PRESS RELEASE –
Checker Book Publishing Group has announced that it has purchased the publishing rights to the classic super hero themed role playing game Superhero 2044 from Gamescience Publishing.
Superhero 2044 was the first commercially available superhero-themed role playing game at the dawn of the industry appearing in 1977 shortly after the explosive launch of early games like Dungeons and Dragons and Runequest. Innovative for the time period it featured such specific rules as classifications for differing types of super heroes, melee rules unique to super heroes, a ranged combat system, point based character construction, and eventually a comprehensive defined list of super powers.
Checker BPG is a graphic novel publisher that published nearly one hundred graphic novels from 2001 to 2013. Checker BPG launched titles with such high profile licenses as Star Trek, X-Files, Flash Gordon, and Clive Barker to name a few. The publisher put the company on hiatus after the death of his fiancé, father, uncle, and the cancer diagnosis of his sister in 2015.
“Our goal is to upgrade the entire system and game to be the pinnacle of super hero gaming”, said Publisher Mark Thompson.” Superhero 2044 is one of the fondest memories of games from my childhood. Super heroes dominate every entertainment medium from toys, movies, television, comic books, and video games and we feel this genre is underserved currently within the industry”.
Industry legend Lou Zocchi, who guided the birth of the game, will continue to serve as an advisor on the game.
The company plans a Kickstarter program to launch the newly revamped role playing games as well as a Super Hero 2044 themed card game.