Era IV: 2005: BLASTO! Bring in the star ships and the superheroes!!!!!!

Things start looking a little more big budget and a little more franchise based this year...

 

Great White Games returns to its original name: Pinnacle Entertainment Group.
BTRC publishes Hollyworld.
Crafty Games is formed when Alderac Entertainment Group’s Alex Flagg and Patrick Kapera leave AEG to continue the Spycraft RPG.
From 2001 to 2005, FanPro LLC released over a dozen original Shadowrun titles and reprinted core titles that FASA had originally released. FanPro LLC releases Shadowrun, Fourth Edition. Likewise, FanPro LLC continues to release new Classic BattleTech books in English.
Apex Publications begins publishing its sci fi and horror magazine Apex.
Bully Pulpit Games begins publishing indi games.
Evil Hat Productions begins publishing micro games.
Flying Mice releases Cold Space.

Cold Space: a space opera game set in an alternate cold war-era after antigravity and FTL space travel change the world. Several supplements are planned including a Soviet sourcebook. Cold Space is the company's best-selling product, outside the Starcluster line.

Serenity based on the television series Firefly and the film Serenity by Margaret Weis Productions.
Dawning Star using the d20 Future system by Blue Devil Games. Earth mass-evacuates and a gateway device scatters humanity across the galaxy. Welcome to the start up planet of Eos.
WARS RPG by Mongoose Pub. It is the end of the 24^th century. The Rift opens before Jupiter, giving individuals super powers and opening the gate for the various invaders.
Starship Troopers by Mongoose Pub. D20 system inspired by the film series.
Babylon 5 by Mongoose Publishing. Based on the TV show.
Dread by The Impossible Dream. Using a Jenga (the “Tower”) as the success / fail mechanic, with more complex actions equating to more complex pull strategies.
Star Trek by Decipher, Inc. This is the D20 edition.
Cyberpunk V3 is published by R. Talsorian Games. Now set in 2030. Also this year, the publisher picks up the RPG lines for Bubblegum Crisis, Armored Trooper VOTOMS, and Dragonball Z.
Jeremiah RPG by Mongoose Pub. Using the d20 3.5 system. Gritty, post-apocalyptic world of Straczynski.

Spycraft by Crafty Games and AEG. Second edition.

Kayfabe by Errant Knight Games. Enter the wrestling industry and promote your wrestlers ‘story’!
Dogs in the Vineyard by Lumpley Games. Set in the 19^th century, you play in pre-statehood Utah and take the roll of one of God’s Watchdogs.
The Mountain Witch by Timfire Publishing. Seven Samurai meets Reservoir Dogs.
The Seventh Seal by Morrigan Press. Horror inspired by the Book of Revelation.
Hollyworld by BTRC. All characters are Actors in a world where ‘reality’ is big budget action flicks. Two stats: Style and Substance.
Capes by Muse of Fire Games. GM-less superhero game using a bidding mechanics with dice.
Living Legends by UNIgames, which was origionally titled Advanced Villains and Vigilantes.
Truth & Justice by Atomic Sock Monkey Press. Superheroes using the PDQ system.
With Great Power… by Incarndaine Press. A superhero game designed to simulate “soap operas for boys”.
Tomorrow Knights by   Z-Man Games. Based on the comic series from Marvel’s Epic imprint. Superheroes, cyberpunk future, mechas, and summer-blockbuster stylings.
BASH!: Basic Action Super Heroes by Basic Action Games. Rules simple lightweight superhero system.
Mutants and Masterminds by Green Ronin Publishing.
Godsend Agenda by Khepera Publishing. Superheroes and the culture that worships them.

Dreaming Cities by Guardians of Order. A modern fantasy with goblins, night clubs, ancient gods, and subways.

The Everlasting: Book of the Unliving by Visionary Entertainment Studio. Fantasy / modern, urban horror.
Mind’s Eye Theatre LARP: by White Wolf Pub.
Mage: the Awakening by White Wolf Publishing. The new story arc of mages looks at ‘Orders’ rather than ‘Traditions’; nine ‘Spheres’ are now ten ‘Arcana’; the new ‘morality system’ is in place.
Werewolf: The Forsaken by White Wolf Publishing. The new story arc focusing less on the ‘protecting Gaia’ aspect, and more on a level of personal morality.
Chaos Flare is published by F.E.A.R. Set in a world fighting against the Demiurge and playing characters awakened to bring Justice back.
Deadlands: Reloaded by Great White Games.
Army of Darkness by Eden Studios. As in the flick of the same name. Uses the Unisystem for cinematic action, baby!
Book of Unremitting Horror by Pelgrane Press.  This is a background setting that enables horror games to grow new teeth: give your character’s nightmares new intimate horror.
Dead of Night by SteamPower Publishing . Enter the b-movie land of horror and slasher flicks.

Legend of the Five Rings Role-Playing Game current (third) edition post-last-years-LARP.

Neiyar: Land of Heavenand the Abyss by Bards and Sages Publishing. The fantasy jungle island setting of Neiyar where an insane goddess rules above and a demonic god rules below.
Thieves’ World RPG by Green Ronin. Based on the book series, run the Maze, experience the fantasy underworld magic!
Blue Rose by  Green Ronin Publishing. Romantic fantasy inspired by the writings of Mercedes Lackey and Diance Duane.
Polaris by Tao Games. Knights, doomed folk, and the North Pole.
Old World Bestiary by Black Industries. Part of the Wharhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2^nd ed rule book series.
Artesia: Adventures in the Known World by Archaia Studios Press. Based upon the comic book series of the same name; using a Fuzion-based system.
Iron Gauntlests Expanded by Politically Incorrect Games. Fantasy ruleset in the world of Amherth.
Deathstalkers Fantasy-Horror Role-Play by Cutter’s Guild Games. A fantasy / horror game that alters the core d20 system.
The Shadow of Yesterday by Anvilwerks. Influenced by Leiber and Howard, this is the world of Near. Love & sex, Violence, wonder & magic, and the chance for hope.
Tekumel by Guardians of Order. A revamp of Empire of the Petal Throne.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay by Black Industries. The second edition of the Warhammer Fantasy setting.
Reve: the Dream Ouroboros by Malcontent Games. In this fantasy game, you play a Journeyer who travels the dream universes of dragons.
Earthdawn by RedBrick. High magic and players who level up through their Disciplines’ Circle.
A Game of Thrones is published by Guardians of Order. Welcome to Martin’s series.
Usagi Yojimbo RPG by Sanguine Productions. Set in Stan Sakai’s comic book of fantasy Japan in the Edo period.
Weapons of the Gods by Eos Press. Wuzia fantasy with Kung Fu masters seeking the fabled Weapons of the Gods.
Atlantis: The Second Age by Morrigan Press. Antediluvian Earth and exotic technomagic creations set in Bard Games’ Atlantean Trilogy.
The Deryni Adventure Game by Grey Ghost Press. Based on Katherine Kurtz romantic fantasy series.
The Burning Wheel by Luke Crane. A fantasy setting that folks seem to love or hate.
Seven Leagues by Malcontent Games. Fantasy / fairy tale d12 system.
Iron Heroes by Sword & Sorcery / Malhavoc Press.

Fudge by Grey Ghost Press. Touted as the ‘10^th anniversary edition’; this game (actually released in 1992) is expanded, but still keeping to ‘edition zero’ roots of generic core rules.

True20 game system is published by Green Ronin Publishing.

Steve Jackson Games? Beuler?

GURPS 3: Eli
GURPS 3: Lillith
GURPS Fantasy: A genre toolkit designed to help folks create a variety of high / low / dark / historic / etc. fantasy settings. 2005
GURPS Banestorm: Fantasy setting of Yrth. Part of the fictional settings set of design. 2005
GURPS Changing Times: Transhuman Space. Part of the fictional settings set of design.
GURPS Infinite Worlds: Time travel and culminating the Infinite Worlds settings. Part of the fictional settings set of design. 2005
GURPS Traveller: Working in a section of Traveller’s universe. Part of the fictional settings set of design. 2004
GURPS Casey and Andy : Part of the fictional settings set of design. 2005
GURPS Prime Directive: Be a part of the Star Fleet Universe. Part of the fictional settings set of design. 2004+
GURPS Thaumatology: Alchemical Baroque: Updates to alchemical magic. Part of the fictional settings set of design. 2004+
GURPS Yuel: Part of the fictional settings set of design. 2005

From the self-published side of things…

Executive Decision LARP: A 'real time RPG' where world-in-the-balance decisions must be made by the person in the Big Chair.

Mainstream popularity of blogs are commonplace around this time period. Genre-based and Reverse blog styles are embraced by RPG-ers. Online RPG games offer game altering choices: Radiata Stories and Steambot Chronicles.