Topps Company shuts down WizKids
Posted on November 10, 2008 by Flames
Announced at the Wizkids website today:
The Topps Company announced today that WizKids will immediately cease operations and discontinue its product lines.
Scott Silverstein, CEO of Topps, said “This was an extremely difficult decision. While the company will still actively pursue gaming initiatives, we feel it is necessary to align our efforts more closely with Topps current sports and entertainment offerings which are being developed within our New York office.”
Upon notifying our partners, Topps will immediately pursue strategic alternatives so that viable brands and properties, including HeroClix, can continue without noticeable disruption. To that end, WizKids will continue supporting Buy it By the Brick redemptions for Arkham Asylum, and the December Organized Play events for HeroClix.
For consumer announcements, please refer to www.wizkidsgames.com over the coming days for further information.
Related Announcement at the Catalyst Game Labs website:
The Topps Company announced today that WizKids will immediately cease operations. Catalyst Game Labs has already been informed this should in no way affect Catalyst’ publication of the Classic BattleTech and Shadowrun game lines. “We’re still completely dedicated to the Classic BattleTech and Shadowrun game lines,” said Loren Coleman, co-owner of Catalyst Game Labs. “We’ve got a great line of products coming out heading into 2009 and so see no reason why the 25th [BattleTech] and 20th [Shadowrun] anniversary years for these brands won’t be fantastic for our great fan base.”
As more information becomes available additional announcements will follow.
Tags | industry news, shadowrun, wizkids
I hesitate to consider what this bodes for the rest of the industry.
We certainly haven’t seen the last of it yet.
Impossible to say what this bodes for the industry…it could be good (other companies might pick up WizKids’ market share.) Companies close all the time…there’s no reason to panic.
Good riddance to bad trash. They dumped on envoys, they dumped on players. Now they wind up dumped. Tell Kevin Goddard he still sucks…LOL!
Wizkids was never a strong gaming company, nor did their games receive the support they needed to excell. To be honest, most of the industry insiders have been expecting this for the last three years. It’s only due to the moderate sucess of the star wars constructable card game they lasted as long as they did. good job on Catalyst labs if they bring MW back into the fold.
They completely deserve their failure.
The company was lazy, complacent and corrupt. They treated their customers and employees like sheep and refused to listen to the few players with enough balls to complain. Now they’re done.
Even now, the Wizkids fanboys on HCrealms still thank these people for treating them like garbage, still attacking those members who realized the fanboys weren’t enough to carry a whole niche franchise and desperately tried to get WK to listen.
It’s sad really, that they can’t grasp the obvious.
Good Riddance.
the business model failed because of too many quality and balance issues. I still enjoy Mechwarrrior every Sundays, but I feel that the company was quite mismanaged. Great games, but the business itself was a failure. Quality, customer service and gameplay will keep you alive forever. Bells & whistles & other gimmickry won’t.