'Mostly dumb' Lorcana lawsuit filing, Cthulhu Wars Kickstarter chaos
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Ravensburger, which was sued by fellow game maker Upper Deck last month for allegedly stealing one of its in-design games to make the upcoming Disney Lorcana TCG, has finally filed a motion to have the case dismissed. One prominent intellectual property lawyer has called the Ravensburger filing “mostly a dumb motion” - but said one particular argument by Ravensburger could spell very bad news for Upper Deck if it stands up. Another nightmare Kickstarter situation has reared it betentacled head too, with Petersen Games becoming the latest publisher to ask backers to pay extra cash or risk a four-and-a-half year delay in receiving their already overdue games.
Lawyer brands Ravensburger’s filing to dismiss Upper Deck’s Lorcana lawsuit as ‘mostly a dumb motion’
Board game publishing major Ravensburger has filed to dismiss a lawsuit from Upper Deck that claims it stole the design for upcoming Disney trading card game Lorcana. Ravensburger’s legal advisor Brian Lewis, a veteran TCG law expert who was previously general counsel at Wizards of the Coast, said Upper Deck’s suit “appears to be more of a PR stunt than a genuine legal dispute”. But intellectual property lawyer Paul Lesko, who has posted his examination of Ravensburger’s dismissal motion on Twitter, described it as “mostly a dumb motion”.
Cthulhu Wars maker asks Kickstarter backers to pay extra shipping or face four-and-a-half year delay, accidentally posts personal details online
The troubled Kickstarter for the miniatures-heavy Cthulhu Wars board game has reached a new low after the company posted personal details of some of its Kickstarter backers online while asking them to contribute more money to the campaign. Petersen Games raised more than $300,000 for the fourth printing of Cthulhu Wars and a new playable faction in May 2019, telling backers – who had each paid up to $199 plus shipping – that it expected the game to be with them by June 2020. But now backers are being asked to pay even more or risk their game’s delivery being delayed until the end of next year - and the company has come up with a rather mad system for managing the payments.
GAMA diversity drive offers $1,000 grants, mentoring to fledgling board game publishers and retailers
Board games trade organisation GAMA is offering $1,000 grants and peer mentoring to new board game publishers and retailers from under-represented communities. Applications are open until July 31 for the 2023/24 GAMA Horizons Fellowship, which is eligible for businesses at least 51% owned or operated by people from historically sidelined demographics, which can include race or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion and ability, among others. The eight-month programme is open to new or prospective US or Canada-based board game publishers already in the process of creating a game or starting their business, and budding or established retailers who have at least begun the process of opening their store.
Major gaming website Kotaku just lost its board games writer
Kotaku, one of the biggest video gaming websites in the world, has just lost its board game writer Luke Plunkett after more than 16 years with the company. Australia-based Plunkett, whose last day will be Friday July 14, writes almost the entirety of Kotaku’s board game reviews and news, alongside his coverage of the video games industry. The veteran reporter leaves Kotaku amid the latest backlash from employees of parent business G/O Media, which also owns sites including Gizmodo, The Onion, Deadspin and AV Club.
Web-to-print board game publisher The Game Crafter launches warehousing, fulfillment services
Online board game design portal and print-on-demand publisher The Game Crafter has expanded into warehousing and fulfillment services. The company, which was launched in 2009, runs a web-based publishing platform which allows designers to create board and card games using its online software. Created to simplify the design, manufacturing, and retail process for board game creators, the company is now offering pallet and bin storage, shopify integration and inventory management, as well as fulfillment by USPS, UPS and LTL carriers.
The Witcher: The Old World knocks Earth from top spot for most new owners | BGG Stats
Monster-hunting adventure game The Witcher: The Old World had the most new owners on BoardGameGeek in June, knocking Earth from the top spot it has held for the previous two months. More than 2,100 BGG users registered owning Lukasz Wozniak-designed The Witcher last month according to data collated by user Igor Larchenko, coinciding with Kickstarter copies landing in backers’ hands over the past few weeks. Motor racing game Heat: Pedal to the Metal held onto second place with 1,620 new owners, with Earth falling to third place on 1,598.
Czech Games Edition to shine a light on its creative process in 8-part documentary
Czech Games Edition, the publisher behind board games including Codenames, Through the Ages and Lost Ruins of Arnak, is releasing an eight-part documentary delving into how it made the most notable games in its 16-year history. The documentary features interviews with CGE co-founder and legendary designer Vlaada Chvátil, industry notaries such as Dice Tower creator Tom Vasel and others including The Big Bang Theory actor Kevin Sussman.
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Origins Game Fair attendance jumps 38%, still down on pre-pandemic highs
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