** Matrix to Publish Talonsoft Games **

[Warfare1]

Just found this out over at Wargamer.com.

Great news

In part here is what it says:

"Matrix Games has today confirmed rumors that they have signed on the dotted line to publish the former award winning Talonsoft line of wargames. Other than standard publishing practices that accompany deals such as this, the Matrix/Talonsoft agreement also grants Matrix the right to update and modifty some of Talonsoft's work. Specifically, the titles included in this agreement are the full Battleground series of games, the Campaign series, the Operational Art of War series, the Battle of Britain and Bombing the Reich games and even games like Age of Sail."

More here:

http://www.wargamer.com/news/news.asp?nid=2664

[SurrenderMonkey]

This is absolutely fantastic! Well done, fellas. The Campaign Series lives again! Excellent.

[jvgfanatic]

Good to hear this. Take 2's edition of OPART comes on a home-burned disc with a home printed, low-resolution label. Not that this matters to me because I always go with the download route given a choice but I'm sure Matrix will do OPART good. We really don't need a "lot" of plush with that game but it does deserve a good publisher.

[Hertston]

This is excellent news !! [:)] Any chance of getting rid of the bugs still in East Front 2 and Decisive Ground? [;)]

[HobbesACW]

It would be great if they could turn Decisive Ground into the game it should have been.

[Trigger Happy]

WOW!!!

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: hobbes

It would be great if they could turn Decisive Ground into the game it should have been.

Indeed.

That's the one worry I have about this project, that stuff gets re-released with the same things that were wrong with first time around. There are certain titles that really do need some surgery, first.

BTW, a question for the Matrix chappies. If further patches etc are released, will they be backwards compatible with the initial releases? I'd certainly like to see patches and improvements, but not to the extent of having to buy the same games twice.

[*Lava*]

Hi!

You all want 60 bucks?

Re-release TOAW with every unit type and weapon known to man (and some sci-fi stuff thrown in for good measure).

Ray (alias Lava)

[Warfare1]

Here is some more information:

Specifically, "Matrix Games has now acquired the rights to most of Talonsoft’s original titles. We plan on selling them as bundle packs with some long waited improvements. Some of these improvements and enhancements will be at the source code level. Here is the list of Talonsoft titles we’ve acquired:

* Gary Grigsby’s Battle of Britain
* Gary Grigsby’s 12 O’Clock High: Bombing the Reich
* Age of Sail
* Battleground 1 – Bulge-Ardennes
* Battleground 2 – Gettysburg
* Battleground 3 – Waterloo
* Battleground 4 – Shiloh
* Battleground 5 – Antietam
* Battleground 6 – Napoleon in Russia
* Battleground 7 – Bull Run
* Battleground 8 – Prelude to Waterloo
* Battleground 9 – Chickamauga
* Campaigns Series: East Front
* Campaigns Series: East Front II
* Campaigns Series: East Front II: Fall of the Reich
* Campaigns Series: West Front
* Campaigns Series: West Front: Battle Pack
* Campaigns Series: West Front: Sea Lion
* Campaigns Series: Rising Sun
* Campaigns Series: Rising Sun: Imperial Strike
* Campaigns Series: Divided Ground: Middle East Conflict
* Operational Art of War Vol. 1
* Operational Art of War II: Modern Battles 1956 – 2000
* Operational Art of War: Century of Warfare
* Operational Art of War Vol. 2: Flashpoint Kosovo
* Operational Art of War: Clash of Eagles"

Also this:

"David: We do not plan to remove any scenarios which shipped originally with the games, although we may look at getting updated versions of some of them. I have already talked with both Daniel McBride and Brian King on adding and/or making changes to scenarios found in the TOAW series. We have talked to Wild Bill Wilder, requesting him to design some new scenarios for both TOAW and the Campaign Series. We are also currently talking with members of the community to make sure we get them involved in what we are doing. I would like to make an open call, if you are a long time fan/scenario designer of any of these games and think you have something to offer please contact us over at Matrix Games."

A lot more info is available here:

http://www.strategyzoneonline.com/artic ... e=1&cat=52

[Greyshaft]

Wonder how they'll figure the priority of these projects? I'd vote for BOB/BTR as the first cab off the rank.

Guess they'll probably try to run a few concurrently

[David Heath]

Hi Hertston

We plan on releasing minor upgrades at first then work on some big items. Anyone that buys one of our Talonsoft-Matrix products will get free updates. The updates will not be useful with the older releases.

For Matrix and the developers to keep working on these products it must be profitable for us to do so.

David Heath
Matrix Games

[Goblin]

Out-freaking-standing!!!!

The Battleground series was awesome, especially Gettysburg! You've got at least one sale coming from me, David!



Goblin

[sztartur2]

This is Wonderful!!!

I am a big fan of TOAW and I know I am not alone! Well done!

Now, when will there be anything published?

Artur.

[hogg]

ORIGINAL: Goblin

Out-freaking-standing!!!!

The Battleground series was awesome, especially Gettysburg! You've got at least one sale coming from me, David!



Goblin

Oh, typical American bias.


VIVE L'EMPEREUR!!!

[:D]

[Goblin]

Prelude to Waterloo was excellent also. I did not get a chance to play Waterloo yet![:(] Now maybe I will![:)]

Goblin

[hogg]

Waterloo was, for my liking, just two damned big!

Prelude was much better!

Not often you get to play the Dutch!!!

[8D]

[wodin]

Well done Matrix.

This is such great news for the wargamig community. Especially if you update the games.

[Zap]

Very goooood!!!! SIGN ME UP TO PURCHASE THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GAMES. AND OTHERS AS WELL, DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE TALONSOFT TITLES. NOW WILL BE MY CHANCE TO OWN THE IMPROVED AND REVISED FROM MATRIX.

[KG Erwin]

If this includes The Battleground Civil War series (Gettysburg, Antietam, Shiloh, Bull Run, Chickamauga) then I'm hot for them ALL. I still have several of the original series (plus mods) installed on my HD. So, will John Tiller be dropping in, or is future design being completely taken over by in-house designers?

General commentary: it seems that Matrix is steadily acquiring the rights to many of my favorite games (with a few notable exceptions). This latest development exceeds my wildest dreams, because Talonsoft had a fantastic series of games, but let them wither on the vine. Whether this was due to shortsightedness or letting the bean-counters dictate policy is now moot. Thank you, David, for seizing the moment and making them an offer they couldn't refuse. [:D][&o]

[Zap]

Yes, Tiller will be invoved, according to Matrix.