It’s a slow start to the year for the team as they shake off their hibernation and get back behind the news desk. The news is anything but sleep though with the acquisition of Asmodee, changes at the top of Hasbro, and famous folk getting Knighted. Welcome back to the Brainwaves HQ for another year of tabletop gaming news. Headlines Asmodee Sold https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/embracer-buys-board-games-publisher-asmodee-3-bln-deal-2021-12-16/#:~:text=STOCKHOLM%2C%20Dec%2016%20(Reuters),th...
Jan 10, 2022•21 min•Ep. 110
It’s the final show of the year and it is a packed one! TSR is back, no not that one, Asmodee are on the radio, Kickstarter thinks Blockchain is a good idea, and we plan our holidays for 2022. All this and more on this episode of Brainwaves! Headlines Kickstarter goes to Blockchain https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-08/kickstarter-blockchain-will-combine-crowdfunding-with-crypto https://www.kickstarter.com/articles/the-future-of-crowdfunding-creative-projects TSR sues Wizards of the...
Dec 13, 2021•36 min•Ep. 109
Iain thought it would be a good idea to record outside, but it didn't go quite according to plan. Dusting themselves off they get to the business of reporting on the tabletop news of the last couple of weeks. They cover Warhammer tournaments, Heroquest pre-orders, fake pokemon cards and much more on this episode of Brainwaves. Headlines Make war not hate https://spikeybits.com/2021/11/warhammer-isnt-for-everyone-especially-these-nazis.html https://www.warhammer-community.com/2021/11/19/the-imper...
Nov 29, 2021•29 min•Ep. 108
It has been a quiet couple of weeks in the world of tabletop news, but not too quiet. Iain and Jamie are back to look at Iello waving goodbye to Iello USA, Mike Selinker accusations, Nederland game awards and much more on this episode of Brainwaves. Headlines Iello splits with Iello USA https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/49655/french-board-game-company-iello-ends-ties-iello-usa?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter https://www.dicebreaker.com/companies/iello/news/iello-cuts-ties-iellousa Mi...
Nov 15, 2021•22 min•Ep. 107
Iain catches Jamie freelancing in the Brainwaves Studio for a very odd charity. With the matter resolved they turn their attention to the news in a fortnight of more bad tidings from China, Unions getting recognized, and Awards coming to fruition. All this, and more, on this episode of Brainwaves. Headlines Power shortages in china https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tcokgame/the-isle-of-cats-dont-forget-the-kittens?ref=android_project_share Paizo recognises Union https://www.geeknative.com/135...
Nov 01, 2021•32 min•Ep. 106
Iain invites Christopher Eggett to the Giant Brain HQ lecture theatre, editor of Tabletop Gaming Magazine. They talk about the ethical side of games journalism, how the pandemic has affected the magazine and how a product like Tabletop Gaming Magazine gets put together. They also take questions from the audience. Magazine https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/ Personal website https://cjeggett.co.uk/ Twitter Magazine https://twitter.com/TabletopMag Chris https://twitter.com/CjEggett Chad Wilkinson Li...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 105
Jamie took a wrong turn on the Mobius loop in the Brainwaves HQ and ended up in London. After walking back home he is tired, but ready and raring to bring you the latest tabletop news. He and Iain cover hackers, ransomware attacks, awards, chess, deaths and more on this episode of Brainwaves. Headlines Twitch hack reveals top earners https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-10-06-twitch-hacked-source-code-and-creator-payout-information-leaked-online?fbclid=IwAR3lpiKXFOn4QoLGCxMZOio1VBMwssx3KS...
Oct 18, 2021•25 min•Ep. 104
Jamie has plans to lose weight by emulating Richard from We’re Not Wizards and run around Origins. Restrictions being what they are, he settles on a novel solution. Whilst he gets ready the team cover the latest in tabletop news from controversy at Paizo, to Boardgame Arena insults and more on this episode of Brainwaves. Headlines Paizo Publishing https://twitter.com/Delafina777/status/1437545371245424640?s=20 https://paizo.com/threads/rzs43h04?Staff-Change-Update-from-Paizo-President-Jeff https...
Oct 04, 2021•32 min•Ep. 103
Iain and Jamie aren’t at Gencon but are scouring the interwebs for the latest and greatest in tabletop news. This cast they cover Kickstarter controversy, GAMA elections, awards galore and much, much more! Headlines Tournament Fishing Controversy https://twitter.com/425suzanne/status/1435393263196798981?s=21 https://twitter.com/AMathemagician/status/1438190440549961736 https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2724788/tgg-negative-experiences-and-controversies https://twitter.com/ludicreations/status/143...
Sep 20, 2021•31 min•Ep. 102
Excited by the news of a Blades in the Dark TV series Iain pitches Jamie his best boardgame based TV shows. Will he pass muster or fall flat? Whilst Jamie is mulling it over they cover the latest news from a well known publisher shutting its doors to a team up between Magic: The Gathering and football. All this, and more, on this episode of Brainwaves. Headlines IDW shutters publishing arm https://www.dicebreaker.com/companies/idw-games/news/idw-games-closure Kickstarter board games do well http...
Sep 06, 2021•29 min•Ep. 101
Iain and Jamie dust off their hats, strap on a pen and paper, and venture into the wild west of tabletop news to bring you only the chunkiest nuggets. This time they cover abuse allegations at Broken Token, the Zenobia awards finalists, global shipping problems, sad passings and more. Headlines Broken Token abuse allegations https://medium.com/@ashrtaylor13/speaking-up-to-protect-others-73f152bcb772 Iello Comment https://twitter.com/IelloUSA/status/1428747934078685188?s=20 Pandasaurus https://tw...
Aug 23, 2021•25 min•Ep. 100
It’s the latest episode of Brainwaves! Join Iain and Jamie as they inspect the underbelly of the industry so you don’t have to. This cast the team report on finances at Wizards of the Coast and Games Workshop, abuse allegations, a games company going under, D&D competitions going awry and much more! They also announce the Brainwaves Apprenticeship. Listen in to find out how to get involved! Headlines Wizards of the Coast post sales figures https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/48915/wizards-co...
Aug 09, 2021•31 min•Ep. 99
Iain has made so much money from reviewing over the years that he is off to an island, and Jamie has become a Doomsayer? Is this the end of Brainwaves? Nah, it’s just a skit. The team bore of their new lives quickly and decide to get back in the podcasting saddle for a cast featuring Iain on paid reviews, Jamie on awards, old white guys being wrong on the internet and so much more! Headlines Jamey Stegmaier on paid reviews https://stonemaiergames.com/is-it-unethical-to-pay-the-media-to-form-and-...
Jul 26, 2021•33 min•Ep. 98
We are outside in the garden again, and Iain seems to be experiencing a strong sense of Deja Vu. The reason is that we are covering TSR again, alongside news of convention’s covid preparations, GAMA restructures, Knizia vs grail games and much more on this episode of Brainwaves! Headlines TSR continues to dig its own hole https://www.geeknative.com/133043/its-not-over-tsr-games-3-re-returns-tsr-games-4-tsr-games-3-5/ Banned by Gencon https://twitter.com/gmsmagazine/status/1411237903427121153?s=0...
Jul 12, 2021•35 min•Ep. 97
In our first live interview Iain talks to miniature and board game designer James Hewitt about his career, current state of the industry, and the use of Kickstarter. They also take questions from the audience. James on Twitter Needy Cat Games Games Workshop Mantic Games Steamforged Games Blacklist Games Tabletop Mentorship Programme - Brainwaves Special Bad Squiddo Games...
Jul 05, 2021•56 min•Ep. 96
Iain and Jamie once more get behind the mics at the Brainwaves Studio to bring you freshly baked news. On this episode they cover the bizarre return of TSR, no not that one, Kickstarter death threats, a dispute with an industry legend and much, much more! Headlines TSR games returns https://www.enworld.org/threads/tsr-is-back-again.680779/ https://www.geeknative.com/132526/the-new-tsr-games-clarify-position-as-key-names-appeared-to-distance-themselves/ And then https://twitter.com/TSR_games/stat...
Jun 28, 2021•34 min•Ep. 95
The Brainwaves team have exclusive boardgame coverage of the G7 summit in Cornwall to share with you! Listen to our exclusive interviews with some of the world leaders before settling down with a nice ice cream to absorb the latest in tabletop gaming news. Headlines Brexit Deadline looms for small businesses https://twitter.com/AllRolledUpUK/status/1403283946251632641?s=09 Deities and Demigods manuscript goes under the hammer https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/48558/original-manuscript-classic-...
Jun 14, 2021•27 min•Ep. 94
Jamie’s away so Iain gets Oliver from Tabletop Games Blog in the studio for a tryout. Jamie’s surprise return puts things on a rather awkward note but together they come together to report on this week’s news. From distributors getting themselves tied in knots, Kickstarters getting cancelled and convention season looking a bit wobbly, no news corner is too dark for the Brainwaves team to stick their snout in. Headlines Coiledspring games promotion with Mumsnet sparks backlash https://twitter.com...
May 31, 2021•40 min•Ep. 93
Iain recently participated in the Tabletop Mentorship programme as a mentor to Adam Richards. Adam writes reviews and opinion pieces on his own site Punchboard Reviews . He joins Iain to talk about the programme along with the progamme creators Mike Belsole and Grace Kendall. We dive in the history of the programme, how it's changed since inception, and what the future holds. Adam's Info Review site Tabletop Mentorship Programme Website Mike's Twitter Grace's Twitter...
May 24, 2021•28 min•Ep. 92
It’s time for your fortnightly does of boardgame news. Please take with plenty of water along with some food. Headlines Richard Halliwell passes away https://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2021/05/rip-richard-halliwell.html California court rules Amazon responsible for third party goods https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/1/22414185/california-appeals-court-amazon-marketplace-responsible-third-party-hoverboard Golden Geek Awards announced https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/2652238/15th-annual-golden-gee...
May 17, 2021•20 min•Ep. 91
Iain has gotten Ben Porter from the Unlucky Frog round for some painting and decorating, but has rather misunderstood what sort of thing Ben paints. He joins the team to discuss the latest news including Wizards of the Coast looking at NFTs, Christian T Petersen buying up Fantasy Flight property, Games Workshop Supply issues, pokemon cards and much more. In our interview with Ben we look at the world of commission miniature painting and what brought Ben to setup his own business. Headlines RIP R...
May 03, 2021•37 min•Ep. 90
The Brainwaves team may have lost a host but that hasn’t stopped them hunting down the best stories with their patented news nets. This episode they cover GAMA, Board Game Atlas, American Tabletop Awards, and more Monopoly news than you can shake a reasonably sized stick at. Headlines GAMA’s bad year https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/48102/gamas-tough-2020 Metacritic for Boardgames https://www.boardgameatlas.com/forum/kLTWmAAzzE/critic-reviews--new-feature-preview-and-invitation-to-content-cre...
Apr 19, 2021•26 min•Ep. 89
It’s a momentous episode as we hit our 70th show, our 3rd year anniversary, and say goodbye to our host Iain Chantler. Of course we won’t let sad goodbyes and jubilant celebrations get in the way of the news! The team cover yet more Wizards of the Coast entanglements, Netrunner booting up, daring robberies, and golden Uno. The team also answer questions from listeners and chat about what they’ve learnt over the last 3 years in a longer than normal episode (we hope you don’t mind us indulging our...
Apr 05, 2021•54 min•Ep. 88
This episode on Brainwaves the team are catching Bullets, drawing up Plan B’s, and realising that the best thing about Heroquest is the fraud cases. Come and join us as we bring you the best in Tabletop Gaming news from the big stories to the faintly ridiculous. Headlines Level 99 has to bite the bullet ♥︎ https://mobile.twitter.com/Level99Games/status/13709274650618880 Asmodee adds Plan B Games https://www.toynews-online.biz/2021/03/11/asmodee-group-acquires-award-winning-azul-publisher-plan-b-...
Mar 22, 2021•37 min•Ep. 87
Iain Chantler is back from holiday and the team are raring to get back in the studio and breakdown the latest tabletop news for you. This episode we cover many Kickstarter issues, Wizards of the Coast rebranding and rising, lawsuits, and the influx of computer game themed boardgames! Headlines Bamboo Bash Original KS https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sleevekings/376876876/description?ref=bw5mj4&token=c4999380 New KS https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sleevekings/1878321907?ref=ei1m77&am...
Mar 08, 2021•33 min•Ep. 86
Iain Chantler has been given time off by Jamie so it’s up the remaining Iain to fill the shoes of two Iains! With fewer big news stories than recently the team have an interview with Ian Parovel of Boardgame Arena regarding their recent acquisition by Asmodee. On top of that they cover some updates to Wizards of the Coasts legal entanglements, the world of Pokemon scalpers, and an ancient game brought back to life in beautiful detail. All this, and more, on this episode of Brainwaves Headlines A...
Feb 22, 2021•36 min•Ep. 85
Iain and Iain are having a nice relaxing time in the garden when all news hell breaks loose! Despite their need to kick back, the team gathers once more behind the mics to cover famous names putting their foot firmly in mouth, others moving forward with action, translation issues in the world of virtual tabletops, magic cards breaking records, and Jenga. Yes. Jenga. All this and more, on this episode of Brainwaves! Headlines Radho runs into trouble https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/114062/rahdo...
Feb 08, 2021•31 min•Ep. 84
It’s a solemn week for the team as they dive into all the controversies surrounding comments made by well loved designers. We spent a bit longer on this than we normally would, but we felt it deserved the coverage. Over the rest of the cast we update you on Dragonlance, looking at counterfeit games, conventions moving again, and taking a long overdue trip to RPG Corner. Headlines Video for Kickstarter campaign Pingyao: First Chinese Banks https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jingstudio/pingyao-f...
Jan 25, 2021•33 min•Ep. 83
The team are back after their close encounter with a rogue sound effect. Brushing off the audio cobwebs, they jump back into the studio to cover Kickstarter Growth, Catan Beer, Dragonlance Lawsuits, Games Workshop profits and much more on this episode of Brainwaves! You might notice that Iain Chantler disappears about half way through the cast. Iain had a house emergency to attend to so Jamie and I finished the cast off. Headlines Kickstarter rakes in games cash https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/2...
Jan 11, 2021•27 min•Ep. 82
Iain, Iain, and Jamie take a bit of a breather from the regular cast to look back at the year. They are joined by Josh Hartley from the Unlucky Frog to look back at the big stories of 2020 and speculate on what 2021 will bring to the world of the Tabletop. Below the subjects we talk about I’ve provided links to the shows that have featured those subjects, should you want to revisit them. Subjects Coronavirus https://giantbrain.podbean.com/e/episode-43-executive-bell/ https://giantbrain.podbean.c...
Dec 28, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 81
