It's time for a much needed update for you all. As usual, we have a lot to pack in so here goes...
Tech update
Gameboard continues to blow away those who experience it! We are so excited to get these boards out to you and get your thoughts - first from the beta participants and then from our whole community at large!
Hardware
Hardware design is 100% done! We have v1 of Gameboard “in the bag” and off to our contract manufacturer for manufacturing! This is no small feat in the midst of the current supply chain crisis. Lead times on components are still ridiculous, but we do anticipate them coming down as COVID (hopefully soon) abates.
Software
We have launched Gameboard Companion App on Google Play and have an active TestFlight app in the App Store! While limited at start, our dev team is making incredible progress on enhancing functionality beyond just cards and dice, with a huge focus on facilitating community and playing with others from all over the world.
Gameboard OS continues to get better and better! This is truly a paradigm shift from a traditional single user device to a directionally-agnostic, multi-player device. As this OS is complete under our control (via AOSP), we are not limited by Android Google Services nor iOS.
Shipping Update
Thanks to all of you who signed up to be part of the beta program. We are starting to ship out beta boards this month (January) and will continue to push them out over the next few months. Your feedback is critical to us, so can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
If you haven’t received an email asking you to accept the terms of the beta hardware release, please email Phil (phil@lastgameboard.com) and he will make sure you get your invite
Just to be clear, beta hardware is essentially the same as the production run, only that they are hand built here in the US instead of during our mass production run.
Now is the critical time to achieve “escape velocity”. We must meet aggressive minimum order quantities with our manufacturing plant so they can produce more Gameboards for us. On top of that, we are still facing crazy long lead times on components (sometimes on the smallest and simplest of things)!
In order to mitigate the long lead time components and meet the initial capital requirements for our manufacturing run, our eye is fixed on getting $199 reservations now to accurately predict demand. The more reservations we have, the more community and more games for the platform! Please spread the word to reserve now! Those who wait will still face a six month queue due to supply chain delays.
Champions of the Realm
Gameboard had it’s Beta premiere last week on the first episode of Champions of the Realm, a PvP D&D tournament pitting top D&D players against each other in 1v1 combat to see who will be crowned the Champion of the Realm!
This charity show was produced for the official Dungeons & Dragons channel in partnership with Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms. We are so excited to not only be a part of such an amazing show, but also given the chance to show off Gameboard in action to you and a larger audience!
If you haven’t watched it already, you can check out the first episode where Matthew Lillard’s Beedle takes on Noura Ibrahim’s Ezmerelda for a spot in the semi-finals here:
The 2nd episode (Satine Phoenix vs Omega Jones) also went live this past Wednesday and next week we will see Deborah Ann Woll battle Alicia Marie, all played on a Gameboard!
Game Announcements
We’ve got some exciting new game announcements to share as well!
Viz Media (a huge brand in the world of Manga, working with brands like Pokemon, Naruto, Dragon Ball and more) have decided to hop on the Gameboard bandwagon with 2 titles to start! Cryptozoic is also jumping on board with a game from their Hex line, and Nomad Games is bringing another title onto Gameboard!
“What a cat-astrophe, Grandma’s mansion has been cursed! Ally must team up with Granny’s many cats, who have gained magical abilities, to pound and paw perilous poltergeists in the newly-haunted abode. Explore enchanted areas, rescue cats, and upgrade your kitty companions to save the day!” - Viz Media
“The World Next Door fuses real-time puzzle battles and striking visuals to deliver a supernatural story about Jun, a teen trapped in the mysterious world of Emrys. Team up with Liza, Horace, and an ensemble of otherworldly friends to investigate the secrets of the Emryn shrines, and use Jun’s newfound powers to battle the formidable enemies hidden in their depths. Get Jun back home before time runs out, and challenge your friends in the lightning-fast Versus Mode!” - Viz Media
Shards is a TCG battling game published by Cryptozoic. More details coming soon!
“Cat Lady is a card drafting, set collecting game full of feline fun. The goal is to gain as many victory points as you can by skilfully choosing which cards to draft from an ever-changing selection. Collect different cats, cute costumes and tasty food to keep your cats well fed. With a wide range of different strategies, the paw-sabilities are endless!” - Nomad Games
Game Night in a Can is the ultimate party game from Barry & Jason Games. Play from 30 different, creative mini games for all ages that will make your next game night a crazy and unforgettable one!
That’s all of the updates for now! If you haven’t yet, would love to see you inside our active Discord community where you can find other players, get all of our announcements in more real-time, and get all of your questions and support answered much faster!
Enjoy the rest of your week!