From:	VÆL <ltwiss@********.COM>
Subject:	Re: FASA Being Sold?
Date:	Wed, 16 Jul 1997 09:45:22 +0000

If memory serves correctly, M. Sean Martinez wrote:

> WOTC has been chatting with some other companies regarding potential
> future acquisitions, the companies in queston are: West End Games
> (they would not comment on this in Ottawa, and they certainly wouldn't
> deny anything); White Wolf (not much to substantiate yet); and FASA
> (Jill Lucas at FASA has confirmed that talks are underway, but would
> not disclose the nature of those discussions); There is also rumor
> that WOTC may want Ral Partha as well.

Do any of you besides me find this... illegal? WOTC had better calm
down or they are going to have a monopoly inside the roleplaying
industry. If america was _truly_ a free market there would be no
problem here, but we aren't.

I'm all for WOTC bailing out flailing companys (ie: TSR), but I can't
see justification for running around buying everyone up, besides pure
greed and profitablilty. You can argue...'Well they did make them
selves available for purchase', but can't these company's see the
potential problems?

From a marketing stand point, this is good business. The people at
WOTC know business, and are in it to make money, as well as good
product. Because, they have separate passions inside the company.
People that love gaming, and people that like gaming but love
marketing, or accounting, or...

They are on the right track for making gaming and games in general
the next thing to movies. But they are going about it in a very
Microsoft way.

Vael