Difference between revisions of "Main Page"
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== Other definitions of PBM == | == Other definitions of PBM == | ||
| − | + | # [http://www.rollingthunder.com/WhatisPBM.htm Rolling Thunder Games' definition] | |
| − | + | # [http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rgp.faq.html#Q1 Greg Lindahl's definition] | |
| − | + | # [http://www.agentsofgaming.com/pbm.htm Interactive Strategy Games' definition] | |
| − | + | # [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play-by-mail_game Wikipedia's definition] | |
| − | + | # [http://www.meturn.com/gsifiles/whatpbm.html Game Systems, Inc.'s definition] | |
== PBM Associations == | == PBM Associations == | ||
| − | + | # [[The Play-By-Mail Association]] | |
==PBM companies== | ==PBM companies== | ||
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This is a list of Play-By-Mail companies and individuals that have run PBM games, over the years. Some of these companies and their games are still up and running, today. Many of them, unfortunately, have fallen defunct with the passage of time. | This is a list of Play-By-Mail companies and individuals that have run PBM games, over the years. Some of these companies and their games are still up and running, today. Many of them, unfortunately, have fallen defunct with the passage of time. | ||
| − | + | #[[4 Sight]] | |
| − | + | #[[7th Dimension Gaming]] | |
| − | + | #[[Acheron Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Advanced Gaming Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Advent Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Adventure Simulation Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Adventures By Mail]] | |
| − | + | #[[Agema]] | |
| − | + | #[[Agents of Gaming]] | |
| − | + | #[[Aggressive Addiction Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Aleator Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Allen Kimball]] | |
| − | + | #[[AMM Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Anarchy By Mail]] | |
| − | + | #[[Andon Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Arden Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Ark Royal Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Armageddon Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Australian Wizard PBM]] | |
| − | + | #[[Balrog Adventures]] | |
| − | + | #[[Bard Interactive Games, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Baron's Regime]] | |
| − | + | #[[Battle-Magic Gaming]] | |
| − | + | #[[Bill Paspaliaris]] | |
| − | + | #[[Bill Wood]] | |
| − | + | #[[Bizarre Play By Mail]] | |
| − | + | #[[Blue Panther Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Bob Stribula]] | |
| − | + | #[[Bronze Star Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[C2 Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[C-T Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Capitol Consulting/VRL, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Centurion Game Company]] | |
| − | + | #[[Chain Mail Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Circle Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[ChoZen FroZen Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Classified Information]] | |
| − | + | #[[Clemens & Associates]] | |
| − | + | #[[Coconut Council, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Compu-Caper Gaming]] | |
| − | + | #[[Conflict Interaction Assoc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Conquest Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Constantine Xanthos]] | |
| − | + | #[[Crasiworld]] | |
| − | + | #[[Create A World, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Creative Management Services]] | |
| − | + | #[[Creative Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Cutting Edge Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Cyborg Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Cyclops Gaming]] | |
| − | + | #[[Damien Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Daredevil]] | |
| − | + | #[[Dark Magus Productions]] | |
| − | + | #[[Daurada Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Delta Games PBM]] | |
| − | + | #[[Deltax Gaming]] | |
| − | + | #[[Desert P.B.M.]] | |
| − | + | #[[DFS Productions]] | |
| − | + | #[[Dragon Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Dragon Byte]] | |
| − | + | #[[Dymar Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Dynamic Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[E-Mail Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Earnshaw Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Ebonrock Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Eckert Gaming Group]] | |
| − | + | #[[Eclipse Consulting, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Ed Bailey]] | |
| − | + | #[[Empire Games, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Emprise Game Systems]] | |
| − | + | #[[Enchanted Horizons]] | |
| − | + | #[[Entertainment Plus More, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Essentially Racing]] | |
| − | + | #[[Ethereal Edge Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Fantastic Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Fantasy & Futuristic Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Fantasy Workshop]] | |
| − | + | #[[Fields of Nephlim]] | |
| − | + | #[[Final Frontiers]] | |
| − | + | #[[Flying Buffalo, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Flying Dutchman Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Fractal Dimensions]] | |
| − | + | #[[Frank Pompillio]] | |
| − | + | #[[Frontier Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Full Moon Gaming]] | |
| − | + | #[[Furypost Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[GAD Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Galactic Empires]] | |
| − | + | #[[Galactic Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Galactic Society Four]] | |
| − | + | #[[Game Systems, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Gamemasters Publishers Assoc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Gamer's Den]] | |
| − | + | #[[Gamers Guild]] | |
| − | + | #[[Games By Mail]] | |
| − | + | #[[Games Without Frontiers]] | |
| − | + | #[[Gator Concepts]] | |
| − | + | #[[Gem Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Gemini Systems, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Genesis Games Design]] | |
| − | + | #[[Graaf Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Grandel, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Grenade Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Half Time PBM Football]] | |
| − | + | #[[Harlequin Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Harold Kercher]] | |
| − | + | #[[HCS Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Head Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[HFR Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[High Point Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Horizon Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Huscarl Hobbies]] | |
| − | + | #[[ICBM]] | |
| − | + | #[[Imagery]] | |
| − | + | #[[ImagiCom, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Imagination Unlimited]] | |
| − | + | #[[Incubus Designs]] | |
| − | + | #[[Infinite Odysseys]] | |
| − | + | #[[Inner Dimension Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Interesting Times]] | |
| − | + | #[[Intergalactic Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[International Software]] | |
| − | + | #[[Irondragon Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Jason Oates Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Jeff Perkins]] | |
| − | + | #[[JFH Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Jolly Goblin Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Kage Interactive]] | |
| − | + | #[[Karl Zeimetz]] | |
| − | + | #[[Keith Langley]] | |
| − | + | #[[Kelem Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Kelstar Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Keys of Bled]] | |
| − | + | #[[Kingdoms of Telgard]] | |
| − | + | #[[Kings]] | |
| − | + | #[[Kings Guild, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[KJC Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[KSK Concepts]] | |
| − | + | #[[L & L Activities]] | |
| − | + | #[[LAMA]] | |
| − | + | #[[Leisure Time Unlimited]] | |
| − | + | #[[Lightning Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Lucky Llama Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Madhouse UK]] | |
| − | + | #[[Madhouse Australia]] | |
| − | + | #[[Maelstrom Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Mailed Gauntlets]] | |
| − | + | #[[Marguerite Dias]] | |
| − | + | #[[Marguerite Hoang]] | |
| − | + | #[[Megalith Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Mercury Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Mialdian Press]] | |
| − | + | #[[Micro Software Design]] | |
| − | + | #[[Midgard USA, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Midnight Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Mindgate]] | |
| − | + | #[[Mindless Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[MindShift Design LLC]] | |
| − | + | #[[Mitregames]] | |
| − | + | #[[Monastic Software]] | |
| − | + | #[[Nevanis Games, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Nevaris Games, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Northwest Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Nova Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Octagon]] | |
| − | + | #[[On-Paper Baseball]] | |
| − | + | #[[Opcon Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Orpheus Publishing Corp.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Outremer Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Pagoda Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Palace Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Paper Tigers]] | |
| − | + | #[[Paspa Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Patrick Price]] | |
| − | + | #[[PBM Adventures]] | |
| − | + | #[[PBM Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[PBM Express]] | |
| − | + | #[[Pegasus Productions]] | |
| − | + | #[[Perseus Arm Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Pfodd Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Piranha Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Phildee Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Play By Electron Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Post-It]] | |
| − | + | #[[Prime Time Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Psi-Decay Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Quail Canyon Systems]] | |
| − | + | #[[Quest Games, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Rampage Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Randy Gillette]] | |
| − | + | #[[Reality Simulations, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Rebel Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Rebel Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Red Talon Gaming]] | |
| − | + | #[[Rolling Thunder Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Roma Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Round Table]] | |
| − | + | #[[Sar-A-Kan Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Sardarthion Press]] | |
| − | + | #[[Saul Betesh]] | |
| − | + | #[[Sceptre Roleplaying]] | |
| − | + | #[[Schubel & Son, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Scoresheet Sports]] | |
| − | + | #[[Scott Bowyer]] | |
| − | + | #[[Sevenstar Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Shadow Island Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Simcoarum Systems]] | |
| − | + | #[[Sinbad's Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Sloth Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[Slow Motion Games, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Soccer Star]] | |
| − | + | #[[Spellbinder Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Spyder Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Starlord]] | |
| − | + | #[[State of Mind Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Steve M. White]] | |
| − | + | #[[Strategic Fantasy Games of Australia]] | |
| − | + | #[[Sudden Asylum]] | |
| − | + | #[[Superior Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Supernova Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Synchronicity, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Terry Crook]] | |
| − | + | #[[The Barons Australian Midgard]] | |
| − | + | #[[The Dukes of Hell]] | |
| − | + | #[[The Game Anvil]] | |
| − | + | #[[The PBM Locomotive Srl]] | |
| − | + | #[[Throne Enterprises LLC]] | |
| − | + | #[[Time Patterns PBM Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Time Space Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Total Simulations, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Treesahran Industries]] | |
| − | + | #[[TribeNet]] | |
| − | + | #[[Tudor Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Twin Engine Gaming]] | |
| − | + | #[[Undying King Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Vigard Simulations]] | |
| − | + | #[[Viking Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Vorpal Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[War College Simulations PBM, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Warlord Strategic Gaming]] | |
| − | + | #[[Warrior Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Waveney Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Whitegold Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[White Lion Enterprises]] | |
| − | + | #[[World Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[WoW Games]] | |
| − | + | #[[Yellowseed Games of Canada]] | |
| − | + | #[[Zephyr Enterprises, Inc.]] | |
| − | + | #[[Zorph Enterprises]] | |
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
[http://playbymail.net/: PlayByMail.Net] | [http://playbymail.net/: PlayByMail.Net] | ||
Revision as of 03:39, 22 April 2011
Welcome to PlayByMail.Net's PBM Wiki!
Contents
Definition of PBM
So, what - exactly - is PBM?
PBM is an acronym, one that stands for Play By Mail. It is a reference to a genre of gaming that was - and still is - played through the postal system, which, in the United States of America, is the United States Postal Service.
Whether one says PBM, PBM games, PBM gaming, play by mail, play-by-mail, postal games, postal gaming, play by post, correspondence games, or correspondence gaming, they are all variations on the exact, same thing.
Later (as in newer or more recent) variations on the core genre that is postal gaming have manifested themselves as PBeM (play by e-mail), PBM (play by web - as in the World Wide Web), PBI (play by Internet), TBG (turn based gaming), and even BBG (browser based games).
During its course of existence, play by mail gaming has been covered by a wide variety of sources, and this genre of gaming (which many view to be classic gaming at its very finest, providing a form of quality gaming entertainment still unrivaled in terms of the overall gaming experience that the player has), is still alive and popular with many gaming enthusiasts and gaming adherents, whose interests in gaming entertainment run the gamut from RPGs (role playing games) to wargaming.
Included within this broad range of coverage of the PBM hobby and of the commercial PBM industry were numerous magazines dedicated specifically or largely to coverage of play by mail gaming. Published titles such Nuts & Bolts, Paper Mayhem, PBM Universal, Gaming Universal, Flagship, American Flagship, Campaigner's Newsletter, American Gamer, The PBM Report, Simulacrum, and PBM Worm covered every aspect of PBM gaming, delivering a cornucopia of PBM news to a gaming public thirsting for details of an ever-changing PBM scene.
Within the genre, postal games covered an exceptionally broad portion of the entire gaming spectrum. Space conquest games, fantasy role playing games, and hardcore wargames that would make any grognard proud are but a few of the many popular categories of games that fell under - and to this day are still encompassed by - PBM gaming.
Play by mail gaming shares many similarities with board gaming, as well, the turn based aspect a signature feature of many PBM games. Unlike many modern-day massively multiplayer online games of various types, postal games tended - and still tend - to deliver a more personalized gaming experience, one that did not leave the player lost in a tsunami of player pools that number in the millions, for some of the more heavily populated massively multiplayer online games, particularly where MMORPGs of note are concerned.
Combining a beer & pretzels sort of appeal with a community of both commercial and non-commercial game moderators, PBM left an indelible mark upon the history of gaming. Rich gaming experiences that were unique to postal gaming helped elevate the hobby and the industry to such a place in the public eye that good old correspondence gaming soon carved out a place for itself in the pantheon of gaming genres.
As with many different sectors of the gaming industry at large, PBM has endured its share of periods where the industry would consolidate. Rumors to the contrary notwithstanding, though, play by mail gaming continues to thrive heading into the second decade of the Twenty-First Century. Numerous groups of hardcore PBM gamers can be easily located on the Internet, today, with new industry champions joining PBM's venerated Old Guard in celebrating play by mail gaming in the modern era.
Both nostalgia and a desire to return to the roots of what a true, honest-to-God multi-player gaming experience should be like, are helping to create a Renaissance of the core postal gaming experience for new generations of gaming enthusiasts, even as more and more PBM old timers find themselves returning to the play by mail fold. The resulting diversity can only benefit PBM gaming, as the PBM hobby and the PBM industry chart a new path into the future.
Whether a player's turn results are delivered to him or to her in a paper envelope, or in one of a variety of different electronic equivalents, the PBM experience continues to act as a catalyst for positive change within the gaming industry at large. In this way, PBM continues to push the gaming envelope, after all these many years.
Other definitions of PBM
- Rolling Thunder Games' definition
- Greg Lindahl's definition
- Interactive Strategy Games' definition
- Wikipedia's definition
- Game Systems, Inc.'s definition
PBM Associations
PBM companies
This is a list of Play-By-Mail companies and individuals that have run PBM games, over the years. Some of these companies and their games are still up and running, today. Many of them, unfortunately, have fallen defunct with the passage of time.
- 4 Sight
- 7th Dimension Gaming
- Acheron Simulations
- Advanced Gaming Enterprises
- Advent Games
- Adventure Simulation Games
- Adventures By Mail
- Agema
- Agents of Gaming
- Aggressive Addiction Games
- Aleator Games
- Allen Kimball
- AMM Enterprises
- Anarchy By Mail
- Andon Games
- Arden Enterprises
- Ark Royal Games
- Armageddon Games
- Australian Wizard PBM
- Balrog Adventures
- Bard Interactive Games, Inc.
- Baron's Regime
- Battle-Magic Gaming
- Bill Paspaliaris
- Bill Wood
- Bizarre Play By Mail
- Blue Panther Enterprises
- Bob Stribula
- Bronze Star Games
- C2 Simulations
- C-T Simulations
- Capitol Consulting/VRL, Inc.
- Centurion Game Company
- Chain Mail Games
- Circle Games
- ChoZen FroZen Games
- Classified Information
- Clemens & Associates
- Coconut Council, Inc.
- Compu-Caper Gaming
- Conflict Interaction Assoc.
- Conquest Games
- Constantine Xanthos
- Crasiworld
- Create A World, Inc.
- Creative Management Services
- Creative Simulations
- Cutting Edge Games
- Cyborg Games
- Cyclops Gaming
- Damien Games
- Daredevil
- Dark Magus Productions
- Daurada Games
- Delta Games PBM
- Deltax Gaming
- Desert P.B.M.
- DFS Productions
- Dragon Games
- Dragon Byte
- Dymar Enterprises
- Dynamic Games
- E-Mail Games
- Earnshaw Enterprises
- Ebonrock Enterprises
- Eckert Gaming Group
- Eclipse Consulting, Inc.
- Ed Bailey
- Empire Games, Inc.
- Emprise Game Systems
- Enchanted Horizons
- Entertainment Plus More, Inc.
- Essentially Racing
- Ethereal Edge Enterprises
- Fantastic Simulations
- Fantasy & Futuristic Simulations
- Fantasy Workshop
- Fields of Nephlim
- Final Frontiers
- Flying Buffalo, Inc.
- Flying Dutchman Games
- Fractal Dimensions
- Frank Pompillio
- Frontier Games
- Full Moon Gaming
- Furypost Games
- GAD Games
- Galactic Empires
- Galactic Simulations
- Galactic Society Four
- Game Systems, Inc.
- Gamemasters Publishers Assoc.
- Gamer's Den
- Gamers Guild
- Games By Mail
- Games Without Frontiers
- Gator Concepts
- Gem Games
- Gemini Systems, Inc.
- Genesis Games Design
- Graaf Simulations
- Grandel, Inc.
- Grenade Games
- Half Time PBM Football
- Harlequin Games
- Harold Kercher
- HCS Games
- Head Games
- HFR Games
- High Point Games
- Horizon Games
- Huscarl Hobbies
- ICBM
- Imagery
- ImagiCom, Inc.
- Imagination Unlimited
- Incubus Designs
- Infinite Odysseys
- Inner Dimension Games
- Interesting Times
- Intergalactic Games
- International Software
- Irondragon Enterprises
- Jason Oates Games
- Jeff Perkins
- JFH Games
- Jolly Goblin Games
- Kage Interactive
- Karl Zeimetz
- Keith Langley
- Kelem Games
- Kelstar Enterprises
- Keys of Bled
- Kingdoms of Telgard
- Kings
- Kings Guild, Inc.
- KJC Games
- KSK Concepts
- L & L Activities
- LAMA
- Leisure Time Unlimited
- Lightning Games
- Lucky Llama Games
- Madhouse UK
- Madhouse Australia
- Maelstrom Games
- Mailed Gauntlets
- Marguerite Dias
- Marguerite Hoang
- Megalith Games
- Mercury Games
- Mialdian Press
- Micro Software Design
- Midgard USA, Inc.
- Midnight Games
- Mindgate
- Mindless Games
- MindShift Design LLC
- Mitregames
- Monastic Software
- Nevanis Games, Inc.
- Nevaris Games, Inc.
- Northwest Simulations
- Nova Games
- Octagon
- On-Paper Baseball
- Opcon Games
- Orpheus Publishing Corp.
- Outremer Games
- Pagoda Games
- Palace Simulations
- Paper Tigers
- Paspa Games
- Patrick Price
- PBM Adventures
- PBM Enterprises
- PBM Express
- Pegasus Productions
- Perseus Arm Enterprises
- Pfodd Enterprises
- Piranha Games
- Phildee Enterprises
- Play By Electron Games
- Post-It
- Prime Time Simulations
- Psi-Decay Games
- Quail Canyon Systems
- Quest Games, Inc.
- Rampage Games
- Randy Gillette
- Reality Simulations, Inc.
- Rebel Enterprises
- Rebel Games
- Red Talon Gaming
- Rolling Thunder Games
- Roma Games
- Round Table
- Sar-A-Kan Games
- Sardarthion Press
- Saul Betesh
- Sceptre Roleplaying
- Schubel & Son, Inc.
- Scoresheet Sports
- Scott Bowyer
- Sevenstar Games
- Shadow Island Games
- Simcoarum Systems
- Sinbad's Games
- Sloth Enterprises
- Slow Motion Games, Inc.
- Soccer Star
- Spellbinder Games
- Spyder Games
- Starlord
- State of Mind Games
- Steve M. White
- Strategic Fantasy Games of Australia
- Sudden Asylum
- Superior Simulations
- Supernova Games
- Synchronicity, Inc.
- Terry Crook
- The Barons Australian Midgard
- The Dukes of Hell
- The Game Anvil
- The PBM Locomotive Srl
- Throne Enterprises LLC
- Time Patterns PBM Games
- Time Space Simulations
- Total Simulations, Inc.
- Treesahran Industries
- TribeNet
- Tudor Games
- Twin Engine Gaming
- Undying King Games
- Vigard Simulations
- Viking Games
- Vorpal Games
- War College Simulations PBM, Inc.
- Warlord Strategic Gaming
- Warrior Games
- Waveney Games
- Whitegold Games
- White Lion Enterprises
- World Games
- WoW Games
- Yellowseed Games of Canada
- Zephyr Enterprises, Inc.
- Zorph Enterprises
