Return of Boxed Sets?

[variant]

If they do 'box sets' it should be more akin to the 3 book set (PHB, DMG, MM) that come in a hard cardboard box for everything to slide into instead of the 2nd edition box sets. It should then come with a hardback campaign setting, an adventure book, dungeon tiles, and maps.

 

[Jer]

The way I see it, if it was 1-5th level for $60, I'm getting about 20 game sessions for $60. That's $3 per 4 hours game session. Since the average 2 hour movie ticket is what? $10? That's cheap entertainment.

On the other hand, it's $60 for game stuff, so it just depends on perspective.

It's the "$60 in one chunk" part that would make it too tough for me. My gaming budget is pretty restricted currently, so that would be about 2-3 months of spending money to wrap up in one product - it better be a darn good dungeon. For that much money I could get a couple of different adventures, a stack of Dungeon Tiles, or a large chunk of miniatures.

That said, I've become quite the cheapskate over the last few years, so I may not be a good judge of how popular a product is going to be. Going out to movies is an "event" in my house at this point - we tend to wait for the DVD release unless we feel like going on a "date" anymore.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I'd buy this.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It's the "$60 in one chunk" part that would make it too tough for me. My gaming budget is pretty restricted currently, so that would be about 2-3 months of spending money to wrap up in one product - it better be a darn good dungeon. For that much money I could get a couple of different adventures, a stack of Dungeon Tiles, or a large chunk of miniatures.

That said, I've become quite the cheapskate over the last few years, so I may not be a good judge of how popular a product is going to be. Going out to movies is an "event" in my house at this point - we tend to wait for the DVD release unless we feel like going on a "date" anymore.

I'm less frugal than you, but I would be hyper-aware that $60 would buy me four or five Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classics, or two full-color oversized DCC tournament modules. I'd have a hard time buying a $60 adventure unless it offered an exceptional amount of value in other way.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

I'm less frugal than you, but I would be hyper-aware that $60 would buy me four or five Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classics, or two full-color oversized DCC tournament modules. I'd have a hard time buying a $60 adventure unless it offered an exceptional amount of value in other way.

The way I see it, even if the adventure stunk, you'd still get a boat load of minis and maps that could be used for your own games.

And if the adventure is good, more the better. And you can still use the stuff again later for your own creations.

Again, I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The way I see it, even if the adventure stunk, you'd still get a boat load of minis and maps that could be used for your own games.

Which only works if you use miniatures.

I'd find more reuse in more DCC modules than a single WotC one.

Really, this fails if people don't use miniatures. And even then, you have to convince the miniatures-users that these miniatures are worth getting and that they want this adventure. That's shaving the pool of potential customers down multiple times. I think WotC would be better off making all of these products linked, but available separately:

1) Keep on the Shadowfell (or whatever) module
2) Keep on the Shadowfell non-randomized miniatures box and battlemaps
3) Keep on the Shadowfell supplement, with optional crunch

 

[Piratecat]

Let's look at Catalyst Labs' latest boxed set release:

MSRP on that sucker is $40 - now it needs to be pointed out that the R&D cost on this set is very low, the minis are not painted, the mapsheets are cheap poster-maps (not the heavy cardboard of the original Battletech boxed set).

Until I know that Catalyst makes a profit on it, I'll reserve judgment!

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Cross-posted from the WOTC boards:


Imagine this:

For, let's say $60, you get:

• An adventure that goes from 1st to 5th level.
• A miniature for every monster used in the adventure. (Let's assume 20 minis, many of course would be used multiple times.)
• Miniature scale maps for every planned encounter. (Let's assume 15 maps.)
• A small book for the players that has 10-15 pre-generated PCs complete with proposed backgrounds and story hooks.
• A book for the DM that has the adventure in it.
• An appendix book that includes stats for nonstandard monsters, new magic items, town/city details, etc.

Such a product would end up costing way over 60 bucks. Probably over a hundred easily. Miniature scale maps have historically been expensive. I havent bought any of the DDM map packs, but you get what... 4 of them and a cruddy little adventure for 15 bucks? So right off we're looking at 4 times the maps right there. 20 minis is a little low for something thats taking the PC's from levels 1-5, unless they REALLY like fighting the same orcs and goblins over and over. It would likely be higher. But sure, lets toss in 20 orcs and goblins. WOTC will probably charge you at least a dollar a piece. Of course, if you arent a tin foil hat wearer you can buy them off ebay for less than a quarter each. But then the government would beam signals into your fillings! Regardless its going to ramp up the price of the set.

Then what about the guys who dont use minis? Who arent interested in this stuff? Right there, with the focus of the product, you alienate customers. Combining products doesnt increase your market unless the price point is low. 60 dollars for a RPG product is not low. So you're going to be moving less units of this box set than you would if it were broken into several smaller products.

Lets also not forget TSR sold its boxed sets for a loss.

I wonder if there is a market for this and if WOTC is giving it any thought. What do you guys think?

There is a market for this. Its a small one. While I wouldnt be surprised to see a few small mini adventure sets, something of this magnitude is very unlikely. Even the icons line has a murky future. Stores are wary of being caught with 60-80 dollar items that just dont move. Particularly when the alternative is 14 dollar boosters that fly off the shelf.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Which only works if you use miniatures.

I'd find more reuse in more DCC modules than a single WotC one.

Really, this fails if people don't use miniatures. And even then, you have to convince the miniatures-users that these miniatures are worth getting and that they want this adventure. That's shaving the pool of potential customers down multiple times. I think WotC would be better off making all of these products linked, but available separately:

1) Keep on the Shadowfell (or whatever) module
2) Keep on the Shadowfell non-randomized miniatures box and battlemaps
3) Keep on the Shadowfell supplement, with optional crunch

That would be a good idea too, as long as they also offered them together, and at a discount.
Figure $25 for each of those, or all of them for $60 (with a slip case to hold it all together and bonus mini!), and everybody's happy.

 

[Mercule]

I wouldn't get it - $60 shoots right past my spending limit and out the other end for a single product.

I could see picking up something like it, but the price point would have to be closer to $40. A scaled back version like:

• An adventure that goes from 1st to 5th level.
• Miniatures to do the "big encounters" in the adventure (let's say 8 minis - one "booster pack" worth)
• Miniature scale maps for the "big encounters" in the adventure (let's say 4 maps - one "map folio" worth)
• A bunch of "Dungeon Tiles" to piece together for other encounters in the adventure
• A set of tokens for the encounters not covered by the miniatures in the box
• A book for the DM that has the adventure in it, as well as stats for anything "nonstandard" in the adventure
• A set of 4 premade PCs, usable as a party out of the box
• 4 extra minis - one for each of the premade PCs

(I could do without the premade PCs, but that would defeat the purpose of having an "adventure in a box")

For that, I'd be willing to shell out $35-$45.

So, you bought the 3.5E basic game?