Kevin Zucker is a game designer who ran OSG (Operational Studies Group) until late 2008. He is one the leading authorities on Napoleonic wargaming. He began his game designing career with SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.) in the 1970s.
ConsimWorld webpage:
http://social.consimworld.com/profile/KevinZucker
For all it may concern:
Kevin Zucker has decides to close down his OSG-business forever at the end of November 2008!!!
The business will miss one of the great designers!!!
From the OSG-website about "the boss":
Kevin Zucker (KZ) was with SPI back in the 1970s. Like many who went on to "greatness" as designers under the tutelage of JFD, KZ initially served SPI in the capacity of Managing Editor, half-way between Dunnigan's R&D and Simonsen's Art Departments.
OSG was initially named Tactical Studies Group, and the name was changed relatively quickly, to avoid any clash with TSR. He left the company in September of 1979; the company remained active for a few more months.
KZ has remained active in wargaming during the entire period. He did work for AH for one year: 1980. It is interesting to hear him speak about the reasons he had for revitalizing the OSG brand name at this, seemingly unpropitious, point in time. "My grandfather, who farmed 80 acres in Iowa, had an old red & black 1948 Dodge pick-up. As a kid, I asked him why he didn't get a new one: 'Because everybody knows this is me.'" And it is interesting to consider the list of all the original OSG games. There were a dozen or so: Napoleon at Bay, Panzerkrieg, Rommel & Tunisia, Napoleon at Leipzig, Dark December, Bonaparte in Italy, Devil's Den and Air Cobra prominent among them.
The Napoleonic titles such as Napoleon at Bay and Bonaparte in Italy were pathfinding designs that for over two decades have been hugely influential on many members of the wargaming community. OSG did some WWII games too including the J. A. Nelson design, Rommel & Tunisia. By the standards of today, the 28 page rulebook is, I suppose, a mere bagatelle. But for 1978, the whole presentation gives the impression of somebody going for Big Ideas and Very Serious Stuff.
- John Best
Awards
- Winner of the 2003 Charles S. Roberts Clausewitz Hall of Fame Award.
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