Source here.

Something tells me that Amazon's TV series is involved, but that's just an uneducated guess.

It's a damn shame because The One Ring is one of those games I always wanted to run, but none around my end was really that interested and would much prefer Adventures in Middle Earth for no other reason than "It's 5E." Of course AiME is getting the chop too, so ironically this convinced me to grab a copy before the scalpers lap them all up.

I suppose it's another reminder of the 'risks' with licensed product lines and RPGs that could end up getting the chop at any moment. As somebody who loved the Fantasy Flight Game series of 40k RPGs, it was a real pity when the line went silent for so long, tossed out a last couple of books with unusual speed for FFG - good, but obviously hastily crammed with stuff they'd intended to split into multiple splats - only for it to be announced GW had jacked the license (presumably because FFG were getting into their own miniature lines). The less said about WANG the better, although I suppose it's ironic C7 picked that game up.

Quote from: Snark Knight;1115592Source here.

Something tells me that Amazon's TV series is involved, but that's just an uneducated guess.

Having worked with a few IP based games over the decades and talked to others who have done so as well. I can tell you the most often reason why a license is dropped is that the IP holder upped the fee to a prohibitive level. The other recurring one is the IP holder yanks the deal at the proverbial 11th hour. Seen that A-LOT as a playtester.

But the licensing fee is usually the culprit.

Quote from: Omega;1115595Having worked with a few IP based games over the decades and talked to others who have done so as well. I can tell you the most often reason why a license is dropped is that the IP holder upped the fee to a prohibitive level.

Since the article states it was Cubicle 7 who chose to drop, that is what myself and a few others figured was the case. Bloody hell.

You really need to read the statement from the other side. Link here to the post from Sophisticated Game (text is reproduced below for those that hate FB)

"Sophisticated Games commissioned The One Ring RPG from Francesco Nepitello back in 2008. The game that he - with Marco Maggi - created, exceeded our best expectations and has gone on to become one of the best - and successful - Role Playing Games of all time. Francesco and Sophisticated Games have had many other collaborations since then.

We were saddened - and indeed surprised- to learn this week from Cubicle 7, our long term distributor and publishing partner, that they had decided against publishing the 2nd edition of TOR. This came in the middle of some discussions on the dynamics of how Francesco, Sophisticated Games and Cubicle 7 should work together in the future. But at no stage had there been any suggestion that TOR2 would not be published.

Fans of the game should be assured that Sophisticated Games, in conjunction with Francesco and Marco, will do their best to rectify the current uncertainties."

It appears that TOR 2.0 will keep on trucking with Sophisticated Games and Nepitello, with C7 out of the picture.

Adventures in Middle Earth?  Dunno, but probably dead.

Hodgson leaves and now this.  I hope C7 stays together long enough to finish the Enemy Within campaign.

This is too bad. I've been hearing nothing but good things about Adventures in Middle Earth. I guess I should grab the books from my FLGS while I can.

Quote from: CRKrueger;1115617It appears that TOR 2.0 will keep on trucking with Sophisticated Games and Nepitello, with C7 out of the picture.

That is good news, but do you have any evidence that we will see TOR 2e? It's a game I always wanted to pickup but never got the chance. If it is out of print forever, it will just bounce around eBay at scalper prices for the rest of eternity...

Quite disappointed that AiME is dead.
Luckily I have all the physical books that were released and the PDFs of the PDF only products (the Rohan PDFs).

Still, I'm REALLY disappointed the Moria Boxed set won't come out. Unless the Moria boxed set comes out with ToR2e and dual statted with 5e?

Anyway, I have years of material to run AiME with, so I'll probably get bored with it before I run out of new AiME material to use.

But sad news nevertheless .

Quote from: Theros;1115665That is good news, but do you have any evidence that we will see TOR 2e? It's a game I always wanted to pickup but never got the chance. If it is out of print forever, it will just bounce around eBay at scalper prices for the rest of eternity...

Did you read the statement from Sophisticated Games? Or swing by their FB page where they answered that it will be released and supported?

Quote from: lordmalachdrim;1115603You really need to read the statement from the other side. Link here to the post from Sophisticated Game (text is reproduced below for those that hate FB)

"Sophisticated Games commissioned The One Ring RPG from Francesco Nepitello back in 2008. The game that he - with Marco Maggi - created, exceeded our best expectations and has gone on to become one of the best - and successful - Role Playing Games of all time. Francesco and Sophisticated Games have had many other collaborations since then.

We were saddened - and indeed surprised- to learn this week from Cubicle 7, our long term distributor and publishing partner, that they had decided against publishing the 2nd edition of TOR. This came in the middle of some discussions on the dynamics of how Francesco, Sophisticated Games and Cubicle 7 should work together in the future. But at no stage had there been any suggestion that TOR2 would not be published..."

Surprised? LOL... That's what happens when you hike the fee!

The real question is why did they hike the fee?

Quote from: Dimitrios;1115618This is too bad. I've been hearing nothing but good things about Adventures in Middle Earth. I guess I should grab the books from my FLGS while I can.

AiME is why.

A very important point to notice is that only one game is going out of print here...

C7 was very cleverly paying one license fee, and hitting the market with Two variations of a LOTR game.

And by all accounts AiME was a hit, outselling TOR by a significant margin.

If I had to guess, I'd say "Sophisticated Games" upped the vig because they were feeling shorted out of the AiME action.

SG probably thought that they missed a trick in their contract with C7; an oversight; it just didn't occur to them that C7 would go all 5e on the Tolkien license...

So they upped the fee thinking C7 would have no problem paying more with all that AiME money.

They thought wrong.

Quote from: Jaeger;1115687Surprised? LOL... That's what happens when you hike the fee!

The real question is why did they hike the fee?

There is zero evidence any fee was hiked. Indeed, there is zero evidence the current license had expired. The only vague explanation I have seen is a creative differences dispute. It sounds like there was a question about oversight.

Too bad. Though I am worried about therother IPs such as Doctor Who.

Frankly, this is why basing an RPG on any IP you don't actually own outright is always going to bite you eventually.

Even if you get less sales initially, a solid world of your own creation (or in the public domain) ensures that no third party thinking they can extract more money from you (or from another company) will be able to just wipe out your best-selling products at a stroke and you can continue to grow your setting and sales on your own terms.

Quote from: sureshot;1115696Too bad. Though I am worried about therother IPs such as Doctor Who.

I'm only worried if there's a threat to WFRP 4e (but not the Age of Sigmar one), but if they decide to just bury Wrath & Glory, I won't care a bit as that game is already dead to me.

Quote from: Chris24601;1115697Frankly, this is why basing an RPG on any IP you don't actually own outright is always going to bite you eventually.

Even if you get less sales initially, a solid world of your own creation (or in the public domain) ensures that no third party thinking they can extract more money from you (or from another company) will be able to just wipe out your best-selling products at a stroke and you can continue to grow your setting and sales on your own terms.

Yes.  And if that was the only problem, it could be managed, or at least hedged against.  The bigger issue is all the creative and canon issues that crop up, and what the compromises around them will do to the quality of the thing.  That can be managed to, but it can be managed in the same way that a fireman can carry a body down a ladder.  He can do it.  It's his job.  He could also get down the latter a lot faster and safer if he didn't need to carry it.