Fantasy Flight Games statement on Star Wars License

[pawsplay]

It's not like spoiling a surprise birthday party. We still don't know who it is.

 

[BryonD]

Mongoose said they didn't get the license, they didn't go and say and company X got it. They didn't steal anyone's thunder. They simply said we were going for the license and didn't get it.

So in essence the license holder will make their announcement when they're good and ready. Just because the internet goes into speculation frenzy mode because Mongoose said they didn't get the license does not mean that Mongoose should have said nothing at all.

Whoever got it still has ever bit of their "thunder". Mongoose didn't steal their thunder.

But they did not simply say "we were going for the license and didn't get it", they flat out spilled the beans that a license has been awarded to someone else and an announcement is coming. And that undermines the impact of whatever thunder there may be once the statement does come out.

I'm not saying it is a terrible awful thing. It is just petty and childish and very unprofessional.

 

[Umbran]

I'm not saying it is a terrible awful thing. It is just petty and childish and very unprofessional.

Well, this might fit under "do not attribute to malice what can be explained by thoughtlessness".

Though, honestly, I don't know if it really reduces the impact that much. Before, the announcement would have been a surprise, and that has good impact.

But don't ignore the PR and marketing benefits of anticipation! Now, knowing someone has the license, we're all now talking and speculating about it - it is more in the forefront of our minds. If the people who have the license are smart, they can use that to their advantage - possibly greater advantage than a surprise announcement would have provided.

 

[pogre]

GW + FFG seems like a likely combo

 

[Psion]

Well, this might fit under "do not attribute to malice what can be explained by thoughtlessness".

Not that I find this as objectionable as BryonD does, but I think that most "unprofessionalism" and "childishness" can be explained by thoughtlessness, so I don't think he was implying malice here.

 

[El Mahdi]

Whoever got it still has ever bit of their "thunder". Mongoose didn't steal their thunder.

But they did not simply say "we were going for the license and didn't get it", they flat out spilled the beans that a license has been awarded to someone else and an announcement is coming. And that undermines the impact of whatever thunder there may be once the statement does come out.

I'm not saying it is a terrible awful thing. It is just petty and childish and very unprofessional.

I disagree.

Mongoose's statement has had the effect of, whether unintentional or not, creating a minor frenzy over who has the license. A frenzy that can do nothing but actually increase the impact of an anouncement by whomever did actually win the license.

I'm sure that it's also had the added benefit of increasing traffic at the websites of all those companies that may have been in the running, or even suspected of pursuing, the license.

Petty, childish, and very unprofessional? I don't think so. Not when it's actually beneficial to virtually every company that had the possiblity of aquiring the license, and doubly so for the company that won.

It's a win-win (win-win-win-win...) situation.

 

[pedr]

I don't think that sounds very likely.

And if you read the comments, Cam Banks (Boymonster) says it's not Margaret Weis Productions either.

 

[Cergorach]

Well, this might fit under "do not attribute to malice what can be explained by thoughtlessness".

It might have something to do with this:

This year, that changed. The old spirit is back. We’ll be taking no prisoners and won’t be caught napping when others in the industry (remaining nameless) throw us a curved ball (putting it politely). We are jumping on the table and looking for a fight.

I appreciate it greatly that Matthew revealed that the SW license was picked up, I understand his frustration and also understand that he could have been a lot more clear on who now holds the license, but he didn't. Also keep in mind that the SW license hasn't had this much attention in the RPG/boardgame/miniatures market in a long while. I certainly don't think that when his competitor outbids him on a license he should bend over on request and not ask where that light saber is going to be used for...

If it was FFG+GW, I seriously doubt it would be a shared license, I would suspect that GW would buy the miniature wargame rights outright and not bother with the rest. Pretty much the same they did with LotR. But if I look objectively at the matter, I doubt that GW is actually looking at another licensed property in this market. LotR took some serious hits when the movies where passé, I even have my doubts on whether there'll be a LotR game made by GW in 10 years. In two years the first part of the Hobbit movie, I hope that GW LotR holds out that long (I know there are some serious fans, but I doubt that it is as popular as 40k or even WFB at the moment). SW currently has no really big titles in the making, Bioware is doing an MMO (which could be big), but it really doesn't tie in with the most popular eras. And we all know how successful miniatures based on MMOs are (WoW CMG)...

I do think that FFG is a good possibility, but I'll eat my hat if GW is involved.

 

[GreyLord]

It might have something to do with this:



I appreciate it greatly that Matthew revealed that the SW license was picked up, I understand his frustration and also understand that he could have been a lot more clear on who now holds the license, but he didn't. Also keep in mind that the SW license hasn't had this much attention in the RPG/boardgame/miniatures market in a long while. I certainly don't think that when his competitor outbids him on a license he should bend over on request and not ask where that light saber is going to be used for...

If it was FFG+GW, I seriously doubt it would be a shared license, I would suspect that GW would buy the miniature wargame rights outright and not bother with the rest. Pretty much the same they did with LotR. But if I look objectively at the matter, I doubt that GW is actually looking at another licensed property in this market. LotR took some serious hits when the movies where passé, I even have my doubts on whether there'll be a LotR game made by GW in 10 years. In two years the first part of the Hobbit movie, I hope that GW LotR holds out that long (I know there are some serious fans, but I doubt that it is as popular as 40k or even WFB at the moment). SW currently has no really big titles in the making, Bioware is doing an MMO (which could be big), but it really doesn't tie in with the most popular eras. And we all know how successful miniatures based on MMOs are (WoW CMG)...

I do think that FFG is a good possibility, but I'll eat my hat if GW is involved.

Bio's doing a SW MMO you say? (Yes, I already knew that)....

Hmmm...

I wouldn't say Bio would ever make a PnP RPG...

But there could be some interesting things about Bio...

Probably more interesting then GW (a Known Minis maker)...though I suppose all the rumors about FFG and the Russians could make people go much more crazy on these boards...

 

[Wednesday Boy]

But don't ignore the PR and marketing benefits of anticipation! Now, knowing someone has the license, we're all now talking and speculating about it - it is more in the forefront of our minds.

It's true, I'm constantly checking this thread and the other one just to see if there's any new developments. I'm very anxious to see who it is where otherwise I would probably have missed the pending announcement by a day or two.