News Collider - Board Game News 25th February

This week’s News Collider is a bit of a flashback issue as we continue exploring and discussing some evolving news items including the Hasbro Entertainment One acquisition, the Kickstarter Union as well as noting that another member of Games Workshop’s senior team has left for greener pastures.

And then we talk about the latest Disney Pixar movie.

Steamforged Games Recruit former Games Workshop Head of Sales

In the last News Collider, we covered Alexander Thieme leaving Games Workshop and joining Asmodee.  This week we cover GW's former head of sales and global distribution, Toby Davies, taking up a new position as Commercial Director with Steamforged Games.  You know, Steamforged Games the folks who made the Dark Souls Board Game...eventually.

Anyway, in his three years at Games Workshop, Toby brokered new distribution deals and was instrumental in the development of the new, lower barrier entry point of games and products such as Space Marine Adventures and Blitz Bowl.  He also helped GW get its foot in the door with Barnes & Noble in the US and a host of other retailers in Germany.  Good work Tobes!

Now with Steamforged, Toby will sit on the board alongside one of the founding fathers of the tabletop games, Ian Livingstone CBE.  Last year, Steamforged Games received an investment of £5 Million from a private investment manager that Ian Livingstone is part of.

Entertainment One’s plans for the Hasbro “Treasure Chest”

We've previously covered Hasbro's acquisition of Entertainment One in the News Collider and on the Podcast, joking about how Hasbro will now have access to IPs such as Peppa Pig, PHJ Masks, the Walking Dead and the entire Death Row Records back catalogue.  However, what we failed to consider is that Entertainment One also has access to the entire Hasbro collection IPs.

This point, clearly, was not lost on Pancho Mansfield, eOne's president of global scripted programming.  Hasbro owns a veritable "treasure chest" of IPs, including G.I Joe, Action Man, Power Rangers and of course Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: the Gathering.  Speaking to Deadline, Pancho said:

“You know what has a following and then you try to find the right visionary. We’re meeting with all kinds of writers to make sure we have the right approach for whatever the piece is. There are some central brands we will be focused on.”

Although some of these properties already have TV shows and films made or in progress, there could be more on the way...

Kickstarter United Union Officially Forms

The Kickstarter United ball started rolling in March 2019 when a band of employees got together to try and start a Union at the crowdfunding platform with some very simple goals.  Pay equality, diverse recruitment, a platform for employees to be involved in company decisions and as a means to hold Kickstarter to its founding and altruistic goals and beliefs (you can read the full manifesto here).

However, come September some key members of the Union effort were dismissed by  Kickstarter which caused some creators to steer clear of the platform while the union discussions continued.  However, it's all over now as the NLRB has officially certified Kickstarter United as the union representing Kickstarter employees!  Hurrah!

Marvel’s Avengers to play D&D

Pixar's latest animation masterpiece, Onward, opens in cinemas on the 6th of March and the story and setting are very "Dungeon's & Dragons".  The story revolves around two elf brothers who, upon the younger turning 16 are given their departed father's magical staff and a spell that will allow them to spend one day with him.  And so starts a perilous quest to do just that.

You may well be thinking, "That's not news, Rory."

Well just wait a flipping minute.

During the premiere, one of the film's stars, Tom Holland was asked about the D&D link and his interest in the game, and he said:

"I haven't [played D&D], no, but Chris [Pratt] and I have been talking about setting up an Avengers D&D session,"

Is this Tom's excellent media training at work?  Is it just a throwaway comment?  Or could this be the first step to potentially see the cast of the Avengers sitting around, eating shawarma and playing D&D?

Either way, the Onward trailer looks pretty darn cool and if you want to see what else Tom Holland had to say about the possibility of an Avengers D&D game head over to the Polyhedron Collier Facebook page and you can find the full red carpet interview there.