I wonder if Hasbro was caught off guard with the success of Heroscape. Designed as a kids game, Heroscape quickly became popular with people of all ages. Its simple game play, innovative map system, and off the wall crazy world pretty much appeals to everyone. Who doesn't want to have Roman Soldiers fighting alongside giant robots? Despite a rule book which measured only 10 pages long, the tactics of Heroscape remained deep. Every squad and hero in the game has numerous powers which means team synergy is the key to total victory. Numerous expansions have been released, adding new characters, terrain, and even a castle. In late 2008, Hasbro transferred control of the game over to Wizards of the Coast. This could be seen a legitimizing the adult fan base of the game. 2010 and beyond will likely see even more releases for this fantastic game.
Wizards of the Coast is another big name in the gaming world. They're probably best known for producing the collectible card game Magic the Gathering, but through acquisitions and and purchases, they now control many other popular brands including Dungeons and Dragons. Their most notable contributions to the miniature war gaming world come in the forms of Star Wars Miniatures and Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures. Star Wars is still being produced as a stand alone game, while the Dungeons and Dragons minis were retooled to make them more “RPG friendly”. In 2009, Hasbro which owns WOTC, transferred control of Heroscape over to WOTC. This change is management has already been seen with the release of a Dungeons and Dragons themed Heroscape Master Set.