Z-G - All About All

Z-G

Z-G was the first collectible action figure game, created by Mark Rein-Hagen as the first product of his solo company, Atomoton. The game was released sometime in 2001. It uses posable 4.5" action figures with 14 points of Articulation and each "unit" comes with 8 interchangeable accessories. One of the more interesting features is that all of the accessories are made to fit any of the other "units." Measurements in the game are in "card lengths", and actions are resolved using a rock, paper, scissors-style mechanic.

Many factors are cited for the failure of Z-G and the subsequent collapse of Atomoton:

• It arrived just as the tech bubble burst, which indirectly crashed the tabletop game market and put dozens of tabletop game companies out of business.
• Its "toy" look drove away miniatures gamers, and its $20 price tag drove away toy collectors.
• The rock, paper, scissors-style conflict resolution system, which worked fine for Rein-Hagen's Vampire: The Masquerade LARP, was considered too random for a strategy game.