Hero Quest 25 Anniversary (crowdfunding), the disillusion

[LuisCarlos17f]

Gamezone is a Spanish company what produce miniatures. Years ago there was a crowdfunding for a reboot/remake of the famous and classic dungeon-crawling board game "Hero Quest". There were lots of backers and the project was funded with lot of money, but it had to be sent to backers in December 2014 (more six years ago!). You can imagine the justice tribunals have asked explanations to the responsable, Dionisio Rodriguez, and now he has dissapeared. Fraud? I would say bad management.

This may be the end of the company, and the last hope to save the project would be the buyout by other.

(Sorry if I have failed but English isn't my naive languange).

 

[GreyLord]

They were flagrantly trying to steal the ideas and/or IP (though it had fallen out of rights at that point) from Hasbro and others.

If they actually HAD created something solid, and it actually RESEMBLED what they were wanting it to (if I recall, they actually changed it so much it didn't really resemble Heroquest anymore due to these concerns) they would have the threat of lawsuits from multiple directions.

They had to have a product first, and considering the shady way the guy responsible did things despite the warnings about copyrights and other areas of legal concern, it was doomed from the start.

On the otherhand, Warhammer Quest was revived in some ways, or the name was and utilized in an adventure system of sorts. People can look into that option.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The copyright about the name isn't the main matter, but lots of backers have lost their money and the responsible when was asked to give explanations in the trials front a judge has disapeared. This may be the end of the company.

And not only that, but the broken illusion when all the miniatures and elements were showed in videos. This could be the opportunity for the maybe best dungeon-crawling, but now we have a broken dream.

The funny fact is if some bigger company buys this board-game to publish it, maybe with other name, it could make a lot of money.

Sitio en Mantenimiento

Ahora mismo no estamos disponibles

www.heroquestclassic.com

 

[ced1106]

The copyright about the name isn't the main matter

Late reply, but I think GZ's disregard for the IP was a very clear indicator that GZ was clueless how to run a business. Backers would later find out that GZ's quest for perfection -- in other words, disregard for pretty much everything, including IP -- would result in the project and company going bankrupt. GZ did have a history of "grey IP" with its previous product line of not-GW Fantasy Warhammer miniatures, so it's not like their disregard for IP would be a surprise.

Too bad for GZ. Had GZ done the right thing and run smaller KS under their own name, they might still be in business.

 

[ccs]

Gamezone is a Spanish company what produce miniatures. Years ago there was a crowdfunding for a reboot/remake of the famous and classic dungeon-crawling board game "Hero Quest". There were lots of backers and the project was funded with lot of money, but it had to be sent to backers in December 2014 (more six years ago!). You can imagine the justice tribunals have asked explanations to the responsable, Dionisio Rodriguez, and now he has dissapeared. Fraud? I would say bad management.

This may be the end of the company, and the last hope to save the project would be the buyout by other.

(Sorry if I have failed but English isn't my naive languange).

Hmm, let's see. Trying to steal IP from Hasbro and Games Workshop.... Yeah, that's not going to end well.
Bad management & fraud? Absolutely.
End of the company? So what? Good riddance.
Backers losing $? Well, as old P.T. Barnum said; "There's a sucker born every minute."
Saving this project? Not a snowballs chance in any of the 9 Hells.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

We talked about that in the Spanish forum and the conclusion was the big companies said nothing because GZ had got some ace up the sleeve. They tried a crowdfunding in Kickstater, but it was cancelled. New try in Verkami, other plataform, and also rejected. They could in a third one, and they got a lot of money.

Most of people agree this has been horrible management in the best case.

What if Hasbro buys it and recycle its to sell its own HQ25? Maybe with other name, for example Endless Quest, and it becomes a true smashing-hit in the subgenre of dungeon crawling board games.

 

[ced1106]

GZ had got some ace up the sleeve.

GZ didn't need an "ace" up their sleeve. What GZ needed was written permission from Hasbro. Chaosium had the US trademark (?) for "Hero Quest" and GZ failed to produce it to them. GZ wouldn't have gotten all this negative reception from the BoardGameGeek had they had permission.

What if Hasbro buys it and recycle its to sell its own HQ25?

Many boardgamers wished for this as well. However, HQ was both a GW and Hasbro project, and the two, unfortunately, did not bother to rerelease the game. I agree that Hasbro should still rerelease it. Someone on BGG said Hasbro rereleased the game as Dragon Strike (?) and HeroScape uses similar mechanics. Of course, HeroQuest spawned many a dungeoncrawl boardgame, which use similar custom dice-based mechanics. And fan sites have put out content to support HeroQuest. Last I checked, you could find the HeroQuest rules online, possibly under the Hasbro domain.

Long live HeroQuest!

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

But Hasbro could publish a "spiritual succesor", with the name "Endless Quest" and almost identical game rules.

And Hasbro could talk with GW for toys based in Warhammer franchises.

 

[GreyLord]

But Hasbro could publish a "spiritual succesor", with the name "Endless Quest" and almost identical game rules.

And Hasbro could talk with GW for toys based in Warhammer franchises.

Why?

It will cost more than it would to make it in my guestimates. WotC already has a game out currently that fills that gap to a degree, it's the D&D adventure games.

It takes into consideration more recent trends in game design and caters to a more modern audience. take a look, you might like it.

If Hasbro ever does decide to go in the direction of Heroquest again, it probably wouldn't be Heroquest as one remembers it precisely for the simple reason that teaming up with GW to do such a type of game currently may not be in the best interest of either party.

GW has come out with a sequel to it's own advanced form of Heroquest (originally it was Advanced Heroquest and then they came out with Warhammer Quest) with a continuation of their Warhammer Quest (or rebirth/reimagining) line of games.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

A "Endless Quest" with simple rules it is a good hook to get new players among the +7/12 years old. It hasn't to be totally equal, but only that same spirit, a dungeons-crawling where you can earn coins to buy better item.

If GW published Warhammer Quest then Hasbro can publish a "Endless Quest" (this is the name of its line of gamebooks).