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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MoogleEmpMog" data-source="post: 3276101" data-attributes="member: 22882">Games Workshop buys TSR.In 1999, GW releases a new edition titled simply 'Dungeons & Dragons,' which is a mix of pre skills and powers AD&D 2e and a Warhammer Fantasy Battles skirmish game.  The rules are closer to 2e than the 3.0 of our world, with most of the innovations drawing from GW rather than the many RPGs published between 2e and 3e.  The Warhammer setting book is the first to release; the Forgotten Realms and Warhammer receive continued support, and Dragonlance gets a single book release.Grognards fans rail against the new edition for being miniatures dependent, but the dual-branding is successful.  GW is able to capitalize on owning two of the then-top four IPs in fantasy (Final Fantasy and Lord of the Rings being the others, since this is pre-Harry Potter).  They are particularly successful at reviving the late-'70s, early-'80s 'tournament module' style of play, and insist on painted official miniatures at these events.  Sales are high, surpassing White Wolf, but do not reach TSR's peak.In 2000, GW introduces a Warhammer 40,000 RPG using a modified and not-quite-compatible form of the D&D/WHFR2e rules.  This proves more successful than its fantasy counterpart and becomes the bestselling RPG of its time, selling equivalent to D&D 3.0.  Bioware's successors begin working on a WH40k CRPG based on these rules.By 2002, GW has acquired the Lord of the Rings license for miniatures and RPGs.  It releases the LotR minis game as it did IRL, but also takes over Middle Earth Roleplaying, converting it to its version of Dungeons and Dragons.  Coinciding with this release, GW also puts out 'Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition' as the rules base; the changes are minimal, but significant enough that there is little compatibility.  The Middle Earth setting takes off with the hype surrounding the movies and GW's marketing clout.  GW's RPG sales make new records for an RPG even as fans complain about the quick release of the new edition.By 2003, it's clear that GW has no intention of updating the TSR settings to 'D&D2'; WHFRP, WH40kRP and MERP all get revised core books and splat books for the new system, but FR and Dragonlance do not, nor do any of the other abandoned TSR settings.By 2004, the LotR craze is at its height, fueled by savvy cross-marketing.  Without competition from collectible minis games, which were never invented without the inspiration of Magic the Gather, GW's stranglehold on miniatures gaming seems complete.As 2005 rolls around, the LotR minis game dies off as the hype from the movies does.  The RPG, however, now the de-facto setting for D&D, has the dual-branding to survive and thrive.  By now, GW stores have essentially replaced independent FLGSes across Europe and North America, and have begun to choke off sales to other RPG and minis manufacturers.In 2006, GW throws a bone to long-time D&D fans and releases a series of boxed games with miniatures and rules for all the classic TSR settings.  These boxed games use a significantly altered version of the D&D 2 rules.  Meanwhile, the last region books for WHFRP and MERP are released, and the last Campaign Codex for WH40kRPG.  Sales begin to dip.In early 2007, GW announces the release of Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition...</blockquote>

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