Ceedee Doyle: Board game convention organiser on resurgence in board game popularity

Board games have rolled past go, and seen a massive resurgence in popularity in the past decade.

The global market has an estimated value of more than 31-billion dollars, and is expected to grow a further five billion by 2029.

New Zealand's largest board game convention, WellyCon has just been held.

Convention organiser Ceedee Doyle told Mike Hosking some of the world's top games are made here locally.

She says a game from the Kapiti Coast won game of the year.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In a world of high tech, the good old board
game is on some sort of resurgence. Globally, board games
are now worth thirty one billion plus thirty one billion
another five billion. The reckon is going to be added
to that by twenty twenty nine. Anyway, that were talking
about all of this at Weallykono over the weekend. CD
Doyle as the organizer of that and is with a
CD morning, Hello, how are you very well? Indeed, some
big crowds.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Absolutely and ever growing.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
As you say, good old favorites. Are a lot of
new material out there.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, there's been a huge wave of what we call
modern board games. So most people know Monopoly, cludo that
kind of thing. And these days modern board games have
a lot less luck involved and a lot more strategy
or end or interaction and playing with other people.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
Are they tied with video games at all or not?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Well, I guess if you compare them. Obviously, in New Zealand,
the video gaming industry has just boomed in the last
five years, and I understand that it's around four hundred
million dollar industry. If you compare that with board games,
we're around forty five million industry. And I think in

(01:12):
most people's minds. That's actually pretty good.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Do we produce our own board games and sell them
to the world that we had that sort of industry
like we have in the video game.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Department, one hundred percent. We're actually really fortunate. I live
in Wellington and we're actually very fortunate to have two
of the top designers in the world actually living here
in Capiti.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
Fantastic. What have they produced? Would I know them?

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yes, Well, if you go to any board game you're
most likely to see them. One is shen Phillips who
produced a whole series of games called the Raiders Games
or the North Sea Saga and they're really he was
nominated for the top award in the world. And Jarrett

(01:58):
Gray who did Endeavor the See just released last year
that has indeed actually won the best game in the
world this year.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Gosh, So we are from New Zealand, the bottom of
the world producing the best board games in the world.
Isn't that exciting? So a growing industry. Appreciate your time.
CD Doyle Wealthycome, by the way, is New Zealand's largest
board game convention. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
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