Update On FFG’s Release Of Merchant Of Venus

Fantasy Flight Games has announced that it will release its new edition of Richard Hamblen’s Merchant of Venus board game in February. This is notable because in October both FFG and Stronghold Games announced that they were releasing new versions of the board game of space trading originally published by Avalon Hill in 1988. FFG got its license from Hasbro/Avalon Hill while Stronghold had signed a contract with the game’s designer (see “Dueling Merchants”).

When contacted by ICv2, Stronghold’s Stephen Buonocare declined comment on the potential FFG release of the Merchant of Venus game in February, but referred to previously published remarks on the situation, which expressed admiration for Fantasy Flight Games and a hope that the two parties who issued the licenses (Richard Hamblen and Hasbro, which claims that it acquired the rights when it purchased Avalon Hill) will come to some sort of resolution of their differences.
FFG did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

If FFG does release its updated version of Merchant of Venus, which according to FFG “remains true to the game’s magnificently campy core while expanding the game in surprising ways that will cause even the most hardcore fan to celebrate,” it appears unlikely that Stronghold Games will publish its version based on remarks made by Stronghold’s Kevin Nesbit quoted on Boardgame Geek.
FFG’s Merchant of Venus is listed for shipping in February with an MSRP of $59.95.

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Merchant Of Venus Reprint Up For Grabs?

Both Fantasy Flight Games and Stronghold Games have announced that they’ve licensed the rights to reprint the 1980s Avalon Hill game Merchant of Venus.  Stronghold announced a license from designer Richard Hamblen, and that its release will be titled Richard Hamblen’s Merchant of Venus.  FFG announced a license from Avalon Hill parent Wizards of the Coast, and that its March 2012 release will be titled Merchant of Venus.

Stronghold believes the license is Hamblen’s to give.  “Stronghold Games feels very strongly that the license is solely Mr. Hamblen’s to offer, and he has selected Stronghold Games for the reprint,” a statement from the company said.

FFG signed its license with WotC/Hasbro over a year ago, according to the company, and has been working on republishing the title since.  FFG’s info on its release implies that some rule changes have been made in its edition.  “We’ve been working hard to produce what will be a fantastic edition of Merchant of Venus, one that remains true to tis magnificently campy core, while expanding the game in surprising ways that will cause even the most hardcore fan to celebrate.”

Original Avalon Hill version

Both companies appear to believe that the other acted in good faith, but is mistaken about who controls reprint rights (designer Hamblen, or Avalon Hill).  A statement by FFG President Christian Petersen says that his company is “in open communication with both Hasbro and Stronghold on this, and will be digging into more details next week to clarify the issue.”

It would seem that the nature of the Avalon Hill rights to the game is the key issue on which this dispute will turn: does Avalon Hill still have publishing rights to Merchant of Venus, or have they reverted to designer Hamblen?

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Fantasy Flight Games To Publish Star Wars Games

Breaking news from the Fantasy Flight Games website:

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce that it has entered a comprehensive licensing partnership with Lucasfilm Ltd. for the worldwide rights to publish card, roleplaying, and miniatures games set in the popular Star Wars™ universe!

”Being able to publish gaming products in the Star Wars universe is quite simply a hobby-game company’s dream come true,” said Christian T Petersen, CEO of Fantasy Flight Games. “I’m confident that both Star Wars fans as well as FFG’s regular customers will be blown away by the game experiences we have planned for this legendary IP.”

“As a leader in hobby gaming, we’re excited to be partnering with Fantasy Flight Games,” said Howard Roffman, President of Lucas Licensing. “Fun and adventure are hallmarks of the Star Wars saga, and FFG perfectly captures this in their games.” Read more

‘A Game of Thrones: The Board Game’ 2nd Edition

Fantasy Flight Games has announced a Second Edition of its A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (MSRP $59.95). Each of the 3-6 players the game accommodates has control of one of the great houses of Westeros in this epic struggle for control of the Iron Throne that is based on George R.R. Martin’s bestselling A Song of Fire and Ice fantasy novels, which are currently being adapted for television in the extremely popular HBO series Game of Thrones. FFG will debut the Second Edition at Gen Con, and release it during the fourth quarter.

The timing could hardly be better. Dynamite and Bantam are launching their comic book/graphic novel adaptation of Game of Thrones in the fall, and given the tremendous impact of the HBO series, Q4 should be the perfect time to debut a new edition of the game and take full advantage of traditionally strong holiday board game sales. Read more

‘Blood Bowl: Team Manager–The Card Game’

Fantasy Flight Games has slated the Blood Bowl: Team Manager—The Card Game (MSRP $34.95) for an October, 2011 release. Designed by Eric M. Lang and Cory Konieczka, the Blood Bowl: Team Manager—The Card Game is based on an old Games Workshop property. It’s a standalone game of frenzied deck-building action that takes 2-4 players through the cutthroat excitement of an entire Blood Bowl season in just about one-to two hours of playing time.

Some players rely on speed, others on size. Some will mercilessly injure their opponents, while others cheat like crazy to score touchdowns. The object is to build a formidable team and win the Blood Bowl championship.

Players take on the role of the coach of one of six factions from the Blood Bowl world Humans, Dwarfs, Wood Elves, Orcs, Skaven, or Chaos, and attempt to formulate the right style of play to fit the characteristics of their teams as they customize their decks in frenzied fits of deck-building in order to fight their way to the championship.

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‘Fury Of The Bear’ Expansion Announced For ‘Tide Of Iron’

Fantasy Flight Games announced their next expansion for Tide Of Iron. Here is the word from their website….

It is June 22, 1941…

Operation Barbarossa has commenced and the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union has begun. Employing over 4.5 million troops, Germany’s invasion spreads across an 1800 mile front. Pressing forward, the Germans seek to claim territory up to the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line. These two Soviet cities mark the proposed eastern border of the Reich. The Soviets, however, have no intention of going quietly.

Despite Soviet defenses, Germany continued to gain momentum from successes in other areas. Operation Typhoon began, targeting Moscow. But once again, Soviet defense forces pushed Germany back. A counter-attack would soon follow…

Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce Fury of the Bear, an upcoming expansion to Tide of Iron! Take command of the Germans or the Soviet forces as war on the Eastern Front begins.

The Fury of the Bear expansion for Tide of Iron builds on an already epic game experience by adding the forces of an entirely new nation, as well as new vehicles, winter terrain, scenarios, and more! Featuring nearly 100 plastic figures for the Soviet army, plus new German figures, tokens, cards, and 9 new Eastern Front map boards, the Fury of the Bear expansion will let you experience Tide of Iron in an entirely new way. Read more

Fantasy Flight Games Announces ‘Runewars’ Big Box Game

Runewars is an epic board game of conquest, adventure, and fantasy empires for two to four players. Designed by Corey Konieczka, Runewars pits players against each other in a strategic game of battles and area control, where they must gather resources, raise armies, and lay siege to heavily fortified cities.

Runewars takes place in the same popular fantasy universe as the best-selling board games Runebound and Descent: Journeys in the Dark, and dozens of fan-favorite heroes and monsters play their part. The wars for the dragon runes are beginning, and only one faction will emerge victorious. What would you do to claim the ultimate power?

Runewars includes:

•A thorough 40-page instruction guide
•Nearly two hundred highly-detailed plastic miniatures
•Over two hundred tokens
•Over two hundred cards, both small and standard sized
•13 map tiles, each composed of multiple hexes and including stunning three-dimensional mountain terrain!

Fantasy Flight Games

FFG Launching ‘Warhammer Invasion LCG’ Card Game

In October Fantasy Flight Games is adding Warhammer Invasion to its family of Living Card Games (LCGs), its non-collectible card game format that consists of just two non-randomized skus, starter/core sets and “expansion” packs of 40 fixed cards. Designed by Eric M. Lang, Warhammer Invasion: The Card Game is a two-person game of intense warfare, clever kingdom management, and epic questing.

Players can take on the persona of the indestructible, grudge-holding Dwarves, the shrewd and cunning forces of Empire, the savage and destructive Orcs, or the entropic and ever-mutating forces of Chaos, or they can craft an alliance playing the combined might of the forces of Order or Destruction. Players have to allocate their resources carefully as they seek to build their kingdom, complete quests, and attack the enemy’s capital.

The Warhammer Invasion Core Set (MSRP $39.95) includes 220 cards representing four factions, 4 Capital boards, 35 Resource Tokens, 60 Damage Tokens, 4 Burn Tokens, and a rulebook.

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Fantasy Flight Games July ’09 Releases Announced

Fantasy Flight Games’ July release schedule includes a number of expansions to its existing card and board game lines, including a new expansion for Kingsburg, new cards for A Game of Thrones TCG, and a book of scenarios for Descent, written by some of the top names in gaming.

Kingsburg: To Forge a Realm (MSRP $29.99) expands on the basic game by adding new territories and provinces, as well as governor cards to administer them and soldier tokens to help defend them. To Forge a Realm also adds more buildings, row overlays, and a destiny deck to the game. These new features can be added individually or all at once, allowing players to customize their Kingsburg experience.

Two expansions for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game are also scheduled for release in July. The Kings of the Sea (MSRP $29.99) contains 60 cards and adds House Greyjoy as a playable faction. It also comes with the Arms of the Kraken, a resin crafted house card and a multiplayer variant, “The Kingsmoot.” The Tower of the Hand (MSRP $9.99) is the third Chapter Pack in the King’s Landing series, focusing on the Shadow mechanic and characters and circumstances surrounding the Hand of the King.

The Descent: Quest Compendium, Volume 1 ($29.95) is a 96-page hardcover book containing 16 scenarios for the Descent dungeon-delving board game. Contributors to the book include such notables as Kenneth Hite (Where the Deep Ones Are), Keith Baker (Gloom, Eberron), and John Kovalic (Dork Tower). Each scenario includes notes from and a brief bio of the designer.

Anima: Shadow of Omega (MSRP $24.95) will see a reprint in July, incorporating more durable cards and an overall cleaner graphic design, while Anima: Beyond Good and Evil (MSRP $24.95) is a standalone card game for two to four players that can also be incorporated into Shadow of Omega. Three Anima Tactics figures – Grimorium (MSRP $34.99), Momiji ($9.99), and Empire Agent ($9.99) – will also come out in July.

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‘Age Of Conan’ Board Game – Video Promo

The Age of Conan is coming…

The war has begun, and every nation is sending forth armies. In Age of Conan, you take control of one of four mighty empires. Will you lead the military might of Aquilonia, crushing the forces allied against you? Will you adopt the mantle of the magical Stygians, and use your powers to lay waste to the peoples of the lands?

Each kingdom rules differently, and has unique powers to bring forth in the conquest of the world. In the midst of the war, Conan moves about the land, slaying monsters and claiming plunder. Many leaders have tried to control the awesome power of Conan, but no ruler is ever fully in control of the Cimmerian.

The latest video from Fantasy Flight gives you a glimpse into the world of the thief and reaver, the slayer and barbarian, Conan! Read more

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