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http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/mtv-geek-reports-rumor-that-disney-is-in-talks-to-acquire-hasbro/26155/

MTV Geek wrote: Well, we have it on good authority that serious discussions are happening at the highest levels of both Disney and Hasbro to fold the largest toy and game company on the planet into the Mouse.

MTV Geek wrote:The acquisition would give Disney the rights to Transformers, G.I. Joe, Dungeons and Dragons, Beyblade, Battleship, Nerf, and Magic: The Gathering among several dozen other game titles and IP. When you add Marvel and Star Wars to that list it’s a pretty comprehensive lock on boy’s entertainment; a far cry from a few years back when Disney was heavily criticized for losing its grip on boys.

Nopenopenope

holy crap.

Disney is going to own the world!

Talk about max profits, owning Starwars and making the toys. Damn.

If this happens, I wonder what will become of D n D and Magic? Keep them? Sell them off eventually.

I hope this means we can get a new animated GI Joe movie.

Screw that, what abour the PONIES!!!!

Why am I not surprised hotsauce...

and they will indeed own the world. Next up for them to buy after Hasbro is GW....

This... worries me. Disney likes to play fast & loose when it comes to unleashing the lawyers with respect to protecting their IP.

Listen, it was going to come from someone eventually, why not me?
But I all honesty, i have a complicated relationship with disney, while i love their parks, there movies are very crud, with too many stereotypes and tropes.
Now I'm parroting my old sociology prof on this, I'm not sure i believe it, but he hated disney for there owning and trvilizing culture. Something like they did the Mardi Gras parade they did after Katrina.

 Piston Honda wrote:
If this happens, I wonder what will become of D n D and Magic? Keep them? Sell them off eventually.

Nothing most likely. Hasbro has been smart enough to let WotC run Magic without interference and just collect a nice profit, and I can't imagine Disney would do anything stupid to change that policy when the game is amazingly successful as it is. Until/unless MTG starts failing to the point that significant changes are necessary the only difference is going to be an additional logo on the package.

 azazel the cat wrote:
This... worries me. Disney likes to play fast & loose when it comes to unleashing the lawyers with respect to protecting their IP.

Yeah, this would be my biggest concern. So far WotC has been pretty generous with MTG/D&D and allowed IP "violations" to keep going as long as nobody does anything stupid and tries to make a business out of it. It's also my biggest concern with Star Wars, will we continue to see fanfilms and similar community projects? Will there still be player-made D&D adventures easily available? Etc.

Dang, Disneys just gotta have their hands in every pot don't they.

At least they seem content to just have their hand in the pot without stirring it.

 Peregrine wrote:

 Piston Honda wrote:
If this happens, I wonder what will become of D n D and Magic? Keep them? Sell them off eventually.

Nothing most likely. Hasbro has been smart enough to let WotC run Magic without interference and just collect a nice profit, and I can't imagine Disney would do anything stupid to change that policy when the game is amazingly successful as it is. Until/unless MTG starts failing to the point that significant changes are necessary the only difference is going to be an additional logo on the package.

 azazel the cat wrote:
This... worries me. Disney likes to play fast & loose when it comes to unleashing the lawyers with respect to protecting their IP.

Yeah, this would be my biggest concern. So far WotC has been pretty generous with MTG/D&D and allowed IP "violations" to keep going as long as nobody does anything stupid and tries to make a business out of it. It's also my biggest concern with Star Wars, will we continue to see fanfilms and similar community projects? Will there still be player-made D&D adventures easily available? Etc.

Considering Playermade are such a big thing for DND, and most RPGS, I would be shocked if they did that.

 azazel the cat wrote:
This... worries me. Disney likes to play fast & loose when it comes to unleashing the lawyers with respect to protecting their IP.

Yep. There's already been a "What about our beloved 3rd party products?!" mini-panic.

Imagine GW IP strategies with D&D...

 d-usa wrote:
Imagine GW IP strategies with D&D...

If Disney DOES get Hasbro and DOES go with the "GW tactic" in regards to 'protecting' the IP of D&D, I think it'd seriously kill the game, and I can see that having an impact on the gaming industry as a whole.

Although, I think that claiming IP on a "wood elf ranger with bow" is a very hard bit of ground to stand on, I guess we'd just have to wait and see.

They own IP on a mouse and round circles with two smaller round circles.

Disney has an IP track record that would make GW jealous, lets hope they keep it our of Hasbro if they get it.

Waiting for MTG cards of Disney characters.

 d-usa wrote:
They own IP on a mouse and round circles with two smaller round circles.

TBH that's a pretty justified trademark. It's a distinctive design (in that context) and well known as the Disney logo and anyone attempting to sell products with it is clearly trying to take advantage of Disney's reputation to fool people into buying it.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:
Although, I think that claiming IP on a "wood elf ranger with bow" is a very hard bit of ground to stand on, I guess we'd just have to wait and see.

Yeah, but those third-party products depend on being able to use D&D rules, D&D names, "an adventure for D&D 4th edition", etc. You can't claim copyright on a concept as generic as "wood elf ranger with bow" that appears all over fantasy settings, but you can definitely enforce IP rules that would kill third-party development for D&D as we know it.

 Peregrine wrote:

Yeah, but those third-party products depend on being able to use D&D rules, D&D names, "an adventure for D&D 4th edition", etc. You can't claim copyright on a concept as generic as "wood elf ranger with bow" that appears all over fantasy settings, but you can definitely enforce IP rules that would kill third-party development for D&D as we know it.

I'd imagine, in this sense, that these 3rd party developers will either take their stuff elsewhere (to reaper, Pathfinder, etc.) or they develop their own IP to run off of (like reaper, and Pathfinder, etc.)

I wonder if disney would give ffg the middle finger and bring back the starwars miniatures game.

 Piston Honda wrote:
I wonder if disney would give ffg the middle finger and bring back the starwars miniatures game.

Hehe, in a move of pure evil genius, they sign the IP rights to GW to produce the rules and miniatures for the new SW game

I could see GW corporate doing that. They'd make a killing.

This is terrifying, Disney's conquering the earth via entertainment markets.

Indeed,

Those corporate entities that are supposedly controlling the world? Yeah, its Disney. Nobody else really.


They don't even need to have a lobby group to control world events. They are simply brainwashing our children.

Who needs to rule the world when you can let other people do the work while you just lay back and enjoy the show.

Just think about looking at your Transformers, your D&D books, your magic cards...

Hidden Mickeys, hidden Mickeys everywhere...

 d-usa wrote:
Just think about looking at your Transformers, your D&D books, your magic cards...

Hidden Mickeys, hidden Mickeys everywhere...

Dude... I took my kidz to Disney World earlier this year...

Hidden Mickeys are awesome!

There is already a Mickey Mouse Optimus Prime and Donald Duck Transformer.

Fortunately they were one-offs and exclusive to Japan, which at least balanced it with a load of other, much better exclusives.

That mouse is never getting its grasping claws on Megatron and co. If it does, expect self immolation worldwide.

Also, here's a funny idea: Neon Genesis Evangelion as done by Disney.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Indeed,

Those corporate entities that are supposedly controlling the world? Yeah, its Disney. Nobody else really.


They don't even need to have a lobby group to control world events. They are simply brainwashing our children.

Who needs to rule the world when you can let other people do the work while you just lay back and enjoy the show.

Not to mention Disney also owns several huge news organizations too...CNN or MSNBC I think

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Screw that, what abour the PONIES!!!!

They are tasty with hot sauce.

I wonder how this will affect D&D 3E licenses (Pathfinder)? That's my only concern.

Yeah, With the open gaming licenses, can they reverse that?

I thought Disney owned ABC not NBC?

But, doesn't Apple own Disney? or something like that?