Using 3.5 to sell minis, or using minis to sell 3.5?

[buzz]

(Apologies in advance if this has already come up on the boards.)

Just returned from a trip to the FLGS, where I was browsing through the Miniatures Handbook and taking a gander at the D&D mini and booster packs.

A lot of people have complained about 3.5's emphasis on minis, one of the more common ideas being that it's primarily to sell the new minis line. Quite possibly the truth. But...

As I was looking over the aforementioned products, I noticed that there's some ad copy on the mini boxes that touts D&D (the full rpg, not just the minis game) as a product to look at "if you're looking for even more miniatures combat fantasy action" (paraphrased; you get the point). The Miniatures Handbook was also a bit of a surprise; there's a LOT of material in there that really has nothing to do with using the minis line or not. It seemed more like a D&D "companion" that just happened to have skirmish and mass battle rules.

Anyway, the 2 and 2 I put together resulted in this: is it really that WotC is using 3.5 to push the minis line, or are they maybe hoping the minis line will push the sales of 3.5? I got the impression that the minis are there to lure in the MageKnight and Clix kiddies while pointing them towards D&D proper as a game to "graduate to" once they've had their fill of minis combat.

So, what we have is a collectable minis game prompting the purchase of D&D, and D&D prompting the purchase of collectable minis, which all adds up to more D&D'ers being spawned, and more profits for WotC, which hpoefully means no 4th ed. in two years*.

Anyone else made this connection? Am I on crack?


*Minis-as-revision-prevention idea stolen from Arcady, iirc.

 

[Pants]

I think they are hoping it will go both ways.

 

[Warbringer]

I think it is synergystic, but as to no 4.0 in 2 years, don't count on it.

I doubt the minis handbook will go OGL and set the path for 4.0 being proprietary.

But what do I know........

 

[Kichwas]

EDIT: Just noticed that you'd read my comments already. Well, here they are again for those who haven't.


I started a thread with a similar subject on the WotC boards:
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=113038

here's what I had to say in the first post:

On the whole requiring minis angle...

It's a financial move on WotC's part which if successful will keep us from having to buy 4E three years from now.

Put simply, they are trying to find a way to make money off of DnD that is more profitable than putting out core rulebooks every few years.

If they can get us to all buy the minis, they can slow down on the revisions.

Put that way, I feel compelled to support the miniature line. Unfortunately...

The random aspect makes me have zero desire to invest in their miniatures. Nevermind the fact that I prefer high qualiy sculpts and painting them myself... Even if I did not, if I found plastic prepaints acceptable I would still have issues due to randomization.

That said, I hear they are planning some non random packs and if they do I may just pick them up to suppliment out the 'back ranks' of large scenes, because I'll do just about anything to keep them from putting out yet another edition too soon.

So as I see it, the minis give them something collectable to sell under the DnD brand, which helps to offset pressure to keep up high sales on other parts of the brand. Thus, if the minis suceed it could cause the next update to the rules to be delayed to it's natural point rather than rushed out two to three years early like 3.5 was.

WotC's specialty as a business is collectables, they've done very well in that field. With cards at least - where they dominate in gaming and have a growing presence in baseball. If they can branch out to other collectable fields, and carry the DnD brand with them when they do it, it helps to keep the brand strong and WotC strong.

Conspiracy theorists could then argue that the brand could lose it's RPG focus at that point, and become a collectables brand only. A possible fate, hopefully an unlikely one.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I think there is a bigger market among D&D players for potential minis players, just because I think there's more D&Ders than Wargamers.

I could be dead worng....but if WotC wanted to lure more prey to D&D, they'd have done something with the Pokemon line in that regards, or do something with the Magic line (I could definately imagine a non-crappy D&D card game...shove that up yer pooter, spellfire! )

I mean, I think minis need more of a boost than D&D.....they dropped chainmail, after all....

 

[Zaruthustran]

I think the plan is to mix the waters: get minis gamers to buy books and get book gamers to buy minis.

I don't think PnP D&D RPG will be replaced entirely by minis play.

-z

 

[maddman75]

My problem with it is when this concern for 'synergy' affects the rules. Case in point would be the new cover and concealment rules.

Otherwise, I don't have a problem with it, though I think the D&D players are going to be turned off by the random nature while the 'clicks' players will be turned off by the lack of a cool clicky base.

 

[buzz]

I could be dead worng....but if WotC wanted to lure more prey to D&D, they'd have done something with the Pokemon line in that regards, or do something with the Magic line (I could definately imagine a non-crappy D&D card game...shove that up yer pooter, spellfire! )

Well, there was the Pokemon RPG.

I agree about M:tG, though. I'm quite shocked that WotC hasn't produced D&D products based on Dominia (if that's still the setting for M:tG; I don't play it much anymore). You'd think that would be a big crossover hit.

 

[Dark Psion]

Well, there was the Pokemon RPG.

I agree about M:tG, though. I'm quite shocked that WotC hasn't produced D&D products based on Dominia (if that's still the setting for M:tG; I don't play it much anymore). You'd think that would be a big crossover hit.

And whatever happened to those Magic:The Gathering action figures? I was looking forward to adding those to my shelf of honor next to my Kjeldoran Frostbeast (OK Snowman, but it looks just like the card and it glows in the dark )

 

[pogre]

I do not see the connection between 4.0 and minis. If Hasbro determines a new edition is appropriate in two years they will go forward with a new edition.