The Big Announcement

Now that we've reached 100 backers, it's time to lift the curtain on something we've had in the works. When this project first kicked off, Evil Hat Productions (www.evilhat.com) offered to sponsor whatever amount we fell short of our fundraising goal by. Thanks to your enthusiastic generosity, that just wasn't necessary. But Evil Hat has stayed interested since that point, looking at ways we can work together to make sure Happy Birthday Robot reaches as many fans -- and kids -- as it possibly can.

Today, I can confirm that with Evil Hat's help, Happy Birthday Robot's first printing will run over 500 copies, making it possible for the game to have a broader reach -- getting into game stores, schools, and libraries as well as direct to fans on the web. Once the book is released, copies will be available for purchase through Evil Hat and through Evil Hat's distribution partners (Indie Press Revolution, Alliance, Esdevium, and others).

As far as branding goes, Happy Birthday Robot will still be under a "Smart Play Games" label. From one perspective, Evil Hat is stepping in as an "angel" partner, covering any remaining financial risk and making sure that the book stays in print. From another perspective, Smart Play Games is hiring Evil Hat to do the publication job, handling all that messy business stuff so I can focus on supporting the game and the fans.

So that's the big surprise! Happy Birthday Robot will be on game store shelves, thanks to the help of Evil Hat Productions.

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