I don't seem to be able to find any mention of the house book for the remaining 4 houses. Anybody know anything about it? IE: when?
Thanks,
Houses of Hermes: Societates is unofficially expected to be an April 2007 release. (We don't make release dates "official" until we send out formal solicitations to distributors 3-4 months ahead of release.)
the authors, the play-testers, and Atlas Games staff... 
the above named folks are bound not to say what they know...
But if you cant wait, the earlier edition source book on all the Houses - aptly named "Houses of Hermes" - is a recommended source of inspiration. However you can be sure that many things might be different in next years book, so you might want to wait (even though the PDF of the former is available as a cheap download).
My theory is they saved the best for last!
Long live House Tytalus!
My more pedestrian theory is that True Lineages contained information necessary for running stories abou the order (hermetic law, Tribunal proceedings, the functioning of the redcap network) so it had to come first. Mystery cult houses were really a bit adrift without their inner mysteries so they had to come second.
and Tytalus are so cool that they don't need a book. So really, what's the hurry? 
Waah, I want more Ex Misc goodness now. 
My character's is the only one who hasn't had an update in our campaign, and I start to feel jealous. 
Looking forward to it and I'm sure it'll be up to standard with the other books.
HOT
Hmm, so City and Guild is going to be the Fall release, as expected HoH: Societates (Go Flambeau!! Yay Tytalus !!) will be the Spring one (quite likely with the reprint of Mystery Cults, Id' bet), and in all likelihood RoP: Magic will be the Summer one. Would it be too indiscreet to unofficially ask what the Winter one is going to be ? Hedge Magic ? Ancient Magic ? I think either would complete a nice "oddball magic" theme for 2007, with the "ex Misc" and the Magic Realm (you are going to give it a decent name, are you ?) books.
I notice that with the exception of City & Guild, all the upcoming releases stuff that I was aware of is already or almost out (sudden bizarre curiosity: when is an RPG book "officially" out in the industry ? e.g. NDAs expire... When it ships to distributors, or when the first fan is able to grab the first copy e.g. at a convention), therefore I think it's high time to start leaking some unofficial yet solid details about the 2007 release schedule.
Wanderer you asked when a book is "officially" out. It is published (I am not a lawyer) when the book is available for public purchase through a standard channel of distribution. Now, unless it has an embargo date, like Harry Potter books which are shipped and stored until the embargo, so that they can build up large local supplies, that means a book is published when someone tells me that they have received it through a legitmate channel, and it seems overhwlmingly likely that this is true, as indicated by their discussion of its contents.
Since Atlas advertises its books for a few months before publication, that means there's no way an author will be the first person to spill the beans on a book's title or contents.
Yep, and those Big Brother "even if you somehow bought it, you can't read it until release date" court orders. 
Thanks for the explanation. As you may understand, the significant distribution delay for non-U.S. fans may make this a meaningful topic.
Oh, I know it. For this same reason, I waited to make the question to John when he raised the issue of upcoming books for 2007. I just wished to know when the season is truly open for pestering about an upcoming book's details and NDAs are no longer an excuse. 
[i]Wanderer wrote:
I waited to make the question to John when he raised the issue of upcoming books for 2007. I just wished to know when the season is truly open for pestering about an upcoming book's details and NDAs are no longer an excuse.[/i]
As I understand it, Atlas has a policy of not announcing books until they are pretty certain that, saving serious complications, they can deliver on the date, and that means that guessing which book will be where in the schedule is futile. Say the authors on Project X really work their tails off and do a great book really quickly, whereas an author on Book Y gets married and goes to New Zealand for three weeks and begs for more time...it might be that they'd want to swap the two books from the envisaged order, and if they haven't given you cause ot hope for a certain time, they can do that. Again, I'm not an Atlas employee and that's just a guess.
As to NDAs, as I understand it, John is never bound by the NDAs, because he is the Voice of Atlas.
For the reat of us, publication + some time. In my case, I answer simple questions as soon as people have published copies of the books, but leave detailled things until I have the final form, in paper. I'm in Australia, so my copies take months to get here. For example, I received HoH:TM the day before Atlas said they were out at the warehouse.
So, basically, the sign that book details can be discussed is when book details begin being discussed. 
Speaking of which, I should head out to my FLGS to place my order today...
Strictly speaking, NDA's never expire: but what is covered by NDA's does change. The NDA prohibits authors from disclosing Atlas Games trade secrets, and once the book is published, its contents are no longer a trade secret. Details of the writing, development, and editorial process remain trade secrets forever and so remain covered by the NDA.
This makes sense as there could be information that existed in a playtest version that does not make the final version for numerous reasons. That material could at a later date, become published. To reveal that material with out permission would ruin that possibility. Yes.... most interesting.
Yo and behold. Comma 22 is alive and kicking @$$ at Atlas!! 
Thanks for the clarifications, folks. Therefore, as soon as some U.S. fan announces having the book, I can ask for spoilers and rule clarifications. I understand the "playtest cut material" reservation, although in my opinion merely making the fanbase cognizant of the existence and general nature of the cut material generally cannot harm business, quite the contrary.
Timothy: So you wouldn't answer queries for detailed rules clarifications for months after publication ?? Sorry, but that seems insane to me, and I can't see the business benefit from it.
As I said, I understand that John is the only tree to bark for spoilers about upcoming books. And I understand the urge to caution, with the TMRE delay mess. However, I think we are sufficiently close to the first half of the 2007 schedule to begin asking unofficial, hypothetical and noncommittal details from the Mighty and Terrible Voice of Atlas, when he comes back to office , esp. since he started talking about it.
Slacker
If its something that requires me to be certain of the final form of the book, I can't answer it, no. Sometimes I chip in on the basis that I may be wrong, since I'm working from old materials. I do chip in on questions of intent, like "How is this meant to be interpreted?" but in terms of detailled modeling on the book numbers, for example, I left that to other people.
As to business benefit: it's just a courtesy. I don't have current inform,ation, so I don't want to derail debate.
Ahh, I so much understand it better now. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I interpreted it as NDA legal nitpicking. By the way, waiting for your copies for moths must really be a pain in the @$$. Have my sympathy. I mean, waiting a couple weeks for the book to worm its way to Europe while U.S. folks are happily discussing it in forums typically causes me much gnashing of teeth, I can't even begin to think what it would be like to wait months
Waiting months is easy, though, because although the books come sea mail, the cheque comes standard mail. John's willing to send me my author's copies faster, if I pay the postage, and I never do, because I'm a cheapskate. Some of the other authors do this, though.
And it's not really all that big a problem waiting to see the book when you are an author. You know generally what's in it, and you've seen the cover. I doubt I've read "Covenants" cover to cover in paper form. I've looked at all of the pictures and checked certain details for discusssions or errata. I haven't read the Criamon chapter, although I've checked quotes. For RoP:I, when it comes out, I will read it cover to cover, because I didn't do much of it. Also, the illustrations are possibly going to be all demony (and frankly I have no idea what the illustrations will be, OK? I didn't write much of the book, so I have no idea, but hey, it's the demon book...) and I want to see what the line's various illustrators do with them.
I do look forward to discussing the ideas with people, though.
Speaking of demons, I know prides and sin and all. I don't want to contribute to your corruption, but I think of the current generation of Ars authors your my favorite. I'm not privy to the plans for Societates, but I'm hoping you write Tytalus or Flambeau or better yet, both! Love what you've contributed to my favorite game of all time.
Here, here.
Just to massage his ego a little more, Sanctuary of Ice was one of my favourite 4th edition books and I had feared that the long production cycle might have put him off doing any more.
I mean, the quality of this edition is just incredible. We have a lovely set of game mechanics, a maturing setting and a core of very dedicated and capable authors. They're all doing a sterling job. But, I guess I just like to see the Ferguson seal of quality on there...