DoW sells BattleLore to FFG

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Days of Wonder has announced an agreement to sell the BattleLore Game System to Fantasy Flight Games. You can read the announcement on our Press Releases Page.

Why did Days of Wonder do this deal?
We progressively came to realize that we did not have the proper resources to support and develop this game system in a way that would simultaneously please the fans, deliver on the vision we had initially outlined and meet our own internal financial goals; With fuel, labor and plastic costs out of China rising continuously, we decided to face reality, bite the bullet and do the right thing by finding a partner with the resources and a deep love of the genre and product. We are firmly convinced we could not have found a better home for BattleLore than with Fantasy Flight.

This sounds like good news for the system as far as getting more frequent and possibly better expansions goes.

This really looks like a win-win-win. DoW recognizes they don't have the support structure and cash out on a relatively successful game, FFG gets a game with a built in fanbase begging for expansions, and the fans get those expansions.

I'm suddenly excited that I own this game again.

-MMM

Wait what? Is this for real?

Wow! That is real! And totally crazy! I was thinking about selling my copy of BattleLore off, now I think I'll hold onto it to see what FFG does.

If you read the press release though, it suggests that this is more of a partnership deal than an outright sale. I'm not sure, but it seems like DoW is retaining the IP but effectively farming it out to FFG on a license. I wonder if the boxes are going to be branded with both DoW and FFG?

God, if FFG had the resources to buy DoW...we could witness the making of the biggest hobby gaming juggernaut since...Wizards of the Coast?

At any rate, this is truly good news for both parties and for gamers as well. I don't regret selling my BATTLELORE stuff, but once the FFG line gets rolling I'll definitely give it a second chance to see where they take it.

With yesterday's announcement of those XBL/PSN games, could a BATTLELORE one be far off? That could be pretty darn cool.

It was only 10 days ago on this site that BattleLore was rendered thusly :

"..currently a clusterfuck." -- Mr. Skeletor
"[The developers] are incompetent." -- Gary Sax
"...BattleLore is missing--the expert 'next level' of game." -- Jeb (me)
"...very little of [the] potential has been realized." -- Octavian

And Malloc wrote, "all you knuckle heads who think this is a good game are welcome to buy my copy."

What happens now?

Michael Barnes wrote:

At any rate, this is truly good news for both parties and for gamers as well. I don't regret selling my BATTLELORE stuff, but once the FFG line gets rolling I'll definitely give it a second chance to see where they take it.

I wonder if they'll announce BattleLore 2nd Edition. Then announce a dozen expansions not compatible with first edition stuff. Because its not like that kind of thing hasn't happened before.

If that were the case I'd be unloading my copy of BattleLore now. I mean, where's the demand for Twilight Imperium 2nd ed?

Okay, just posted the same news in the modern AT-forum before seeing this thread. But It's very exciting. Personally I'm done with Battlelore since the universe is simply not engaging, but if anybody can help that, it's FFG.

I don't own Battlelore and have only played it a few times, but this is probably good news for the fans. FGG is likely going to publish a big expansions including two races and other stuff, to make their first product in the line a mush have.

Good news for Battlelore. Maybe FFG can do it justice.

Things that killed BL for me:

Is it historical or fantasy in nature? Make up your fucking mind.
All the minis for both armies are grey. Zzzzzzzz
Incomplete out of the box.
While I don't mind expansions I do mind expansions that are just milking me for $$.
I played C&C:Ancients first. Much better game.

Net result, BL got traded for AH. I came out way ahead on that deal.

-Will

I'm just interested in what is actually going on at DoW, dropping BL inidicates that they are not really a big - or medium - games company and I'm wondering what is going to happen next. They mentioned they will announce more M'44 expansions next month but if that is all they're going to be doing, expanding one game system and not working on new games, then what is the future of the company.

Hey - I'm all for this as a M'44 player who likes the system and couldn't believe the last three crap offerings for it (a canvass bag and some paper maps) - perhaps they were just filling in time while working on something bigger .... like selling their product(s) .

mads b. wrote:

Okay, just posted the same news in the modern AT-forum before seeing this thread. But It's very exciting. Personally I'm done with Battlelore since the universe is simply not engaging, but if anybody can help that, it's FFG.

Is there any reason that they couldnt pretty seamlessly port it over to the world of Runebound/Descent? I've never played BattleLore, but it's just a bunch of foot soldier/calvary/archers with some goblins and dwarves, right? They could add in this hero pack that I've read was initially promised with Runebound heros leading the generic forces, right? Then expand?

Dunno if there's something I'm missing that would prevent this, but it'd be most cool and smart for them to absorb the brand and it's not like the previous BL world had any depth that they'd have to erase. I guess it would depend on if FFG has fully purchased BL or if, like Barnes suggests, it's some kind of partnership.

Great news.

Michael Barnes wrote:

If you read the press release though, it suggests that this is more of a partnership deal than an outright sale. I'm not sure, but it seems like DoW is retaining the IP but effectively farming it out to FFG on a license. I wonder if the boxes are going to be branded with both DoW and FFG?

The press release says that FFG has purchased "...all copyrights, artwork, and moulds...." What's left for them to license from DOW? The BATTLELORE trademark? What's that even worth?

Hmm...yeah, it does...but then the DoW copy talks about "finding a partner" and there's a couple of other "partnership" intimations. That's kind of weird, in corporate communication hazy partnership language is a bad, bad thing.

Porting the BATTLELORE world over to the RUNEBOUND/DESCENT setting would be brilliant. It'd require essentially resetting the game with a new base game (a _complete_ game this time, please)but retaining backward compatibility. I'm not sure FFG wants to take the risk on that, but it would be the best approach in terms of satisfying the established customer base while giving the line a new direction.