Board Games Hit a High, But Local Shops and Gamers Struggle
Board Games Hit a High, But Local Shops and Gamers Struggle
Board Games Hit a High, But Local Shops and Gamers Struggle
By David Alexander
December 02 2020
Summary
Hasbro-which sells the classics like Monopoly, but also strategy and roleplaying games like Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons-reported a more than 20 percent increase in board game revenue last quarter.
Despite the tidy sales numbers nationally, the coronavirus has taken its toll on small, local game shops and their customers, who, before the pandemic, often spent evenings or weekends on-site sipping sodas, trying new games and getting their fill of other people.
"This used to be a place where people would just hang out with the cashier for an hour." Game Changer GAMES ON: Chris Marrone displays the board game he created, Chaos Arena, in the garage of his Santa Clara home, converted into a gaming space since the pandemic.
Who could have guessed that a whodunit game of covertly beheading friends' colorful, cartoon avatars would be just what 2020 needed? Other online platforms that offer a digital "Tabletop" where friends can virtually gather around to play card-based games have also grown in popularity.
Local board game enthusiast Donna Elliot, 39, said she switched to playing board games online when Covid-19 hit.
Her family had always had a game night growing up, so not playing board games wasn't an option.
One of the bigger names in board gaming, Wizards of the Coast-which is the Hasbro subsidiary behind roleplaying and card game juggernauts Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering-launched a whole campaign called "Stay At Home. Play At Home," to make D&D more accessible for those sheltering in place.
One local gamer made use of the last eight months in a different way: designing his own game.
For more than three years, he's been crafting his own game: Chaos Arena, a tactical gladiator-style game where players control evil characters vying to be champion.
Time off work during the pandemic meant more time to focus on his gaming goals, testing the game with his friends.
Reference
Alexander, D. (2020, December 02). Board Games Hit a High, But Local Shops and Gamers Struggle. Retrieved December 05, 2020, from https://www.sanjoseinside.com/news/board-games-hit-a-high-but-local-shops-and-gamers-struggle/