Z-G
Encyclopedia : Z : ZG : ZG : Z-G
Z-G was the first collectible action figure game, created by Mark Rein·Hagen as the first product of his solo company, Atomoton. The game was released sometime in 2001. It uses posable 4.5" action figures with 14 points of Articulation and each "figurine" comes with 8 interchangeable accessories in the form of weapons/armour. One of the more interesting features is that all of the accessories are made to fit any of the other "figurines" allowing for a mesh of different accessories based on different themes. Measurements in the game are in "card lengths", and actions are resolved using a complicated Dot system.
Many factors are cited for the failure of Z-G and the subsequent collapse of Atomoton:
- It arrived just as the tech bubble burst, which indirectly crashed the tabletop game market and put dozens of tabletop game companies out of business.
- Its "toy" look drove away miniatures gamers, and its $15.99 price tag (per figure) drove away toy collectors.
- Some people felt that the action resolution system essentially boiled down to rock paper scissors, with a level of randomness that negated any attempts at strategy.
- The level of critical thought required to create good strategies require a lot of time and effort (as there was no tutorial suggesting how to view the strategies, nor was there available errata to explain the sometimes oddly worded functions of several cards) and it also required an incredible financial investment to obtain enough cards to be able to see all the different possible strategies.
- The Loss of a large investment on behalf of Atomoton in their major distributer that went bankrupt due to the tragic events of 9/11 ultimately caused the financial death of the company, which was unable to recover, especially since many interested parties felt no desire to continue without the company's support behind the game and the solid promise of future updates.
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