Business Briefs

Enrollment in the Tabletop Mentorship Program is open until May 17. The program connects experienced members of the tabletop industry with people seeking guidance. The program is open to all aspects of the industry including design, art, publishing, business, media and more. The session will run from May 24 to August 23. The three-month mentorships are designed

Syracuse.com is reporting the organizing committee hoping to unionize the TCGPlayer warehouse workers in downtown Syracuse have canceled a vote by employees.  According to the report, the company have made a pledge to expand employee stock options and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by the end of the year. This would also include opportunities to

Toy Industry Grows 7.6% U.S games and puzzles sales grew 55% in the first quarter over the same period last year according to a report by NPD. The toy industry overall grew by 7.6% or $256 million. The analysts cited an early Easter and COVID-19 related school closings as the primary driver for growth in the

German publisher Feuerland Spiele have regained the English and French rights for their games, including popular titles Terra Mystica, A Feast for Odin and Gaia Project, from Z-Man Games, a member of the Asmodee Group. Asmodee North America will continue to distribute A Feast for Odin, Fields of Arle, and Lowlands, but Terra Mystica and Gaia Project

BoardGameGeek have announced that BGG.CONline will take place May 20-21 on their Twitch channel. The virtual convention will feature a digital exhibit hall, game demos and guests. Lincoln Damerst and Nikki Pontius from GameNight! will host, along with Beth Heile, Steph Hodge, and W. Eric Martin. The Spiel des Jahres jurists originally scheduled to attend BGG Spring

Games Workshop have secured a six-month £25 million loan to help meet operational cash flow requirements if needed. The loan comes with a potential six month extension.  The company said revenue in the nine months through February was in line with expectations, but that the closure of global operations have impacted May profits. They predict their

Asmodee Germany have launched Open! Back in the Game, a retailer initiative, to solicit ideas and solutions for brick-and-mortar retailers. The company says it will share the results with the industry. Asmodee started the project by surveying 100 merchants in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Ninety retailers responded. The survey results (in German). Asmodee said the results show that

Sales of Starter Sets Rose 300 Percent It’s official, 2019 was the most successful year for the iconic brand Dungeons & Dragons. Wizards of the Coast said the 46-year-old franchise celebrated its 6th consecutive year of growth, with sales of starter boxed products rising 300 percent. The company saw European sales rise 65% year-on-year, and have more than

Spin Master have been awarded $2.2 million in their long-running patent dispute against a prominent toy producer in China. The award is a record amount for a foreign patent owner.  The Suzhou Intermediate Peoples’ Court found Guangzhou Lingdong Creative Culture Technology Ltd had infringed on Spin Master’s patents on its Bakugan children’s toy line.  This is