Non-random D&D Miniatures

[Janaxstrus]

I count 62 minis on that military page. Is that how many were release overall? In a year? Because that still follows the "Merric's Laws"

There are over 180 DDM's released in a year.

 

[Doghead Thirteen]

It's About ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Random miniatures, especially if they're PLASTIC!!!... (Goes shaky from rage)

It's a bit like Pokejobby cards, but worse.

 

[Pbartender]

I count 62 minis on that military page. Is that how many were release overall? In a year? Because that still follows the "Merric's Laws"

There are over 180 DDM's released in a year.

I think that was overall. Most of the military figures were sold in a pack with two vehicles and three soldier figures. You'll also notice that many of the figures are duplicates of the same pose, but with different color schemes -- not necessarily a bad thing, as it's an easy way to increase variety for a very small investment.

The page with the Star Wars figures line shows 157 different minis, and I notice that there are some missing... there was a Droid pack, and a Bounty Hunter pack, both of which I own and both of which are missing from that page. That's add at least another two dozen minis to the count -- say about 180 total, maybe more.

 

[Janaxstrus]

180 over 5 years, is still a small selection compared to DDM over the same period

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I think that it's not so much that it can't be done profitably, rather than that the current random minis business strategy is simply that much more profitable that they don't want to do it anymore.

I'd say that there's more than just want or don't want involved if the alternative is simply that much more profitable. What do you consider that much more profitable? Making twice as much profit? Three times? 5?

Now imagine yourself in the position to tell the shareholders (which Wizards has, as far as I know) that you voluntarily surrendered 50-80% of the possible profit. I think the next question you're going to ask anybody at this point will be "Do you want fries with that?"

It's About ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Random miniatures, especially if they're PLASTIC!!!... (Goes shaky from rage)

It's a bit like Pokejobby cards, but worse.

Did the mods edit out large parts of your post, or did you just forget to add sense?

Is that so? I would have thought the market divided between those who collect collectibles and, to a lesser extent, those who use them either for gaming with miniatures and/or RPGs. I'm guessing the majority of figures don't actually get used in tabletop RPG games. Of course, that is just my impression based on what information I have gathered from online and also information I have gathered from frequenting a very, very large and busy game store.

I think the majority uses them for RPG, and only some actually play the skirmish game (which is fun, by the way. Nice way to spend an hour playing something akin to D&D, but more of a board/tabletop game, with a friend. You need neither hours nor crowds.). Collectors are also roleplayers and/or skirmishers most of the time.

It's true that many of the figures won't get out that often, but I wouldn't say never, and I wouldn't say the majority.

Personally, I really do think that roleplayers are the number one customer for this.

I would guess that some are. Otherwise there is no accounting for the success of Privateer Press or Confrontation or any number of other lines that have popped up over time. But that's neither here nor there since we are really only talking about ten pegs of minis on a wall, not the huge space consideration you are heralding.

Charles Ryan, as well as other Wizards people, talked about it here, in an earlier thread (or threads. I know that one of them was quite recent and I think that a link to it is in this very thread).

It seems that many shops woudln't have the space to stock yet another game that eats up space. And Wizards is convinced that they can't displace Games Workshop.

And, of course, there's the thing about plastic minis needing to be made in large numbers to be profitable (lot of fixed costs, I guess), a lot more so than metal minis. So they could only really create figures they knew would be sold in large numbers (or make the others quite expensive). That means no more exotic stuff. Only the very basics.

 

[Pbartender]

180 over 5 years, is still a small selection compared to DDM over the same period

Exactly... As per "Merric's Law" it's sacrificing variety to maintain price, paintedness and non-randomness.

And that would be fine by me. I'd be fine with a pack of nine non-random orcs, goblins, kobolds, town guards or whatever-have-you in three or four different poses for $10 or so.

I'd say that there's more than just want or don't want involved if the alternative is simply that much more profitable. What do you consider that much more profitable? Making twice as much profit? Three times? 5?

I honestly don't know... It doesn't really make a difference what I consider "much more profitable" only that random D&D and Star Wars miniatures fit that criteria in the eyes of Hasbro compared to the non-random alternative (which is likely still profitable, but less so). Otherwise, they'd still be making the Micro Machines figures that Galoob had been producing for years previous.

Now imagine yourself in the position to tell the shareholders (which Wizards has, as far as I know) that you voluntarily surrendered 50-80% of the possible profit. I think the next question you're going to ask anybody at this point will be "Do you want fries with that?"

I'm not arguing with that. I completely understand the corporate reasoning behind it, and I agree that Hasbro would be foolish to do otherwise.

That doesn't mean, though, that as a consumer who knows what I'd like to see on the shelves that I'm happy about that decision, or that I'm required to settle for buying a product that I'm not satisfied with.

I'll just make do with other alternatives that, while still not comepletely satisfactory to me, are far less expensive.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Exactly... As per "Merric's Law" it's sacrificing variety to maintain price, paintedness and non-randomness.

And that would be fine by me. I'd be fine with a pack of nine non-random orcs, goblins, kobolds, town guards or whatever-have-you in three or four different poses for $10 or so.

Again, why do you want to pay more for what you can already get? Why do you want to pay 10 dollars for 9 orcs, insetad of 4 dollars? Is a wotc box really worth 6 dollars?

 

[Glyfair]

I honestly don't know... It doesn't really make a difference what I consider "much more profitable" only that random D&D and Star Wars miniatures fit that criteria in the eyes of Hasbro compared to the non-random alternative (which is likely still profitable, but less so). Otherwise, they'd still be making the Micro Machines figures that Galoob had been producing for years previous.

Or, they decided they don't want to put out products with very low profit margin because putting out that sort of thing is what made Galoob vulnerable to a buy out. Is that the case? I don't know, but I doubt anyone here knows if that line was very profitable. If it was, maybe it wouldn't be today.

 

[Pbartender]

Again, why do you want to pay more for what you can already get? Why do you want to pay 10 dollars for 9 orcs, insetad of 4 dollars? Is a wotc box really worth 6 dollars?

Because, even though you might consider me...

...either ignorant of the secondary market, a tin-foil hat wearing technophobe, or has more dollars than sense...

...the personal convenience of being able to get what I want while not having to deal with that secondary market might be worth it to me and a great deal many other people.

Or, they decided they don't want to put out products with very low profit margin because putting out that sort of thing is what made Galoob vulnerable to a buy out. Is that the case? I don't know, but I doubt anyone here knows if that line was very profitable.

Absolutely... Eventually, the less profitable lines get dropped for the more profittable lines.

 

[Glyfair]

Absolutely... Eventually, the less profitable lines get dropped for the more profittable lines.

But with all the reasoning here, I think a major consideration is that WotC is doing the same thing they have done with the d20 market. They are focusing on the lines they think make the best sense for them (and experimenting where they aren't sure) and allowing other companies the market they don't feel would be strong enough for them.

Want non-random miniatures without dealing with the DDM secondary market? Deal with the 3rd party companies. If they aren't making what you want, there is probably a good reason i.e it's not practical.