Decipher lost Star Wars licence!!

To my regret, Decipher which has been producing our favorite CCG has lost it's licence concerning Star Wars. For more information visit www.decipher.com . I wanted to start this thread to collect your opinion on this matter and to keep tracking future developments on SWCCG.

 

I think it's bull****. Hasbro has run many successful franchises into the ground (transformers) and now they're going to do the same thing with SWCCG. This is very grim. I just started investing all this money into this too recently and then this happens. Oh well. Now it gives me a chance to get everything now i guess. Still sucks.

 

Lucas is putting it into the hands of "family," as it were. And we all know what it means when you employ members of your family....

 

So how does this affect the actual production of cards? Will it delay, say the Episode II expansions?

Sesfan

 

My first reaction was: LCF is $!/$"/$/$!"/!% and $?$%/$/%%!!! (And I still think I am right on this one). Like Vader said: "Your lack of faith is disturbing."

At least I hope that if WOTC (who have just hit Decipher with an hot anvil) takes the liscence, they will continue on the same type of cards. Because I WON'T (and I am sure many people here too) buy anything that will be different from the CCG, I have invested too much money in this.

Now get on your feets collectors and players and start a petition! And you too Wall street boys and girls buy buy buy! (I was sarcastic on this one).

Emperor (or a guy who is frustrated to a level beyond your imagination)

 

I'm glad I got a heads up about this a couple months ago from my local shop so I wasn't totally shocked about this.

I have really mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I am sad about the change. I like the SW CCGs. On the other hand Decipher has mishandled the license in my opinion of late. I for one don't believe the decision was made just based on consolidation issues, although I believe that was a factor. Jedi Knights TCG wasn't promoted very well and recycled images to much and didn't have much new stuff in the expansions. Young Jedi (of which I'm a big fan) was pretty much forgotten (hardly anything at all leading up to the releases of YJ:Reflections or Boonta Eve). Both of these games have been run into the ground to a large extent by Decipher's mismanagement of them. I am not happy with Decipher making hugely over-powered cards of late either for SWCCG. Or the fact that there were 5 expansions in 2001 (including R2 & R3)! For the three SW Games there were a total of 10 expansions this year! How is a collector/player supposed to keep up with all that! And I was getting sick of increased reliance on gimmicks and products with only a few new cards packaged with tons of cards I already had (I'm sure everyone here needs more Jabba's Palace). And it was getting to the point where some local stores were not even carrying the new stuff.

Don't get me wrong. Decipher did many good things with the SW property. But they also made a lot of mistakes. I really hope SWCCG and YJ continue at WOTC (although that is another very flawed company in my opinion, and after looking at things more closely this sounds very doubtful). So like I said, I have mixed feelings. Although I will truly miss the games if they are no more.

 

I have a bad feeling about this.

 

Well, it is a sad moment for all true fans of the SW CCG. WoTC does NOT have rights to the game mechanics, so no, none of the new SW CCG will be compatible (if u don't belive me listen to the actual interview). Yes, we should petition this desicion, and at the very least, get WoTC to grab the game mechanics so we don't have to start our collections over again. Support the upcoming player's community and their ideas, and tell WoTC and Lucas what we think of this desicion. I really think those virtual cards would have been SWEET! Oh well, it was quite fun while it lasted.

 

maybe it is time to turn it over to someone else. I mean jedi knights wasn't that wonderful. I am collector more than a player, so for me 50 expansions in a year kinda sux. I hope it does continue, but if doesn't we will still have the cards we have and we can just make up new rules to the ones we have.

 

As my fellow fanforce member Salacious Crummy let me know this would probably happen, I'm not surprised, but I'm sad to see it come to this. I collect some of the cards, and really did want to learn how to play (which obviously I still can, there just won't be new expansions).

~*~Bria

 

Yep, I reread it that Lucasfilm chose to pass on paying royalties for the rights to continue the games. That does suck! I will deeply miss the games. But I'm trying to remain hopeful/positive even if I'm not feeling much like it.

And on a side note, I do think you can be a "true fan," and still have some complaints about how Decipher has handled the game of late. I for one don't buy the Lucasfilm/Hasbro conspiracy as the only reason D lost the license. They have made mistakes, especially regarding how the YJ and JK games have been handled (in the promotion department, plus 3 games was too many--it drains the base of players/collectors for all SW games). I'm still really sad though which I may not have gotten across at first. I'm just kind of relieved in a way too. Like I saw someone say on one of Decipher's boards say, I'm a SW fan, not a Decipher fan. True, if the game sucked, I wouldn't have kept buying, but the fact it was SW is why I was interested in the first place. Just my 2 cents.

 

Well hate to say I told you so..

 

Actually, I am disgusted by the way Lucasfilm has acted on this. I feel that Lucasfilm has just screwed the fans and the players.

Here is a copy of the letter I wrote to Lucasfilm reps.

---

Sir,

Being player of the Star Wars CCG, and also a collector of the cards, I am
greatly disappointed that Lucasfilm has chosen to end its relationship with
Decipher and its excellent system.

I feel that Decipher was an extremely strong factor in Lucasfilm's licensing of
their products. Having met with (in the past on many occasions) Decipher reps
and Star Wars author's they chose for modeling, I feel that an abandonment of
the Decipher line will only hurt relations that Lucasfilm has with its fans.

I will not be purchasing any Star Wars cards that are not made by Decipher. I
have poured too much time and money into collecting these cards to have
Lucasfilm turn their back on me and other players.

This move to will also serve as a lesson to me and others when it comes to
investing in other Star Wars products.

As a Star Wars fan and a consumer I feel cheated and greatly misused.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

I hope you will join me in ensuring that Lucasfilm knows that fans are upset with this decision.

 

This sucks. The only good thing I can see coming from this is the fact that I won't have to spend so much money on SW cards any more. I sure as heck won't be purchasing any new game. I've spent enough on the current one. I sincerely doubt anyone could do a good a job as Decipher has done.

 

frankly I don't know what the card games are or what they bring to the universe of starwars. I don't like the fact starwars is always getting blamed for every little thing. the owner of decipher is just touge lashing because his company won't be part of the big swing of promotion when the new movie is released. Hasbro made millions in toy sales the week the tpm was release so whose he kidding.

 

I guess this means that Mara Jade girl is out of a job...

 

I just started playing the game this month and have spent a fair amount of money for the cards I have to be able to play a tournament. So I was thinking does all this mean no more Decipher sactioned tournaments after the current license expires. Because if thats true then I've just lost all respect for LFL.

 

I can only hope that LFL changes their mind. How would Lucas feel if after so many years his hard work was taken away to be screwed up by someone else. If the cards look any different or if the gameplay is changed in the future, I WILL STOP BUYING ANY LFL LICENSED PRODUCT except for the videos. I have invested too much money into Decipher and LFL's Star Wars CCG to be yanked around like this. This is a SLAP IN THE FACE for all of us.

 

As a former artist for Jedi Knights TCG, I've been thinking of volunteering for some UNOFFICIAL content for the Star Wars CCG now that it's out of Decipher's hands, I've also noted a few posts on Decipher's message board to a similar effect... since technically other artists much like myself have been producing Star Wars related artwork for years...

This would be a good opportunity for us and game enthusiasts to do what Warren Holland said in the end, "giving the game to the gamers"... even tho I don't play any of the games, I like doing the art, maybe someone on TF.N should make a committee dedicated to producing UNOFFICIAL content for the game...

Darksteps...

 

I've done some dream cards based on Jedi Knight (the PC game featuring Kyle Katarn). Does that mean I can reveal them to a wider audience now without violating too many rights...?

My guess is Hasbro will start with an ep2 card game that has artwork and gameplay like Pokemon. While I don't know about the gameplay, it will suck big time artwork-wise. Time will tell if there's any additional cards for other movies.

Whatever, I never really played the game for I thought it too complex. But I was really thrilled about collecting it, and I won't forget all the good memories. Thing that bugs me is Young Jedi, which was simply discarded because it was part of a one-of-a-time hype. I loved that game...

 

I wonder what Red84 has to say about this? I'm absolutely gutted...

 

I, too, am shocked at this loss. It appears that LFL is slitting the throats of non-Hasbro companies, and these events certainly dishearten the staunch fan. While I'm sure there may be other reasons for this switch....well, it doesn't appear that way at least. Of course, I do agree that there has been a flood of new expansions, is that good reason to leave Decipher out in the cold?

Hey Darksteps, the idea of continuing the game, so to speak, would be great. If we could pool some of the original designers, artists, etc., could we maybe even carry on the unfinished expansions or the like, if only online? Just a thought. At least we could have some new ones.

I'd like to suggest a petition, and although it probably won't get us very far, at least the disapproval would be able to be seen by LFL. And if such a petition was widely known and supported, well...things do happen.

 

Oh My God is this happening ? This is a sad day indeed. I hope every Star Wars CCG fan out there writes to LFL, if someone know Lucas please give him our thoughts, this is an outrage. This is not the way it was suppose to be. I now feel sorry for Lucas since he doesnt know what his employees are doing to his name. I will not be buying any more "new" ccg cards if they're not produced by Decipher, i might perhaps consider it if they descide to build the "new" game on the same rules and just simply starting where decipher left. With the upcoming games and movies from LFL and Lucasarts im not sure if this is what i want Star Wars to be for me. When some ****** ass LFL employees takes the fun out of the Star Wars Galaxy by taking the thing we like next to Lucas's films, the books and the flow of the force, im so furious now...and confused. What will become of us ? Im now considering the fact that i perhaps wont buy or even try out the upcoming games: Jedi Knight 2 and Star Wars Galaxies. I hope that someone makes Lucas see whats going on. You wanna know what i wanted for xmas ? Well i wanted Star Wars CCG cards....and now LFL takes my CCG cards away from santa and me. BUHU. Thats not fair i tell you. I will write several mails to ensure that they dont take this away from me. Not only is CCG fun....but you learn so much by just collecting them. Decipher has done a great job when it comes to spreading this to a galaxy far far away (Perhaps too far away from Lucas ?). Use the Moo i tell ya.

 

I doubt we could get the rights to the unreleased expansions, however Warren Holland mentioned in the Radio Free Decipher interview that they were still going to release that Reflections GOLD, just not the virtual cards for it, and if I remember the interview correctly, he said they would be released free... dunno if that meant free to the distributors and resellers or free to everyone... the other problem is, all the expansions they were working on or finished would have been classified as 'Official' and would prolly require some degree of finicial compensation to acquire...

As for the original designers, that would be almost impossible, unless they did it on a volunteer basis, since most of the game designers weren't hired specifically for one game, they work on all the games that Decipher produces... but you never know, you might get the designers' input if you decide to pursue SW: CCG 'Unofficially'...

Also dunno about the artists... I was an external contractor for Jedi Knights, which meant when they wanted or needed models to render they would tell me(or one of about 30 other contractors) what they wanted and when they wanted it and we'd do it... alot of us were picked up from SWMA(Star Wars Modeling Alliance) and now some of us are at Scifi-3D here on TF.N... there have been enough 3D models created to keep this thing going almost indefinitely...

But I'm sure you can get the help of many of the contractors, or at the very least the models that are available...

Darksteps...

 

Don't tell me Lucas has nothing to do in this mess. He owns a huge amount of actions of Hasbro (who owns WOTC since some time, how strange?...). He would be masochist of giving away a liscence to one of the biggest competitors of WOTC (who also owns the fan club...you know the rest). C'mon, were talking about big time money here, I doubt Lucas would let a low lawyer decide of the future of his actions.

Anyway, if WOTC don't take the liscence... well Allan Greenspan got a big competitor here, cause really I don't know what he's up to.

Emperor (or a guy who could be wrong, who knows?)