Game designer James M. (Jim) Ward, who passed away last month (see “R.I.P. James M. Ward“), sold the intellectual property rights to games he designed, including Metamorphosis Alpha, in a transaction completed before his death. The news was announced by Christopher Clark of Inner City Games, who represented Para Bellum Consulting, the purchaser.
Among the properties included in the transaction were the core rulebook and all derivative works of Ward-designed Metamorphosis Alpha, the first science fiction roleplaying game, including The Starship Warden, Dark Outpost, and Dark Visitor, along with James M. Ward’s Tower of the Scarlet Wizard and James M. Ward’s Monty Haul Dungeon Series (including Monty Haul’s Lesser Tower of Doom and Monty Haul’s Heavenly Haul).
Para Bellum Consulting plans Kickstarter projects for previously unpublished Ward games and the release of new editions of previously published works. Current licensees of Ward designs were urged to contact Clark.
Clark and the Ward family will work together in the coming weeks “to identify the breadth of Jim’s footprint in the hobby gaming industry,” Clark said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “Para Bellum Consulting and the Ward Family look forward to their continuing cooperative relationship keeping the legacy of James M. Ward alive.”
Clark referred questions about Para Bellum Consulting to the company, which did not respond in time for this article. He did confirm, however, that Para Bellum Consulting is not related to the publisher of miniatures game Conquest, also named Para Bellum.
Source: ICv2
