http://catalystgamelabs.com/2008/05/20/cat...ense-agreement/

Lake Stevens, Washington (May 16, 2008) - InMediaRes Productions, under its Catalyst Game Labs imprint finalized a contract for the full rights to publish Classic BattleTech and Shadowrun gaming products for an additional two years today. “We are absolutely ecstatic,� said Owner Loren Coleman. “By securing these rights for the next several years, it allows Catalyst the chance we have been waiting for, to grow and foster the Classic BattleTech and Shadowrun brand in the way they have deserved all along.

“Since taking the helm of both these acclaimed properties, we have not only satisfied the huge base of existing players, but have brought a whole new crowd of players into the fold. With such titles like The Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set, and new and exciting ways to expand the play in our best selling Shadowrun, Fourth Edition. It’s a great time to be a part of both of these wonderful games.�

David Stansel-Garner, Operations Manager with Catalyst Games Labs, added: “With the establishment of the license, this will allow Catalyst to move forward with projects we have have been raring to go for months now. We can get foreign editions of our games into the international marketplace in countries such as Germany, Japan, and France. These folks have been chomping at the bit to work with us, and now we can let them get to it! Along with the re-introduction of these brands into the international marketplace, this multi-year agreement allows us to begin working on many of the initiatives we had only dreamed of bringing back. First and foremost there is getting BattleTech and Shadowrun fiction back in book stores. With well over 100 novels in the past, we look forward to getting new books in people’s hands once again. Those initiatives have only been enhanced with the media attention we have received in places like Wired and Penny Arcade. We are really primed for something big!�

Coleman summed it all up by saying, “This is an exciting time for our two core brands. We have been given the opportunity to share our work on BattleTech and Shadowrun with everyone for the next several years. This includes shepherding both lines into their 25th and 20th anniversaries, respectively, in 2009. We have a fantastic team of people. And, as you can see, a wonderful relationship with WizKids, Inc. This is going to be a great time for games we really love!�

About Catalyst Game Labs
Catalyst Game Labs is dedicated to producing high quality gaming products that mesh sophisticated game mechanics with dynamic universes, presented in a form that allows both beginning players and long-time veterans to easily pick up our games. Catalyst Game Labs is an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC, which specializes in electronic publishing of professional fiction. This allows Catalyst to participate in a synergy that melds printed gaming product with all the benefits of an electronic interface and community, creating a whole-package experience for any type of player. For additional information, visit www.catalystgamelabs.com.

About WizKids, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of the Topps Company, WizKids is a Seattle-based game developer and publisher dedicated to creating tabletop games driven by imagination. Its HeroClix® and Pirates brands are among the most successful games on the market today, with over one hundred million miniature game figures sold worldwide. For additional information, visit www.wizkidsgames.com.

Good news! Hope to see you make good use of them.

"Word", as they say. As it oughta be.

*starts dusting off his battle maps*

Yes... soon my precious soon.

Great news! It´s an eerie feeling to agree with market-speech...

Say Adam, is a 2 year contract normal? Asking just out of curiosity.

So when is Jason Hardy's next SR novel supposed to be out then?

It does seem kind of short, doesn't it? I mean for as excited as they're sounding.
Not that I have a problem, I'd just like to see some one who actually WANTS to make Shadowrun stuff get like a 20 year deal.

More importantly: When can we expect a Shadowrun / BattleTech crossover ?

Grats!

I don't know that much about contracts for licensed IP but the impression I get is that two years is pretty standard, maybe a bit on the short side but honestly this is probably a good thing for all concerned.

Two years gives Catalyst a reasonable amount of time to get some of their own products out, Unwired, Shadows of Latin America ect. without tying the IP to them long term in case something does go wrong. Just look at the fiasco surrounding Guardians of Order, the publisher for the Song of Ice and Fire RPG. They were tied into a long term license and GRRM ended up needing to sic Tor's legal division on them to get the rights back. Until this point Catalyst has mostly been putting out stuff that Fanpro had already pretty much finished. Now they're going to need to stand on their own. The next six months or so should be very telling.

I am looking forward to new novels too. Shadowrun gamer fiction is my dirty little secret, Harlequin romance for geeks.

No; but a 3 year contract is, and we've been publishing under a temporary license for about a year now.

Any options to extend the license?

And congrats.

Of course, but we have a ton of stuff to release before we get there.

2 years doesn't seem like long at all...but "a ton of stuff to release" within a two year time frame? That makes me gleeful! YAY! *celebrates with a jager bomb*

Cheers!! And keep up the good work!

Max


ps: and just take a look at my location, if you want to take a hint for "future releases" =)

Thanks for the info and keep up the good work

Oh, please tell us that that includes Holostreets!

Please tell us that Holostreets is dead.

Holostreets is in the same place it was a few weeks ago. Not dead, but still needing significant structural work to be what we want it to be.

However, this license agreement opens up some other related avenues that were previously not open, so we're going to make some progress in those related areas first, and see how things go.

May they use the time wisely.

New fiction???

Dear Lord, we thank thee for your many blessing which you showereth us with!! For many months we have prayed with much diligence and prostration. Let us now sing praises to the Almighty for the gifts we are about to receive!!!!!

Great news !! A big thank you to all who worked to seal this deal!

So Shadows of Latin America? hehehe

This news doesn't change anything about SOLA. It's still incomplete and needs time and money to complete.

Ah, Caine, bless your little heart. I'll be sending Loren Coleman a link to this thread--though maybe not until tomorrow. I've already bugged him enough today . . .

Jason H.

I am so glad to hear about this! Congrats to those who sat in boring meetings with lawyers to get this done. Kudos!

Yay...new fiction!!!!

And a "ton of stuff".

I'm de-gloomed for the day!!!!!!


Well done to you all