ESCAPIST UPDATE - October 11th, 2007
SQUARE ONE, EPISODE TWO - The long-awaited second episode of the Square One podcast is finally up and ready to enjoy! Tune in to Sam Chupp and myself with "Games You Will Meet" - a discussion of many different genres of role-playing games.

Square One is a podcast devoted to helping new gamers discover all of the great things about the hobby. If you know someone who is thinking about giving RPGs a try, let them know about the podcast! You can listen and subscribe at www.squareonepodcast.com

 

ATLAS CEO RUNS FOR OFFICE, GETS SMEARED FOR MAKING GAMES - John Nephew, CEO of Atlas Games, has put his hat in the ring for City Council of Maplewood, Minnesota. He has passed the primary "with flying colors," according to the Steve Jackson Daily Illuminator - but it seems that someone is trying to hold him back by bringing up Let's Kill, a card game that his company produces.

"Let's Kill" casts players in the role of deranged serial killers competing with each other for media coverage. Players draw victims, weapons and locations from two 55-card decks, using implements like weed whackers, bread trucks and even sporks to off their quarry in the most sensational way possible. It's published by Atlas Games, the company Nephew runs with his wife, games editor Michelle Nephew.

"I'm absolutely appalled by this game," says Maplewood resident Judith Franey, an early childhood educator who has worked in the Saint Paul public school system for 23 years. "Fantasy and imagination are powerful tools that fuel reality, and I worry about the effect this game will have on people's minds." Franey is also the author of "The Kindness Curriculum," an activity book for parents and teachers aimed at child development.

Critics seem to be concerned about the effects the game will have on young players, with disregard for the fact that the game is listed as "For mature audiences only" on the Atlas website and catalog.

Not everyone is missing the point of Let's Kill, however:

Council Member Will Rossbach, who with Nephew led primary voting, disagrees. "These are stick figures doing imaginary things," he says. "The controversy is being drummed up by people opposing John Nephew. He's being picked on. If this is the only thing they can find to diminish John's reputation, he must be a pretty good guy."

I wonder how long it will be before they discover that Nephew has also written and produced books for Dungeons & Dragons, and how severe the reaction will be once they do...

Read the full article here: article | archive

More information: Nephew's campaign blog | Pen & Paper's entry for Nephew