Guest of Honor: Ron Edwards

This year edition will see two great international guests attending: Ron Edwards and Tobias Wrigstad.

Ron Edwards is a biology professor at DePaul University in Chicago. Born in 1964, Ron Edwards started gaming in the seventies. In 1996 he independently published the game "Sorcerer" starting his activity as a publisher and theoretician.

"Sorcerer" takes a confrontational stance towards the traditional publishing role playing game industry both for the its distribution. Sorcerer was one of the first games sold on line through internet, and internet immediately became fundamental in the diffusion of the game and in the birth of a users community, making Edwards one of the pioneers in this field). It was an immediate financial success and remains a strong seller today, validating Ron Edwards' claim that independent publishing was a better option for this hobby than existing forms.

The game also illustrated and promoted Edwards' theories, based on a vision of roleplay through a social and cultural model privileging the aspects of communication. His views were so revolutionary that they provoked many controversies in the field. But in a few years they stimulatd the production of many totally innovative games and found a broadening audience, becoming in the end a benchmark theoric-practical system for any serious effort in game design.

Ron Edwards won the Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming in 2002 for his game "Sorcerer", for his theoric contribution to game design, and for his commitment in creating and administrating The Forge.

In 2000 Ron Edwards co-founded and has acted since as sole "content moderator" of The Forge, a on line community aimed at promotion, research and development of independently produced role playing games. It's here that his theoric insights are mainly developed, in the production of tens of games more and more innovative and advanced. To the on line activity The Forge couples a steady presence at the main field conventions with the "Forge Booth", a booth reuniting many independent authors.

The booth showed a growth rate so remarkable, both in terms of sales than in terms of interest from the public, that soon the authors become so many they have to migrate to many different booths. At the same time, this stimulates the creation and promotion of many different fairs and specialized conventions. Personally, Ron Edwards is among the promoters and organizers of the annual convention "Forge Midwest" held in Chicago.

In 2006 he presented his game "Spione", published in 3 languages (english, german and italian). Spione is inspired by the war of spies in cold war Berlin and represents Ron Edwards' concern that role-playing take on more social and political content. His current, similar project concerns civil war in Beirut.

Professor Edwards currently lives in the Chicago area, Illinois (USA), with his wife, two sons, and daughter.

Ludology:

  • 1996: Publishes the first edition of Sorcerer, with on line shareware distribution. The Sorcerer mailing list is created.
  • 1998: Sorcerer second edition, creation of the Sorcerer Forum on The Gaming Outpost. Writes the article "The Nuked Apple Cart" for the Game Publishers Association newsletter.
  • 1999: Writes the article "System does Matter" for the Game Publishers Association newsletter. Both "System Does Matter" and "The Nuked Apple Cart" were released on line reaching a wide diffusion and popularity
  • 2000: Is among the founder of the on line community "The Forge", of which immediately becomes sole responsible for contents. In a very short time the community reaches thousands of subscribers and international fame, presenting debates between well known designers and theoreticians
  • 2001: Publishes "Sorcerer" in a "final" edition for bookshops. In the same year publishes "Sorcerer & Sword" and "Demon Cops" and writes the article "GNS and Other Matters of RPG Design"
  • 2002: Publishes "The Sorcerer's Soul" and the game "Elfs", a keen D&D satire. Writes the article "Fantasy Heartbreakers". Organizes the first "Forge Booth" at Gencon 2002
  • 2003: Publishes the seminal game "Trollbabe", and the Sorcerer supplement "Sex & Sorcery". Writes the articles "Simulationism: The Right to Dream", "Gamism: Step On Up" and "More Fantasy Heartbreakers".
  • 2004: Writes the the article "Narrativism: Story Now", and compiles the first provisional "Forge Glossary".
  • 2006: Publishes the game "It was a Mutual Decision"
  • 2008: "Spione" is published at the same time in english, german and italian.
  • 2009: Publishes the game "S/Lay w/Me" and the article "Naked went the Gamer" in "Fight On" magazine.

    Who will attend INC'10

    The 69 confirmed guests:

  • Ron Edwards
  • Tobias Wrigstadt
  • Michele Gelli
  • Claudia Cangini
  • Moreno Roncucci
  • Luca Ghibaudo
  • Lapo Luchini
  • Mauro Ghibaudo
  • il Mietitore
  • Ezio "Aetius" Melega
  • Lavinia Fantini
  • Alexandra Zanasi
  • Paolo Davolio
  • Francesco Berni
  • Ariele Agostini
  • Yves Franzosi
  • Mattia Bulgarelli - Korin Duval
  • Marco Andreetto - MrMac
  • Thomas "Dr. Zero" Mosciatti
  • Mattia Corsini a.k.a. Hayden
  • Trevor "3evil" Devalle
  • Matteo "triex" Suppo
  • Simona “Blacklily” Picco
  • Hendrake
  • Gabriella
  • Erucenië - Jessica
  • Simone - Spiegel - Micucci
  • Andrea Forgione
  • Mr. Mario Bolzoni
  • Daniele "Pharaviel" Frizzi
  • Giuseppe Urbani
  • Mattia Germini
  • Luca "Vellu" Veluttini
  • Fabio "Zanna" Zannoni
  • Marco Costantini
  • Riccardo Zulian alias Wady el-Natrun
  • Suna
  • Antonio
  • Glenda
  • Raikoh
  • lirazel
  • Fabio "Tozzie"
  • Domenico "Ashrat" Marino
  • Maria Torelli
  • Katia Davoli
  • Matteo Turini
  • Simone Ferrari - Steppenwolf
  • Alberto aka Lantheros (sono anche Domon)
  • Meme
  • Andrea
  • Wualla
  • Ernesto "Klaus" Pavan
  • Alessandro Riccò - Gwilberiol
  • Pippo Jedi
  • Matteo "Sigmud" Gallivanoni
  • Renato "Caretaker" Salzano
  • Raffaele Manzo, ovvero Rafu
  • Frederik J. Jensen
  • Mara the Fucking Lover
  • Niccolò "Domon" Ricchio
  • Alessio Latini
  • Zeranis
  • Alice
  • Alessandro Hasimir Piroddi
  • Ivan "Xalto" DL
  • Francesco Sechi
  • Dino Tappatà
  • ragazza DIno
  • Adam

    Who will attend INC'10

    The unconfirmed guests:

  • Michele Pupo
  • Scarlet