Hi guys... it may have seemed that it had been extremely quiet from my side lately,
but there are many reasons for this. As stated in this message last December,
we were selling out the old batch of Cubedrons (Classic & Standard), Cybedrons and DoTS.
Now this batch will NEVER be made as it used to be, which means: COLLECTIBLE!
And hmmm... Sandy seems to have many left with reduced price!!!

To add to the suspense, please give me ten days to reveal some big news. In fact, those
with "l33t" searching skills may be able to find those news, but even if they do, I will not
confirm or verify anything till the 20th of March! And please, no personal messages,
I am bound by a contract! Ten days isn't that much time anyway, is it?

The new batch will have a couple of extra features (I hope everyone will like them, including the
new name LOL), but the way the puzzle will be solved will not be different. In fact, it is the first
time a serious marketing team has been involved in the process. The new batch will be selling
within 2011. That also means that many other products will be released in a more synchronized
time frame than now.

In addition, I am going to an emergency trip to London (which "may" be related to the above
news! LOL), and if there is anyone who would like to join me to my visit to certain puzzle shops
in the central area at around 18th-20th of March, please let me know ASAP. From previous
posts I have seen that Village Games (at Camden), Hamley's (at Regent St, London), and the
local Toys 'R Us are always worth a visit. It is my first trip ever to the UK, and I am sure I will enjoy it!

Also, there will be some interesting designs coming up this year (e.g. more robust and higher quality
Graphidrons), and my goal will be to have both the Aquadron and the Krystalledron variants (probably
not with the aforementioned names) selling in 2012.

Finally, another trip is awaiting (as usual) for the "2nd Kastellorizian Enigma Congress" at Kastellorizo
island in Greece. The plan is to have a new event: "2011 Megisti Puzzle Olympics" with many prizes.
The dates are 9th and 10th of July (weekend), and anyone interested to attend, please let me know.
I will be too busy to be your guide, but everyone there is super friendly, so you will be fine!

At this event, I plan to bring and showcase some hard to find puzzles to puzzle related people, so if
we have done a deal and I still don't have your puzzle, please send it within the next couple of months.

More to come, and sorry for being too vague right now, but I can promise that you will love the news
in ten days time.




Pantazis


PS. At the second half of the trip, I will be going slightly south to meet a very good puzzle friend,
for some... cycling!

Pantazis, I would love to come up from London, I live about an hour and a half south of it. But unfourtuanately, there aren't many puzzle stores anywhere in England. Even the Toys R Us (well, down in the south anyway) don't sell puzzles. Still, I would like to see if it is possible for me to come.

I suggest to then meet near the Portsmouth area (I will be meeting
the good friend and 10,000 puzzles collector at Stubbington, Hampshire)

Keep in touch!




Pantazis

Yay. Portsmouth! I could walk to there (could take a fair few hours though ). There's a good chance I can come, if all my exams are out the way by that point.

And by definition, I will bring some prototypes... let's see how our timetable goes!
It will be great to meet with as many puzzle people as possible!




Pantazis

Hope you enjoy your visit to the U.K Kastellorizo!

Thanks! I see you are a bit north. I can understand it is a bit far for you.
Anyway, so far we have four people for this "Portsmouth" meeting.




Pantazis

Yes, unfortunately Portsmouth and indeed London are both considerably "out of the way" and although not impossible it would be somewhat of a journey getting there.

Again, hope you have a good time

yes!!!
looks like that extra dollar i paid Sandy for a cubedron with a signature will be the best money i've ever spent!!

seriously though congratulations! i can't wait to see what you have lined up! (only 8 more days!)

as a side note...is this why the pictures of your different cubedrons will not enlarge on your website... you don't want to give too much away? or is it just me and my crappy computer that is having this dfficulty?

also when you are in the uk (i'd love to go ) you should come and see some of ireland ...oh and if you want to bring some of your puzzles too that would be ok

LOL Yeap! At least I have given the "warning" early enough. So the rest should not complain
that they didn't know!



Tell me about it! I can't wait too!!!




The site has always been an "amateur's project" as I created it (and I claim to be no web site
design expert!). But the professionals will take over very soon. I will just sit back and watch!




Would you believe me if I say that the initial plan was to cycle in Ireland?
But sadly, some unfortunate recent events had canceled that option.

But never say never, I will chase that option as your country is beautiful!
Moreover, during my student exchange years I had met some wonderful Irish
people with whom I had many enjoyable fun chats. And maybe this is why my
own accent is not a typical Greek one and sounds more Irish!




Pantazis

I hope it wasn't anything too serious that caused your change of plans, and glad to hear you may someday come to Ireland - there are some really nice cycling tracks in the mountains here, near to where i live coincidentally enough!



i think i'll just refrain from commenting here just in case we do ever meet

Good morning from sunny(!!!) London! (it seems the sun follows me everywhere!)

The deal has been made and will last many years! Here is the link explaining everything...
TV commercials etc are set to follow. But now I am very sorry,
gotta meet my friend, I believe his name is Big Ben!

All comments (bad or good) welcome! LOL




Pantazis

That's awesome Pantazis! I can't wait to see them on the TV. Only two more days until I see you and your puzzles in flesh and blood . Oh, and your friend is St. Steven's Tower, it's the bell that is called Big Ben .

LOL thanks for the clarification!

And here is a better photo (than the tiny one shown in the news) of the first product which will be
coming out within the next 4-5 months(!) in the UK. Rest of the world is also planned.

And the name is... O-G-I-N-O-V!



Part of the deal was to enable the production of new products too, either from
Drumond Park, or from us (MindStrat Puzzles). So thing *will* happen faster from now on!




Pantazis

Nice to hear it Pantazis! Keep up!

Some photos from the London trip:



Here is Laurie Brokenshire, the puzzle friend mentioned above with the 10,000+ puzzles!
Our friendship goes beyond puzzles, as we have met in four different continents!



Luke, Laurie and me at the "LaPaLuPuMe" (aka Laurie's, Pantazis' & Luke's Puzzle Meeting)



Outside Laurie's Twisty Puzzle Cabinet!



Inside Laurie's Twisty Puzzle Cabinet - Part 1.



Inside Laurie's Twisty Puzzle Cabinet - Part 2.



Solving Puzzles!



The colors of the Afrodite puzzle blending nicely with Luke's clothes!
(around his neck is a huge double Moebius metal puzzle!)



Last day at Laurie's kitchen + family



Back to London, strolling around the streets!!!



Puzzles on display outside Harrods!




Pantazis

Thanks for posting the pictures Pantazis. That was a great day, I'm so glad I could make it. Not too long until the next meetup then.

I'll try and get a video of the meetup on YouTube some point this week (maybe).