Flying Buffalo Being Sold?

Flying Buffalo's CEO Steve Crompton has indicated that the company is being sold to an undisclosed buyer! Flying Buffalo a tabletop gaming company founded in 1970 - published Ken St Andre's Tunnels & Trolls back in 1975 (just a year after D&D launched), and is the oldest tabletop RPG company currently in existence.

"OTHER NEWS - FLYING BUFFALO TO BE SOLD SOON Sale PENDING

I'm letting you all know now - once the new company takes over Flying Buffalo, they have told us they plan to remove many of the items that are currently on our Drive-Thru page. So get them NOW before they are gone FOREVER..."

Tunnels & Trolls was created as an alternative to D&D, with point-based magic and a d6 core mechanic. It has been through numerous editions over the decades, and is currently on its 9th edition (some of which were licensed to companies like Fiery Dragon and Grimtooth). There have been two video games based on the system.

 

[Sacrosanct]

although most OSR publishers don't have deep pockets.

I do. They're currently empty, but man, are they deep.

 

[Knightfall]

Maybe it's being sold to one of the new TSRs.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Maybe it's being sold to one of the new TSRs.

Boy, I hope they're not getting hustled like that.

 

[Iamoutofhere]

I have fond memories of enjoying T&T. I hope it’s a decent publisher that acquired the company and it’s games and does something good with it all. I’d love to see a nice slimmed down and tweaked new edition of T&T. The latest Deluxe T&T was good but all a bit too much for my tastes. I thought character gen was a bit broken and I’d like to see a few other slight changes to the rules too. Fingers crossed it’s Free League....they’d respect the game and do it right. A nice little T&T rulebook like the Forbidden Lands ones would be just perfect I’d get that.

 

[aramis erak]

Historically the issue has been that when that happens, things often don't come back on, and people who owned the product cannot necessarily download it from DriveThru in perpetuity. For example, WotC removed the original 2E PHB/DMG from DriveThru after I purchased them. Just straight-up gone, and DriveThru weren't allowed to let existing owners download them (still aren't). They were replaced later by the horrible late-2E versions, but people who bought the originals, did not get access to those (when I spoke to DriveThru about it they slightly grudgingly gave me a voucher for the cost of the PHB lol which did not greatly endear them to me).

It's worth noting that some products were restored - specifically the Cyclopedia and the Gaz line. And even the revised scans, too. (I purchased them in the 00's, and they showed back up about a month after DMGuild went live.)

I'll note that my hope would be Fiery Dragon. They did a great job on T&T 7E.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

It's worth noting that some products were restored - specifically the Cyclopedia and the Gaz line. And even the revised scans, too. (I purchased them in the 00's, and they showed back up about a month after DMGuild went live.)

I'll note that my hope would be Fiery Dragon. They did a great job on T&T 7E.

Interesting. I wonder why some and not others?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'll note that my hope would be Fiery Dragon. They did a great job on T&T 7E.

Ooh, another good candidate. Good call.

 

[aramis erak]

Interesting. I wonder why some and not others?

I suspect because they looked at the various lines and decided which would most likely get better market penetration by restore than by rebuy, and Mystara coupled to BECMI/Cyclopedia+Wrath was on the restore for word of mouth.

 

[darjr]

Maybe it's the new TSR?

 

[aramis erak]

Maybe it's the new TSR?

That way lies madness. Madness!