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Dungeons & Dragons is still in the spotlight this week, with two mainstream media outlets focused on the venerable RPG. At the same time, the game celebrates its 45th anniversary with a very pricey accessory. There’s a host of new product announcements, including a new old/old new line from Games Workshop and a French edition…
Read More 11–17 November 2019: Sapphire Anniversary, Mainstream Media
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This week we learn that Wizards of the Coast is pushing further into the digital D&D space, purchasing a computer games studio that is already working on a Dungeons & Dragons game. In other digital news, a number of OneBookShelf accounts have been hacked, Roll20’s industry report shows movement in the top 10 RPGs, and…
Read More 28 October–3 November 2019: Digital Platforms, RPGs in Asia, Asia in RPGs
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We’re back after a short holiday, and although things have been relatively quiet, the news has built up. Let’s dive in! We get a glimpse of the small but growing presence of RPGs at the Essen Spiel convention. There’s some talk about the past, present, and future of Intellectual Property and Licenses in RPGs. And…
Read More 7–27 October 2019: Essen, Licensed Games, Werewolf 5th Edition
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The news is certainly thorny this week, containing a smorgasbord of grim news, a cornucopia of ugh. For starters, Zak Smith is back in the news. Smith has been in the spotlight numerous times over various allegations of harassment, abuse, and assault. This week, his long-time collaborators have published a book defending him, and it’s…
Read More 23–29 September 2019: Ugh.
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Busy week! Let’s get right into it. The struggle over unionisation at Kickstarter continues, and we can see its ripples in the RPG community. Meanwhile, Fandom, which bought D&D Beyond earlier this year, has acquired the Cortex RPG, and has plans for it. In weirder news, a Pro-Wrestler’s mocking of Dungeons & Dragons draws a…
Read More 16–22 September 2019: Kickstarter; Kayfabe; Sales
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We are beginning to see the news pick up again after the lull of the last few weeks. There are rumblings about Kickstarter’s anti-union practices, and we see one publisher considering whether to continue using the platform. We could see a call for a boycott in the near future, and we will be interested to…
Read More 9–15 September 2019: D&D History, Consent in Gaming, Carnival Row
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We’re back after a little rest with a slightly-later-than-normal update! (Can I just say that I highly recommend holidays? — Amy) This week we’ve got a fair bit of early D&D history, with a focus on the game’s contentious authorship. Notably, an article from Kotaku argues that Dave Arneson was the real genius behind role-playing…
Read More 26 August—2 September 2019: Dave Arneson, Tariffs, Crunch
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This week, our main story is a sad one: Flying Buffalo founder and RPG luminary, Rick Loomis, has passed away. There are some moving tributes to his work and influence, as well as some ways for gamers to support his family. We have some gaming industry news: the Critter “Hug of Death” hits Chaosium, the…
Read More 19–25 August 2019: Rick Loomis, American Football, Les Bijoutiers Fantaisistes
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The post-Gen Con quiet continues, and this week we have a slim update with a handful of articles and Kickstarters. We have IP law, a distributor monopoly, designers appearing in their own games, a new Dungeons & Dragons campaign, non-human ethnicities in Pathfinder, a whole lot of bundles, the pre-apocalypse, digital dice, and more! Like…
Read More 12–18 August 2019: IP Law, Cameos, Eberron
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This is an odd issue of d100, with a peculiar mix of serious & silly. The biggest news of the week: Wil Wheaton is suing geek media producer, Geek & Sundry over the revenue of the Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana actual play series. It’s a jarring story, and a sharp reminder of the business…
Read More 5–11 August 2019: Wheaton sues; 30–50 Feral Hogs; Obscure RPGs