More "Drop Site" Updates

Drop Site is finally in Charleston, SC after a long voyage across the Atlantic aboard a stoic vessel named, La Margarine.

While at sea, my precocious supply of games endured tossing waves, poor conversation and days without food or water, and now they must wait at the docks until they have been cleared by customs.

Be strong, Drop Site, be strong. Your journey is nearly at an end. I have a shipping company ready to take you swiftly to your final resting place, deep in the heart of the new world.

Meanwhile. back in Venice, studiogiochi hastily prepares Drop Site for the interested Turkish publisher. Change is felt in the wind. Changes to the rules are suggested by studiogiochi, some of which might improve the game play...but who can know for sure?

I have done my best to test these potential changes and respond with a good opinion, but who knows what will result. Only, be patient and wait and I will, in time, conclude this story of adventure...

PS. The ship's name was a lot less interesting than La Margarine. Pardon the embellishment.

Drop Site Updates

I am facing some decisions about Drop Site.

Studio Giochi, the game's agent, is looking for distributors in Europe who would like to buy the game, and there may be several who are interested.

That means, I wouldn't get to have all of the 1,000 copies, but I would still make a profit on the games that are distributed.

I'd like to have all 1,000, but I might choose to leave 500 over seas to tap a market I will not otherwise be able easily access.

An alternative would be to print additional copies for $$$. The printer has given me an estimate on 500 and 1,000 additional copies, but there is no guarantee that these games would be purchased by a distributor and I can guarantee you that the price to print these extra games is not cheap!

So what is the best choice?

Of course, if Studio Giochi can't find an interested distributor for the free 1,000 copies then it makes no sense to print any additional copies or leave any copies in Europe. If distributors are interested, however...well, stop back by the blog later for that decision.

Prototypes En-Route!

Prototypes en-route!

Last weekend my wife and I spent nearly 12 hours cutting, gluing and making boxes for the 4 prototypes to be sent to Italy.

All told, there were 260 cards (thats 520 cards if you count the fronts and the backs) and four boxes. I'm not a very good box maker, but I survived and made a huge mess on our office floor.

Had some trouble sending the prototypes to Italy. Apparently, "playing cards" are prohibited by Italian customs. I'm not sure whether Drop Site would be considered "playing cards" since it is home made, and doesn't contain all the typical elements of playing cards, such as suits and face cards and aces. I can only hope it will make it through.

More about the game:

Still, I believe Drop Site is an ace in terms of game play and design. As I mentioned before, Drop Site fell into place one lazy Saturday morning and was truly and answer to prayer.

I designed the graphics myself using Adobe Illustrator CS4 in our Library at MSU. (By the way 520 cards in card stock prints for about $50 bucks). Each card has a picture of a box of "AID" parachuting down towards the drop site. The higher numbers are closer to the sun, and the lower numbers are closer to the earth.

As you play the game, you help to "lower" the parachutes toward the ground in hopes of matching various packets of aid to bids you make in a pile in front of you called your "debt."

You score points based on how risky your bids were, then re-shuffle and send several more parachutes toward the ground.

Mechanics Drop Site employs are: Matching, bluffing, play and draw, graduated scoring, and a vague sense of zero-sum.

What happens next?

Leo Colovini, of studiogiochi in Venice, and well-established game designer has been in contact with me regarding Drop Site. I will get to keep 1000 copies of Drop Site, which will be developed by ScriBabs and printed by CartaMundi. The prototypes will go to three European game companies for further testing.

As Mr. Colovini explained, essentially when I participated in the Premio Archimede, I agreed to make studiogiochi the "agent" for Drop Site, that is, they help to connect the game with interested publishers.

The remaining 1000 copies I am free to do with as I please, provided another company does not decide to publish Drop Site and restrict my distribution of the games in specific ways.

Conclusion:

As usual, I continue to learn more and more about the Euro-gaming industry almost every day. Looking back even to June when I first entered the competition, I feel that I know so much more now.

Even if no company decides to publish Drop Site, I am very pleased to have learned so much in the process, and now feel that getting a published board or card game is an attainable goal--if not now, then perhaps in the not so distant future.