No more WotC Star Wars - announcement

[Sagawork_Studios]

First question:

Which rpg companies are loaded with cash to afford such a license from Lucasfilm, besides WotC.

Mongoose?
Fantasy Flight?
White Wolf?
Paizo?

Put me down for Green Ronin. I would like to see something along the lines of a Mutants & Masterminds-powered Star Wars game in print.

Don't knock it until you try it. I have and it works well, IMO.

 

[jinnetics]

I don't know if any RPG publisher can be said to be "loaded with cash," except of course MAYBE one of them ... and I don't think they're interested in picking up the Star Wars license, as they've just jettisoned it.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

I don't know if someone else said this... (I skimmed some pages) but I hope that, before WoTC lets SWSE go, they OGL-ize the SWSE system. Sure everything Star Wars related (including those 2 words) belong to George Lucas, but the GAME could at least belong to those willing to support it.

 

[delericho]

I don't know if someone else said this... (I skimmed some pages) but I hope that, before WoTC lets SWSE go, they OGL-ize the SWSE system.

Unfortunately, WotC no longer appear to have any interest in open gaming, and certainly not the OGL. That said, virtually everything in SWSE is already covered in the existing materials.

 

[CharlesRyan]

Despite how important it is to us, D&D is actually pretty small potatoes.

D&D is not the biggest brand in Hasbro's portfolio, nor in WotC's, but I'd hardly call any brand that pulls in double-digit millions "small potatoes." D&D is a major WotC brand, and I'd hate to be the WotC manager who has to explain to the Hasbro board or shareholders why I didn't take it seriously.

That said, if a company like WotC sheds a line like Star Wars, the correct question to ask isn't "Is the company in trouble?" It's "Is the Star Wars RPG in trouble?" And the answer is, apparently, yes. At least relative to its costs which, with the SW license, are high.

(In fact, if it was the company, rather than the line, in trouble, they would hold onto the brand like a drowning man clinging to a life ring. If you were in financial trouble, would you solve it by getting rid of something that makes you money?)

 

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

I think its as simple as the following

Phantom Menace 1999
Star Wars d20 2000

Attack of the Clones 2002
Revised Star Wars d20 2002

Revenge of the Sith 2005
Sage Edition 2007

Movies done
RPG line done

Besides, who wants to see the 3rd level Scoundrel encounter power Han Shot First

 

[Minicol]

If you were in financial trouble, would you solve it by getting rid of something that makes you money?)

Fot what it's worth, that happens sometimes. I f you believe your trouble is temporary, you might sell a huge valuable asset "crown jewel", and hope the proceedings allow you to ride the storm until the rest gets better.

I do not mean in any fashion that this is the real reason here (I have no clue, and I could not care less).

 

[Thunderfoot]

D&D is not the biggest brand in Hasbro's portfolio, nor in WotC's, but I'd hardly call any brand that pulls in double-digit millions "small potatoes." D&D is a major WotC brand, and I'd hate to be the WotC manager who has to explain to the Hasbro board or shareholders why I didn't take it seriously.

That said, if a company like WotC sheds a line like Star Wars, the correct question to ask isn't "Is the company in trouble?" It's "Is the Star Wars RPG in trouble?" And the answer is, apparently, yes. At least relative to its costs which, with the SW license, are high.

(In fact, if it was the company, rather than the line, in trouble, they would hold onto the brand like a drowning man clinging to a life ring. If you were in financial trouble, would you solve it by getting rid of something that makes you money?)

Ahhhh, an informed opinion. Thanks Charles, I always like hearing those in the know chime in on stuff like this. I guess the real question now, what to do with the resource vacuum; let it close (ie downsize) or shunt it to other projects?

 

[El Mahdi]

deleted

 

[CharlesRyan]

I have no special insight on this, but my guess is although the decision was announced recently, it was probably made several months ago. Staffing realignments were probably handled toward the end of last year (as is typical at WotC). This fits with the fact that the last new products come out in the next three or four months, which probably means they were far enough down the pipeline that little R&D involvement is necessary at this point.