Whoa: Topps Shuts Down WizKids

Post by **NukeHavoc** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:05 pm

I can say I'm that surprised, but still ... whoa.

* Topps Shuts Down WizKids
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/13701.html

Jonkga · Post by **Jonkga** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:17 pm

Wow! I guess it does surprise me - I thought things were still going swimmingly for the company. Just because we weren't buying any...

Lars Porsenna · Post by **Lars Porsenna** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:23 pm

Excuse me while I panic (Topps via Wizkids owns the Battletech IP, and had been licensing it out to Catalyst)...

Damon.

EvilGenius · Post by **EvilGenius** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:25 pm

Folks had been speculating about this on the Realms for a while.

A few months ago they layed of a huge # of people, and not support staff. They laid off the lead designer and the brand manager and the head of customer support, IIRC.

People who used to be there had hinted that the just released DC set may be the last set to be produced.

Post by **NukeHavoc** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:30 pm

Lars Porsenna wrote:Excuse me while I panic (Topps via Wizkids owns the Battletech IP, and had been licensing it out to Catalyst)...

Hmmm. I'm not sure how that will shake out. The press release says that Topps is trying to find new homes for the WizKids brands (like HeroClix); my guess is that they'd be content to let the Battletech license ride while they sort out the bigger fish. Then again, Catalyst's license may be with Topps, rather than WizKids, in which case you'd expect things to keep cruising along.

Post by **NukeHavoc** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:33 pm

Jonkga wrote:Wow! I guess it does surprise me - I thought things were still going swimmingly for the company. Just because we weren't buying any...

There's the news that Bob mentioned regarding layoffs and such, but throughout the industry the whole "Collectible Miniatures Game" market's been in decline for a while. At least two or three companies have moved away from the "collectible" aspect, going from sealed random boosters to non-randomized ones (D&D Minis being the most prominent of these).

Honestly, I never go the acquisition of WizKids by Topps; I suppose it was their big chance to push in to hobby games, but while collecting cards and playing games are both hobbies, I don't think the synergies there are as compatible as one might think.

Lars Porsenna · Post by **Lars Porsenna** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:35 pm

AFAIK it is with Wizkids, since the license existed before WK was aquired by Topps.

The problem is the whole "new ownership" thing. What will happen? Will there be an "interregnum" like there was between FASA disposing of its IPs and Wizkids picking it up? Will the new owners be OK with the current (excellent) relationship Wizkids Has (had) with Catalyst?

Battletech has finally started to claw its way back from the damage caused by FASA's collapse, with a lot of big plans (they're starting to republish NEW Battletech novels FREX), and I'd be very afraid that this development might put the stake through the heart of a game and setting I've loved (uninterrupted) for 23 years...

Damon.

EvilGenius · Post by **EvilGenius** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:36 pm

Heroclix game development and handling has been a pity all the way around.

I was just talking about the new set with Lance last weekend. They're in a pretty good place now with dial design and special powers. Powercreep had seemed to be arrested and balance was reasserting itself. There was a good selection of characters and the dial designs were useful, for the most part.

I think the rules were still in a constant state of flux though, which has always hurt the game tremendously. And I think there are some inherent limitations to the rules framework which they've never been able to adequately deal with (move & attack, for example).

And even those of us who stopped playing a long time ago can remember some of their more egregious customer service/pr blunders.

Honestly, it's difficult to see how the situation could be salvaged at this point.

Post by **NukeHavoc** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 5:16 pm

Lars Porsenna wrote:The problem is the whole "new ownership" thing. What will happen? Will there be an "interregnum" like there was between FASA disposing of its IPs and Wizkids picking it up? Will the new owners be OK with the current (excellent) relationship Wizkids Has (had) with Catalyst?

Battletech has finally started to claw its way back from the damage caused by FASA's collapse, with a lot of big plans (they're starting to republish NEW Battletech novels FREX), and I'd be very afraid that this development might put the stake through the heart of a game and setting I've loved (uninterrupted) for 23 years...

As one of my friends just pointed out on a different list, maybe this is a good thing in that Catalyst might be able to buy the license outright (though personally I doubt that, as I think the computer gaming license still has some value, even if its been allowed to lay fallow for the last few years).

Lars Porsenna · Post by **Lars Porsenna** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 6:37 pm

AFAIK the computer game license is still owned by Microsoft.

As far as Catalyst geting th IP outright, that remains to be seen.

Damon.

Lars Porsenna · Post by **Lars Porsenna** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:14 pm

http://www.classicbattletech.com/index.php?action=news

Seems battletech is still safe, thank the mech-gods...

Damon.

Jonkga · Post by **Jonkga** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:54 pm

Good news.

erilar · Post by **erilar** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 8:07 am

That's very good to hear, but I wish they had said who owns the license now. I guess it must still be Topps until someone approaches them about buying it up.

EvilGenius · Post by **EvilGenius** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:28 pm

So HCRealms was kinda exploding yesterday, and today it's completely down.

But a few former WK employees were starting to open up about how the company was run when they were there and man, it sounded pretty ugly.

Lars Porsenna · Post by **Lars Porsenna** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 7:23 pm

The Forums are back up Bob.

Damon.