Five Rings Publishing Group
Encyclopedia
The Five Rings Publishing Group (FRPG) was formed as a spin-out of Alderac Entertainment Group
and ISOMEDIA.
(AEG) and ISOMEDIA divested themselves of their joint operating venture, and created Five Rings Publishing Group. Using the joint venture the two companies had co-created the Legend of the Five Rings Collectible Card Game in 1995, and realized that in order to continue to successfully publish the game that a stand-alone company focused on the game-publishing business was the best solution.
FRPG was incorporated in the spring of 1996, and was funded by a pool of investors recruited in the Seattle area by Robert (Bob) Abramowitz, who became the CEO of the new company. John Zinser, CEO of AEG took the additional role of VP of Sales, and Ryan S. Dancey of ISOMEDIA left the company to become the full time VP of Product Development for FRPG. Other initial staff at FRPG included Mindy Sherwood-Lewis, Philip Lewis, Arnold Koppel, Heather Beiderman, Al Skaar, Blake Beasley and Daniel Landers.
FRPG signed a development deal with AEG to allow the AEG team to continue to work on Legend of the Five Rings
, and licensed the L5R property to AEG for its role-playing game
line.
It also began development work on the Legend of the Burning Sands
, a "sequel" of sorts to the Legend of the Five Rings world, set in a mythical "dark arabia" setting featuring pseudo-Egyptians, pseudo-Mongols, and a melange of 1001 Arabian Nights
and The Adventures of Sinbad
. This work was also contracted to AEG.
FRPG partnered with Last Unicorn Games
to develop and publish the Dune Collectible Card Game
. Last Unicorn negotiated the license with the Herbert Estate and oversaw the design and art direction of the game.
The company also entered into a complex three-way deal with AEG and Pinnacle Entertainment Group
to create Doomtown
: The Deadlands Collectible Card Game. AEG would do the design and art direction based on Pinnacle Entertainment Group's intellectual property, Deadlands
.
In addition to its work on collectible card games, the company also entered into a licensing deal with Paramount Pictures
for the Star Trek
license, and began work on the Star Trek Collectible Dice Game.
Finally, as a part of the deal that created FRPG, ISOMEDIA transferred its ownership of RPG International, its mail order hobby gaming business to FRPG. RPG International sold all manner of hobby gaming products (such as RPGs, collectible card game
s, wargames
, etc.) to customers all around the globe.
FRPG had a short, but exciting life. In the spring of 1997, FRPG helped to broker the deal that allowed Wizards of the Coast
to acquire TSR, Inc.
, the creator of Dungeons & Dragons
. As a part of that deal, Wizards of the Coast also acquired FRPG, which was rolled into Wizards' New Brand Development & Licensing (NBD&L) group, under the auspices of Vice President Richard Fukutaki. FRPG continued to exist as an organization within Wizards of the Coast through the end of 1998, when it was finally dissolved. During this period, it saw the launch of Legend of the Burning Sands, Doomtown, Dune, the Star Trek Collectible Dice Game, and it completed several more projects that were in transition during its acquisition, including re-launching the Rage Collectible Card Game
under license from White Wolf, Inc.
and redesigned and art-directed by Luke Peterschmidt, as well as overseeing the Commander's Edition of the BattleTech Collectible Card Game licensed from FASA Corporation and developed and art directed by Wizards of the Coast.
By the end of 1998, Ryan had been reassigned to head up the company's role-playing game business, Luke Peterschmidt was brought on staff full time and took over management of many of the games FRPG had produced, and most of the rest of the team had moved on to other opportunities both within and outside of Wizards of the Coast.
Alderac Entertainment Group
Alderac Entertainment Group, or AEG, is a publisher of role-playing game and collectible card game products. AEG was formed by Jolly Blackburn in 1993 and is based in the city of Ontario, California...
and ISOMEDIA.
History
In 1996, Alderac Entertainment GroupAlderac Entertainment Group
Alderac Entertainment Group, or AEG, is a publisher of role-playing game and collectible card game products. AEG was formed by Jolly Blackburn in 1993 and is based in the city of Ontario, California...
(AEG) and ISOMEDIA divested themselves of their joint operating venture, and created Five Rings Publishing Group. Using the joint venture the two companies had co-created the Legend of the Five Rings Collectible Card Game in 1995, and realized that in order to continue to successfully publish the game that a stand-alone company focused on the game-publishing business was the best solution.
FRPG was incorporated in the spring of 1996, and was funded by a pool of investors recruited in the Seattle area by Robert (Bob) Abramowitz, who became the CEO of the new company. John Zinser, CEO of AEG took the additional role of VP of Sales, and Ryan S. Dancey of ISOMEDIA left the company to become the full time VP of Product Development for FRPG. Other initial staff at FRPG included Mindy Sherwood-Lewis, Philip Lewis, Arnold Koppel, Heather Beiderman, Al Skaar, Blake Beasley and Daniel Landers.
FRPG signed a development deal with AEG to allow the AEG team to continue to work on Legend of the Five Rings
Legend of the Five Rings
Legend of the Five Rings is a fictional setting created by the John Wick and published by Alderac Entertainment Group in 1995. The setting primarily involves the fictional country of Rokugan, though some additional areas and cultures have been discussed. Rokugan is based roughly on feudal Japan...
, and licensed the L5R property to AEG for its role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
line.
It also began development work on the Legend of the Burning Sands
Legend of the Burning Sands
Legend of the Burning Sands is a collectible card game published by Five Rings Publishing Group in 1998. It was a spin-off from the earlier CCG Legend of the Five Rings...
, a "sequel" of sorts to the Legend of the Five Rings world, set in a mythical "dark arabia" setting featuring pseudo-Egyptians, pseudo-Mongols, and a melange of 1001 Arabian Nights
The Book of One Thousand and One Nights
One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age...
and The Adventures of Sinbad
The Adventures of Sinbad
The Adventures of Sinbad is a Canadian television series which aired from 1996 to 1998. It follows on the story from the pilot of the same name. It revolves around the series' protagonist, Sinbad. The series is a re-telling of the adventures of Sinbad from The Arabian Nights. Created by Ed Naha, it...
. This work was also contracted to AEG.
FRPG partnered with Last Unicorn Games
Last Unicorn Games
Last Unicorn Games was a games publisher that was eventually absorbed by Wizards of the Coast.Last Unicorn developed the collectible card games Dune and Heresy: Kingdom Come as well as the 2000 role-playing game Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium...
to develop and publish the Dune Collectible Card Game
Dune (card game)
Dune is a collectible card game produced by Last Unicorn Games and Five Rings Publishing Group, and later Wizards of the Coast. Set in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert, the game pits two or more players against each other, each in control of a minor house vying for entry in the...
. Last Unicorn negotiated the license with the Herbert Estate and oversaw the design and art direction of the game.
The company also entered into a complex three-way deal with AEG and Pinnacle Entertainment Group
Great White Games
Pinnacle Entertainment Group is a publisher of role-playing games and wargames that is owned and operated by Shane Lacy Hensley and was founded in 1994. Some time before 2003, the company was renamed Great White Games and in 2005 returned to the original name...
to create Doomtown
Doomtown
Doomtown is a collectible card game, a companion to the Deadlands roleplaying setting.The game sets itself apart from other CCGs by having each card also serve as a playing card and resolving certain in-game situations with a hand of poker, thus accentuating the Old West atmosphere of the game...
: The Deadlands Collectible Card Game. AEG would do the design and art direction based on Pinnacle Entertainment Group's intellectual property, Deadlands
Deadlands
Deadlands is a genre-mixing alternate history roleplaying game which combines the Western and horror genres, with some Steampunk elements. It was written by Shane Lacy Hensley and published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group....
.
In addition to its work on collectible card games, the company also entered into a licensing deal with Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
for the Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
license, and began work on the Star Trek Collectible Dice Game.
Finally, as a part of the deal that created FRPG, ISOMEDIA transferred its ownership of RPG International, its mail order hobby gaming business to FRPG. RPG International sold all manner of hobby gaming products (such as RPGs, collectible card game
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
s, wargames
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
, etc.) to customers all around the globe.
FRPG had a short, but exciting life. In the spring of 1997, FRPG helped to broker the deal that allowed Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
to acquire TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, the creator of Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
. As a part of that deal, Wizards of the Coast also acquired FRPG, which was rolled into Wizards' New Brand Development & Licensing (NBD&L) group, under the auspices of Vice President Richard Fukutaki. FRPG continued to exist as an organization within Wizards of the Coast through the end of 1998, when it was finally dissolved. During this period, it saw the launch of Legend of the Burning Sands, Doomtown, Dune, the Star Trek Collectible Dice Game, and it completed several more projects that were in transition during its acquisition, including re-launching the Rage Collectible Card Game
Rage (card game)
Rage is a collectible card game originally published by White Wolf in 1995 based on the roleplaying game, Werewolf: The Apocalypse. The game is based around packs of werewolves battling each other and various evil monsters while trying to save the world....
under license from White Wolf, Inc.
White Wolf, Inc.
White Wolf Publishing is an American gaming and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant and White Wolf Magazine, and was initially led by Mark Rein·Hagen of the former and Steve and Stewart Wieck of the latter. Since White Wolf Publishing, Inc. merged with...
and redesigned and art-directed by Luke Peterschmidt, as well as overseeing the Commander's Edition of the BattleTech Collectible Card Game licensed from FASA Corporation and developed and art directed by Wizards of the Coast.
By the end of 1998, Ryan had been reassigned to head up the company's role-playing game business, Luke Peterschmidt was brought on staff full time and took over management of many of the games FRPG had produced, and most of the rest of the team had moved on to other opportunities both within and outside of Wizards of the Coast.