Rest In Play - 2020 - 2029

Maureen Hiron (1942–June, 2022) In Maureen's own words from an interview we had with her... I’m Maureen Hiron and I’m thrilled to be inducted into the Games Hall of Fame. I used to be the ...head of the Physical Education department of an Inner London comprehensive school. Then part of that school fell on my head, and at 32 I was pensioned off from teaching. The future looked bleak. But I did have one ace up my sleeve. I was already an expert bridge player, having represented England and Britain at bridge. So I devoted my mental energies to the game. And the thought processes involved penetrated the cloud that enshrouded my brain. Then a medical phenomenon occurred. It appeared that the former dormant areas of my brain had taken over the role of the damaged parts. The result was that I was able to reason with the intuitive mind of a child, yet still retain my acquired knowledge and 156 IQ level. The first manifestation of this came on April Fools Day 1982. I was listening to music by my favourite composer, Bach – when in a lightbulb moment I invented the first of my games. This was Continuo. A game that is a nice blend of skill and luck. That a 5-year-old can play on equal terms with all other ages. That many can play together, yet is also pleasing as a solo patience game. That is understood in seconds and transcends all language barriers. Yes – that’s a lot of claims for one small game, yet it all proved to be true, judging by the millions sold. But Continuo was no One Game wonder for me. I’ve now had over 70 games published, which are sold in over 50 countries. I’ve been asked, “What makes a game successful?” If I had the answer to that, I’d never invent a bummer! But for me, it seems that the quicker I invent a game, the more successful it becomes. Especially if the rules are minimal. Take 7Ate9 (Unter Spannung in Germany and various other names in other countries.) I was helping Irish Bridge International Desmond Deery putting new cards into the bridge duplicate boards, when I had another of those flashes of inspiration. Me and my company HIRON GAMES LTD came to the attention of City of London financiers – maybe because of my high-profiling with the media – I had even been the subject of a BBC TV documentary A WILL TO WIN. In the time-honoured phrase, they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. The idea was that my company would make a reverse take-over of a major UK games company, which had a stock-market listing. My life – written off by my previous employers, had taken a considerable upturn. But tragedy struck again. I was diagnosed with cancer, so my business ambitions (I had reached the semi-finals of the Businesswoman of the Year competition) couldn’t be brought to fruition – I needed to address the problem of kicking this cancer into touch. But even whilst an in-patient at the Royal Marsden Hospital – the world’s first specialist cancer hospital – I continued to invent games, using my fellow patients as play-testers. Including CHIP IN, which my company produced to spearhead the Marsden’s £25 million appeal – under the then presidency of Princess Diana. And I persuaded Brian Hitchen CBE, then editor of the Daily Star, to back the appeal. This he did, in a big way for two months, and often from the front page of the Daily Star. Sadly, Brian and his wife were killed in a car accident in Alicante, Spain. I also involved the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher – happily playing CHIP IN with her in her study, whilst members of the Cabinet waited patiently downstairs. I’ve not restricted myself to inventing games. With my late husband Alan we wrote several best-selling books, including The Ultimate Trivia Quiz Game Book, which reached No.2 in the British Bestsellers list. I also worked on a number of TV shows, including Krypton Factor and Fifteen to One. And in 1990 I was voted ‘Londoner of the Year’ in London Electricity’s ‘Brightening Up London’ awards. Sadly, Alan died in 1999, and my idyllic world came crashing down. Alan Hiron was a bridge world champion and was bridge correspondent to The Independent. We were considered to be the perfect partnership – as opposites – for I was as hyper as Alan was laid back. I proof-read Alan’s articles and he play-tested my games. On his death I was appointed Bridge Correspondent to The Independent, and soon added 6 columns per week for the Irish Independent. The music you hear is ‘Forward to Freedom’ – composed in the Matzar genre which I created. I wrote the music – tweaked for the better by Sheyla Bonnick of Boney M. Sheyla wrote the lyrics, with tweaks from me, and the whole is arranged by Sheyla’s Icelandic husband Ingvar Areliusson. And singing it is Sheyla Bonnick – a founder member of Boney M. Just Sheyla – including all harmonies – her voice has gone from strength to strength. During my college days I wrote a children’s operetta, which I called CATS – based on T.S. Eliot’s ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.’ Sounds familiar? But I did it first. Then music went onto the back burner, when I got bitten by the bridge bug, and later the games bug. However… Whilst on a Caribbean cruise in 2011 I met Sheyla Bonnick on MV Braemar. Boney M were the star turn on that cruise, and I was the bridge lecturer. There was immediate empathy between Sheyla and I. Then I brought Boney M over to Spain to perform at my 70th birthday party, which was a roaring success. Having recently renewed my interest in music, I had installed a concert organ, which I was teaching myself to play. Sheyla was impressed by the pieces I’d composed, and in a style she’d never heard before. When Ingvar came to take Sheyla home, she asked me to play those compositions again. Ingvar was also impressed – impressed enough to to suggest Sheyla and I do an album together. And so the album LOOK BEYOND – in the new musical genre of Matzar was created, sung in its entirety by Sheyla Bonnick It transpired that Sheyla was a keen games player, and so became a trustworthy play-tester of my games creations. And I became her business adviser. Boney M – and especially Sheyla Bonnick’s group (all former members formed their own groups) have come back into demand again. Whereas the voices of the others have gone downhill, Sheyla’s has gone from strength to strength. It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with her and Ingvar. Especially as, in our breaks, we play-test my new games.Show more

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Andrew Simon Thomas, a prominent figure in the New York City game development scene and creator of several independent games, has passed away following a vehicle collision on June 1. He was 32. Tho...mas' work included arena shooter Shillelagh and balance board-powered rolling game Roll Control. He'd previously worked at Shapeways, designing unique creations for the 3D printing platform. Friends and colleagues on social media are mourning his passing, with some calling him "an amazing and chaotic creative force for good." Others noted his pivotal role in community organizing, referring to him as a great leader. Digital Trends Gaming section lead Giovanni Colantonio (a longtime friend of Thomas) recalled their shared time in a high school punk band. "In that band, he pushed me to think completely different about art and be okay with making people uncomfortable and being totally out there," Colantonio wrote. Heart Machine community and PR lead Yiyi Zhang said that Thomas "had an incredible drive to improve himself, create great art, and uplift others," and called him "a true inspiration and friend." An image promoting the event captured Thomas' creative and anarchic spirit, turning a recently popular internet taunt into a commemorative message. "Andrew always evangelized touching grass as a way to stay grounded and find calm," the image reads.Show more

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Former managing director known as 'Mr Sega' appeared in several classic Dreamcast adverts. Former Sega managing director Hidekazu Yukawa has passed away aged 78. According to Famitsu, the games execut...ive passed away from pneumonia in June 2021, but news of his death has only just been made public. Yukawa took on the role of managing director in 1998, ahead of the release of the Dreamcast in December that year. He was also well known as 'Mr Sega' during his stint on account of his appearance in several comedic adverts promoting the launch of the console. Yukawa also made appearances in several Sega games, including Shenmue, and DLC for Sonic Adventure. Former Sega peers paid tribute to Yukawa on Twitter, including former Sonic Team head Yuji Naka and Sonic voice actor Junichi Kanemaru.Show more

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Wilhelm K. “Bill” Maisch, a longtime fixture on the buying side of the industry died on June 6, 2022. Maisch was known to many for his work as the buyer for the kids’ category at AC Moore in ...addition to his time spent at H. Clay Moore & Associates, and Jacent Strategic Merchandising. Last year, Maisch joined Cra-Z-Art as vice president of new business development. “Bill is a guy that I knew for nearly 20 years — he was a kind, knowledgeable, caring, and passionate merchant that helped me to build my businesses, and help to promote kids’ products,” says Doug Cass, co-founder of Kahootz Toys and specialty sales consultant at PlayMonster. Maisch is survived by his wife Lisa; his brother, Julius; his nieces and nephews, Nicole, Danielle, Leon, Matthew, Savina, Arianna, Valentina, Michael, Samantha, John, Bree, Trinity, and Caiden; his mother in law Theresa; his sister in law Doreen; his brother in law Michael; and his three dogs Max, Jetta, and Zuly.Show more

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Marilyn Feoranzo - With great sadness, we at Beacon Media Group share news of the passing of our friend and colleague, media specialist Marilyn Feoranzo. Marilyn brought passion, skill, and wit to her... tremendous work with clients every day — skillful and astute in her mastery of media planning, and tough in her negotiation and execution of top-performing media buys across the industry. She worked tirelessly to ensure clients got nothing less than the best in media delivery. And she made us laugh every day. Across a career spanning four decades, Marilyn managed hundreds of millions of dollars in media spending with a specialty in network, cable syndication, and radio markets at Bozell Ad Agency, eventually acquired by True North, where she worked on the JCPenney and Bausch & Lomb accounts before moving on to Unilever working on brands including Dove and Lipton Tea. She then moved to the Wyeth Ad Agency, where she worked on over-the-counter and direct-to-consumer brands such as Advil, Centrum, and ChapStick before moving to Beacon Media in New Jersey to focus her specialty on the kids and family market. With Beacon Media, for more than 10 years, she developed and executed TV buying strategies for many of the largest brands in the toy industry, including MGA Entertainment’s L.O.L. Surprise! and many more. Marilyn retired from her duties to focus on health and family in her final year, and while we are tremendously sad that she is gone, her fire, commitment, and example will long be part of our legacy and an approach that helps drive our team to success in the future. Marilyn leaves behind a husband, Bill, and daughters Nicole and Danielle. Rest In Peace, dearest Marilyn. We are eternally grateful to have known you. — The Beacon Media Group TeamShow more

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John Hall began his career in toys with Child Guidance, which was eventually bought by Gabriel and then by CBS Toys. Ultimately, Hasbro purchased this group and John and his wife, Nancy, moved to Rhod...e Island with their two children, Jonathan and Kirsten, where he had a long career working at Hasbro as Sr VP, Director of Product Development for Playskool. He was affectionately known and embraced the moniker “Dr. No” by toy inventors for his discerning taste. John, with his characteristic dry humor also didn’t mind being referred to as “Dr. Know”. (information from Bob Fuhrer) Show more

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GEORGE PEREZ  (1954 - 2022) - Writer, artist, and humanitarian George Perez died of pancreatic cancer on May 6, at the age of 67. Born in the Bronx in 1954, Perez worked on numerous series for both ...DC and Marvel over the years, as well as for other publishers such as Malibu, CrossGen, and BOOM! Studios. Perez was known for his skill with complicated scenes, and he contributed to such groundbreaking projects as DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths and the Marvel-DC crossover JLA/Avengers. Perez was also one of the founding members of The Hero Initiative, a nonprofit that assists comics creators in need. He received the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award in 2005, and in 2017 he was inducted into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame. READ MORE...Show more

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Robert Krakoff  (October 4, 1940 - April 26, 2022) - Razer co-founder and gaming mouse pioneer. Before Razer the company, there was Razerguy. In 1999, Krakoff was behind the first-ever gaming mou...se: the Razer Boomslang. Not only was it the foundation of Razer’s now-massive lineup of gaming mice, it arguably jumpstarted the entire gaming peripheral industry. Show more

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Wieland Herold (1950-2022) - (from his son Florian Herold) - Wieland Herold has passed away. Wieland was a lot of things. He was a husband, father of four children, school leader. But he also had a... significant role in the press world of board games. For many years he acted as part of the jury "Game of the Year", as part of the "Göttinger Author Meeting" and as the editor of the magazine "Game and Author". In recent years, he had put his focus on family, but still wrote about games and book reviews for his blog almost daily. At the end of his life, he was still a premier lecturer and photographer. He was a great supporter of the development and the rights of German playwright. What is important, he was also a beloved friend, a four-time grandfather and was always there for the family. In my brother's h2o publication, there will be a game that he has contributed a lot to soon. This was the first time he worked hard on a game himself. It comforts me because after his death there will be something of him that will always remind me of him. At the end of his life, he was not alone. I asked him if anything is still open? He said “No, that’s all said.” His words remain. He was a master of words. If you want to know more about him, you can read it at: http://www.mit80.de/ His last post is from mid-December. As long as he could, he always wrote texts. I miss him every second. He was my father. Florian HeroldShow more

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Streamer, voice actor and consultant Undrea Leach passed away in February. As reported by Game Developer, Leach entered the games industry via her work as a Twitch streamer, and later expanded into vo...ice acting, appearing in indie titles such as Last Line of Retreat and Starcrossed. Leech also worked as a diversity consultant, and co-ran an initiative that helped industry professionals look for new jobs in games alongside writer Mitch Dyer. Peers and friends shared tributes to Leach via Twitter. Fellow streamer Brooklyn (bklynbridge) said "she was a light in countless lives and she is missed terribly," while Dyer commented: "This is devastating. Nothing but love to her friends and family." Leach's family is raising funds via GoFundMe to cover burial costs.Show more

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