Catalyst Moving Ahead
Plans New Releases For 2010
Published: 08/17/2010, Last Updated: 08/18/2010 03:06am
ICv2 had an opportunity at Gen Con to discuss the state of Catalyst Game Labs and its upcoming releases with Randall Bills, in charge of development for Shadowrun and BattleTech. He explained some of the efforts Catalyst has made to put its problems from earlier this year (see “Catalyst Pulls Some ‘Shadowrun’ Products”) behind it. “I think we’re actually recovering very well,” he said. “We’ve spent a lot of time over the last two or three months putting a lot of new systems in place. We’ve brought in a new controller who’s been doing a fantastic job.”



Bills described the process the company has undertaken to contact the many freelancers it worked with in the past. “We went through our system and literally sent letters out to every last freelancer that Catalyst has ever dealt with… to let them know where we’re at in the process of rebuilding…, getting them paid, and getting us back up to a good product release schedule.”



It appears that the efforts have met with success, judging by the releases planned for the rest of the year. Bills says, “We’re very pleased with how we’re doing both in how the lines are doing… as well as us rebuilding to get back and get over what occurred.”



For the BattleTech line, Catalyst plans three new releases, in addition to the new products that debuted at Gen Con:




The Introductory Box Set 25th Anniversary Edition is scheduled to ship early this fall. It is a new version of the previous boxed set, with improved components, fully mounted game board maps, and two additional deluxe minis. It will have a suggested retail price of $50.00.








The Record Sheets 3050 Upgrade set includes ‘Mech record sheets for all machines described in the Technical Readout: 3050 book. With this release, all currently in-print Technical Readout books will have companion record sheets available. Retail price is expected to be $10.00.



Era Report 3052 is a sourcebook that covers every aspect of the “Inner Sphere” during the time of the Clan invasion. It is intended as an introduction to the game setting for new players, or former players that have not played in some time who want to revisit this era in the game world history. It will have a retail price of $30.00.



Six new products are scheduled for the Shadowrun line:




The Runner’s Toolkit will be a useful resource for gamemasters and players. This boxed set will include a GM screen, pre-generated characters, a collection of tables from the core rulebooks for easy reference, an introductory adventure, and handy reference sheets. Suggested retail price will be $40.00.




The Corporate Guide covers the details of the ten powerful mega-corporations that rule the world of Shadowrun, from the basics that every Shadowrunner should know to hints about the secret dealings at the highest levels. $30.00 suggested retail.














The state of the Shadowrun world is described in detail in the Sixth World Almanac. Detailed information on almost forty countries, new fiction, an update to the world’s history, and a full-color poster map of the entire world are all included. Suggested retail $45.00.



The Dawn of the Artifacts adventure series continues in Darkest Hour. This is the third adventure in this on-going storyline, and will retail for $15.00.



War focuses on the continuing conflict between Aztlan and Amazonia. Details and game stats for military-level gear and weapons are also discussed in this sourcebook. $30.00 suggested retail.



Those who want to know more about the day-to-day life in the Shadowrun world will want to see Attitude. Here players can learn about music, sports, and culture in the Sixth World. Suggested retail price will be $30.00.