FFG No Longer Holds BB Licence?

[Olaf the Stout]

I was reading this article on EN World where they stated that "speculation is that Fantasy Flight Games have lost the licensing to the Warhammer and Warhammer 40K franchises from Games Workshop".

I just checked out the FFG website and the BB Team Manager game and both the expansions are listed as "Not Available". In fact, all the Warhammer and WH40K books and board games are listed as "Not Available" on the FFG website.

In addition, the Bell of Lost Souls website reported back in June that GW attended the Licensing Trade Show And Expo in Las Vegas looking for licensing agreements for a whole heap of its IP, including Blood Bowl.

The GW booth at the Expo stated that GW was looking for licensed deals for Video Games, Entertainment, Apparel, Collectables, Publishing and Toys.

So, I wonder what this means for the Blood Bowl video game licence, as well as the various Warhammer and WH40K licences?

EDIT: It appears that all of the products on the FFG website are listed as "Not Available", so that may not indicate much at all.

[Kaiowas]

think thats all it is, the impact is limited to no more BB team manager packs (which is actually a pretty fun game)

FFG had a card game license for BB, not video game, Cyanide are still developing and supporting BB2

[Darkson]

1. Better get the Foul Play(?) addition to BBTM asap!

2. Bit of a shame, as I've played some of their other GW IP games, and for the main part they are fun.


Just hope that if GW are giving (selling) their board game licences to someone else that they take a little more care with who it goes to than they have with some of their digital IPs.

[Kaiowas]

1. Better get the Foul Play(?) addition to BBTM asap!

2. Bit of a shame, as I've played some of their other GW IP games, and for the main part they are fun.


Just hope that if GW are giving (selling) their board game licences to someone else that they take a little more care with who it goes to than they have with some of their digital IPs.

I like FFG's stuff, they actually make decent licensed stuff without just relying on the license to sell it (lets be honest SW could sell itself but Imperial Assault is top notch stuff, even if its just a re-implementation of a previous game)

I think the big issue is that FFG decided they wanted a shot at a miniatures combat game in the fantasy setting and even though GW doesn't really offer that large scale army vs army in fantasy setting they saw a very direct conflict of interest

[Shushnik]

Perhaps it's related to them being bought by Asmodee?

[JT-Y]

Yep, Feb 2017 the licensing agreement comes to an end and isn't being renewed. I suspect with changes at GW they've decided they want to do such things as FFG do themselves and be free to release board games, them not doing so was a key part of the agreement. Likewise FFG have just branched into miniature games with their fantasy battle game, and them not doing stuff like that was another key part of the deal.
I think both companies want to do different stuff and the parting is amicable.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/n ... h-forward/

[bound for glory]

Now that GW expects to make a few more dollars on our game, its "hands off" to FFG.

Not surprised.

[Darkson]

Now that GW expects to make a few more dollars on our game, its "hands off" to FFG.

Not surprised.

Seriously doubt that's what happened, I don't expect the BB license made either company a lot of money compared to Talisman or some of the other board games. GW aren't stupid enough to pull all the license just for Blood Bowl.

[JT-Y]

FFG once did a BB related card game. It was a good game but they only sold about 50.
Pretty sure FFG don't give a shit about BB when they have X-wing making them rich beyond their wildest dreams of avarice.

Everything you've ever read about FFG taking on BB wholesale and producing minis and everything for it was just one bloody idiot on the internet making up rumours. Probably on BoLS, it's exactly the sort of thing they come up with when they're having a communal strangle wank and shoving Space Marines up each others pipes. Sorry, ''editorial meeting''.

[Digger Goreman]

…, it's exactly the sort of thing they come up with when they're having a communal strangle wank and shoving Space Marines up each others pipes. Sorry, ''editorial meeting''.

Thought you were talking naf....

[JT-Y]

Sorry, who are you?

[Talarius]

FFG is producing their own rank-and-flank fantasy miniatures wargame ala WFB (revealed at Gen Con last month). As they will now be competing in GW's playground, the rumor is that GW's pulled the plug on their agreement.

[bound for glory]

Now that GW expects to make a few more dollars on our game, its "hands off" to FFG.

Not surprised.

Seriously doubt that's what happened, I don't expect the BB license made either company a lot of money compared to Talisman or some of the other board games. GW aren't stupid enough to pull all the license just for Blood Bowl.

Never minding the idea that you are trolling me just because, well, its me who has an opinion, ar'nt you constantly bemoaning GW's greed? Yeah...

So now GW is'nt greedy and they certainly would'nt care if someone else makes money where they could, right simon?

You tire me...

[GalakStarscraper]

Now that GW expects to make a few more dollars on our game, its "hands off" to FFG.

Not surprised.

Seriously doubt that's what happened, I don't expect the BB license made either company a lot of money compared to Talisman or some of the other board games. GW aren't stupid enough to pull all the license just for Blood Bowl.

Never minding the idea that you are trolling me just because, well, its me who has an opinion, ar'nt you constantly bemoaning GW's greed? Yeah...

So now GW is'nt greedy and they certainly would'nt care if someone else makes money where they could, right simon?

You tire me...

He may tire you ... but he is not trolling you.

GW has a long history of not being interested in side projects with their licenses. They do not pull licenses because they want to make their own money from them if they are not the game itself. For years I know serious high dollar offers were made to GW for someone else to be able to sell block dice for BB as one example (I have several) ... GW said no ... and it was never because they had plans to sell block dice ... they just are not bothered with items outside of their whole game and its minis.

The overall license to FFG went beyond Blood Bowl and GW pulling it back in house I'm sure has every reason to do with being upset with FFG for making a Warhammer like combat game which showed up at Gen Con this year rather than anything at all with Blood Bowl. (assuming it was GW that pulled the license and not FFG)

GW might be greedy ... but it is a very selective greed. It does not extend beyond the game itself and the minis they make for it. So the stuff FFG was doing would not even be on GW's radar to do themselves ever. So yes GW is greedy ... but you misunderstand the nature of their greed and think it applies to Blood Bowl here ... pretty sure it is a greed associated with WFB if anything triggered the ending of the license. Assuming that FFG did not opt out of renewing the license themselves ... which is entirely possible as most licensing are only good for 1 to 3 years and then need renewed.

As for the money involved ... it was interesting to note that even at the height of Blood Bowl's comeback when GW first started making new teams again for the game several years ago as part of Specialist Games ... Jervis in a discussion at GW for the public told everyone that even then it was 2nd behind Inquisitor for sales. So with Blood Bowl has never really been a game that has been a massive income flow to GW ... at least not enough for them to give it more than a few years attention at a time and then back into the moth balls for a several years before coming out again. So really don't see this as a money play related to Blood Bowl at all.

[Steam Ball]

FFG did not have the BB boardgame, they had a cardgame with BB background (just like someone else exploits the rights for videogame). If you check, they only did boardgames, cardgames, RPGs... nothing where miniatures could cause a conflict with GW 2-3 main (or unique) lines. Other things like XWing were OK, but not fantasy battles like the announced RuneWars.

Now, 2 years after FFG becoming part of Asmodée and after 8 years of license, GW starts to release more non main line games, products that in the past 15 or so years were considered not worth of their attention (and so poor sales, and so they go into negative feedback). They are even bringing back old sprues to toy stores. They are trying all kinds of things. (Maybe they even will eat their hat and accept 9th Age somehow. OK, maybe that is a biiiiit too much)

Coincidence with many companies filling the gaps GW left for so long? Coincidence with a change of people at GW's helm? Maybe, but probably no in both cases. Maybe it was FFG the one that decided to drop the license and pick their own ranges without more limitations. Or maybe not and FFG just came quickly with competing product once they got hints that the license would end early next year.

Things are complex and we only know the results, rarely the real motives.