lightly be displaced from its forum of choice, without the opportunity to demonstrate that

jurisdiction is proper.

Trion’s argument that Palladium unnecessarily delayed in seeking jurisdictional

discovery is as disingenuous as its argument in response to the motion for preliminary injunction,

that Palladium is guilty of laches. Following service of the Complaint, Trion’s counsel asked for

an extension of time to respond and indicated a desire to engage in settlement talks. Palladium

agreed and for the next two weeks the parties had numerous settlement conversations. Palladium

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abstained from filing for an injunction or seeking leave for expedited discovery in order to save

expenses for both parties while an informal resolution seemed possible. Trion’s argument,

asserted twice now, that Palladium should be held liable for delay by agreeing to engage in

settlement discussions at Trion’s request is, at the very least, unsavory.

Trion also argues that Palladium and the Court should be satisfied with the statements

made by Trion’s declarant on the issue of jurisdiction. (Def. Response at 5.) However, the

Dunne Declaration has already proved to be a document crafted by attorney wordsmithing and

not designed to reveal all possibly relevant facts. For example, while claiming that Trion has

“not targeted any advertising or marketing at the State of Michigan,” Trion clearly has been

involved in an advertising resulting in large magazine ads promoting the Rift game being placed

in major retail stores within a few miles of Palladium’s offices. Trion may not unilaterally

decide that this is irrelevant information and thus try to conceal it by declarations regarding

“targeted” advertising.

Further, the Dunne Declaration states that “Trion’s website is passive” – which it is not,

as it permits substantial interactivity with visitors. Dunne also claims that the website “allows

visitors only the ability to register for a free ‘account’ and to access free online forums to discuss

the game or to sign up for a free online newsletter.” (Id.) The Declaration ignores the fact that

Trion’s website provides a link to allow visitors to enter Trion’s contest offering a trip to Trion

studios, see Exhibit 1, as well ignoring other features of the site, such as linking to Facebook,

Twitter, and You Tube social network sites accessible to internet surfers, and providing materials

for development of fan websites.

Trion consistently tries to bury the fact that Palladium is claiming trademark infringement

and that the injury from that tort is felt primarily in Michigan. The basis for Palladium's claim of

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jurisdiction over Trion is the fact that Trion is committing the tort of trademark infringement in

Michigan. Therefore, Palladium is not seeking to establish the traditional "minimum contacts"

that Trion claims it does not have with Michigan. Rather, Palladium is seeking to show that the

Trion's trademark infringement is the source of personal jurisdiction, and to the extent that the

authorities require it, to demonstrate that there are “plus factors,” i.e., “something more” that, in

conjunction with the brunt of injury being felt in Michigan, satisfies jurisdictional requirements,

viewing the “totality of the circumstances.” Ford Motor Co. v. Great Domains, Inc.,

141 F. Supp. 2d 763 (E.D. Mich. 2001); SunCoke Energy Inc. v. MAN Ferrostaal

Aktiengesellschaft, 563 F.3d 211 (6th Cir. 2009); 4 MCCARTHY ON TRADEMARK, § 32:45.50.

This is a very different proposition than establishing the standard “minimum contacts” test or

exercising personal jurisdiction merely based on maintenance of a website that Trion would have

the Court focus on.1

Palladium is entitled to ascertain whether any additional plus factors exist – evidence of

which would be in the control of Trion – if the Court does not believe that a prima facie showing

has been made at this point. Moreover, under the “effects test,” knowledge of the trademark

holder’s residence and that injury from intentionally infringing its mark would be felt in the

forum state, is a supporting factor in finding jurisdiction. See, e.g., Calder v. Jones,

465 U.S. 783 (1984)2; Indianapolis Colts, Inc. v. Metro. Baltimore Football Club, Ltd. P'ship,

1 For example, in William R. Hague v. Puretech Water System, Inc., 2010 U.S. Dist. Lexis 48901 (S.D. OH 2010), relied on by Trion in its Reply to Palladium’s Response to Motion to Dismiss, the Court found no personal jurisdiction over the out-of-state defendant, but the Court never considered or discussed the “effects test” in its ruling.

2 The seminal Supreme Court case, Calder v. Jones, discussed in QSR Automations, Inc. v. KRS Corporation LLC, 2010 LEXIS 32174 (W.D. KY 2010) cited by Trion, held that where defendants wrote and edited an article that was published in a nationally distributed publication, which they knew would have a potentially devastating impact upon a resident of the forum state and that the brunt of the injury would be felt by plaintiff in the forum state where plaintiff lived and worked, personal jurisdiction was proper. Here, presumed due diligence performed by Trion prior to adopting its mark

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34 F.3d 410 (7th Cir. 1994); Ford Motor Co. v. Great Domains, Inc., 141 F. Supp. 2d 763 (E.D.

Mich. 2001).

Palladium should be entitled to discovery and full disclosure of, at the minimum:

• all internal communications and documents of Trion relating to Palladium or its Rifts game, to determine the extent to which Trion was aware of Palladium; that it might be infringing Palladium’s marks; and that the injury would be felt in Palladium’s home forum of Michigan;

• all advertising, promotions, and other materials that have been distributed in Michigan, “targeted” or otherwise;

• all contracts for distribution of product or advertising in Michigan, targeted or otherwise;

• a listing of all persons who have signed up for accounts with Trion (as locations may be ascertainable from e-mail addresses and internet IP addresses).

• a listing of all “fan sites” that have been established by Michigan residents;

• identification of contestants who have signed up for Trion’s contest, including all those from Michigan.

CONCLUSION

For all the foregoing reasons, Palladium respectfully requests that, in the event the Court

does not find that it has personal jurisdiction over the Defendant based on the current record, that

Palladium be permitted to conduct limited discovery on that issue prior to a ruling on

Defendant’s motion to dismiss.

Respectfully submitted,

Dated: June 8, 2010 /s Peter M. Falkenstein_____Peter M. Falkenstein (P61375)

Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, PC 201 S. Main St., Suite 300 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 (734) 222-4776

pfalkenstein@jaffelaw.com

would likely have uncovered that Palladium owned the Rifts marks and also that Palladium was located in Michigan, where injury would be most heavily felt.

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I certify that on June 8, 2010, I filed the foregoing document with the Clerk of the Court, using the ECF system, which will provide electronic notice of the filing to the filing counsel of record:

Andrew M. Grove jgrove@honigman.com

Nicholas B Gorga ngorga@honigman.com

Date: June 8, 2010 By: /s/ Gina M. Williams Gina M. Williams

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Be A Hero – Special ICONS Release For Gulf Spill Charities

Adamant Entertainment and Steve Kenson will be devoting 100% of the proceeds of the 2010 sales of a special EPUB and MOBI-format release of ICONS: Superpowered Roleplaying to relief efforts surrounding the Gulf oil spill.

On April 20th, 2010, an explosion on the BP operated Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed eleven crew members, sparking the greatest environmental disaster in United States history. Current estimates put the amount of oil being discharged from the broken well at above 1,050,000 US gallons per day, with no end in sight, devastating wildlife and fi shing communities along the Gulf coast, potentially moving into the Florida Keys and up the Eastern seaboard of the United States by later this summer.

“My grandfather was a clammer, and worked on the water nearly his entire life,” says Gareth-Michael Skarka, Director of Adamant Entertainment, “and my brother has worked as a fi shing captain -- I wanted to do something for those whose livelihood depends on the sea, as well as contributing to ongoing conservancy and clean-up efforts. It seemed to me that a game encouraging players to become a hero represented the perfect outlet for this.”

“New Orleans is a place very dear to me,” adds Steve Kenson, designer of ICONS, “and I've wanted to be able to do something for this tragedy.”

ICONS is the newest superheroic roleplaying game designed by Steve Kenson, published by Adamant Entertainment-- now available in PDF and shipping to game stores world-wide in the next two weeks. The game is currently also being readied for release in the EPUB format for sale on Apple’s iBookstore, Barnes & Noble and Sony via Smashwords.com and for the Kindle-ready MOBI format for release via Amazon, and should be available this month across those sales sites, and for download via Adamant’s vendor partners at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

From June through December 2010, ALL proceeds from the sales of the EPUB and MOBI versions of the game will be donated to the Gulf oil spill funds of Oceana, the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation, and The Greater New Orleans Fund, who are providing critical services to Gulf fi shermen and communities directly impacted by the disaster.

Oceana, an international ocean conservation group, works to restore and protect the world’s oceans. For more information, please visit http://www.Oceana.org.

For more information on the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Gulf Oil Spill Fund, please visit http://www.gnof.orgThe “Be A Hero” editions of ICONS will be released in June. Watch for further announcements of their availability on

Adamant Entertainment’s website, or via Twitter at AdamantEnt.

Gareth-Michael Skarka

Adamant Entertainmentgms@adamantentertainment.com

Adamant Entertainment and Steve Kenson will be devoting 100% of the proceeds of the 2010 sales of a special

members, sparking the greatest environmental disaster in United States history. Current estimates put the amount of oil being discharged from the broken well at above 1,050,000 US gallons per day, with no end in sight, devastating wildlife and fi shing communities along the Gulf coast, potentially moving into the Florida

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NEW LIGHT TANKS

2 more very neat 1/55th-scale models are now available: http://www.copplestonecastings.co.uk/latest.php

K57 LK. II (Leichter Kampfwagen II)

A German light tank just about to go into production at the end of WW1. Although the end of the war meant that it never went into full production. Parts for 10 tanks disguised as agricultural equipment were smuggled into Sweden where it was known as the Stridsvagn m/21. Another 12 probably found their way to Hungary.

h t t p : / / w w w. m i l i t a r y p h o t o s . n e t / f o r u m s /showthread.php?93430-Stridsvagn-m-21-(Leichte-Kampfwagen)-pictures http://www.patriotfiles.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109740

K58 T1E2 Light Tank

A US light tank from 1929 - I don’t have much information on this prototype (?) tank, but it does look cool and cranky.

h t t p : / / p i c s . l i v e j o u r n a l . c o m / f a t _ y a n k e y /gallery/0001y0a6http://www.wwiivehicles.com/usa/tanks-light/t1.asp

Don’t forget the rest of our 1/55th vehicles:

• K48 Vickers Mk.II • K50 Vickers Medium MK. III• K51 Vickers Independent Heavy Tank• K52 Lancia 1ZM Armoured Car • K53 Mgebrov Single-Turret Armoured Car• K54 Mgebrov Twin-Turret Armoured Car• K55 Garford-Putilov Heavy Armoured Car• K56 Putilov Half-Track Armoured Car (aka Austin-Kegresse)

At the moment you can fi nd them split between the Back of Beyond and the High Adventure ranges - though perhaps I should set up a new page for them.

Mark Copplestone

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MEDIEVAL GAMERS: LET’s GO TO TOWN

TOWN: A City-Dweller’s Look at 13th to 15th Century EuropeBy Lisa J. SteeleRELEASE: June 1, 2010Cumberland Games & Diversions

Want to know the real price to have someone assassinated in the Middle Ages? Curious about the ships that brought goods to a city’s ports, or the machinations of church and guild?

Cumberland Games is proud to announce the release of “TOWN: A City-Dweller’s Look at 13th to 15th Century Europe,” the latest medieval sourcebook by Lisa J. Steele, author of the acclaimed “FIEF: A Look at Medieval Society from It’s Lower Rungs,” and diverse work for White Wolf, Steve Jackson Games and others.

Whether you game hardcore-medieval or just enjoy plundering history for your fantasy world, TOWN will open the gates of a medieval city for your eyes in ways you've never been treated to before, from the day-to-day of life on the streets to every way in which a city stays fed, defended, entertained, populated, robbed, plundered or burned! Download the free 48-page sampler edition, print, browse, and be excited: TOWN is here at last.

This is an all-new sourcebook exclusive to Cumberland Games & Diversions. Features production by S. John Ross and city maps by Jonathan Turner. 150 pp. PDF, $25 U.S.

http://www.cumberlandgames.com

IPG releases “Third and Long”

Gather your players and face off for gridiron glory!“Third and Long” is a two-player card game recreating the action of professional American football. Two coaches take

turns on offense and defense, calling plays and executing drives. Touchdowns, fi eld goals, fumbles, interceptions, penalties, and big plays are all part of the exciting action. Join the fun as the teams of the Professional Football League compete for the Championship Trophy!

“Third and Long” (IPG0001) be purchased from www.interactionpoint.com for $19.99. While at the site you can download the “Third and Long” rulebook, browse the IPG Wiki, and join the discussion on the IPG forum.

“Third and Long” is printed in the USA.

Interaction Point Games, LLC is a new game company based in Robbinsdale, MN. We have more card games in the works plus a line of Pathfi nder Roleplaying Game Compatible products based in an alternate past Earth, known the “Kingdoms of Legend” series.

Pathfi nder and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under license. See paizo.com/pathfi nderRPG for more information on the Pathfi nder Roleplaying Game.

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News from Dark Sword Miniatures: 13 New Releases & New Sculpts

We have 13 brand new releases (5 of them being never before seen critter sculpts for our new critter line) in stock and ready for shipping out.

The new releases are:

1. Elmore Masterworks – Elmore Spectre – Sculpted by Jeff Grace

2. Elmore Masterworks – Female Elven Princess – Sculpted by Jeff Grace

3. GRRM Masterworks – Eddard Stark – Sculpted by Tom Meier4. GRRM Masterworks – Samwell Tarly – Sculpted by Tom

Meier5. GRRM Masterworks – Euron Greyjoy – Sculpted by Jeff

Grace6. Easley Masterworks – Female Cleric – Sculpted by Jeff Grace7. Easley Masterworks – Female Assassin – Sculpted by Jeff

Grace8. VIF – Male Blind Warrior – Sculpted by Jeff Grace9. VIF – Raccoon Thief – Sculpted by Dave Summers10. VIF – Abigayle – Schnauzer Ranger – Sculpted by Dave

Summers11. VIF – Savannah – Schnauzer Paladin – Sculpted by Dave

Summers12. VIF – Westie Highlanader – Sculpted by Dave Summers13. VIF – Cheesecake Pug Princess in Chainmail Bikini (yes, so

wrong..but so fun!) – Sculpted by Jason Wiebe

Plus do not forget about the amazing DragonBlood pieces Dark Sword now owns:

• The Hunter (such an amazing mini) – Sculpted by Jeff Grace• Draconid (Dragonman) Warrior – Sculpted by Jeff Grace

All miniatures above also have pictures posted of the painted studio models so you can enjoy those as well. So check out the site and enjoy all the new goodies! The new Critters are sure to make people laugh as they are just so

much fun. My two Miniature Schnauzers have now been immortalized along with Jeff Easley’s Pug and Dave Summers Westie. Remember that our Online Store has been revamped and is now much cleaner and easier to navigate. And a special limited time bonus – Any orders over $75 (includes shipping) will receive a free random single mini plus a

copy of the Lillian Angel mini that Kev White sculpted for Dark Sword. Have a most excellent week everyone. I hope many of you were able to attend the always excellent and educational/fun

ReaperCon in TX last week. I missed seeing everyone, but hope to get there next year for a nice fun-fi lled 4 days of painting miniatures and taking painting classes from some of the top painters in the world.

Warm Regards,

Jimwww.DarkSwordMiniatures.com

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Hex Games has just released American Artifacts, a collection of distinctly American magical items.

When you think of magical artifacts, you probably think of magic wands, or gold rings, or weapons--King Arthur’s sword Excalibur, maybe, or the Ring of the Nibelung. Wands and rings and swords were all well and good for the Old World, but this is America, and a New World demands a new style of artifact. There are a few swords scattered across these fi fty states, but you're more likely to fi nd a magic gun, like Elvis’s Golden Gun, or an enchanted locomotive, like Lincoln’s Funeral Train.

American Artifacts includes entries for 20 magical artifacts suitable for use in a wide variety of games. Each entry includes a description of the artifact, background information, and game mechanics using the QAGS system. The artifacts range from the helpful, like the Gygaxian Dice, to the dangerous, like The Rug That Ties the Room Together.

American Artifacts can be purchased in PDF form at www.hexgames.com and at the fi ner PDF sales sites for just $1.99. You can also purchase the QAGS rulebook, The Pytheas Club, Waxman’s Warriors, and more at those same sites.

For those who would like to sample QAGS before they buy it, the QAGS Qik Start Rules are available for download at www.hexgames.com, absolutely free.

American Artifacts is 100% made in America. It is edited by Tennessee’s own Carter Newton and moodily illustrated by Missouri’s Jeffrey Johnson.

Discover national treasures. Have more fun!

American Artifacts Now Available from Hex Games

The Elementals Have Awaken… Within You!

Centuries ago, powerful entities from the elemental planes of The Flux visited the world. Taking an active interest in the affairs of mortals for their own alien reasons, these entities, known as the Noble Djinn, imbued certain people with a token of their elemental powers. These were the fi rst Elemental Weavers.

Legend says that it was their own hubris that led to their downfall. Mortals, unaccustomed to such power, abused their gifts and waged war on other Weavers and the Unimbued. Eventually, the Weavers were annihilated, and the Noble Djinn left the world to its own devices.

Yet some of that residual power remained.Elemental Awakening is a supplement for the 3.5/OGL system. The seeds of

the ancient Elemental Weaver powers have lain dormant within the descendants of the ancient Weavers, but now those seeds begin to fl ower and these long-lost powers blossom once more. As one of the Awakened, players will learn to harness their gifts to empower their characters with unique abilities. Instead of using all new races or classes, the Awakened use new feats to customize their racial and class abilities. Awakened can swap out selected class abilities for certain Awakened feats. Unlock your character’s potential, with over thirty unique feats.

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Otakuthon, Montréal’s Anime convention is proud to announce the presence of voice actor Vic Mignogna, who has been in more than a hundred and fi fty shows and video games. Known for roles such as Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, Tamaki Suou in Ouran High School Host Club, Fai in Tsubasa Chronicle, Dark in DN Angel, Kurz in Full Metal Panic, Broly in Dragonball Z, Kougaijji in Saiyuki, Ikkaku in Bleach, Yukito in Air, Takanaga in Wallfl ower, Tatsu in Peacemaker, Luciano in Code Geass, Virgil Walsh in Trinity Blood, Hikaru in Macross and many more. This will be Mr. Mignogna’s fi rst appearance in Montreal.

Otakuthon is Quebec’s largest anime convention promoting Japanese animation (anime), Japanese graphic novels (manga), related gaming and Japanese pop-culture. It will be held on August 13-15, 2010 à the Palais des congrès de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. It is a non-profi t, volunteer-run convention. Otakuthon strives to be a bilingual (French and English) event, hosting a vast array of events including conferences, games, concerts and a masquerade.

More information about Otakuthon, including current membership rates, is available on our web site ; you can also write to us for more information.

Contact:

Inge RollinPromotion CoordinatorOtakuthon 20101531, MarquetteLongueuil, QcJ4K 4H9Website: http://www.otakuthon.comEmail: promotions@otakuthon.comTel: 514-688-9052

Otakuthon Announces Guest of Honor

Otakuthon, Montréal’s Anime convention is proud to announce the presence of voice actor Vic Mignogna,

More information about Otakuthon, including current membership rates, is available on our web site ; you

‘WARMACHINE: Prime Mk II’ Wins Top Honors at RPC

Bellevue, WA — Privateer Press’ WARMACHINE: Prime Mk II was voted best Table Top and Miniatures game product at RPC 2010 in Cologne, Germany April 18. With tens of thousands of fans in attendance over two days, the RPC is Germany’s pre-eminent fantasy gaming event. WARMACHINE: Prime Mk II was chosen in an open vote by attendees out of fi ve fi nalists in the tabletop category.

The RPC Fantasy Awards, which were open to all German translated products published in 2009 or in January or February 2010, was a fi rst for RPC and spanned nearly every game genre, from miniatures games to RPGs to video games. The German translation of Prime Mk II was done by Privateer Press’ distribution partners Ulisses Spiel.

For more information on the award-winning WARMACHINE: Prime Mk II visit www.privateerpress.com.

Bellevue, WA — Privateer Press’ WARMACHINE: Prime Mk II was voted best

The RPC Fantasy Awards, which were open to all German translated products

nearly every game genre, from miniatures games to RPGs to video games. The German translation of Prime Mk II was done by Privateer Press’ distribution partners Ulisses

For more information on the award-winning WARMACHINE: Prime Mk II visit

40

DFC Intelligence Forecasts Worldwide Game Market to Reach $70 Billion by 2015

DFC Intelligence announced the release of a series of new reports with comprehensive forecasts on the video game and interactive entertainment industry. These new forecasts provide an overview of the global game industry for console, PC, portable and online video games.

The latest forecasts indicate that overall worldwide revenue for the video game industry is expected to grow from $60.4 billion in 2009 to $70.1 billion in 2015. However, there is likely to be a signifi cant change in spending patterns as consumer spending shifts away from buying packaged goods at retail to buying products online either for digital delivery or by paying a subscription or usage fee.

According to DFC Intelligence analyst David Cole, ” The overall game industry is expected to undergo a decline as more consumers embrace online business models, many of which involve a signifi cant free to play component. These models may be more profi table than the traditional packaged goods business, but in the short term they provide less revenue.”

The PC platform continues to pioneer online business models and online game revenue for the PC is expected to exceed $20 billion in 2015. Consoles are also becoming a leading platform for online games and console online game revenue is expected to nearly quadruple from 2009 to 2015. “Online distribution and subscription models that worked on the PC are expected to come to the console systems over the next few years,” said Cole. “This should help offset some of the decline at retail.”

DFC forecasts that following a fairly signifi cant decline in 2009, the overall market will actually continue to experience a downturn over the next few years, with most of the predicted growth occurring in the 2013 to 2015 timeframe. Most of this decline is due to a slowdown in the current console systems from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony. While PC and online platforms are experiencing substantial growth, the growth in those markets is not expected to be enough to compensate for the slowdown in console platforms.

The new series of reports include a detailed breakout of online games revenue by platform, region, business model and genre in the 170-page report Online Game Market Forecasts and a detailed summary of aggregate overall worldwide forecasts by platform (console, PC portable), distribution (retail or online) and region including a detailed breakout for individual console systems in Worldwide Market Forecasts for the Video Game and Interactive Entertainment Industry. Subscribers to DFC’s research package services can get access to additional reports, historical data, regular updates, more detailed breakouts by country and genre and the ability to search the DFC database and download data to Excel spreadsheets.

To sign-up for a free sample of the monthly DFC Dossier report, or an overview of DFC research, contact Ozzie Monge at omonge@dfcint.com or go to www.dfcint.com.

DFC Intelligence

858-834-4340

41

New Infantry Fighting Vehicles in the NATO Module

Although the three nations present in the module use the Leopard 2 MBT, the mechanized infantry units use three different IFVs.

What you fi nd in the module are two very different concepts: wheel versus track; light armored vehicle versus heavier infantry fi ghting vehicle.

All of them share some aspects though. All three usually carry six/seven soldiers, have a crew of three and are responsible for carrying the troops around the battlefi eld safely. However, the way in which this is accomplished is where they differ.

German and Dutch forces fi eld tracked infantry fi ghting vehicles which are slower, heavier an d the more expensive of the three concepts. They can, however, better protect the troops and stand their ground more effectively against the enemy. They are better suited to the traditional battlefi eld.

The Canadians fi eld the eight-wheeled LAV (Light Armored Vehicle) which is faster and less expensive. It can move faster around the battlefi eld and can be adapted to several different roles with minor modifi cations. However, it´s not as well protected as the other two IFVs.

The two extremes in these concepts are the LAV3 and the CV9035NL, the latter costing twice as much as the former. The Marder is an older vehicle and a concept that somehow falls in between the other two. Its main weapon is closer to the one used in the LAV3 although it is tracked and heavier like the CV9035NL. The German forces actually plan to replace all Marders in the near future with the Puma, which is a lot like the CV90 family of vehicles.

For the NATO module you will fi nd only a small number of CV9035NLs but a much bigger number of the YPR-765-PRI in the Dutch formations. This is done to refl ect the situation in the time period where the game is set.

The Marder will be presented in two variants, the A3 (lower quality settings) and the A5, the latter having added anti-mine protection. There will also be Marders with mounted MILANs and others without them.

With the NATO module the player will be able to experience all these differences and nuances. He will need to use different tactics for German, Dutch or Canadian forces to take advantage of the strengths of each of them.

42

Tech News from ZDNet

Offi ce 2010: Why upgrade?

I've spent six months immersed in Offi ce 2010, using all the core programs day in and day out, digging in to see what’s new, what works, and what’s still annoying. My wide-ranging overview could help you decide whether Offi ce 2010 matters to you.

READ FULL STORY

HP’s purchase of Palm: Minimal impact on the mobile fi eld (for now)

Hewlett-Packard’s surprise purchase of Palm won’t rattle the smartphone or mobile fi eld in the near future, but over time the acquisition could spark a few ripple effects. Here’s a look at the landscape. by Larry Dignan

READ FULL STORY

What scared Microsoft into scrapping a secret tablet project?

Microsoft has reportedly pulled the plug on the Courier tablet that had been in the works, but gave no reasons. by Sam Diaz

READ FULL STORY

Facebook’s privacy timeline: Possible backlash or just evolution?

The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s history lesson of Facebook’s privacy policy is instructive. The timeline shows how Facebook went from being very focused on privacy to opt-in dealings designed to get users to share everything. The big question: Does it matter? by Larry Dignan

READ FULL STORY

Death by Powerpoint

Implicated in 2 space shuttle disasters. Banned by a combat commander in Iraq. Making sense of our collected and stored information is hard enough. Does PowerPoint thinking make it harder? by Robin Harris

READ FULL STORY

Cisco the greenest of all of IT concerns, says Greenpeace

How green is thy IT company? Cisco, Ericsson, IBM and HP top Greenpeace’s newest list out today. by John Dodge

READ FULL STORY• Is the Gulf oil tragedy changing Obama’s mind on off shore

drilling?• Climate Exchange acquired: Carbon emissions trading grows

up• Corporate IT in 2015: much smaller, less visible, externally

sourced• Top 10 solar power advances to watch• Dihydrocapsiate is the hot new weight loss cure

Like what you see? Sign up for SmartPlanet’s weekly newsletter

The giant sucking sound of Mexican medical tourism

Of the nearly 1 million Americans who went to Mexico for medical care last year, about half were not Mexican immigrants. by Dana Blankenhorn

READ FULL STORY

I've spent six months immersed in Offi ce 2010, using all the core programs day in and day out, digging

43

News from GameIndustry.com

Reviews

Love and Death: BittenIn our quest

to review more casual games, we stumble across Play First’s Love and Death: Bitten, and get quite smitten with this vampire puzzle and hidden object title. We can see why so many people are turning to casual games these days.

http://www.gameindustry.com/review/item.asp?id=1208

2XL Supercross2XL Supercross has conquered the iPhone where the

motorcycle racing game is fun and responsive. But the transition to the PC proves to be a bumpy ride.

http://www.gameindustry.com/review/item.asp?id=1207

The Whispered WorldOffering classic old-school point and click adventure

gaming, The Whispered World is a strikingly beautiful game with a great story that will appeal to kids and adults alike. It might even revive the genre.

http://www.gameindustry.com/review/item.asp?id=1206

Podcasts

Redemption For The WestRed Dead Redemption blasted onto the scene like a hot

knife through butter, bringing us an unheard of open world set in the American Old West. We celebrate that accomplishment this week in the lounge, complete with guns, cattle and infamous characters. Well, we've at least got that last one.

http://www.gameindustry.com/podcast/item.asp?id=72

A Cultural Shift?News that India-based Reliance Big

Entertainment has bought a 50 percent share of Codemasters has triggered shockwaves throughout the industry. Will we start to see a cultural shift towards Indian history and culture in games?

http://www.gameindustry.com/podcast/item.asp?id=66

Editorial: Saying Goodbye to Gary

News that Gary Coleman has died after a long bout with many health problems has saddened all of us here at GiN. He was always a nice guy when we met, and the scene-stealing star of the Postal II game will be missed. We all felt good to have known him. He will be missed.

http://www.gameindustry.com/editorial/item.asp?id=478

GiN Hardcore: Games aren’t perfect.but we love them anyway

Despite a few rather comical errors in Red Dead Redemption, (the amazing donkey girl, talking dog gunfi ghters) Todd says the game should still probably earn some perfect review scores. After all, no game is perfect, and Red Dead is better than most.

http://www.gameindustry.com/editorial/item.asp?id=479

Stock Market: The right way

The GiNdex heads back up after some rough times. It’s not a great bump but at least it’s going in the right direction. We can be happy with that.Copyright Game Industry News 2010. Game Industry News and GIN, plus the entire contents of this newsletter are copyright Noble Order Press Enterprises. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher, Nate Wooley. publisher@gameindustry.com www.gameindustry.com

44

Max and the Magic Marker (PC & MAC) now available on Steam WORLDWIDE

The Games Company brings the internationally critically acclaimed physics-based smash-hit platformer to a worldwide Mac & PC audience via Steam.

Berlin — Max and the Magic Marker, winner of the European Innovative Games Design EIGA 2009, winner “Best overall” Unity Award 2009, “Talent of the year” at DGA 2010 and Independent Game Festival 2010 D2D Vision Award Winner, can now be downloaded on the biggest digital download platform in the world.

TGC – The Games Company is now able to give enthusiastic players all over the world the chance to download Max and the Magic Marker on Steam, featuring the titular Max and his cool gadget, to hunt an evil enemy in beautifully illustrated levels. The innovative game controls have received great feedback within the games press and are easy to pick up and enjoy by both young and old alike.

Christian Sauerteig, Director Marketing and Sales at TGC – The Games Company: “We are really proud that this masterpiece from the independent developer Press Play is fi nally released on Steam. For a very affordable price players will get a fantastic game with innovative control and brilliant levels, starring this adorable main character and hero. This is what the dreams of independent game fans are made off! The SteamPlay platform is also a great opportunity for everyone and being a part of the Day-1release is just fantastic.”

Max and the Magic Marker is available on Steam worldwide for a price of 19,95 $, 12,95 £ or 13,95 €.

About TGC – The Games Company Worldwide GmbHTGC – The Games Company is an innovative content provider for all forms of interactive entertainment.

It was set up at the start of 2006 in Berlin as an international publisher of computer and video games and as a developer of many excellent and high-class in house productions. TGC is involved in conventional trade at home and abroad and all digital sales markets as well. Its committed team, which stands out because of its extensive experience, high level of professionalism and a strong global network of partners in this fi eld handles publications related to next-gen consoles and PC with the same dedication it lends to online, browser, mobile and social games. For more information on TGC and the unique innovative corporate concept, please visit www.the-games-company.com

Ingo HornInternational PR Managertel.: +49 30 526853 300fax: +49 30 526853 004cel.:+49 178 5330238ingo.horn@the-games-company.com

TGC - The Games Company Worldwide GmbHEhrenbergstraße 1910245 Berlin

Germanyhttp://www.the-games-company.com/

CEO/Geschäftsführer:Carsten Strehse, Markus MaltiCommercial register of the local court / Registergericht:Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg, HRB 100943 BVAT identi� cation number / Ust-Id.Nr.:DE 247061546

masterpiece from the independent developer Press Play is fi nally released on Steam. For a very affordable price players will get a fantastic game with innovative control and brilliant levels, starring this adorable main character and hero. This is what the dreams of independent game fans are made off! The SteamPlay platform is

Max and the Magic Marker is available on Steam worldwide for a price of 19,95 $, 12,95 £ or 13,95

TGC – The Games Company is an innovative content provider for all forms of interactive entertainment. It was set up at the start of 2006 in Berlin as an international publisher of computer and video games and as a developer of many excellent and high-class in house productions. TGC is involved in conventional trade at home and abroad and all digital sales markets as well. Its committed team, which stands out because of its extensive experience, high level of professionalism and a strong global network of partners in this fi eld handles publications related to next-gen consoles and PC with the same dedication it lends to online, browser, mobile

www.the-

45

Wizards of the Coast Brings Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers to PC Users via Steam

Renton, Wash. — Wizards of the Coast today announced that they have signed a deal with Valve Corporation to bring Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers, a digital extension of the worldwide Magic: The Gathering franchise, to PC users via the Steam® platform.

Already one of the most downloaded games on Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PC gamers will now be able to experience the thrill and competition of playing Magic: The Gathering in digital form, complete with 3D graphics and animations, new ways to play and a user-friendly interface. Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers brings the traditional action gamers love to a new generation, complete with a digital revamp.

Duels of the Planeswalkers players will enjoy the benefi ts of the Steamworks' features included in all PC versions, such as auto-updating, Steam Achievements, Leaderboards, downloadable content, ability to access from any computer, multiplayer matchmaking and more.

Pre-Sale for Duels of the Planeswalkers on Steam will begin on June 1, 2010 and will combine the core game and Expansion Pack 1 for $9.99.

About Duels of the Planeswalkers

Duels of the Planeswalkers brings the Magic: The Gathering trading card game to the digital space with crisp 3D graphics and animations, robust PVE and PVP game play and an intuitive user interface, giving new players and Magic fans alike an attractive and innovative way to play.

Players can battle real life opponents or play through an extensive single-player campaign. With rich single and multiplayer game play scenarios, Duels of the Planeswalkers offers an unrivaled depth in which each game is different from the last. For additional information on Duels of the Planeswalkers, please visit: www.duelsoftheplaneswalkers.com.

About Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. The company holds an exclusive patent on trading card games (TCGs) and their method of play and produces the premier trading card game, Magic: The Gathering, among many other trading card games and family card and board games. Wizards is also a leading publisher of roleplaying games, such as Dungeons & Dragons, and publisher of fantasy series fi ction with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information, visit the Wizards of the Coast Web site at www.wizards.com.Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, Duels of the Planeswalkers, Magic and Dungeons & Dragons are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. ©2010 Wizards. Valve and Steam are trademarks of Valve Corporation. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Contact: Jessica Sheets Tolena Thorburn

Porter Novelli for Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast

206.770.7081 425.204.8011

jessica.sheets@porternovelli.com tolena.thorburn@wizards.com

46

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