Could someone explain to me the Chainmail/Miniatures Handbook issue?

[johnsemlak]

Hm,

The miniatures Handbook and the current D&D miniatures line seem very sucessful.

So, why did WotC stop the Chainmail line/game. I necer saw this game, so I'm not familiar with it. What was the problem with it? How was it different from D&D Minatures?

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

I never really played chainmail, but from my understanding the rules weren't that much different from new game. The problem was that it was mostly sold as individual, unpainted, unassembled miniatures. That's not too bad for some people, but it was especially crippling for newbies and retailers. The costs, both in time and money, of creating a warband were way too high for the casual player, and Wizards got inundated with questions from new players like "I think my dwarf's arm fell off in the package." With the new game, i tonly requires a very minimal investment to be able to get up and running.

The way the minis were sold also pissed off retailers, from what I've seen. Since many of them were packaged individually, retailers had to devote shelf space to a bunch of different products. While certain of the miniatures sold well, others were just dead weight taking up space.

 

[Greatwyrm]

Chainmail used metal figs which were more expensive to produce and ship. They were also basically trying to compete head to head with Games Workshop's Warhammer lines as far as marketing strategies. It all added up to WotC taking a bath on Chainmail, so they pulled it.

The new minis, on the other hand are plastic. Much cheaper all around. Plus, they're collectible, which solves a number of logistical problems for them, such as less shelf space required of retailers. Even if they sold in the same volume as Chainmail, they'd make more money from the lower overhead.

Also, I'm not entirely convinced by WotC's early trumpeting of success. Does the story say they've shipped a million or sold a million. In the record industry, you can ship a platinum record only to see them sitting on store shelves months later. Actually having a million pass through the cash register is a different thing entirely.

 

[TheBadElf]

Chainmail was a noncollectable miniatures game, with metal miniatures sold individually rather than in starter/booster packs. They were not prepainted.

The only problem with it that I know of was that in many locations it didn't sell very well (I say this based on personal observation of quite a few FLGSs clearance-saling all of their Chainmail stuff even before it was cancelled). Another factor may or may not have been WotC wanting to jump on the currently hot collectable miniatures bandwagon.

The Chainmail rules were similar in many ways to the current skirmish rules.

 

[Simplicity]

Also, I'm not entirely convinced by WotC's early trumpeting of success. Does the story say they've shipped a million or sold a million. In the record industry, you can ship a platinum record only to see them sitting on store shelves months later. Actually having a million pass through the cash register is a different thing entirely.

You obviously haven't been trying to buy the darn things. The boosters
sell out FAST, and continue to sell out in a lot of stores (though it's
finally possible to walk into a store and find more than one or two
booster packs left nowadays). We'll see if WotC can continue with the
success in future packs...

 

[MerricB]

The Chainmail rules were similar in many ways to the current skirmish rules.

Very. However, the new rules are simpler to learn and use, though still allowing the variety of Chainmail.

Oh, and Chainmail didn't support mass combat and was less linked to mainstream D&D - both big problems.

Cheers!

 

[Terry Edwards]

What was the problem? There was no problem whatsoever with the Chainmail game. The problem was that it was not marketed properly. You said yourself that you never saw the game, such is the story I often read in minis forums. Most people did not know the game existed until it was canceled. A loss for Wizards and a loss for us all.

How is it different from the new game? I have not purchased any of the new line, nor do I plan to so I cannot tell you the difference between the game rules but the difference in miniature quality is obvious. I do not wish to rehash past anti-prepainted,plastic,randomly packaged negativity so that is all I have to say.

 

[MerricB]

What was the problem? There was no problem whatsoever with the Chainmail game. The problem was that it was not marketed properly. You said yourself that you never saw the game, such is the story I often read in minis forums. Most people did not know the game existed until it was canceled. A loss for Wizards and a loss for us all.

Not I. I was quite happy to see Chainmail go. I have several figures (about 26) for Chainmail, and I was quite unhappy with both the rules and the cost of the game.

How is it different from the new game? I have not purchased any of the new line, nor do I plan to so I cannot tell you the difference between the game rules but the difference in miniature quality is obvious.

So is the difference in price.

Metal figures are great quality, and Chainmail was very good... but it was expensive, alas!

Cheers!

 

[Dogbrain]

Plastic figures--eh, can live with it.
Prepainted? Utter crap. Worthless. Won't get my money.
COLLECTABLE?!?!?!?!?! Won't get my money even to save my life!

 

[heirodule]

Is there actually any proof that Chainmail wasn't profitable?

My understanding was that it did make money, just not enough money to satisfy WOTCs penny pinching "everythign has to be a massive hit, not a moderate seller" mentality.