A Monstrous Dilemma

I grew up watching monster movies. KTVU Channel 2 out of Oakland, California would show a Godzilla movie just about every Saturday afternoon back in the early 70s. I loved 'em. Couldn't get enough. I loved Godzilla and all the Toho Studios monsters like Ghidorah and Rodan. I loved King Kong. I even loved more obscure giant monsters such as Reptilicus (a Danish/American film) and Gorgo (British).

So, a few years back when Privateer Press announced Monsterpocalypse I was stoked! A giant monsters miniatures game? And, pre-painted to boot? I was there! The monsters looked awesome, and the game featured some of the best pre-paints in the industry. Really good stuff.

But, again, finding players has proven elusive.

Monsterpocalypse came out in 2008, if memory serves. And here we are in 2010 and I can't find players in my area. There was a glimmer of hope about a year ago. A former customer of mine was really into the game and wanted to play. But, he had a very erratic work schedule and we were never able to meet up for a game. And now he seems to have disappeared.

20 some odd years ago Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote a book When Bad Things Happen to Good People. I think we need a new book, When Bad Things Happen to Good Games. Monsterpocalypse is a good game. The rules are solid. The theme is fantastic. The miniatures are amazing. It's fun to play. These are all good things. But, the game has struggled to find a player base. At least in Ohio. And, certainly in Central Ohio.

Privateer Press has been pretty silent about the games future lately. There was no news at Gen Con this past August. There are the two-player Starter Boxes due in October, but those feature miniatures from the original "Rise" release. But, hopefully, they can attract new players to the game (and is, maybe, how the game should have been marketed from the beginning). There is also a big-budget movie on the horizon with Tim Burton attached to direct. I suspect that the movie has something to do with Privateers period of silence regarding this property.

Is it the collectible nature of the game that's proven a hindrance? I don't know. Heroclix seems to be doing well after it's death at Topps and resurrection at NECA.

I don't know.

What I do know is this game deserves to be doing better than it is. It really is a good game. There are those gamers that assume that if a game is of the collectible variety then it has been "dumbed down for the kiddies. While that may be true with some games, I don't feel that is the case with Monsterpocalypse. There is plenty of depth and strategy to be had.

If you have any interest in giant monsters, you really should do yourself a favor and check out Monsterpocalypse. You'll be glad you did. And, if you're in the Central Ohio region, by all means, let me know!