It has been an exciting week.
A good number of people have responded to my invitation to come to the 2010 Palladium Open House (POH). The idea is we can push away all our troubles that weekend and all of us – you, me and the next guy – lose ourselves in celebrating Rifts® turning 20 years old and Palladium surviving one crisis after another, play games, laugh and have a fun time. Palladium saw several orders for Weekend, Friday and Saturday admissions to the POH with orders coming in all week long.
When VIP Thursday admissions went on sale Monday, they sold fast, then stalled with no sales for two days, then Thursday night, BOOM, the last five VIP tickets all sold. Cool. (FYI: If you missed getting VIP tickets, call the office or email us to get on the Cancellation List. If someone cancels, we’ll contact you. We usually get 4-7 cancellations, so you still have a chance).
Please keep those POH admissions coming! We still have plenty of Weekend and individual day tickets available. I’m serious about making the 2010 Open House a joyous celebration where – be it for one day or all weekend – you, me and the rest of us can laugh, talk, game and have fun immersed in the hobby we love. I’m also serious about YOU being our guests. But that’s the way the Palladium Open House has always been. We invite you to come into our house and we treat you like the welcomed guests. It’s awesome. So please, come join us, especially if you live only a few hours away. You won’t regret it.
Oh, by the way, make sure you reserve your hotel room right away. Your credit card is NOT charged until the day you are supposed to arrive, and you can cancel without penalty 48 hours in advance, so there is NO cost for you to reserve your rooms now. FYI: There are only a limited number of rooms with “double beds” and they sold out last year. Your reserving your rooms now also helps Palladium and you, because the more rooms that are reserved before March 30, the more perks we get – like a big meeting room and small conference room for ALL-NIGHT & DAY open gaming, free continental breakfast, and other things. TO MAKE A RESERVATION at the $69.95 price, you MUST tell the hotel you want a room in the Block Reserved for Palladium Books. 734-455-8100 tel. Comfort Inn Plymouth Clock Tower, Plymouth, Michigan. Everyone who came last year LOVED this hotel.
Online sales were very good this week, up 85% from the same week last year. We saw a lot of Open House admissions sales, a lot of The Rifter® subscriptions and a lot of books selling, from Rifts® to Dead Reign™ and everything in-between. Now, if only that continues all month.
My Dad was in a surprisingly good mood this week. He was down last week and he’s a worrier by nature. His examination to see if the chemo-therapy has killed his bladder cancer or not, is next Thursday, February 11th, so I was happy to see him with such a positive attitude. I pray we get the good report that his bladder is cancer free. Hoping for the best.
People are loving The Rifter® #49. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on it from the cover to the contents. I’m not surprised, I’ve been saying The Rifter® seems to keep getting better and better for something like two years now. Wayne Smith does a great job.
And wait till you see The Rifter® #50 – it’s going to be super-awesome, with at least half (probably more like two-thirds) being official source material. 128 pages, $14.95 (no additional cost to subscribers).
UPDATE: Dimensional Outbreak™. Outbreak is killing me. Okay, it’s not that bad. In fact, the rewrites and editing have been going very well and at a good clip, just not as fast as I had hoped. For one thing, it has been a while since we’ve done a 192-224 page book and I think we all forgot how time consuming the big books are. For another, while I’ve managed to put 8-12 hours of work in on Dimensional Outbreak™ just about every day for the last 16 days solid, there are still other things that divide our attention and steal away our time and energy. Coordinating work on several of the upcoming titles – Rifts® Triax™ Two, Heroes of the Megaverse®, Robotech® UEEF Marines™, the two Rifts® Vampire books, The Rifter® #50 – among them! Another thing is that this book is so packed with cool, new material and ideas that we want to make sure we do it right.
That’s actually good news for YOU because this book has everything. The Minion War™ explodes across the Three Galaxies in a huge way, there are new spacecraft and weapons for the demons and Deevils, Demon Planets, weird new monsters and demons, new magic, parts of Phase World described and mapped, the battle for Center, the battle that continues across the Three Galaxies, and a zillion ideas. This book is epic. I am in awe of Carl Gleba’s work on this book and the rest of the Minion War series. As a Game Master my mind reels with all the wonderful possibilities. You are going to love it. See the expanded description in this Press Release.
Anyway, Dimensional Outbreak™ is almost finished, but not quite. I’ve got the last 80 pages of the manuscript to edit and tweak over the next three days, and then Alex and Wayne do the final edit, and Wayne lays the book out. He should get started on that on Monday, if not Saturday, and the book WILL go to the printer next week. Unfortunately, that means it won’t ship till something like the last day or two of February or the first week of March. Arrrgh. Very frustrating for us. Don’t forget, there are just five of us on staff at Palladium these days, and only three of us who do writing and editing.
Fear not, books should start coming pretty fast after Outbreak. The next few are smaller (96-128) and others are already in development. We’ll jump immediately from it into the next two books Heroes of the Megaverse® and Robotech® UEEF Marines™.
UPDATE: Licensing, Videogames and Hollywood. Nothing much to report yet. I can tell you that pitches for Palladium’s IPs are being developed and a couple are already being shopped around. For example, J.J. Abrams recently took a look at Nightbane®. From what I understand, he liked what he saw, thought it could be made into a great film, but passed on it for himself. We’ll keep you posted on things as they develop on other fronts as much as we can.
UPDATE: Rifts® Movie. There have been some questions and grumbling on the Palladium message boards about the lack of info about the Rifts® Movie. Folks wonder if it is ever going to get made and why I can’t provide any concrete information on the matter. Trust me, I understand your frustration. Palladium signed the movie option waaaaay back in 2002, and we’ve been waiting ever since, but as Jerry Bruckheimer told us, some movies come together quickly and get made fast, others take years. Top Gun took 8 years to get into production and look what a great movie that was.
Hollywood is all about secrecy and non-disclosure, so I can’t say much about it or the things that have happened over the last EIGHT YEARS. That drives me crazy, because I have a million stories that I cannot share with the public. I mean I have met Jerry Bruckheimer (nice guy), and JB Films studio heads Chad Oman and Mike Stenson, and a famous writer or two, and . . . I can’t tell you a stinking thing about any of it. Not yet, anyway. I wish I could. I mean, I’m a natural born storyteller, I want to tell you all about my adventures in Hollywood! I can’t. I hope you understand.
I think I can say this much about the Rifts® Movie: The stumbling block has been finding the right script. Despite what some fans seem to think, writing, be it for RPGs or film, isn’t easy. It takes a long time, and it is difficult, very difficult, to get great, polished, ready to go material. And even when you get something good, is it “right?” Does it have the right feel? Is it the right story to tell? Personally, I’m grateful that JB is hunting for the right script to make a GREAT Rifts® Movie, rather than settle and crank out a lousy film. Will the Rifts® Movie ever get made? Honestly, I don’t know. That’s in the hands of Jerry Bruckheimer and his capable people. I sure hope so and I hope it’s soon.
On a lighter note, check out this fun, fan, “Unofficial” Rifts® Movie Trailer on youtube. Make sure you watch it to the very end. It made me laugh. It also made me want to see the movie (and videogames, and MMOG, and toys) more than ever.
That’s it from me for now. Stay positive and keep those imaginations burning bright. Together we can do anything. Don’t you forget that.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher & Writer
The last remaining five slots sold out last night, but you can still attend the rest of the weekend or an individual day.
We still have plenty of Weekend slots open as well as individual days available. Of course, we’re limited to around 300 or so people maximum, which means those days could get filled up too, especially Saturday, but probably not. Historically, we’ve had admission available even for people who show up that day at the door.
Friday is gaming and panel talks all day long, from 9:00 AM to midnight (with more gaming going on at the hotel).
Saturday is more gaming panel talks, plus the live auction and the Costume Contest (it was awesome last year). 9:00 AM to midnight.
Sunday is more gaming, but it is a short day; 9:00 to 5:00 PM or so.
VIP Cancellations. If you have your heart set on VIP Thursday, there may still be a chance. We usually see 4-7 cancellations. In order to refund the people who can’t make it, we offer cancellations to those who we know are looking for tickets. Same price. You just NEED to get on our cancellation list by calling the Palladium office or emailing us your contact info (include your telephone number, not just email address).
VIP Night: Sold out.
3 Day Weekend: $40 per person (Friday thru Sunday).
Friday Only: $16 per person.
Saturday Only: $16 per person.
Sunday Only: $12 per person.
Online: Click the links above.
By Telephone: Call (734) 721-2903 – have your credit card information ready.
Flying in? You want Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan (only 20 minutes from Palladium Books).
Reserve your hotel room: Your card will not be charged until the arrival date. TO MAKE A RESERVATION at the $69.95 price for a double bed or king room, you MUST tell them you want a room in the Block Reserved for Palladium Books. 734-455-8100 tel. Comfort Inn Plymouth Clock Tower, 40455 Ann Arbor Road, Plymouth, MI 48170. There are also some bigger rooms at reasonable prices.
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.
Has your subscription recently lapsed? Have you been thinking about getting a subscription to The Rifter®, but haven’t gotten around to it or made that final choice? Is your subscription ending later this year?
Then it’s time to subscribe or re-subscribe, right now. Why now? Because Palladium has the best subscription offer ever.
Each issue of The Rifter® presents unofficial and/or official adventures, characters, powers, weapons, equipment and fiction for Rifts®, Heroes Unlimited™, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Chaos Earth™, Splicers®, Nightbane®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Dead Reign™, and/or any variety of other Palladium games and world settings. It’s also a place to get the latest news, product release info, and see new games, like Warpath: Urban Jungle™, showcased. The Rifter® is more than a magazine or sourcebook, it is a forum for new talent.
In short, if you’re into one or more of Palladium’s role-playing games and like to explore new realms of possibility, then The Rifter® is for you. Check it out and order yours today. And tell a friend! Tell lots and lots of friends!!
To celebrate The Rifter® turning 12 years old this year and reaching issue number fifty, we present an issue filled with official source material and adventures from a list of guest freelance writers that you all know and love. Plus an expanded page count.
Try as we might, we couldn’t get this epic sourcebook to the printer this week, but it is almost finished and will go to the printer next week.
This book is full of new weapons, new spacecraft, new demons and aliens, new magic, and a wealth of information about Phase World, the Prometheans, the Three Galaxies, the Minion War, deception and betrayal. There are enough adventure ideas, turmoil and information to run a campaign in the Three Galaxies for years! The eruption of the Minion War in the Three Galaxies is more mind boggling than anyone has imagined. Virtually every civilization gets caught up in the demons’ scheme and the Deevils’ revenge in one way or another. Can’t say more without giving away too many plot elements, but wow. You will be surprised.
Dimensional Outbreak™ is an 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 reeling from it.
The Book of Heroes is said to be 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.
This book is exactly what you’d imagine it would be, and more. In short:
An in-depth look at the Expeditionary Force Marines, their history, strategies and tactics, M.O.S. skill packages, operations and missions.
Kevin Siembieda is reorganizing, tweaking, expanding and updating one of the most popular Rifts® World Books ever published: Vampire Kingdoms™. This will include some new artwork and an expanded page count. The book will be updated and expanded in much the same way as Kevin did with Rifts® Sourcebook One a couple years ago. Best of all, it’s just the prelude to a Rifts® Vampire Sourcebook that will follow a month or two later.
Why wait? A special printing of the original Rifts® World Book One: Vampire Kingdoms™ is available exclusively from Palladium Books.
Palladium intends to support all of its game lines and that includes the setting of the Three Galaxies. The Thundercloud Galaxy™ is just the second of several books crafted by the talented Braden Campbell to expand your gaming Megaverse in the Three Galaxies. History, aliens, weapons, spacecraft, and adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
Trouble is stirring in the Vampire Kingdoms as ambitious vampire lords, ladies and misanthropes seek to expand their power to dominate more mortal life forms.
Written by Kevin Siembieda and a handpicked selection of other writers, this sourcebook explores the vampires of Mexico and their kingdoms in ways you never imagined. Much new data, adventure ideas and revelations.
At last, the underwater realm of Lemuria. The people and history of Lemuria, new magic, sea herbs and healing, monsters, the New Navy, and much, much more.
Demons and Deevils are trying to turn Earth into one of their playgrounds. It’s worse than you think. The plan is to bring about Armageddon to unleash a powerful force that could change the tide of the Minion War™. Only Earth’s greatest superheroes (that’s your characters) stand in their way. Can be played as a Minion War™ crossover bringing in heroes from across the Megaverse, or as a stand-alone adventure setting for Heroes Unlimited™.
The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. More details to follow, but for now, ‘nuff said.
The Robotech® core sourcebook you’ve been waiting for . . . only it’s going to be more than you imagine.
Data about the chaos and madness of the early days of the Great Apocalypse, and the brave men and women who tried to stem the tide of destruction and save lives, the First Responders.
The following are in the pipeline, but are not yet scheduled. Most are likely to be released after those previously described, but a couple might get slotted into release sooner.
Robotech® New Generation™ Freedom Fighters Sourcebook (and others)
More Rifts® Chaos Earth™ sourcebooks
More Rifts® sourcebooks
More Phase World®/Three Galaxies™ sourcebooks
Nightbane® Sourcebook Six
Mysteries of Magic™ Two & Three
Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three
The Rifter® Number 51 & 52
Warpath™ Urban Jungle™
and more . . .
All release dates are tentative.
- The Rifter® #49 – Available now.
- Rifts® Dimension Book™ 12: Dimensional Outbreak™ – March 4.
- Rifts®/Phase World® Sourcebook: Heroes of the Megaverse® – March 24.
- Rifts® World Book One: Vampire Kingdoms™, Expanded & Updated – March.
- Rifts® World Book 31: Triax™ Two – March or April.
- Robotech® UEEF Marines – March or April.
- Rifts® Dimension Book™: Thundercloud Galaxy™ – March or April.
- The Rifter® #50 (expanded, anniversary issue) – April.
- Rifts® World Book: Lemuria™ – April.
- 2010 Palladium Open House Event – April 29 thru May 2.
- Rifts® Vampire Sourcebook™ – April or May.
- Armageddon Unlimited™ – May.
- Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames – June.
- Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook – June.
- Plus more Robotech® sourcebooks, more Mysteries of Magic™ sourcebooks (hoping to slot one in before June), more Nightbane® sourcebooks, more Dead Reign™ sourcebooks, Warpath™ and other good stuff.
Palladium has made several out of print titles and the first 40 issues of The Rifter® available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. We are regularly asked if out of print titles such as Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™, the original Mechanoids® RPGs, Boxed Nightmares™, BTS First Edition, etc. are available, and they are, at DriveThruRPG.com. Check ‘em out.
Kathy Simmons continues to add to her listings of life-sized Halloween props at the Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store. She is now offering Halloween signs, and we understand a Leprechaun, more witches and other “ghouls” will be added every week or two.
Kathy makes and sells one of a kind, life-sized Halloween props. You know, vampires, werewolves, witches, wizards, zombies and monsters for display on your front lawn. If you think the photos online look good, you should see them in person. A typical “ghoul,” as she calls her creations, costs $89-$150. You can see some of her work (available off-season at lower prices) at her Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store – queenofghouls.com.
Palladium isn’t the only one with troubles and money woes, most of you reading this have them too. Times are tough. Things suck. We’re all feeling a little burned out and under pressure.
My idea for us beating the blues? Let’s party.
Yep, you heard right. Let’s spit in the eye of our troubles and have a party. A big ol’ gaming party. And you know what, that’s exactly what the Palladium Open House is: 3-4 days of celebrating our fandom, our geeky selves, our love for role-playing games and the Palladium Family, and that includes YOU.
A Call to Celebration. Seriously, the Palladium Open House is a three day long (4 for those of you attending VIP Thursday) party filled with games, fun and laughter. That’s what makes the Open House different and so special. It’s a gathering of friends and like-minded people from around the world. THE WORLD! It’s not stuffy, prim or proper, it’s a down to earth, big, loud party. And this year we’ll have a birthday cake to celebrate Rifts® turning 20 years old, and The Rifter® hitting landmark issue Number 50.
I mean it, let’s make the 2010 Palladium Open House the biggest, best, most riotously fun gathering ever. Join us from morning to midnight in losing yourself in fun and games. Play games till you drop, meet and chat with Palladium staff, writers, and artists. The crew and I are there ALL day long. Enjoy panel talks, ask questions, and enjoy the Saturday Costume Contest; better yet, come in costume and participate in the contest. Meet fellow gamers from around the world and have a blast.
Come for one day or the whole weekend, but do it. Do it because you, and all of us, need to forget our troubles and remember what life is all about: friends, laughter and gaming.
If you decide to come for just one day – and those of you only a couple hours away in Michigan, Ohio and Windsor are crazy if you don’t – Friday or Saturday are probably your best choices. Friday is nothing but games and panel talks all day long. Saturday is more gaming plus the costume contest and the live auction. Sunday is more gaming, but the day ends early, around 5 or 6 PM. And don’t forget, I, the staff and the largest gathering of Palladium creators (40+ writers, artists, etc.) anywhere – are available to sign books, chat and meet you the entire weekend. It’s a party where you are the welcomed guests, not the other way around. That’s what makes it so special.
Remember, the Palladium Open House is not an annual event. We host it when we can. There are no current plans to host one next year (just as there wasn’t one in 2008), and we are limited to about 300 or so people. If we max out, we may have to turn people away, so pre-register as soon as possible to secure your place at the party.
Please consider this your personal invitation from me to you, to join the fun at the Rifts® Birthday Bash and 2010 Palladium Open House – April 29, 30, May 1 & 2, 2010. I hope to celebrate with as many of you as possible.
Join us, won’t you?
For more information and to pre-register, click here.
POH Game Masters and games needed. Please let us know if you are running, how many games you are running, etc. – the sooner the better, so we can put together and post online a schedule of event by the end of February. Thanks.
Palladium Freelancers, please let us know as soon as possible if you are planning on attending. Thanks. Carl Gleba, Amy Ashbaugh, Allen and Brian Manning, Mike Leonard, Carmen Bellaire, Nick Bradshaw, Kent Burles, Apollo Okamura, Greg Diazyck, Brandon Aten, and other artists and writers have already confirmed.
It helps Palladium plan and organize when we know how many gamers are coming to the 2010 Palladium Open House (POH), so please pre-register as soon as possible. We want to make sure to schedule enough games for EVERYONE. Thank you.
© Copyright 2010 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.