Shadowrun

Shacknews is reporting that FASA titles like Shadowrun, Crimson Skies, and Mech Warrior have been licensed to Smith and Tinker.

Who knows this means? The news blurb on the Smith and Tinker website is very vague.

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.

In a forum post on the official Shadowrun forums we get this:

Dear Friends,

It is my sad duty to announce that FASA Studio has officially closed its doors. Today was the official last day of employment for those of us who had not moved on to other positions within Microsoft Game Studios. While the rumors have been circulating forever, we chose to wait on an official announcement because we didn’t want people’s attention distracted from our last product, Shadowrun, a game we love.

As a testament to the team’s commitment to Shadowrun, we released three title updates to improve the product even after the team learned we were losing our studio. We have kept our Community Manager and Technical Support Manager on the job to aid and support you and will continue to do so while people continue to play our game. I am pleased that about half of us have found great positions elsewhere in MGS and Microsoft where they can share their experience and passion with the great people there.

But now, as the last of us say our goodbyes to each other, I’m saying goodbye to you on behalf of a group of talented and dedicated professionals who busted their humps for the love of the game. I am proud to have worked with and represented them to you and know that wherever they go, they will continue to kick ass.

I can say that being a part of the public beta test team was one of the best gaming experiences I’ve had from home. That was FASA to me because that was all I knew. The FASA devs interacted with the community daily, sometimes hourly. They have no problem admitting that the beta testers directly impacted the development of Shadowrun. We have no problem admitting that we are sad to see FASA dissolved.

Best of luck to the devs.