Scott Nicholson—that guy we’re completely jealous of because he has a steady, respectable job where (among other things) he’s paid to study and play games—now also has his own board game out. Tulipmania 1637 is being published by JKLM Games and the preordered copies have just started arriving. Based on the wild market for Tulip bulbs in 1600s Holland, the game provides players the opportunity to experience the potential effects of speculation and try their own hand at market timing and manipulation. If you’d like to try the game before buying, there is a free online version available.

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A new company has formed to sell you – gaming paper! The company (wait for it), Gaming Paper, is entering the market to sell gamers large rolls of grid paper at a fairly attractive price ($4 for a roll of 30″ x 12′ and $120 for a case of 48 rolls). The paper seems to be a decent weight and lays flat, though given that its not reusable, I’m not real sure I buy into their affordability argument. That said, it seems well-suited for D&D and other grid-based games and the company’s sample videos of the product are fairly entertaining. To be honest, I’m not sure whether to spend my time mocking or pimping this one – you guys are just going to have to decide for yourselves.

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Cubicle 7 appears to have developed some grand ambitions since their acquisition by Rebellion. Two more RPG companies have been added to the fold in the last couple of weeks, as well as a significant new license. An agreement with Triple Ace Games will see Cubicle 7 publishing the Hellfrost fantasy setting for Savage Worlds, and one with designer John Wick will have the company publishing Houses of the Blooded. Cubicle 7 also recently inked a deal with Chaosium to produce Call of Cthulhu supplements (OK, who hasn’t done that?), as well as a new game using the Basic Roleplaying system.

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Static Soccer by sggc Nubia Games from Indiana (but created by someone from Ghana), is a board  with a bunch of little lightly magnetic poles sticking up on your side of a simulated soccer field. A sensitive electronic doodad keeps score and buzzes.

It won’t replace Foosball – it probably won’t replace Knock Hockey – but don’t listen to me. Listen to the soothing flight attendant who narrates the instruction video.

Yours for $95.

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The board game Play the Stock Market is certainly not the first stock market game: BGG lists 11 games with the words “stock market” going back to 1936. And many other games with a similar theme don’t have these words in their title.

It may lack an original theme, but it makes up for that with a lack in game play: roll the dice, buy and sell stocks. When you buy, it goes up in price, without fail. When you sell. it goes down in price, without fail. Lots of random events cause epic fail, however. Whoopee.

And it costs $60 + $10 shipping.

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Yikerz is yet another game played with magnets, where the object is to place your pieces on the board and not have them collapse into stacks. You gain any stacks created, and first to get rid of his pieces wins (probably not the first to gain a stack).

Add it to Jishaku, MagnetX, Polarity, and a few other games with magnets and essentially the same rules.

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In Family Matters, players take turns answering questions about their likes and dislikes regarding family vacations as the car hurtles toward the destination. The first player to roll the car in wins.

Not only do they win the game, but they also win a commitment for the type of family vacation they described while playing the game. And I’m guessing it includes sitting in the dark playing video games with an IPod.

Update: Also noted by David in February.

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AEG has started posting previews for Legend of the Five Rings’ next set:  Path of the Destroyer.  With the War of Dark Fire finished, a new threat looms from the south that is sending the denizens of the Shadowlands into a frenzied attempt to flee their home.  What is it that is frightening a horde of demons?

The set introduces a new card type, Celestial, which represents the favor of the Kami (ancestral spirits) to your clan.  Each one will have an persistent effect or can be discarded from play for a stronger effect.  Check the cards out here, yo.

The table is yours,

Phil

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Hasbro: Q2 earnings up 4.8% on Transformer tie-in sales. Profit of $39.3 million, revenue $792.2 million. Hasbro is looking forward to the GI Joe movie, and placing hopes that all the upcoming movies licensed from their game products will boost their game products licensed from their movies. Oy vey. (source)

Mattel: Q2 earnings up 82% (that’s right; no decimal place there). Profit of $21.5 million, revenue fell to $898.2 million on currency fluctuations. Sales down 25% because no tie-ins with movies like last year (Kung-Fu Panda, Batman, High School Musical). (source)

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