Well, I've come across a couple of things of note that I think are worthy to make the news this weekend.
Firstly, Black Industries have announced that the bonus Arena card will be available to EVERYONE that preorders the game, whether from conventions or through the BI website!
Secondly, Capcom have been tinkering with their new pages for Talisman, but they are not live as yet... though if you are sneaky you can take a peek at a couple of characters from the PC version of Talisman.
NEWSBITS 5th September 2007
Just a quick update to say that Elliott and I had a great time last week at GenCon UK in Reading helping demo the game to new people.
I would say that everyone that managed to get a game had a good time. There was a good mix of current players, players of old and people totally new to the game and a lot of preorders were made to people keen to get hold of the game a little earlier than most.
Unfortunately my camera broke on the first day, so there is no gallery to see, but if anyone manages to send some pictures my way I will put them online.
Thanks to all who played, especially Kevin, Simon, Julie, Nigel, Aaron, Brian, Troy and many others whose names escape me (sorry!) who helped the weekend go along with a laugh or two and I'm looking forward to Games Day in Birmingham on the 23rd September where we shall be demoing the game again!!
NEWSBITS 20th August 2007
A couple of newsworthy items have appeared on the Black Industries Website today.
Firstly, for those of you unable to attend one of the prelaunch events can now preorder the game!
In addition, for those of you who just HAVE to have miniatures in your game they have some suggestions for you to use from the current GW range of miniatures.
NEWSBITS 8th August 2007
A auction on eBay caught my eye today and if you are interested in getting hold of a copy of Talisman early AND getting a slap up meal into the bargain then you should check it out.
The organisers of the ENnie Awards at GenCon Indy are auctioning off a numbers of seats at various tables, but I think this one has to be the best one.
The winner of the auction will not only win a seat at the Black Industries table for the awards, but they will also walk off with a copy of the new edition PLUS the two bonus Adventure cards - Rod of Ruin and Arena!
Click on the image above to have a look at the auction and if you win, I'd be interested in a blow by blow account of the whole experience... and save me an after dinner mint!
...and before you ask, I have no connection with the auction. If only it included air tickets I might be interested in bidding myself!!
NEWSBITS 6th August 2007
Black Industries have posted another interesting interview on their website today.
This time it's a chat with Ralph Horsley about his new artwork for the board for the new edition.
NEWSBITS 1st August 2007
Details about the availability of Talisman at GenCon Indy have appeared on the Black Industries website.
Numbers have been limited to 50 per day, so you had better get to Booth 1229 early to score a copy along with the bonus Adventure card - Arena.
You can also find out more information about Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Dark Heresy with a free demo adventure!
NEWSBITS 20th July 2007
An interesting tidbit of information has reached my ears about a second bonus card to be made available for the release of Talisman.
It seems that in addition to "Arena", which will be available at the prerelease events at Gen Con Indy and Games Day, there will be another card sent to various retailers globally for distribution as they see fit.
The card will be "Rod of Ruin", which is another card that featured in the original Talisman Expansion Set.
NEWSBITS 18th July 2007
Well, at long last I have put a "review" of sorts up for anyone who is interested in seeing what the latest incarnation of Talisman is all about.
Click through the image below to see it and let me know what you think!
NEWSBITS 15th July 2007
It's always nice to have some "mood" music playing whilst you are engaged in a game of Talisman.
I've been toying with the idea of having a music player on the site for a while now and decided to give one a shot.
So if you have a computer anywhere near your games table, you will now be able to listen to some music during your quest!
I'd be interested in any comments about this idea as I may add a dedicated page in the future.
NEWSBITS 13th July 2007
Nothing much to report today it seems, but I will just say that in the Resources/Expansions section I've put up a LOT of cards kindly sent to me by Carsten Both.
I've also noticed that Capcom have recently updated the banner on their Digital Blog site to include an image of "Dice with Death" from Talisman -
I'm not sure how long that image has been there, but here's hoping that some news will be forthcoming soon regarding the project!
With a bit of luck I will be able to get organised with my review/comparison of Talisman 4th Edition for you all over the weekend, so stay tuned!
NEWSBITS 10th July 2007
Black Industries have just posted an interesting Question and Answer session with Marc Gascoigne and Zoe Wedderburn about the new edition of Talisman.
You can read this article, which also clears up one of the most contentious issues in Talisman, by clicking the image below -
NEWSBITS 6th July 2007
Just a quick note to mention that I returned home today to find a nice surprise waiting for me -
Stay tuned as I will be making a full report on the contents next week.
NEWSBITS 28th June 2007
Black Industries have now confirmed that you will be able to make an advance order for Talisman through their website from the 20th August.
They also confirm a few events where you will be able to purchase a copy of the game a month or so earlier than its scheduled release date.
In addition, there is an interesting snippet of information that anyone buying a copy of Talisman at one of these events will also receive a limited edition Adventure card - Arena.
Black Industries have posted yet another interview to their website. This time it is the turn of Max Bertolini, the man behind the stunning Adventure card artwork.
You can read the latest interview, and the previous interviews with Jeremy McHugh and Ralph Horsley, by clicking through the images below.
NEWSBITS 21st June 2007
Today Black Industries put the trailer for Talisman up on YouTube for all to see and rather than embed it on this page I thought I'd let you see it the old fashioned way here.
They also mentioned that more news will be coming soon to the Black Industries website.
The latest edition of the Talisman Herald has just been uploaded to the site, with news, articles and content for your favourite boardgame.
I've also put up a gallery of pictures sent to me by Riccardo Rognoni of his Talisman set and miniatures, which can be seen by clicking the image below.
NEWSBITS 12th June 2007
An interesting statement was released by Capcom today with regard to its games Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition, Onimusha 3, Lost Planet and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix -
Capcom Co. Ltd. is pleased to announce that it will commence distribution of many of its popular game titles to the PC market via Valve Corporation's Steam digital distribution service, making it the first major Japanese software publisher to sign on with Steam.
If you cast your mind back to April when Black Industries first reported that Capcom had licensed Talisman, they stated that -
Black Industries are pleased to announce that Capcom Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, have been given a license to produce a digitally downloadable version of Talisman.
So it seems that, as the game will be digitally downloadable, it is a fair assumption that Talisman will be coming out via the Steam network, for the moment at least.
I have used Steam for a number of years now to play games like Half Life and Counterstrike and have always found it a very useful tool indeed. There is now a list of 139 games playable over Steam, the majority of which are from companies other than Valve.
It is possible that I am making 1+1=3, but I'll worry about that when it happens!! For more news on Steam and its range of games can be found here.
The only downside I can see is that I won't have a box for the game!
NEWSBITS 11th June 2007
Fancy getting your hands on a copy of the new version of Talisman BEFORE the official release date of the 1st of October?
Marc Gascoigne, the head honcho at Black Industries, has named a few venues where you will be able to score a copy as early as August!
Maybe I need to look into getting a few more countdown applets?
NEWSBITS 8th June 2007
Not much to report today apart from the next edition of the Talisman Herald is nearly finished. It will be uploaded some time next week once I get a few more pages done.
In other news, it seems that GW's legal department has asked oldschoolgamr to cease production of Talisman GBA, which is a great shame.
He had already penned an article about how the project came to be, which will still be published in the next Talisman Herald as a testament to all of his hard work.
NEWSBITS 4th June 2007& 5th June 2007
Just some news to say that Elliott the Roolz Troll and I have now returned safely from an exhausting weekend of messing about with demonstrating the new edition of Talisman at the UK Games Expo 2007 in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
It was great to finally get our grubby mitts on a copy of the game and to try it out with some willing volunteers.
Richard Massey becomes the first player to be Toaded!!!
Elliott baffles the table with a Ray Charles impression!
Thanks to everyone that stopped by and asked questions and a great many thanks to those who were lucky enough to get a game over the weekend, namely -
Paul H, Iain, Fil, Paul G, Will, Gordon, Matt, Big Bad John, Fiona, Richard & Daniel, Mark, Kelvin, Paul C, Ellen, Keary, Paul F & Edgar, Dave Allen, Emma, Jerry, Ben the Plucky, Joel, Ben the Other Ben, Mica, David, Joey, Joe, Dave D and Ben P!
Click the image below to see a hastily cobbled together gallery from the weekend. **UPDATED**
NEWSBITS 31st May 2007
It seems that oldschoolgamr likes to give us something to talk about on a wet and dreary Thursday (other climates are available).
Today he announced a project that he's been working on for the last couple of years!
Click the picture above to visit his site and see what he has been up to for all this time. It's been well worth the effort!
MORE NEWSBITS 31st May 2007
In other news, Black Industries has just updated their site with a potted history of Talisman.
It's an interesting read and you can access it by clicking on the picture above of Bob Harris, who is showing off Talisman at Games Day in 1983! Nice glasses!
NEWSBITS 22nd May 2007
In a surprise move, the competiton page gets an update with details of the winning entry!!
There have also been a few changes to the Talisman Boardgame Discussion Group at Yahoo Games.
I've added a welcome message for new members and cleared up the front page a little. There's a new picture too which should leave people in no doubt that it is a group for the discussion of ALL things Talisman.
So, if you are not a member already, what are you waiting for?
NEWSBITS 3rd May 2007
...and yet more news about the World of Talisman from Black Industries!!
The latest newsletter from Black Industries has a link to a new trailer which has been made to show some aspects of the new edition.
Click the link above to see the trailer which features art from the game, details about how it is played and an original soundtrack.
Sign up for the newsletter whilst you are at the Black Industries site!!
NEWSBITS 1st May 2007
It seems that Black Industries just can't stop with the good news regarding the future of Talisman!
During the GAMA Trade Show in Las Vegas last week, Black Industries confirmed that at least one expansion for Talisman was already in development.
A release date has not been set but this first expansion is expected around April or May 2008. The expansion is to include more characters, adventure cards, equipment
and spells, and even "a few surprises".
NEWSBITS 14th April 2007
Thanks to oldschoolgamr for the heads up on this particular little item of news... Talisman is coming to the PC, PS Network and XBLA!
Details are a bit scarce at the moment so this is what's being said over at the IGN website -
US, April 13, 2007 - This winter, Capcom will bring the Games Workshop board game Talisman to the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and PC platforms. Originally created in 1983 by the highly-successful table game company, Talisman (which is currently out of print) was a combination card and board game that had loose ties to the company's Warhammer Fantasy universe.
The videogame version of Talisman sounds like it will be a close digital representation of the classic game, utilizing a virtual board with 3D characters and environments. Up to four players can play online and off and take advantage of the game's 25 characters from the franchise. Voice chat options will allow players to talk while the game progresses, and downloadable game expansions, including character updates, adventure card updates, alternate endings and more, are expected to give legs to the title over time.
Other details on the game are scarce, other than the fact that it is in production at Big Rooster studios and will be available this winter.
Just a quick note to mention that I managed to make it to London's Toy Fair at ExCeL on Saturday 27th of January and whilst I was there I managed to take a picture of the box art.
Isn't she a beauty? Click the link below for the latest news about the new edition of Talisman and visit the Talisman Herald Section for my ramblings...
In the mean time, while we are waiting for more news about the game you can visit the Boardgame News website to see pictures of the mock up from the London, Toronto and New York Toy Fairs by clicking the images below...
You could even make some plans to visit the UK Games Expo in Birmingham later this year where it seems Black Industries will be spending a couple of days showcasing the new version...
MORE NEWSBITS 5th March 2007
It seems that whilst I was on holiday Black Industries decided to make a couple of updates to their website!
Not only do you get yet another wallpaper to download...
...but there is a new feature from Jeremy McHugh, the artist behind the character art for the new edition...
...not forgetting the original article about Ralph Horsley's stunning box art!
