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Topic: Featured in GAMES magazine! (Read 1072 times) |
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qswanger
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Featured in GAMES magazine!
« on: Oct 14th, 2009, 4:20pm » |
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In the December 2009 edition of GAMES magazine, Fritz Juhnke's "Beginning Arimaa" is featured in their Gamebits section (a department typically reserved for books related to games and puzzles). It was a 1/2 page review on page 6 that also included a shot of the cover. It said stuff that I think has already been said before via press releases, etc. (i.e., nothing new), but it was still very nice to see it mentioned in such a prominent, respected, and well-read publication as GAMES.
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Fritzlein
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Re: Featured in GAMES magazine!
« Reply #1 on: Oct 14th, 2009, 5:17pm » |
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Way cool! puzz.com says that Games has a circulation of over 200,000. Now that makes two sample copies I sent out that have paid off. (Actually four, since I sent two each to different editors The Dice Tower and Games Magazine.)
Quinn, was your December issue from a subscription, or can I already get it from a store? The Web site says it will be available October 27. I don't know how I can wait that long.
What thrilling news!
By the way, I note that their abstract game of the year was Blox. I wonder whether Arimaa was up for consideration for this year's award and lost out to Blox, or Arimaa will be considered next year instead.
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| « Last Edit: Oct 14th, 2009, 5:19pm by Fritzlein » |
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qswanger
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Re: Featured in GAMES magazine!
« Reply #2 on: Oct 14th, 2009, 5:21pm » |
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Yes, my December issue is from a subscription (in was in my mailbox when I came home from work). However, that is not always indicative of who gets it first. I have seen before new copies in the magazine rack at my local B&N severals days before my personal copy is sent to me. It's kinda hit-and-miss. I'd try a store anyway (and maybe ask them to reserve you a copy).
Regarding the abstract award win ... I think it is safe to say that Arimaa missed the cut-off for consideration, as the game itself would at least need to be reviewed in the magazine first ... which it hasn't. No worries!
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| « Last Edit: Oct 14th, 2009, 5:26pm by qswanger » |
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qswanger
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Re: Featured in GAMES magazine!
« Reply #3 on: Oct 14th, 2009, 5:41pm » |
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I think it is worthwhile to transfer these last two PMs between you and I Karl as I think others would be interested in this exchange:
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Wow, that is so awesome! Thanks for posting.
Honestly, when I sent out my first copies of Beginning Arimaa, I was totally not expecting the book itself to be reviewed. I was instead anticipating that Arimaa would soon be reviewed, and was attempting to influence the reviewers to think more positively of the game. I didn't even know that The Dice Tower or Games Magazine did book reviews.
Now it appears that both TDT and Games Magazine have treated the book favorably independent of the game. I'm incredibly flattered, because really no one who isn't already interested in Arimaa should be interested in Beginning Arimaa. I just hope the game is also reviewed positively, and that it starts winning some awards.
Thanks again for the notification about the review!
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Karl,
I will delightfully disagree with you about which interest comes first (the book or the game). I can provide at least one anecdote for the opposite of what you're thinking ... Me! Yes, that's right. As strange as it sounds I was not terribly interested in Arimma until after I heard a "strategy guide" was going to be published. I mean I had heard about the game before, but the fact that there was enough in the game to warrant an exposition of this sort prompted me to want to see what I was missing. So seriously, you're wrong! And I bet I am not the only one. 
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Fritzlein
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Re: Featured in GAMES magazine!
« Reply #4 on: Oct 14th, 2009, 7:54pm » |
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on Oct 14th, 2009, 5:41pm, qswanger wrote:As strange as it sounds I was not terribly interested in Arimma until after I heard a "strategy guide" was going to be published. I mean I had heard about the game before, but the fact that there was enough in the game to warrant an exposition of this sort prompted me to want to see what I was missing. So seriously, you're wrong! And I bet I am not the only one.
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Well, that's a great way for me to be wrong. I am glad to hear that Beginning Arimaa helps people realize that Arimaa is respectable.
I did think to myself before writing Beginning Arimaa that Stratego, for example, which has been around sixty years and sold millions, hasn't spawned a correspondingly large literature. Why hasn't it? Is it because the game per se doesn't support an extensive strategy guide? Meanwhile there are thousands of books on chess and bridge. So if I helped you think that Arimaa is like chess and bridge, I'm satisfied. Arimaa is totally the type of game which begs for strategy guides to be written.
I pay Omar royalty on the books that I sell, from the general theory that Arimaa set sales are what drive Arimaa books sales. I'll let him know that in your case it is the reverse, and he owes me royalty on the set that you bought. 
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RonWeasley
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Re: Featured in GAMES magazine!
« Reply #5 on: Oct 15th, 2009, 3:58am » |
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on Oct 14th, 2009, 5:21pm, qswanger wrote:
Regarding the abstract award win ... I think it is safe to say that Arimaa missed the cut-off for consideration, as the game itself would at least need to be reviewed in the magazine first ... which it hasn't. No worries! |
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GAMES reviewed arimaa around 2003 but as a web-game. That's how I found out about it. Giving the book space in the front section is very good. Normally reviews are relegated to the back unless they are featured, as Beginning Arimaa apparently is.
I haven't been mailed my December issue yet. Maybe qswanger saves mice for the owl.
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omar
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Re: Featured in GAMES magazine!
« Reply #6 on: Oct 18th, 2009, 5:44am » |
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Hey, congratulations on the book review Karl. That's absolutely fantastic !!
When Arimaa was mentioned in GAMES mag back in 2003 I remember it did generate a burst of new users. But back then three or four people logging in at the same time was a big deal Recently I've started asking users where they heard about Arimaa. So far 4 have stated they heard about it in GAMES magazine. Since the response is optional it is possible that more people did, but didn't mention it.
Arimaa missed the cut-off date for consideration in 2009. Hope it will be considered in 2010.
Here is the article from 2003.
http://arimaa.com/arimaa/news/GamesMag/
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| « Last Edit: Oct 18th, 2009, 5:46am by omar » |
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