Heroquest returns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Za Zjurman]

Official statement

Please bear with us. Gamezone and Moon Design are in a meeting negotiating a settlement for both parts at this time.

Moon Design believes that their interests in the HEROQUEST brand within the USA will be infringed upon. Although we are not distributing or selling our product in US territory. As a precaution Moon Design presented a C/D on the 27th of Nov. Our talks are coming to a point where the negotiation will benefit all those involved, which finally would let us offer our product in stores in the USA sometime next year.
The Moon Design C/D was suspended, but on the table, as another element in the negotiation. Here at Gamezone it is our hopeful understand that its activation is possibly by error as both parties where coming to an agreement. Said agreement would finally end beneficially for Fans in the USA by opening the physical distribution to stores in that country. This brief pause of activity is as harmful to the interests of Moon Design as it is to Gamezone Miniatures.

We are as surprised as the Heroquest community, we didn’t expect that on Thanksgiving, of all days, to be wrapped up in this mess, that is so disagreeable for everyone involved. On a day such as this it is extremely complicated to get in touch with Moon Design. We are working diligently on a solution so we can continue with the project from where it is at the moment and reinforce it for the future.

Thank you. Dionisio

From their (?) blog
http://www.fancueva.com/ludico/comunicado-oficial-de-gamezone-sobre-el-bloqueo-de-heroquest-25-aniversario/

so no GW lawyers to this point in time.

Cheers,
Za

[Donpimpom]

they are the publisher of a Heroquest rpg?
http://moondesign.glorantha.com/product/heroquest-core-rules
omg! thats gets more complicated at each step!
 how many licenses are around HQ?

[Arthadan]

The  Heroquest RPG has nothing to do with HQ gameboard. The RPG is "a rules engine by Robin Laws, suitable for play in any genre or setting".

Now some bits from an interview to Dionisio (Gamezone owner) some days ago:

- You can use the old adventures in the 25th anniversary edition.
 - The intention of this edition is to complete with miniatures and scenography some things we missed in the original HQ.
 - GameZone has not considered the possibility of a reedition of the original adventures because they are easily available on the internet.
 - Some extra detail may be added to the rolling stone (a smashed corpse for example).
- Morcar and Zargon are two different characters. They both will play an active role in the story. There will be another character over them (a woman maybe?).
 - All the adventures are linked together.
 - Heroquest belongs to Hasbro, but Gamezone bought Heroquest license in Spain which allows them to sell their product in Spanish shops and worlwide through inernet. They are trying to make an agreement for shop distribution in other countries.
 - KS shipping cost expenses will be given back to customers as discounts for the GameZone online shop.
- Heroes miniatures designs are just tridimensional drafts. Final pose will match the game cover.
- There are unlimited strecth goals for the KS.
- There will be more kind of spells than the basics (already seen).
- The modular board will be printed on both sides.
- Hero sheet is still on design phase, but a single sheet as in the original HQ is not an option.
- There will be apps for smart phones and tablets to design characters, etc.
- KS edition boxes will be unique, numbered and with your name of choice engraved. They will also look different than the shop edition.
- Advanced rules for future expansions
- Walls could be an option. But if ever released it won't be in the KS.
- Customizable furniture (i.e. different shelfs for the rack, etc).
- Rules will not be published in PDF during the KS.
- Dices will follow the classic system but there will be also character-specific dices.
- There will be a future expansion for solo gaming. The possibility of a game mode without a Warlord (Translator note: Game Master) is beign considered, but nothing is settled so far.
- There will be no stretch goal with painted miniatures.
- There will be female enemies.
- There will be old metal coins matching the game design.
- Player number is 2-6 in the alpha version so far.
- There is a stretch goal with the original HQ board.
 - GameZone will put much effort in the translations.
 - Game components will come inside little boxes so you can have everything well protected an tidy.

Sorry for the quick translation, but it's late and I'm sleepy.

[beefcake]

 
IP is probably only an issue now because Moon designs have realised that could make Mega Bucks off of it. Still IP is IP. I think it will get sorted and still released.
I'm wondering if this will have a carryon effect into other countries Hasbro.

[Donpimpom]

So Moon Design owns no real Ip from Hasbro? its a mere name coincidence?
all in all sounds kinda sneaky isn't?

The project notes from Arthadan look really exciting.
I have been seeing in a couple of spanish forums people's reaction, and they are strongly supporting the release of the game.
I'm sure one way or the other the game will be finally released, at least in Spain, even if they need to start again in a different crowd funding agent (indiegogo or verkami)

[Malebolgia]

They could name it Schmeroquest and be done with the whole IP thing!

[beefcake]

I like it!

[TF Riley]

Or perhaps the pWarlock of pFiretop Mountain could work?

[Momotaro]

IP is probably only an issue now because Moon designs have realised that could make Mega Bucks off of it. Still IP is IP. I think it will get sorted and still released.
I'm wondering if this will have a carryon effect into other countries Hasbro.

I am not a Lawyer, but... part of the duty of holding a trademark is defending it against infringement.  If you don't, you can lose it.

The name has a complicated history - after the GW/Milton Bradley games, Issaries Inc picked it up in the US for their Glorantha RPG in the late 90s, and Moon Designs now produce the RPG.  IIRC, Hasbro owns the name in the UK.  And Gamezone reckon they own the trademark in Spain

So the IP is a mess.  To me it sounds like Gamezone has dived in head first, making noises about selling in the US, and Moon Design have jumped in to make sure they don't lose their trademark through inaction.

The solution may be that boardgames and RPGs are distinct enough categories to allow both to hold the same trademarked name for different brands, but to me GZ have really slipped up by not doing their homework.

[Glitzer]

I am not a Lawyer, but... part of the duty of holding a trademark is defending it against infringement.  If you don't, you can lose it.

Sad but true. And as far as I know Heroquest was a Chaosium trademark before the Milton Bradley game, but never was released. That trademark seems to have a really complicated story that just calls for trouble. 

[beefcake]

Not to mention when Sierra made a computer game heroquest which they then renamed quest for glory.

[Donpimpom]

They could name it Schmeroquest and be done with the whole IP thing!

or Heroe Cuesc (spanish for "heroic fart")
in the 80's a spanish toy company well know for their shameless copycats released Herocults

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/98734/herocults

[Elbows]

I'm thinking "Quest of Heroes"   

[Booboo]

I'm thinking "Quest of Heroes"   

Makes me think of "Blood of heroes".  Bring on the juggerball.

[FionaWhite]

or Heroe Cuesc (spanish for "heroic fart")

Holding it in till it's worth half a million CAD before bursting is definitely a fart I'd consider "heroic".