Friday, 14 August 2009

FFG Revive HeroQuest! ... Sort of

I see Fantasy Flight Games have decided to cash in on the nostalgia and are re-releasing Advanced Heroquest with new artwork, packaging and art design based on the trade dress of the successful Warhammer Online morepig.

FFG do seem a little confused though. Apparently they intend to call this new product WFRP 3E and sell it in a big box for ~$100. They's funny, coz WFRP has been playable from a single book and with dice no sillier than are used for most RPGs for the last two decades and more.

I fail to see who this new release is aimed at either:

  • New gamers? That $100 gets them around 6-8 months of MMRPG subscription, two new release console/PC games, or a D&D4E start-up set.
  • Existing Eurogamers? Can you honestly see them kicking "* of Catan" or whatever into touch for this?
  • Old fans of WFRP/AHQ/WHQ? We got those games the first time around, thanks.
  • Existing WFB/WH40K players? They already have an expensive addiction to feed...
This seems to be a product in search of a market beyond the obvious Xmas trade. Colour me sceptical.

(hat-tip: Graham MacNeill for the initial tip-off)

4 comments:

  1. Should be interesting to see where it goes at any rate. I think I heard that Games Workshop releases a new edition every four years or something as part of its business plan, so maybe this is now Fantasy Flight Games' modus operandi with the franchise. Well, I never bought into Warhammer second edition, so what do I care really? A pity, but the world moves on and business is business.

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  2. I have absolutely no idea what they're thinking either. I do, however, have a new blog, and since you're a fan of the "Explosions in Space Rule", I figured I'd tell you about it. http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/

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  3. It's especially strange considering WFRP2 is only a few years old. Obviously they want to cash in with the many unique (and easily lost) cards, dice, etc. that people will have to buy in order to play. I can appreciate them wanting to do a fresh take on how RPGs play, but I think this one is doomed to failure, or a small niche within a niche market.

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  4. This game is related to Heroquest!?

    Are you sure about that; I'm having trouble confirming it.

    I -love- heroquest and would -love- if they reprinted it ...but everything I read about this game makes me nervous and nobody is comparing it to HQ...

    ReplyDelete

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