News from Italy: Asterion Gaming Days and much more
Since BGG News is starting his usual pre-Essen rush I decided to move here for a while my News from Italy Column. I’ll try to post twice every months updates and comments on what’s happening here in Italy: events, new releases, previews, small reviews and everything I find enough enteresting also for an international audience. This first issue is mostly about Italian events. The next one will be on Essen releases.
Asterion Press, one of the most active Italian companies (you can look here their impressive catalog and the planned releases) organize the first edition of the Asterion Gaming Days, a three days convention all about Asterion games.
For the Italian market it is really something new. The convention will take place in September from Friday 13 evening to Sunday 15 at the Admiral Park Hotel, near Bologna. All the gamers attending the Con will get special gifts (promo materials from Asterion).
The access to the event is free (of course you need to pay the room and food if you want to sleep/eat at the Hotel).
The program of the event include a huge free play area with 20 demonstrators explaining Asterion’s games, three days of Asterion Games tournaments, including the national finals of 7 Wonders Cities and Seasons and the final stage of the first Italian Twilight Struggle Tournament.
The Twilight Struggle tournament has been an huge success with more than 25 qualification stage all around Italy and the prize for the two finalist is a two days travel in New York or Moscow (the first one choose the destination, the second one take the other). The last qualification stage will take place in August and the 1st of September will be ready the list of the 32 finalists.
Probably it is something common in US or France but it is the first time for an Italian publishers organizing a such event and there is a lot of trepidation in Italian gamers community.
Red Glove also organized something new for our maket: an happening called “Apertitf under the stars” for Saturday 6th of July. Federico Dumas, Red Glove owner, invited all the Italians games expert to talk about Red Glove projects, publications and have a nice evening and Tuscan dinner together
Something is moving concerning podcast related to game. Giochi sul nostro tavolo (Games on our table), one of the most followed blog about games in Italy, started a regular podcast. Here you can listen/download the first Espisodie.
The podcast usually start with discussion about a specific theme like “dice games”, “kickstarter” or something similar and usually includes the review of two games, a gateway game and a gamers games.
Concerning PLAY: The Games Festival, our greatest gamers events, the staff approved the new graphic line for the event and the new web site, online before Essen, will be fully bilingual (Italian and English).
The organization (I’m part of staff) is working on special opportunity both for foreign gamers and publishers.
I’m collecting news about Italian’s Essen releases and soon I’ll be back again here with News from Italy.
