Era IV: 2002 The Publisher Explosion Part Deux

Taking a page from last year, this is a huge one for new publishers, games and systems. The level of research is getting to be a little dense for a week-by-week writing. It will probably become bi-weekly from here on out.

Paizo Publishing opens its doors as the publisher of Dragon and Dungeon magazine under license from WotC. Morbidgames opens its doors with Ave’Molech. Bards and Sages opens its doors. Arc Dream Publishing is founded. In India. Archaia Studios Press opens its doors as a comic book publisher. PH Games opens its doors.  Pinnacle Entertainment Group is renamed Great White Games. Last Unicorn Games is purchased by Decipher Inc. Human Head Studios opens a non-PC game branch and begins publishing RPGs as well. Hogshead Publishing closes its doors; but its partner Nightfall Games continues on with the SLA Industries RPG line.

Human Head Studios begins publishing RPGs: Redhurst Academy of Magic.

EverQuest RPG by Sword & Sorcery (White Wolf). Tied to the OGL game of the same name, based in the world of Norrath.
Ave’Molech by Morbidgames. Based upon modules designed for Bioware’s Neverwitner Nights game. This is a post-apocalyptic world of magic and steampunk tech.
Neiyar: Land of Heaven and the Abyss and Koboldnomicon by Bards and Sages. These two SRD versions of the d20 game system feature heaven / hell and kobolds in gaming, respectively.
Nobilis is published by Guardians of Order. The second edition of the World Ash and the unique characters sovereign power.
The Game of Powers LARP: by Hogshead Publishing. LARP rules for the Nobilis game.
Stormbringer by Chaosium. This is the fifth edition of the dark fantasy RPG based upon the books about Elric.
Jadeclaw: Anthromorphic Fantasy Role Playing by Sanguine Productions. Become an anthropomorphic wuxia martial artist in mythic China!
Donjon by Anvilwerks. A fantasy dungeon crawl game that gives the players narrative control over the results of dice rolls.
The Riddle of Steel by Driftwood Publishing. Welcome to the low-fantasy world of Weyrth, where Spiritual Attributes enhance one of the lethal and exact combat systems.
Paladin by CRN Games. A pulpy generic setting game where holy warriors face tests of both Light and Dark.
Trollbabe by Adept Press. A narrative fantasy RPG that is light and comic like.
Tearra Primate by Eden Studios, Inc. Intelligent apes set in one of several ‘Apeworlds’.

Children of the Sun by Misguided Games. A dieselpunk game that uses aether magic, war, and arcane sciences.

InSpectres by Memento Mori Theatricks. Light-hearted “Scooby Doo” meets “Ghostbusters” RPG.
Dust Devils by Chimera Creative. A purely Old West RPG.
Call of Cthulhu d20 by Wizards of the Coast. More Lovecraft!
Monster Island: The Game of Giant Monster Combat by Firefly Games. Walk into the world of atomic B-films and kaiju cinema! Rumble in the jungle with giants.
Silver Age Sentinels RPG is published by Guardians of Order, using an early variant of the upcoming Tri-Stat dX system combined with a d20 system for superheroes.
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is published by Guardians of Order. Using the Tri-Stat 2 system, play ‘everyman’ in a mafia controlled city.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG from Eden Studios. Set in the television universe of the same name, using the Unisystem rule set.
Demon: The Fallen is published as part of the Storyteller System.
Dark Ages: Mage by White Wolf Publishing.
Dark Ages: Vampire by White Wolf Publishing.
Night Wizard! Is published by F.E.A.R. Using the Seven Fortress system, this is a Japanese contemporary RPG where wizards fight against the Emulators and the lord Mao while they explore dungeons built by said ‘world enemies’.
Exalted is published as part of the Storyteller System by White Wolf.
Mummy: The Resurrection is published as part of the Storyteller System by White Wolf.
M-Force: Monster Hunting in the 21^st Century by ­Hex Games. Go big-monster-hunting in this contemporary d20 game system.
Dread: The First Book of Pandemonium by Malignant Games. Demon hunting.
Spycraft by Crafty Games and AEG. A d20 variant and superspy action cinema RPG.
Mutants & Masterminds by Green Ronin Publishing. A superhero setting using the d20 SRD.

Shadowrun 3e by FanPro using the Shadowrun 3 system.

Tokyo NOVA: The Revolution REVISED is a cyberpunk RPG 3.5 edition is published by F.E.A.R.
Alshard RPG, published by Enterbrain and playing much like the tech-fantasy world of Final Fantasy.
octaNe by Memento Mori Theatricks. Rock and roll post-apocalyptic mutant psychotropic RPG.
Tribe 8 by Dream Pod 9. The second edition of the post-apocalyptic game world.
Engel by Sword and Sorcery Studios. Set in 2654 when Europe flooded and a new, quasi-medieval period swept the world. The characters are ‘angels’ descending from space platforms.
Judge Dredd RPG by Mongoose Publishing. This uses the d20 system and is set in the worlds created by 2000 AD.
The End by Tyranny Games. The d20 game where ‘meek’ players who are left behind must survive in a world of post-biblical apocalypse.

Sweet Chariot by Flying Mice. A StarCluster 1.9 setting where folks live in the upper mountain region of a planet whose lower reaches are the argon-gas-filled Deathlands.

Mechanical Dream by SteamLogic. No human or elf PCs set on a steampunk alien planet.
Red Dwarf by Deep 7. Head out into space with a boy and his cat.
Farscape Roleplaying Game By AEG. Enter the universe of Crichton and the crew, along with new races!
Starcluster by Flying Mice. A hard science space opera set in a time after Sol has gone supernova.
Star Wars Core Rulebook by WoC. Part of the d20 OGL system.
Star Trek Narrator’s Guide by Decipher. Using the CODA system.
Prime Directive RPG released by Amarillo Design Bureau Inc (formerly Task Force Games in 1993). Based upon the Star Fleet Battles wargame, this version allows players to adventure in an alternative Star Trek universe.
Spaceship Zero by Green Ronin Publishing. Based on the madness of a BTL star drive error, 13 billion years of deconstituted hypersleep, and a re-born universe.
Traveller by Quick Link Interactive / RPG Realms Publishing. This is the d20 version set in the Imperial year 990.
Star Hero by Hero Games. This is a sci fi setting RPG using the Hero System 5e.

Active Exploits diceless RPG by Precis Intermedia Gaming. Generic setting for both tabletop and LARP gaming.

The Cortex System, based upon the Sovereign Stone System is published by Margaret Weis Productions.
Universalis by Ramshead Publishing. Although there are multiple characters played, this ‘RPG’ is highly experimental in nature, being more of a shared dialogue than a crunchy rule set.
d20 Modern RPG by WoC. Modern equipment and class rules for the d20 OGL system.
Random Anime by  Infernal Funhouse Games. A generic system and simulation of (most) anime TV shows. Giant robots to magic fox girls.

GURPS: Castle Falkenstein by SJG. The latest edition of the Steampunk fantasy world.

GURPS: Transhuman Space by SJG. Set in 2100 as humanity begins to colonize the Solar System; a “postcyberpunk” themed game of a Third Industrial Revolution.
GURPS: Hellboy by SJG. Join the team and fight some monsters!
GURPS: Star Trek
GURPS: Traveller 25 Anniversary Set
GURPS 3: Mars
GURPS 3: Modern Firepower
GURPS 3: Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri

Online RPG games offer game altering choices:  Gothic II. The second single-player RPG following in the footsteps of Gothic by JoWooD Entertainment / Atari.