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Message no. 1
From: ">>>>> Axlrose - ... <<<<<" <axlrose@**********.COM>
Subject: FASA not sold... ? (Re: Art Comments)
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 19:56:31 -0500
At 11:02 PM 3/30/98 +0200, you wrote:

<Snipped art critics...>

>WotC bought FASA, right? So it might not be a problem, after all.
>---Felix

Last I heard, WotC wanted to negotiate with FASA, but FASA being
independently owned by three people (I believe), the deals fell through.
FASA has nothing to do with WotC (or so I hope)... can you picture
expansion sets coming out for the cards every 2-3 months with so many
errata'd cards and copycat clones while others are now banned?

Let's just hope Felix is wrong in this case (nothing against you Felix, of
course).
>>>>>Axlrose - ...<<<<<
Message no. 2
From: Lady Jestyr <jestyr@*******.DIALIX.COM.AU>
Subject: Re: FASA not sold... ? (Re: Art Comments)
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 11:03:12 +1000
> Last I heard, WotC wanted to negotiate with FASA, but FASA being
> independently owned by three people (I believe), the deals fell through.
> FASA has nothing to do with WotC (or so I hope)... can you picture

This is where all the misconceptions are coming from: WotC produces the
Battletech card game, under license from FASA. They have nothing to do
with SRTCG, or any other product of FASA's, including the Battletech
game (non-card version).

The Battletech card game is also what's widely believed to be keeping
WotC off FASA's back. See, WotC tried patenting the concept of card
games, and are now trying to license -all- collectible/trading card
games, and control their distribution. FASA has this nice thing to hold
over WotC's head - the very profitable Battletech CCG. If WotC lean on
FASA for licensing rights to SRTCG, FASA just revokes WotC's right to
produce Battletech, and WotC are out a nice bit of $$$.

Ah, the tangled webs of corporate intrigue ;)

Lady Jestyr

- I'm in touch with my Inner Klingon... -
| Elle Holmes | jestyr@**********.com | http://jestyr.home.ml.org |
| Shadowrun Webring Ringmaster | GeoCities Leader | RPGA Reviewer |
Message no. 3
From: Keldon Mor <Keldon@********.NET>
Subject: Re: FASA not sold... ? (Re: Art Comments)
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 19:12:52 -0600
I heard that they basically told WoTC to go Frag themselves.

Peace,
Keldon Mor
Keldon@********.net
http://ww2.NetNitco.net/users/keldon/
-----Original Message-----
From: >>>>> Axlrose - ... <<<<<
<axlrose@**********.COM>
To: SRCARD@********.ITRIBE.NET <SRCARD@********.ITRIBE.NET>
Date: Monday, March 30, 1998 7:00 PM
Subject: FASA not sold... ? (Re: Art Comments)


>At 11:02 PM 3/30/98 +0200, you wrote:
>
><Snipped art critics...>
>
>>WotC bought FASA, right? So it might not be a problem, after all.
>>---Felix
>
>Last I heard, WotC wanted to negotiate with FASA, but FASA being
>independently owned by three people (I believe), the deals fell through.
>FASA has nothing to do with WotC (or so I hope)... can you picture
>expansion sets coming out for the cards every 2-3 months with so many
>errata'd cards and copycat clones while others are now banned?
>
>Let's just hope Felix is wrong in this case (nothing against you Felix, of
>course).
>>>>>>Axlrose - ...<<<<<
>
Message no. 4
From: Jon Palmer <jmp225@***.EDU>
Subject: Re: FASA not sold... ? (Re: Art Comments)
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 20:10:00 -0500
>At 11:02 PM 3/30/98 +0200, you wrote:
>
><Snipped art critics...>
>
>>WotC bought FASA, right? So it might not be a problem, after all.
>>---Felix
>
>Last I heard, WotC wanted to negotiate with FASA, but FASA being
>independently owned by three people (I believe), the deals fell through.
>FASA has nothing to do with WotC (or so I hope)... can you picture
>expansion sets coming out for the cards every 2-3 months with so many
>errata'd cards and copycat clones while others are now banned?
>
>Let's just hope Felix is wrong in this case (nothing against you Felix, of
>course).

Hey, hey, hey. It's not like WotC is Microsoft, y'know? (although I've
heard a rumor that Microsoft is a behind-the-scenes owner, but if it's true
nobody at WotC knows it).

WotC CANNOT run Magic: the Gathering well. I don't know why. Maybe their
frontman is an idiot. Maybe it's equal opportunity for stupid people. I
dunno. However...

IF WotC were to buy FASA, I'd assume they'd follow the model they do for
other "successful" (i.e. not TSR) companies. Send them money, expect a
profit, let them use WotC's resources. That's what they do with FRPG, and
it's what they did with a couple of things they'd licensed in the past. I
wouldn't expect FASA to change one bit if WotC bought them, except maybe to
have more employees.

Anyway, I hate being the one who always has to defend WotC, because I think
their patent is both a. illegally vague and b. VERY annoying to
competition. However, they're not Bill Gates incarnate. They're not even
on the level with Satan (much, MUCH milder than Bill Gates). They're just
a company making some money. So if you've got FACTS to bash them with,
fine. But don't go ripping them up based on rumors, suspicions and
personal dislikes.

Jon Palmer
Message no. 5
From: Bradley Aaron Rebh <brebh@*****.BGSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: FASA not sold... ? (Re: Art Comments)
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 20:39:47 -0500
On Mon, 30 Mar 1998, Jon Palmer wrote:

> >At 11:02 PM 3/30/98 +0200, you wrote:
> >
>
<clip lengthy defense of WotC>
>
> Anyway, I hate being the one who always has to defend WotC, because I think
> their patent is both a. illegally vague and b. VERY annoying to
> competition. However, they're not Bill Gates incarnate. They're not even
> on the level with Satan (much, MUCH milder than Bill Gates). They're just
> a company making some money. So if you've got FACTS to bash them with,
> fine. But don't go ripping them up based on rumors, suspicions and
> personal dislikes.

Mr. Palmer, have you been raiding WotC system again? We all told you to
stay away from their system. You know they use the best in Psychotropic
IC. Geesh, some people never learn. Now if you excuse me, I have to go
buy Age of Empires, MS Golf and get the latest service pack for Win95.

later...

-----------------------------------------
Bradley Aaron Rebh

brebh@*****.bgsu.edu
http://art.bgsu.edu/~rebh

920 E.Wooster #4
Bowling Green, OH 43402
419.353.2405
-----------------------------------------
Message no. 6
From: Bull <chaos@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: FASA not sold... ? (Re: Art Comments)
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 03:06:31 -0500
At 07:56 PM 3/30/98 -0500, >>>>> Axlrose - ... <<<<< wrote
these timeless
words:
>At 11:02 PM 3/30/98 +0200, you wrote:
>
><Snipped art critics...>
>
>>WotC bought FASA, right? So it might not be a problem, after all.
>>---Felix
>
>Last I heard, WotC wanted to negotiate with FASA, but FASA being
>independently owned by three people (I believe), the deals fell through.
>FASA has nothing to do with WotC (or so I hope)... can you picture
>expansion sets coming out for the cards every 2-3 months with so many
>errata'd cards and copycat clones while others are now banned?
>
>Let's just hope Felix is wrong in this case (nothing against you Felix, of
>course).
>
I can positively say that FASA was not bought by WOTC.

An inquiry MAY have been made by WOTC back when they were looking to expand
into RPGs (This is unconfirmed, and Mike Mulvhill wasn;t even positive one
way or another at the time), but if it was, the Owners of FASA said a
resounding NO.

BTW: According to rumor, WOTC bought everyone at some point, and was then
bought by Microsoft, who followed the purchase up by buying Time/Warner,
Disney, and then setting gates up on the 2000 US Presidential Election.

Bull
--
Bull, aka Steven Ratkovich, aka Rak, aka Chaos, aka a lot of others! :]

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Message no. 7
From: Felix Hoefert <FHoefert@********.DE>
Subject: Re: FASA not sold... ? (Re: Art Comments)
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 22:23:35 +0200
Lady Jestyr wrote:
>
> > Last I heard, WotC wanted to negotiate with FASA, but FASA being
> > independently owned by three people (I believe), the deals fell through.
> > FASA has nothing to do with WotC (or so I hope)... can you picture
>
> This is where all the misconceptions are coming from: WotC produces the
> Battletech card game, under license from FASA. They have nothing to do
> with SRTCG, or any other product of FASA's, including the Battletech
> game (non-card version).
>
> The Battletech card game is also what's widely believed to be keeping
> WotC off FASA's back. See, WotC tried patenting the concept of card
> games, and are now trying to license -all- collectible/trading card
> games, and control their distribution. FASA has this nice thing to hold
> over WotC's head - the very profitable Battletech CCG. If WotC lean on
> FASA for licensing rights to SRTCG, FASA just revokes WotC's right to
> produce Battletech, and WotC are out a nice bit of $$$.
>

I didnīt know Battletech was such a seller. Over here, just about nobody
plays or collects it anymore. I know many people who are trying to sell
or trade off their Battletech, but nobody wants it. Too bad for FASA, I
guess. ---Felix
Message no. 8
From: Matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: FASA not sold... ? (Re: Art Comments)
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 19:46:59 -0800
Felix Hoefert wrote:

> I didn´t know Battletech was such a seller. Over here, just about nob=
ody
> plays or collects it anymore. I know many people who are trying to sell=

> or trade off their Battletech, but nobody wants it. Too bad for FASA, I=

> guess. ---Felix

Not bad for FASA at all, actually. WotC has already bought the license,
so the only thing FASA picks up is publicity. (And Battletech has
really strong sales for computer games, miniatures, and its own
rulebooks, so it's not like bad cards are going to hurt it that much.) =

The worst that could happen is that the CCG falls completely on its face
-- in which case WotC, and its Deckmaster mechanism (virtually the same
as MtG's) eat smoke, not FASA. It's a really *strong* position FASA
has. =


Of course, WotC could always refuse to renew the license; I don't know
how long the term on that was - but again, they shoot themselves in the
foot. B-Tech is a *real* strong seller in the states, usually top five
sales for any particular month; WotC makes a buck and treats FASA nicely
for it, and life goes on.


- Matt

------------------------------------
Beware the man who casts two shadows.

GridSec: SRCard / Wolf in Shepherd's Clothing
Teen Poets FAQ: http://pw1.netcom.com/~mbreton/poetry/poetfaq.htm
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