Microsoft acquired Virtual World Entertainment Group and FASA Interactive; VWE was sold off to some of its developers, while FASA Interactive became Microsoft's FASA Studio. Babcock and Weisman went over to Microsoft, with Weisman becoming the Creative Director of Microsoft games from 1999 to 2002. While working at Microsoft, Weisman and his unit created a new genre of interactive entertainment called alternative reality games, and developed the alternate reality game "The Beast", to promote the Steven Spielberg film A.I. Weisman had been working on a design for a computer game called Corsairs!, set in an alternate universe United States, and he convinced FASA Corporation to develop the board game Crimson Skies (1998) to enhance the value of the property. In 2000, he founded WizKids, with his new idea for miniatures games involving the "clix" miniature figure that contained a dial to depict the miniature's stats. WizKids produced the games Mage Knight, HeroClix, and Pirates of the Spanish Main. WizKids grew rapidly and went from start-up to over $30M in annual sales in just two years. The company focused on miniature figure games that are easy to learn for younger players. Weisman sold WizKids to Topps in 2003. In 2003 he founded 42 Entertainment, a design company in the new field of the alternate reality game or ARGs. 42 has created multiple ARGs, including, "I Love Bees", to promote the Xbox game Halo 2, and "Year Zero" to promote the Nine Inch Nails album of the same name. In 2006, his Cathy's Book, a novel with interactive elements co-written by Sean Stewart and illustrated by Cathy Brigg appeared from Running Press. The book was a best seller in Germany and sold over 100,000 copies in the USA. In 2007, FASA Studio was dissolved and all of the FASA rights were then licensed to Weisman. In 2007 Weisman founded Smith & Tinker (named after the characters in The Wizard of Oz). It was through Smith & Tinker that Weisman was able to relicense his old FASA properties. Smith & Tinker licensed the electronic entertainment rights to Crimson Skies, Shadowrun, MechWarrior and other FASA properties that had belonged to Microsoft. The same year Weisman co-founded the start-up Fyreball with Pete Parsons (formerly of Bungie and currently serves on the Board of Advisors along with Ed Fries). The company is now operating under the name Meteor Solutions. On May 27, 2009 Weisman's Smith &