Minis in the News

Hi all,

FYI, Wizards of the Coast is going to start making their own miniatures, and
they've hired Bob Watts to run their shop! Check out:
http://www.wizards.com/Corporate_Info/News_Releases/WotC/BobWatts.html

> FYI, Wizards of the Coast is going to start making their own

Does it strike anyone else as odd that Bob Watts resume reads like a "Who's
Who of Minis companies that failed or sold out"?

Grenadier? Ral Partha?

I'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?

In a message dated 3/24/99 10:35:40 AM Eastern Standard Time,

*snore* *aphttht*

Er, what? Oh, wake me when they start talking about ships, either reissue of
Star Frontiers or new ones for Alternity. Heck, I'd FT some Spelljammer ships.
So far, all they mentioned directly was D&D.

Nighty-night.

The_Beast

> "Bob Watts, a well-known leader in the miniatures games field, will

Leader? Of what?

What I find somewhat strange is that this guy doesn't actually seem to have
run a successful design and build operation yet. All the others have been
overseas companies, US marketing.

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

> [quoted text omitted]

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

If, thanks to the recent industry shakeups, Ral Partha looses the D&D minis
licence, does anyone know what that'll mean for their excellent
Battlesystem 15mm fantasy figures? Among the best fantasy 15mm's going -
hope they're not going, going, gone!

This is OT, but I was curious...

Hiya,

You'll have to ask the "vice-president of miniatures" (or was that the
miniature-president of vice?) :)

BTW, I apologize for sending the original message to the list -- I
fat-fingered the addresses when sending it to my local gaming group, and
accidentally included the GZG list in my definition of "everybody".

<snip>

> I'd like to know the story is that leads him to this juncture. Why
Matt,

I thought the people at Ral Partha ( the new owners are FASA, Zocchi
Distributors and some others) had scored quite a coup in getting Bob Watts
away from Heartbreaker. I was stunned to learn last week at the GAMA trade
show in Las Vegas that he had moved over to WOTC after only a couple months at
Ral Partha. Now if I was a suspicious man.
. . . .

For those who are inerested the Phoenix Clan Box set arrived at the
distributors today. I should have 2(two) in route. Jeremy has dibs on the
first box.

I'm placing orders to Harleqin and Old Glory this week (probably NLT
Wednesday). Anybody need anything?

Faron