Thanks to the fine people at Blizzard Entertainment, my two and a half days in California were a delight.
Blizzard Entertainment flew me in to talk about writing and world building as part of their Writers on Writing program.
I arrived noonish on Monday, November 16, 2009. My long-time pal, Joe Bergmans, greeted me at the airport. Joe drove in from the San Francisco Bay area, which is rather like driving from Detroit to Milwaukee (about a 7 hour drive). His meeting me for the Blizzard event made the whole trip that much more special. Joe had arrived the night before, scouted out the area ahead of me, and drove me and others around while I was in town.
Monday, we had a nice lunch at the Cheese Cake Factory with another friend/business associate, wandered around a cool mall near the Blizzard campus, talked, window shopped, went to the movies and ate a late night dinner at California Pizza. We saw the movie, Men Who Stare At Goats; a so-so film that started out funny but lost its way and was a big disappointment for us both.
I wanted to be fresh for my talk at Blizzard, so I crashed early, around 11:00 PM California time (2:00 AM my time).
My day at Blizzard Entertainment was a thrill ride.
Blizzard is everything a fan boy would imagine it to be. I was on the main campus – a three building compound with a courtyard in the middle. This is the main headquarters for the game division and fairly new (they moved in about a year ago). The first thing you see after getting past the wrought iron gate and security post is a giant statue of an Orc riding a fierce, wild animal. It is an impressive sculpture and very dynamic. Around it, mounted in the ground, are inscriptions that say things like, “Commit to quality,” “Embrace your inner geek,” “Learn and grow,” “Lead responsibly,” “Play nice, play fair,” and “Every voice matters,” among others. VERY COOL.
I was surprised and pleased to see such a BIG company working hard to nurture and maintain the “fan boy” in all their workers. The people and the environment encourage imagination and creativity. Individual offices and cubicles are covered with art images, action figures, toys, models, sculptures, anime, comic books, art books, Star Wars items, Palladium game products, Robotech figures, videogame stuff (mostly their own) and posters, including those from movies, comic books, Frank Frazetta and various artists, as well as their own iconic images.
There is a lot of Blizzard’s own powerful artwork from Diablo®, Starcraft®, and World of Warcraft® hanging on the walls as well as life-sized statues and massive art images in the halls everywhere. There is a mini-museum in the lobby, a gaming library, a cafeteria, several lounge areas with arcade-style videogames and their own videogame stations, a volley ball area (with sand), and a pervasive atmosphere of fun and imagination. In fact, for those of you who have been to the Palladium Open House and seen the Palladium warehouse and offices, Blizzard reminded me a lot of Palladium Books on a massive scale! It was nice to see. I was afraid the “corporate” aspects of the business might have invaded to suppress the creative side of things, but Blizzard was a fan boy paradise where people worked hard at creating fun and imaginative game worlds while “embracing their inner geek.”
I did not take a lot of pictures of individual offices out of respect for the people and the company. After all, I didn’t want to be intrusive or accidentally reveal any trade secrets. Sadly, some of the pictures I took were somehow accidentally deleted from my camera and some taken by other people – including the awesome courtyard statue – were badly out of focus. Joe only took three of us during the interview, and none with the flash so they are a bit dark and fuzzy. I was disappointed about the pictures, but what can you do? I still have the fond memories locked away in my mind forever.
I thought the interview was fun and went very well. Chris Metzen, V.P. of Creative Development, did an excellent job as the interviewer. He and I hit it off instantly, so we both felt very comfortable with each other by the time the interview began. The microphones weren’t working, so I hope everyone could hear us clearly in our normal speaking voices. The auditorium was small and comfortable. I’d guess it held around 100 people in a stadium seating arrangement. We had close to a full house.
Chris started off with a handful of questions and then we opened the talk up to questions from the audience. Questions including things like:
Rifts has influenced a lot of today’s sci-fi and games . . . who were your influences when you created Rifts? (Short answer: Comic books, Star Wars and George Lucas, and the challenge of mixing several genres in a plausible setting, which people, at that time, said couldn’t be done.)
Do you see yourself creating from a place of wanting to tell stories or a place of building a world that others can tell stories in? Or both? (Short answer: Both.)
Can you talk about your process in fully realizing a work and mythology? Making all the concepts work? (Sorry, no short answer to this one.)
How did Rifts come into being? Concept first? Was it an attempt to try to create a game space that could seamlessly combine magic and sci-fi tech? (Short answer: Yes, but there was much more to it and the game world started to take on a life of its own.)
You have been the main, creative force behind Rifts® for almost 20 years now. Nobody has ever done that in gaming. How do you keep Rifts® so fresh and compelling without feeling the need to ‘jump the shark’?” (Short answer: I have to admit, that one caught me by surprise. It doesn’t feel like 19 years have passed since Rifts® was released in 1990. And I don’t really know how I do it. In fact, I don’t remember how I answered that question, exactly. A) I have always had a very strong vision for Rifts®. B) I love the property. C) Attention to detail and continuity. D) There are a million more stories to be told in Rifts®. No shark jumping necessary.)
I love talking about writing and game design, especially with other writers and designers, and the discussion continued long after the official seminar ended. It was a blast for me, because I don’t get a chance to talk to other game designers much and I can talk about gaming, game design, game theory, writing, art, comics, film and storytelling all day long.
After the seminar, I signed some books, talked to some folks one on one, and enjoyed a long lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I wish I’d had a chance to talk with more people one on one, but the day just flew by. I probably should have made an effort to do just that at lunch, but I got caught up in discussions with Chris and a few other people (of the 10-12) and suddenly we had to go because Chris had an important meeting.
After lunch I chatted for a while with James Waugh, Mike Hummel and a few of the guys and I gave out Palladium swag that I had brought along. Then Tommy Newcomer gave Joe and me the grand tour of the offices, which was a treat in and of itself.
I was taken aback by how many people knew who I was, knew and loved Rifts® and/or other Palladium role-playing games, and were so pleased that I had come to give the talk. There are a lot of Palladium/Rifts® fans at Blizzard. I was also surprised to hear how much my own work in the pen and paper RPG field had a dramatic impact on many writers, game designers and artists in the videogame and MMOG community. I was told how my worlds, writing and Palladium’s artwork had inspired so many people, and still did. One reason this was such a surprise was that they talked about my work and influence on them and the gaming industry, as if it were a given fact. “Of course, your work inspired us.” And comments like, “obviously your work has had a tremendous impact on many videogames, films and designers,” and “your games inspired me to get into game design/writing/art.” A number of folks were currently involved in a Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited or other Palladium RPG campaign. It made me feel proud of what we have accomplished at Palladium Books over the decades. Cool.
I know this may sound silly, but I’m always surprised when I hear about how much Palladium Books means to so many people. I’m even more surprised that my work has influenced so many creative people in the videogame business and other areas of entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, I think that’s freakin’ wonderful. It just surprises me. I guess I tend to think of pen and paper role-playing games as a niche market that nobody knows about – but it’s not true. Palladium’s pen and paper RPGs have had a huge impact on an entire generation or two of people. And now those people are becoming writers, artists, film makers and game designers themselves. Awesome. Erick Wujcik used to try to tell me how much Palladium Books has influenced other creators in gaming and other fields, and Alex likes to call me the ‘Stan Lee’ of gaming, but I never believed them. I love the idea, but somehow I find it hard to imagine.
Anyway, it was incredibly gratifying for me to be such a welcomed guest at Blizzard. I was met with enthusiasm and kindness everywhere I went , and it was a very rewarding and wonderful experience for me.
My thanks to EVERYONE at Blizzard who made me feel so welcomed and appreciated. I especially want to thank Mike Hummel, who sparked the idea of bringing me in to speak at Blizzard; Tommy Newcomer and James Waugh, who made it happen; and Chris Metzen for being so generous with his time. I had a truly wonderful time.
It was also a treat to get a glimpse of such an impressive company and its internal culture. Not only does Blizzard make great games, but it is filled with imaginative, talented and wonderful people. With such good people at its heart, I have no doubt Blizzard Entertainment will continue to create challenging, fun and dynamic worlds for years to come. I’m glad I got to see it.
It was also fantastic seeing my dear friends Mike Hummel and Kevin Tewart again (if the names sound familiar it’s because they were the geniuses behind the Rifts® CCG), and it is always a pleasure hanging with my pal, Joe Bergmans – he’s the best. Plus, I got to make new friends at Blizzard, the weather was beautiful, sunny and warm, and I was treated like a king. What more can you ask for? :)
Dead Reign™: Dark Places™ has been confirmed by the printer to ship November 30 – HOWEVER the printer is trying to get us the book by next Wednesday, November 25. In fact, I approved the proofs of the cover and interior pages earlier today. It’s another frightening and fun addition to the Dead Reign™ RPG. If you like zombies and horror games, you are going to love this book and the entire series.
I’m also happy to report that the fan base for Dead Reign™ continues to grow. We’ve sold nearly 3,000 copies since its release one year ago. Those are very good numbers for a role-playing game these days, and Dead Reign™ is the Number One requested RPG in the Christmas Grab Bags (Rifts®, Nightbane®, Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy®, Chaos Earth™ and others follow, pretty much in that order).
I plan to spend the weekend working on Dimensional Outbreak™ and hope to have it out by Christmas.
Continuing to make notes for Heroes of the Megaverse®. It’s probably unrealistic, but I’m still shooting to at least finish the writing by the end of December for a January release.
Online sales were strong this week, with consistently good sales every single day for the second week in a row. The result was sales were up an impressive 18% from last week. People seem to be buying a little bit of everything, from new and old game products to T-shirts, baseball caps and art prints, and of course, Christmas Surprise Packages. Lots and lots of Christmas Surprise Packages.
My father, Henry, continues to do well. So does his friend Arlene.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher & Writer
Palladium has been getting a lot of requests for Island at the Edge of the World™, Adventures in the Northern Wilderness™, Aliens Unlimited™, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, The Rifter® #4, 8, 21, 31, and other “out of print” titles. They are ALL available on DriveThruRPG.
Most out of print titles are for sale as PDF files from DriveThruRPG at half the original cover price. Palladium has 80 out of print titles as well as a handful of currently available titles available as PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG. Take advantage of this service and complete your collection.
Hold on to your hat, DriveThruRPG is working on offering a “print on demand” service by 2010 sometime, in which you will be able to order the out of print title as a PDF or as a “printed” book. Is that cool or what? It’s not available yet, but coming next year.
Kevin Siembieda is scheduled to be on Matthew Daye’s Gateway to the Megaverse® podcast this coming Monday. Kevin will be glad to talk about his trip to Blizzard, the latest news, upcoming books, and whatever listeners want to ask him about.
Matthew Daye hosts a “live” podcast program, Gateway to the Megaverse®, most every Monday at 6:00 or 7:00 PM Eastern Time (depending on his work schedule and guests). All shows are also available as recorded downloads that you can listen to anytime.
Remember, the Surprise Packages are great gifts for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. And you can look like an amazing friend or spouse, because you’ll be giving the recipient of your “gift” $90 worth of stuff (or more)! We know, it’s madness, but we can’t stop Santa Kevin from packing these Grab Bags full. Best of all, it only costs you around $45 with shipping! And that gift includes autographs, and if you ask nicely, maybe a one-of-a-kind piece of original artwork, or the new limited edition print set. What are you waiting for?
We just got a pile of new artwork in from Kent Burles and we’re still sitting on sketches by Nick Bradshaw, a few by Brian & Allen Manning, and Kevin Siembieda. And that limited edition portfolio is a keeper!
PLEASE just make sure you provide a “wish list” of 8-12 currently available items (RPGs, sourcebooks, T-shirts, the 2009 Special Limited Edition Print Set, original artwork, and other stuff) or you may be disappointed. If this is a gift for your spouse or child, PLEASE try to get some idea of what he might want and PLEASE tell us what his favorite Palladium games are. Then place your order ($37 plus shipping and handling) and Kevin Siembieda will hand pick and send you $90 worth of product, much of it from your want list. Without a good Wish List you may be disappointed. Plus, if you request it, we’ll sign each book for you. For many people around the world, this is the only way they can get autographs.
We’ve been doing Christmas Surprise Packages for something like 12-13 years now. It’s our way of saying THANK YOU to all our fans and, in these tough economic times, make the Christmas season a little brighter for as many fans as we can.
The Christmas Surprise Package is ideal for Canada and Overseas Palladium fans, because even with shipping they are paying around the cover price for books, plus getting autographs and other goodies. We highly recommend folks overseas try to take advantage of this opportunity.
Christmas is only FIVE weeks away. Order today!
For more information and to order, click here.
L.V. in Thousand Oaks, California, writes: I am getting back into Rifts® after ten years of college and “the real world.” I missed it so.
H.A. in Raleigh, North Carolina, writes: I have loved Rifts® for years. I own most of the books, but extras are always useful to friends or as gifts to others I play with.
D.R. in Rochester, New York, writes: I would just like to say that I love your games and have been playing them for years. The thought of a life without Palladium was unthinkable. Thank you for the years of fun and adventure.
L.T. in Dungog, NSW, Australia, writes: The above is my son-in-law’s wish list. As you have always done a great job with my requests for a grab bag, I will leave it in your hands. Many thanks for the creations you dream up.
A.F in Salisbury, Wiltshire, Great Britain, writes: You guys are doing a fantastic job and I couldn’t imagine the thought of not having Palladium games or books anymore. I am sooo glad a friend of mine introduced me to it all those years ago.
A.C. in Chelsea, Victoria, Australia, writes: Thanks for not giving up and battling on. I run a job network site providing directive and supportive assistance to unemployed from 16-64 and I’ve used your financial fightback example in several training sessions. Good to see people can control the panic and rebuild it better than before. Hope you have a great yuletide with your best and dearest!
D.L. in San Francisco, California, writes: Thanks for all the amazing work you do, and the wonderful product you produce. The X-Mas surprise package is a spectacular gift that I’m certain all your fans appreciate. The package is also a great way to help fill in my collection.
Dead Reign™: Dark Places™ is done and at the printer! The printer is trying to get us the book before Thanksgiving Day, otherwise it will ship on November 30.
This sourcebook presents four new, gruesome zombies that will make your skin crawl, plus more survivor secrets, using railroad tracks and the urban underground – sewers, storm drains, steam tunnels and other subterranean labyrinths – to travel unseen and undetected by the walking dead. Of course, these “secret highways” of the human survivors have their own dangers and problems.
The sourcebook then looks into the darkest place of all, a man’s soul, and how some misanthropes sacrifice their fellow human beings as “zombie bait” for their own advancement. Much of the source material is written from the perspective of Brad Ashley and is full of helpful observations, suggestions, and ideas for adventure.
Author Carl Gleba has created another masterpiece brimming with ideas, new demons, new Deevils, new whacked out spaceships, new magic spells, more about Phase World, Center, the escalating Minion War and much more. Dimensional Outbreak™ is another exciting and surprise filled book in the Minion War™ series as war spills into Phase World®, the city of Center and the Three Galaxies™. The epic scale of the Minion War just got bigger and even the Worlds of Warlock, the Splugorth and Naruni are involved.
Most agree the Book of Heroes is one of the greatest magic artifacts in the Megaverse. Only one copy is known to exist, and everyone wants to get their hands on it – Demons, Deevils, the Splugorth, the Dominators, the Kreeghor, the United Worlds of Warlock and everyone in between. For it is said that he who wields the “Power of the 2000" can rule the universe.
Once protected by the Cosmo-Knights, the book has gone missing. No one knows its fate or the true power contained within its List of Heroes. No one except YOU – the new keepers of this legendary Rune book.
The core rule book you need to play. Second printing. This is the game that has restarted it all.
The core rule book you need to play. With all the updates and corrections of the manga edition, 2nd printing, plus some bonus art and pages of data. Makes a nice gift.
A great gift for your ultimate Robotech® fan, Robotech® role-playing gamers and collectors. Rich and beautiful cover, gold embossing on black leatherette – only 500 signed and numbered copies ever printed.
Jason Marker is done writing this exciting new Robotech® sourcebook. Next step is a quick edit and sending it off to Harmony Gold for their approval. This is another sourcebook jam-packed with new O.C.C.s, Mecha, weapons, gear, and ideas to send your characters on amazing new adventures.
The horror issue has shipped. Pre-orders were a bit higher than usual, so this might be one of those issues that sells out faster than most. It is certainly packed with adventure, monsters and fun role-playing source material.
The Rifter® is your doorway to unlimited imagination and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new heroes, powers, weapons, magic and adventure for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider.
The Heart of Magic™ is packed with new information, details and new insight about magic, P.P.E., the Palladium World, Men of Magic, Wizards, Warlocks, Priests, Familiars, true names, apprenticeship, scroll conversion, learning magic, new and different magic O.C.C.s, new Wizard and Warlock spells, and data that expands, defines and clarifies a number of aspects about the practice of magic in the Palladium Fantasy setting. Easy to adapt to Rifts® (just change S.D.C. damage to M.D. and you are ready to go).
Old Ones™ is back in print as a special printing available exclusively via Palladium’s online store.
Old Ones™ is an epic sourcebook packed full of information, people, places and ideas. Details about the Old Ones, the Minotaur R.C.C. (an ancient minion of the Old Ones), the Monk Scholar and Illusionist, 50 cities and towns mapped and described, adventure ideas and the epic Place of Magic adventure.
Wayne Smith has made the Palladium area of DriveThruRPG.com more functional and easy to use. Major game lines are now separated into categories making it easier to find the titles you want. Currently there are 90+ Palladium titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com.
Many are out of print Palladium book titles including the 1981 The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, the 1985 The Mechanoids® RPG, the infamous Valley of the Pharaohs RPG, the original Rifts® RPG, Rifts® Coalition Wars®: Siege on Tolkeen™ series (also available as pen and paper books), Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™, the original Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG (with Erick Wujcik’s victims rules), Boxed Nightmares™ for BTS First Edition, the Palladium Fantasy RPG® 1st Edition and sourcebooks, the Palladium Weapon series, The Rifter® #1-40 (many still available from Palladium), Deluxe Revised RECON® RPG and Advanced RECON® Sourcebook and other titles.
Check them out and get those books you’ve always heard about.
© Copyright 2009 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.
This press release may be reprinted, reposted, linked and shared for the sole purpose of advertising, promotion and sales solicitation.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, Phase World®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Beyond the Supernatural, Dead Reign, Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas & Superspies, Minion War, Mysteries of Magic, The Three Galaxies, Warpath, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.