2012 is at an end. Time for everyone to go out, celebrate, and enjoy the remaining few hours of 2012 with friends and family. If you’re reading this, a Happy New Year from me too. Of course, New Years is also the time to look forward to the year ahead. What will 2013 bring? What can we look forward to in 2013 from Games Workshop, Black Library, new games and Kickstarters?
4 Blog Topics of 2012
I admit, I started this blog more or less into the blue. I did not, and perhaps still do not, have a cut-in-stone purpose for it all. I just tend to write about things I find interesting.
That said, I think there are four main topics that emerged over the last few months of blogging that I keep coming back to (which doesn’t mean they may not change in 2013).
- Black Library books and book reviews
- Kickstarters
- New Games in general
- Warhammer 40K
- Happy New Year!
Let us see what 2013 might have in store for each!
#1 – Black Library and Book Reviews
I really enjoy reading fantasy and science-fiction. I always have. I certainly do not read only Black Library, but as Warhammer 40K is a strong feature on my blog (see below), it made sense to talk about Black Library here.
I reviewed a couple of books, as well as my first taste of a Black Library audio drama.
As for 2013, Black Library does not seem to have any intention of slowing down.
On Games Day UK, Black Library first presented some of their premium hardback editions. I ordered Flight of the Eisenstein, both to see the new format and to get back into the Horus Heresy series. I’ve struggled with the book since and it might become my first ‘less-than-excited’ review on my blog.
But that, in itself, is something I fear as well. Is it wise to criticise other people’s work here? How can I strike the right balance?
Beyond the novels, there are also Black Library’s new script books, a preview of the graphic novels, which will be published towards the end of 2013. And just maybe, I’ll just throw in a review of a non-Black Library, non-Games Workshop novel, just to mix things up.
What do you think?
#2 – Kickstarters
2012 was clearly the year of Kickstarter. Other crowd-funding projects too, but Kickstarter in particular.
Tellingly, not a single Kickstarter before 2012 managed to break the magic mark of 1 Million Dollars! In 2012, no less then 17 Kickstarters did, including Reaper Bones. The Kickstarter for Kingdom Death: Monster is poised to become the first to take down that bar in 2013. It is almost a given that 2013 will break all – or almost all – 2012 Kickstarter records.
Some of the high-profile Kickstarters that we know are coming include:
- Rick Priestly’s Gates of Antares (launching January 1st!)
- CMON’s Wrath of Kings
- CMON’s aptly named Confrontation Phoenix
- Mantic Games’ Warpath
- and likely a million more smaller, independent creatives looking to pitch their ideas
With Kickstarter now having set up shop in the UK as well, I am positive that Rick Priestly wont be the only Brit oogling the crowd-funding platform to launch new products.
#3 – New Games
My ‘category’ for New Games is quickly turning into the step-child of my blog, not least because of Kickstarter.
Are there even still companies (other than Games Workshop) planning to launch games without Kickstarter? Well, there are some.
In 2012, we saw Games Workshop release The Hobbit Strategy Battle Game in time for the first Hobbit movie. Spartan Games expanded a lot – all without Kickstarter – to add their first 28mm32 mm miniature game Dystopian Legions, as well as launching their Studio Sparta mail-order outlet for games such as Firestorm Invasion.
Hawk Wargames’ Dropzone Commander – whatever else one may criticise – proved that new companies can still launch a successful game, even without Kickstarter.
Though my New Game category will certainly be eclipsed by Kickstarter in 2013, I’ll keep my eyes peeled. If you know of a new, interesting game on the horizon, let me know!
#4 – Warhammer 40K
And 40K! I don’t even know where to start. Well, for a retrospective, take a look at my “2012 the year in 40K pictures!”
As for 2013, let us start with Forge World, which will surely continue to produce more exciting stuff for their Horus Heresy line. 2012 saw Angron the Red Angel arrive on the battlefields of the 31st millennium. We know that the Primarchs Mortarion, Fulgrim and Horus himself are in Forge World’s Horus Heresy Book I. I think it is certain we will see miniatures for some of them in 2013.
Games Workshop studio will launch 2013 with the return of the Dark Angels in January, written by a new 40K codex author: Jeremy Vetock. That should prove interesting.
Beyond that, forecasting Games Workshop releases is always a most fickle art. The 2013 release list leaked in August may or may not be a hoax. Either way, there appears to be some sort of emerging consensus that a new Codex for Tau Empires is in the making, which may or may not launch with a supplement expanding the 6th Edition rules for allies.
Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40K is certainly not slowing down either!
Happy New Year
What about you? What are you looking forward to in the hobby-year 2013, after new-years-celebrations have settled? What did you enjoy most in the hobby during 2012?
I am looking forward to your comments!
Z.
About Zweischneid
