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• In other Knizia news, an April 7, 2011 tweet mentions that a lawsuit against one Michael Powers is headed to court, with the subject under dispute being an unauthorized iOS version of Knizia's Schotten-Totten called 3-Card Brigade Poker.

"Is This the Golden Age of Boardgaming?"

A roundtable discussion on Opinionated Gamers asks "Is This the Golden Age of Boardgaming?" I find the discussion puzzling as most of the participants debate the merits of releases in one calendar year or another and try to weigh them or rate them in some manner.

When I think about that question, I can relate to it only in personal terms and therefore find it meaningless. I think back fondly to the games that I played non-stop in my youth, mostly with my brother, games like Pay Day, Bermuda Triangle and Bonkers. I loved those years! So much fun and good memories. I think about being immersed in Magic: The Gathering for most of a decade and how enjoyable those years were in terms of endlessly cogitating on the game, with the actual playing of games being only one small aspect of Magic itself. I think about the games that my wife and I get hooked on, games like Familienbande and Qwirkle, and I'm delighted that something has grabbed the two of us and given us a pastime to share. I think about the games I'm obsessing over in present times – Innovation, 7 Wonders and Lords of Vegas – and how I can't wait to get them to the table once again.

Trying to compare the experiences I've had with these disparate titles over the decades seems meaningless. The experiences created via the various games is more valuable than the games themselves.

The CBS news segment was done very well. Scott N. did a nice job. Mo Rocca was pretty funny...sounds like my type of guy.

As for the crack about GenCon "...as many as 30,000 gamers crawl from their basements..." Maybe you all should buy homes without basements?

That'll show 'em.

• A roundtable discussion on Opinionated Gamers asks "Is This the Golden Age of Boardgaming?" I find the discussion puzzling as most of the participants debate the merits of releases in one calendar year or another and try to weigh them or rate them in some manner.

A roundtable discussion on Opinionated Gamers asks "Is This the Golden Age of Boardgaming?" I find the discussion puzzling as most of the participants debate the merits of releases in one calendar year or another and try to weigh them or rate them in some manner.

Look for a very Special Episode for #101 where I boldy go......

Ha! You said BOLDY and you put it in bold!

HA!

In what court, if I may ask? A UK or EU court will apply different law than a US court.

Yes, please say more. Can you give us a link? A few details? My brief internet search came up with nothing.

A PACER search of the U.S. federal courts (and federal court is where this this would be if they are claiming copyright) reveals no currently-pending cases with a party name of Knizia.

Maybe the paperwork hasn't been filed yet, or it hasn't shown up in PACER. But as of now, there's nothing listed in the U.S.

A PACER search of the U.S. federal courts (and federal court is where this this would be if they are claiming copyright) reveals no currently-pending cases with a party name of Knizia.

Maybe the paperwork hasn't been filed yet, or it hasn't shown up in PACER. But as of now, there's nothing listed in the U.S.

- Neil Wehneman

Does he own patents on his games?

I found the golden age of boardgaming question interesting though not so clearly defined.

Cranio also recently released a video showing their upcoming Dungeon Fighter in action:

http://www.trictrac.tv/?video=360

I found it particularly amusing that the result is an Italian designer, explaining the game in English via a French translator.

Well, Knizia, of course, may not be the plaintiff--especially if the suit is based on game artwork. Or it may not be in U.S. courts. The tweet says the case "is going to the courts today." Which to me suggests an appearance of some type, not just a filing.

I would be very interested to hear what in fact he is claiming. Seems to me the only thing he could claim was patent, that is if he owned a patent on the mechanics of Schotten-Totten. Does he own patents on his games?

An appearance is an attorney's contact information being submitted to the court as he or she "appears" for the client. In such a case the original complaint has already been filed, and if Knizia personally is a plaintiff, his name will be in the caption and would have come up on the PACER search.

Perhaps you meant "hearing" rather than an appearance? However, the effect is the same: you won't get a hearing without a complaint.

I absolutely agree that this may be outside the U.S., in which case I'd have to dig quite a bit to find out if suit has been filed, and I'll leave that to those in the EU.

- Neil Wehneman

So you've never heard a lawyer headed to a status hearing saying they were going to "appear" in court? That's a casual but pretty typical way of using the word.

This is all a tangent to the substance of the case which is what sparked my interest.

TV commentator Mo Rocca took a trip to Gen Con, took a few swipes at gamers on the way – "...as many as 30,000 gamers crawl from their basements..." – interviewed Scott Nicholson and Mayfair Games' Robert Carty, and featured Piece o' Cake, Incan Gold, and other modern games for a six-minute segment on CBS News Sunday Morning in April 2011. (HT: David Knepper)