Task Force Games

Task Force Games was a tabletop-game publishing company founded in 1979 by Allen Eldridge and Stephen V. Cole. It became particularly associated with simulation-oriented science-fiction and historical games, while also publishing fantasy, role-playing-influenced, and compact microgame products. Its best-known properties were Star Fleet Battles and the Starfire series. Star Fleet Battles remains connected with the work of its original designers through Amarillo Design Bureau, while Starfire later continued under Starfire Design Studio and became the basis for a series of science-fiction novels by David Weber, including In Death Ground, The Shiva Option, and Insurrection. The company’s catalog reflected the design interests of Cole and other creators who emphasized detailed rules, player choice, and customization. In Starfire, players could design starships by selecting and balancing individual systems. Robots! applied a related modular approach to robot construction, requiring players to trade off cost and capability across movement and weapon systems. These design characteristics distinguished many Task Force Games products from contemporary wargames that relied more heavily on fixed forces and predefined units. Task Force Games also published historical games, including Battlewagon and History of the Second World War, and experimented with genre combinations. Supervillains, released in 1982, attempted to combine board-wargame mechanisms with role-playing elements. The company’s Pocket Games line pursued a more accessible format: compact games were sold initially in zip-lock bags and later in shrink-wrap, with a low listed price of $3.95 and rules intended to support relatively quick play. Twenty-two Pocket Games were ultimately released, most using science-fiction or fantasy settings. Some were later enlarged or developed into conventional board games. In early 1982, Task Force Games launched Nexus: The Gaming Connection, a gaming magazine that continued publication through 1987. The company also became the parent of AutoVentures and began releasing that operation’s products, starting with The Road in 1985. Ownership changed substantially during the company’s later history. Allen Eldridge sold Task Force Games to New World Computing in 1988. New World Computing subsequently became a division of The 3DO Company in 1996. During the New World Computing period, the companies attempted to coordinate the release of a board game and a computer game based on King’s Bounty. The two products were ultimately released roughly nine months apart, and Task Force Games was sold to John Olsen during the process. A second Task Force Games edition of the King’s Bounty board game was never released. Later versions of New World Computing’s computer-game concept used the name Heroes of Might & Magic, in part to distinguish it from the separately designed board game. Task Force Games eventually ceased operations. The reference material places the end of the business in 2003, when The 3DO Company went out of business. The company’s legacy survives primarily through the continued publication or later development of several of its game properties and through the influence of its detailed, customizable approach to tabletop design.

Task Force Games began in 1979, founded by Allen Eldridge and Stephen V. Cole. From the outset, the company operated in the tabletop-game market, publishing titles that combined conventional board-game structures with the detailed rules and subject specialization associated with wargaming. Cole designed many of the company’s products, and the catalog developed a strong identity around science-fiction, historical conflict, and player-controlled customization. The company’s most important science-fiction property was Star Fleet Battles. The game became a notable part of Task Force Games’ catalog and was later published by Amarillo Design Bureau, the company associated with its original designers. Task Force Games also published the Starfire series, a space-combat and empire-building line in which players could design the components of their starships. Starfire subsequently continued under Starfire Design Studio and provided the setting for several novels by David Weber, including In Death Ground, The Shiva Option, and Insurrection. Customization was a recurring design principle. In addition to the ship-construction systems in Starfire, Robots! allowed players to assemble individual robots from modular components. Players had to balance the cost and performance of movement systems and weapons, creating armies or forces that were not necessarily identical from one game to another. This approach gave many Task Force Games titles a distinctive degree of player authorship for their period. The publisher was not limited to science fiction. Its historical catalog included Battlewagon and History of the Second World War. It also experimented with hybrid formats. Supervillains, published in 1982, sought to combine a board wargame with role-playing elements, reflecting the company’s willingness to apply simulation and character-oriented ideas across genres. In the early 1980s, Task Force Games developed a second publishing channel through the Pocket Games line. These small-format microgames were initially packaged in zip-lock bags and later in shrink-wrap. They were priced at $3.95 according to the cited retrospective account and were intended to be inexpensive, easy to learn, and relatively quick to play. Twenty-two Pocket Games were released, with all but three using science-fiction or fantasy themes. Several were later expanded into larger board games. The line was subsequently remembered as one of the company’s major commercial and creative successes. Task Force Games also entered gaming media. In early 1982 it launched Nexus: The Gaming Connection, a magazine that remained in publication until 1987. In 1985, the company became the parent of AutoVentures and started releasing that operation’s products, beginning with The Road. Ownership changed in 1988, when Eldridge sold Task Force Games to New World Computing. During this period, the two companies attempted to coordinate a board-game and computer-game release based on King’s Bounty. The releases did not occur simultaneously; they were separated by approximately nine months. Task Force Games was later sold to John Olsen, and it never issued a second version of the King’s Bounty board game. New World Computing’s subsequent computer-game iterations used the title Heroes of Might & Magic, helping differentiate that series from the separately designed board game. New World Computing became a division of The 3DO Company in 1996. The 3DO Company went out of business in 2003, and the available reference identifies that year as the end of Task Force Games. Although the company is defunct, its principal properties, especially Star Fleet Battles and Starfire, continued to have lives beyond the original publisher. Its historical importance rests on the breadth of its catalog, its early compact-game publishing, and its emphasis on modular force design and detailed player-driven systems.

• 2003

  Business ends

  [1]Task Force Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  The 3DO Company goes out of business, marking the end of Task Force Games according to the cited reference.

• 1996

  New World Computing joins The 3DO Company

  [1]Task Force Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  New World Computing becomes a division of The 3DO Company.

• 1988

  Sale to New World Computing

  [1]Task Force Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Allen Eldridge sells Task Force Games to New World Computing.

• 1985

  AutoVentures products enter the catalog

  [1]Task Force Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Task Force Games begins releasing products from AutoVentures after becoming its parent.

• 1982

  Nexus magazine begins publication

  [1]Task Force Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  The company launches Nexus: The Gaming Connection, which remains active through 1987.

• 1979

  Task Force Games is established

  [1]Task Force Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Allen Eldridge and Stephen V. Cole found the tabletop-game publisher.

A designer-led tabletop publisher focused on detailed simulation, science-fiction and historical themes, modular customization, and compact low-cost games.

• Science-fiction tabletop wargame

  Star Fleet Battles

  Star Fleet Battles was Task Force Games’ most prominent property. It used detailed space-combat rules and became closely associated with the work of its original designers. The game was later published by Amarillo Design Bureau, extending the property beyond Task Force Games’ original publishing history.

• Science-fiction space-combat and empire-building game

  Starfire

  The Starfire series emphasized player-designed starships. Players could select individual ship components and create forces around trade-offs between capabilities, giving the series a strong customization focus. The property later moved to Starfire Design Studio and was adapted into novels by David Weber.

• Microgame line

  Pocket Games

  Task Force Games’ Pocket Games were compact, low-cost titles designed to be accessible and quick to play. They were packaged in zip-lock bags and later shrink-wrap, and the line ultimately comprised twenty-two games. Most used science-fiction or fantasy settings, and some were subsequently expanded into larger board games.

• Historical wargame

  Battlewagon

  Battlewagon was one of Task Force Games’ historical games, illustrating the publisher’s activity outside science-fiction and fantasy. The available reference identifies it as part of the company’s historical catalog but does not provide further product specifications.

• Historical wargame

  History of the Second World War

  History of the Second World War was another historical title published by Task Force Games. It formed part of the company’s broader wargame program alongside its science-fiction, fantasy, and microgame lines.

• Hybrid board wargame and role-playing game · 1982

  Supervillains

  Released in 1982, Supervillains attempted to merge board-wargame mechanisms with role-playing elements. It represented Task Force Games’ experimentation with formats that crossed established tabletop-game categories.

• Modular science-fiction tabletop game

  Robots!

  Robots! used a modular construction concept in which players built individual robots from selectable movement and weapon systems. The design required balancing price and functionality, reflecting Task Force Games’ broader interest in customizable forces.

• Gaming magazine · 1982

  Nexus: The Gaming Connection

  Nexus: The Gaming Connection was a magazine launched by Task Force Games in early 1982. It continued publication through 1987 and extended the company’s role from game publishing into gaming media.

• Tabletop game · 1985

  The Road

  The Road was the first product from AutoVentures released by Task Force Games after the publisher became AutoVentures’ parent. The available reference does not provide additional details about its rules or theme.

• 1988

  Sale to New World ComputingM&A

  Background

  Task Force Games underwent an ownership change when co-founder Allen Eldridge sold the company to New World Computing.

  Action taken

  New World Computing acquired Task Force Games and operated it within its corporate structure.

  Aftermath

  New World Computing later became a division of The 3DO Company, while Task Force Games was subsequently sold to John Olsen.

  Source

• Attempted simultaneous King’s Bounty board-game and computer-game releaseProduct launch

  Background

  During the period when Task Force Games was owned by New World Computing, the companies sought to coordinate a board game and a computer game using the King’s Bounty name.

  Action taken

  The two companies planned a simultaneous release of the two versions.

  Aftermath

  The products were released approximately nine months apart. Task Force Games never released a second version of its King’s Bounty board game, and later computer-game versions adopted the Heroes of Might & Magic name to reduce confusion between the separate designs.

  Source

1. 1Task Force Gamesen.wikipedia.org