As recently announced on the Firefly Games site, I agreed to help write an introductory adventure for the upcoming kids’ roleplaying game Faery’s Tale. This is the first RPG writing I’ve done in nearly two years, and I’m looking forward to it almost as much as seeing the game itself. Fortunately, since it’s due out in August, I won’t have …

According to ICv2.com, WizKids laid off 15 of its 65 employees back on June 8. A few of my friends felt the axe, although since they’re not speaking loudly about it, I won’t name them here. Still, if you’re looking to hire some fine game designers, there are a number of them floating around out there these days. It seems …

According to a press release posted on GamingReport.com, WizKids has “reorganized.” This means some good people have lost their jobs. Without being on the inside, it’s impossible to know what the reasons for this are: poor sales, meddling by a corporate parent, or something else entirely. The management team at WizKids is filled with good people, and I know this …

Monday’s New York Times featured an article on Cathy’s Book, the new blend between novel and alternate reality game created by Jordan Weisman and Sean Stewart. Apparently Cover Girl has arranged for product placement in the book in exchange for promoting it on BeingGirl.com, a website for adolescent girls. According to ICv2.com, Commercial Alert–an organization which “protect communities from commercialism”–sent …

My recent post on EDOC Laundry piqued the interest of regular commenter Christian Johnson, so he sent me a list of questions about alternate-reality games (ARGs). Today, he posted his notes and questions and my answers at Cinerati.

Tim Hildebrandt, one half of the identical twins known as the Brothers Hildebrandt, died on June 11 due to complications from diabetes. I never knew Tim (or his brother Greg), but I loved their artwork from an early age. Their renditions of Tolkien’s words brought Middle-earth to life for me as a kid, and they defined fantasy artwork in my …

Comic-Con has asked me to put together a panel of game industry professionals for the show. The panel will run from 11—12 on Saturday, July 22. If you qualify to be on such a panel, will be there, and have the time free, please use the link in the sidebar to drop me an e-mail. If you’ll be at the …

Over on his blog, Lucien Soulban asks about novel pitches and submissions, “How do you approach submissions and is rejection our constant companion?” Among the other excellent answers, I replied: It’s always a crapshoot. Not only do you have to have a great idea, but it has to be one that catches the editor’s attention, hasn’t been done before (or …

I just made my reservations for Comic-Con International. It’ll be a quick trip for me. Although the con runs from Wednesday through Sunday, I’m in on Thursday morning and back out on Saturday night. While I’m there, I’ll be on a panel or two and sit in at a book signing. If you’ll be there, be sure to drop on …

Game designer (and good guy) TS Luikart waxes well on how fame works in the role-playing game industry. (He also name-checks me in a kind way.)