Microsoft shut down its wholly owned FASA Interactive studios earlier this year, muddling the fate of popular FASA gaming adaptations in the MechWarrior and Crimson Skies series. But hope of new gaming installments from FASA properties has been restored, as electronic entertainment rights to MechWarrior, Shadowrun, Crimson Skies and other FASA works have been licensed by FASA founder Jordan Weisman's new venture, Smith & Tinker.

An announcement on Smith & Tinker's website revealed the news today, which had few details other than the licensing of the aforementioned properties from Microsoft. "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," the announcements reads.

A prolific entrepreneur, Weisman founded the original FASA role-playing company as well as the video game offshoot FASA Interactive, toy company Wizkids, and alternate reality gaming venture 42 Entertainment. His newest venture, Smith & Tinker, aims to pursue projects as a an interconnected amaglam of media types, spanning toys, games, books and movies.

Microsoft acquired the electronic rights to FASA properties when it acquired FASA Interactive in 1999 and formed FASA Studio. Microsoft closed the studio earlier this year after the poorly received Shadowrun (PC, X360), a first-person shooter based on the titular RPG.

It's unknown if this agreement will affect the fanmade project Mechwarrior: Living Legends, as Microsoft granted the mod team use of BattleTech properties in its Crysis (PC) conversion after the closing of FASA Studios.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50247

Definitely will be interesting to see how M:LL will play out now.

Yep.. I have to assume that if they gave them permission to use elements of the IP... they can't take that permission back. Time will tell I guess.

this has been discussed on the MWLL forums as well. It appears that M$ did not sell back the the franchise.. only the rights to develop something for it.. same as M$ gave MW:LL.

it is going to be intresting though if it turns out to be more then that.. considering what the MWLL team can do with the Cry2 Engine..

However... I will fully believe MWLL can do this when I see a mech moving and being piloted in the CRY2. I am praying they can..lol

It isn't really the same thing though... They gave the MWLL guys permission to use elements of the IP in a mod for another game. Usually people don't even ask... and occasionally they get shut down for it.

Now Weisman's new company has licensed the rights to the IPs he originally owned back from Microsoft. While MS still owns it, this new company can make games and merchandise (depending on the licensing agreement) based on the IPs.

Besides the obvious point that MWLL can't make any money off their permission to use the content... I would guess the other biggest difference is that this agreement took a team of lawyers and a pile of cash to work out.... and will end in merchandise on store shelves.

It'll also be interesting to see, if in the long run we see a mod produced by MWLL as well as a merchanised game MW5, which one will the consumers choose.... Will we stick with a mod that people gave us in a time of total doubt, or will we flock back to a cloud of M$ offspring uncertainty?

i can only hope the develop and bring back the numbers to mech warrior I have hopes that it will otherwise my pc days will die with this game iam a hard core mech pilot
back when i started in mech 2 i was impressed hope we blow a leg off and it dosent kill the mech just takes a legg off

It's been forever since we heard any news from these guys. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like mech5 is in their plans at all.

All Weisman cares about these days is selling cheap Chinese made trinkets to little kids. What little info they have let out points to more in that direction. Bubble gum cards that punch out and fold in to mechs, or some online / TCG game where you buy cards to increase your online deck...

I don't really think the guy ever cared much about the video games. They were just a side effect to the PnP game.