
Asmodee Acquires Lookout Games and Mayfair Games - mudil
https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/73620/asmodee-acquires-lookout-games-and-mayfair-games
======
wink
As a German somewhat familiar with German board game companies these two
articles (polygon and board game geek) were really confusing because they
focus on some stuff that happened only in the last years and it's mostly about
games I didn't in any way associate with the name Mayfair I had neevr heard
of.

So if I got this half way correctly, the actual news is that really "Mayfair
Games" (which is only a publisher, not a creator?) is shutting down, but the
articles solely focus on licensed board games that originated somewhere else.

Timeline according to wikipedia:

1981 Mayfair Games founded

1995 Franck-Kosmos publishes Settlers of Catan in Europe

1996 Mayfair Games publishes Settlers of Catan in NA

1997 Mayfair Games shuts down

1997 new company: Ironwind, Inc

2001 succeeded by Mayfair Games, Inc (again)

2013 Mayfair Games publishes the games by Lookout Games in NA

2018 Mayfair Games(Inc?) is bought by Asmodee (French company, or maybe their
NA branch?)

[0]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayfair_Games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayfair_Games)

[1]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asmod%C3%A9e_%C3%89ditions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asmod%C3%A9e_%C3%89ditions)

[2]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lookout_Games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lookout_Games)

~~~
cpitman
The article is also about Asmodee purchasing Lookout Games. They bypassed
purchasing Mayfair, which was publishing games created by Lookout Game's
oversees, and purchased Lookout instead.

~~~
wink
Yes, but in an article lamenting the downfall of a 35 year old business entity
I'd expect a little more than "oh btw it was resold several times and let's
talk about the recent stuff they really didn't invent themselves".

More harping on the original polygon article. :P

------
fencepost
Board Game Today also has more information:
[https://boardgametoday.com/months-speculation-mayfair-
games-...](https://boardgametoday.com/months-speculation-mayfair-games-assets-
acquired-asmodee-north-america/)

Official "shutting down" notice on the Mayfair Games Facebook page:
[https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1015588883974585...](https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155888839745853&id=116555530852&__tn__=%2As%2As-R)

------
everdev
As a kid I used to love board games. It made for fun, engaging family time.
Now, we have a closet full of board games but they rarely get used. On demand
digital entertainment and gaming has taken over.

~~~
mintplant
To each their own. My friend group and I, we play board games together
multiple times a week.

~~~
always_good
So do my roommates and I.

I didn't appreciate board games with the family until I was much older though.

------
lemiffe
Why did they shut down?

~~~
lmm
When all the games Mayfair are publishing are made by Lookout, having them as
two separate names doesn't make a lot of sense, especially in today's globally
connected world where you don't want your games being under a different name
in Germany and the US. Mayfair made their name republishing a German game, and
maybe that's a business that no longer makes sense as a separate proposition.

~~~
cpitman
I'm surprised they don't purchase it just for the brand. As an American board
gamer, I instantly notice games that have the Mayfair logo and expect them to
be the type of games I like.

------
ddebernardy
Can anyone change the url? Boardgame Geek has a much meatier article with
actual details:

[https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/73620/asmodee-acquires-
lo...](https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/73620/asmodee-acquires-lookout-
games-and-mayfair-games)

~~~
dang
Ok, we changed to that from
[https://www.polygon.com/2018/2/9/16996882/mayfair-games-
look...](https://www.polygon.com/2018/2/9/16996882/mayfair-games-lookout-
games-acquired-by-asmodee-north-america-catan). Thanks!

