This is a copy of the “script” we used to organise Brainwaves Episode 146. It is not a full transcript but should give you an overview of the news as we reported it. Quotes are in italics.
Headlines
Roll20 data breach
https://help.roll20.net/hc/en-us/articles/24620372778775-Data-Security-Incident-July-3rd-2024-FAQ
https://blog.roll20.net/posts/conclusion-of-2018-data-breach-investigation
- Roll20, the dominant virtual Tabletop for RPGs, has had a Data Breach.
- Many users of the site were contacted by Roll20 via email and the company also posted an FAQ about the attack on their site. From that post in answer to the question “What Happened” the company posted
- On June 29, 2024, we learned that your personal information in your Roll20.net account may have been exposed when a bad actor gained access to our administrative website account. The bad actor modified one user account, and we promptly reversed those modifications. During this time, the bad actor was able to access and view all user accounts
- The company goes on to say that the attack began at 6:30pm Pacific Standard Time and was dealt with by 7:30pm.
- During the breach the company says the following was exposed
- The user’s first and last name;
- The user’s e-mail address;
- The user’s last known IP address; and
- The last four digits of the user’s credit card, if the user maintained a stored payment method in their Roll20 account.
- They specifically say that passwords were not exposed as they are only stored in a hashed version. Full credit card numbers were protected as they are not kept on the Roll20 servers.
- In the FAQ they answer what they are going to do to prevent such breaches in the future:
- Roll20 has examined and analyzed existing procedures and systems, and, in response to that analysis, is now implementing an action plan which will:
- Further restrict access to the administrative accounts to prevent unauthorized account access;
- Further restrict the data that an administrative user can access; and
- Add enhanced security measures as needed to prevent this incident from happening again.
- This is not the first time that Roll20 has been the victim of a data breach. Back in 2019 Roll20 posted that data from a breach was up for sale on the web. The data represented about 4 million users at the time of the breach. At the time they said they were implementing new security to prevent similar breaches in the future.
2024 WiT Wonder Women Awards Nominations
https://www.womenintoys.com/nominees
https://www.womenintoys.com/wonder-woman-awards
- “Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment”, or WiT for short, is a non-profit organisation based in the US which champions and advocates for the advancement of women through leadership, opportunity and education, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, physical or mental abilities, has announced the nominees for their 2024 WiT Wonder Women Awards.
- While there is a submission fee of USD 100 for nominations, which goes to the WiT Foundation Scholarship Program and funds their activities, companies are encouraged to nominate members of staff and it is possible for anyone to nominate someone for one of the 19 categories.
- To see all nominees for the 2024 Awards, please check out the page on the WiT website, a link to which we’ve put into our show notes.
- We would like to pick out a few names that you may recognise:
- Kendra Vaughan, DEI & Engagement Manager at Exploding Kittens has been nominated as Advocate for Change (*note: DEI = diversity, equity, and inclusion),
- Birgitte Bülow, CEO of Bezzerwizzer Studio, which is an Asmodee company, has been nominated for the Brand Franchise category,
- Carol Mertz, Senior Game Designer at Exploding Kittens is in the Designer/Inventor Corporate category,
- Rebecca Aghakhan Shepard, VP of the franchise Magic: The Gathering at Wizards of the Coast has been nominated for the Inbound Licensing category,
- Dannie Loe, Senior Marketing Manager at Flat River Group is a nominee in the Marketing category,
- Bri Lovett, Vice President and Product Management at Wizards of the Coast has been nominated as Mentor of the Year,
- Kellee Vopelak, Senior Director of Creative Operations at Exploding Kittens has been nominated as Rising Leader < 500 Employees, and
- Marjolein Lubberman, SVP Route To Market at Asmodee is a nominee in the Unsung Hero > 500 Employees category.
- Winners will be announced at the Wonder Women Awards Gala in Los Angeles, USA, on Friday the 13th of September 2024.
- The Brainwaves team would like to congratulate all nominees.
Meeps, the Spiel Essen mascot, is back…
https://www.spiel-essen.de/en/news?view=article&id=172&catid=8
https://www.spiel-essen.de/en/?view=article&id=175&catid=9
- Back in episode 131, we brought you the news that the biggest tabletop games show in the world, Spiel Essen, was being rightly mocked for their use of AI art across the branding for the 2023 show.
- What made this even more bizarre is that the company that runs Spiel Essen, Merz Verlag, had run a competition to design a mascot for the show that everyone had assumed would then be used on the trade dress for the event.
- The company had even posted images of the mascot, which they called Meeps, in some of its advertising for the 2023 show, before cancelling the little animal ambassador for the event and replacing it with AI art.
- Eventually, Merz Verlag announced that they would not be using AI art in the 2024 edition of the show, as we reported in episode 144 of the cast.
- Now there is another twist in the story. The company has now decided to re-introduce its mascot Meeps.
- Not only has Meeps reappeared on various marketing campaigns, including the Spiel Essen website, but it will also feature on various merchandise, including mugs, bags and t-shirts. Meeps will even be available as a cuddly toy and feature in a game specifically designed for the show.
- In “Loot”, designed by Ralf zur Linde and published by Skellig Games, you help Meeps visit as many stands as possible by planning ahead and not letting yourself be pushed into a corner. Spiel Essen calls this game an:
- “exciting, family-friendly roll-and-meeps game for 2-4 players aged 8 and up.”
- So, Meeps is back, stronger than ever – and so far there is no AI art in sight!
News
2023 Charles S. Roberts Awards Winners Announced
- The Charles S. Roberts Awards (or CSR Awards for short) is an annual award that began in 1975 and focuses on “conflict simulation” tabletop war games.
- The award is named in honour of Charles S. Roberts, the founder of Avalon Hill, who is also known as the “Father of Wargaming”.
- In a press release dated 24th of June, the Charles S. Roberts Awards announced the games released during 2023 that won an award.
- The Award is managed by an Award Committee which has no commercial sponsorship and is made up of designers, writers and hobbyists. It is a “people’s award” with winners chosen through votes submitted by fans.
- The list of awards categories is long and includes
- – the Period Awards, which celebrates the best game within a specific historical period, such as ancient or medieval history, or the Napoleonic era,
- – the Mode Awards for the best game using a specific mechanical or design mode, such as best strategic or operational game, and
- – the Capstone Awards, which go to individuals or groups for specific achievements, such as the Chad Jensen Memorial Breakthrough Designer Award.
- Each category is further divided into subcategories, creating a long list of nominees and winners.
- We are unable to mention all the nominees and winners, so for a full list, please check out the link in our show notes.
- You will probably recognise a few publishers, even if you are less familiar with conflict simulation games, such as GMT Games, Osprey Games, Capstone Games, Spielworxx and Holland Spiele.
- The Brainwaves team would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners.
https://www.originsgamefair.com/2023-hall-of-fame-class
- We’re not quite finished with our awards this episode.
- In late June the Origins Game Fair took place in Columbus Ohio, and as part of the fair, they have the Origins Awards.
- 24 awards in all, covering strategy games, RPGs, gateway games, art, writing and accessories to name but a few.
- Sky Team from Scorpion Masque won Best Co-op board game (seems to be doing well in awards this year), DIE the RPG from Rowan, Rook and Deckard won Best Role-Playing Game Core Product. Kwanchai Moriya won Best 2D Artwork for Empire’s End from Brotherwise Games. (Jamie is a big fan of Kwanchai Moriya’s art)
- Hall of Fame inductees this year include Martin Wallace, Cyberpunk series and Mathias Wige, designer of zoo-em-up Ark Nova
- Unknown at this point who constitutes the jury at Origins, but you can apply to be one on the Origins website. It is part of the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design, which is itself part of the “non-profit trade organisation dedicated to serving the hobby games industry”, the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
- Congratulations to all the winners.
Mattel colourblind accessible
- Mattel has been on a good run recently with the Barbie film raking in tons of cash and paving the way for a host of new toy and game films.
- But that is not important right now, for Mattel has made a big announcement in the field of accessibility. Mattel PR have said 80% of their games portfolio will be colourblind accessible by the end of this year, and that will be up to 90% by the end of 2025.
- Some of the initial games will include block placer Blokus, simian suppressor Tumblin’ Monkeys, and, well, Uno. The physical pieces will have 3d tactile elements and Uno will have symbols next to the numbers to distinguish the different colours apart.
- Mobile versions will follow.
- Ray Adler, Vice President, Global Head of Games said:
- “At Mattel, we are proud that our portfolio of games continues to bring people together – transcending languages and cultures – and this initiative to offer more colorblind accessible games is another proof point on our inclusivity journey…We’re proud to help spread awareness for the colorblind community and make our products accessible for more people, so that all fans can come together and enjoy universal gameplay.”
Obituaries
Andreas Mutschke, Spiel der Jahres Jury Member and one of the Founders of Fairplay Magazine, Dies
https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/in-gedenken-an-andreas-mutschke
- The Spiel des Jahres association recently announced the passing of Andreas Mutschke.
- Andreas died of a sudden cardiac arrest on the 27th of June 2024.
- He had played many roles in the industry in Germany.
- He was a member of the Spiel des Jahres jury from 1992 until 2001.
- He was co-founder of the independent German board game magazine “Fairplay”, for which he contributed countless reviews and other articles.
- He also ran the online shop Vintique Toys, where he offered classic board and card games, a significant portion from before World War I, alongside old toys and children’s science kits.
- Toys and games had always been close to his heart, but he saw them not just as commercial products, but as cultural assets that needed to be preserved.
- Andreas was a very well-respected person and will clearly be missed.
Jobs, Opportunities, and Events
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TabletopJobs
Ravensburger Game Inventor Days
https://www.ravensburger.de/de-DE/entdecken/spiele/game-inventor-days#Englisch
- If you’re a budding game designer, then you might be interested in Ravensburger’s Game Inventor Days, which will take place online on the 12th and 13th of July.
- Ravensburger, the German publisher of board games, puzzles and German-language children’s and young adult books, has announced that they want to hear from game designers from anywhere in the world.
- There is an online application form, a link to which you will find in the show notes, where you can find out more information about the kinds of games that Ravensburger is looking for.
- If you are interested, use the application form to submit a brief description of up to two game ideas, with key details such as the number of players, game duration, age group, target group and level of difficulty. The two game ideas must have already been successfully tested with at least five different players and rules must have already been written.
- If your application is successful, you get a half-hour time slot to present up to two ideas, ten minutes each, via a video call.
- If the editorial team likes one or both of your ideas, you will be asked to send a working prototype with game rules for further testing.
- Ravensburger will give all successful applicants extensive feedback, whether or not they decide to publish your game.
GAMA Horizons Fellowship Applications Now Open
https://www.gama.org/page/Horizons
- GAMA, the Game Manufacturers Association, a US-based non-profit trade organisation dedicated to serving the hobby games industry, has announced that applications for their Horizons Fellowship are now open.
- The GAMA Horizons Fellowship, which was created by GAMA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, is an eight-month programme for prospective and newly established tabletop game publishers and retail store owners from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
- Now in its 4th year, the Horizons Fellowship connects participants with industry professionals who will mentor and act as peers to successful applicants.
- The Horizons Fellowship also provides access to grants and resources essential to developing and sustaining successful business relationships.
- Successful applicants will start the program in September, which includes travel and accommodations for the GAMA Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, USA from the 23rd to the 27th of February 23-27 2025, as well as the Origins Game Fair running from the 18th to the 22nd of June 2025.
- There is more information on the Horizons Fellowship website, a link to which is in our show notes.
- So if you’re a budding publisher or retailer that is at least 51% owned and/or operated by members of historically underrepresented communities, then please take a closer look.
Rascal Pledge Drive
https://www.rascal.news/audience-appreciation
Patreon Shoutouts
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Outro
Rubik’s Cube 50th anniversary
- 2024 is not only the fiftieth anniversary of a certain roleplaying game it is also the fiftieth anniversary of a legendary puzzle game.
- In 1974, Hungarian professor of architecture Erno Rubik created a three-dimensional cube to teach his students about 3D spaces. A year later he patented the mechanism in his Magic Cube and it made huge waves at toy fairs around the world and was officially renamed the Rubik’s Cube in 1980.
- Last year a new world record was set for solving a cube, at 3.13 seconds by Max Park. Bearing in mind that there are (according to the Rubik’s Cube website) over 43 quintillion possible combinations for a cube to be in. A quintillion has 18 zeroes.
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