ZEITGEIST STRIKES BACK?

Seems like the final word has not been said concerning the Blackmoor lisence. Today, Zeitgeist Games made the following announcement:

Given the ruckus this original mail triggered, I think a bit of clarification is in order.

At this point, Zeitgeist has been in negotiations for a renewal for quite some time. It's been radio silence for a while and it's not prudent from a business standpoint for anyone to wait around for the chance that a renewal will come through. In the end, if Zeitgeist is able to secure a renewal, we'll determine how to proceed from there.

So, from the factual department we have the following:

1. Blackmoor still has the best fans of any campaign setting
2. The Co-publishing agreement between CMP and ZG is expiring in early 2010
3. The future of Blackmoor RPG publication remains uncertain, but ZG is still pursuing and interested in renewing the license with WotC.
4. Blackmoor is a trademark of WoTC and the majority of the proper references within the 3rd and 4th Edition are the property of Wizards of the Coast.

Beyond that Zeitgeist Games would like to express it's thanks to CMP, the writers of books and episodes and of course, the fans for helping to keep Dave Arneson's world and legacy alive.

Sincerely,
Zeitgeist Games,Inc,
Dustin Clingman, President

What does this mean for the future of Blackmoor? WotC has not shown much interest in continuing any of their lisenced properties over the last few years. I wish Zeitgeist Games the best of luck in their efforts, but I would think that they would need a pretty big ace up their sleave to be able to get anything out of WotC. Still, if any part of the settlement between WotC and Arneson has been transferred to ZG or the Arneson Estate, anything is possible.

I also wonder if the statement regarding the future cooperation between ZG and Code Monkey Publishing will affect CMP's recently announced plans about the New Lands setting...


Stay tuned for more!



Havard