Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Thoughts on charging for game table "miniatures"
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Zaruthustran" data-source="post: 3962557" data-attributes="member: 1457"><p>Ideally:</p><p>The artists who design for the physical D&D Minis game should be using a 3-D modeling program. They send those models to China and the manufacturer there uses the model when creating the mold. They can turn and manipulate the 3-D model however they need in order to get the physical "sculpt" right.</p><p></p><p>Back in Renton, the DDI team takes the EXACT SAME 3-D model and tweaks it however they need to in order for it to be an object on the virtual tabletop.</p><p></p><p>The above process saves an awful lot of time and money. Way, way more efficient than sculpting in "green stuff", shipping that to china, having china ship back a prototype, etc. etc. It also saves the step of having a 3-D modeler try to recreate a physical green stuff sculpt. </p><p></p><p>As for paying for virtual minis:</p><p>WotC really needs to figure out the value proposition for their subscription. Hellgate: London and Xbox Live Gold are two examples of subscriptions done WRONG. In both cases, the perception is that the user gets crippleware unless he pays a fee.</p><p></p><p>I understand the appeal of subscriptions. Once someone signs up there's a barrier (of hassle, time, etc.) to shutting off that wallet siphon. From the point of view of the company receiving those regular cash infusions, subscriptions are wonderful: cashflow is critical to the success of any company, and a hit-driven company--like a book or game publisher--typically struggles with cashflow (D&D Minis and Magic keep WotC infused with steady cash, but a literal subscription is even more predictable and regular). </p><p></p><p>I said literal subscription up there because Magic, D&D Minis, and even D&D already are nonformal subscriptions. You buy X packs per month, X boxes per month, X books per month--that's a regular outlay of cash even if you haven't signed a contract. But I digress.</p><p></p><p>I think WotC needs to EITHER charge money for virtual minis, OR include virtual minis as one component of value that comes in return for a monthly fee. The only way to charge for both a subscription and figures is to include some figures in the subscription fee: in exchange for $9.99/month (or whatever) they give you a $5 credit toward virtual minis. Once you spend that $5/month, any additional minis you buy will cost $.</p><p></p><p>The hybrid model has a nice side effect of enticing new virtual mini customers; the old "the first one is free" technique. </p><p></p><p>However they decide to do it, it's unrealistic to expect virtual minis to be free. Creating 3-D models (not to mention the virtual tabletop itself) takes time and money, and WotC can reasonably expect to charge money for delivering this product.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Zaruthustran, post: 3962557, member: 1457"] Ideally: The artists who design for the physical D&D Minis game should be using a 3-D modeling program. They send those models to China and the manufacturer there uses the model when creating the mold. They can turn and manipulate the 3-D model however they need in order to get the physical "sculpt" right. Back in Renton, the DDI team takes the EXACT SAME 3-D model and tweaks it however they need to in order for it to be an object on the virtual tabletop. The above process saves an awful lot of time and money. Way, way more efficient than sculpting in "green stuff", shipping that to china, having china ship back a prototype, etc. etc. It also saves the step of having a 3-D modeler try to recreate a physical green stuff sculpt. As for paying for virtual minis: WotC really needs to figure out the value proposition for their subscription. Hellgate: London and Xbox Live Gold are two examples of subscriptions done WRONG. In both cases, the perception is that the user gets crippleware unless he pays a fee. I understand the appeal of subscriptions. Once someone signs up there's a barrier (of hassle, time, etc.) to shutting off that wallet siphon. From the point of view of the company receiving those regular cash infusions, subscriptions are wonderful: cashflow is critical to the success of any company, and a hit-driven company--like a book or game publisher--typically struggles with cashflow (D&D Minis and Magic keep WotC infused with steady cash, but a literal subscription is even more predictable and regular). I said literal subscription up there because Magic, D&D Minis, and even D&D already are nonformal subscriptions. You buy X packs per month, X boxes per month, X books per month--that's a regular outlay of cash even if you haven't signed a contract. But I digress. I think WotC needs to EITHER charge money for virtual minis, OR include virtual minis as one component of value that comes in return for a monthly fee. The only way to charge for both a subscription and figures is to include some figures in the subscription fee: in exchange for $9.99/month (or whatever) they give you a $5 credit toward virtual minis. Once you spend that $5/month, any additional minis you buy will cost $. The hybrid model has a nice side effect of enticing new virtual mini customers; the old "the first one is free" technique. However they decide to do it, it's unrealistic to expect virtual minis to be free. Creating 3-D models (not to mention the virtual tabletop itself) takes time and money, and WotC can reasonably expect to charge money for delivering this product. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Thoughts on charging for game table "miniatures"
Top