No more Star Wars RPG - It's Official

[DragonSword]

Sadly, I never recall an RPG that had great long term success that was tied in with a series of movies. I think that it may have something to do with people feeling that they are tied to the setting's doctrine or set characters.

Very true. The problem I feel with playing based on a film is that all the background for the setting is based around a single plot line - makes it hard to deviate away from it.

I think we'll have to see if another company takes up the license from LucasArts - I doubt it, but anything's possible right? Could make for interesting times ahead...

 

[kenobi65]

I think we'll have to see if another company takes up the license from LucasArts - I doubt it, but anything's possible right? Could make for interesting times ahead...

Not any time soon.

To be clear:

WotC did not lose the RPG license, and did not give it up. The Star Wars Miniatures line is produced under the same license that allowed WotC to produce the RPG, and WotC still holds that license (and likely will for several more years, at least; I've read differing accounts at the length of that license). WotC is simply using that license (which specifies a minimum and maximum number of releases they may make per year) for Miniatures, rather than the RPG.

Unless the Minis line starts selling poorly, or Lucasfilm becomes seriously disenchanted with WotC (and, keep in mind, Lucasfilm is a part-owner of Hasbro), that license isn't going anywhere.

 

[Coredump]

...RPGA is part of the WotC RPG marketing department. RPGA exists to promote play of WotC games

Ah... now that is the answer I was looking for. Thanks

 

[Krafus]

I wonder if this decision came about because the SW RPG line was having genuinely poor sales, or whether the sales were not up to WotC's expectations, or whether it's just a case of the minis making lots more of money and requiring smaller investments than the RPG? If it's the third, then it would be a black mark against WotC.

 

[Breakdaddy]

The entire point is to sell books. If new books aren't being made there's no reason to invest resources in promoting it. It is far easier to dump stock through a liquidator and be finished with the line.

Phil, you bast! You/WOTC/ANYONE ELSE is not allowed to make money under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. You exist to please the fans. Begin...

 

[delericho]

I wonder if this decision came about because the SW RPG line was having genuinely poor sales, or whether the sales were not up to WotC's expectations, or whether it's just a case of the minis making lots more of money and requiring smaller investments than the RPG? If it's the third, then it would be a black mark against WotC.

That's not very fair. As I understand it, the license says that Wizards may release a limited number of products per year. That being the case, of course they're going to produce the products that make them the most money. Anything else would be madness.

I would expect that if the Star Wars RPG were in the hands of almost any other company, it would be considered a major hit. If the Star Wars RPG weren't a licensed product, with all the trouble that that entails, it would be a major hit. However, in the hands of WotC, and being such a major license, it needs to sell extremely well to succeed. If it doesn't meet the required level of sales, then it goes. Such is business.

 

[kenobi65]

As I understand it, the license says that Wizards may release a limited number of products per year.

Yup. Gary Sarli discussed this on the WotC SW board a few weeks.

As I understand it, WotC's RPG license (which the minis also fall under) requires them to produce at least three, but no more than six, releases per year. It looks like they're releasing three minis expansions, plus a scenario book for each release, per year, which accounts for the maximum of 6.

A good guess is that even the least-profitable Minis release is more profitable than the most-profitable RPG release; thus, swapping out even a single Minis release for an RPG release would be less profitable for WotC.

 

[delericho]

As I understand it, WotC's RPG license (which the minis also fall under) requires them to produce at least three, but no more than six, releases per year. It looks like they're releasing three minis expansions, plus a scenario book for each release, per year, which accounts for the maximum of 6.

Right. I wonder if they would be better doing just one scenario book for several miniatures releases. That would allow them to add a fourth or even fifth minis release in the year. It would also allow them to sell a bigger scenarios book, and don't bigger books get a better profit margin anyway?

Still, I'm sure they've run the numbers, and come up with their optimal strategy. (And actually, they're doing four minis releases next year, so perhaps they have already?)

A good guess is that swapping out even a single Minis release for an RPG release would be less profitable for WotC.

No doubt. The minis seem to be selling like crazy. I wonder, is this another fad, like Magic?

 

[kenobi65]

The minis seem to be selling like crazy. I wonder, is this another fad, like Magic?

Quite possibly; it's quite possible that, if SW Minis cool off, they'd be willing to go back and do some RPG releases.

As for Magic, while it's certainly not the phenomenon it was in '93-'96 or so, they still sell a *lot* of Magic cards...and I'm pretty sure WotC makes far more on Magic than they do on RPGs.

 

[MerricB]

Magic is still doing *very* well, both in its original form and as an online game.

It's hard to say with the miniatures, but I think any "fad" element would be rather small - the miniatures fad was for MageKnight and HeroClix. SW figurines have been around for a long time now, SW minis are just another form of those - if you look at it in a certain way.

Wizards recently put up the SWM releases for 2006. Where are they? Oh, here:

Attack on Endor - Febuary, 2006
Champions of the Force - May, 2006
Bounty Hunters - September, 2006
Galactic Conquest - November, 2006

Four releases, no missions books. (I'm unsure as to how successful they were).

Cheers!