• While Mage Wars is still awaiting its Q2/Q3 2012 debut - ideally at Origins 2012 in late May/early June, according to publisher Arcane Wonders – designer Bryan Pope is moving ahead with related projects. A March 2012 newsletter from communications director Patrick Connor notes: "Our design team is putting the finishing touches on our first mage expansions, the Warlord and the Forcemaster. These mages will be available 2-3 months after the initial release of Mage Wars in Summer 2012!"
• When Filosofia bought Z-Man Games in 2011, I assumed that any French editions of Z-Man titles would be released under the Filosofia brand. Turns out that's not what's going to happen. Today Z-Man Games announced on its new French Facebook page that it will release a French edition of The Walking Dead: The Board Game in June 2012, with the remainder of its publishing program to be unveiled "over the next few weeks". Given what Filosofia has released over the years – solid Euro-y designs with a distinct absence of zombies – it makes sense to bring the French to Z-Man rather than the Z-Man to French (Canada), so to speak.
• In other Z-Man news – English this time – both Agricola: NL Deck and Agricola: World Championship Deck - 2011 are due for release in the U.S. the week of March 19, after missing their previously announced January 2012 release. Pocket Battles: Macedonians vs. Persians should be available at about the same time.
• Asmadi Games has opened preorders for Innovation: Figures in the Sand, an expansion for Carl Chudyk's Innovation that can be played solely with the base set or also combined with Innovation: Echoes of the Past. If you preorder the game, you receive a PDF of the cards and rules immediately so that you can provide feedback on card interactions and rule clarity prior to the game's release in Q3 2012.
• Hobby news site ICv2 has a cover shot of Risk: StarCraft as well as a section of the game board. Looks Tron-y, says this old guy.