Editing FASA (section)

==Current status and intellectual property==
FASA unexpectedly ceased active operations on April 30, 2001,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/mechcommander2/news.html?sid=2679199 |title=FASA shuts down |last=Walker |first=Trey |date=January 26, 2001 |website=[[GameSpot]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525150938/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/mechcommander2/news.html?sid=2679199 |archive-date=May 25, 2011 |access-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref> but still exists as a corporation holding [[intellectual property]] rights, which it licenses to other publishers. Contrary to popular belief, the company did not go bankrupt. Allegedly, the owners decided to quit while the company was still financially sound in a market they perceived as going downhill. Mort Weisman had been talking of retirement for some years, and his confidence in the future of the paper-based games business was low. He considered the intellectual property of FASA to be of high value, but did not wish to continue working as he had been for the last decade or more. Unwilling to wrestle with the complexities of dividing up the going concern, the owners issued a press release on January 25, 2001, announcing the immediate closure of the business.

The ''[[BattleTech]]'' and ''[[Shadowrun]]'' properties were sold to [[WizKids]], who in turn licensed their publication to [[Fantasy Productions|FanPro LLC]] and then to [[Catalyst Game Labs]]. The ''[[Earthdawn]]'' license was sold to [[WizKids]], and then back to FASA. Living Room Games published ''[[Earthdawn]]'' (Second Edition), [[RedBrick Limited|RedBrick]] published ''[[Earthdawn]]'' (Classic and Third Editions), but the license has now returned to FASA Corporation, and FASA Games, Inc. is the current license holder for new material. ''[[Crimson Skies]]'' was originally developed by [[Zipper Interactive]] under the FASA Interactive brand in late 2000 and used under license by FASA; [[FASA Interactive]] had been purchased by Microsoft, so rights to ''Crimson Skies'' stayed with Microsoft. Rights to the [[miniature figure (gaming)|miniature]]s game ''[[VOR: The Maelstrom]]'' reverted to the designer Mike "Skuzzy" Nielsen, but it has not been republished in any form due partly to legal difficulties. Microsoft officially closed the FASA team in the company's gaming division on September 12, 2007.

On December 6, 2007, FASA founder [[Jordan Weisman]] announced that his new venture, [[Smith & Tinker]], had licensed the electronic gaming rights to ''[[MechWarrior (role-playing game)|MechWarrior]]'', ''[[Shadowrun]]'', and ''[[Crimson Skies]]'' from Microsoft.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/50247/fasa-founder-regains-rights-to |title=FASA Founder Regains Rights to MechWarrior, Shadowrun, Crimson Skies from Microsoft |last=Bergfeld |first=Carlos |date=December 6, 2007 |website=[[Shacknews]] |publisher=Gamerhub Content Network |access-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref>

On April 28, 2008, Mike "Skuzzy" Nielsen announced plans to create ''[[VOR: The Maelstrom|Vor]] 2.0''.

At Gen Con 2012, FASA Games, Inc. was revealed, which includes FASA Corporation co-founder Ross Babcock on the board of directors. While FASA Corporation still owns and manages the FASA IP and brands, FASA Games, Inc would release new games and content. As of 2020, FASA Games has released contents for 2 games; a 4th edition for Earthdawn and the new game 1879 which aims to replace and/or create an alternate future '6th Age' in 'replacement' to Shadowrun.