Summary: In this episode… Happy Mitten is joined by Michael Lee and Chris Matthew of Panda Game Manufacturing. We have all thought about pursuing a dream in an industry we are passionate about. For the board game industry, this desire for personal achievement often takes the form of becoming a game designer, or perhaps a publisher. More of a rarity, are those people with a passion for board game manufacturing. What does it take, and who are these people that take our game and give it life? Happy Mitten is pleased to be joined by two of those people for the twenty fourth episode of our podcast. Learn about who Michael Lee and Chris Mathew are as they share the story of how Panda Game Manufacturing was created and what everyone at Panda Game Manufacturing does to keep the company thriving. Introduction We introduce Michael and Chris and talk about the board game industry. What have we been loving about our industry as of late, and what awesome games have the five of us been playing? Feature: Panda Game Manufacturing Interview Michael and Chris look at how the past couple years have gone and predict what the future looks like for Panda Game Manufacturing. Panda Game Manufacturing has production facilities based in Shenzhen, China. What makes that city so awesome and why is that location ideal? What components have grown in popularity and what components do Michael and Chris not see very often that they would like to explore? Our two guests share their insights on the board game industry as a whole. Michael travels all over the world, and Panda Game Manufacturing attends many conventions, including Spiel (Essen), Origins, Gencon, and GAMA. Is the tabletop “culture” different in other areas around the world? What does America value? Canada Value? China Value? Europe Value? Helpful Tips Michael and Chris discuss a critical part of bringing your game design to life. Components and physical aspects. Keep it in mind from early on the process.
