Randomized Mini's or Not?

[Glyfair]

Copy that. I'd love to have specific minis of iconic monsters (beholders, illithids, etc.), but randomization makes this a PITA.

You mean the the beholder and the the illthid? These look non-random to me. Why not get these?

How about the the roper? The Displacer Beast? Mycanoids?

There are plenty of options out there for someone who wants to buy singles and paint them. Even if they don't want to paint them, they can get someone to do it for them (I found someone advertising online they'll do it for only $6.50 for a foot 28mm/30mm figure).

 

[trancejeremy]

For people who like to paint (and aren't allergic to metal), yeah, there will always be options. The cost of casting something in metal is incredibly cheap, so you can find metal minis of just about anything. I remember when I used to read the minatures usenet group, there was one company that liked to put out minis of old west saloon girls bathing. Which never seemd to useful for a game, but someone must buy them. (That and topless cat women)

But some people simply don't like to paint or can't do it very well (and paying someone dramatically ramps up the cost).

Anyway, I think the D&D minis could run into trouble when Hasbro comes out with that new game. Dreamblade?

Part of what hurt Wizkids is they started putting out too many CMGs. Too many mini games and you start cannibalizing your customer base. I think it's more likely Dreamblade will flop, but you never know.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I buy the metal ones and the plastic ones...

It has nothing to do with my painting ability- I haven't tried to paint a mini in 20 years. I command the Great Grey Horde!

I probably have the neccessary skills & tools- I was an art minor- I just don't have the time and inclination to do any painting. That may change someday, though. I have a painted mini chess set made from Reapers with a missing cleric...(long story).

(I have all of those Reaper minis that were linked to, BTW. They and the Rackham Confrontation minis lead my current buys.)

 

[Glyfair]

Anyway, I think the D&D minis could run into trouble when Hasbro comes out with that new game. Dreamblade?

A lot depends on how much of their customer base consists of RPG players. Dreamblade miniatures are a larger scale, and thus are mostly usable by giants for RPG players.

I also think the gameplay is different enough that it will atrract a somewhat different audience than DDM. Those things work a bit against it's chances on the market, but do mean it is likely to cannabalize the DDM miniature audience.