Good News: Check out the newly posted LOTR RPG Rules that Decipher has posted in PDF format (Adobe). Very cool stuff. [More]
Bad News: Seems that DecipherCon has been cancelled. Check out the press release. [More]
Month: October 2001
October 3, 2001
Dear Friends of Decipher,
In light of the September 11 tragedies in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., resulting airline safety concerns, and expected military action in the near future, I have made some very difficult decisions. The safety of our players and our employees must be my number one concern. As such, I’m changing our plans for two large, group events in October and November.
The first decision is to allow our European marketing professionals and team of product champions to represent us at Spiel Game Faire in Essen, Germany on October 18-21 instead of flying our marketing team from Decipher’s headquarters in Virginia. I’m sure all of you who get to attend Spiel will be treated to a spectacular showing by Marcus Sheppard and Dominiek Vermandere, including a first look at The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game.
The second, and more significant, decision is about DecipherCon. We have a lot of important things planned for the show, but I can’t imagine anything more important than the safety of our players all around the world. As such, I’ve decided to cancel the convention this year. I know there will be many disappointed players out there, just as I am deeply disappointed.
Still, it’s my belief that out of adversity comes opportunity. I think we can collectively turn this disappointment into a tremendous positive on behalf of the entire gaming community. Here’s how:
• As many of you know, this was to be the first time Decipher awarded $50,000 in cash prizes in the world championships of our various trading card games. Many of you were looking forward to competing in these events. Yet, it seems appropriate now – and I believe most of you will feel the same way – that this money should go for a higher purpose. I’ve decided that Decipher will donate all $50,000 to relief efforts for the September 11th tragedy.
• But, it’s not just the donation that feels like the right thing to do. It’s more. All 300 of our players who qualified for DecipherCon through State, Open, and Continental Championships will be contacted shortly by email and given the opportunity to vote on which charity(ies) will benefit from the donation. When that determination is made, we will make the contribution not in Decipher’s name, but in the name of all these championship players. (Click here for a list of the champions.)
• In addition, we are going to challenge our retailers, distributors, and players around the world to match this money through fundraising efforts of tournaments and other events. These funds will be donated in the names of all Decipher players and collectors.
• Another key feature of DecipherCon this year was to be the very first sanctioned tournament in the world for The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game. Instead of asking players to come to our community (in Virginia Beach) to celebrate the launch of the greatest game Decipher has ever made, we will take The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game to your communities all over the world. We plan to implement a series of sanctioned tournament events instead of just one. (Locations of these events will be announced later.) It’s true we have a short period of time to organize all of this (no one expected the events of September 11th), but I’m sure our team will rise to the occasion.
• Finally, we are going to ask our qualifying champions, the same people who would have been competing in the world championships for our games, to serve as guests of honor at these Lord of the Rings events. They are stars and deserve to be treated as such.
On Friday, I will be talking about these decisions on Radio Free Decipher. If you have questions for me, feel free to email them to Kyle Heuer at radiofree@decipher.com, with the subject “Question for Warren Holland”, before noon (EST) on Thursday. I’ll be happy to answer as many questions as I can and also give you some background information on these decisions for me.
Should any of you have trouble canceling your airline travel arrangements, please consult the airlines directly to find out what paperwork is necessary in order to have your ticket purchases refunded or exchanged for future travel. We are dedicated to helping you in any way we can and will be happy to provide you with any written documentation about the event cancellation. Please contact our conventions manager, Kendrick Summers, regarding your personal situation. He can be reached by email at kendrick.summers@decipher.com or by telephone at 757.664.1143.
I ask for your support in helping me make Decipher’s proud player community stand above the rest in a show of widespread devotion to our country in its time of need. Everyone within the company already knows that our players are special. Now it’s time to show the world what you’re all about.
All the best,
Warren Holland
Chairman & CEO
Decipher Inc.
It seems the award season is opening earlier than expected. Like my fellow columnist Alex Keen stated in his article, some media outlets are already speculating which films are going to be mentioned next February. To coincide with the early start of the award season, I have put forward my candidates for this year’s Academy Awards. [More]
Thanks to Nick for the tip!
Xtra talks to pet and people astrologer Helen Hope. Now who could resist an opportunity to find out history before it is made? Prior to my interview with Helen Hope, her publicist asked me to email her questions on anything in the world and Hope would look at her charts to find the answer. [More]
Thanks to DM
From: The Australian
Thanks to PT
It has grown to be quite the custom for the superior production companies to showcase their work before the end of season movie bonanza here in the largest movie going nation (per capita) in the world. [More]
From: The Australian
Thanks to PT
It has grown to be quite the custom for the superior production companies to showcase their work before the end of season movie bonanza here in the largest movie going nation (per capita) in the world.
I particularly take note of fantasy, comic book and game interpretations as they are normally most open to my own brand of satirical yet harsh criticism. I took most delight in giving the recent “Tomb Raider” a serve.
I plod in and out of cinemas, wondering what inspired those smouldering heaps of Hollywood excrement. There appeared to be no light at the end of the tunnel, I had become a cynic.
I have since been enlightened, and from the most unsuspecting place. A Fantasy world that literally fuels the entire “Nerd” culture of the Modern world.
If you have no clue what I am talking about then you can count yourself in the minority.
The first instalment of the Epic Trilogy “Lord of the Rings” entitled “Fellowship of the Ring” will launch itself with great force at our Silver Screens come Boxing Day.
Interpreted By Peter Jackson the films tell the story of the one Ring and the Hobbit who carries it. A mighty task it must of be too, so much as one word out of place and the “Nerd” world will hang him!
Many film making endeavours have laid claim to the title of “Bigger than Ben Hur”. For once it is actually true. With sets and costumes numbering in the hundreds, extras into the thousands, and special effects like none ever seen before these films look to be something to behold. I even heard on the grape vine that twenty kilometres of road was built for the production.
The only step that remains is to have the same impact “Ben Hur” did when ti was released.
The trailer, which is an Epic in it’s own right features a snippet from a thirty minute preview I had the honour to be invited to witness. At first I was sceptical and wandered if the security measures at the door to remove all devices capable of recording or communicating was all that essential.
The thoughts running through my own mind left me disillusioned before even the lights had dimmed, another Hollywood money-maker was on its way. How wide of the mark I was!
I was treated to thirty minutes of the most visually stunning film I had ever laid my eyes upon. The most original and heart stopping action. The most motivated and believable characters for this type of film. I was sucked into a frantic battle inside a massive and beautiful cave, I was between crying and smiling with the feeling that conjures itself in the back of your throat. My eyes, my mind and my heart were satisfied, and it was only about one fifth of the film.
Not long after leaving the cinema I purchased the book in the three-part format and began to read. Since that day I have been through it four times and have embarked on a fifth. I have never anticipated anything of an entertainment nature before in my existence, but now I even find myself surfing the net to gather as much information as I can.
This fever that has come over me can only be explained through the “Nerd” mentality, perhaps my conceptions of the past about their way of life has been a little too harsh. I never suspected it would be the “Nerd” that produces the most anticipated refreshment to entertainment and what appears to be the first major film event of the new century.
On Boxing Day this year the Australian Film going public will not be treated to the usual tripe that flags our major cinemas. They will receive a third of a story more satisfying than the original Star Wars when first released. A story brought to the screen by one of it’s own fans in a fashion not seen before. The question is can we wait another two years to receive the next two thirds?