Mayfair Games

{{Infobox company

| name = Mayfair Games

| logo =

| successor = Ironwind, Inc.

| defunct = 1997

| fate = Acquired

| key_people = Darwin Bromley

| industry = Board games

| products = Role Aids, DC Heroes, Board games

| caption =

| location_city = Chicago, Illinois

| location_country = US

}}

Mayfair Games was an American publisher of board, card, and roleplaying games that also licensed Euro-style board games to publish them in English. The company licensed worldwide English-language publishing rights to The Settlers of Catan series between 1996 and 2016.{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/01/asmodee-becomes-board-gamings-new-monster-acquires-english-rights-to-catan/|title=Asmodee becomes board gaming's new monster, acquires English rights to Catan|last=Machkovech|first=Sam|date=2016-01-08|newspaper=Ars Technica|access-date=2016-11-17}} On February 9, 2018 they announced they sold their remaining IP right to Asmodee North America.

{{Infobox company

| name = Ironwind, Inc.

| trade_name = Mayfair Games

| type = Private

| foundation = 1997

| founder = Iron Crown Enterprises

| fate = Reorganized, moved 2001

| successor = Mayfair Games, Inc.

| location_city = Skokie, Illinois

| location_country = US

| industry = Board games

| products = Train games, Card games, Dice games

| services = Foreign and domestic game distribution

| homepage = [http://www.mayfairgames.com mayfairgames.com]

}}

History

Mayfair Games was founded in 1981{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=129632987|title=Mayfair Games, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2016-11-17}} by Darwin Bromley in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The company was created to publish Empire Builder, a railroad game designed by Bromley and Bill Fawcett. In 1982, Mayfair Games expanded its focus to include Role Aids, a line of role-playing game supplements.{{Cite book|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011|isbn=978-1-907702-58-7|author=Shannon Appelcline}}

In 1993, Mayfair was sued by TSR, Inc., who argued that Role Aids violated their 1984 trademark agreement, being advertised as compatible with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.{{Cite web|title=Chronomancer (2e) - Product History|url=https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17442/Chronomancer-2e|last=Appelcline|first=Shannon|website=DriveThruRPG|language=en|access-date=2020-05-31}} The court found that some of the line violated the trademark, but the line as a whole did not violate the agreement,TSR, Inc. v. Mayfair Games, Inc., 1993 WL 79272 (N.D. Ill.) and Mayfair continued publishing the line until the rights were bought by TSR.

In 1996, Mayfair Games became the publisher of The Settlers of Catan in the US.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-man-who-built-catan|title=The Man Who Built Catan|last=Raphel|first=Adrienne|date=2014-02-12|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=2016-11-17}} The company shut down for financial reasons in 1997 but was subsequently bailed out by Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE), who purchased most of their assets and restarted operations as Ironwind, Inc. This new company operates publicly under the Mayfair Games trademark.[http://www.rpg.net/columns/briefhistory/briefhistory9.phtml A Brief History of Game #9: Ice, Part Two: 1993-Present]

Pete Fenlon became the CEO of Mayfair Games in 2007 to oversee a major reorganization with a refocusing on core brands, most importantly the Catan family of games. In 2013, Mayfair reported selling more than 750,000 Catan-related products. In January 2016, Mayfair transferred all publishing, commercial, and brand rights for all English-language Catan products to Catan Studio, a newly created subsidiary of the Asmodee Group. Former CEO Pete Fenlon left Mayfair Games to become the CEO of the new company. Larry Roznai was the last CEO of Mayfair games. He joined the company in 1999 as a board member, president, and chief operating officer.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mayfairgames.com/news/asmodee-acquires-catan-mayfair-games|title=Asmodee Acquires Catan™ from Mayfair Games {{!}} Mayfair Games|website=www.mayfairgames.com|access-date=2016-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201005644/http://www.mayfairgames.com/news/asmodee-acquires-catan-mayfair-games|archive-date=2016-02-01|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.mayfairgames.com/staff/larry-roznai|title=Larry Roznai {{!}} Mayfair Games|website=www.mayfairgames.com|access-date=2016-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118040450/http://www.mayfairgames.com/staff/larry-roznai|archive-date=2016-11-18|url-status=dead}}

On February 9, 2018, Mayfair announced it had sold all of its assets to the North American branch of Asmodée Éditions, and would be shutting down. Rights to some Mayfair titles are no longer retained by Asmodée.{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2018/2/9/16996882/mayfair-games-lookout-games-acquired-by-asmodee-north-america-catan | title = The company that helped lead a revolution in board games is shutting down | first= Charlie | last = Hall | date = February 9, 2018 | access-date = February 9, 2018 | work = Polygon }}

{{Infobox company

| name = Mayfair Games, Inc.

| type = Private

| foundation = 2001

| location_city = Skokie, Illinois

| location_country = US

| industry = Board games

| products = Train games, Card games, Dice games

| services = Foreign and domestic game distribution

| homepage = [http://www.mayfairgames.com mayfairgames.com]

}}