There was a post on GeekDad today titled “A Gamer’s Pet Peeve: Big Box, Small Game,” and while the article itself was great, there was a tidbit in there I found very interesting. The author, Jonathan Liu, had created his own, smaller box for Caylus Manga Carta.  This got me thinking about my own game collection.  How many games do I own that have WAY bigger boxes than they need, and how much space could I save by making my own boxes for them?

My question goes out to all of you.  How many of you have opted for making smaller boxes for your games to make them fit in your game space easier?  What do you do with the boxes you’ve replaced?  Do you store them in the attic/basement, or throw them away?

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After much anticipation and a teaser release at Gen Con, Rogue Trader has begun finding its way to retailers. The new Warhammer 40K RPG is independent from but compatible with Dark Heresy, expanding both the universe and player options.

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Crafty Games’ first supplements for Fantasy Craft are a series of character class PDF booklets available individually or as a bundle: Monster Slayer, Infernalist, and Gallant.

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In 1978, Scott Peterson was broke and unemployed. He invented a board game Pirateer, and began selling hand made copies. In 1995, he finally received $150,000 of investment to publish under the banner Mendocino Game Company. By year’s end, he had sold 3,500 copies. (source)

Pirateer won a Mensa Select award (fwiw). By 1998, he was filling orders around the world. (source)

In 2001, MGC and Warren Industries partnered: MGC would have exclusive rights to sell WI products to certain stores, and WI would have exclusive license to promote and sell Pirateer.

In 2006, Scott Peterson won a $275,000 case against WI for breach of contract, lawyer’s fees, etc. In order to speed up the court process, Scott went on a hunger strike. (source) I’m not entirely sure, from the summary on this and other web sites, what the exact breach was.

Since 2004, Scott also claimed about his fellow MGC board members, that “malicious statements by former colleagues about his character, mental health and business dealings have alienated him from family and friends and overshadowed and consumed his last five years, while what he considers business betrayals caused the ruin of MGC, ‘the dream of my life’ and turned its bright prospects into a ‘hellish nightmare of a smear job’ and a succession of legal contests.”

2009: These former colleagues have now been awarded a $791,000 judgment against Scott. Over the last several years, he has accused them of conspiring against him, embezzlement, defamation, and, uh, infidelity.  (source) As to the latter, he wrote anonymous notes to the spouses of these colleagues “informing” them of this. He also accused one of his ex-wives of slandering him by saying that he suffered from “narcissistic personality disorder”.

A psychiatrist hired by the defense testified that Peterson suffered from narcissism and paranoia. He has been found guilty of maliciously defaming and inflicting emotional distress on the defendants.

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The fight over gambling in South Carolina continues: five men who were convicted of gambling over a house game of Texas Hold’em have had their charges dismissed on appeal. Said the judge a) poker is a game of skill, and b)

Any family that has ever played the children’s card game Go Fish while waiting for dinner at a restaurant where wine may be purchased has violated the statute, as has the youth group that plays a board game using dice while on a church picnic. Even a traveler playing a game of solitaire in an airport lounge is in violation of the statute. Simply put, (the statute) as written, has the potential to make criminals of virtually every man, woman and child in the state of South Carolina.

(source)

Beirut, Lebanon: A fight over a card game brings revenge attacks and the flaring of sectarian violence. (source)

Southhampton, UK: 24 year-old woman accused of molesting two young girls and two young boys in her flat, over dice games and truth or dare. (source)

Gastonia, NC: Strippers and owners charged with “crimes against nature” (ya really?) that included alcohol and sexual favors as rewards for winning games. (source)

Westchester, NY: 19, including mafia members, arrested for operating gambling ring. (source)

Mobile, AL: Man ends card game in his own house by shooting one of the other players and taking his money. (source)

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