News by Piatnik in March 2009

FROM NOW: TV spots accompany "Was gibt es Neues?" on ORF

For their Easter advertising campaign Piatnik focus on the quizzing game “Was gibt es Neues?” (What’s new?) to the ORF Friday evening show of the same name. Commercial breaks around the show whet viewer’s appetite to continue TV experience on the board. The game asks for punch lines and inventive answers to astonishing questions – just like the cabaret artists in the show. What is a “Pomeranzenspanner”? Why do Darkling Beetles start their day doing a handstand? Who finds the most imaginative answers to questions like these may look forward to odd goodies. And just like on the show they will fly right across the room … ...

www.wasgibtesneues.at

Otti Panzerotti

Turtles are one of children’s favourite animals anyway. And when they are as colourful as Otti Panzerotti and are able to change their shells, the cute fellows guarantee entertaining game fun! The player who turns the card with the right colour combination of shell and turtle body keeps the card and gets one step closer to victory. What’s special about it: The game by famous game designer Virginia Charves is even easy enough to play for 3-year-olds.

For 2-4 players aged 3+; playing time: app 15 minutes

Mini Mind

That has long been overdue: The classic idea of Master Mind perfectly adapted for young children. And animals play the major role! One player arranges animal cards side by side on a long bench. Unaware of the hidden combination, the other one tries turn by turn to find out the right sequence. Now: Does the penguin sit to the right of the mouse? And the cat to the left of the parrot? The quickest to guess the seating plan, wins the game!

For 2 players aged 5+; playing time: app 20 minutes

Bingo Bongo

Bingo! Three in a row! Instead of dull numbers this beautiful children’s game features images from the world of animals and plants. In contrast to traditional Bingo this game is not a mere game of chance. At Bingo Bongo success and failure depend on the players’ memory. To make things even more exciting, players can raise blockades to handicap their rivals.

For 2-4 players aged 5+; playing time: app 20 minutes

Callisto

Even today the new Knizia game “Callisto” is considered to be the next top seller on the German market. For this tactical tile placing game players have to place as many tiles of their own colour onto the board as possible and try to block their rivals at the same time. What is more, each one has three pillars to throw in – thus sometimes even turning a hopeless game. In comparison to games with similar mechanisms, Callisto convinces through logical rules, excitement and fun also for two or three players and a reasonable price.

For 2-4 players aged 7+; playing time: app 30 minutes

Let´s party

The two most successful Austrian party games of all times? Activity and Tick Tack Bumm, of course! Now both mega sellers hit the market together – merged into a single game. At first you have to explain, draw or pantomime, than you have to get rid of the perturbing ticking device by quickly finding the right words. All that remains to be said is: Let’s party...

For 4-16 players aged 12+; playing time: app 60 minutes

Uups! Sag´s nicht

It is quite easy to make your fellow players guess the word “dog”. He walks on a … Oops!, he loves to chew his …oops again! Now, it is not that easy, if you are not allowed to use certain words. The approved play idea of this party hit is now charged with many new words and perfectly fit for families. In only 60 seconds players guess as many words as possible.

For 4-16 players aged 7+; playing time: app 45 minutes

Chicago Express

This is a challenging tactical game, but still fit for family play. We enter the USA at the end of the 19th century. Investors try and develop the new continent by expanding their railways. They aim at high profits, extending the railroads to Chicago and acquiring shares of different companies. Only those betting on the right train at the right time have a good chance to win. There goes the train...

For 2-6 players aged 12+; playing time: app 60 minutes

Getta letter

A big hit for quick thinkers: Two players or teams are given a certain category and try to find as many words with different initial letters as possible. They name a word and turn the letter on their bar. Those who find most words win the game. Categories given include holiday destinations, fruits and characters from Harry Potter books. But players feel free to invent new categories – a 21st century variant of the classic Stadt-Land-Fluss categories game!

For 2 players or teams aged 8+; playing time: app 20 minutes

Naseweis

Another party hit for entertaining games! “Naseweis” – here you have to find out, who you are, what you are and where you are. Your fellow players provide information, but sometimes their answers will be misleading. What is more, all play at the same time, causing quite a hubbub. Not only the game itself but also the nosy donkey on the package could soon become cult.

For 2-12 players aged 8+; playing time: app 30 minutes

The Ottoman Empire

About 200 000 Turks currently live in Austria. And the Turks are one of those nationalities who especially like to play cards. Reason enough to release a card game featuring famous characters from Turkish history. With “The Ottoman Empire“ you can play Rummy, Bridge or Canasta and meet historical characters from the country on the Bosporus. Not for nothing, Sultan Osman Gazi is the king of hearts – he wore his clothes only once and than gave it to the poor. The queen of diamonds is beautiful Safiye, once kidnapped from Venedig and given to the sultan as the new lady of his harem. Most famous is the joker: Piri Reis has not only been admiral of the Ottoman Fleet, but also the cartographer of one of the first-ever world maps.

Typ Dom

Did you know that an Austrian board game was one of the most sensational items on display at the New York World Fair 1939? 70 years ago, games designer Franz Weigl’s Typ Dom proved to be a masterstroke. Developed almost at the same time as the similar Scrabble, the crossword puzzle from Vienna impressed with the clever design of the patented letter pieces that makes slipping virtually impossible. In subsequent years a shortage of raw materials caused serious production problems, but since 1977 Typ Dom is one of the real long sellers from the Piatnik product portfolio. The game comes in four different variants with red vowels, black consonants and several joker pieces. If you cannot form a new word by placing your letters, you have to draw from the stock. By the way: Only a few weeks to go, before Piatnik launches an updated Typ Dom version in beautiful new design!

Games are branded products

“Watch out for the brand!” campains the Österreichische Markenartikelverband (Austrian Association for Branded Products) in large letters for branded convenience goods. Brands are consumer’s guidelines; brands provide a feeling of high quality and confidence. Not always the product itself carries the brand: Take books for example, here it is the writer that acts as the brand.

On the toy and games market brand awareness is still rather weak – considering the large variety of products. Classic games like “DKT” or “Activity” have become a brand of themselves, but that is rarely seen. They stand out like the tip of an iceberg from the abundance of products and by far generate the highest sales. Designer’s games lag behind, and despite all efforts, only business experts recognise games designers as brands. And games companies themselves always take a back seat.

Labelling new games with the name of famous classics cannot be the answer to this problem. In fact, designers, manufacturers, retailers and the media have to stand together and create new strong brands for long term quality. With great games and substantial selling arguments. After all, the games industry should not lack creativity …