Starting off with a more personal question, Apathy Games was founded in May of 2009. On your Facebook page, it says that “[w]e have jobs, families, and mortgages now. Our time has become precious, and thus we demand more from our games and our social experiences than we ever used to.”  So what keeps you going? What keeps you enthusiastic about working in the RPG industry?

There is something about our mentality that doesn’t let us just enjoy a hobby. We feel the need, in a manner of speaking, to control it. To make it our own and improve it. There’s a fine line between passion and arrogance, I suppose, and we have a lot of both. Like a hybrid car, when we run low on one, the other fuels us.

Also, the industry is going through an exciting rebirth right now. Design principles and production values are better than ever, and the Internet is changing delivery methods. We keep going because there is a whole world of untapped potential for those able to find it.

Earlier this year, Temporal Probability Agency: To Predict and Serve was nominated for Best Electronic Book. What did you think of the ENnies when you found out that you were nominated?

We were completely shocked to be nominated. TPA was our first product, whereas the ENnies were the most important awards in the industry. We’d be judged on the same stage as Wizards of the Coast and Privateer Press. We had a party.

Did your nomination affect short-term sales? How about long-term sales?

The nomination did boost short term sales for several weeks. Beyond that, it’s difficult to say.

What projects do you have on the schedule; anything you can talk about?

The only products we are formally working on are the second and third acts of To Predict and Serve. Those adventures will be larger in scale than the first act and take advantage of many of the new subsystems in Savage Worlds Deluxe.

Now that we’ve been around for over a decade, what do the ENnies mean to you both personally and professionally?

Personally, the ENnies are where I discover which games deserve the most attention. If something gets nominated, I know it has something worth looking at. It’s also an opportunity to root for my favorite products and bemoan results I disagree with. One could make a comparison to sports, but I’m not going to do that.

Professionally, I see the ENnies as a path to credibility. An electronic book shares a virtual bookshelf with thousands of other products. But the ENnie Awards have to narrow all of those releases down to the five or six best. Getting on that small list is a big deal.

Last question; if someone who had never heard of the ENnie Awards walked up to you today and asked, “So what are these ‘ENnies’ you keep talking about,” how would you answer them?

I would tell them that the ENnie Awards are the biggest awards in our industry. To an independent RPG publisher, it’s like being nominated for a grammy or Oscar. It means we did our job well.

For more information about Apathy Games, visit their website at www.apathygames.com.

Starting off with a more personal question, The Escapist was founded in 1995 as a central site that people could visit to learn what RPGs are, how to get involved, how to get kids involved, how to give back to the community, etc. So what keeps you going? What keeps you enthusiastic about working in the RPG industry?

I get almost all of my encouragement from the emails I receive from the people who read my site and write me to tell me how much they appreciate the resources it provides. Usually they simply say “Attaboy, keep up the good work,” but from time to time I’ll get an email from someone who wants to share a story about how they used my site to show someone else that RPGs aren’t dangerous or evil, or someone who has decided to share the hobby with their kids or friends who have never played before. Very recently, I got a message from a teenager who told me that he used one of my YouTube videos to convince the school administrators to let him have an RPG club at the school. That’s really what the site is all about, and that is what has kept it going strong for nearly 16 years now.

Earlier this year, the site was nominated for Best Website. What did you think of the ENnies when you found out that you were nominated?

I was thrilled. I’m not really the competitive sort, so the nomination was an award in itself, as far as I was concerned. I know that a wide audience of gamers participate in the ENnie awards, so this was a great opportunity to get more people interested in the promotion of roleplaying.

Did your nomination affect site traffic?

It did, and it also helped get the word around, which made me very happy.

What projects do you have on the schedule; anything you can talk about?

To be frank, I’ve been making this up as I go for the last 15 years. Just about every project and feature on the site is something that popped into my head one day, and got stuck up on the page to see if it would take off. Some do well, while others… not so much.

So I don’t really work with a schedule anymore, which means everyone will have to keep checking the site and the blog (and the Twitter account, and Facebook…) to see what harebrained idea I’m trying out next.

Now that we’ve been around for over a decade, what do the ENnies mean to you both personally and professionally?

Part of the roleplaying advocacy effort is improving the quality of the hobby for those who play, and that’s one of the aspects of the effort that I don’t cover very much on the site. That’s because there are so many other great websites that do a better job than I ever could. The ENnies do a great service to the roleplaying hobby, by encouraging excellence in RPG books, supplements, accessories, and resources, and I have asked my readers to participate in the voting process for several years now.

Last question; if someone who had never heard of the ENnie Awards walked up to you today and asked, “So what are these ‘ENnies’ you keep talking about,” how would you answer them?

Well, if it was someone who already had an understanding of RPGs, I’d probably just send them to the website, and encourage them to get involved in voting and discussing their favorite nominees and winners. That way, they’re already on the site as they’re learning about it, and would therefore be more apt to participate.

If they didn’t know anything about RPGs, I’d first have to go into an explanation about the hobby, how awesome it is, how it promotes creative thinking and teamwork, and how they really should give it a try. But that’s just the way I do things…

To learn more about the Escapist, you can visit their website at www.theescapist.com.

First off, let me thank you for taking the time to be interviewed for the ENnies. I truly appreciate you taking the time to talk about the ENnies.

Starting off with a more personal question, the Flagons and Dragons podcast started last year. According to your website, you enjoy both tabletop gaming and fine craft beers. So, besides the beer, what keeps you going? What keeps you enthusiastic about working in the RPG industry?

I won’t speak for the other hosts, but for me, what drives me to keep producing the show is the community of listeners, people I interview and other podcasters I’ve met, either at live events or through social media like Twitter and Google+. Because of the podcast I’ve met some very creative people and I’m constantly being exposed to new games. The feedback and appreciation the listeners have for the show, the support from other podcasters and bloggers, and the fact that I’m contributing to a hobby that’s given me so much over the years are equally important reasons.

Earlier this year, Flagons and Dragons was nominated for Best Podcast. What did you think of the ENnies when you found out that you were nominated?

When I learned that Flagons and Dragons was nominated I was excited and amazed. There were over two dozen entries and those that made it to the nominations were established and wildly popular podcasts. I was glad to be in such great company. At that point, I was already celebrating. Win or lose didn’t matter to me.

Now that we’ve been around for over a decade, what do the ENnies mean to you both personally and professionally?

Personally, I’ve always browsed the ENnies nominations and winners for new games to play, new podcasts to listen to, etc. Whether a big company or independent, I’ve always been happy with the results. Producing a podcast is a huge amount of work, and I’m now more aware of the efforts that the other nominees and winners give to get where they are. Professionally, I see the ENnies as a type of radar for the industry. All the entries go on my radar. Even if they don’t get nominated or win this year, we might see them next year, or the next. The ENnies also provide acknowledgement for those of us working professionally as game writers, artists, podcasters and in many other positions.

Last question; if someone who had never heard of the ENnie Awards walked up to you today and asked, “So what are these ‘ENnies’ you keep talking about,” how would you answer them?

I would say that the ENnies provide recognition to companies, groups and individuals in the gaming community for all their hard work and producing something of quality.

Thanks again to Carl Bussler for taking time to answer my questions. To listen to the podcast, go to flagonsanddragons.com.

That’s how long everyone has to submit their products. Let me tell you now, waiting until the last minute to submit your products is not in your best interest. The judges have a lot of products to review and the more time they have to really sink their teeth into a product, the better. This allows them to delve into the heart of the products and judge more concisely.

If you’re interested in submitting, make sure to read the Rules, Rules of E-Submissions, and How to Enter pages. Thanks to all and good luck!

First off, let me thank you for taking the time to be interviewed for the ENnies. I truly appreciate you taking the time to talk about the ENnies.

Starting off with a more personal question, Dias Ex Machina Games was founded in May of 2007 to focus solely on the Amethyst RPG. Soon after, you made the switch 4th Edition D&D. So what keeps you going? What keeps you enthusiastic about working in the RPG industry?

Because I’m still a gamer. If I stopped running games, I’d stop writing games. Amethyst began as a D20 setting six years before I started writing the first published edition. With few breaks, my campaign has run every week since. There is a lot of content there; the first books have only touched on the first “season” of our first campaign. Our campaigns last four seasons, and I’m already on my third campaign. I enjoy writing fluff more than crunch, and thankfully using OGL or SRD rules allow me more freedom to write that.

In 2008, Amethyst received an Honorable Mention for Best Setting. What did you think of the ENnies when you found out?

I was overjoyed, but I’m also my worst critic, so I began immediately analyzing why Amethyst didn’t get a full nomination. Most of what I do is for the attention and praise, not the profit. I’m a compliment whore.

Did your Honorable Mention affect short-term sales? How about long-term sales?

They boosted short-term sales to be sure, but it never really affected long-term sales because Amethyst D20 was taken off the shelf when we signed the GSL. It’s coincidental that you bring it up though. At the time I’m answering these questions, Amethyst D20 was just RE-listed on RPGNow for PDF download after nearly two years comatosed. You damned right I still boast about the Ennie praise.

What projects do you have on the schedule; anything you can talk about?

The one project most people know about is Ultramodern4—a universal sci-fi/modern 4th Edition/GSL-compliant rule system based off of the Amethyst system and refined through three years of playtesting. After that, Amethyst branches into Pathfinder, so hopefully, come next season, Amethyst will be one of the few systems available for every edition of D20 rules (3.0, 3.5, 3.75, and 4.0). After that, sales will depend on if I pursue further books with Amethyst. Additionally, if Ultramodern4 does well, we should have a cyberpunk setting for that ready next year (NeuroSpasta).

Now that we’ve been around for over a decade, what do the ENnies mean to you both personally and professionally?

To be honest, I don’t know. To get nominated is awesome, but I was really hoping Amethyst Foundations would get mentioned in 2010. When it failed to do so, I concentrated on making my fans happy as well as myself. I stopped concerning myself about whether or not further DEM products get nominated…but that’s how it is with any award. The people that do it out of love are the ones recognized. The ones working for awards never get them…unless you’re Harvey Weinstein.

Last question; if someone who had never heard of the ENnie Awards walked up to you today and asked, “So what are these ‘ENnies’ you keep talking about,” how would you answer them?

“Who are you, why are you asking me, and why are you squeezing the pleats out of my pants?”
Seriously, I would say that the Ennies are like the Emmys for role playing games, including all that entails. Some people love them; some people hate them…but I’d still rather one of those than a Gemini.

I guess you would have to be Canadian to get that one…

For more information about Dias Ex Machina Games, visit their website at www.diasexmachina.com.

First off, let me thank you for taking the time to be interviewed for the ENnies. I truly appreciate you taking the time to talk about the ENnies.

No problem!

Starting off with a more personal question, Old School Hack was released in January of 2011 as a love letter to the Red Box version of D&D. So what keeps you going? What keeps you enthusiastic about working in the RPG industry?

“Working in the RPG Industry” is something I’m still wrapping my head around. Old School Hack basically started out as a bunch of custom character sheets I made for my players at one point, and while it did eventually turn into a game, that’s still pretty much the basis of how I think of it. I never published a book, or requisitioned art, charged anyone money or put any money on the line beyond putting together a website and throwing what I’d done up on it for anyone to use.

When I got the ENnie, I had this embarrassed fumbling speech where I confessed to this; to just seeing myself as some random RPG fan made good, not worthy of being recognized amongst clearly far more passionate creators . Some gamer guy whose home-brew stuff caught on a little.

I’m not alone in feeling that – getting to talk to some of the more professional publishers was very enlightening! The line between RPG fan and RPG creator has always been pretty fuzzy, and that’s actually an awesome thing. Playing RPGs is an act of creation, and ideally, creating RPGs is an act of play! I guess that’s why I do it, and it was right under my nose the whole time.

In 2011, Old School Hack was nominated for Best Free Product and won the Gold. What did you think of the ENnies when you found out that you were nominated?

I’ve always been a fan of the ENnies, but I’ll admit I’ve had a pre-existing bias, because I like the ENnies people. They put up with a metric fuckton of crap (as anyone tasked with the difficult job of evaluating and ranking passionately-loved pieces of work has to do), and they do it cheerfully and enthusiastically. Good people, awesome gaming fans, and excellent gamers.

Going to the ENnies is a pretty cool experience, too. The RPG industry is as much a labor of love as a commercial industry and the RPG audience – at least online – can be quite argumentative and volatile, which I think sometimes can make creating an RPG a challenging emotional process, with a success or lack thereof feeling pretty arbitrary. The ENnies’ publicized selection can certainly feel like it adds to that contention, but going to the actual show is the opposite: it’s a salve to the negativity, everyone’s so excited to be there and so excited to see all the hard work, anyone’s hard work, get recognized.

Did your nomination and win increase the number of downloads of OSH?

The nomination alone just exploded my hits. People became aware of my game from corners I never would have expected. The win gave me a small bump, but was largely outweighed by notes of congratulation. I don’t want to say that the nomination is the real honor, because that’s where you know you’ve actually been rather thoroughly compared to all the other great stuff that came out – scratch that, I’ll just say it: in a way, just being nominated is the real honor.

What projects do you have on the schedule; anything you can talk about?

The Old School Hack that’s out there is still just the Beta – there’s a “Full” Basic game I’m about halfway done with. There’s a mass of notes that make up the next tier of the Game – the Heroic Tier – that I’m itching to start playtesting.

Now that we’ve been around for over a decade, what do the ENnies mean to you both personally and professionally?

Well, as I said before, I’ve always been a fan of the ENnies folks – I probably wouldn’t have submitted OSH at all if one of them hadn’t strongly encouraged me to give it a shot. So personally I’m just glad to have gotten to know, and even game with, that particular community.

On a professional level I think the ENnies represents an important bridge, I think, between the tabletop fans and the game creators. The ENnies Judges are badly needed as a way to represent the kind of positivity and game interest, openness, curiosity and love among the fans – you know, the quieter voices – that you don’t always see, unfortunately.

Now that I’ve got a bit more of a recognized voice, I’m trying hard to encourage as many other game creators – especially the home-brew, DiY side of the scene, the ones who often think of the ENnies as the big companies’ playground – to submit their work as much as possible. We’re in a real gaming renaissance right now with a lot of cool stuff going on and I love seeing some of our paradigms shaken up a bit. I’m hopeful in turn that the ENnies will continue to re-examine the growth of e-publishing or on-demand publishing (tabletop RPGs actually being somewhat far ahead of the rest of the world in this regard) as a legitimate format.

Last question; if someone who had never heard of the ENnie Awards walked up to you today and asked, “So what are these ‘ENnies’ you keep talking about,” how would you answer them?

People who love table-top games telling people who make the games how much they love them, followed by people complaining about it on the internet.

For more information on, and to download, Old School Hack, visit www.oldschoolhack.net.

First off, let me thank you for taking the time to be interviewed for the ENnies. I truly appreciate you taking the time to talk about the ENnies.

Starting off with a more personal question, UK Role Players was started in 2003 to give gamers in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales a central location to discuss RPGs, write articles, list clubs in the area, etc. So what keeps you going? What keeps you enthusiastic about working in the RPG industry?

I ask myself the same questions on a regular basis! Seriously, the people who visit, and participate, in the website are the main motivation. Originally, the website was just a forum. Over the years it has evolved into a true community with additional features that, hopefully, visitors find useful. Although I’ve tried my hand at writing, it’s not my forte so I’m happy to “give something back” by running UK Role Players.

Earlier this year, your site was nominated for Best Website. What did you think of the ENnies when you found out that you were nominated?

I already had a respect for the ENnies built up from when they first started. Obviously, I was overjoyed to be nominated and I’ve always said that just being nominated is an award in itself –  especially for someone like myself who isn’t a professional in the industry.

Did your nomination affect site traffic?

It certainly did. Almost 10% of the traffic UK Role Players received from the nomination announcements to the posting of the results came from the ENnies website.

What projects do you have on the schedule; anything you can talk about?

The website had a big “revamp” earlier this year with the addition of guest columnists and more emphasis on the news updates but there are no plans for any new additions in the foreseeable future. Provided the Mayans aren’t right, I may have something for the tenth anniversary of the website in 2013 though.

Now that we’ve been around for over a decade, what do the ENnies mean to you both personally and professionally?

This year made it my fourth nomination (and one Honourable Mention) over the years, all for the same (or similar) category as I also run Modus Operandi which was nominated in 2004, 2005 and 2006 (and ran Window of Opportunity which garnered the Honourable Mention in 2004). As you can imagine, those nominations mean a lot to me and I hope to add to them in the future.

Last question; if someone who had never heard of the ENnie Awards walked up to you today and asked, “So what are these ‘ENnies’ you keep talking about,” how would you answer them?

The simple answers are, invariably, the best in situations like this so I’d tell them that the ENnies are industry awards voted for by the gaming public.

For more information on gaming in the United Kingdom, make sure to visit www.ukroleplayers.com.

Every RPG, regardless of system, setting or genre, has, at one time or another, one thing in common: a map. Could be a dungeon map, the blueprint of a supers city, a world map, a scribbled treasure map. And every map has a compass rose on it. So, in searching for an element that spoke to all RPGs, I settled on the compass, because it also symbolizes “showing the way”. And this is what the ENnies do: they serve as a compass rose pointing towards the excellency in games.

Add to that the fact that it is EN “world” (worlds need maps), and that the name for the letter “N” is “en”, and it all comes together.

Congratulations again to Claudio and thanks to everyone for supporting the ENnies.