2003 and 2013 TMNT television series and RPG interest

[Tor]

I was sorta hopeful that the revival of the TMNT earlier on might have led to the renewal of the RPG license, but that wasn't the case.

With the new 2013 series generating more interest in TMNT it makes me wonder if it might be possible to renew the license and finally get a 2nd edition of it?

With the multidimensional craze associated with Rifts, I would recommend consulting the 'Turtles Forever' movie (where the Turtles from the Mirage comics, the cartoonish 80s TV series, and the 2003 serious TV series meet) along with revisiting elements within Transdimensional TMNT as a basis.

I think if the RPG license was ever renewed, allowances should be made for playing in ANY of these settings, and using the Forever canon as a basis for treating ALL of the incarnations of the Turtles as real, and simply being alternate dimension versions of each other, as Transdimensional specifies.

[DeadTOm]

I would LOVE to see a new TMNT and Other Strangeness come out of this. I don't see it happening though.

[Pepsi Jedi]

I was sorta hopeful that the revival of the TMNT earlier on might have led to the renewal of the RPG license, but that wasn't the case.

With the new 2013 series generating more interest in TMNT it makes me wonder if it might be possible to renew the license and finally get a 2nd edition of it?

With the multidimensional craze associated with Rifts, I would recommend consulting the 'Turtles Forever' movie (where the Turtles from the Mirage comics, the cartoonish 80s TV series, and the 2003 serious TV series meet) along with revisiting elements within Transdimensional TMNT as a basis.

I think if the RPG license was ever renewed, allowances should be made for playing in ANY of these settings, and using the Forever canon as a basis for treating ALL of the incarnations of the Turtles as real, and simply being alternate dimension versions of each other, as Transdimensional specifies.

I'd love for them to Re-acquire the license, but sadly like some others, TMNT has had a tricky evolution. Palladium let it drop when the License went "Kiddyfied" for a while and sales were down. Since then the IP has made millions if not 100s of millions. Live action movies. 5 or 6 different comics. Multiple toy lines over 30 years. To re-acquire the license now would be very expensive. It would likely also come with a minimum book per year output.

We know about Palladium and schedules. There's a chance that the Robotech license already has one in place (book per year agreement, though with the mini's it might be 'product release per year.' We don't know either way). Taking on another now, with the expense of the TMNT name (held by Nicholodean now? Or Licensed to them at least) would really be hard for Palladium.

I'd love it. Especially if they went from some of the comics and the harder side/aspects of TMNT instead of the "Dur hur, lets fight people with ninja weapons except the worst thing that ever happens is them laying in a pile with little birdies above their head, perhaps drenched in sewer water or pizza" side. I have multiple comics where the turtles were down right LETHAL. Like, shoving fingers into eye sockets and cutting people in half, cutting off heads, type lethal.

Sadly I think, like many other licenses, it'd be too expensive and demand too much from Palladium, as the company stands right now.

I'd looove to have it back. Mutants Down Under was my first RPG ever, TMNT&OS was my First system ever.

Sadly, that time, has passed for Palladium.

I'd be content with some new ATB output. Haven't seen release for that for going on 13 years.

[Grell]

I'd buy a new TMNT edition in a heartbeat. First Palladium title I even played and I was hooked. The new series is very, very good and it could stir up a lot of new interest in Palladium if they could renew the license.

[Tor]

TMNT has had a tricky evolution. Palladium let it drop when the License went "Kiddyfied" for a while and sales were down.

I don't really think it did... the kiddification was more along the lines of what occurred during the early seasons of the late 80s early 90s cartoon series.

By the time Palladium dropped it, that era was pretty much over. That had ended and we were about to get the 2003 series awesomeness that ended up being more faithful to the comics than the 1987 one was.

Do we have to blame that 'Next Mutation' live series where they crossed over with Power Rangers in Sapce for this?

To re-acquire the license now would be very expensive. It would likely also come with a minimum book per year output.

Not opposed to any book minimums but I bet that could be negotiated. Surely a deal could be worked out where whoever owns the license could get a percentage of TMNT sourcebook proceeds instead of a lump license sum?

Taking on another now, with the expense of the TMNT name (held by Nicholodean now? Or Licensed to them at least) would really be hard for Palladium. I have multiple comics where the turtles were down right LETHAL. Like, shoving fingers into eye sockets and cutting people in half, cutting off heads, type lethal.

Maybe we can at least get those rules in an AtB sourcebook?

Also maybe merge another neglected line or two. "Ninja Turtles and Superhero Spies" anyone? It's all SDC, it's all modern earth, so may as well.

[Pepsi Jedi]

TMNT has had a tricky evolution. Palladium let it drop when the License went "Kiddyfied" for a while and sales were down.

I don't really think it did... the kiddification was more along the lines of what occurred during the early seasons of the late 80s early 90s cartoon series.

By the time Palladium dropped it, that era was pretty much over. That had ended and we were about to get the 2003 series awesomeness that ended up being more faithful to the comics than the 1987 one was.

Do we have to blame that 'Next Mutation' live series where they crossed over with Power Rangers in Sapce for this?

That's what Palladium has said, about why the line was dropped. Excessive cost of the license, due to the meteoric rise of the popularity, then the kiddification of the line. We can speculate, but those are reasons they've given. They had already worked on the Revamp of the book. Had to cut out all TMNT and repackage it as ATB. We had adds for "TMNT And More Strangeness" for a while and some art done for it. You can find it in one of the rifters.

To re-acquire the license now would be very expensive. It would likely also come with a minimum book per year output.

Not opposed to any book minimums

I'm not either, but I'm not the one making the books. Palladium has the Robotech License. As best we can tell (and it is just an educated guess) They have the agreement to produce one Robotech title, per year.

If they get the TMNT license, they aren't going to just give you the license if you don't promote and produce for it. That'd be two licensed products per year.

Now... pause a moment and realize it's the middle of the 8th month, and this year we've gotten... -one- book. We're about to get another in the upcoming months. With 3 books a possibility. The Robotech mini's thing is very likely filling that one robotech title this year. But at present, we've gotten one book, we're roughly expecting one more book maaaaaybe two if they really work at it. And one mini release.

Now think about the pressure a TMNT requirement would add to them. Fully half their book out put for this year would have had to be Licensed material.

That's why it's a negative. Not that I wouldn't want one. Give me 12 TMNT rpg's a year and I'll buy two copies of each.

It's that Palladium has trouble hitting deadlines and production is slow recently.

but I bet that could be negotiated. Surely a deal could be worked out where whoever owns the license could get a percentage of TMNT sourcebook proceeds instead of a lump license sum?

Hard to say. TMNT is still a highly producing license. The figures are selling out in stores and the Cartoon is pretty popular. You don't bend them over a barrel. It'd be like trying to put demands to Disney over Star Wars. You don't make the rules. They do. lol

Taking on another now, with the expense of the TMNT name (held by Nicholodean now? Or Licensed to them at least) would really be hard for Palladium. I have multiple comics where the turtles were down right LETHAL. Like, shoving fingers into eye sockets and cutting people in half, cutting off heads, type lethal.

Maybe we can at least get those rules in an AtB sourcebook?

I'd loooooove an AtB sourcebook, but it's been what.. 14 years? I'm not holding my breath at this point in time.

Also maybe merge another neglected line or two. "Ninja Turtles and Superhero Spies" anyone? It's all SDC, it's all modern earth, so may as well.

Ninja's and Superspies is already built to be used by Heroes Unlimited and AtB. You just roll the martial arts into/on your mutants. It was very very early in the game that we replaced the Ninjutsu from TMNT with N&SS. Or offered other awesome martial arts.

[Tor]

N&SS is eventually going to need a new edition, but we probably won't get it, so we may as well incorporate that into HU3. Just so long as we get chi. Palladium seems to love reprinting ISP/PPE stuff every book so may as well do that as well.

[Pepsi Jedi]

I've always seen N&SS, HU and TMNT as sharing the same world anyway. Just three different books for the same 'world'. Now TMNT is gone so you have ATB, but you can use all the mutants from there in HU/N&SS, just replace the education tables.

N&SS technically has two books already. I don't see it getting another. ATB hasn't gotten a book in almost 13 years.

We really could use a new version of HU that ties things together, but sadly the recent trend at palladium is attempted division, for the purpose of licensing and what not.

That and there's over 20 books 'in the pipe' already and none of them are a new version of HU. There's a couple of supplements hinted at but nothing firm.

[Stone Gargoyle]

The ownership of Mirage studios has changed since the old books were published, I believe, so it really depends on who even owns the rights. They are supposed to be making a big budget Turtles movie now, so the license is a hot commodity. I hardly see Palladium getting any piece of the action where it is concerned. They really dropped the ball on this one and it does not appear they will be getting it back. It would make more sense for them to give the rights to a new company that could devote all their time to it than to give it back to a company that cannot meet its deadlines.