The Big Question (again)

By Otakuon, in Star Wars: Rebellion

So, not to be a broken record, but does this mean that FFG has the rights to create Star Wars Board Games or did they work out some sort of deal with Disney and Hasbro that lets them produce *some* board games while Hasbro still technically holds the full board game licence? Let the speculation continue....

I think it may work like Imperial Assault where FFG made the game byt since they do not have distribution rights it is distributed through Hasbro.

That may very well be...still, some of us are still holding out hope that FFG can finally get Disney to relent and wrest that board game licence away from Hasbro who seems only bent on using it to bury us in an endless stream of Star Wars trivia pursuit, Monopoly and Risk knock-offs....

Hans In Glueck just released a Carcassonne game set in the Star Wars universe. Doesn't look like a miniature game to me, so, it's another example of a game that should be covered by the Hasbro license but it's not. I think the time they are a changing...

If they've worked out an arrangement where FFG can make boardgames, but only sell them through "hobby" channels (dedicated game stores and online) while the mainstream "big box" stores (Walmart, etc.) remain Hasbro's exclusive turf, that would be more than fine IMO.

Yeah, most likely they worked out a deal with Hasbro.

That may very well be...still, some of us are still holding out hope that FFG can finally get Disney to relent and wrest that board game licence away from Hasbro who seems only bent on using it to bury us in an endless stream of Star Wars trivia pursuit, Monopoly and Risk knock-offs....

This will likely never happen. At least through all the new movies coming out over the next decade.

FFG does well with the SW license. Great games, great depth, great story. Top quality, but that quality comes at a price. And that quality comes with a certain level of complicated rules that don't appeal to the general public. This means small volume sales. Works well for a small company like FFG.

Hasbro however will create SW Risk, SW Monopoly, SW trouble, SW operation, crappy SW roll and move games, crappy SW dice games, crappy SW card games, and probably try to move on to other product lines they can cut and paste to. Best part is they can release a copy of each game for each movie! That means 4 new SW monopolies from the new trilogy alone (1 for each movie, and 1 for the trilogy). Heck, they can probably shove out a copy that covers all 9 movies.

During the re-release of the OT, Hasbro re-released uninspired roll and move games that were made in the 80s for the OT movies.

The games stink. Low production value, cut a paste themes, uninspired rules, etc. But they are games that the general public can play and understand. They are also dirt cheap and available in big box stores. So the product moves, and profit is made.

FFG will never waste their time producing junk like that, so Disney will want to keep their deals with Hasbro as it's more lucrative. However, I think everyone involved has realized that FFG products don't compete with Hasbro products, and that allowing FFG to continue building their games and products is no harm to Hasbro's profits, and only further strengthens the SW IP.

The chances of Disney pulling out of a deal with Hasbro is basically zero as it's way too profitable.

Yeah, it's more likely Disney will buy Hasbro. It's been rumored they've been trying for a few years now - that way they'd bring ALL the Star Wars and Marvel toy income in-house, not to mention adding Transformers, GI Joe and My Little Pony to their IP portfolio.

Lucas owned a share of Hasbro?

Disney own Lucasfilm and therefore all star wars licences and trademarks and possibly some of Hasbro already?

Spend anymore money on starwars products and who knows Disney may even own us too...

They want your money and you're going to give it to them.

One mouse to rule them all.

One mouse to rule them all.

1. Find the mouse.

2. Find the proper volcano.

3. Freedom restored.

So, not to be a broken record, but does this mean that FFG has the rights to create Star Wars Board Games or did they work out some sort of deal with Disney and Hasbro that lets them produce *some* board games while Hasbro still technically holds the full board game licence? Let the speculation continue....

What I have heard is that Disney will not be doing exclusive licenses like LFL was known for...that would be good that instead of Hasbro having SW license for board games they can get the license for a particular game.

That may very well be...still, some of us are still holding out hope that FFG can finally get Disney to relent and wrest that board game licence away from Hasbro who seems only bent on using it to bury us in an endless stream of Star Wars trivia pursuit, Monopoly and Risk knock-offs....

During the re-release of the OT, Hasbro re-released uninspired roll and move games that were made in the 80s for the OT movies.

The games stink. Low production value, cut a paste themes, uninspired rules, etc. But they are games that the general public can play and understand. They are also dirt cheap and available in big box stores. So the product moves, and profit is made.

Not everything they made was junk. I still have a copy and fond memories of Star Wars Epic Duels . We played the crap out of that game, it was fast (average game was around 30mins) and a ton of fun.

Lucas owned a share of Hasbro?

Disney own Lucasfilm and therefore all star wars licences and trademarks and possibly some of Hasbro already?

Spend anymore money on starwars products and who knows Disney may even own us too...

They want your money and you're going to give it to them.

Apparently Hasbro bought back Lucasfilm's shares in 2007:

" The Lucas warrants are part of an agreement Hasbro has had with Lucasfilm that gave it rights to make and sell toys tied to Star Wars entertainment. It paid Lucasfilm and its licensing operation $200 million in May to buy back the remaining warrants that Lucas held. Those warrants would have given Lucas the rights to buy a specific amount of Hasbro shares at a given price.

"They prevent Lucas from taking the stock" by buying back the warrants, Conder said. "

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hasbro-profit-tumbles-on-lucas-warrants-buyback-sales-surge

So, no, Disney did not acquire any shares in Hasbro as a result of buying Lucasfilm.

That may very well be...still, some of us are still holding out hope that FFG can finally get Disney to relent and wrest that board game licence away from Hasbro who seems only bent on using it to bury us in an endless stream of Star Wars trivia pursuit, Monopoly and Risk knock-offs....

During the re-release of the OT, Hasbro re-released uninspired roll and move games that were made in the 80s for the OT movies.

The games stink. Low production value, cut a paste themes, uninspired rules, etc. But they are games that the general public can play and understand. They are also dirt cheap and available in big box stores. So the product moves, and profit is made.

Not everything they made was junk. I still have a copy and fond memories of Star Wars Epic Duels . We played the crap out of that game, it was fast (average game was around 30mins) and a ton of fun.

Epic duels was good. But that was a needle in a haystack of re-themed and re-released junk.

Epic duels was good. But that was a needle in a haystack of re-themed and re-released junk.

No arguments there, just pointing out that not everything Hasbro Star Wars is junk.

:)

I will relent that Queens Gambit was one of the rare Hasbro Star Wars games that was pretty good. The new Star Wars Risk looks like it is trying to capture some of that, but I remain unconvinced as of now.

Personally, I am holding out hope that FFG will one day create a Star Wars co-op adventure board game in the vein of Arkham/Eldritch Horror. A friend of mine actually did a re-skin of Arkham Horror that was such a game and it was pretty fun. I am sure Corey and the FFG gang could do such a game great justice.

I don't want FFG just "Star Warring" up their existing games though. I don't want Dagobah Horror or Dark Side Sign or Imperial Battlelore. That'd be almost as bad as Hasbro slapping Star Wars onto Monopoly and Risk and Sorry.

I don't want FFG just "Star Warring" up their existing games though. I don't want Dagobah Horror or Dark Side Sign or Imperial Battlelore. That'd be almost as bad as Hasbro slapping Star Wars onto Monopoly and Risk and Sorry.

I disagree.

Risk, Monopoly, and Sorry are horrible games to begin with. Slap any theme on them and they still suck.

X-wing is a reboot of Wings of War. It's a pretty solid game.

Empire vs Rebellion is a reboot of CIA vs KGB. Fun little game.

Imperial Assault is a reboot of Descent. IA is fun.

Edge/Age/F&D are all just a reboot of their Warhammer RPG. Those are also good.

They are not direct copies. They don't just tack the theme on. They do a fine job of refining the rules and gameplay to make the experience better, and make it fit the theme. Dagobah horror sounds awful. But I think there would be a solid market for Imperial Battlelore.

FFG learns from each game, and reuses the good elements while cutting out the bad. Each game is a further refinement of a previous version.

To me, the quality and entertainment of the experience is what matters. If they can clone a good game into a better one with a star wars theme, have at it!

Give me star wars dust, and star wars mag blast, and star wars red November. Do it right and I'll even be on board with a star wars who stole my fish (jawa's with droid tiles!).

if there is money to be made...they will make it!