Topps & Catalyst Announce Long-Term License Extension

The Topps Company and Catalyst Game Labs are pleased to announce a long-term extension for the Shadowrun and MechWarrior/BattleTech licenses. This deal facilitates Catalyst’s goals of continuing to support and grow the MechWarrior/BattleTech and Shadowrun brands and will see them continue to produce high quality role-playing games and outstanding fiction.

“Everyone involved at Catalyst has a decades-long love affair with these two fantastic universes,” said Randall N. Bills, Managing Developer for Catalyst Game Labs. “To work creatively with hundreds of writers and illustrators around the world, and driving the game and storylines forward remains a dream come true. In this Year of Shadowrun, that dream has reached new heights as we’re working with phenomenal industry veterans from Mike Elliot to Rob Heinsoo to Ross Watson (and a host of others) to bring Shadowrun to gaming tables in all new ways. To see that vision and dedication recognized by Topps through a license extension is incredibly gratifying.”

Catalyst Game Labs continues its full support of BattleTech through numerous, already announced book titles. Additionally, 2013 is The Year of Shadowrun, with Shadowrun Fifth Edition announced, along with Crossfire, an adventure deck-building game, Sprawl Gangers, a table-top miniatures game of gang warfare, and more.

“The folks at Catalyst have a passion and enthusiasm for these brands that is hard to match”, said Adam Levine, Topps’ Licensing Manager. “Our continued association illustrates our commitment to our most important partners as well as our renewed focus on the MechWarrior/BattleTech and Shadowrun brands.”

Catalyst Game Labs offers a variety of online sources for information, from its company website, www.catalystgamelabs.com, to its BattleTech-related websites in www.battletech.com (all things BattleTech-related) and www.bgbattletech.com (the board game), to its Shadowrun-related websites in www.shadowrun.com (all things Shadowrun-related), www.shadowrun4.com (all things Fourth Edition-related) and www.shadowruntabletop.com (all things Fifth Edition-related, as well as Crossfire, Sprawl Gangers and more).

About Catalyst Game Labs
Catalyst Game Labs is dedicated to producing high quality games and fiction that mesh sophisticated game mechanics with dynamic universes-all presented in a form that allows beginning players and long-time veterans to easily jump into our games and fiction readers to enjoy our stories even if they don’t know the games.

Catalyst Game Labs is an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC, which specializes in electronic publishing of professional fiction. This allows Catalyst to participate in a synergy that melds printed gaming material and fiction with all the benefits of electronic interfaces and online communities, creating a whole-package experience for any type of player or reader. Find Catalyst Game Labs online at www.catalystgamelabs.com.

About The Topps Company, Inc.
Founded in 1938, The Topps Company is the preeminent creator and brand marketer of sports cards, entertainment products, and distinctive confectionery. Topps leading sports and entertainment products include Major League Baseball, National Football League, English Premiere League, Bundesliga, Indian Premier League, WWE, UFC, Mars Attacks, Wacky Packages, Garbage Pail Kids and other trading cards, sticker album collections, and collectible games. The Company’s top confectionary brands include “Ring Pop,” “Push Pop,” “Baby Bottle Pop,” “Bazooka” bubble gum, “Sharkies” and “Juicy Drop Pop” products.