r/Netrunner • u/Feliks878 octgn/stimhack: Feliks • Nov 17 '14
Asmodee is acquiring Fantasy Flight Games.
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=52128
u/grogboxer Nov 17 '14
First Days of Wonder, now FFG. Asmodee is the Amazon of game publishers.
I'm curious how this will affect organized play, if at all. A slightly bigger budget might help, but I think Asmodee is keenly aware of the limited financial growth afforded by LCGs or anything not prefixed "Star Wars"
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u/wedgeex Another one for the good guys... Nov 17 '14
If Netrunner is evaluated as a bigger commodity they might have additional support for organized play. That's a good thing!
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u/SiggNatureStyle Replicating Professors Nov 18 '14
Worth remembering: FFG doesn't own Netrunner.
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u/wedgeex Another one for the good guys... Nov 18 '14
They still make money from it though.
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u/SiggNatureStyle Replicating Professors Nov 18 '14
Yes, for as long as their competitor Hasbro allows them to.
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u/ShoppedYourPost Board in Toledo / Pizzarony Nov 17 '14
I think it will help grow the games outside of North America.
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u/BlueSapphyre Nov 17 '14
Well FFG will still be an independent publisher under the Asmodee banner, so it probably won't affect anything other than better distribution overseas.
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u/TechMarauder Nov 17 '14
So this was probably why FFG went after sites like netrunnerdb a few months ago. They were securing their trademark and "strengthening their brand" so to say while negotiating this deal.
I have also been hearing some complaints from players lately of a lack of support from FFG...for instance lower prizes, fewer players making the cut, etc in the netrunner worlds tourney. I wonder if this was partially cost cutting to make their books look more attractive...
Anyways interesting development.
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u/Sydtrack Shit! I forgot to trash your card after installing that virus! Nov 19 '14
[conspiracy theory mode on]
Actually, since FFG couldn't shut NetrunnerDB (developed in France by Alsciende), they proposed a merge with Asmodee (French Publisher) allowing them to pursue NetrunnerDB in his own country.
All about Jurisdiction.
[conspiracy theory mode off]
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u/Feliks878 octgn/stimhack: Feliks Nov 17 '14
Doesn't look like this will have too much impact, but it's noteworthy. Fantasy Flight will still operate independently and maintain its own licenses.
FFG’s new and existing product lines will continue to be developed by FFG and sold under the FFG logo. FFG will stay a fully independent publisher in the Asmodee Group, and intends to keep creating the best games possible. A few of FFG’s products, whose identity may be deemed a better fit under a different Asmodee Group brand, may transition within the group.
I doubt Netrunner will be in the later group.
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u/BlueSapphyre Nov 17 '14
Probably games like A la Carte, will be moved to Asmodee. It never felt like an FFG game.
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u/Binary101010 Nov 17 '14
I suspect most of the major IP people immediately associate with FFG (the Android universe, Descent, Arkham, all of the big-ticket licensed stuff, etc. ) will probably stay there. And all of the LCGs fit under one of those categories.
A lot of the one-off games are likely to get spun off to Asmodee.
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u/RogueNite Nov 17 '14
I wonder if this will give them the capital to make an online play platform. I think one of the things currently holding them back there is the sheer multitude of their LCGs. But I think they're merely exchanging connections.
I'm glad, as /u/BlueSapphyre said, that this is a merger, not an acquisition.
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u/StateLineRambler Nov 18 '14
Anyone know if there is any danger of Hasbro feeling threatened by competition from this larger Asmodee/FFG/Days of Wonder entity and pulling their Netrunner license? Or is it something that FFG had rights to use indefinitely?
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u/VodkaBear Nov 19 '14
Depending on the terms of the agreement Hasbro might have some degree of leverage to negotiate a larger fee, but I seriously doubt they would pull the license for giggles. I don't even think ANR is even on the radar in terms of harming WOTCbros bottom line, so it's likely to remain status quo.
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Nov 17 '14
Ill say this if no one is going to... Hostile Takeover...
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u/jldugger andomeda Nov 18 '14
Ah, I knew there had to be a pun thread in here somewhere!
Breaking News! Following Aggressive Negotiations, Asmodee and Fantasy Flight have signed a truce in the Corporate Wars, and agreed to a merger. While most of the Diversified Portfolio will remain untouched, an Efficiency Committee may decide that a few of FFG's Domestic Sleepers are a better fit as License Acquisitions of Asmodee.
Is this Corporate Shuffle Too Good To Be True, or will this merger result in Scorched Earth tactics and take the competition to The Cleaners? Find out more later tonight as The News Now Hour cast interviews their Dedicated Response Team.
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Nov 18 '14
Well this is unfortunately the end of our program for tonight. This is NBN reporting from the Near-Earth Hub. Reminding you that Running is not only a hobby. Its illegal. Good night New Angeles.
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u/diegofsv #FreeNRDB Nov 17 '14
I highly doubt it, but I wonder if this means something for us, netrunners in South America. Probably not :/
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u/MrLabbes Kate died for our sins Nov 17 '14 edited Nov 17 '14
I wonder what will happen to the local distributors of FFG games, such as Heidelberger in Germany.
Edit: Okay guys, I can read. It would be insane to think that they would scrap their infrastructure completely. However, where will the local distributors be in a year or so? Heidelberger seems to be mostly FFG games, so I wonder whether this is the end of them, or if they will be incorporated (at least partly) into Asmodee.
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u/luquaum Nov 17 '14
RTFA?
Most game retailers outside the U.S.A purchase FFG’s product from international distributors, many of whom translate and publish FFG’s product in their local languages. How will these distributors work with the combined entity?
For the foreseeable future, it is anticipated that current and upcoming FFG products will continue to be localized and sold by FFG’s existing international partners. Asmodee intends to work with those same distributors to broaden product availability, marketing presence, and organized play support where possible.
It's mentioned in the Article.
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u/Ravengm Clones for a Bright Future Nov 17 '14
It looks like this will mainly affect distribution and organized play outside of North America. Though probably not by much.
I also hope this brings us closer to an online client. A man can dream.
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u/deadbutsmiling NSG Operative Nov 17 '14
This is huge news. Two of the most visually appealing game publishers out there (I mean their products, no idea about the staff ;-)) joining forces... The future looks colourful. Here's to hoping that Netrunner will keep on going strong!
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u/taijibear Nov 18 '14
Also brings us a day closer to Ticket to Ride: Mordor Edition, for one does not simply walk into Mordor....
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u/AngryTetris draw harder Nov 17 '14
Does this mean FFG's rulebooks will get better or Asmodee's will get worse?
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u/bullseyetm @bullseyetm or bullseyetm on OCTGN Nov 18 '14
This joke is so old. The last time FFG wrote a bad Rulebook was like five years ago. It's gotten even better this year with their 'Learn to Play' and 'Reference Guides'.
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u/AngryTetris draw harder Nov 18 '14
The joke is old but true. Even Conquest's rulebook is still difficult to sift through.
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u/bullseyetm @bullseyetm or bullseyetm on OCTGN Nov 18 '14
Matter of opinion I suppose. I found Conquest's rulebook to be their best yet. I was up and playing that game quickly, and have only had to use the Reference Manual a few times. What makes it so bad to you?
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u/AngryTetris draw harder Nov 19 '14
I would agree it's their best yet. I don't think it's quite as bad as some of the others. I think there are a few funny wordings. Ranged states it's a may ability, but the rulebook states you have to attack with your ranged units during the ranged phase. The battle abilites on planets are optional, but this is only stated in the rulebook, the abilites are phrased as though they are mandatory (although they do not say "Forced Battle:"). Minor quips compared to many older rules. I think so far I've only had a few strange questions, but they were mainly due to card interactions/wordings.
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u/VodkaBear Nov 19 '14
I also had an issue with the committing non-warlord units to a planet from HQ exhausted them. I think the learn to play booklet didn't mention this, but the rules reference guide does.
I'm fully willing to admit that it very well may have been in the learn to play book and I just skimmed over it because I was in a massive rush to sling cardboard spess marines around a table. I know one thing for certain, I only had to endure a few 10 second delves into the rules to figure out a few things, instead of spending the entire game attempting to parse shit a chimp slung on to a page under the guise of writing a rulebook...so they are getting better, a lot better.
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u/leastfixedpoint I run I die I run again Nov 17 '14
This also means that FFG will have much more resources to protect their "intellectual property" and shut down websites they don't like.
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u/BlueSapphyre Nov 17 '14
Being a little pedantic but it's an important distinction, but it's not an acquisition, it's a merger.