PLAAY Connect: 02.16.22
Normally we wait until the end of the month to CONNECT, but we've had to improvise on a number of fronts recently, and felt like we needed to get the word out about stuff! So, here we go!...
Equipment Update: Still Waiting
Based on our discussions with our print people, we were expecting to have our new printing and finishing equipment up and running full blast by now. Alas, it has not happened. The perforation module of the finishing machine is AWOL and cannot be located, and there's no ETA. We've been told it could be a couple weeks, or it could be...well, longer. Frustrating.
Obviously, a lot of the plans we made in December and January are having to be modified or scrapped entirely while we wait. I apologize for the changes in plans both for product releases and video streams. We're doing the best we can, and right now it's tough to plan very far in the future. We're anticipating arrival of our print equipment, but until it gets here we're using our established network of providers, each of whom is suffering through its own difficulties, making things even harder for everyone. Anyway, what follows are our revised plans. These plans will change again IF the equipment status changes...
Binge Week, Racing: RECONFIGURED
We had planned to celebrate the release of the new RWBR card sets with a stock car racing "Binge Week," but the arrival of the PLAAY mats has been in question until yesterday, and the "how-to" guide's production schedule has had to be pushed back, since we are unable to produce it ourselves. In order make our annual tie-in with Daytona, we're releasing the 2021 Pro Season and 2022 SCRAM cards as planned, tomorrow (02.17.22). But we're re-scheduling and re-configuring the "Binge Week" for mid-March.
“Binge Week, Racing” will now kick off Thursday, March 10th, with bundled savings on the how-to guide and PLAAY mat: you'll be able to purchase both together for $36, 20% savings vs. the normal price of $44 ($15 for the "How-to" and $29 for the PLAAY mat). The game itself will also be marked down 20%. And, we'll have a SCRAM Anthology bundle, which will include all 10 past SCRAM season card sets (2012 through 2021) for $99 postage-paid (that’s half-price!).
We'll also debut a brand-new vintage RWBR card set, the 1992 Pro Season, and feature it in our March 10th stream. As you may know, the '92 season is legendary for its drama--some say it was the best pro season ever. We'll re-create the final race, with a twist: you'll have the chance to predict the outcome of the race with a chance to win a FREE copy of the card set, AND the PLAAY Mat and How-To Guide--and we'll include a copy of the game, too, if you don't already own it! We'll set up an online entry form in which you'll pick the finishing order of the top seven drivers. The person who comes closest to how our race finishes, wins!
“Binge Week, Racing” with RWBR, March 10th through the 13th--don't miss it!
2022 Baseball Releases: RECONFIGURED
In the 01.27.22 CONNECT we talked about an early March release for the 2022 Baseball America card sets for History Maker Baseball--yes, TWO versions of the 2022 Baseball America cards: we’ll have a standard version like previous seasons AND a special full-color, baseball trading card-sized set, with team cities, nicknames and logos! We were/are relying on our finishing equipment to be able to produce these cards pre-cut and boxed just like a baseball card set you'd get at Target or Wal-Mart. We still hope to do that.
Meanwhile, the 2021 Pro Season cards for HMB were scheduled for a late March/opening day time frame.
Well, we're going to flip those two releases around.
We're going to make the 2021 Pro Season card set available February 25th. Many thanks to Travis Jansen for putting the card print and PDF files together for us, we're super excited about this set. It's the biggest baseball card set we've ever offered, nearly 1200 cards in all, plus almost 100 umpires. You'll also get suggested batting orders and a trade guide for duplicate players. With the real-life 2022 baseball season in limbo (although, I'm pretty sure there'll be baseball by opening day), you can ensure your own tabletop baseball universe continues forward with this new, prolific card set!
The 2022 Baseball America card sets will be released at the end of March, when--we hope--we'll have our printing and finishing equipment in place and can carry out our plan for the printed version of the deluxe commemorative 10th Anniversary cards. In the event that the equipment is NOT in place, we'll still release the cards, with the deluxe version offered as a PDF. Both versions will offer our standard (old-school) 24-man team rosters and for the first time, we'll include delta and sigma ratings for the BA cards. You'll also get 32 umpire cards, 18 ball park cards and 2022 projected winning percentages for use with the Instant Results chart.
Prepare to PLAAY Ball! Starting SOON!
Dice Tower West Game Plan
We're full steam ahead for PLAAY Games' first appearance at a general board game convention since the World Board Game Championships in 2014! Dice Tower West happens in Vegas March 2nd through the 6th (and what happens in Vegas...) and we'll be there, hoping to introduce a new crew of board gamers to the PLAAY universe!
You may remember our quick introduction made during the PLAAY Online Christmas Party to a series of Business Card games we were working on for this very event. It's our main strategy for engaging convention-goers with the goal of having them check out the PLAAY Classic and PLAAY NOW game brands. We narrowed our list to four business card game titles, including MowMaster, a competitive lawn-mowing game co-designed by Mike Fitzgerald. We'll do a sneak preview of the four finished games on our Thursday 02.24.22 PLAAY Space YouTube stream.
We also have a couple of games in development that we are planning to play-test at DTW. We have a handful of PLAAY Gamers who'll be attending the convention, and we're looking forward to some head-to-head game time! (I'm already planning for some 2022 Pro Football Showcase fun with Mike Fitzgerald!) If you're planning to attend, be sure to look us up! Dice Tower West 2022 is at the Rio Hotel and Casino, we're booth #37 in the exhibitor's hall.
PLAAY Dot Con Update
Uh, well? We don't really have an update this month like we planned. Everything's still on as scheduled, July 28-30 in Denver, and we're right at 75% capacity. I guess the day-to-day has grabbed most of our attention lately. We'll aim for an update at the end of March, where we'll still be about four months out. (But summer will be here before you know it!)
Hoops Pre-Order News
The absence of our print and finishing equipment means that we've gone ahead with "Plan B" for the hoops pre-order: we're using our established network of print providers to print the games and card sets, and production is scheduled to begin next week. We're anticipating assembling games the week after Dice Tower West, and then beginning the shipping process the week after that, March 14-18. That would put domestic delivery somewhere between March 21st and 25th, and international delivery by mid-April--IF all goes as planned. As you've read, a lot has NOT gone as planned, so this schedule is not set in stone by any means. But it's what we're aiming for, fingers crossed.
VIDEO ACTiViTY!
We've got some exciting content planned for the next several PLAAY Space YouTube streams...
02.17.22 (Tomorrow night!), 2022 SCRAM Kickoff Stream: As we begin SCRAM's second decade of racin' action, we'll start the new season on the beaches of Waikiki! It's the "Hawaii Hundred" road course race, featuring the new SCRAM cards AND the new Red White & Blue Racin' PLAAY mat!
02.24.22, Business Card Games Upgrade: If you were part of our Online Christmas Party, you've seen (and downloaded) working play-test versions of these games. We'll show you the four games that "made the cut" for Vegas, and give you a quick demo of each. Then, you'll be able to download these finished versions for your own use! Do us a favor: print them, fold them, hand 'em out, and help spread the word about PLAAY Games!
03.10.22, Binge Week Racing 1992 Season Finale: We'll re-create the final race of the epic 1992 season, with a twist: you'll have the chance to predict the outcome of OUR race with a chance to win a FREE copy of the card set, AND the PLAAY Mat and How-To Guide--and we'll include a copy of the game, too, if you don't already own it! We'll set up an online entry form on March 8th in which you'll pick the finishing order of the top seven drivers. The person who comes closest to OUR race finish, wins!
03.17.22, Baseball America Spring Training: Last year's Baseball America "Spring Training Tour" was a big hit, so we're going to do it again. We'll preview each of the twelve teams and let you know what WE think you can expect in the upcoming season. We'll use the commemorative trading cards for added fun! If you're a Baseball America devotee, this is "must-see streaming!"
Program note: Because of the need to re-arrange our RWBR "Binge Week," we'll have to delay our third running of the "Star-Crossed 300" to later this spring. (Dang! One of our favorite streams!) Watch this space for the new stream date.
FREE STUFF
• If you didn't get a chance to download Paul Salzgeber's 2022 "Big Game" teams, Cincinnati and Los Angeles, you can find the download button in our "Big Game" blog post.
• We had a lot of fun going back, back, BACK in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sports Illustrated's "Decathlon" game (video link above) as part of our "Sports Board Game Antiquities Series." As we prepared for that stream, we wondered what this game would look like with PLAAY methodology. We were inspired to put together our own decathlon-like game, cast in a contemporary "American Gladiators" style. Eighteen contestants, ten events, ONE champion! You can download the "2022 Global Gladiator Games" play-test game here!
PLAAY Gear: New SCRAM ‘22 Season T-Shirt
Ready to show the world your stock car racing colors? The all-new 2022 SCRAM t-shirt features ‘22 star Austin Bigler in a classic auto racing fan favorite design. Coming SOON!
Photo Finish
Here's a sneak peek at one of our Dice Tower West "Business Card Games," MowMaster, co-designed by Mike Fitzgerald and Ian Bach. Graphic design work by Sam, this game is FUN to play--looking forward to showing you next week on the PLAAY Space LIVE! See you then!
