Crash Override reports the following grim (and inevitable?) news from FRPG:

Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 19:24:53 EST
From: JasoMac@aol.com
To: rageinfo@frpg.com
Subject: The Nail in the Coffin

I was rather surprised last week to get a package in the mail from FRPG, I
opened it up and to my surprise it was my Silver Pack information. I had
written it off since I was supposed to hear back about it last August but I
thought better late than never. At least now I could get something for doing
some demos. Today I received another letter from Five Rings. It explained
that, as of March 1st, they will be dropping the Rage demo program, along
with that of several other games, leaving only L5R and LBS. In short, they
are eliminating the Silver Pack. I'm not sure what else can be done. If there
are Rage events at GenCon I'll be there but otherwise I have other things to
do with my time.

Crash Override (Jason MacConnell)
Glass Walker Ahroun

Matt Farney replys with the following perspective:

Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 23:17:34 -0500
From: "Matt Farney" (farneymp@erinet.com)
To: rageinfo@frpg.com
Subject: Re: The Nail in the Coffin

>time for me to give up hope one FRPG ever coming out
>with more Rage...

I could be wrong, but I think Ed said there was a new Classic Games Brand
Manager starting after the holidays.  That would be good for Rage. =)

I can see them stopping support for a game that is not being actively
produced.  Demo programs are basically paid advertisements for the product.
No product = no advertisements.  I'm still doing my best to make sure things
go off like last year at GenCon & Origins.

-Matt

Farneymp@erinet.com  |  Official Rage Rules Guru
Togashi Mattsu, Enlightening Monk | Sees-Through-Lies, Children of Gaia
Ragabash
Visit the Official Rage Rulings Archive at
www.erinet.com/farneymp/rulings.html

And our one-time Silver Pack Liason, Dances With Shadows, weighs in:

Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 14:18:35 -0600
From: Rook 
To: rageinfo@frpg.com
Subject: Re: The Nail in the Coffin

At 07:24 PM 12/28/99 EST, you wrote:

>Today I received another letter from Five Rings. It explained
>that, as of March 1st, they will be dropping the Rage demo program, along
>with that of several other games, leaving only L5R and LBS. In short, they
>are eliminating the Silver Pack. I'm not sure what else can be done. If
there
>are Rage events at GenCon I'll be there but otherwise I have other things to
>do with my time.

Well, this really comes as no surprise.  I am surprised that they are
keeping LBS in the works, but the again, it is a L5R derrivitive.  I have
nothing negative to add to this, as it speaks for itself.  Sad.  Well,
thanks FRPG for at least giving Rage half a shot, but no thanks for leaving
it at that.  At least we got what we did.  To Matt:  Kudos and congrats on
the Rage stuff in Top Deck along with your other work.  It was an honor to
meet you and your Sept last summer.  To Ed (if still on this list): Thanks
for everyhting you have done for Rage and for me personally.  To the new
classic games brand manager:  How will this affect the tentative outlay of
a "classic" expansion for Rage?  Is that now also lost to us?

To those with an interest, I will be involved in another large (hopefully)
tournament in the spring of next year much like the Klaive Tourney that was
held here in TN last summer.  This will be held in conjunciton with a
mini-con of sorts organized by our own Fenris Lorsrai.  Details from her/me
in the weeks to come.  RALV tournies will be held, and perhaps even WWRage.

Take care all, I still lurk around the edges of our Nation's bawn.
Dances With Shadows
Child of Coyote
Stones River Sept
"One Sept, One nation"