This is a copy of the “script” we used to organise Brainwaves Episode 157. It is not a full transcript but should give you an overview of the news as we reported it. Quotes are in italics.
Headlines
Diamond files for bankruptcy
https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/58618/diamond-files-reorganization-under-chapter-11-bankruptcy
- Diamond Comic Distributors, a leading American distributor of comic books, graphic novels and pop culture merchandise, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
- The bankruptcy petition lists 30 unsecured creditors, with Penguin Random House as the largest, owed $9.2 million. Other major creditors include Bandai ($4.3 million), NECA ($2.6 million), Wizards of the Coast ($914,602) and Hasbro ($1.06 million). Several comic publishers and computer game publishers like Square Enix are also owed significant sums of cash.
- To deal with the situation, Diamond Comic Distributors is working on a restructuring plan that includes selling off major assets.
- At the centre of this plan is Alliance Game Distributors, one of the largest hobby game distributors in the US. It offers an extensive selection of role-playing games, collectable card games, miniatures, board games and hobby accessories.
- Universal Distribution, a UK distributor of a number of high-quality niche products to both trade and retail customers, has signed a non-binding letter of intent to acquire Diamond UK and also submitted a $39 million stalking horse bid for Alliance Game Distributors. A stalking horse bid is an initial offer made on a bankrupt company’s assets in order to establish a minimum purchase price before an auction.
- In a post on Bluesky, Fred Hicks, President of Evil Hat Productions, a US company that produces role-playing games and other tabletop games, warned that cashing in checks issued by Alliance Game Distributors is being blocked.
- Hicks said this:
- “They just put in a stop order on a check from 12/20/2024 that I deposited recently to the tune of $8k.”
- Diamond Comic Distributors is also exploring the sale of its remaining divisions, including Diamond Book Distributors, Diamond Select Toys and the Collectible Grading Authority.
- Thank you to Corey from our Discord for bringing this to our attention.
Asmodee may not Embrace
https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2025/01/29/star-wars-lego-lord-of-the-rings-games-drive-29-year-on-year-growth-for-asmodee-studios-as-company-prepares-to-split-from-embracer-next-week/
- As the end of the financial year approaches, we see a lot of companies bringing their financial reports out for the final financial quarter of 2024.
- Asmodee, the board game giant that owns many studios and is itself owned by Swedish media holding company Embracer Group, has had a notably strong quarter, with its net sales up 11.1% to 429 million Euros and the studio itself expecting game growth from its own studios to hit 29%.
- A lot of this is down to games based on third-party Intellectual Properties, namely Lord Of The Rings (its 7 Wonders reskin Duel For Middle Earth, Star Wars: Unlimited (a Trading Card Game based in a Galaxy Far Far Away) and Lego’s new board game Monkey Palace.
- Asmodee was taken over by Embracer in March 2022 in a 2.75 billion Euro deal. As we have reported previously on Brainwaves, Embracer’s fortunes have been somewhat rocky of late and in April 2024 it put 900 million euros of debt onto Asmodee, which was then reduced by 400 million after a cash injection by Embracer- 300 million of which is going to repay debt.
- On February 7th, Asmodee shares will trade as themselves again on the Stockholm stock exchange after April’s announcement that Asmodee will spin off from parents Embracer this week.
- Tomas Koegler, Asmodee CEO since September 2024 said of the split:
- “It’s a project that’s very dear to my heart. Until now Asmodee has remained a corporate, B2B (business to business) brand. It’s time to make it a consumer facing brand, complementary to our fan-beloved products and studio brands. But having Asmodee as a strong consumer brand will serve as a seal of quality, improve recommendation across products, across studio brands, across play types… leading to more sales.”
Ennies cave over AI inclusion
- The Ennie Awards are a yearly celebration of the world of Tabletop RPGs. It started on the site ENworld, and RPG news and information site, and now has its own dedicated site and a prime place in the culture of RPGs.
- In 2024 and this year, the Ennies have come under fire for letting works that had AI-generated content into the competition. It was arranged such that if your product had AI art it couldn’t be in an art award category. You had to self-declare if you were using AI in your product.
- Voices against this direction crew louder this year and the Ennies have said they will change their policy for 2025.
- In a press release on the Ennie awards site, they say this
- In response to this feedback, the ENNIE Awards are amending their policy regarding generative AI. Beginning with the 2025-2026 submission cycle, the ENNIE Awards will no longer accept any products containing generative AI or created with the assistance of Large Language Models or similar technologies for visual, written, or edited content. Creators wishing to submit products must ensure that no AI-generated elements are included in their works. While it is not feasible to retroactively alter the rules for the 2024-2025 season, this revised policy reflects the ENNIE Awards commitment to celebrating the human creativity at the heart of the TTRPG community. The ENNIES remain a small, volunteer-run organization that values the ability to adapt quickly, when necessary, despite the challenges inherent in their mission.
Updates
Webcomic Name lawsuit settled
https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/259248/golden-bell-affiliated-projects-and-companies
- Back in Episode 140, we reported on the lawsuit between notorious publisher Golden Bell and webcomic creator Alex Norris who created the ‘Webcomic Name’ series. This series presents a 3-panel comic with a creature saying ‘oh no’ in the end panel.
- For those not familiar with Golden Bell they practically have their own segment on Brainwaves. They are a publisher who has repeatedly been responsible for late Kickstarter campaigns most famously with the game Unbroken. Golden Bell has multiple late and failed projects under its belt. If you are ever approached by Golden Bell to publish your game our advice is to run very fast in the other direction.
- Golden Bell had tried to claim they had all the rights to Alex’s work when he entered into a relationship with them to publish a game based on the comic. An initial lawsuit in 2022 had almost come to a conclusion when in March 2024 he was sued again.
- It seems like this saga has now come to a conclusion with Alex posting this on the GoFundMe he started to fight the lawsuit.
- Alex Norris and Golden Bell have settled their respective legal cases out of court to their mutual satisfaction. Golden Bell will retain their right to make Webcomic Name plush toys, a physical card game and a digital game, one expansion pack to the game, and a Webcomic Name book featuring Animals. Alex Norris will retain the rights to their characters, trademarks, and copyrights of the Webcomic Name Intellectual Property. Golden Bell and Alex Norris are excited to bring these exclusive products to the fans of Webcomic Name and to move forward now that these matters have been resolved.
Evil Genius Games continue to live up to the first part of their name
https://www.enworld.org/threads/the-rise-and-fall-of-evil-genius-games.702617/
- We first reported on RPG publisher Evil Genius Games when a deal fell through between them and streaming service Netflix to produce an RPG with the Rebel Moon franchise. Rebel Moon is the latest opus from filmmaker Zack Snyder.
- Over the last year, they came under fire for trying to integrate web3 technology, read bitcoin etc., into their company plans and also for mistreatment of staff that led to the company reducing its size significantly as they went into 2024.
- Now it seems like the CEO Dave Scott is trying to remove any mention of the controversies the firm has been involved with by asking folks to take down posts. A Reddit user posted about this and we believe ENworld that posted an investigation into the company has also been approached.
- This of course has had the exact opposite effect that Dave Scott wanted, drawing attention once more to the ENworld post in question. For those not familiar this is called the Barbara Streisand effect. It’s named after the famous singer who tried to suppress photos of her Malibu home thus drawing attention to its location. It has since been used in popular culture to mean drawing attention to something by the act of trying to stop people from looking at it.
News
Wizards of the Coast drops support for marginalised gender competition
- VML, a community that supports people of marginalized genders and that hosts Magic the Gathering tournaments on MTG Arena and streams them live via Twitch, announced on the 20th of January in a Bluesky post that Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of Magic the Gathering and owner of MTG Arena, had stopped their support of VML by withdrawing funding and no longer offering invites to Organized Play events.
- As a direct result of Wizards of the Coast’s actions, VML is no longer able to continue the league and there will be no more VML seasons.
- Over the past five years, VML has helped to change the competitive play of Magic the Gathering for the better by increasing the representation of people of marginalized genders and making the community a more diverse, vibrant and inclusive place.
- In their Bluesky post, VML thanks all the organizations who have worked with them and supported the cause and the many wonderful creators, personalities and players who have contributed.
- VML finished their post with these words:
- “To everyone who has been a part of the team here: you have all been brilliant, and without your passion and dedication we would not have made it this far. Every single one of you has gone above and beyond, giving your time and effort generously to the program and you should be extremely proud of yourselves.
- “Finally, to our awesome community: we’re sorry that we couldn’t keep this project going. We know how much the VML has meant to you. Thank you so much to every single person who has competed, written articles, made graphs, cheered their friends, and otherwise been a part of this movement. The VML community will always be a safe space and home for you and for anyone of marginalized gender in this game.”
- Thank you to Corey from our Discord for bringing this to our attention.
Man vs Meeple and CMON
- Cool Mini or Not, the publisher of Zombicide and various other miniature heavy board games, has announced a new hire.
- David Waybright of YouTube games channel Man Vs Meeple is to be the new Global Marketing Director.
- David will be taking on the role full-time while continuing to run Man Vs Meeple.
- The hire comes at a tumultuous time for the company as revenues have fallen over the last year and they made a switch to Gamefound in an exclusive crowdfunding deal.
- Waybright was interviewed by Boardgamewire and said this when asked about balancing his new role with his commitments at Man vs Meeple
- “Our approach to content has always been an evolving thing, so that will continue, but I don’t see things ‘wildly’ changing. Viewers might see slightly less paid previews, and maybe slightly more original content, and I’ll mostly try to limit my involvement on the post-production side of things.
- “When it comes to CMON products, I don’t think we need to adjust much at all. Like I said, I’ve been a fan of many CMON games since [Death May Die], and I don’t see any reason to mask my feelings on that front.
- CMON co-CEO David Doust said of the hire
- “We are thrilled to have David joining the team in this role, and look forward to the impact of the experience he brings. He’ll bring a welcome perspective to all aspects of our operations, and lead marketing for everything we do.”
Outcry in Italy over Mafia game
- We all know that every day, tabletop gaming becomes a bigger part of the wider cultural landscape. This is demonstrated by a recent Guardian Newspaper article, detailing issues with a game releasing in Italy.
- La Familiga: The Great Mafia War was released in 2023 but has only just received an Italian translation.
- As you might imagine, the setting of the game has gathered some controversy in Italy where many have had relatives killed by La Cosa Nostra and associated criminal organisations.
- Maria Falcone, whose father was a judge killed by La Cosa Nostra said this to the Corriere della Sera newspaper
- “I don’t understand how it is possible that someone thought of this game, which plays with the feelings of those who have lost their lives serving the state. The mafia has only created death in Sicily and Italy. A game like this offends the memory of all those who contributed to freeing this land [of organised crime].”
- The game’s designer, Maximilian Maria Thiel said this in response to the controversy
- “First of all, I am very sorry if anyone feels hurt or offended by this game. This was not our intention. In this game, only mobsters kill each other. So I don’t see the problem – apart from the theme, which for some seems to be a trigger. In addition, the game is deliberately kept very abstract [blocks instead of figures] so that these murders are not made conscious in the game.”
As d’Or nominees
- Might be the earliest for award season this year, with the nominations for the As d’Or, the highest board game prize in France.
- In the General Game of the Year category we have Captain Flip by Paolo Mori and Remo Conzadori, For A Crown by Maxime Rambourg and Odin by Yohan Goh, Hope Hwang and Gary Kim.
- The Expert Game category has Daybreak by Matt Leacock and Matteo Menapace, Kutná Hora: The City of Silver by Ondřej Bystroň, Petr Čáslava and Pavel Jarosch, and Sankoré: The Pride of Mansa Musa by Mandela Fernandez-Grandon and Fabio Lopiano
- For the Children’s Game category, there is Spotlight from Hjalmar Hach and Lorenzo Silva, Mimose & Sam et le Voleur de Fruits by Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance, and Operation Noisettes from Jerome Soleil and Emilie Soleil
- Finally, for ‘Initie’ Game of the Year, where it is somewhere in between expert and general, we have Behind by Cédric Millet, Harmonies by Johan Benvenuto, and Kronologic: Paris 1920 by Fabien Gridel, Yoann Levet
- Congratulations to all the nominees and we’ll cover the winners as and when they are announced.
BGA Awards 2025
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=40673
- Board Game Arena, the online board game platform owned by Asmodee, has announced its 2025 Awards and is inviting everyone to vote.
- Board Game Arena wants the Awards to allow people to discover new games, share strategies and generally come together and share their passion for board games.
- Board Game Arena has selected a number of games released on the platform in 2024 that were most popular with players and divided them into five categories, with four games in each category.
- The categories are Best Casual Game, Best Regular Game, Best Expert Game, Best 2-player Game and Best Animal Theme.
- You don’t have to vote in every category, but if you want to vote for your favourite game, you have to have played all of the games in a given category at least once.
- You can keep changing your votes until the deadline of the 3rd of February.
- If you want to take part, go to the link we’ve shared in the show notes.
Devir acquires publisher Maldito Games
https://devirgames.com/devir-acquires-publisher-maldito-games
- Devir, the Spanish publisher and distributor of games such as Bitoku, Mazescape and Yokai Sketch, announced on Wednesday the 15th of January that it bought Maldito Games, another Spanish publisher.
- Maldito Games is adding its catalogue of over 300 games, which includes many well-known titles such as Terraforming Mars, Brass Birmingham, Anachrony and Wingspan to Devir’s own catalogue of over 600 titles.
- Devir will keep the Maldito Games brand separate, to allow each brand to grow and develop its own identity and allow the company to diversify its offerings and serve different segments of the board game market.
- Both brands will be based in newly-opened offices in Barcelona.
- Quim Dorca, Chief Marketing Officer of Devir said this about the acquisition:
- “Adding Maldito Games to the group reinforces our movement into the expert-level games territory. More than 300 titles unlock the potential to impact points of sale, fans and consumers.
- Francisco Álamo, Chief Executive Officer of Maldito Games added this:
- “The agreement with a model company like Devir represents an excellent opportunity for our brand and guarantees a new phase in which hits like Wingspan and Everdell will have a bigger impact and reach more players around the world.”
Games Workshop trade grows, but online shrinks
- Games Workshop, the tabletop miniatures manufacturer known for games such as Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar, announced on the 14th of January in their investor update a 16% increase in global sales for the last 6 months of 2024.
- The growth is attributed to successful product launches, with new editions of Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team generating a lot of interest.
- Sales through third-party retailers grew by an impressive 24.3%, and Games Workshop’s own stores recorded a 13.3% rise, showing renewed customer interest after slower summer months.
- In contrast, online sales dropped by 4%, with physical products declining by over 12% year-on-year.
- The company acknowledged difficulties in fulfilling online orders promptly, which has contributed to the slowdown, but has taken steps to address ongoing operational challenges.
- Investments in new manufacturing facilities, including a planned factory and a dedicated paint production site costing around £12 million, aim to boost efficiency and better meet customer demand.
- The company is also preparing to open a new warehouse in Sydney, supported by a global IT upgrade, which will help improve stock availability and order fulfilment.
- Despite the challenges in the online segment, Games Workshop remains highly profitable, reporting £95.2 million in net profit for the period, equating to a 32% margin.
Jobs, Opportunities, and Events
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TabletopJobs
Beachhead Expo
- This coming weekend, the Beachhead Expo is taking place in Bournemouth.
- The convention covers all sorts of board games as well as tournaments, traders, and cosplay competitions.
- Thanks very much to Dan from the expo for inviting us along to it. Unfortunately, we can’t make it, but we hope some of you can go along and tell us what it is like.
Diana Jones Award submissions are open
- The Diana Jones Emerging Designer Award are now open for submissions with the deadline being the 14th of February.
- The Award is aimed at folk who are just starting their game design journey and is aimed at groups that have historically been excluded from the wider hobby conversation.
- The prize provides support and tools to help designers on their journey. This will include a $2000 travel reimbursement for Gencon 2025, a daily food allowance for the convention, and $2000 towards helping them present their work at the convention. Other prizes are to be announced but have in the past included prototyping credit at sites like The Game Crafter
- Eligible designers should have released their first game no more than 3 years ago. This release could be free, Pay what you want, or a more traditional commercial product.
- Further details and submission form are on the Diana Jones website
Green Games Guide Award
- If you think your game has great environmental credentials, then you might want to consider submitting it for the Green Games Guide
- The Green Games Guide was launched last year as an initiative from various game designers, publishers, and GAMA (The American Game Manufacturers Association). The aim was to put out information on how to move your production towards more sustainable methods of production.
- Now the organisation is looking for submissions for games that fulfill this drive to be more sustainably produced. You can submit games up to the 28th of February.
TTRPG Bundles
https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Resistance
https://takethisorg.itch.io/solo-but-not-alone-5
- With the recent changes in the American political landscape and the rise of the far right around the globe, it is easy to feel helpless against the rising tide of Fascism.
- A little sliver of hope is to be found in the world of tabletop gaming. Not only did some of the largest RPG Reddits recently ban all links to Twitter after Elon Musk’s Sieg Heil at the inauguration but a bunch of TTRPG designers have a bundle of games that will raise money for the Centre for Constitutional Rights. This organisation works on advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution.
- Another bundle has returned for its 5th year. The “Solo but not Alone” bundle are a variety of solo RPGs that raise money for Take This, a charity that specifically support those with mental health issues in the gaming community and the games industry.
Hasbro’s history with the Magdalene Laundries
You should read this
https://web.archive.org/web/20241125184313/https://littleatoms.com/penance-industry
Oliver
Patreon Shoutouts
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Outro
Pictionary vs AI
- With all the hullabaloo over Artificial Intelligence it’s nice sometimes to get back to solid board games we all know and love and play… a game with AI?
- From Mattel, purveyors of plastic and pasteboard like Barbie and Uno, comes Pictionary vs AI. Yep, why let fleshbags guess your half-formed scribbles when you can rely on machine learning?
- A player draws a picture from a clue (so far so Pictionary), but in this version other players then bet if the AI will guess it right or not. Then you show the AI (through an app) and players get points based on if they bet the right way.
- On the website, there are a number of 1-star reviews, citing issues with connecting to the app and the AI not guessing things correctly.
- Mattel promises a “truly unique gaming experience”. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer people guessing than propping up an inherently unreliable technology that will learn from my awful scribbles. That’s how we beat the machines, with bad pictograms.
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