FASA founder buys Shadowrun and other IPs

by Dustin Burg { Dec 8th 2007 at 12:45PM }

When FASA Studios closed its doors a few months back, we thought it was the end of Shadowrun and FASA games as we knew them. But today we find it's not. FASA founder Jordan Weisman has been busy lately, he just created a new game studio called Smith & Tinker and (get this) bought up all of FASA's original IPs from Microsoft. Yup. Weisman and Smith & Tinker now own the Shadowrun IP as well as MechWarrior and Crimson Skies. What will they be doing with these oldy, but golden IPs? They're not ready to show us their hand just yet, but they do promise to "surprise and delight old fans, while welcoming new fans to these fantastic worlds". Anyone up for an Xbox 360 Crimson Skies sequel in 2010?

[Via IGN]

Tags: fasa, fasa-studios, microsoft, shadowrun

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Reptil3 @ Dec 8th 2007 12:57PM

licenses !=buys

Ejab @ Dec 8th 2007 12:59PM

Exactly, you guys got me scared, I thought that there might be a CS game on ps3.

NukeAssault @ Dec 8th 2007 1:37PM

"Crimson Skies sequel in 2010?"

Fuck yeah i am.

DemonGSides @ Dec 8th 2007 4:02PM

Fuck yeah, me too.

Trashman @ Dec 8th 2007 1:44PM

YES!!! there is still hope for a new mechassault game. i so hope there will be

Jedijoe9 @ Dec 8th 2007 1:45PM

I tried to enjoy the last Shadowrun game, I really did. But I am excited to hear about this because maybe now we can have a proper next gen Shadowrun game.

Anticrawl @ Dec 8th 2007 6:04PM

How was the last one not proper? I loved the game, and you can't say it wasn't true to it's roots considering the FASA guys invented the old Pen & Paper RPG.

Will @ Dec 8th 2007 2:07PM

Yes please!

Joe @ Dec 8th 2007 2:22PM

I would like a new Shadowrun game. Just as long as it goes back to being a RPG. As for Crimson Skies I am all for that. Both of those games I would really like to play again. I could care less about the other game but it might be fun if it is a MMO game though.

Also this does not mean then these games could come out on the PS3 then.

Van Faulk @ Dec 8th 2007 2:33PM

New crimson skies = win.

ccc @ Dec 8th 2007 2:57PM

"surprise and delight old fans, while welcoming new fans to these fantastic worlds".

This sounds more like a statement saying something along the lines of doing something with the actual original games and not makeing sequals. Sure they could very well happen down the road but first, I'd expect to see something done with these original games first.

jtedesco33 @ Dec 8th 2007 3:14PM

@7
Why woudn't it mean that they could come out on the PS3? They are in independent company I would think they could put their IP's on any platform they wanted to.

asmonius @ Dec 8th 2007 3:58PM

Because microsoft still owns the IPs.

eugene @ Dec 8th 2007 3:41PM

Nice news. I loved crimson skies and if this means there's a chance for a mechwarrior game that isn't some dumbed down arcade shooter, I'm all the more excited.

Mikeawesome @ Dec 8th 2007 4:44PM

I wouldn't mind another Shadowrun FPS.

...if it was done right. :|

Crimson Skies makes me happy, though.

jtedesco33 @ Dec 8th 2007 4:55PM

@12
"Smith & Tinker and (get this) bought up all of FASA's original IPs from Microsoft. Yup. Weisman and Smith & Tinker now own the Shadowrun IP as well as MechWarrior and Crimson Skies."
Am I missing something? Doesn't that mean that MS no longer owns them, leaving them open to any platform?

asmonius @ Dec 8th 2007 5:12PM

"Smith & Tinker is pleased to announce that it has licensed from Microsoft the electronic entertainment rights for Mr. Weisman's previous creations of MechWarrior, Shadowrun, Crimson Skies and the other properties of the FASA catalog. We’re not quite ready to announce our plans for each property, but please be assured that our goal is to surprise and delight old fans, while welcoming new fans to these fantastic worlds."

They bought the rights to use the IPs for new games, not the ownership.

Tony Bowman @ Dec 8th 2007 5:15PM

as someone on another forum said, "who do i have to blow" for a crimson skies or shadowrun MMO?

bigd7387 @ Dec 8th 2007 5:53PM

Well the news is good all around. The games will stay with MS probably PC & 360 and Crimson Skies 2 will be a common'.

Anticrawl @ Dec 8th 2007 6:34PM

Uhh wouldn't it be Crimson Skies 3? The one on the Xbox was a sequal.

CharleyTony @ Dec 8th 2007 7:51PM

Cant wait to see a new crimson skies or shadowrun game...
They really should make a new shadowrun using the same hybrid shooter/RPG setup we saw in MassEffect... add in some online playing (coop-story MMO integration) and you would get a game that would elevate what the name stands for...

Gemini Ace @ Dec 8th 2007 9:37PM

All I have to say is...it's about fucking time we get to see a Crimson Skies sequel and some new Shadowrun DLC. I hope it's soon.

obo @ Dec 8th 2007 10:01PM

Why no mention of Weisman being the founder of 42 Entertainment — the "ilovebees" crew?

Kash @ Dec 9th 2007 1:27AM

pff...

energyvortex @ Dec 9th 2007 1:51AM

What MS did to the SHadowrun title was bad - I mean - I understand they tried something new? and they get props for that. But what ended up being released just sucked.

I'm going to go to sleep tonight, but I'm going to kneel down and pray that Weisman builds a Shadowrun MMO. Something with a nice, fast graphics engine, like COH/V or WoW, with the graphical power of Vanguard or Conan, and with the depth of play like Neocron or Eve.

I'm not asking much, am I? :) But seriously - how much *ASS* would a solid Shadowrun MMO kick? I say - lots!

energyvortex @ Dec 9th 2007 1:53AM

Uh - yeah - sorry - clarification
- I'm not talking console - I'm talking PC - I want a Shadowrun PC game :)

I'll live if they remake the Nintendo Shadowrun game for the next gen console markets obviously, but I'll squeal if they decide to make a PC MMO :)

Sparkstalker @ Dec 9th 2007 4:12PM

Anticrawl...
While there have been two Crimson Skies games, I'd hardly say the Xbox one is a sequel to the original PC game. There's no storyline continuation, and the games play quite differently. They just happen to be two games in seperate continuities that use the same source material.

So if there is one coming to the 360 (which I hope and pray it will), I'd guess it would be a direct sequel to the Xbox game, and probably be called Crimson Skies 2.