CMON News and Rumours - 2024 Annual Results

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**ced1106**

> Is Munchkin Dungeon a miniature based Dungeon crawler game with the Munchkin theme? I hope it's not just a bunch of cards, that's what the original game already is!

IIRC, Munchkin Dungeon was originally a Munchkin Arcadia Quest game. There *is* a Munchkin CCG, by Eric Lang, that is a card-only game.

Not much info on MD, but here's the blurb : https://www.cmon.com/news/cmon-limited-announces-munchkin-dungeon-with-steve-jackson-games-15dc4d61-d721-4e7e-ae92-8740b2664666

**PsychoticStorm**

Well, as reported from tabletop fix

**Siygess**

Is it me, or do all of CMON's games look the same now?

**Necros**

The gal with the pistols ain't so bad, but not really a fan of the scorpion thing.

**DaveC**

Siygess wrote:
Is it me, or do all of CMON's games look the same now?

This is what happens when Adrian Smith is in charge of your art department it’s all looking very samey but if it can crossover with Zc Invader then that’s a positive.

The Searsting (scorpion) looks a bit like a larger bone crab I guess they are keeping some of the Sedition Wars/Arms of Sorrow design as thats what some of the minis were designed for.

I’ll be backing just for the minis I have a few in resin already but I’d like to have more of the cannon fodder type stuff.

**PsychoticStorm**

Making Adrian Smith their art department manager was a bad idea.

Still so far looking better than ZC invaders.

**Chairman Aeon**

PsychoticStorm wrote:
Making Adrian Smith their art department manager was a bad idea./quote]

You take that back!

**RiTides**

I do think their art direction has really suffered the last year or so - not sure on the cause, but I agree with the criticisms here. That scorpion-with-face model is extremely uninspired... especially the sculpted render at the top left of the first pic above.

**PsychoticStorm**

Chairman Aeon wrote:

You take that back!

I will fully admit I do not like his style and technique, but the point of an art director is to guide/ shape and safeguard the branding of the companies art direction, not to turn all the companies art to whatever he would draw/ like to see.

**ecurtz**

100% agree with PsychoticStorm, Adrian Smith isn't doing anything good for CMON's visual identity.

I swear I saw that scorpion thing as a terrible rod puppet in some late 80s direct to video Alien ripoff...

**Monkeysloth**

Agreed. Another easy pass for me.

I should be happy with their change in art as it saves me a lot of money.

**BobtheInquisitor**

PsychoticStorm wrote:
Chairman Aeon wrote:

You take that back!

I will fully admit I do not like his style and technique, but the point of an art director is to guide/ shape and safeguard the branding of the companies art direction, not to turn all the companies art to whatever he would draw/ like to see.

So, the reason I love all of Adrian Smith's Warhammer/40k artwork is because he was working at the direction of a seasoned art director, and the reason I dislike most of his CMON art is because he is working at the direction of himself as art director?

Do we now draw comparisons to Image Comics or Shatner directing Star Trek 5?

**ced1106**

> Is it me, or do all of CMON's games look the same now?

They're just catching up with every Ameritrash dice-chucker ever. Which are all HeroQuest reskins. Except Project: ELITE.

**nagash42**

I think the scorpion thing looks neat.

**DaveC**

I've opened a KS thread for Project Elite so as to keep this one as general CMON news and rumours.

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/765226.page

**DaveC**

CMON ACQUIRES LICENSE FOR NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
Oct 29, 2018
Fifty years ago, George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead changed the horror movie industry and created the zombie genre. Since then, zombies have become a mainstay in popular culture, and now, CMON Ltd., maker of worldwide best-selling tabletop games including their flagship title Zombicide, has acquired the license from Living Dead Media to create branded board games and associated play accessories (including miniature PVC figures, board, dice and tokens/coins, cards) based on Romero’s original iconic movie. These new games are officially approved by Image Ten, the original production company and custodians of George A. Romero’s iconic film, making them the definitive tabletop products based on the horror classic.

Geoff Skinner, CMON’s VP of Media Development, said of the partnership, “Night of the Living Dead is the quintessential zombie movie. It’s an honor to work with such a property, and we are excited to be able to partner with Living Dead Media and Image Ten on creating a game worthy of the movie’s legacy.”

Spoiler:

[spoiler]

CMON Acquires License for Night of the Living Dead
For this release, CMON Ltd. is once again working with Evolution USA LLC, the licensing and brand management agent of Living Dead Media. Their first collaboration was a tabletop game based on the popular Gaumont-produced Netflix series, Narcos. That game is slated to hit store shelves on November 23rd.

Travis Rutherford, Partner/Chief Revenue Officer at Evolution, said, “We’re thrilled for Night of the Living Dead to be hitting gaming tables all over the world next year and are excited to see what the team at CMON has cooked up. Just like their work on Narcos, we know this will be a fitting addition to a legendary franchise.”

"Living Dead Media and Image Ten are proud to partner with CMON to bring legions of fans a new way to experience Night of the Living Dead. And, Living Dead Media will be honoring George A. Romero by donating a portion of its profits to the newly formed George A. Romero Foundation known as GARF," said Steve Wolsh, CEO of Living Dead Media.

The announcement to create games based on Night of the Living Dead coincides with CMON Ltd.’s opening of their new L.A. office. From there, CMON looks to further work with licensors to create tabletop products. Earlier this year, CMON successfully launched the A Song of Ice and Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game based on the NYT Bestselling book series by George R. R. Martin as well as Bloodborne: The Card Game based on Sony's best-selling PS4-exclusive video game, Bloodborne. In Q2 of 2019, they will be releasing a family tabletop game based on Hanna-Barbera’s classic Wacky Races cartoon series. The L.A. Office is being led by Geoff Skinner.

Of his mission in L.A., Geoff Skinner said, "CMON is the premiere tabletop gaming company in the world, and I couldn't be more proud to help establish our footprint in Hollywood. By opening an office in L.A., we're looking forward to strengthening our licensor relationships in the film, TV, and electronic gaming communities, as well as to forging partnerships that will expand the narrative of our own IPs into television, features and animation."

**Theophony**

Wonder if Adrian Smith will lend his direction to this

**Barzam**

So, this is going to be based on the original Romero movie, and not the Tom Savini remake? So, I guess that means this time around zombies get to use weapons, will be afraid of light, and whoever plays Barbara gets to be hysterical the entire game while doing nothing.

**ced1106**

Maybe Barbara will be an NPC with a random AI (runs in a random direction, screams for a noise counter, etc.) and you have to keep her alive! (Not that the movie succeeded!)

Good to see the Romero estate get some money from this franchise. The original movie lapsed into the public domain, although the other Living Dead movies were copyright'ed.
https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2016/10/25/why-night-of-the-living-dead-is-public-domain/

**Aeneades**

There is currently a 50th (!) anniversary HD restoration on at some cinemas in the UK (preceded by a documentary) so they will hopefully be making some money from that as well (the documentary also showed footage of a mobile prequel which is officially licenced).

I had sworn off Zombicide (with the exception of the final fantasy set) but this does have me intrigued as to make a faithful adaption will be quite a departure from regular Zombicide.

**Barzam**

I don't think most people are aware of how different the zombies in the original movie are from what was in the later ones. There's still vestiges of I am Legend in it, what with the zombies being afraid of light and all. Plus I could swear several zombies do use weapons in the movie. At least one does use a trowel to kill someone.

You know what would be cooler? A Return of the Living Dead baordgame. It could be a base defense/ horde mode survival game where you have to keep the barricades up and fend off the unkillable zombies long enough for the military to launch a nuke. It'd be like Lost Patrol almost, where the point is more seeing how long you can last rather than if you can actually survive or not.

**Sqorgar**

Barzam wrote:
You know what would be cooler? A Return of the Living Dead baordgame.

I'm down for that (for the Linnea Quigley miniature), but only if the skeletons have perfect teeth.

**highlord tamburlaine**

Barzam wrote:
I don't think most people are aware of how different the zombies in the original movie are from what was in the later ones. There's still vestiges of I am Legend in it, what with the zombies being afraid of light and all. Plus I could swear several zombies do use weapons in the movie. At least one does use a trowel to kill someone.

You know what would be cooler? A Return of the Living Dead baordgame. It could be a base defense/ horde mode survival game where you have to keep the barricades up and fend off the unkillable zombies long enough for the military to launch a nuke. It'd be like Lost Patrol almost, where the point is more seeing how long you can last rather than if you can actually survive or not.

Wasn't that basically Zpocalypse? I'm pretty sure that's what the premise of that game is. Surprisingly I've never owned it either...

**DaveC**

Blood Rage Digital will be the next Flash Kickstarter campaign by CMON. Featuring Multiplayer and Solo options, the core game as well as many expansions, a customizable AI that can be used to introduce new players to the game or challenge the most strategic Vikings out there, and graphics that will put you in the middle of a war at the end of days, Blood Rage Digital is perfect for any fan of the Eric M. Lang original masterpiece. If that is not enough to get your Norse spirits fired up, this short campaign will also offer a few amazing promos, like new versions of the four exclusive Monsters only seen in the original Blood Rage Kickstarter, and the all-new Stag Clan!

**Monkeysloth**

Like they they're redoing the exclusives as new sculpts. I wonder if this means those will go into general retail as Bloodrage probably still sells pretty decently.

**Binabik15**

Woah, I'd like Stag Clan but not the rest. Mhm.

**Mysterio**

"Flash Kickstarter"... ugh.

So, just a smaller pre-order window campaign?

**OrlandotheTechnicoloured**

CMON stock price continued to fall as the company reported losses of $4.1 million for the 9 month period ending September 2018. The company blamed the losses mainly on decreasing Kickstarter revenue and increased convention expenses.

Revenue fell 32.6% from $17.5 million for 2017 to $11.8 million in 2018. The losses were primarily due to decreases in revenue from Kickstarter including ‘A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game’ and ‘Arcadia Quest: Riders.’

CMON’s gross profit decline, from 47.5% to 39.8%, was attributed to the increase in fixed costs. Cost of sales decreased as inventories declined and shipping and handling costs dropped. The company also reported a decrease in the sales of advertising space on their website.

Expenses also increased for the game maker due to increase marketing efforts, namely the participation in large scale game conventions.

The company also incurred extra costs related to an application to transfer their stock listing from Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) to the main board.

CMON’s stock continued to slide, closing at 0.16 HKD on Friday, a decrease of 30.4% over last years price.

well it looks like CMON are having a tough time of things

Hate: $1,469,000 and 10,227 backers (probably as good as could be expected, not bad but factions a bit too samey so while you got a bucket of stuff it was all chaos marauder fodder)

Arcadia Quest Riders: $316,000 from 5,272 (seemed to do fine for what it was an sold what was there and more so uninspiring but not a failure)

Zombicide Invaders: $3,353,000 and 18,486 backers (decent but only 2/3 of Green Hordes take although spend per person very similar, uninspired designs)

Death May Die: $2.412,000 and 15,831 backers (poor response to an Cthulhu game, I suspect they expected far more backers even if they didn't expect the demand for giant Cthulhu, poorly run campaign, too many investigators too few monsters)

Starcadia Quest: $935,000 and 6500 backers (poor result, I'm sure they expected 3X this, lots didn't like the aliens, too many paid add ons that were probably intended to be stretch goals, too many mini robots)

that said, and despite blaming it all on KS & Convention expenses one wonders about how much licencing fees to GRRM contribute.... now the KS is done I wonder if what they're selling is actually enough to cover them on an ongoing basis

and what that means for Dark Age & Wrath of Kings

**infinite_array**

OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
and what that means for Dark Age & Wrath of Kings

If they're not being sold to other companies that'll continue the line, then they're dead.

**OrlandotheTechnicoloured**

Probably true (especially WoK sadly),

but they might try a KS relaunch of one or both as a minimal development project