[zot]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

"Metagaming Concepts", publisher of a popular series of "Microgames". Those came in a little cardboard box smaller than a paperback. Relatively simple games, small map (four or maybe eight times the size of that box), low price -- but a lot of fun. I remember Warp War, Chitin I, Sticks and Stones, Helltank/Helltank Destroyer, and Trailblazer (which I used as an economic system for Starfire). And famously, that was also the original format for Ogre/GEV, Melee, and Wizard. Metagaming published the Advanced Melee, Wizard, and TFT books as well, as well as some TFT adventures in the microgames boxed formats.

SJG got started in 1980, also publishing games in a similar size and format. I think Car Wars was only ever an SJG release, and they kept the rights to Ogre / GEV, so SJG released a version of those games as well.

Metagaming closed up in 1983, I think.

The first ones I bought came in plastic bags with a flap and a piece of tape!

The cardboard boxes were fancier and much later...