Simulations Publications, Inc., often abbreviated to SPI, was an American publisher of board wargames in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an enormous number of games, including many that were considered good and innovative, and changed the course of the wargaming hobby with its bid to take control of the hobby away from then-dominant Avalon Hill. It went bankrupt in 1982. TSR, Inc. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Strategy & Tactics (S&T) is a wargaming magazine now published by Decision Games, notable for its groundbreaking move of publishing a complete new wargame in each issue. ... Ares was a science fiction wargame magazine published by Simulations Publications, Inc. ... A board game is any game played with a premarked surface, with counters or pieces that are moved across the board. ... Wargaming is the play of simulated military operations in the form of games known as wargames. ... James F. Dunnigan (born 1943) is an author and wargame designer currently living in New York City, notable for his matter-of-fact approach to military analysis. ... Redmond Askel Simonsen (June 18, 1942–March 10, 2005) was an American graphic artist and game designer best known for his work at the board wargame company Simulations Publications, Inc. ... A board game is a game played with counters or pieces that are placed on, removed from, or moved across a board (a premarked surface, usually specific to that game). ... Wargaming is the play of simulated military operations in the form of games known as wargames. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... This article cites very few or no references or sources. ... Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. ...

History

The company was founded in 1969 by James F. Dunnigan to take over publishing Strategy & Tactics, which had been in financial trouble. SPI, however, quickly proved that it was primarily a game publisher; not only did it produce many regular wargame designs, but starting with SPI's takeover, each issue of S&T included a complete wargame, comprising a map, rulebook and a sheet of die-cut counters. For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... James F. Dunnigan (born 1943) is an author and wargame designer currently living in New York City, notable for his matter-of-fact approach to military analysis. ... Strategy & Tactics (S&T) is a wargaming magazine now published by Decision Games, notable for its groundbreaking move of publishing a complete new wargame in each issue. ...

In SPI's first two or three years, it embarked upon an expensive advertising campaign, including - but not limited to - full page advertisements in Scientific American magazine. New subscribers received free copies of its most successful game, Napoleon At Waterloo - an "easy to play" pocket-sized game with a foldout map and 78 pieces punched from cardstock. This advertising campaign led to a much larger subscriber base and SPI came to be seen as a serious competitor to Avalon Hill, the company that had founded the board wargaming hobby. Scientific American is a popular-science magazine, published (first weekly and later monthly) since August 28, 1845, making it the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. ...

While S&T had started as a wargaming 'fanzine', under SPI it became more of a military history magazine that included a wargame. So in 1972 SPI started Moves as a house organ that talked about current and future SPI games, including a fair amount of information on SPI's game design process. A fanzine (see also: zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular subject for the pleasure of others who share their interest. ... Moves was a wargaming magazine published by SPI, Inc. ... A house organ is magazine or periodical published by a company in order to promote that companys products. ...

Like many new wargame companies in the early '70s, early SPI games left a lot to be desired physically. A typical early game came in an envelope with a one-color map and one large folded sheet for the rules. However, SPI quickly set about improving the physical quality of the components with better printing and boxes under the guidance of Art Director Redmond A. Simonsen. In 1973, they introduced a flat plastic box that was molded to be a counter storage tray with a clear cover. The actual cover of the game was a printed sheet that backed the clear plastic. This allowed SPI to produce the boxes in bulk, as they were identical for each game, the printed sheet provided the cover and could be printed with all the other components of the game. This system was never copied by any other company and became the hallmark of SPI games. Redmond Askel Simonsen (June 18, 1942–March 10, 2005) was an American graphic artist and game designer best known for his work at the board wargame company Simulations Publications, Inc. ...

SPI used an innovative feedback system that was unique in the industry. Their market research allowed them to target which games to develop by polling the readers of S&T as to which games they would be interested in.

Although starting with small to medium size wargames, SPI found an insatiable market, with subscribers clamoring for an ever wider range of wargames, including the 'monster' games War in the East, War in the Pacific, The Next War, Terrible Swift Sword and Campaign for North Africa, each with several maps, thousands of counters and multiple rulebooks. Campaign for North Africa was an ultra-detailed and virtually unplayable game covering the entire North African campaign down to the level of individual fighter pilot ratings and supply trucks. At the other end of the spectrum, SPI created a new series of smaller games called 'folio' games (often created in groups of 4 and sold both individually and as a 'Quad'). War in Europe is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. ... The Next War: Modern Conflict in Europe is a board wargame that simulates a Warsaw Pact invasion of Western Europe in the late 1970s. ... Terrible Swift Sword: The Three Days of Gettysburg (often abbreviated as TSS) is a classic grand tactical, regimental level board game depicting the Battle of Gettysburg of the American Civil War. ... Note: this article is about a game. ... During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from September 13, 1940 to May 13, 1943. ...

SPI started out publishing games on historical subjects, but soon started producing games on current issues (i.e., World War III games), and a little later also tackled fantasy and science fiction subjects as in War of the Ring (a Lord of the Rings game), eventually starting a new magazine, Ares which, like S&T, included a new science fiction or fantasy game in each issue. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Smaug in his lair: an illustration for the fantasy The Hobbit Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by the British academic J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Ares was a science fiction wargame magazine published by Simulations Publications, Inc. ...

Two of the more popular games were the tactical level FireFight and Air War, both of which were later reprinted by TSR.

SPI had increasing financial problems in the late 1970's and went bankrupt in 1982. Its assets were acquired by TSR, but not its debts and liabilities, after SPI defaulted on a loan from the Lake Geneva company (said to be $300,000) guaranteed by SPI's assets. TSR refused to honor subscriptions and to repay debts quoting the 'assets, not liabilities' agreement. Avalon Hill hired the majority of ex-SPI staffers to set up Victory Games Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary. TSR, Inc. ... Current Avalon Hill logo. ...

With the quick collapse of the wargame market in the early 1980's, TSR published fewer and fewer simulation games and eventually all the magazines (except for Strategy & Tactics) were discontinued.

See also

• List of SPI games
• Operational Studies Group
• Victory Games

This list of SPI games includes games published by Simulations Publications as separate titles, as well as part of their magazines Strategy & Tactics and Ares. ... Operational Studies Group, also known as OSG, is a publisher of tabletop wargames mostly devoted to the wars of Napoleon I. Some of their more notable games include Napoleon at Leipzig, Napoleon at Bay and Bonaparte in Italy. ... Current Avalon Hill logo. ...

Bibliography

• 1977 - Wargame Design: The History, Production, and Use of Conflict Simulation Games (ISBN 0-917852-01-X)
• 1977 - War in the East : The Russo-German Conflict 1941-45 (ISBN 0-917852-00-1)

External links

• SPI Compendium by Greg Costikyan (lists games, magazine contents, etc)
• A Farewell to Hexes by Greg Costikyan