126 - Wizards' Union, Game Store Day 2, and CMON loses an Adventure

Hey guys, Jamie's back from Essen. It's cool.

Jamie is out and about (in Germany!) so we are missing this week and will see you next month!

John and Jamie support a WOTC Union, talk about how Jamie finally made contact with Mike Didymus-True, and how he can't stop reading DCC.

Jamie and John get into Dick's sporting good's insane Pokemon markup (and how it's insane they sell them at all), Netflix next (most likely doomed) D&D pitch, and Jamie ruins a Grant Lyons joke for ticket holders (Come see him Oct 3!)Chapters00:00 The Pokemon Card Controversy02:37 Changes in Leadership10:32 Health and Wellness13:35 Board Game Reviews19:33 New Game Experiences21:35 Board Game Comparisons24:11 Pokemon Card Game Craze25:05 Challenges in Pokemon Card Acquisition26:48 High Demand and Scalping in Pokemon Card Market27:14 Pokemon Card Pricing and Market Dynamics28:03 Retailer Challenges with Pokemon Card Sales29:03 Pokemon Card Market and Scalping Issues31:05 Street Dates and Product Availability35:40 Upper Deck and Hasbro New Games41:16 Upper Deck's Partner Agreement45:05 Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series46:00 Ravenloft Series Announcement53:23 Catan's Expansion into Sports Marketing57:49 New Board Games and Expansions01:03:26 Miniature Games and Trench Crusade01:10:22 FlatCon and Upcoming Events01:18:05 Gaming and Entertainment Updates01:28:11 PlayStation 5 and Disc Drives Debate

Ian (Co-creative director and lead programmer on Dungeon Crawler Carl on Multimorphic's P3 pinball platform) joins Jamie and John to talk about Pinball, AI, and how in person entertainment continues to be on the rise!

Jamie and John discuss how Diamond is finally relenting to the owners of the products they hold, how the Ukrainian war has hit close to board game home, and John tries to convince you to enjoy a Midnight Burger.

Jamie and John return from the fuge state of Gencon, and talk games, tornados, games, good food, games, and of course, a little Dungeon Crawler Carl.

John almost fubars the episode, but him and Jamie still manage to discuss Spinmaster's new Hellbreak TCG, Gamestop's eyes being bigger than their budget, and Anne Rice's new RPG causing some confusion. Chapters00:00 Tabletop Gaming News and Releases11:53 Cultural Significance of Games30:02 Recognition of Role-Playing in Finland32:12 Influence of Harsh Winters on Gaming Culture33:45 Cultural Heritage of the United States39:27 Potential Acquisition of eBay by GameStop01:13:25 Launch of the Hellbreak TCG01:14:34 RPG Partnerships and Decision-Making01:38:28 Chess Tournaments and Documentary Recommendations01:46:22 Live Music Experiences

Juli Bierwirth, co-creater of Mantis Falls and co-owner of Distant Rabbit Games, talks with John and Jamie about how her past, present, and future hopes in the game industry. Together, they discuss Japan's move to invest in the "geeky" market, and how Nintendo reports Pokemon's new initiative to stop scalping. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Game Development06:02 The Creation of Mantis Falls08:38 Challenges and Triumphs of Game Publishing11:30 Kickstarter and the Board Game Industry20:04 Impact of COVID-19 on Board Gaming28:19 The Unique Gameplay of Mantis Falls36:49 The Evolution of Below the Falls39:02 Game Expansion and Sequel Plans44:08 Sustainability in the Board Game Industry01:00:30 Japanese Government's Support for Entertainment Industry01:11:08 Pokemon Card Scalping Issues01:11:51 Collectible Card Game Market01:31:27 Impact of Tariffs on Board Game Industry01:45:41 Transformers and Scooby-Doo Crossover01:48:47 Gaming Reviews and Critiques01:51:28 New Releases and RPGs02:05:12 Fantasy Books and Graphic Novels02:06:51 Movies and TV Shows

Jamie returns in body (he was always here in spirit) to talk about Paizo being affected by the Diamond Bankruptcy, Pokemon banning card sales at certain events, and Gundam Assemble attempting to get ahead of the 3d printing army.