Dear Hasbro: about those minis

[Darrell]

I understand the advantages to the collectors of the random packing, but I still think it would be cool to be able to buy common minis in a multi-pack, say, a ten-pack with 5 Orc Maulers and 5 Howling Orcs, or 5 Free League Rangers and 5 Doomguards, or something of that nature, just as a side product available at the LGS instead of online.

Then I could fill out my orc armies for D&D, and the uncommon and rare figures are still available in the standard random pack. All that sort of thing would do is make 'common' minis more common, and help the RPGers get more of the 'cannon-fodder' minis they need a bunch of.

Frankly, I'd be far more likely to pick up a pack like that as an impulse buy at the LGS than the newest splatbook or some crap like 'Three Dragon Ante.'

Regards,
Darrell

 

[Allensh]

A small point of clarification: the "buttload of money" made by Magic the Gathering was largely made before Wizards was bought by Hasbro. Its still profitable, of course.

Allen

 

[Agent Oracle]

Actually, Wizkids (makers of hero clix, Mage Knight, Etc.) has the most experience with selling "organized packages"

Four of their games sold "clear packages" so you could see what you were buying.

Those were

-"Crimson Skies", which Fumbled from the outset (despite having nifty rules). Largely, I blame the fact that EVERY plane was a Unique, and there were only a few small flights that you could buy. if they had produced a wider array of non-unique planes (like other games) there might have been better sales.

-"Shadowrun: Duels" (Which couldn't come out with a second set fast enough to keep players interested, and probably would have done better if they had printed a book for adapting other action figures to the game) The main problem that they had was that the Players figured out the rules for point-buying weapons after only studying the opening set, and there was a very strong homebrew community...

-"MLB Sportsclix" (Because so many minis gamers are fans of baseball, problem was, they didn't sell individual teams, they sold semi-random assortments of players in a clear box)

-"Creepy Freaks" Which was marketed as Mini gaming for little kids... problem was, little kids could play Heroclicks and Mage Knight just fine, and didn't need to be patronized.

 

[MerricB]

I know what you refer to, but it seems to me that Heroscape kind of puts the lie to the law. They are sold in packs where you know what you are getting. They seem reasonably priced, and don't appear to be significantly different in quality from the WotC miniatures. So why is it impossible for WotC to do something similar?

Merric's Law of Miniatures: Non-Random Packaging, Cheap Prices, and a Large Range of Figures: Choose two.

What Heroscape lacks is a large range of figures.

In 2005, they produced 55 figures, compared to 180 D&D Mini figures.
In 2006, they produced 88 figures, compared to 182 D&D Mini figures.

I think the price is also more expensive per mini than DDM.

Cheers!

 

[MerricB]

I understand the advantages to the collectors of the random packing, but I still think it would be cool to be able to buy common minis in a multi-pack, say, a ten-pack with 5 Orc Maulers and 5 Howling Orcs, or 5 Free League Rangers and 5 Doomguards, or something of that nature, just as a side product available at the LGS instead of online.

One of the big problems is actually with the LGS - stocking such products is a real pain.

Cheers!

 

[Seeten]

The secondary market fixes everything. Smart entrepreneurs know what you want, because they ARE you, or people like you. Thus, the packs do exist, just not from WotC proper.

I have all the superhero minis I could ever need for my M&M campaign, all just from buying singles at the flea market, for dirt cheap. If I DM'd D&D, I'd definitely buy all the monsters for D&D at the flea market also, I had all the ralpartha orcs and undead back when I GM'd Rolemaster.

 

[BroccoliRage]

I'm in total agreement. I hate painting miniatures, too, and I have a huge collection of HeroScape, D&D, and various toy miniatures. I would buy D&D mini's more often, but I'm tired of getting some ridiculous monster I'll never use (I can't be the only person sick of getting "White Spawn Sneakling" and "Kobold Monk").

If WOTC were to create a Sack of orcs, buttload of humans, bag o' goblins, or Glob of Gnolls, I would be singing thier praises from the mountains!

As it is, I'm more partial to picking up Mage Knight overstock and Horror Clicks, as well as the new HeroScape armies as they come out.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Hell, just a bag o'kobolds and a bag o'goblins would make me happy at the rate things are going with random minis....

 

[Chairman7w]

I just don't get the whole complaining mentality. They are what they are. Why spend time whining about it?

Do you go to the supermarket and complain about the packing of the party trays?

The minis WOTC produces come in random packs. That's it. Buy them or don't buy them.

 

[Thurbane]

Frankly, I'd be far more likely to pick up a pack like that as an impulse buy at the LGS than the newest splatbook or some crap like 'Three Dragon Ante.'

QFT!!!