Brook
As civilized people I wish to disagree. One can not (or at least should not) fault MikeE for coming to this forum and sharing the announcement as he did. However, like an alcoholic mother-in-law on dialysis, he overstayed his welcome. He continued to plug his new product and engage in unhealthy discussion. This both disrespected UWZ fans and rubbed salt into the wound in
our own house!Second, EE is the one who put Warzone and Chronopia back on the map. If it wasn't for EEs efforts, nobody would have ever been interested in making a movie and certainly, nobody would see the potential for profit in picking up the license for the MC Universe.
Last, if EE was suffering from a lack of capital, it was only because of "so-called supporters" of the game, saw fit to bad-mouth and criticize EEs efforts, instead of being encouraging and buying the best miniatures rules' system on the market inspite of the editing and formatting errors.
The issue that you pose about whether EE's enhancement of the license is an interesting one.
I have purchased two UWZ box sets, a Chronopia book, numerous models that appear to be repackaged models from target. Personally, I was glad to purchase them. I may be a "so-called supporter." I would have ran to the store to purchase the Mars or Venus supplements and would have bought the models that were featured in the supplements. It's just that the supplements did not come.
I don't think EE did anything significant to enhance the viability of a MC movie, and therefore shouldn't be credited with it. It is hard to believe that the UWZ rule book made a MC movie possible. A starship troopers movie didn't appear until how many decades after Heinlen released his book. I am not suggesting that UWZ hurt the movie's chances, but I just don't think it helped. How many retailers were listed on EE's website. I think the movie would be done with or without EE, just because the idea was circulating for a while.
The lack of capital is a problem that creates trouble for a tremendous amount of new companies. Its a fact of life. You have to pay the staff. Unfortunately, the game business is really a niche business area. However, look around the industry standards have improved dramatically in the last few years. Hard bound books, unbelievable models, and very good customer service are not the exception anymore. Great White Games (the company that produced deadlands) had to stop and re-adjust its production, because people just were not buying anything but full color books. All of these items add to the cost.
Gamers have come to expect and demand excellence, and quite frankly, they deserve it. After all this is America, and it's everyone's right to complain. In 2006, it appears that the money follows production quality and excellence.
As for Mike E, he was trying to offer an invitation. I think people are little sensitive right now, and he got sucked into a debate. That is easy enough to do. And, its understandable that people are sensitive. Ultimately, the whole Mike E discourse is without a lot of lasting meaning. FFG has the license, and I don't want to meet your mother in law(she sounds tough).
Your points are well taken though.
I was just wondering who owns the rights to the game mechanics (dark symetry system). Is that owned by EE or by Paradox. Why couldn't EE just produce a new rule set. Except that both of their pots are busted.
Finally, let nothing I said here detract from your comments or opinion. I find the whole issue sad. After all, for some people it was just a game, for others it was their livelihood. I would like to see the rule system live on and be well supported.
