WizKids Sues Wizards of the Coast

Why can't gaming companies play nice? Last week, Wizards of the Coast announced that they were patenting the "constructable strategy game" concept—you know, pretty much what WizKids has been doing with their Pirates constructable strategy game for a few years now. Turns out WizKids didn't like that too much and has filed suit against Wizards to prevent them from trying to enforce their spurious new patent.

Largely, for all the bluster, these things don't seem to come to much. Wizards technically owns the patent on collectable card games, patented when Magic: The Gathering first released, but that's largely gone unenforced as seen by the sheer number of CCGs on the market. According to icv2 new, however:

Wizards reportedly contacted WizKids in 2004 giving notice that it had applied for the patent for a punch-out constructible game and suggesting strongly that, when and if the patent were granted, WotC would take action against WizKids unless the latter would refrain from producing, marketing and selling its Pirates CSG.

What ever happened to WotC being a nice, friendly company, with game stores that had LANs, lots of happy pokemon, and who bailed out ailing RPG companies to create awesome new editions of venerable franchises? Now they just seem like bullies. Though I'm not super keen on the idea of CSGs, WizKids's Pirates game is neat and their new Star Wars game is a lot cooler than WotC's. And, best of all, when I buy from WizKids I feel like I'm buying from a company that cares about their games... but that's just my opinion. I know the gaming public is quick to get attached and attribute personal motivations to business decisions, but I can't help but feel that this might not be the way to the peoples' hearts.

[via icv2]