Digital miniatures to be converted to plastic miniatures?

Green Knight · Dec 5, 2007

This exchange was from the podcast interview with Chris Perkins. It's around 1 hour and 8 minutes in.

STEVE: And we spoke about this a few weeks ago, but I was asking you if there was going to be, or if you're exploring the ability for you to actually create these characters as real physical 3D models. Minis that you can bring wih you. And since it does say on your card mini R&D I'd imagine you'd know this one. I know spore is fooling around with this, that you'll be able to do this maybe. And I was wondering if there was any progress or updates on that.

CHRIS PERKINS: At the moment, nothing that we're announcing. We have for the past year anyway been exploring diffferent options. Everything from print on demand to ordering directly from the company that actually cranks out the minis for us. There are some logistical issues as you might expect, as far as quantities, the fact that most of our minis are produced overseas, there's just a lot of stuff going on right now. Probably to early to say at what point we'll be able to get people to create 3d representations of the character digitally and then place an order and have that figure as a plastic figure show up at their door three weeks later.

STEVE: Ok. (crosstalk) But least you're looking towards going towards that route, because it is still a pen-and-paper game. And obviously if you have this really cool 3d representation of your character with a glowing sword and this awesome pose and you don't want to go to the game table and use like a bead as your character, you know, it's just not gonna be the same.

CHRIS PERKINS: Right. And there's a lot of unique tensions that go on, too. I mean, we have a business of selling randomized collectible miniatures. So one of the questions we have to ask ourselves is "How does a print on demand venture impact the value of the collectible game? You know, f you can make any character you want, why do you want this character in this box" kind of thing? Is it because it had a pose that you just can't make? You know, what are the characteristics that distinguish one from the other? Those are the questions we're trying to answer right now.

So what do you folks think? Personally, I'd be ecstatic to see this become a reality. How awesome would it be to design a digital version of your character, mail in the image, and a couple weeks later you get an ACTUAL, plastic version of your character, painted and everything? That would be absolutely amazing. I can understand the issues they're having, of course. It wouldn't do for people to order near duplicates of existing D&D Minis (I.E. Ordering a figure which is pretty much identical to the Drizzt figure, which goes for $100 on eBay). I hope they get those and any other issues ironed out ASAP, though, as this is something that I can see myself doing practically every other day. Making up a character and then ordering a miniature version of him (Hell, I'd probably end up ordering several different miniatures for just ONE character. Here's my Fighter when he wore Chainmail. Here's my Fighter when he wore Half-Plate. Here's my Fighter when he had a +2 Flaming Longsword. He's my fighter when he had a +4 Vorpal Bastard Sword. Here's my Fighter with a helmet. Here's my Fighter without a helmet. Etc).

Not to mention how great it'd be for those of us who're worldbuilders, as it'd allow us to create a whole slew of miniatures for our homebrew world. The possibilities are endless, so is anyone else hoping to see this come to pass?

The Little Raven · Dec 5, 2007

Green Knight said:
Not to mention how great it'd be for those of us who're worldbuilders, and can create a whole slew of miniatures for our homebrew world. The possibilities are endless, so is anyone else hoping to see this come to pass?

I'd love it, personally.

www.figureprints.com

This is a company that is pairing with Blizzard to allow custom models of your WoW character to be created and shipped. I'm sure that Wizards might be able to find some way to do something similar, but linked to the Insider character stuff.

MerricB · Dec 5, 2007

IIRC, Ryan Dancey once mused about this sort of thing... though using metals.

It'd be interesting, but I think the technical challenges... would be challenging.

Especially in plastic.

Cheers!

WhatGravitas · Dec 5, 2007

Green Knight said:
So what do you folks think? Personally, I'd be ecstatic to see this become a reality. How awesome would it be to design a digital version of your character, mail in the image, and a couple weeks later you get an ACTUAL, plastic version of your character, painted and everything?

Hell, pass that "painted" thing, I'll paint them myself! And YES. I'd SO get'em. A heap of it.

Even if they're pre-painted (though I'd prefer unpainted for more detail and lower price, perhaps it'd be an option, after all they're saving money by not painting).

And I guess plastic is easier than metal, as you can 3D print stuff, just the costs to get such printers working is... less pleasant.

Cheers, LT.

Nikosandros · Dec 5, 2007

MerricB said:
It'd be interesting, but I think the technical challenges... would be challenging. Especially in plastic.

Yeah, it sounds like a fascinating idea, but probably quite premature from a technological point of view.

Festivus · Dec 5, 2007

Bet they go for $10 a figure, not including shipping. Neat but not entirely needed from my point of view. More and more, the game seems to be getting away from the imagination and more into the physical realm. Terrain, dungeon tiles, custom miniatures, gold coins... next thing you know we will all be wearing costumes around the table.

The Little Raven · Dec 5, 2007

Festivus said:
More and more, the game seems to be getting away from the imagination and more into the physical realm.

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say.

Green Knight · Dec 5, 2007

Painted, unpainted, plastic, metal, doesn't really matter to me. I just want to see it happen.

I'd love it, personally.

www.figureprints.com

This is a company that is pairing with Blizzard to allow custom models of your WoW character to be created and shipped. I'm sure that Wizards might be able to find some way to do something similar, but linked to the Insider character stuff.

That sounds awesome. That may be enough to get me back into World of Warcraft, if only to make characters who look like my D&D character of choice, equip them appropriately, and then have a miniature made of them. Sadly, WoW really lacks body type variety. Everyone is equally built. It'd be nice to be able to make a scrawny thief or a fat wizard.

Gundark · Dec 5, 2007

Yeah this is something I would totally do. Be awesome for campaign baddies and the like.

That said I imagine it would take more than a few weeks for the plastic version.

WhatGravitas · Dec 5, 2007

Festivus said:
More and more, the game seems to be getting away from the imagination and more into the physical realm.

Not really - it started with miniatures. Everything after that is more a question what game style you prefer.

And props are always fun. Besides, it's easier to have props and choose not to use them than the other way round.

AND if they get that working within a reasonable price scheme... they would draw in a lot of persons, even persons who don't play D&D, but paint miniatures for other reasons, wargaming, painting as hobby... it'd become a "secret tip" among wargame players to get custom parts for their customisation!

Cheers, LT.

Digital miniatures to be converted to plastic miniatures?

Green Knight

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The Little Raven

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MerricB

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WhatGravitas

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Nikosandros

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Festivus

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The Little Raven

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Green Knight

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Gundark

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WhatGravitas

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