The Covenant Cast

A beautiful new customizable, cooperative card game launched by the former head of Fantasy Flight Games, Andrew Navaro, is undeniably going to get our attention. Join us for a conversation about Earthborne Rangers, the first from Earthborne Studios, which will hit Kickstarter on July 27.

Follow the project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/earthbornegames/earthborne-rangers

In a follow up to the previous episode about "old school" organized play, we reflect on another "old school" concept - traveling significant distances to play tabletop games. Between Gen Con and various Flesh and Blood events, it's a joy to rediscover what we so often took for granted - and what we're fortunate enough to do.

Two almost too coincidental announcements happened recently - Magic announced the end of "Pro Magic", including the Pro Tour, while Flesh and Blood announced its new Organized Play structure, which included pathways to its own Pro Tour and World Championship. It's a fascinating moment, and one that may well be formative for the industry when we're looking back in a decade; so let's dive into it.

We originally asked this question in Episode 32 of the cast, when Six Packs Six Weeks was announced for L5R. Now that Arkham Horror has transitioned from 7 SKUs to 2 SKUs, with Investigator and Campaign Expansions, we're back asking the eternal question - what does Living Card Game even mean?

Recent announcements that major publishers - Asmodee, Paizo, Ultra Pro - will not be attending Gen Con 2021 fulfills an assertion from Episode 136 of the cast: breaking habits like convention attendance gives publishers an opportunity to determine what really impacts their bottom line. If sales are unmoved or improved without convention attendance, the logical move is not to return. The upside? A less commercially-centered Gen Con may well be the best Gen Con to date.

During the ongoing research and planning process for our next local store, we've consistently run into paradoxical perspectives about what a store should be (free tables, well-staffed, well-stocked, plentiful events, warehouse pricing) and what is worth paying for (almost nothing). These kinds of paradoxes run up and down the chain, and have for a long time. Is it time to be more realistic?

By the end of last week's episode, it had become clear that there was a lot more to explore on this topic of passion, innovation, and disruption in tabletop games. Are local game stores the next "Blockbuster", or will they drive the next major development in the industry - along with the publishers promoting them? Join us for another tiny sliver of an immense conversation.

It's a classic, near-eternal tale - passion launches something wonderful, and then a shift from those early priorities leaves it vulnerable to disruption. We see this across all industries, from restaurants, to films, to music, and of course right now in tabletop games. Are the titans capable of adapting in time, or is this the beginning of a new, transformative era?

In the midst of a "seller's market" for a good number of games, it's all too easy to curse yourself for selling too soon, or not buying in soon enough, or selling at the wrong price. How far are you willing to push? Retailers and players can quickly find themselves in a devastating spiral, one that applies to every facet of life, and one that we are keen to discuss on this week's episode.

Tabletop games have relied on a number of promotional tools throughout their history, and content previews are at the top of the list. Having now experienced the Flesh and Blood approach of a big "preview season" right before release, we discuss when this tactic works, why it works, and the more general tabletop marketing considerations that publishers and retailers should consider.