Here at Goonhammer, we know that it’s hard to keep track of all the news happening all the time in the games industry. So much is always going on with games of all sorts, and their related media, it can be a real blink-and-you’ll miss it situation.
That’s why every week, we round up five of the biggest stories in the gaming sphere from the past week in the Games Industry News Roundup. Our trusty news boy, Dan “Swiftblade” Richardson, is at the very real and cool Goonhammer newsdesk with the scoop.
Fans Rally to Support Influential Warhammer Artist’s Medical Expenses
Hey, rather than the usual doom and gloom of the video game industry falling apart, let’s kick things off this week with a nice feel good story, yeah? Wouldn’t that be swell for a change?
A few days ago, former Games Workshop artist Karl Kopinski released a video on his instagram page that he had suffered a stroke and lost a large portion of his function on the left side of his body. (This is obviously not the good news. Wait for it. -Ed.) Kopinski’s stroke was as a result of the condition he’s been battling quietly for six years, called multiple Myeloma. This condition is a type of cancer that forms in the plasma cells of the body, pushing out healthy red blood cells from bone marrow and leading to further complications. As a result of his condition, and the treatment for his condition, Kopinski says he’s suffered several smaller strokes and even a heart attack.
While Karl Kopinski has made a name for himself as a freelance artist for big names like Wizards of the Coast and Ubisoft, Karl Kopinski’s time as an illustrator at Games Workshop is far and away what he is best known for. Kopinski’s art credits include some of the most memorable pieces from the early 2000’s era of Warhammer, including the cover art for Codex: Catachan, Codex: Eye of Terror, Codex: Necrons, and Codex: Tau.
The influence that Kopinski’s artwork has on many Warhammer fans is hard to understate. It should come as no surprise to anyone then that when Kopinski opened a gofundme page, asking for financial help to assist in paying for rehab, hundreds of fans were eager to donate. Kopinski’s original fundraising goal was £5,000. As of this writing, the fundraiser has raised over £60,000. (This is the good news. -Ed.)
In a follow up video, Kopinski thanks his fans for the outpouring of support, saying that it gives him motivation to go through the rehab process and learn to draw again. We here at Goonhammer wish the best for Karl Kopinski and his loved ones, and hope he has a speedy recovery and rehabilitation.
Focus Interactive Announces Space Marine 3 Is in Development
Fans of the Space Marine game series who were worried about another decade-long wait for a sequel can take a long sigh of relief this week, as Games Workshop and Focus entertainment announced that a third game in the series is in development.
“We have been honored by the incredible response from fans following the launch of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. We will continue to support the game with exciting content and regular updates in the coming years. Today, we are thrilled to announce that the adventure will continue with Space Marine 3. Players can look forward to an immersive campaign, a multiplayer mode, and innovations that will redefine the standards of third-person action games,” Focus Entertainment leadership wrote on the official press release. “We view this as an opportunity to create a true love letter to the Warhammer 40.000 universe.”
While it’s fortunate that a third Space Marine game likely won’t be stuck in development hell, it’s going to be several years at least until we have the game in our hands. Until then, Games Workshop is keeping their lips sealed as to what factions and characters may show up in the third game. Dedicated fans might be able to find clues in the additional content Focus intends to release for Space Marine 2 over the coming years, such as new scenarios and a horde mode.
Super Democracy Is Coming to Your Kitchen Table with Helldivers 2 Board Game
For those of you who were running out of ways to rope your friends into playing Helldivers 2 with you, fear not! There’s a new way to get together and fight the enemies of Super Earth: on the tabletop!
Steamforged Games, the developers behind several video game based board games such as Monster Hunter: World and Dark Souls, has set its sights on Helldivers 2 to be the company’s next big tabletop adaptation.
Steamforged announced last week that it was working on the game in collaboration with Arrowhead Games, the design studio behind the original video game, and would be launching a crowdfunding campaign for it on Gamefound.
As for details on the game itself, Steamforged gave us a few details about the game in a press release. “In this 1-4 player tactical action board game, every decision can mean the difference between victory and total annihilation in service of Super Earth. Just like in the field, you’ll face evolving threats, unpredictable objectives, and the ever-present danger of friendly fire. Because let’s be honest — you will drop an Eagle Airstrike on your squadmate.”
The campaign is scheduled to go live on April 8th, where we will have our first chance to learn more details about the Helldivers 2 board game.
CMON Games Warns of Massive Financial Losses
Man, that Karl Kopinski crowdfunding story was so nice. Would be a real shame if we had to write a bit now about the horrors of the modern gaming landscape, huh? A real shame.
And five six seven eight…
CMON Games is losing a lot of money! Oh no we’re back in the nightmare!
As reported by Boardgamewire, CMON Games is bracing for a painful monetary loss from 2024, estimating that it would be anywhere from $1.4 to $2.1 million. The final number will likely be released in the company’s upcoming annual report due later this month. This is a devastating gut punch to CMON, and could potentially wipe the profits seen from the past three years combined.
While CMON is one of the biggest and most successful names in tabletop crowdfunding, that does little to help it escape the post-pandemic shrinkage of the games industry as a whole. Despite raising eyebrows last year when CMON signed exclusive crowdfunding rights with Gamefound, and making a big name hire with the founder of “Man VS Meeple” signing on as the new marketing director, CMON is currently struggling to deliver on ten campaigns, including several campaigns that CMON bought out from failing companies.
Boardgamewire reports that CMON’s wholesale revenue dropped 39% compared to 2023, and that shareholders were failing to hand over money for their stakes. CMON also reportedly sold off some of it’s intellectual properties to generate an estimated $12 million in additional cash.
Is the sky falling for CMON? Is the company doomed? Probably not. But the company’s wings are certainly looking to be coming out of 2024 pretty crispy, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see CMON move more cautiously as a form of fiscal damage control in the upcoming fiscal year. Furthermore, it’s unknown how this will affect the staff at CMON, and if this means we will see layoffs of the sort that have plagued the video game sector the past few years. We will likely know more about that, and any other developments caused by this fiscal squeeze, once the annual report is released.
Pokemon Go Developers Bought by Saudi Government
We finally know where the Pokemon in the hit mobile game Pokemon Go are actually going: Saudi Arabia!
Yes, you read that correctly. Scopely, a mobile games development company owned by the Saudi government, finalized a deal to purchase Pokemon Go from developer Niantic labs for $3.5 billion.
“This partnership ensures that our games have the long term support needed to be “forever games” that will endure for future generations.” Niantic said in a press release. “Players can expect that the games, apps, services, and events they know and love will continue to receive Scopely’s ongoing investment, driven by the same teams that have always created these experiences.”
As a part of this deal, Niantic is set to receive funds for a shareholder distribution of $350 million, as well as hand over all the rights to their other AR mobile games like Monster Hunter NOW.
Scopely is no stranger to success in the mobile games arena, having released massively popular games like Monopoly GO! And Star Trek Fleet Command. As for what Scopely plans on doing with Pokemon Go, little is known at the moment. Ed Wu, the head of the Pokemon Go team, assured fans on the Pokemon Go official blog that while he is unsure of how the game might change, the team is staying together during this transition and he feels confident in the future of the game.
With all this free time on their hands now that they don’t need to worry about those darn Pikachus, you ask? Why, it’s AI, of course! Specifically, Niantic is creating Niantic Spatial, a division of the company dedicated to developing whatever the hell geospatial AI is, which I don’t understand and frankly refuse to learn about. Even the words “geospatial AI” sound like made up technobabble shouted by a dystopian future Bond villain, designed to roll directly off the brain just in time for our hero to turn off the turbo-nuclear laser lobotomy missiles or whatever and save the day.
Anyways, enough of that. So long and thanks for all the Pokemon, Niantic. I hope you have fun with the AI map model geocaching thing with too many fingers.
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