HistWar: Boney Retreats From Battlefront

News by Tim Stone Contributor

Published on Nov. 8, 2009

Not a good week for Combat Mission creators Battlefront. After waiting donkey's years for Jean-Michel Mathé to finish his ground-breaking Napoleonic 'First-Person Commander' wargame HistWar: Les Grognards, the scamp has jumped ship at the eleventh hour and decided to self-publish. Battlefront are sticking doggedly to a 'we cancelled because of repeated delays' line, but the simmering annoyance radiating from their statements suggests subtler shenanigans.

I could puddle the mud with my own ill-informed speculation but, to be honest, you might as well choose your own explanation:

Battlefront Version A - After four years of missed milestones, patient publicity, and sensitive shepherding, Battlefront finally snap, walking away in disgust despite JMM's assurances that HistWar will be done by Christmas.
Battlefront Version B - After four years of missed milestones, patient publicity, and sensitive shepherding Battlefront finally snap, walking away in disgust after JMM refuses to confirm HistWar will be complete by Christmas.
JMM Version A - With the finish-line in sight, JMM goes back to Battlefront and attempts to renegotiate the original five-year-old deal. Talks founder over the thorny issue of moulah.
JMM Version B - With the finish-line in sight, JMM goes back to Battlefront and attempts to renegotiate the original five-year-old deal. Talks founder over the thorny issue of DRM (Battlefront insist on shackling HistWar with their own eLicense system).
JMM Version C - With the finish-line in sight, JMM goes back to Battlefront and attempts to renegotiate the original five-year-old deal. Talks founder over the thorny issue of retail distribution (Battlefront are no longer able/willing to put HistWar on store shelves)
Stone Version - All is going swimmingly between Battlefront and JMM until, during an all-night drinking session involving both parties, one of the Battlefront crew makes an off-the-cuff remark about Ney's performance at Quatre Bras. JMM visibly bristles, then demands the comment is retracted. When the BF man refuses, a five-year relationship disintegrates in a chaos of flailing arms and hurled furniture.