The Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition is now available everywhere. Check out your local game store, or hit one of the major retailers or online outlets.

Actually, the release has been in progress for awhile. The book was originally due out in March, then delayed to May. Right before the release date, it was delayed until June due to issues at the printer. However, some copies trickled out to stores a bit earlier than the June release date and were sold....possibly because the stores didn't know about the revised date or didn't care about it. Some copies were also given away at Celebration IV. However, as of this week, it should be available at all the usual outlets.

So, about two weeks ago, the Wizards message boards lit up as people began posting all sorts of info for those who couldn't get their hands on a copy yet. A good number of these posts went way over the edge in terms of copying long passages outright from the book - which the moderators finally tried to discourage. Now the boards are extremely active as just about every aspect of the game is discussed, especially those looking for rules clarifications as they learn the revised system. If you're really wanting to know the reason behind a particular decision, check out the boards, it may be there. The designers are responding to some posts directly.

One popular topic is the shape and size of the book. An unusual topic, but WotC really went against convention here by making the book square instead of the usual nearly-letter-sized books common in the RPG industry. It's shorter and a bit wider than the standard WotC books. I'm still deciding if I like it or not. On the plus side, it actually takes up a bit less space on the gaming table, and it's really easy to flip through. It will fit behind a GM screen more easily, at least for me.

When open, the proportions approximate the dimensions of a widescreen movie screen, which is interesting for a movie related game. I don't know if that was intentional. It feels smaller on its own, but comparing it with a regular sized book shows it's not THAT much smaller. All Saga Edition products will be this size, so the system will stand out on store shelves. Actually, it will stick out further on the shelf, and may get hidden inside certain display shelves.

The smaller page size also means there is less on the page, so more flipping is involved sometimes, but I can't get over how much easier it is to flip through...not something I expected. I ran a demo this evening at a local game store and it really became clear how much that helps on a crowded table.

On the minis side, things are just as active as everyone is discussing the new Alliance and Empire set. It's a busy time in Star Wars gaming.

You can check out all of the upcoming Minis and RPG products in the latest Starwars.com article. Note that it looks like the first look at some Force Unleashed related characters will be the in the November release of the related Minis set - months before the release of the video game.