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When TSR Passed On Tolkien
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<blockquote data-quote="ninjayeti" data-source="post: 7807995" data-attributes="member: 6789120"><p>If we are going to do "what ifs" here is mine: TSR licenses LotR in 1992 and focuses their production pipeline on the hot new property. Dark Sun (launched in 1991) products get cancelled before the setting really takes off. Planescape (launched in 1994) never gets beyond DiTerlizzi's sketchbook. So we are potentially losing some of TSR's most creative work to get 2E splatbooks for Middle Earth. No thanks. </p><p></p><p>I'm also skeptical that the license would have been a financial game changer for TSR either. TSR had several big licenses - Marvel Super Heroes, Indiana Jones, and Conan (back when Conan was the biggest fantasy property in pop culture). None of them really set the world on fire. In fact, IIRC when WotC looked at TSR's books prior to the buyout they found licenses were one of the biggest sources of red ink. </p><p></p><p>Williams made lots of terrible decisions - but I am not sure this is one of them from either a creative of financial point of view.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ninjayeti, post: 7807995, member: 6789120"] If we are going to do "what ifs" here is mine: TSR licenses LotR in 1992 and focuses their production pipeline on the hot new property. Dark Sun (launched in 1991) products get cancelled before the setting really takes off. Planescape (launched in 1994) never gets beyond DiTerlizzi's sketchbook. So we are potentially losing some of TSR's most creative work to get 2E splatbooks for Middle Earth. No thanks. I'm also skeptical that the license would have been a financial game changer for TSR either. TSR had several big licenses - Marvel Super Heroes, Indiana Jones, and Conan (back when Conan was the biggest fantasy property in pop culture). None of them really set the world on fire. In fact, IIRC when WotC looked at TSR's books prior to the buyout they found licenses were one of the biggest sources of red ink. Williams made lots of terrible decisions - but I am not sure this is one of them from either a creative of financial point of view. [/QUOTE]
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