Yaquinto Publications
Encyclopedia
Yaquinto Publications was the wargame
publishing arm of the Robert Yaquinto Printing Company of Dallas, Texas. In March 1979 Robert Yaquinto hired Steve Peek and Craig Taylor, both experienced wargame designers with several famous titles in their resumes. Their goal was to rapidly create a first class wargame company.
Yaquinto brought several innovations to the industry, largely because of they operated within a well-established printing company, with its attending expertise. Yaquinto was notable for its use of extra thick cardboard for the counters in its games, making them easier to handle. The most unusual innovation by Yaquinto was their series of Album Games. These games were packaged using the jackets for double vinyl record albums. The jacket often opened to reveal the mapboard printed within, the components contained in the two pockets of the jacket where, in normal use, one would find the vinyl record. Zip closing bags were provided to hold the components of the game. The concept of the album packaging was designed for Yaquinto by Larry Brom, designer of The Sword and The Flame.
While concentrating on wargames for most of its history, the company also branched to the more mainstream areas of board game
s. For instance, Neck and Neck (a horse-racing game), Market Madness (a stock market
game) and a game based on the Dallas
television show, were all published by Yaquinto.
Possibly the most successful of Yaquinto's games was Ironclads. This was a simulation of combat between the first armored ships (Ironclads) in the American Civil War
. This game was well regarded in its time, and has stood the test of time.
One of the more distinctive offerings by Yaquinto was Swashbuckler. This game simulated one-on-one swordplay. A lighter treatment than the typical wargame, it might best be thought of as a role-playing in a film as opposed to actually simulating swordplay.
Yaquinto were the first publishers of the highly successful The Sword and The Flame
wargame rules.
Yaquinto Publications was also the publisher of early works by game designer James M. Day
, specifically titles Panzer, 88, and Armor. Panzer, as well as the rest of these games (that were based on the same game system) both as boardgames and as wargame titles were groundbreaking for their time and led at least in part to the detailed derivatives that produced later computer-based simulations.
In the early 1980s, the company attempted to expand into the then-lucrative role-playing games market, releasing three products: Man, Myth & Magic (1982), a Roman-themed fantasy RPG, Pirates & Plunder (1982), a pirate RPG, and Timeship (1983), a time-travel RPG.
In 1979, the impact of personal computers on simulation gaming was too far over the horizon for the founders to see how the market would shift against this style of gaming. Along with several other companies started contemporaneously, Yaquinto only survived a handful of years. By 1983 it had closed its doors, though the printing company continued, being acquired by Cartamundi
in 2006.
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
publishing arm of the Robert Yaquinto Printing Company of Dallas, Texas. In March 1979 Robert Yaquinto hired Steve Peek and Craig Taylor, both experienced wargame designers with several famous titles in their resumes. Their goal was to rapidly create a first class wargame company.
Yaquinto brought several innovations to the industry, largely because of they operated within a well-established printing company, with its attending expertise. Yaquinto was notable for its use of extra thick cardboard for the counters in its games, making them easier to handle. The most unusual innovation by Yaquinto was their series of Album Games. These games were packaged using the jackets for double vinyl record albums. The jacket often opened to reveal the mapboard printed within, the components contained in the two pockets of the jacket where, in normal use, one would find the vinyl record. Zip closing bags were provided to hold the components of the game. The concept of the album packaging was designed for Yaquinto by Larry Brom, designer of The Sword and The Flame.
While concentrating on wargames for most of its history, the company also branched to the more mainstream areas of board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
s. For instance, Neck and Neck (a horse-racing game), Market Madness (a stock market
Stock market
A stock market or equity market is a public entity for the trading of company stock and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately.The size of the world stock market was estimated at about $36.6 trillion...
game) and a game based on the Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
television show, were all published by Yaquinto.
Possibly the most successful of Yaquinto's games was Ironclads. This was a simulation of combat between the first armored ships (Ironclads) in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. This game was well regarded in its time, and has stood the test of time.
One of the more distinctive offerings by Yaquinto was Swashbuckler. This game simulated one-on-one swordplay. A lighter treatment than the typical wargame, it might best be thought of as a role-playing in a film as opposed to actually simulating swordplay.
Yaquinto were the first publishers of the highly successful The Sword and The Flame
The Sword and The Flame
The Sword and The Flame is a wargame based on British colonial wars and, more generally, a set of rules applied to a variety of wargames.These rules for playing colonial wargames were first drafted by Larry Brom in 1978...
wargame rules.
Yaquinto Publications was also the publisher of early works by game designer James M. Day
James M. Day
James M. Day is an American game designer best known for military based board games, computer games, card games, and miniature rules. He is also an accomplished historian and military weaponry subject matter expert....
, specifically titles Panzer, 88, and Armor. Panzer, as well as the rest of these games (that were based on the same game system) both as boardgames and as wargame titles were groundbreaking for their time and led at least in part to the detailed derivatives that produced later computer-based simulations.
In the early 1980s, the company attempted to expand into the then-lucrative role-playing games market, releasing three products: Man, Myth & Magic (1982), a Roman-themed fantasy RPG, Pirates & Plunder (1982), a pirate RPG, and Timeship (1983), a time-travel RPG.
In 1979, the impact of personal computers on simulation gaming was too far over the horizon for the founders to see how the market would shift against this style of gaming. Along with several other companies started contemporaneously, Yaquinto only survived a handful of years. By 1983 it had closed its doors, though the printing company continued, being acquired by Cartamundi
Cartamundi
Cartamundi, also called Carta Mundi, is a Belgian company, based in Turnhout, that produces and sells board games, card games, collectible card games, packages and playing cards through its manufacturing and sales subsidiaries...
in 2006.
External links
- Robert Yaquinto Printing
- Cartamundi USA
- Yaquinto Publishing entry on BoardGameGeekBoardGameGeekBoardGameGeek is a website that was founded in January 2000 by Scott Alden and Derk Solko as a resource for the board gaming hobby. The database holds reviews, articles, and session reports for over 45,000 different games, expansions, and designers. BoardGameGeek includes German-style board games,...
- Yaquinto Publishing entry on RPGnet