The Weekly LIVE 261 – Super Hero Trademark Defeated, Darktide Card Game, Mythic Dissolves and Mothership Collaboration

Posted on October 20, 2024 by upturnedtable_sx8obi

Marvel and DC Comics have lost their joint trademark for the term “super hero” after decades of holding it. Initially, the trademark was obtained in collaboration with Ben Cooper, Inc., a costume maker who had licensed Marvel and DC characters in the 1960s. After a series of legal disputes involving companies like Mego Corporation, Marvel and DC became joint owners of the “super hero” trademark in 1977, solidifying their control over its use across various media. Over the years, both companies aggressively defended this trademark, opposing various businesses that tried to use the term. However, this year, after Marvel and DC failed to respond to legal challenges, a U.S. court invalidated their trademark, allowing other entities like Superbabies to use the term without restriction.

“Darktide: The Card Game,” a new Warhammer 40,000-themed card game coming in 2025. Meanwhile, Mythic Games, a company plagued by crowdfunding controversies involving delays, miscommunication, and unmet promises, has dissolved, marking the end of its turbulent existence in the tabletop gaming industry.

Mythic Games, a tabletop role-playing and board game company, has filed for liquidation due to a series of controversies and financial difficulties. The company, known for its crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter, faced backlash for significant delays in delivering games, poor communication with backers, and unmet promises regarding stretch goals and content quality. Notably, games like Reichbusters: Projekt Vril and Solomon Kane suffered extended delays, while backers of Super Fantasy Brawl and Joan of Arc were disappointed by missing or lower-quality content. Financial mismanagement became a concern as backers speculated that funds from newer campaigns were being used to fulfill older projects, a practice dubbed “Kickstarter juggling.” Rising production costs, shipping challenges, and the global economic climate exacerbated these problems. A lawsuit over the Time of Legends: Joan of Arc campaign and unexpected increases in shipping costs further damaged the company’s reputation.

The indie RPG “Mothership” is back with a new collaborative funding effort on Backerkit, featuring a variety of new projects from different creators. This “collab-funding” initiative seeks to expand the sci-fi horror universe of “Mothership” with new content, including modules that explore bounty hunting and mystery-driven adventures.

#superhero #darktide #mythicgames #mothershiprpg

Unboxing D&D Expert Set:

https://youtu.be/l1Pef7vq-EQ

High School Cthulhu:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/gear-games/high-school-cthulhu-roleplaying-game

Submit to Wharf Rat Games:

https://wharfratgames.com/submissions

Alien 2E Kickstarter Campaign URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1192053011/alien-rpg-second-edition-and-rapture-protocol

4-Hour Dune RPG Review:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/review-dune-in-106781242

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Try Fantasy Grounds VTT (affiliate link):

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Outgunned RPG – Action Hero Pledge UNBOXING:

https://youtu.be/IYDyzNvQQKo

Shop at Noble Knight Games (affiliate link)

https://www.nobleknight.com/affiliate/aw.asp?B=3&A=1312&Task=Click

Dragonbane Actual Play Episode One:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC9u841QuXM

Dragonbane Core Set:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/418106/Dragonbane-Core-Set

Dragonbane Free Quickstart:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/409397/Dragonbane-Quickstart

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https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson

https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3

Chris on social media:

https://hyvemynd.itch.io/

Abusecartoons Weekly Cartoons:

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Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe

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The Weekly LIVE 227 – Tencent Buying DnD, CMON Dungeon Rescue, Rogue Trooper Movie and Tabletop Kickstarter Down

Posted on February 4, 2024 by upturnedtable_sx8obi

Hasbro, the owner of Dungeons & Dragons, is reportedly in talks with Tencent for various rights, including electronic game adaptations. The report suggests a potential sale of the Dungeons & Dragons IP, but there are conflicting details. The success of Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3 might have influenced Tencent’s interest in investing in similar projects.

Mythic Games, a crowdfunding-focused board game publisher, faced financial woes and outsourced its remaining projects to CMON. HEL: The Last Saga and Anastyr were sold to CMON due to challenges in completing the projects without additional funding from backers. The backlash from Kickstarter backers, the death threats received by Mythic Games’ co-founders, and the future of the company are all part of the difficulty.

Duncan Jones is working on an animated Rogue Trooper film based on the 2000AD comic strip, using Unreal Engine 5 for animation. The film has finished principal photography, and it is a collaboration between Rebellion, Liberty Films, and Treehouse Digital. A star-studded cast includes Aneurin Barnard, Hayley Atwell, Daryl McCormack, Matt Berry, Sean Bean, and Diane Morgan.

A report from Tabletop Analytics indicates a decline in Kickstarter funding for tabletop games in 2023 for the second consecutive year. The data suggests a 30% decrease in earnings for individual tabletop creators compared to the pre-COVID year of 2019. Kickstarter has not publicly disclosed its data for the first time in almost a decade, and the decline is attributed to factors like crowdfunding fatigue and increased competition. The importance of community management tools and concerns about Kickstarter’s permissive stance on AI generative art are highlighted.

#tencentl #CMON #roguetrooper #kickstarter

Game Jam for Jennel Jaquays:
https://itch.io/jam/jennell-jaquays-memorial-game-jam

Shop at Noble Knight Games (affiliate link)
https://www.nobleknight.com/affiliate/aw.asp?B=3&A=1312&Task=Click

10% off First Purchase from Modiphius:
http://r.sloyalty.com/r/vhbUPnHm6tIp

Dragonbane Actual Play Episode One:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC9u841QuXM

Dragonbane Core Set:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/418106/Dragonbane-Core-Set

Dragonbane Free Quickstart:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/409397/Dragonbane-Quickstart

Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link):
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Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson

Chris on social media:
https://hyvemynd.itch.io/
https://twitter.com/hyvemynd
https://twitter.com/ConanSalaryman

Abusecartoons Weekly Cartoons:
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Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe
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The Weekly LIVE 213 – Mythic Games Plays Catchup, Mistborn Leaving, TMNT TTRPG Returns and Candela Obscura Release

Posted on October 24, 2023 by upturnedtable_sx8obi

Mythic Games, a board game publisher, faced criticism and backlash from the tabletop gaming community due to unfulfilled crowdfunding campaigns. The company, in response, cited internal sacrifices such as selling intellectual properties (IPs) and reducing staff to meet crowdfunding commitments. Backers of projects like “Rainbow Six Siege: The Board Game” and “Darkest Dungeon: The Board Game” were asked for additional payments to cover unexpected expenses attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The company has faced delays and criticism from backers and industry figures.

Mistborn Adventure Game, a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) based on Brandon Sanderson’s novels, will no longer be available digitally on DriveThruRPG after December 31, 2023. The Mistborn series is a popular fantasy franchise, and the TTRPG adaptation will be leaving digital stores, creating a time constraint for fans to acquire digital copies.

Palladium Books announced the return of the official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) roleplaying game, originally published in 1985, through a Kickstarter campaign. The classic TMNT RPG will be republished as two deluxe hardcover collections with new artwork and exclusive Kickstarter items. The campaign is set to launch on October 31, 2023, and will feature miniatures, dice sets, variant book covers, art prints, and other exclusives.

Critical Role’s publishing imprint, Darrington Press, announced the release date for “Candela Obscura,” a horror-themed tabletop roleplaying game. Co-designed by members of the Critical Role team, the game uses the Illuminated Worlds System and is set during the early 20th century. The core rulebook is scheduled for worldwide release on November 14, 2023, and includes rules, character options, campaign details, and exclusive editions. The game follows investigators operating in a world of occult occurrences and mysterious events, with a focus on horror elements.

TMNT and Other Strangeness Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/palladiumbooks/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-and-other-strangeness