PLAAY Connect 06.21.23
The PLAAY Games "Summer of NOW" rolls on, and we've got MUCH to share...
UPDATE: PLAAY Games NOT at the Origins Board Game Expo!
(06.22.23) We arrived at the Denver airport, made it through security and headed for our departure gate only to learn that our Frontier Airlines flight to Columbus had been cancelled. No reason was given for the cancellation. No effort was made by Frontier to offer alternative travel options for us to get to Columbus. We were unable to scramble together an alternate travel plan on our own, so, unfortunately, we’ve had to cancel the trip entirely. Hoping to make it to Origins another year! Moving on…
Last Call for PLAAY Dot CON '23!
Our annual PLAAY gamer "family reunion" is just a little more than a month away! We're extending the deadline one week for you to get your PLAAY pass, Friday June 30th. If you've already signed up for the convention, watch your e-mail for an update next week. We've firmed up the schedule and added a couple of new things, pretty exciting! Plus we'll be asking for some input regarding event participation, which will help us make sure we have enough of the right game materials and supplies.
The “Summer of NOW” Continues...
We’re super excited for the way the community has embraced the Summer of NOW (our “Now-A-Thon” video is one of the most-viewed stream of the year)! Here's a quick info-check on all things NOW...
• Hope you were able to catch our two “Summer of NOW” YouTube streams, the "NOW-a-thon" combination demo session and game lab, and the "NOW-to Guide" team and player creation tutorial video. If not, head over the the channel and take a look!
• We'll conclude our "NOW-to Guide" series with a stream on creating roller derby players and teams, with a special Roller Rumble Workshop, 07.13.20. We'll construct a team from scratch live on-screen, with insights and hints as we go. Details in the "Video Activity" section below.
• Our long-overdue replenishment of the Fury Football and Demo Derby Smash-Down PLAAY mats is in-progress, ETA for availability first week of July. Sign up on the wait list and get immediate e-mailed notification when the PLAAY mats arrive!
• Get ready for the RETURN of the Demo Derby Smash-Down "V-8 Extermi-NATION!" It happens 06.29.23 LIVE on the PLAAY Games YouTube Channel. Sixteen courageous PLAAY gamers have constructed their cards and are ready to rumble, the winner gets a $50 PLAAY games gift card and the coveted "Silver Trash Can" award to put on their trophy shelf at home. Everyone gets a free download of the home-brew cards, available as the stream begins.
Bustin' Out Your Baseball Game!
Baseball season is in full swing, and we're diving into the deep end of the baseball pool…
• It's the return of the Baseball Trading Card Quick-Rate Guide, 07.06.23! Play History Maker Baseball with ordinary baseball cards, using this nifty quick-rate card tool! There's a basic package with just the quick-rate cards, and a deluxe package that includes unopened, unstarched wax packs of authentic 1980s Topps baseball cards! (HINT: do NOT eat the gum!) (Many thanks to FlyingPigThrifts for the YouTube love!))
• We're releasing a brand new Vintage HMB Season, to be announced/available 07.06.23! AND, we'll have a SECOND vintage card set release announcement that same day!
• 2023 Pro IN-Season cards, coming in August! We didn't do this set during COVID, but it returned last summer and was a big hit! Once again, this set will be offered in "express" "Top 24" format, in both printed and PDF versions. You don't have to wait until the season's over to enjoy tabletop 2023 baseball, with cards based on what's happening in the big league's right now!
…AND Football!
We've put the final touches on the 2022 Pro Season release for Second Season Football, it'll be available July 20th! All 32 teams, in team colors, printed or PDF. Sign up on the “wait list” and get notified when the release is official. Our fictional football league gets its annual update this fall, watch for the 2023 Football America season team cards and PDF coming in September.
….AND, the OTHER Football…
We haven't forgotten about soccer: the 2022-23 English Pro League for Soccer Blast is scheduled for release 07.31.23. All 20 Top-Tier English teams, in team colors, PDF or print. Product page with info and card images coming soon!
ViDEO ACTiViTY...
Here's what's happening the next 30 days on the PLAAY Games YouTube channel...
• 06.29.23, Return of the "V-8 Extermi-NATION": Sixteen PLAAY gamers compete for the coveted Silver Trash Can Award and a $50 PLAAY games gift card, each having constructed their own driver card based on the guidelines provided in our "NOW-to" stream and blog post.
• 07.06.23, The Big Baseball Show: It's a triple-play of baseball fun in ONE big stream, with the Vintage HMB Season Reveal, "official" return of the Trading Card Quick-Rate guide AND a pre-PLAAY of the 2023 Baseball All-Star Game!
• 07.13.23: Roller Derby "Now-To" Workshop LIVE: We didn't have time to cover Roller Rumble in our earlier "Now-To" stream, so this segment will be dedicated to helping you create your own roller derby players and teams. Learn how to calculate qualities and TV grades, establish team identities and create balance in your roller derby league.
• 07.20.23, 2023 Second Season Football College All-Star Game: the tabletop football season officially kicks off with our annual match-up of last year's pro champs (Kansas City) and this year's top pro draft picks, a throw-back to the Chicago Tribune Charities game held every summer from the 1940s through 1970s. This year's college stars squad is extra talented at QB and BOTH lines, so they should give the defending champs a good game. Tune in at 6pm MDT (8pm EDT),
• 07.26.23, Live WebCam at the PLAAY-Dot-CON “Early Bird” Open House: Not 100% sure we'll be able to pull this off, but we're going to try. We have two DOZEN convention "early-birds" (the convention starts Friday morning, these guys are getting here Wednesday, or EARLIER!!), and we're hosting an open house at PLAAY HQ for a couple hours Wednesday evening. We thought we'd set up a web cam and, well...let you watch what happens! Take note, there could be a Bitty Beer Effect happening here!
(NOTE that dates and times are subject to change…)
FREE Stuff!
Once again, some cool home-brewed stuff for your here, generated by our AMAZING community...
• Dave Gray's 1950s Stars for History Maker Golf: Dave's the architect of several of our decade golf sets, and he's put this set together just for fun! Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Art Wall, Jr. and all the great golfers of the Fabulous Fifties.
• Lenny LaFrance's 2004 North County Weekend Baseball League for History Maker Baseball: I consider this the ultimate fictional season project, right up there with Robert Coover's Universal Baseball Association. Twelve teams, and a full-season, week-by-week write-up, complete with scores, results, highlights AND weekly statistical leaders! Seventy-three pages of personal baseball goodness!
• Bob Hansen's 2023-24 Midwest Hockey League for Hockey Blast: Legendary in the PLAAY Community for his card design efforts with Affinity Publisher, Bob made it his mission to pick up where we left off with the Hockey North America series and continue his fictional hockey world building from the foundation we laid. If you're familiar with HNA, you'll undoubtedly recognize many of the players!
…Incidentally, Bob and Lenny will be presenting some of their fictional team and league-building ideas at PLAAY Dot Con, during our Friday "Brown Bag Fictional League Workshop!"
Photo Finish
PLAAY Gamer John Wise has gotten creative with the extra cards that accompany the RWBR 75 Years of Racin' Tribute set! (You wonder, who would win in a race between these three? I’m going with Herbie the Love Bug!)…
That’s a wrap for this month’s CONNECT, thanks for being part of our wonderful community of gamers! If you have any questions or comments, just reach out to us—we’re happy to help!