Editing Topps (section)

===Games===
The Topps Pokémon cards were purely for entertainment, pleasure and collecting, but a new niche of [[collectible card game]]s was also developing during this period (a [[Pokémon trading card game]] was produced simultaneously by [[Wizards of the Coast]]). Topps made its first foray into the world of games in July 2003 by acquiring the game company [[WizKids]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Topps Acquires WizKids |url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/2950.html |work=icv2.com |publisher=ICV2 |date=June 23, 2003 |access-date=August 12, 2009}}</ref> for $29.4 million in cash, thus acquiring ownership of the rights to the well-known gaming universes of ''[[BattleTech]]'' and ''[[Shadowrun]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Topps Reveals WizKids' Price |url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/2956.html |work=icv2.com |publisher=ICV2 |date=June 23, 2003 |access-date=August 12, 2009}}</ref> By inventing yet another niche, the [[constructible strategy game]] ''[[Pirates of the Spanish Main]]'', this unit managed to reach profitability.  Topps shut down Wizkids operation in November 2008 due to the economic downturn.<ref>{{cite web |title=Topps Shuts Down WizKids |url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/13701.html |work=icv2.com |publisher=ICV2 |date=November 10, 2008 |access-date=August 12, 2009}}</ref> The brand was acquired by [[National Entertainment Collectibles Association|NECA]] in September 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.necaonline.com/article/detail/278 |title=NECA Acquires WizKids Assets from Topps |access-date=September 22, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922214350/http://www.necaonline.com/article/detail/278 |archive-date=September 22, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>