05.23.24 PLAAY CONNECT
Prime Time Hoops is out, summer officially arrives this weekend--wow, 2024 is blazing by! We've got a lot going on over the next couple of months, hope we can connect with you!...
It's PRIME TIME!
Our full-play module for Highlight Maker Hoops has arrived! Thanks to everyone for the support and encouragement, it's been a long journey. The game is featured in this month's Sports Sim Magazine (cover story!), many thanks to S.T. Patrick!
We have a cool vintage hoops season as a free download this month (check out the “Free Stuff” section below), created by Dan Garlick. Our way of saying thanks for a great launch!
Also, the hoops How-To Guide is back! As I mentioned in our "design notes" blog post, it is unchanged from before except that the original (outmoded) section on PACE for full-play has been removed, since it's included now in the Prime Time rules.
Finally, and MOSTLY—thanks to everyone who took part in the launch! I have really appreciated everyone's patience as this game has come together.
Tonight: MORE History Makers Who Served, Army/Navy Baseball Game
In anticipation of Memorial Day Weekend, we're returning this series to the channel with 60 new ball-players-turned-servicemen! This new extension blends seamlessly with the original set (created in 2018), and highlights the service contributions of over four dozen more real-life big league ball players!
Navy currently leads the series 3-1, with one tie (game called because of darkness). Army hasn't won since the inaugural game in 2018!
• (2018) Army 5, Navy 3: Warren Spahn gets the win.
• (2019) Navy 8, Army 4: Johnny Pesky hits for the cycle for the Navy.
• (2020) Navy 8, Army 1: Johnny Pesky again the hero with four RBI; the Hometown Airman, though, had a moment to remember for a lifetime, hitting a home run off Bob Feller for the only Army run.
• (2021) Navy 6, Army 1: Another quiet outing for the Army bats, Tom Seaver shuts ‘em down.
• (2022): Navy 1, Army 1: called after twelve innings, Army's Nolan Ryan got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the twelfth, Phil Rizzuto popped out to end the threat as the sun set at Saipan Field.
Join us TONIGHT at 6pm MT (8pm ET) on the PLAAY Games YouTube channel as this classic series resumes, with all-new rosters!
Next Week: Football Season Begins!
With the advent of spring football, I guess it's never really NOT football season any more! Nonetheless, pro football returns to the PLAAY games YouTube channel next week as we debut David Gambrill’s new 2023 Canadian Pro Season cards for COLD SNAP Canadian Pro Football Game. It's a re-match between last year's two championship game teams, Winnipeg and Montreal! In anticipation of the game, we're making the complete set available today as a free download! (In the free stuff section below...)
The Soccer Blast "Express" is Coming!
Our soccer game is the latest to get the "express" treatment, we'll debut it at PLAAY-Dot-CON with a tutorial and play-test session, followed by a massive tournament. The game will go live sometime in July, more details coming soon!
FLOTA '25
In anticipation of the new "express; soccer game, we've created a new fictional football league, FLOTA--"Football League(s) of the Americas!" The league is envisioned as our answer to European soccer dominance, with top-tier football clubs scattered across the Americas, from Montreal to Montivideo! Twenty teams in all, with your choice of league arrangements. Choose the "classic" twenty team alignment, or divide the league into two ten-team groups, Champions and Challengers, complete with season-ending promotion and relegation!
We'll be conducting an extensive "staging event" at PLAAY Dot Con to determine the initial group assignment for each team (Champion or Challenger), we'll let you know how it goes!
Coming in August: Gridiron Games at the Pro Football Hall of Fame!
One of the highlights of 2023 was playing History Maker Baseball at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. For 2024, we're taking advantage of a similar opportunity with football: Gridiron Games at the Pro Football Hall of Fame! Organized by the APBA Football Club's Geoff Giordano (who was a special guest at last year's PLAAY-Dot-CON), this event will feature two days of football board gaming at pro football's hallowed ground in Canton Ohio.
We'll be creating a blog post soon detailing our plans for the event, which will (tentatively!) include both Second Season and Cold Snap, full-play AND express, AND the new updated version of our fantasy football card game, Draft Duel! Stay tuned!
Here's the link for more information about this event and to sign up!...
FREE Stuff!
• MORE History Makers Who Served for History Maker Baseball: Many thanks to Brian Hoxey for doing the research and ratings for this new add-on to our classic Baseball in Wartime card set from 2018! The set now includes 60 newly-carded players,
• David Gambrill's 2023 Canadian Pro Season for COLD SNAP: Last year’s exciting Canadian Pro Football season is ready to roll on your game table, thanks to the efforts of our CFL go-to guy! Join us next week on the PLAAY Games YouTube channel for the “official” kickoff, Winnipeg vs. Montreal!
• Dan Garlick's 1980-81 Pro Season for Highlight Maker Hoops: Dan had seen some social media posts from folks hoping for some new pro season card sets with the release of the full-play game module, and took it upon himself to provide one! Includes 9-10 players per team, coaches, referees and notes.
• Travis Jansen's Wisconsin State College Hoops PLAAY-Down cards: For use with our fictional college card set, as posted in the PLAAY Games Community Facebook page. (PS, Travis’ son Colton is the star of the team!)
VIDEO ACTIVITY
Here’s the (tentative!) streaming schedule for the PLAAY Games YouTube Channel for the next month or so (subject to change—we try to look ahead as accurately as possible but sometimes content changes are necessary/preferable)…
• 05.30.24, Cold Snap Canadian Pro Football Season Kickoff: We’ll pit Winnipeg vs. Montreal in a re-match of last season’s surprise championship game (surprising in that Montreal made it, AND that they WON!) .
• 06.06.24, Draft Duel '24, First Look: We’ve re-vamped the cards for the new football season and streamlined the rules so more people can enjoy!
• 06.13.24 Fury Hardball Returns! It’s been awhile since we got this game on the table, but we’ll have a couple surprises and guaranteed furious action!
• 06.20.24 (no stream, PLAAY Dot CON)
• 06.27.24 PLAAY Dot Con Wrap-Up: We’re looking forward to a convention that will be bigger and better than ever! Even if you can’t be here in-person, you’ll enjoy watching this recap of all the action! Blog post to follow, I’m sure.
Now Available...
• 1946, 1954 Century League Cards for History Maker Baseball: We've been thrilled by the response to both the new '54 season cards and the enhanced '46 cards (now including optional city assignments that align with the PLAAY baseball timeline). We've gotten a lot of emails asking about specific teams and seasons, as people warm up to the idea of a 75-year legacy of fictional baseball. Here's a link to the official time-line with team/city assignments (in Excel), let us know if you have questions!
DRAFT DUEL '24
We're preparing for a re-launch of this game, in a new, upgraded, mass-produced format. The cards will reflect free agent movement and key rookie player additions for the upcoming 2024 pro season, and we've made a few tweaks to the basic rules aimed to be more accessible the hobby/family game market. Watch for a PLAAY Space stream about this set, coming soon!
PLAAY DOT CON ‘24
Less than a month to go until "The Con!" If you've already signed up, watch for last-minute info sometime in the next couple of weeks. We still have space for a few more--deadline for registration is June 1! Find details here.
Photo Finish!
We had an AWESOME time a couple weeks ago at WIS-CON '24, Oddwillow's Game Haven in Mukwonago, WI! I don't think we ever made an "official" head count, but it was a couple of dozen for sure! Many thanks to PLAAY Gamer Travis Jansen (he’s looking at you in the photo above, haha!) for arranging the venue and festivities. Much fun was had at the all-day ad-hoc get-together. One of the highlights for me was our Fury Hardball tournament, using thew new head-to-head "pitch deck," action captured in this photo. Dave Heller was our winner, managing Baltimore in a tense championship game match-up with Travis Jansen and the San Diego team. I also got some GREAT play-testing in on the "Battleground States" game prototype, played an inaugural game of HMH "Prime Time" with ST Patrick (Nuggets vs. Kings, he clobbered me!) and climbed into the cockpit of the Lockheed Elektra with Brian Hoxey for a trip around the world with "Aviatrix '37!" We made it--although it took five months, extensive repairs needed after ditching the plane in India! Plus we got food poisoning and had government delays elsewhere along the trip. However, we DID have a rare soft landing on Howland Island, which was amazing. Another memorable adventure!
• For a complete wrap-up of WIS-CON '24, check out the new edition of Sports Sim Magazine!