DOJ, Inc. announced that it has acquired the assets of Hero Games from Cybergames, Inc.  DOJ is owned by Steven Long, formerly of Decipher, and Darren Watts.  Long will serve as Hero System line developer.  Watts will perform most of the administrative duties for the company, in addition to some writing and editing. The founders, former owners, and former employees of Hero, including Steve Peterson, George MacDonald, Ray Greer, and Bruce Harlick will not be associated with Hero in the future.

 

Hero Games' intellectual property assets include the Hero System of game mechanics, a good, easy-to-learn system.  Hero also published Champions, the first, and some say still the best, superhero roleplaying game. 

 

The first product coming from the revived Hero Games is Hero System 5th Edition, which is planned for April 2002.  It will be a 350-400 page hardcover, containing the complete Hero System rules as 'revised, updated, and improved' by Steve Long, at around $39.95 retail.  Following that will be one to two non-genre-specific sourcebooks, such as a 5th Edition-compatible Hero System Bestiary, or the Ultimate Martial Artist (Revised Edition).  The Champions Genre Book is planned for GenCon 2002 (mid-August).  The fall will see products for the Champions line, 'such as an Enemies book, setting/campaign books, and the like.'