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Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair 2009
NG International presents its latest releases and announces many new games to release in 2009
The Italian boardgame publisher brings to the show new products, such as Age of Conan, and upcoming new games like Ad Astra, Battles of Napoleon and Operation World War 2.
NG International attends the 60th Spielwarenmesse International Toy Far 2009, that takes place in Nuremberg from February 5 to 10, presenting its most recent game releases and announcing the next games and projects branded Nexus Games.
The first copies of the Age of Conan: The Strategy Board Game, after two years in the making, will be on exhibit. NG International also brings to the show (Hall 7, booth F-56) the recently released MotoGrandPrix boardgame and the upcoming titles Ad Astra, Battles of Napoleon and Operation World War II, scheduled to release in the first half of 2009. The Italian game publisher will also reveal several other products in preparation for a 2009 release: new additions to the Wings of War line, an expansion and a "junior" version of Micro Mutants, and completely new titles like the boardgame MageStorm.
Just Released
Among the games just published, the "hot" release is Age of Conan: The Strategy Board Game, which is going to hit the stores in late February.
Based on the famous hero created by R.E. Howard, Age of Conan is a massive strategy boardgame designed by the same team of the award-winning War of the Ring (Francesco Nepitello, Marco Maggi, and Roberto Di Meglio). The greatest realms of the Hyborian Age fight at the command of the players, in a strife for supremacy using armies, magic and gold, while Conan may turn the tide in favour or against any player. Suitable for two to four players, the game features lots of miniatures and top-level components. Beside the Italian edition published by NG, Age of Conan is published in five other languages with international partners - Fantasy Flight Games (English), Heidelberger (German), Ubik/Edge (French), Devir (Spanish) and Smart (Russian).
Released last December, MotoGrandPrix, by Gianluca Santopietro, is an exciting game suitable for all ages, with a fast, yet realistic, dice-based system which allows to play multiple-lap races in a reasonable time, with accurate motorcycle models able to lean and to get the wheel up. A modular board system allows to create a wide range of realistic circuits. The game is available in Italian (NG International), English (FFG), German (Heidelberger), French (Millennium), Spanish (Edge) and Russian (Smart).
Upcoming new games
Three games which are the starting point of new series are going to be released in the next months.
Ad Astra, created by Bruno Faidutti and Serge Laget, is the first title in the new Nexus Designer Series, which will feature original games from the best international authors. The first release is a game by two important French game designers. Faidutti is a prolific author with more than thirty games published, including Citadels, his greatest international success, with 18 international editions. Laget, his partner in Mystery of the Abbey, has seven games published in the same period, including Mare Nostrum and Shadows over Camelot. In his games, he works in depth, refining the small mechanics that become the foundation of a detailed universe, which the players can dive deeply into for the length of a game.
In Ad Astra, the two authors put together their talent and skills to create an elegant and refined games of space conquest and development, featuring an innovative turn-planning system. Players will build space civilization as humanity travels to new stars and meets the weird artifacts of ancient alien races, exploring new planets, exploiting their resources and setting your own goals to create the most advanced space colonies. Ad Astra will be released in May, and will have four international editions already confirmed - Italian (NG International), English (Fantasy Flight Games), Spanish (Edge) and French (Millennium).
Another game which will be released in the first half of the year is Battles of Napoleon: The Eagle and The Lion, the first product in a new boardgame series designed to attract new players to Napoleonic wargaming and at the same time to satisfy the veterans of the wargaming hobby. Created by Sergio Guerri and Ugo Di Meglio, Battles of Napoleon will feature hundreds of detailed plastic 1/72 scale figures, modular terrain boards, cards and dice, all matching with an innovative game system and historical accuracy. An original and realistic command system provides a satisfying simulation in an easy-to-play format. Moreover, the basing system makes it possible to simulate quickly the basic combat formations, easily replacing the losses and allowing fast movement over the game board.
Coming out in June, the first set - The Eagle and The Lion - will introduce French and British troops, presenting famous units like the Scots Grey and the Green Jackets. Like Wings of War, the award-winning Nexus' game series dedicated to aerial combat in the XX century, Battles of Napoleon will grow to include additional game sets - each of them will be an expansion or a complete game for two players, that can be also combined with other game sets to play larger battles.
Another important new game series that will be launched this year is Operation World War 2, the evolution of the Operation Overlord game, created by Massimo Torriani. It is due to debut in May with a core book, which will be followed by Battle Books and miniatures to be released each quarter.
NG International is also preparing many other new game releases and expansions. Besides several additions to the Wings of War series, which will be announced soon, the Micro Mutants game will also be expanded this year: After the starting set, Micro Mutants Evolution, the first expansion is being prepared. Two new armies - called Samuracnids and Biffyds - will join the all-out war between alien insects in 2009.
Also in development is a "junior" version for the game, even more simple and fun to play. Titled Micro Monsters, the new game will feature two armies and will be designed to appeal to the younger players. Micro Monsters is scheduled for a September release.
Another long-awaited Nexus Games product is scheduled to be released in summer 2009 - The War of the Ring: Collector's Edition, a limited edition of the award-winning game. This new edition with painted figures and improved graphic components, will be presented in a beautiful wooden box with Elvish writings, designed by master artisans in Florence.