Re: Minis in the News

In a message dated 3/24/99 7:49:28 AM Pacific Standard Time,
matt@voodoostudios.com writes:

<< 'd like to know the story is that leads him to this juncture.  Why
didn't
 he go on to FASA with Ral Partha?  What happened at Heartbreaker-Target
that
 he's not still there?
 
 Anyone got the scoop?
 
 -- Matt
 
  >>

O.K., here's some bits...

Fasa bought Ral Partha with the help of some investors from Alabama.
Seems
clear that they couldn't afford to lose the manufacturer of they're
miniatures
(since everything they make has\had a miniature facet- Battletech,
Shadowrun,
Earthdawn and now Crimson Sky) but couldn't do it by themselves.

Fasa brings Bob Watts on board to run the minis. (When did Watts leave
Heartbreaker - before or after they wer cut off by Target?).
Unfortunately
Fasa has no money to develope R.P. Watts is told to make do. Witness the
release of miniatures that were sculpted years ago and not released
then. One
came in this week, a   Dennis Mize stegosaur from '82 (seems he was hot
to do
dinos, but R.P. felt they wouldn't sell based on lack of previous sales
on,
quite frankly, less interesting speciments). This is a good way to cut
back on
costs.

Its no secret that R.P. would no longer have the liscence to do D&D
figures,
and no suprise with WOTC owning TSR. They have the muscle and the talent
to
run the line themselves. It is however, less known that Microsoft bought
Fasa
Interactive. Mechwarrior II and Heavy Gear Computer Games set the
standard for
simulations and made hugh profits. No suprise they would be interested.
Rumor
is that the check was 8 million dollars. It must have been sizable-
artists
are starting to get thier royalty checks.

I would guess that watts was promised a rose garden and then Fasa failed
to
deliver.

Faron