Hello and welcome home. This is Audio EXP, the weekly podcast from Geek Native. I’m your host, Girdy, and a happy Valentine’s Day to you. Whether you are spending today with a player two, a full party, or enjoying some solo time, we have a packed episode for you. We have stories of community solidarity, the return of industry legends, and a few heartbreaks in the business world. So, let’s dive into the news.
[The following is a transcript of Audio EXP: #321]
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We start this week with a story that really embodies the spirit of caring for your neighbours. Minnesota-based publisher Atlas Games has launched a month-long charity initiative called “Fork Ice February”. This is in direct response to federal operations in their local area that have distressed the community. Every day in February, they are discounting a different title from their catalogue, think Ars Magica or Gloom, by at least 50%. The kicker is that they are donating 100% of the sales from these daily deals to local organisations providing mutual aid and legal assistance. It is a bold move, describing their stance as “radical solidarity,” and it’s a great way to grab a deal while helping folks on the ground during a tough winter.
From community action to corporate strategy, Hasbro’s CEO Chris Cocks has been making headlines with his latest earnings call. He is claiming that their integration of AI has been a “clear success.” Now, before we all panic about robot overlords writing our campaigns, Cocks framed this as a “human-centric” approach, suggesting the technology is being used to boost productivity rather than replace creatives. He credited this tech, along with digital growth, for a soar in profits at Wizards of the Coast. It is a controversial topic, and while the profits are up, the debate on how AI fits into the soul of the hobby is definitely not over.
Sadly, not all industry news is about soaring profits. We have to bid farewell to White Dragon Miniatures. After 16 years, the UK-based studio is winding down operations. They were known for incredible technical excellence – really pushing the boundaries of what you can do with resin and plastic. However, in a very honest statement, they cited “economic reality” as the cause. Rising production costs, changes to tax thresholds for exporting to the US, and general market volatility created a perfect storm. It is a sombre reminder that critical acclaim doesn’t always insulate creative studios from the harsh logistics of the manufacturing world.
Moving on to new games, Maestro Media has announced a title that might test your relationship dynamics: Avatar: Fight for Pandora. This isn’t your standard board game; it’s an asymmetric lane-battler. One player takes on the role of the RDA (the industrial, military faction) focusing on extraction and aggressive strikes. The other player controls the Na’vi, who use “interconnectedness” and nature to fight back. It sounds like the mechanics really reinforce the themes of the movies, making the two sides play completely differently. If you want a two-player game that is a bit more confrontational than cooperative for your Valentine’s weekend, this might be the one.
We have a massive hit of nostalgia this week as Rose Estes is back. If that name rings a bell, it is probably because you, like my school chums, spent your childhood with her Endless Quest books. She essentially helped invent the pick-your-path genre for D&D. She has launched a new project called The Quest Continues. It features a new novel titled Different and a line of unpainted resin figures. The “unpainted” part is a deliberate nod to the old-school hobby days, inviting you to finish the creation yourself. It is lovely to see a foundational figure from the TSR era returning with something that feels so true to her roots.
Speaking of old-school roots, our own Charles Dunwoody has been very busy. He has been revisiting the classic Advanced Dungeons & Dragons module The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. He is running it for his gaming group, and his write-up is a fascinating look at how those 1st Edition rules hold up. He talks about the “turn-based” nature of dungeon crawling – how tracking time in 10-minute turns actually adds a lot of tension and strategy that modern games sometimes hand-wave away. Charles has also been exploring the Tales of Argosa RPG. He has two features up this week: one looking at Islands and Unseasons, which includes a really cool moon-phase calendar mechanic, and another on the Maze of Sunken Ruins. If you are looking for inspiration for a sea-based campaign that mixes sword, sorcery, and a touch of horror, these are well worth a read.
For something completely different, we have a review that’s pure joy. Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up has arrived, and it is a triumph of hand-drawn animation. The review on Geek Native highlights just how refreshing it is to see Daffy and Porky back in a feature that embraces “pure unbridled cartoon silliness.” It avoids the trap of trying to be too modern or cynical and instead leans into the visual anarchy that made these characters legends in the first place.
Here’s some bagging rights – we got an early copy of the animation and have been politely waiting on the press embargo to pass before sharing the review.
Finally, if you prefer your crimes to be a bit more… organised than a Daffy Duck plot, you should check out the Human Gorilla Heists bundle. This is a collection of system-neutral tools designed to help you run heist adventures in any fantasy RPG. We are talking about resources for generating targets, complications, and the inevitable double-cross. It is perfect if you want to channel your inner Danny Ocean but with more elves and fireballs.
That is it for this week. Whether you are running a heist, saving Pandora, or just painting some minis, I hope you have a fantastic weekend. As always, you can find the full stories and links at Geek Native. Thanks for listening, and until next week, stay geeky.
