[B5JMS] Babylon 5 Wars is kaput, RIP

Sat Sep 21 04:24:45 EDT 2002

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From: ninjrk at aol.com (M)
Date: 20 Sep 2002 09:03:23 -0700
Lines: 127

Don't know if anyone noticed, but the last game from babylon 5,
Babylon 5 Wars by Agents of Gaming, is finally no more.  WB did not
want to renew the liscence.  Not sure why they'd turn away free money,
but who knows.

"YES, IT FINALLY HAPPENED...THE BABYLON 5 LICENSE HAS EXPIRED...
(9/19/02) It is my sad duty to report that AOG's Babylon 5 contract
has ended and will not be renewed. Regrettably, no further Babylon 5
game licenses or renewals are being granted due to the lack of an
ongoing show or property to build upon. AOG held, to our knowledge,
the last existing game license for B5.
The contract officially concludes at the end of October. Until
10/31/02, AOG will continue to sell as much existing inventory as
possible at discount rates. See our web site's mail order page for
some spectactular deals, or email me privately if you wish to arrange
a larger purchase. After October 31, anything left over in our
warehouse will be destroyed per the letter of the contract.
Individuals, stores, or distributors wishing to make purchases (either
remotely or by visiting the office) before that time should contact me
by email. Field Agents and freelancers will be given priority.
We here at AOG wish to thank you all for your patronage and support of
the Babylon 5 Wars line and related products. Without you, we couldn't
have gotten this far. Please don't be bitter or upset. We did the best
we could and managed to keep the license as long as possible. We have
no regrets. --Agent One

Some Questions and Answers
Okay, seriously, why isn't the license being renewed?
WB made it clear that no further licenses would be extended for
Babylon 5. We continued to hold out hope that things could change
until we received an official termination notice in the mail. The
reason for cancellation is simply that the show is no longer on the
air. While we don't know for sure, we presume that had Legend of the
Rangers made it to TV, interest in Babylon 5 might have picked up and
this whole situation could have been avoided.

Why didn't you tell us this before?
We hoped to extend the contract. Until we knew for sure we could not,
it made bad business sense to tell people the license was ending.
Stores and distributors would drop the line like a hot potato, and
then, if we did achieve renewal, there would be no way to recover.
This announcement is being made at the earliest possible time.

Did AOG do anything wrong to cause this to happen?
No. We were current on all royalty payments and never had any problems
dealing with Warner Bros. throughout the entire duration of the
contract. Termination occurred simply because Babylon 5 is no longer
on television.

Is there anything I can do to save the contract?
No. In fact, please do not attempt to do so. You'll only waste your
time and ours and annoy Warner Bros. in the process. WB did nothing
wrong, so do not curse or blame them for this. It was always
understood that this contract would, eventually, expire. Its time
simply came to an end.

So what happens to the B5 product line?
It is now out of print. No new products will be made. In fact, after
October 31, we are no longer permitted to stock or sell any Babylon 5
properties. If you wish to pick up any miniatures or books, better do
so now, because after 10/31/02, we will no longer have anything or the
capability of making anything from this contract.

What are you selling your existing inventory for?
Some pretty serious discounts. Check our mail order pages to see what
prices you can expect to get. In general, items that were $7.95 are
now $4.95, items of $9.95 are now $5.95, $13.95 went to $9.95, $19.95
is now $14.95, $24.95 is $19.95, and so on. Most discounts are 30-40%
or so of the original price. We're willing to give even larger
discounts if you want to order a big pile of stuff (and be sure to see
the package deals page). Send me an email and we'll discuss it. (Keep
in mind, these items are shortly going to become unavailable...buying
a bunch now might be a good investment towards an Ebay or related sale
later on.)
What about B5 products that were in the production pipeline for
eventual release?
That depends on how far along they were. Certianly none of these will
be physically printed, but some will be available as downloads. Just
before this happened, we released a new batch of Fleet Action civilian
miniatures, but those will be the last (any minis that were started or
somewhere along in the production process will probably never see the
light of day, although it's possible one or two might be available as
a special item). On a case by case basis, here is where we stand:

Variants-6 (WCR variants): This was being assembled by the HRT and
will probably be made available as a free download when complete.
Showdowns-9: This was in development by an outside source. I'm not
sure how interested the designer will be in completing it after
hearing this announcement. I will post an update here when I know
more.
Showdowns-10: I actually have a completed initial draft of this
product in hand. If the designer has no objections, I will make it
available as a free download.
Campaign Guide: This was written so as to be easily convertible to a
non-B5 format (i.e., for Turning Point, or a generic space battle
system). The designer and I will be discussing how to proceed once
this announcement becomes public and I'll have more information for
you as things progress.
Raiders & Privateers-2: This was all but complete when the contract
ended. If the designers have no objection, I will make it available as
a free download.
Other books were in development internally, but these were nowhere
near finished. I may post some material at some point in the future,
but we'll have to see.
The forums and Babcom newsletter will continue as before, because they
are being operated by outside sources as fan sites and don't fall
under the contract. AOG will not, however, be able to provide official
B5 material to Babcom, because otherwise WB may see that as a breach
of their copyright.
What exactly falls under the Babylon 5 contract?
Anything that has the B5 logo (B5W, FA, or GROPOS) or that is
copyrighted by WB. That would include all advertising and promotional
materials, painted miniatures in our possession, computer art, written
documents, etc., etc. Anyone interested in purchasing said items
should contact me at once. Everything with the "B5" logo on it is for
sale at this point, with the exception of those items that could be
used to produce new products later on (e.g., molds, miniature masters,
and the like) which will be targeted for certain destruction. Specific
items for sale include:

The vinyl display pictures (wall-sized) you may have seen us put up at
conventions
A small quantity of painted miniatures 
Empty boxes, packing wraps, and similar items (not likely to sell) 
All the B5-logo dice 
Miscellaneous other items"

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 21 Sep 2002 02:54:55 GMT
Lines: 24

>It is my sad duty to report that AOG's Babylon 5 contract
>has ended and will not be renewed. Regrettably, no further Babylon 5
>game licenses or renewals are being granted due to the lack of an
>ongoing show or property to build upon. AOG held, to our knowledge,
>the last existing game license for B5.

>So what happens to the B5 product line?
>It is now out of print. No new products will be made.

A new license has just been made with another RPG company, and they're looking
to come out with their first salvo next year.

Just in the interests of accuracy.

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
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