This is a copy of the “script” we used to organise Brainwaves Episode 154. It is not a full transcript but should give you an overview of the news as we reported it. Quotes are in italics.
Headlines
Tariffs and Trade Rules Tax Tabletop Publishers
https://www.sjgames.com/ill/archive/2024-11-10
- The incoming US administration and changes in trade rules in the EU are causing massive headaches for a range of tabletop publishers.
- Steve Jackson Games took to their website as many publishers in the states started to post their fears about the Trump Administration raising tariffs in relation to goods from China. China is the main manufacturer of all the board games that we enjoy.
- In that post Meredith Placko, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, gives a brief overview of how tariffs work and then goes onto say this
- I’ve been speaking with my shipping representatives about the increasing freight costs we expect to see with a rise in tariffs. We’re already paying extreme freight prices, which will only go up as demand increases. The last time tariffs were levied on Chinese manufactured goods, freight costs went up.
- Now I am in a position that forces me to examine how much we may need to raise prices if the most extreme of the proposed tariffs goes into effect.
- I’m also trying to do right by my staff. But I can only do so much, you know? How long can business owners incur these costs, protect our staff, and not have consumers pay through the nose? Can I accept breaking even for the time being to keep my people employed and our games affordable? But what happens when the company starts losing money?
- Many CEOs and business owners are staring down this reality right now. This isn’t just a theoretical exercise. We have to plan for the worst.
- We’ve seen many US publishers post about their fears that the Trump Administration will make their businesses unviable.
- Meanwhile in the UK, Brexit continues to have repercussions for all businesses.
- A new set of rules is due to come into force at the start of 2025. They are called the General Product Safety Regulation. (GPSR)
- The (GPSR) aims to ensure the safety of products placed on the EU market and protect the health and safety of consumers, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
- Effectively companies need to have a health and safety breakdown of their products and also assign a person who puts their name to this safety certification. That person is called the Authorsied Representative and must be within the EU.
- There are companies that provide this service. When news site Rascal looked into this situation they were quoted between £300 and £3000 a year depending on the scale of the company the service was representing.
- Several creators in the UK have said they are no longer shipping to the EU because of these new regulations. Amongst them is Bad Squiddo Games that makes a diverse range of miniatures. They posted this on Bluesky
- Unless something drastically happens in the next few days, we’re going to have to stop shipping to the EU at the end of the month. That includes to other shops. This is massive. Its why we’re imploring you that if you were thinking of getting anything from us, now is the time.
- Richard Simpson from We’re Not Wizards works with companies listing products on Amazon. Many companies use Fulfilled By Amazon (FBA) to distribute their products. Amazon has recently told UK sellers that if they ship to Northern Ireland they will need to comply with the new regulations.
- Thanks to Corey from our Discord for sourcing both these stories for us. Rascal have a piece on this but it is behind their paywall so we didn’t want to quote from it too much. Please do support them if you can.
Zenobia Award II Winners Announced
- The winners of the second Zenobia Award were announced on 15th of November in a press release published on the SDHist website.
- The Zenobia Award aims to foster diversity in board game design by offering mentoring and guidance to designers from underrepresented backgrounds.
- This year’s competition featured 37 semi-finalists, narrowing down to nine finalists before the winners were chosen.
- The top prize went to The Porters by Lucas Cockburn, Neco Cockburn and Alex Goss. The game explores the experiences of black porters on Canadian railways organising unions while managing the demands of their gruelling jobs. It was praised for its compelling theme, innovative mechanisms and clever design.
- Along with the $1,000 cash prize, the creators also receive a travel grant of equal value to attend a game convention of their choice.
- Two other games earned special recognition as runners-up, each receiving a $500 cash prize:
- Melaka: The Forgotten Empire by Effendy Norzaman is a game that focuses on the Sultanate of Melaka on the Malay peninsula, where players work to build a great empire through a blend of 4X gameplay, action selection and rondel mechanisms. Judges highlighted its creative approach to exploration and its historical grounding.
- Silencio by Luis Salas is a poignant game that centres on a Mexican community’s search for family members who have gone missing during cartel-related violence. The judges commended its balance of complexity and depth as well as its thoughtful engagement with a challenging modern theme.
- Based on past performance, the winning games are likely to reach publication in the coming years.
- The Zenobia Award board thanked the mentors, judges and major sponsors, including Board Game Guides, Fort Circle Games, GMT Games, Leder Games, San Diego Historical Games Convention, Wehrlegig Games and Spielworxx.
Hasbro Sued by Investors
https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/479315/hasbro-investor-lawsuit-pandemic-inventory
- Earlier this month, on the 13th of November 2024, West Palm Beach Firefighters’ Pension Fund filed a lawsuit in New York’s District Court against Hasbro Inc. Hasbro is the company behind brands such as Monopoly, Transformers and Magic: The Gathering.
- The class action lawsuit alleges that Hasbro misled investors about its inventory management and sales performance, which ultimately led to a drop in the company’s share price.
- Hasbro’s inventory issues stem from the pandemic when it overstocked due to the high demand for its products. Hasbro had previously said that this stock was sitting on the books because it
- “reflected outstanding and anticipated demand”
- And not a decrease in demand as was actually the case.
- According to the lawsuit, between January and October 2023, Hasbro repeatedly played down its inventory issues, thereby artificially inflating its stock price.
- That changed when in October 2023 the company forecasted a $50 million one-time cost to address inventory issues, including additional marketing and obsolescence costs. This means the company was effectively writing down some of the stock. As a result of that announcement Hasbro’s stock price saw a sharp drop of 11.7%.
- West Palm Beach Firefighters’ Pension Fund wants to pursue the case as a class action, so that others who bought Hasbro stock during the period between January and October 2023 can join the lawsuit.
- Hasbro has yet to comment publicly on the allegations.
Updates
US Tabletop Unionisation Solicitation
- We’ve reported many times on the unionisation efforts of Tabletop Workers United that are attempting to form a Union across five of the largest games cafes in New York.
- On October the 28th they announced their intention to strike.
- Shortly after Rascal was contacted by Mark Smith asking for a donation towards a hardship fund for the union. This comes from a public Rascal article, but you will need to sign up to the site for a free account to access it.
- The journalist contacted, said that it would be unethical for them to contribute. Mark said they hadn’t thought of that.
- Over the course of emails between the two the Rascal representative tried to establish mark’s position in the Union but was unable to do so. The Union said they do not have a member called Mark Smith.
- This might have just been a scam if not for this piece of info. The email that was used to contact Rascal is registered to one of the owners of these cafes Jon Freeman.
- Over the course of the summer the Union has tried to make progress in their demands but a refusal by the owners to even attend negotiations has made that difficult.
- Kit Friedman said of the demonstrations the Union has carried out
- “This demonstration, by the owners’ own admission, brought them back to the table,”“The strength of our collective power is a force to be reckoned with, and as the owners regress on negotiations and continue to disrespect our unit members, we are preparing to wield that power in pursuit of a contract.”
- During recent negotiations, Andy Hoffman, the legal representative for the owners, said that
- “these one day strikes [aren’t] building trust”
- And that
- “More strikes on the weekend, more petitions, more bad vibes in the workplace is only going to limit what we can do for you,”
- While also dismissing employees concerns about having to carry out work in unsafe conditions.
News
Parliamentarian Game Night
https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/spielekultur-landet-im-bundestag
- The German parliament, the Bundestag, recently hosted its first Board Games Evening which was organised by the Spiel des Jahres association.
- With around 60 attendees, including MPs from across the political spectrum, the evening highlighted how games foster teamwork, empathy, and connection in today’s fast-paced world.
- Attendees played a wide range of award-winning games, including Dorfromantik, Cascadia and Fun Facts, sparking laughter and camaraderie throughout the evening.
- Bundestag President Bärbel Bas opened the event by playing Sky Team, this year’s winner of the Spiel des Jahres award. She served as co-pilot alongside Spiel des Jahres chair Harald Schrapers.
- Bärbel Bas said the game’s message was teamwork and jokingly suggested that coalition meetings might benefit from a game of Sky Team to remind everyone of what they have in common.
- Co-host Katrin Budde, chair of the Culture Committee, underlined the cultural importance of board games. She said:
- “People played them thousands of years ago, and they still do today. […] This shows how important games and gaming are to society’s culture.”
- The event also shed light on how board games can bridge generations and address societal challenges.
- Ulrike Bahr, chair of the Family Affairs Committee, said:
- “Playing games is a precious way to spend time together, away from daily stress. It creates moments of connection, which are so rare in our fast-paced times. [For older individuals, games offer] a wonderful way to overcome isolation.”
- Harald Schrapers emphasised the need for greater political recognition of board games when he said:
- “Board games are crucial for family and societal cohesion, combating isolation and as cultural assets. More needs to happen to remove barriers and integrate games into policy discussions.”
- With its success, the event demonstrated how board games can unite people from all walks of life
Asmodee Gets Cash Injection
- In a press release dated 19th of November, Embracer Group has reaffirmed its plans to spin off its subsidiary, Asmodee Group, as a separate entity.
- The spin-off follows Embracer’s ongoing divestment of Easybrain, which will enable a €400 million equity investment in Asmodee. Of this investment, €300 million will be used to reduce Asmodee’s net financial debt, which stood at €893 million on the 30th of September, with €100 million bolstering Asmodee’s balance sheet.
- We would like to remind listeners that back in April when this spin off story first came to light, it was alongside the news that Embracer saddled Asmodee with a 900 million euro loan that Embracer has used to fund the main parts of the company.
- CEO Thomas Kœgler expressed confidence in Asmodee’s growth. He said
- “Asmodee is well-positioned for the future and we are now setting financial targets to reflect our confidence in our growth trajectory. Our aim is to achieve mid-single-digit organic revenue growth over the medium term and an Adjusted EBITDA margin in excess of 18 percent in the medium term. With favorable market dynamics and our focus on innovation and operational efficiency, we are confident in our ability to enhance our products and deliver sustainable value to our stakeholders.”
- The spin-off and strategic refinancing aim to position Asmodee for sustainable growth and maximise shareholder value, while allowing the company to continue with mergers and acquisitions.
- At a meeting on the same days as the press release Koegler said that Asmodee is looking to expand once more in a similar fashion to its rapid acquisition of companies after being bought by Eurazeo in 2014.
- He said of the companies targeted for acquisiton
- “They are most of them business partners of ours on a daily basis, spread through publishing and distribution capabilities, mainly on the publishing side – and we are quite excited to reignite our second growth engine through acquisitions.”
- Asmodee also shared some market research that put the global board game market at $13 billion and growing. This is double its value in 2018.
- That research puts annual growth around 4% and sees the market hitting a valuation of $15.6 billion by 2028.
Obituaries
Amber Cook
https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/58275/r-i-p-amber-cook
GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/9bkqj-in-memory-of-amber-cook-support-her-son-james
- Amber Cook, a respected veteran of the games industry, passed away unexpectedly on October 25, 2024.
- Known for her behind-the-scenes contributions, Cook played a pivotal role in branding and business development for numerous games and projects.
- Her career highlights include work with Looney Labs, Asmodee Group and Roll20.
- She was also instrumental in the re-launch of Free RPG Day, a founding member of the American Tabletop Awards, fundraising co-chair for the Rose Gauntlet Foundation and contributed to the rebranding of Games and Stuff, the store run by her partner, Paul Alexander Butler.
- People from the industry, including Eric Lang and Gil Hova, shared their condolences on social media.
- Amber is survived by her son, James, and a GoFundMe campaign was set up by Paul Alexander Butler, Nicole Hoye, and Jayme Marie Boucher to support James’ education, medical expenses and daily needs. There is a link to the campaign in the show notes.
Kory Heath
https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/1/blogpost/167622/in-memoriam-kory-heath
- Game designer Kory Heath took his own life on the 18th of November after enduring years of chronic pain and depression.
- Kory was best known for creating Zendo, an inductive logic game that combines simplicity with intellectual challenge, exemplifying his philosophy of “deep thought in the desire for simplicity.”
- His creativity also extended to digital spaces, with the minimalist
yet addictiveiOS puzzle app Blockhouse. - People from the industry, including Geoff Engelstein, Andrew Looney and Dave Chalker, expressed their sadness on social media.
- The Brainwaves team’s thoughts are with Amber and Korey’s family and friends during this difficult time.
Jobs, Opportunities, and Events
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TabletopJobs
Board Game Raffle in Aid of The Trussell Trust / UK Food Banks
https://tabletopgamesblog.com/raffle
- Oliver is hosting a monthly raffle in support of The Trussell Trust, which runs a large number of food banks across the UK.
- Tickets are £1, plus there are bundles available as well.
- You can win prototypes or review copies of games, which have been played a few times, but are still in very good condition, and sometimes there are also brand new games on offer.
- All proceeds, minus platform fees, payment charges and postage costs, go directly to this amazing charity that campaigns for a future where nobody needs to use emergency food.
- This month’s raffle is in full swing, so check it out.
- There is a link in the show notes.
Patreon Shoutouts
Kevin Bertram
James Naylor
Shaun Newan
game-a-lot.fun/en
facebook.com/gamealotboardgames
Our Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/thegiantbrain
Support Us
Fanroll
https://fanrolldice.com/ref/2783
Sir Meeple
Outro
Mystery Monopoly Midden
- Our last story today concerns happenings in Yorkshire and comes to us via Reddit
- A user by the name of “Talking_to_my_diary” posted a topic in the subreddit r/CasualUK entitled: “Anyone wanna play monopoly? Got a neighbour who’s getting rid of a few sets…” with a picture of a front garden in Huntingdon near York, with what appears to be several hundred board games all lying in a heap.
- They clarified slightly later: “Just for reference, I have no idea what’s going on. I just walked past this house and it looks abandoned.”
- The pile consists of predominantly various editions of Monopoly but also Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble and The Game Of Life.
- Commenters were quick to suggest theories as to how the midden manifested. From unsold stock to a scam gone awry. The main agreements were they’ve been fly tipped, and there would be some worth in the (admittedly water damaged) games that wasn’t just Monopoly money.
- This was posted on the 18th of November, and there is currently no word on what has happened since then. With the weather, maybe they are now a soup of cardboard mulch and plastic letters spinning slowly around a wheel.
- Do you, the listener, have any theories? Let us know!
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