News Collider - Board Game News 21st August

This week we are peering back over our collective geek shoulder to pull back into focus some of our old friends.  An old D&D Class option returns to 5th Edition after taking a short break and is joined by some classic 8-bit arcade games that will soon be hitting tabletops There's a comic book implementation of a very popular and successful game and then a little story that we have me hunting through boxes in my parent's loft this weekend.

Pokemon Trading Card Set Sells Big at Auction

I’d like to think that I’m young enough to have justifiably collected Pokemon Trading cards, but in 1999 I was eighteen.  My brother on the other hand was eight, target Pokemon demographic and he collected them with no help from me whatsoever.  

We both wished we had kept them (in mint condition, obviously) after a complete set sold recently at auction for £88,000.  All 103 cards were graded as ‘GEM MINT 10’, the highest of high grades.  The deck included a number of holographic cards, including Charizard as well as one of each energy card and each of the original Trainers.  Pokemon Trading Cards are on the up and up, so if you think you (or your little brother or sister) might have some lurking in a box in the attic go and have a look as some experts believe that Pokemon Trading Cards could soon become extremely valuable and sought after.

Amazon Spoil Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Ahead of the official announcement from Wizards of the Coast, Amazon upset the apple cart, again (they did EXACTLY the same thing with Ghosts of Saltmarsh) when they added the full details of the November 19th release.

This latest supplement will introduce the Artificer, the first to add a new Class to Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition since the Player's Handbook in 2014.  Melding magic and machines the Artificer is at home in this book which adds a heavy steampunk flavour to the Sword Coast with lightning powered trains, airships and manufactured humanoids.

There’s also four new races, twelve Dragonmark tattoos and the ability for players to have shared backgrounds via the new game mechanism; Group Patrons.

Recommended retail price is around £50 and as with previous supplements, there will be two artwork versions one of which will only be available in brick and mortar game stores with the standard version available online.

Hasbro Ditches Product Packaging

A recent discussion on the Polyhedron Collider Podcast was the use of plastics and packaging for board games.  As explored in that episode they do serve their purposes but the question remained: What are the viable ecological alternatives.  Enter Brian Goldner, Chairman and CEO of Hasbro stage left:

“Removing plastic from our packaging is the latest advancement in our more than decade-long journey to create a more sustainable future for our business and our world,”

From 2020 Hasbro has stated it will begin phasing out plastic product packaging, including polybags, elastic bands, blister packs, window sheets and even shrink wrap.  

  

Hasbro also recently launched their toy and game recycling initiative, TerraCycle

Hasbro may not be the most abundant logo found on your game shelf but with a major player now changing their ways, manufacturers will (hopefully) soon be making the shift to offer better, more sustainable packing options to the rest of the gaming market.

Contra and Bomberman Boardgames On Their Way

Video game company Konami have recently signed agreements to license two of its properties to two board game publishers.  

Blacklist Games will soon be bringing us a card game version of Contra, the side scrolling run and shoot frickin everything video game from 1987.

IDW signed agreements for the rights to create all Bomberman “board games, card games, puzzles, and collectable pins” so expect a slew of Bomberman products from the IP power house.

Rising Sun Comicbook

IDW Publishing have announced a new three-issue long comic book mini-series based upon the world of Rising Sun by Eric Lang and published by CMON to be release this November.

The story, written by Ron Marz and David Rodriguez and featuring art from Martin Coccolo will centre around the character of Chiyoko, of the Koi Clan.  Chiyoko will venture forth into feudal Japan at the head of a team of the country's mightiest clan warriors to defeat dragons and monsters bent on the destruction of Japan.

Along with a no doubt gripping story line and fantastic art the comics will also include exclusive game enhancing content.