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|                 Fine Games for Players & Collectors                  |
|            2078 Madrona St., North Bend, OR  97459-2143              |
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~~~~~~~~~~ 541-756-4711 10am-9pm PST     M.Dean@FineGames.com ~~~~~~~~~~
                       
               Games Update 1997 #18   Aug. 1997

WELCOME again to another Fine Games e-newsletter.These Updates contain 
news and other info of interest to active board gamers. If you choose to
unsubscribe, you may do so by simply a polite request to unsubscribe.


<<----------------- Designed for fixed pitch font -------------------->>


The big news: the 5 EuroGames including Serenissima are on there way here.
Princess Ryan and Barbarossa are in stock. See below for details.


                             C O N T E N T S

          Fine Games NEWS .......... What's going on at Fine Games
                                        - Web Site Updated 
                                        - Digital Bindary No More!


          INDUSTRY NEWS ............ Settlers Out of Print AGAIN!
                                     Dixie / Eagles CCG Reduced Prices 
                                     OSG Arises from the Dead, Courtesy AH
                                        Nap at Bay to be Republished  
                                     Dilbert Promotion
                                     
          NEW Games ................ New & Pending Releases
                                        *** EURO GAMES ARE COMING ***
                                        Barbarossa (GMT)
                                        Survival of the Witless
                                        East Wall
                                        Tank Commander's Players Guide
                                        Nap at Bay, 3rd ?

          Next UPDATE .............. Next Full Update Due Early August



                     F I N E   G A M E S   N E W S

A couple of minor tweaks were made to several of the web pages themselves
as well as to a couple of catalogs. Nothing much unless your fanatical.

Digital Bindary, the web site monitoring service I recommended to stay on
top of changes to the Fine Games and other web sites, is history. For 
unexplained reasons, they simply quit. Advertising revenue wasn't 
enough, no doubt. Too bad as they were the best. *Register using NetMinder*
now if you want to be notified whenever my web site is updated.



                     I N D U S T R Y   N E W S

SETTLERS OF CATAN is out of print, again! You may not see much impact as 
some distributors and smart dealers ;-} have stocked up. But I'm told 
ICE currently is out of stock. Given the amazing demand for this game, 
supplies may dry up a second time this year. Be forewarned.

COLUMBIA CUTS ITS PRICES substantially on its collectable Dixie and 
Eagles series card games *SETS*. Complete *SETS* of Bull Run are now $29
list (FG $22), Gettysburg $39 list (FG $28), Shiloh $49 (FG $36), and 
Eagles $39 (FG $28). This probably gives you palpatations....

OSG ARISES FROM THE DEAD. Operational Studies Group, which at this point is
Kevin Zucker, announced is resurrection in its resurrected newsletter, 
Wargame Design, sent to all AH General subscribers. It seems that OSG will 
exist as a seperate entity, but production and order fulfillment will be
handled by Avalon Hill. Where the funding comes from is my question.

While the entirety of this newsletter is devoted to usenet discussions of 
Napoleonic designs, there is also an announcement of the reprint of 
Napoleon At Bay, 3rd with new graphics & rules. The game will list at $48,
and 200 'limited edition' copies will go for $120. No date was announced 
but it was supposedly available at Origins. I expect to have regular 
versions of this game available for $35 or less when it is available.

DILBERT PROMOTION  In what could be an effective promotion of its Dilbert 
card game, Wizards of the coast is offering a reward of one month's pay to
whoever submits a short paragraph to is web site (http://www.wizards.com) 
of the dumbest piece of corporate speak. Entries judged on originality,
stupidity and just plain being "special". Deadline 31 July.




       N E W   G A M E S   &   P E N D I N G   R E L E A S E S

THE *EURO GAMES ARE COMING*. Its official, the have just shipped from the 
distributor and will be available for shipment to *you* next week. If you
haven't placed a preorder, nows the time for the real thing.
       
A surprisingly few items were released over the key Origins weekend. Others
will follow, but here's what's out thus far in July:
 
                                         Box          Cash
Publsr  Game Title &  Edition            Typ  Wght   Price  Rels Date
------  -------------------------------- ---  ---- -------  ------------
=AH  AVALON HILL GAME CO. ==== (AH) =====================================
 PRINCESS RYAN'S STAR MARINES            LB*        $38.50  97/ 7
   Odd entry from AH: Combination board & card game for 1-6 players who
    assume role of space marines unfortunately enough to be assigned to
    rescue the Princess in the Dark Citadel before a massive attack
    occurs. Said to be graphically superior. '97   IN STOCK
 
=AVALANCHE PRESS, LTD. ==== (Avalan) ====================================
 SURVIVAL OF THE WITLESS                 HC         $15.00  97/ 7
   Subtitled "Antisocial Darwinism in the Academic World." Card game of
    the struggle to reach tenure from an entry level professorship. Use
    gossip, innuendo, seductions, etc. Attack w/ gossip, seduction,
    avoid student support, committee assignments, teaching quality
    awards. Tenure is everything... A risky foray into family games for
    Avalanche. '97   IN STOCK
 
=AZURE WISH EDITION ==== (AWE) ==========================================
 FRIEDLAND                               BC         $37.00  97/ 7
   Detailed, regiment level game of this key battle in Russia. Will
    include 600 counters, 1 map & those often-faulty photocopied rules.
    '97    IN STOCK
 
=EURO GAMES / DESCARTES ==== (EuroG) ====================================
 CONDOTTIERE                             Y          $33.00  97/ 7
   European card game played on a board. Fast, intense, played in
    rounds. Aim is to build the most powerful kingdom in Renaissance
    Italy. Top game in '95 in Germany. '97
 FORMULA DE: GRAN PRIX FORMULA 1 RACING  Y          $30.00  97/ 7
   Acclaimed French formula D racing game. Simple mechanics still
    demand strategy & finessing. For 2-10 players. Game comes w/ 3
    tracks. '97
 MONTGOLFIERE: GOLDEN AGE OF BALLOONING  Y          $22.00  97/ 7
   European card game in which 3-6 players attempt to fly their 19th
    century balloons around the world, complete w/ player interaction.
    Simple & fast playing. '97
 MYSTERY ON THE NILE                     Y          $25.00  97/ 7
   European gm of mysterious theft on a cruise down the Nile. Players
    must discover the theif before the boat docks in 3 days. '97
 SERENISSIMA                             Y          $40.00  97/ 7
   European game of trading & conquest in the Mediterranean region
    during the Renaissance. 2-4 players represent seagoing powers of
    Venice, Genoa, Spain & Turkey. Uses plastic pieces. '97
 
=GMT GAMES ==== (GMT) ==============    =================================
 BARBAROSSA                              BC         $38.50  97/ 7
   Onslaught of Army Group South, using the Typhoon system (akin to
    Spires of Kremlin & Army Group South). 3 maps, many nationalities,
    rgt/div lvl. V.vonBorries'97   IN STOCK
 
=MCGARTLIN MOTORSPORT DSGN ==== (MCG) ===================================
 STOCK CAR CHAMPIONSHIP RACING CARD GAME Y          $25.20  97/ 7
   Stock car racing in a non-collectable card game format. Includes a
    track deck and 4 driver decks. 2-4 players. '97
 
=MOMENTS IN HISTORY ==== (MIH) ==========================================
 EASTWALL, BATTLES FOR THE DNEPR         zl         $24.50  97/ 7
   Game of Army Group Souths continuing tramas along the Dnepr, Sept'43
    - Feb'44, using the Ring of Fire system. Lots of tanks &
    back-and-forth action. J.Desch'97
 TANK COMMANDER PLAYERS GUIDE            n           $6.30  97/ 7
   Players guide containing complete & revised rules, a list of all 
    cards, plus optional & advanced rules & new scenarios. '97
 
=US PLAYING CARDS ==== (USPlay) =========================================
 BICYCLE POKER CHIP REVOLVING RACK       Y          $11.50  97/ 7
   Revolving plastic chip rack w/ easy-carry handle, 200 interlocking
    chips & slots for 2 decks of cards (not included). '97
 
=WINNING MOVES ==== (WMI) ===============================================
 ULTIMATE BACKGAMMON                     FB         $21.00  97/ 7
   Classic backgammon plus 5 variations including 4-player versions.
 
=XTR: COMMAND MAGAZINE ==== (XTRCmd) ====================================
 CHATTANOOGA, DEATH KNELL OF CONFED. #43 n          $23.80  97/ 7
   w/mag & 1 err counter for each of Hell Before Night & Wave of
    Terror. Larger 2 map, 500 counter grand tac gam of the key battle
    of Chattanooga, Nov '63, in which sustained Union attacks must
    break a Confed siege of this key rail junction. C.Perello'97
    IN STOCK
 

                              
                              Michael Dean
                              Fine Games for Players & Collectors



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        Michael Dean (541) 756-4711     M.Dean@FineGames.com
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