We’d reported about the impeding release of Grind from Privateer Press, and now they’ve set a date.  The “Full Metal Battle Sport” game will be released world-wide on October 21st, 2009.

Grind is for 2 players, ages 14+, and will retail for $69.99. The box contains a full color board, special dice, tokens, and 10, unpainted plastic figures. The cool part about the figures is that their arms are customizable with different weapons, etc…  over 30 different arms are included in the box.

The rules for Grind can be downloaded in PDF format here.

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Missing game pieces in your collection? Try Missing Game Parts, with pieces from what appears to be over 1000 different board games, newer and vintage.

MGP is from the same guy who brings us Darwin’s Game Closet, an online shop with thousands of newer and vintage games as well as over 2,000 copies of rules for out-of-print games.

His website looks pretty vintage, too; seriously, dude, what’s with the late 1998 HTML design? Awesome contents, though.

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I’m skipping several automatic card shufflers, dealers, and electronic card trackers.

Gaming device having board and converting chip game – An Othello variant, where certain spaces are more valuable, something to do with chips and betting, and the intention of turning it into a casino gaming device. Cites a similar patent application, also about Othello.

Modified blackjack game – A “knockout” card is added to the deck, and when it appears, the player with the lowest cash value at the end of that round is eliminated from play.

By the Gaming Show Network, which distributes electronic games for use by cable companies.

System and method for playing a poker game – Discard as many cards as you want and try to get a three-of-a-kind. If you do, you can discard as many cards as you want (up to the number you discarded the first time) to try to get a four-of-a-kind.

Roulette game apparatus and method – This guy goes on for ten pages explaining how the spaces on the traditional roulette wheel is not distributed fairly. Math geeks may enjoy the discussion. He provides a reworking of the number, area, and color distribution (similar to another patent claimed a few months ago).

Secondary game – God only knows. This one also goes on for 36 pages, without a lucid sentence.

It’s also the first patent I’ve ever seen which entirely abandons the standard format of patent organization, which includes a summary, background, and then description. There is no background or summary. There are dozens of pages of terminology definitions, and a brief description at one point (two people play with the same ordered set of cards at different locations, probably via electronic means), and then pages and pages without a paragraph break.

The patent is by “CFPH, LLC” aka Cantor Fitzgerald Patent Holdings, and appears to be related to CF’s Gaming division, Cantor Gaming. CFPH’s overly broad patents have inspired the UK to tighten up on patentability laws.

Pai gow game with supplemental bet – Pai gow is a Chinese gambling game played with Chinese dominoes, and has inspired a card game based on it called Pai gow poker. In either game, players separate cards into two piles, after which the dealer separates his cards into two piles. A player wins if both of his hands beat both of the dealer’s hands. If both don’t, he loses. Otherwise it’s a tie.

This patent includes an additional bet after the player separates, but before the dealer does.

Poker game and apparatus for play thereof – The game and electronic game table of WaSioux, a variant of five-card stud called “A Friendly Game of Poker” invented by Native Americans.

Four card poker and associated games – Four card poker against a dealer (five cards dealt, one discarded). Wowza. This is patentable?

Money counting/money fact board game apparatus and method – Got to love patents: “The board may include a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side, which together substantially form a square.”

A board game called “Money Match & Move” by Carmiletta Wiggins. She has also reserved the brand “Match & Move”.

Multiple player participation game – A Liar’s Dice variant around an Octagonal board.

Thirty-one/forty card game – The abstract: “Each bettor wagers on a first hand (the RED hand) or a second hand (the BLACK hand). The first hand is dealt until the count value is at least 31 and not more than 40. The second hand is dealt until the count value is at least 31 and not more than 40. The higher hand wins. Ties are pushes. Aces count one, face cards count ten and all other cards count their pip value.”

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Purple Pawn is giving away a prerelease copy of Arch Enemy, the third novel in Frank Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars trilogy. This softcover proof was provided by the publisher to promote Card Soldier Wars, a game based on the book series, and which is supposed to have both online and offline versions. The online game claims to be an MMO, though it looks to be more like a collectible card game. I’m supposing that the offline game will actually be that same CCG, but in paper form, though I’ve been unable to confirm that or get sample cards.

I’ll provide you an update as soon as I can. But in the meantime, here’s your chance to be reading Arch Enemy before it goes on sale. All you have to do is leave a comment below with a valid email address before 12:00 AM Mountain Time Thursday (maybe tell us your favorite game or Alice in Wonderland character). I’ll pick one entry at random, and in order to get this in your hands as soon as possible, you’ll have to confirm a shipping address within 24 hours. And yes, I’m willing to ship worldwide.

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