Word has it that these are the final nominees for the 2008 Origins Awards. The annual question: How much do you care? What does an Origins Award mean for you or for the product? And, for me, the real burning question: Did White Wolf even submit anything to the awards this year?
Miniature Or Miniatures Line
Skarrd Raze #2
by Dark Age Games
George R.R. Martin Masterworks – Premium Miniature Line
by Dark Sword Miniatures, Inc.
Titanius Fury
by Dragonfire Laser Crafts Inc.
Bronzeback Titan, HORDES: Evolution Miniatures Line
by Privateer Press
Dark Heaven Legends Fantasy Miniatures
by Reaper Miniatures
Miniatures Rules
Classic Battletech
Published by Catalyst Game Labs
Created by Jordan Weisman
Edited by Michelle Lyons, Diane Piron-Gelman
Saganami Island Tactical Simulator, Second Edition
Published by Ad Astra Games
Created by Ken Burnside and Thomas Pope
Forces of WARMACHINE: Pirates of the Broken Coast
Published by Privateer Press
Created by Brian Snoddy and Matt Wilson
AT-43
Published by Rackham
Created by Arnaud Cuidet, Jean-Baptiste Lullien, Nicolas Raoult, and Jerome Rigal
Song of Blades and Heroes
Published by Andrea Sfiligoi
Created by Andrea Sfiligoi
Publication, Fiction
Astounding Hero Tales
Published by Hero Games
Edited by James Lowder
Dragons of the Highlord Skies
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Frontier Cthulhu
Published by Chaosium
Edited by William Jones
The Orc King
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by R.A. Salvatore
The Time Curse
Published by Margaret Weis Productions
Written by James M. Ward
Publication, Non-fiction
40 Years of Gen Con
Published by Atlas Games
Written by Robin D. Laws
Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress: A Girl’s Guide to the Dungeons & Dragons Game
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by Shelly Mazzanoble
Grand History of the Realms
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by Brian R. James and Ed Greenwood
Hobby Games: The 100 Best
Published by Green Ronin
Edited by James Lowder
No Quarter Magazine
Published by Privateer Press
Nathan Letsinger, editor-in-chief; Eric Cagle, editor; Josh Manderville, art
director
Roleplaying Game
Grimm
Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Written by Robert Vaughn and Christian T. Petersen
The Savage World of Solomon Kane
Published by Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group
Written by Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams (with Shane Lacy Hensley)
CthulhuTech
Published by Mongoose Publishing
Written by Matthew Grau and Fraser McKay
Battlestar Galactica
Published by Margaret Weis Productions
Written by Jamie Chambers
Faery’s Tale Deluxe
Published by Firefly Games
Written by Patrick Sweeney, Sandy Antunes, Christina Stiles, and Robin D. Laws
Aces & Eights
Published by Kenzer & Co.
Written by Jolly R. Blackburn, Brian Jelke, Steve Johansson, Dave Kenzer,
Jennifer Kenzer and Mark Plemmons
Roleplaying Game Supplement
Legend of the Five Rings: Emerald Empire
Published by Alderac Entertainment Group
Written by Shawn Carman, Richard Farrese, Douglas Sun and Brian Yoon
Pirate’s Guide to Freeport
Published by Green Ronin
Written by Chris Pramas, Robert J. Schwalb, and Patrick O’Duffy
Delta Green: Eyes Only
Published by Pagan Publishing
Written by Dennis Detwiller, Adam Scott Glancy and Shane Ivey
Pathfinder: Rise of the Runelords
Published by Paizo Publishing
Edited by James Jacobs, Art by Wayne Reynolds
Ruins of the Wild: Dungeon Tiles 4
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Written by Bruce R. Cordell
Codex Arcanis
Published by Paradigm Concepts
Written by Team Paradigm
Game Support
Dungeon Life: Bendy Walls
Published by by Z-Man Publishing
Gamemastery Flip Mat: Tavern
Published by Paizo Publishing
Crystalline Counters
Published by Three Sages Games
Hollow Earth Expedition GM Screen
Published by Exile Game Studio
Dr. Wizard’s Patented Elevation Indicator
Published by Stratus Artworks
Call Of Cthulhu Dice Set
Published by Q-Workshop
Collectible Card Game
Bleach
Published by Score Entertainment&nb sp;
Aik Tongtharadol (lead designer), William Harper (rules editor)
Legend of the Five Rings
Published by Alderac Entertainment Group
Mark Wootton (lead designer), Charles Urbach (cover artist)
The Spoils
by Tenacious Games, Inc.
Josh Lytle (lead designer), Patrick Meehan (lead artist)
Board Game Or Expansion
Pillars of the Earth
Published by Mayfair Games
Created by Michael Rieneck and Stefan Stadler
Kingsburg
Published by Elfin Werks
Created by Andrea Chiarvesio and Luca Iennaco
StarCraft: The Board Game
Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Created by Corey Konieczka and Christian Petersen
Last Night on Earth, The Zombie Game
Published by Flying Frog Productions
Created by Jason Hill
Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords
Published by Red Juggernaut
Created by Jim Long
Traditional Card Game
Lifeboat
Published by Gorilla Games
Created by Jeff Siadek
Cutthroat Caverns
Published by Smirk and Dagger Games
Created by Curt Covert and Justin Brunetto
Bankruptcy
Published by Tangent Games
Created by Geoff Habiger and Coy Kissee
Zombie Fluxx
Published by Looney Labs
Created by Andrew Looney
Infernal Contraption
Published by Privateer Press
Created by Matt Wilson, Jason Soles, Kevin Clark, Erik Breidenstein
Race for the Galaxy
Published by Rio Grande Games
Created by Thomas Lehmann
Back in the 80s awards meant a lot to me, because it was a primary source of information. Hey, I bought Ars Magica because it won an award (and never regretted it). Today I can judge the product by myself just by surfing the net, reading reviews, previews-pdfs, fanboy-praise and hatemail.
I can understand that awards are still valued feedback for the publishers, but from a consumer perspective awards have turned to nothing more than a sub note (like ‘Oh, others like/hate it, too.’) for me.
My experience is that most publishers minimize the value of these awards, unless they win, in which case they feel the way winners feel. Like you, though, it’s still interesting to note what others like and be exposed to titles I otherwise wasn’t paying much attention to.
As a never-winner, and a bloke who got snubbed on nominations this year, I actually care less about the winners than I do about the nominees. Unless my friends win, in which case I feel the way the friends of winners do.
From the RPG end of things, at least, the hobby is far too fractured for awards to mean much of anything. It’s like voting for the best vehicle from a list of cars, boats, and helicoptors. Even if I was interested in picking up a new one, 80% of the offerings just don’t fit what I’m into or looking for.
The board game and card game categories are the only ones that have any real value to me, because they fit how I actually buy and play the games. I’m far more likely to pick up a new one and give it a try, and the price and time commitment to start playing are both low enough for casual purchases. Any piece of info, like a recommendation or an award, helps.
They’re a little like book and movie awards in that I regularly go to the store and look at a big stack of them and pick one to add to my collection. I don’t think RPGs operate that way anymore, if they ever really did.
IMO, a more better award system would recognize notable products, retailers, creators, and business people. If we consider our awards as a guidepost of sort, a short hand history of the important stuff that happened in the past year, I don’t think rigid categories really work.
You might instead have:
* Retailer of the year
* Idea of the year
* Products of the year (pick from 0 to 3)
* Person of the year (person who had the biggest positive effect on the industry)
It’s like voting for the best vehicle from a list of cars, boats, and helicopters.
Because the makers of “zeppelin” didn’t bother to submit, you mean?