Mayfair Games Enters 3-year Sponsorship agreement with Gen Con
Mayfair Games is pleased to announce a new sponsorship agreement with Gen Con for the next three years! Mayfair Games is a world leader in the hobby board game industry and was a major sponsor of Gen Con Indy 2011.
“We feel grateful that the Mayfair Games team has worked so hard to partner together with Gen Con LLC to create the best Gen Con Indy we have ever had this year,” said Adrian Swartout, CEO of Gen Con. “Mayfair’s commitment continues to demonstrate their vision and industry leadership. The ‘Gen Con VIG Quest’ gives us a chance to have fun together year-round as well.”
This partnership between the premier board game producer and the largest hobby games convention in the world was such a success it has been expanded and extended for 3 additional years. In particular Mayfair Games will have an expanded show presence with programs such as the Family Outreach Program, Giant Games and Ribbon Quest, all in a drive to expand and grow the popular board game pastime and make Mayfair synonymous with board games in the minds of enthusiasts everywhere.
This sponsorship deal also insures Mayfair is doing its part to help the “Best Four Days In Gaming” become even better and shows that Mayfair is willing to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to supporting GenCon now and in the future.
About Gen Con
Gen Con, LLC produces the largest consumer hobby, fantasy, sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America. It was acquired in 2002 by former CEO and founder of Wizards of the Coast Peter Adkison, who owns the company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Gen Con is a consumer and trade experience dedicated to gaming culture and community. Follow us at facebook.com/genconindy, and for more information visit www.gencon.com.
About Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games was founded in 1981 and is a publisher of the finest analog and social games suitable for families and hobbyists. Mayfair Games is an Illinois-based company making the games of our generation. For more information visit mayfairgames.com
The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Announces 37th Annual Origins Awards Winners
COLUMBUS, OH (June 26, 2011) The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design is proud to announce the winners for the 37th Annual Origins Awards.
The Origins Awards are presented annually by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design to recognize outstanding achievement in design and production of games and game-related products.
The winners were voted on by attendees at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH in June 2011 from the nominees in each category chosen by retailers at the GAMA Trade Show. The winners were announced and the coveted Calliope statues were presented at the Origins Awards Ceremony on the evening of Saturday June 25th.
The Academy would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to the jury members, GAMA staff, and everyone who submitted a product to the 37th annual Origins Awards.
Best Roleplaying Game – The Dresden Files RPG: Your Story by Evil Hat Productions
Best Roleplaying Supplement – Our World (The Dresden Files RPG) by Evil Hat Productions
Best Board Game – Castle Ravenloft by Wizards of the Coast
Best Traditional Card Game – Back to the Future: The Card Game by Looney Labs, Inc.
Best Family, Party or Children’s Game – Zombie Dice by Steve Jackson Games
Best Gaming Accessory – Cthulhu Dice Bag by Steve Jackson Games
Best Miniatures Rules – DC HeroClix Blackest Knight Starter Game by WizKids/NECA
Best Historical Board Game – Catan Histories – Settlers of America: Trails to Rails by Mayfair Games
Best Game-Related Publication – Shadowrun: Spells and Chrome by Catalyst Game Labs
Best Play-By-Mail – Legends – The One Ring by Game Systems International Limited
INDIANAPOLIS (September 30, 2010) Gen Con is pleased to announce that Mayfair Games will be an official co-sponsor of Gen Con Indy 2011. Mayfair Games will be increasing the scope of its activities at the show in a number of ways, certain to resonate with attendees. Gen Con Indy will take place at the Indiana Convention Center August 4-7, 2011.
Mayfair Games is thrilled to be a co-sponsor of Gen Con, said Larry Roznai, President, Mayfair Games. Mayfair is totally dedicated to making the gaming experience for the entire family the best it can be and being a co-sponsor of Gen Con will allow us to create that kind of amazing experience.
Attendees can look forward to Mayfair Games and its licensees having an increased presence in the Exhibit Hall. Attendees will walk along Mayfair Blvd, Catan Strasse and Funfair St. to see and demo the latest products in the Mayfair Games product lines. Mayfair will add additional demo tables and increase the scope of The Great Mayfair Ribbon Quest. By playing in tournaments, events and demos conducted by Mayfair, attendees will have the opportunity to earn ribbons that will allow them to become Knights and Defenders of Catan (along with the fabulous prizes that go with their rank).
Mayfair Games is going to blow the roof off at Gen Con Indy 2011! The Mayfair Games staff really understands how to build fun for all ages. Gen Con is so happy to have Mayfair games helping us to fulfill our mission, which is to create The Best Four Days In Gaming every year. said Adrian Swartout, CEO of Gen Con.
Mayfair will continue to sponsor the Training Grounds as well. This, along with the Mayfair Pages and Squires Program will offer fun for families and younger gamers.
For more competitive game players, Mayfair will host the 2011 North American Catan Championship tournament. The NACC Champion will receive a trip to the 2012 Worldwide Catan Championship to compete in the tournament as the North American Representative. Players not yet qualified will be able to compete for admission to the NACC through Masters tournaments running on Thursday and Friday at Gen Con.
About Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games, founded in 1981, is an independent publisher of high quality games designed for gamers and family play. More information at www.mayfairgames.com.
About Gen Con
Gen Con, LLC produces the largest consumer hobby, fantasy, sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America. It was acquired in 2002 by former CEO and founder of Wizards of the Coast Peter Adkison, who owns the company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Gen Con is a consumer and trade experience dedicated to gaming culture and community. Follow us at facebook.com/genconindy, and for more information visit www.gencon.com.
Continuing to build its digital game empire, Vectorform re-imagines The Settlers of Catan for Microsoft Surface.
Seattle, WA and Detroit, MI, August 2, 2010—The Settlers of Catan is a classic multiplayer board game, combining economics, strategy and chance, as colonists compete to build settlements from raw commodities. Created in Germany in 1995, and now available in 30 languages, The Settlers of Catan has achieved icon status. Over 15 million copies have been sold worldwide, and an estimated 20 million people play regularly, through a diverse set of traditional and digital game forms.
In partnership with Microsoft, Catan LLC, and Mayfair Games, Vectorform has recreated The Settlers of Catan for Microsoft Surface. Microsoft Surface is an innovative computing platform that responds to touch, natural hand gestures and real-world objects placed on the display. With a large, 360-degree, horizontal user interface, Microsoft Surface offers a unique gathering place where multiple users can come together to interact with content and each other–making it an ideal platform for games like The Settlers of Catan.
Working to maintain an authentic, interpersonal experience of board game play, Vectorform leveraged the social nature of Microsoft Surface. This functionality, defined by Microsoft as “together computing,” provides a distinct advantage and authenticity over games played on traditional PCs or personal devices. “Where a computer game is a solo computing affair, board games are connected experiences. Together computing has its place now, and will be more prominent in the future.” Vectorform Game Studio Executive Director Joe Engalan says.
Vectorform used the artistry of Mayfair Games’ analog version of The Settlers of Catan to illustrate the game elements, including resources, land, and evolving civilization. The digital board is complimented with real-world elements, including an acrylic die set which is seen and recognized by Surface’s built-in cameras. Additionally, an x-ray visor, fabricated specifically for the game, reveals a player’s cards to the player, while shielding the cards from competing colonists. “I’ve never seen real die used in a digital game,” Mollie Harms, Game Producer for Vectorform Game Studios, says. “I think the visors could revolutionize digital card playing. This is a new way to maintain secrecy that doesn’t hinder game play.” The visors, the dice, and the game-play experience on Surface were wildly popular with fans of The Settlers of Catan, who were involved in the design and development process, loaning time and feedback to informal focus groups.
The Settlers of Catan was first shown on Surface at Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio, in July of 2010. The extensive media coverage generated over 15,000 views of a promotional video for the game, within 72 hours of publishing it to YouTube. Vectorform will also show the game at Gen Con Indy, taking place August 5 through August 8, 2010, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Additionally, on September 3 through September 5, 2010, Vectorform will demonstrate Settlers of Catan at PAXWest, the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington.
Vectorform will continue to promote Settlers of Catan at conferences and private events through the summer, and is offering customized, branded versions of the game to a network of clients and partners for use on Microsoft Surface. In the future, Settlers of Catan will be available for purchase through Vectorform’s App Store. Additionally, the Vectorform App Store will sell other titles, including titles for iPhone, iPad, and other platforms. “The future for The Settlers of Catan is very bright, and we are going to push that experience to new markets and communities. But we’ve got quite a few more titles in the queue, and they are all very exciting. Keep watching, because this is just the start of the empire,” Joe Engalan says.
ABOUT VECTORFORM
Vectorform is a digital experience studio with over 100 employees in five global locations: New York, Detroit, Seattle, Hyderabad and Munich. Vectorform strives to create iconic experiences that generate results by captivating users. These natural user interfaces, and other experiences, can be seen on: the web, desktop, mobile devices, game consoles, next generation devices, and in-vehicle. Featured work can also be seen at Vectorform.com
Official Press Release