If you donated to get a copy of Octo: Games Of Spring, or if you bought a Founder’s Edition, your copy has shipped. I’ve processed all the backlog. They’re in the mail, and many of you already have them.

Funds raised to date remain unchanged

What Now?

Octo: Games Of Summer is going to happen. I’m already lining up contributors, but I’m not ready to announce yet. If you’re interested in contributing, hit me up. I’d especially like to get a couple more women game designers involved.

Please Help Spread The Word

What I’d really like to ask though is this: If you got a copy of Octo: Games Of Spring, and you were happy with it, please spread the word. Forums, blog posts, podcasts, tweets, friendface, whatever it is you use. (Is Tribes still around?). I’d really like to see Games of Spring bring in some more donations before announcing the Games of Summer lineup. Not to mention the AIDS/LifeCycle is coming up very soon, and I’m well under my goal there. But I’m not holding anything hostage – when it’s ready to announce, we’ll announce.

If you got a copy of Games Of Spring, and you weren’t happy with it, I’d really like to hear why. You can tell me privately or publicly, but please do tell me – if you post about it somewhere and I don’t know, there’s no way to improve the next thing.

That’s all the news there is to print.

Today, all copies of Octo: Games Of Spring that were headed to domestic addresses were shipped, with one or two exceptions (inter-office copies, author copies, and one or two missing addresses.) International copies will go in the mail tomorrow. This all includes Founder’s Editions or copies that were a reward for the Ivanna and the Wolf IndieGoGo.

If you dropped me a couple bucks for shipping, your copy will also include a piece of something called #UnderThisMountain, which I’m not going to tell you about. But I think it’s going to turn out pretty cool.

As of today, I have in the vicinity of 150 copies of Octo: Games Of Spring remaining. So, if you’ve been waiting to see how all this turns out, you don’t need to wait anymore.

I’m showing we’ve raised about 26% of the funds we had intended to, which fits with having about 75% of the printed issues on hand.

I didn’t hit anywhere near my targeted shipping dates (any of them) but most of you should have your copies by May Day, which seems fitting. And while I haven’t been so good with the updates here, if you’ve been following me on twitter, I’ve posted a few teaser pics.

***Spoiler alert!***

A Box Of Life On Mars
A Cover Sneak
Stuff In A Box
A Thing
Founder’s Edition Cover Sneak

So: What now?

I still owe a couple people money, and I still need to ship a couple things. Once I’ve dropped international orders in the mail, I’m going to push this issue a bit while work continues to ear my head, which should relax soon. I’m hoping to publish another update in a week or so with some more details on what happens next.

I think that’s all the news there is to print, but if you have questions, comments, etc, feel free to hit me up in the comments section.

Just waiting for one more…

I’m posting from my phone, which is less than ideal. But here is a quick update, with a fuller update I hope tomorrow.

All the games have been received, though a couple came in later than expected. All the games are printed, but one is en route from a printer and should arrive this week. From there it is just assembly and mailing. I expect to drop everything into the mail on Tax Day at the latest.

I will try to snap a pic of the huge pile of games tomorrow.

Super close now. Fundraising update tomorrow as well.

As with last time, there’s some money that isn’t allocated on the charts – $280 from the Ivanna and the Wolf indiegogo campaign (6 Days Left, Go Support It!)

Total Funds Raised So Far: $961, or 24% of the $4,000 goal.

I’d love to see us get to 25% today. And I’d love to get to $1000 on the ALC drive especially.

Here’s what 216 copies of Fish Story look like:

The Ivanna and the Wolf fundraiser ends TODAY. There’s about $340 from that coming to Octo! How awesome is that!

Based on how the submissions are trickling in, I would expect it will be closer to mid-March that these start going out.

What Can You Do To Help: You know what I could use? Some kind of witty banner thing that people could put on their sites to link back to Octo. Can you help with that?

As with last time, there’s some money that isn’t allocated on the charts – $280 from the Ivanna and the Wolf indiegogo campaign (6 Days Left, Go Support It!)

Total Funds Raised So Far: $856, or 21% of the $4,000 goal.

I’ve also started some preliminary printing. I’m sitting right next to a big stack of Fish Story from Filamena that I’m going to start folding soon. The submissions are starting to come together. It’s pretty exciting!

What Can You Do To Help Today: I’m spread pretty thin just now, but you could really help me out by spreading the word. And if you’ve been holding off on jumping in, now’s the time!

Parody Is Fair Use. This is pretty well established in the courts. So, let’s start there.

When the powerful engage in ridiculous behavior, they deserve to be ridiculed.

To that end, I’m offering a $500 bounty for your best game that takes this situation and turns it into parody.

It can be any kind of game – board, card, console, computer, role playing. Heck it can even be a playset, setting or scenario for an existing game (provided you don’t create licensing issues for yourself).

However, it must meet the following criteria:

1. It must be a work of parody
2. You must release the text, source code, images and any included assets using an open license (Creative Commons, MIT, OGL)
3. It must be wholly your own creation (though it may include friendly licensed assets)
4. It must parody Space Marines, Games Workshop’s litigation decisions, WH40K or some other aspect of this whole story.

_{Note: originally there was a criteria that the title had to contain Space Marine. On reflection (after a comment, see below) I’ve moved that to a Bonus Point item. IANAL, and I still believe after what I’ve read that using trademark in parody is legally defendable, but I want to encourage the ridicule of this situation above all. So, you don’t need to call them Space Marines. We all know what you mean, wink wink.}

These things will earn you bonus points:

1. If it includes open licensed 3D printable minis
2. If the art for the game is suitable for donation to, and accepted by, the Prismatic Art Collection
3. If I have a printable version of it in my hands by May 23rd so I can run demos at Kublacon
4. If it actually has Space Marine/Space Marines in the title

Deadline for submission is July 1, judging will be done by a panel of esteemed judges who I haven’t found yet, winner will be announced on Aug 1 (though if we get overwhelmed by submissions we reserve the right to shift that date a little). Email thinktank at a terrible idea dot com to throw your hat in the ring. Comment here with questions, or hit me up on the twitters.

I’d write one myself, but I’ve got a few other things going on.

In the meanwhile, show your support for the author.

Buy their stuff. Just say thanks.

Do Something.

So, where are we today? I had numbers, but I said I’d try to do something with a chart. Here it is, in all its glory.

These charts don’t tell the whole story, though, as there is $220 (so far) in unallocated donations from the Ivanna and the Wolf indiegogo campaign, and some donations for the ALC have started rolling in from other places (though I’m not counting them against the $1000 Octo goal).

Total Funds Raised So Far: $651, or 16% of the $4,000 goal.

Also, if you’re curious about what’s going to be in Octo, I’ve added some blurbs next to the contributors on the main Octo page that should whet your appetite.

What Can You Do To Help Today: Double Down. Maybe you make stuff. Or write. Or can offer a service someone might need. Offer to make something or write something or do something for someone if they will support Octo: Games of Spring. Write a blog post about it, tweet about it, post about it somewhere else, and then comment here so people can see. If there’s enough people willing to double down, I’ll throw up a page just for that.