wex@milano.UUCP (03/03/86)
In article <9536@ucla-cs.ARPA>, cs111olg@ucla-cs.UUCP writes: > ... I hope [Hero Games] is not going to end up like the SPI's death at > the hands of TSR. I have a button which says black letters on a white background: "SPI Died for Your Sins" ...almost no one gets the joke. > WHAT'S UP WITH Eon Products? If anyone has any confirmed info on this (and doesn't feel it's worth posting to the whole net), please mail it to me. I am very interested. -- Alan Wexelblat ARPA: WEX@MCC.ARPA UUCP: {ihnp4, seismo, harvard, gatech, pyramid}!ut-sally!im4u!milano!wex "No wife, no horse, no mustache."
riggsby@h-sc1.UUCP (andrew riggsby) (03/05/86)
In article <1084@milano.UUCP> wex@milano.UUCP writes: >I have a button which says black letters on a white background: > "SPI Died for Your Sins" >...almost no one gets the joke. I am one of them. Is Sins an acronym or am I just missing something that I shouldn't? Andrew Riggsby riggsby@harvunxu
silber@uiucdcsp.CS.UIUC.EDU (03/14/86)
No, "sins" is not an acronym. The circumstances following the death of SPI are approxamately as follows. SPI was having cash flow problems due to computer foul-ups of the mailing list, moving, getting a new computer etc. They were also having the perenial printer problems, as every game company not affiliated with a printer does. They took out a loan, which somehow managed to be underwritten or something by TSR, yes, the forces of darkness themselves (who had already driven some small companies under by lawsuits that TSR had no chance of winning (they sued everyone who published an FRP for a while)). Anyway, TSR "reluctantly" forclosed, and got SPI (this is after an unsuccessful attempt to but the company.) TSR did not have to honor subscriptions, lifetime or otherwise (you ended up getting discounts, but effectively lost about 1/2 your money) or outstanding orders. Most of the design staff left, especially after it was announced that the operation would be moved to Lake Geneva. They have since formed Victory Games (under TAHGC umbrella & with access to printers 3M) otherwise known as "SPI" in exile. All in all, TSR's actions are somewhat suspect, and it was a real tragedy that the second largest wargames company should die in such an ignominious fashion. Ami Silberman "...an erect man may expose himself in an aperture..." from the rules to Sniper, SPI's 1971 game of man to man WWII combat.
scifi@ukc.ac.uk (I.L.Sewell) (03/17/86)
In article <6700014@uiucdcsp> silber@uiucdcsp.UUCP writes: > Anyway, TSR "reluctantly" forclosed, and got SPI (this is >after an unsuccessful attempt to but the company.) >TSR did not have to honor subscriptions, lifetime or otherwise (you ended >up getting discounts, but effectively lost about 1/2 your money) or outstanding >orders. Most of the design staff left, especially after it was announced that >the operation would be moved to Lake Geneva. >Ami Silberman An interesting sideline to this little article is the future of the DragonQuest game. For those of you who do not know what DQ is, it was SPI first (I think) attempt to enter the market of FRP games. A full description is not appropriate here other than to say that it was a great success and looked like doing VERY well( those of us who have played it can understand why - its dammed good) and rumour has it that this was a major reason for TSR (`*#$%%&') closing down SPI after thay had seen the projections for the game ( it already having had a second edition out and three very good scenarios - especially the Enchanted Wood) and seen it as a major contender to D&D in the market. Anyhow when closed down all the right to SPI games went to TSR (#*~=) and some of which are still being made - mostly the wargames. But there has not been a single thing on DQ! The reason is that THEY wont release the rights to the game such that no one can wright for the game, except on their instructions, with out getting one hell of a copyright suit against them. This is how it stands now after all these years with the only material being published is the odd article in Dragon, most of which are very bad annd seem to have been wriiten by D&D writers how have absolutly no feel for the game. Does anyone know anything further? Corrections will be most welcome as this is mostly built on rumour. Ian Sewell " Its Autumn guys and your all leaves......"