the problem is Rackham doesn't need a big rebirth....they need to deliver consistently to the market.
Consitency issues:
1) The products ( AT43, CAoR, and C2/C3 ) have suffered in the US from delays and poor distribution. Rackham continues to state that distributors aren't paying their bills, import taxes, or just plain aren't ordering so they don't fulfill. However, FFG was a master distributor/Importer who then passed this onto alliance/ACD whomever.
Fact is this is the 3rd distributor in 4 years to drop the deal. Rackham wasn't very successful doing it themselves in 2006 to 2007 w/ FFG deal.
Fact is that Rackham, when they announced the move to PPP left the other large distributors of Rackham metal in the US with HUGE inventories of the product that had to be liquidated at basement prices. I'm not sure who is going to climb back in bed with them.
2) Consistent Organized play support.
Rackham didn't develop Org play for AT43 or CAoR stating FFG would handle in the US. FFG never got anything off the ground. In the mean time when NACORD (the US player Org) reached out to FFG and Rackham....Rackham said they wanted us involved but it was FFGs call. FFG said they would let us support their program but no way would we be allowed to exist as NACORD. If we did we'd function independently and receive no support for events...etc. So we decided to fold. In the mean time many promises of Org. Play and other Demo programs never developed.
3)Consitent marketing
Rackham switched their marketing from skirmish to unit based combat
Rackham switched from a high end Model, to a prepainted playing piece.
Rackham switched froma miniatures company with a game to a gaming company that supported the games w/ the PPP.
Rackham launched an RPG that went unsupported and was nigh unplayable.
The fact is that Rackham did a 180 from their previous direction in early 2007. PPP may indeed be the wave of the future. Metal prices were skyrocketing (currently down from their 07/08 highs but over 100% up from 2004) and it looked glim. The announcement to go full bore w/ PPP for Confrontation was a disatrous. The early announcement dried up C3 metal purchases from world wide distributors of the product promoting the Bankrupcy filing by Rackham. The move from C3 to C3.5 also pushed gamers out in late 2006 only 12 months after the launch of C3. The player base continued to move away from the game as they marketed to a different type of player and no one could count on the rules to remain consistent over any period of time.
4) Misc Factors....the bankrupcy....inconsistent rules for the new games...no "support" for the rules w/ FAQ or other.
I've said before... I enjoy AT43 and I've dabbled in CAoR but the problem isn't the games...it is the company behind them. I just don't think they are going to be successful in the long run (hell they've got 10+ years in the business and it is still run like NooBs from an international perspective).
Regardless of all the complaining about the parent company I still believe C3 is one of the best games that I have played. And I've tried a lot since it was announced they'd stop supporting it. I'd still give demos or play. Playing 40K/WHFB doesn't compare IMO even though I'm really enjoying them. When you only have 1 dice roll to make it or break it on a d6 for the game. It was a game that you really had to adjust quickly to changes in momentum and made you think your way through every step. It was also fast, easy to pack up and play 2 to 3 games in a night. Good for us with little ones.
I wish Rackham luck with their next BIG announcement but what Rackham really needs is less "Big" announcements and to just execute a business plan in a consistent manner.