1991
- Inspired by a traditional old game, a first
prototype of JUNGLE SPEED was created. The idea wasn't to
try and sell the game but to personalise a game we liked playing
with friends. Any how one day we presented it to an editor but
they just laughed... Then one of the gurus went on a world trip
and the other on something else. The game gets a bit forgotten...
1996 - Meanwhile, the backpacker
guru created during his trip a second prototype
with different shapes. The 2 versions were mixed to create the
final version (take a look at our relics
gallery). Having no money to invest in this project, we
decided to make it our selves by hand except for the cards cut-out.
A to Z home publishing in short! We started distributing it
in underground places around Paris (Pubs, Cafes, concerts...),
The first series was a limited edition of 200 numbered games.
Each game had a different hand painted totem (click
here to see some ...) 1997 - Step by step, we were able
to organize ourselves and from september 1997 we presented the
game in official and more classical organizations like game
& toy fairs. During that time we kept on presenting it in
the bars of Paris. After finishing all the concept around the
game and not knowing what to do with our ten little crazy fingers,
we created an original set to present it. See the special page
"arty". With only about
twenty shops and a few retailers, more than 10000 self published
Jungle speed were sold.
In december 1997, the game gets a reward at the Ludexpo board
games show in Paris.
1998 - We participate at the professional
games fair in Paris where we signed our first contract with
Week-End Games as agents. 1999
- An official contract was signed in july 1998 with Goldsieber
Spiele, a branch of Simba Toys, for the exploitation
of JUNGLE SPEED (renamed ARRIBA) in Germany. >
see a picture of Arriba
2000 - During the year 2000, our
goal was to go further on, so it was decided to let Week
End Games become the editor and take over in a more professional
& business maner. Asmodée
éditonsbeen in charge of the distribution.
2002 - To ease the international
expansion, a new contract was signed with Asmodée
éditons who become editor and distributor of
Jungle Speed.
2003
- Oh YeeEEaah! JUNGLE SPEED is now a best seller
in France. What about the rest of the world? The game is distributed
in Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and Czechia by
Piatnik
(>
see it) ; in
UK by Gibsons
games
(>
see it), in Belgium by Hodin.
s
According to
the recent scientific publications, the origin of
the JUNGLE SPEED seem much more older than
we thought. The researchers think it's as old as three
millions years before our era. But things get a bit
tricky as to name which biped started the whole thing.
A few names were given, specially the australopitec
Gordon. Maybe it's because of these very rare engravings
showing him (see fig.1 & 2). Living in this tough
environment (fig.2), Gedeon must have created it to
think about something different. This theory is confirmed
by the lost of interest in the game that he has shown
since the invention of local pubs.
Upset by these discoveries and full of good will and
justice, we thought we could find his descendants
and share the royalties with them... finally, sorry
for you, we decided to keep them all !
.
Fig.1
Gordon, probably
the original inventor of the JUNGLE PEED
Fig. 2
Gordon shaping a piece of flint to make
it identical (identical to what? He probably
didn't know himself !)
