Last I heard, he had bought back the rights from MicroSoft. He started another new company, Smith & Tinker, for this and another project that was online and in stores last year (Nanovor).

Since NECA doesn't own the MW license, I don't see how rumors of a new mini's game can have any credibility.

NECA owns MK though, right?... What's it look like for Heroclix, btw; are they doing well, cuz that would be another good sign for MageKnight

Reading the buyout press release, there's no mention of MW. That either means JayDub's S&T has sole ownership of the whole hill of beans, or that Topps retained the rights for the mini's. If NECA had it, they would have said so.

As far as HeroClix:
And they just revealed details on the new Green Lantern-themed starter yesterday.

If we can use that as a gauge, I'd say MK has a pretty good shot.

That is AWESOME... two, maybe even one more solid release of HC and we might have our MageKnight back!!!!!

Based on the images posted of the NECA-created figs for HC, any new NK figs would ROCK!!! From that aspect at least, MK seems to be in good hands...

From what I understand, Jordan has NEVER sold the rights to MW. Even after selling WK to Topps, MW was still HIS property, with Topps simply being "leased" to use it until the game was scrapped.

Jordan's son explained to me all the technical & legal details of it, but I only understood half of it. What I did get out of it is that Jordan has never sold the rights to MW, will never sell them, and any MW properties out there are simply leased out for a certain period of time or for a particular product (videogame, computer game, whatever).

Truth be told, I don't think many of the sculpts for HoT were done by NECA's people. I did read somewhere that the new WK signed on one of the more famous HC sculptors for more freelance work, and though his name escapes me, you'd know him as one of the major talents on those figures. I bet he could work the same magic with MK.

That said, ever since I heard about the buyout I have been drooling over the prospect of seeing the work of NECA's head sculptor in miniature form. If you've never heard of Tankman, do yourself a favor and Google him. Dude has been in the biz for a while, but has made a pretty big name for himself. He got his start doing bronze statues, an art who's afficianados demand intense attention to detail and correct likenesses. Before NECA, he helped McFarlane Toys set a whole new bar for action figures. I used to have some contact with him years ago (just as a fan), but I only find one forum where it's provably him using the name, and his posts are very few and far between. I couldn't get him to bite on any queries about possible involvement with the new gaming venture - he just keeps saying how he'd love for them to put out a large scale Terminator fig.

If there was every a dream team to develope a new Mage Knight, it would be Kevin Goddard and Kyle 'Tankman' Windrix working in the same office with a sworn army of playtesters.

Sorry for going OT...

Thanks for the update. I'm getting more and more optomistic every day.

Also:
Don't even worry about it, I think we're all so full of pent up anticipation that none of us can really keep on topic.

From the Wizkids/NECA site (emphasis mine):

So you are correct Imbalance - HoT was mainly Topps' completed sculpts, and the BK starter is the 1st all-NECA sculpts...

Hehe, sorry to be a bit of a cynic, but the sculpts will still have to compete with established wargames that have had very high production values for years (not just WH).

Also, the old figures lost a lot of detail during the painting process. So until who-ever it is finds a way to economically make the minis without employing the traditional stable of Chinese factory wage-slaves, the quality is likely to remain about the same. :P

That said, I'd be happy with any improvement in quality.

I disagree Fram. For the most part, I found the 2.0 figures to be a clear improvement over the 1.0 figures.

I agree, o fearless leader...


Although there were many 1.0 figs that I thought were really well done, 2.0 raised the bar line-wide in terms of quality of sculpt & paint job. MK 3.0 would just be another step in improving over that...


I do agree that something does need to be done as far as the 'sweat shop' paint route is concerned...

Well, I was oversimplifying. I'd agree that there was definite improvement over the life of MK, from 1.0 to 2.0.

Though it's worth pointing out that part of the reason the sculpts got better was because they actually increased in average size (from 25 mm to roughly 35 mm) from 1.0 to 2.0.

Speaking of size, anyone remember the old 'alpha' skeleton that used old RP molds? I came across one recently and that thing is so out of scale with everything 1.0 that its just ridiculous...

Hahaha oh yeah.

On my want lists, I always want more * skeletons, but I refuse to take any of those awful 1.0 ones. Unlimited only!