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 Shadows of Latin America, A query |
 Jun 9 2006, 01:47 AM
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#26
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Great Dragon  Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935  |
Indeedy do.
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Jun 9 2006, 03:12 AM
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#27
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
Effing Holostreets. What's the damn holdup?
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Jun 9 2006, 06:13 AM
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#28
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
So the writers have no idea why it's in limbo, either? Good grief. Of all people, I'm amazed they don't at least tell you guys.
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Jun 9 2006, 11:06 AM
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#29
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
Some of them didn't even know about SR4 until it was announced last March, so I hardly find this surprising.
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Jun 9 2006, 12:18 PM
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#30
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,078 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 67 |
We just don't know the status of Holostreets.
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Jun 9 2006, 02:43 PM
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#31
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
How about "Completely Effed?"
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Jun 9 2006, 10:53 PM
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#32
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,314 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Lisbon, Cidade do Pecado Member No.: 185 |
This isn't exactly the case. The writers have been informed of the situation of SoLA, but there's precious little else that we (or FanPro) can do at this point. There were reasons why FanPro could not release a pdf only version of the book and Holostreets presented a means to make it available to the fans. Unfortunately Holostreets seems to have slipped into limbo for the time being, but rest assured FanPro has not forgotten SoLA. |
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Jun 10 2006, 10:57 PM
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#33
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 207 Joined: 3-November 05 From: KCMO Member No.: 7,922 |
Any chance we might see it by (or even at) GenCon?
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Jun 10 2006, 11:49 PM
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#34
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,095 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Ontari-airee-o Member No.: 1,115 |
Two chances, slim and none.
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Jun 11 2006, 12:45 AM
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#35
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 681 Joined: 28-February 06 From: UK Member No.: 8,319 |
Bah- why should GenCon get everything first!
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Jun 11 2006, 01:09 AM
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#36
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,379 Joined: 16-April 02 From: the LI shadows Member No.: 2,607 |
Just release it as a free PDF already!
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Jun 11 2006, 01:37 AM
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#37
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 681 Joined: 28-February 06 From: UK Member No.: 8,319 |
I do hope this hasn't been caused by a rift between Fanpro and Wizkids, or anything like that. |
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Jun 11 2006, 01:47 AM
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#38
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Shooting Target Group: Retired Admins Posts: 1,784 Joined: 28-July 04 From: Cleveland, OH Member No.: 6,522 |
Holostreets/Battlecorps isn't owned by Wizkids. It's owned by In Media Res productions, who license a different set of rights to CBT and SR than FanPro. As they're a separate company from FanPro, it's not surprising that FanPro freelancers wouldn't be kept up to date on IMR's internal proceedings. Looking at the Battlecorps web site, it's worth noting that on their contact us page, they're looking for a redhat/PHP developer/web admin. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the delay in rolling out holostreets is tied in some way to a lack of manpower. |
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Jun 11 2006, 01:55 AM
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#39
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 681 Joined: 28-February 06 From: UK Member No.: 8,319 |
Thanks for the informed guess- I'm convinced. But what are the "reasons why FanPro could not release a pdf only version of the book"? Sheer economics, if I had to guess. Would I be right in saying that pdf demand isn't yet high enough to make it a profitable mode of distribution, even with the significantly reduced overheads?
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Jun 11 2006, 01:58 AM
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#40
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 681 Joined: 28-February 06 From: UK Member No.: 8,319 |
And one other thing-- who the hell farmed out all the ED/SR rights like this? It seems like an absolute mess. FASA/Microsoft, Wizkids, Fanpro, In Media Res, Red Brick, Living Room Games... sheesh!
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Jun 11 2006, 02:23 AM
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#41
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Shooting Target Group: Retired Admins Posts: 1,784 Joined: 28-July 04 From: Cleveland, OH Member No.: 6,522 |
Well, since it was announced that the book would be published by Holostreets, IMR probably bought at least the electronic rights to it. (Alternatively, there might be a gentleman's agreement between FanPro and IMR.) If that's the case, then FanPro wouldn't be able to release a PDF. Mind you, as 4th edition has now been out for 9 months, I can only imagine that as interest wains in a 3rd edition product, so would the value of that agreement. So for the sake of FanPro and the freelancers who worked on it, I sincerely hope that IMR paid in advance.
When FASA was still active, they sold the FASA Interactive subunit (independent company?) to Microsoft. That included all electronic gaming rights to all of their properties. My understanding is that those rights aren't licensed with a recurring fee. Instead, they are wholy owned by FASA Interactie/Microsoft. As a consequence of that, my understanding is that no one from the old FASA (or WizKids, or FanPro, or any of the other companies involved) would need to approve/sign off on/get a sneak preview on any of the products that Microsoft releases. Therefore, they're able to diverge from the pre-existing lines in anyway that they'd want to. (Thus, the video game that bears little semblance to the existing products.) When FASA stopped production, all rights for Battletech, Crimson Skies, and Shadowrun (save the electronic gaming ones mentioned earlier) went to WizKids (along with several of the key employees of FASA.) FanPro, formerly a German language only licensee of FASA, licensed the Pen and Paper gaming rights for CBT and SR, because WizKids had no interest in supporting a P&P RPG. Void publishing rights reverted to the game's creator. Earthdawn remained with FASA. I'm guessing that's because the game line was defunct at the time. Both Living Room Games and Red Brick Games purchased non-exclusive licenses from FASA. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if FASA would enthusiastically sell another non-exclusive pen and paper license if somebody else ponied up the dough. I've no idea what happened with Renegade Legion, Crucible, or Traveller products that FASA produced. I'm reasonably certain that the Star Trek, Masters of the Universe, Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica rights reverted to the actual owners of those IPs long before FASA stopped production. |
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Jun 11 2006, 02:57 AM
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#42
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
Attending a convention is expensive for a game company, and having new products at it helps recoup those expenses, as direct sales generate a lot more profit than sales to distributors/retail stores. |
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Jun 11 2006, 05:15 AM
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#43
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
Awesome. Because the Holostreets deal was only announced at Origins 2005 a year ago. |
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Jun 11 2006, 07:57 AM
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#44
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Great, I'm a Dragon... Group: Retired Admins Posts: 6,699 Joined: 8-October 03 From: North Germany Member No.: 5,698 |
Maybe the pay is too low? ;)
@FASA licences: Games-In (a small german company) has the licence to translate all FASA-ED-books into german and to develop new ones. So one more to add. :D |
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Jun 11 2006, 09:46 AM
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#45
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 681 Joined: 28-February 06 From: UK Member No.: 8,319 |
Thanks the_dunner. Actually I was aware of most of this. My question (primarily in jest) was more along the line of 'which individual made these decisions- they deserve a slap!' I envision a Thomas Roxborough-alike corporate raider, floating in a vat, cackling and gurgling as he uses his insane wealth and ruthless Gordon Gecko skills to acquire the rights to ED & SR- then splits them up and sells them off piecemeal because they're worth more as individual scrap than they are as a coherent whole. ;) |
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Jun 11 2006, 10:05 AM
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#46
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Target Group: Members Posts: 84 Joined: 22-June 05 From: Behind you!!! Member No.: 7,458 |
Maybe it's delayed until just before the Shadowrun videogame comes out (it's set in Brazil donchaknow). This way they can write it up so that Santos is nuked off the map just to spite Microsoft.
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Jun 11 2006, 12:06 PM
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#47
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 681 Joined: 28-February 06 From: UK Member No.: 8,319 |
Now that would make me smile.
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Jun 11 2006, 01:37 PM
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#48
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
No one person made those decisions -- they happened over a period of years. Really, aside from Microsoft getting all the computer game rights as opposed to the license, there's nothing *that* strange in the licensing situation. And a slight correction to dunner's post; Crimson Skies is actually owned by Microsoft as well; WizKids did the clix game under some sort of licensing agreement with them. |
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Jun 11 2006, 03:04 PM
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#49
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 681 Joined: 28-February 06 From: UK Member No.: 8,319 |
Aye well if it's not getting in the way or causing any problems then I guess it doesn't matter.
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Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 12th April 2022 - 07:20 PM |
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