Whedonesque : Comments on 11672 : Eden Studios decides to not continue license with FOX to produce new material.

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October 23 2006

Eden Studios decides to not continue license with FOX to produce new material. Eden Studios has been in negotiations with FOX for some time on the license issue. They have both decided that Eden will NOT continue to put out new books or supplements for either Role Playing Game.

It's a shame because they put out some really beautiful books and had plans for some great ideas as well.

I was lucky enough to get advance looks at the upcoming releases ('Tea and Crossbows' stands out) and they would have been wonderful. Their books are/were clean and well put together and honestly a lot of fun to read, this coming from someone who doesn't a) do rule systems and b) read RPG books. I can only hope that someone decides to pick up the license and the FOX is willing to still sell it.

There is already a built in fanbase (as we all know) and if someone could put out more material, I think it would a worthwhile sell. Only time will tell.

kbmartinez | Games | 00:00 CET | 6 comments total | tags:

Speaking as someone who got on the playtesting group after the extant supplements came out, I'm still disappointed that we won't be seeing these books in a physical form.

Craig Oxbrow | October 23, 00:18 CET

As someone who owns all the Buffy RPG books that have been released thus far, this is really sad news. They definitely did something special with this license.

And really, do we need any more reason to hate FOX?

The Acolyte | October 23, 05:28 CET

And really, do we need any more reason to hate FOX?

We are talking about 20th Century Fox here who are nice and not the network (who run a business not a charity).

Simon | October 23, 09:04 CET

Interesting bit of history. (Well, if you're a giant nerd.) When Score began working on the CCG (collectible card game), there was an opportunity to sublicense the rights for a role-playing game. A friend came to us with a proposal for our company (Sovereign Press) to design and publish the game in a partnership.

I was going to be part of the design team, probably even the lead writer. And as a big Buffy fan, I was eager to sink my teeth in (pun intended). But ultimately things didn't work out, we didn't pursue the deal, and eventually the license went to Eden Studios. I was bummed.

However, let me tell you that I think it was the best thing for the RPG that the rights went to Eden. It was written and designed (both graphically and from a gamer's eye) so beautifully -- completely in the spirit of the series. Eden set a new standard (previously held by companies like the old West End Games) for how a licensed RPG could be presented.

I held onto my ideas for a story- and character-focused RPG for years, waiting for the right property to pair it with. Imagine my happy surprise when it was another Joss Whedon creation that was the perfect vehicle. Thus the Serenity Role Playing game was born.

Jamie | October 23, 15:09 CET

I have considered whether or not to get the RPG. I wasn't planning on playing it, just reading it and enjoying its "take" on the shows. Is it worth that?

Ocular | October 23, 15:16 CET

Definitely. Pick up the Revised Corebook in particular. I'd also point to the Slayers Handbook for non-gaming reading material, as Monster Smackdown is mostly statblocks and descriptions of the assorted critters around, aside from an essay on how vampires work and a guide to Hellmouths, and The Magic Box has interesting reading on how magic works but is largely about the system and rules for the spells used.

Unfortunately, Tea And Crossbows (a guide to the Watchers - how they work, their history and the like, and how to use them in games) Military Monster Squad (the equivalent book on the Initiative) and Welcome To Sunnydale (a complete guide to the town on the mouth of Hell) are unpublished and will now presumably stay that way, and the Wolfram & Hart book never got as far as proofing or playtesting. They would probably be of most interest to a non-gaming fan.

Craig Oxbrow | October 23, 16:31 CET

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