All Imperial Assault products show as "Not Available" on the FFG website this morning (January 9, 2017). Does this mean they've lost their license to produce the game, similar to what happened with their relationship with Games Workshop?

This comes up a lot.

Due to the license Hasbro has with LFL, saying they're the only ones allowed to make Star Wars board games, some special arrangements had to be worked out with FFG. Part of that, is apparently FFG can't sell any IA stuff on their website.

All is products have always shown as not available since day one of the game. FFG is not allowed to sell the product directly because it is a Star Wars board game and Hasbro has that license. All IA product must be sold through distributors to retailers.

This forum could really use some stickies...

Or for FFG to put a disclaimer on their IA products stating this information

One of the latest ones:

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/233063-stock-availability/

Links to:

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/230854-everything-is-sold-out/

Not available is different than Sold out (" Out of stock " as this site defined it).

Hasbro is the Star Wars boardgame license holder in the US/NA. FFG has made some agreement with them. Apparently it includes FFG not being able to sell Imperial Assault online - they can still sell it from their game center physical store.

Still gives me a heartattack every time, anyway.

FFG can you please put a sticky note/announcement in these forums about this that explains it. It'd be very helpful to your community.

This happens every week or two and sometimes multiple times in a week.

You'll notice it's the same deal for Rebellion.

Apprently the issue is in being able to call something a "board game" as opposed to Miniatures or Card game.

You'll notice it's the same deal for Rebellion.

Apprently the issue is in being able to call something a "board game" as opposed to Miniatures or Card game.

I recommend that FFG call it Star Wars Imperial Assault Definitely Not a Board Game Grid Based Pew Pew Simulator: Morrowind

It's petty of Hasbro but really, if you are going to order online, why order at MSRP from FFG?

Thanks to all who took the time to reply to my panicked post. Funny, I've been to this site many times without ever noticing that IA products were listed as "Not Available." As another poster noted, why pay MSRP on the FFG website? What started me shopping on the FFG site was the fact that CoolStuff was out of stock of an Arkham Horror playmat I wanted and the difference between the FFG price and the CoolStuff price wasn't too bad for that particular item. Then I started browsing the IA stuff and that's when my heart stopped, because just a few days ago, after seeing Rogue One, I decided I was "all in" with IA and intend to buy every IA product FFG makes. I thought the universe was intent on thwarting my desires! Anyhow, thanks to the community for setting me straight.

What is also interesting is thaf when IA was first announced, FFG categorized it as a board game, which Descent currently is as well. And fhen a few months later they re-categorized it as a miniatures game (despite Descent still being listed as a board game and the two games sharing the same fundamental design elements). Clearly, FFG thought they could pull a fast one and then Hasbro slapped them back (not that I am a fan of Hasbro).

Alternatively, there are a lot of backroom dealings between Hasbro and FFG that none of us are privy to...

All in all, so long as the game keeps producing decent enjoyable content, I don't really care if it's sellable on FFG's website or not...

It's petty of Hasbro but really, if you are going to order online, why order at MSRP from FFG?

I don't think it is petty really. I think it probably has more to do with defending their Star Wars licence. If they don't make sure the rules are kept then it can be under threat, even though these games don't really compete with anything Hasbro makes, except in the broader sense.

Of course this was the reason they do still keep insisting that Imperial Assault is a miniatures game, when it is totally a board game (that happens to use miniatures).

Hasbro sells so much plastic star wars stuff their license is pretty safe. Who else will make all those toys? So if they were to really defend that license they could say no Imperial Assault or x-wing or anything at all. Instead, it is yes, you can make IA and sell it pretty much every where you want, except on your own website. Yeah, it is petty and weird when you think about it. It makes far more sense for Hasbro to not want that stuff on Amazon and other big ecommerce sites. FFG's direct sales compared to those other sites is so small, who cares.

Ultimately it is now Disney's choice who makes what and sells where.

Ultimately it is now Disney's choice who makes what and sells where.

Could be that Hasbro license is older than Disney´s purchase of Lucasfilm and they (Disney) are only keeping previous arrangements until the time a new deal must be made.

Hasbro sells so much plastic star wars stuff their license is pretty safe. Who else will make all those toys? So if they were to really defend that license they could say no Imperial Assault or x-wing or anything at all. Instead, it is yes, you can make IA and sell it pretty much every where you want, except on your own website. Yeah, it is petty and weird when you think about it. It makes far more sense for Hasbro to not want that stuff on Amazon and other big ecommerce sites. FFG's direct sales compared to those other sites is so small, who cares.

Ultimately it is now Disney's choice who makes what and sells where.

Hasbro had the license for board games, not miniatures, RPGs or card games, which FFG hold. X-wing, Armada, the Star Wars card and RPGs all safely fall within FFG's licence. Now a Descent style Star Wars game was an obvious gap in the market, but when it was first released it was initially labelled as a board game (as Descent is), before flipping to a miniature game quite quickly (presumably after someone pointed out "Erm... we don't have the rights to that") . Obviously an agreement was reached to allow the release of the game. Part of that seems to have been FFG not selling the games directly. This agreement was actually probably Hasbro not being petty. If they had wanted to be petty I am sure they could have flat out prevented IA being released.

There are similar license issues which mean that none of the Star Wars RPG stuff is available electronically.

Ultimately it is now Disney's choice who makes what and sells where.

Could be that Hasbro license is older than Disney´s purchase of Lucasfilm and they (Disney) are only keeping previous arrangements until the time a new deal must be made.

Certainly could be the case, but Disney probably gets more money from the Star Wars license with Hasbro than FFG provides. Miniatures games and RPGs are such a small fraction of the market.

Note that Hasbro did have the RPG and miniatures game license a while back (indirectly). Wizards of the Coast, a Hasbro subsidiary had the RPG, card game and miniatures license, but they dropped it, presumably because it was such a small take for them (back in 2010 after the prequel momentum had died down and before there was any indication of any more films).

Note that Hasbro did have the RPG and miniatures game license a while back (indirectly). Wizards of the Coast, a Hasbro subsidiary had the RPG, card game and miniatures license, but they dropped it, presumably because it was such a small take for them (back in 2010 after the prequel momentum had died down and before there was any indication of any more films).

I know... I was a player/collector of the Wizards Star Wars RPG. (and WEG also before that).

Curious that FFG Star Wars RPG was the only one that didnt caught my attention.