From the Screen to the Woodshop:Two Video Game Developers Turn RPG Dice Upside Down

Dice handmade from ancient bog woods up to 50,000 years old launch on Kickstarter and introduce a new way to roll 20s
 
CHICAGO - July 7, 2014 - PRLog -- CHICAGO -- What do two former game designers do when they want to form a deeper connection to the gamers they are designing for? You might guess they would want to Strike out on their own but you might not guess that Steve Elmore and Joe Budlovsky, both formally employed by top-video game developers, would start a woodworking business.

Well, that’s exactly what they did. Steve and Joe’s new brand, World Nine Goods, has set its sights on creating handmade, artisanal products for the grown-up gamer who still has great memories of a childhood filled with games.

To kick things off they have created a set of handmade wooden dice for table top RPG gamers. But it’s not just any wood. They are using bog woods which have been preserved underground for up to 50,000 years. The set of six dice they are calling the Root Dice features three bog woods which have survived ice ages, cultural revolutions, and even date back to when Neanderthals lived alongside our human ancestors. Root Dice is available on Kickstarter through July 17, 2014, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1981789934/the-root-....

True to their background in design, the Root Dice isn’t just about the aesthetics or the story, they also offer a new perspective on the game mechanics. The set of six dice are all cubes (6-sided) but World Nine has developed a unique numbering system that allows players to replicate all of the major polyhedral dice used in RPGs (that includes everything from a D4 to a D20) while staying true to the underlying mathematics and game theory of the original dice.

Steve explains it like this, “ When I left my job testing games and started working with natural materials like our wood, I found out first-hand what it means to really be a craftsman. Knowing that you are making something another person will use for a lifetime; that you are in service of a complete stranger, makes you somehow connected to that person.”

Joe adds, “World Nine Goods is all about connection. Connecting adult gamers to the joy they felt playing as children. Connecting with nature through the use of natural, sustainable materials. And most importantly, connecting with each other through the games we play.”

According to Steve and Joe, the future for World Nine holds some exciting projects for video gamers as well. Their motto “life is play” applies to all gamers who have felt the joy, friendship, and pride that comes when you never stop playing.

For more information about World Nine Goods go to http://www.worldninegoods.com.

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World Nine Goods
jessica@worldninegoods.com
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