Can Kickstarter revive Ogre minis?

[Greyhawk Grognard]

Look at it this way. If you do an Ogre Miniatures kickstarter campaign, with the goal set for what it would realistically take to restart the line (or do a single large batch of figures with the existing molds), SJG can't really lose. If it makes the goal, you stand to make some cash and get oodles of fan goodwill. If it doesn't make the goal, you haven't risked any capital. How can you lose?

[RevBob]

It's possible to "lose" in that scenario by having personnel committed to fulfilling the Kickstarted project at the expense of more profitable projects. Human resources are not infinite, either in management or in production.

[D351]

Originally Posted by RevBob

It's possible to "lose" in that scenario by having personnel committed to fulfilling the Kickstarted project at the expense of more profitable projects. Human resources are not infinite, either in management or in production.

Not to mention all of the cost in working out the cost of doing the project just to get it up on kickstarter. I think it may be worth looking in to in the future and may very well have a large enough fan base, but this is the kind of stuff that SJG has to consider before doing something like this.

[Talorien]

I'd love for the OOP/out of stock minis to be available again.

I'd probably drop at least $100 or more on minis, if so.

The fact that the Designer's Edition maps are the perfect size for minis is a huge plus.

[CombineGeneral]

I am a total metal-head so I will be using the OGRE 6e maps for my minis (I have large forces already)

I wouldn't mind rounding out my collection though...

[nukesnipe]

Originally Posted by CombineGeneral

I am a total metal-head so I will be using the OGRE 6e maps for my minis (I have large forces already)

I wouldn't mind rounding out my collection though...

I admit using the maps for minis was my first thought also....

[pyratejohn]

Speaking as a total Wings of Glory (nee Wings of War) geek, I'd be thrilled beyond belief if they could go the "fully-painted minis" route. The ability to purchase a pre-painted model provides an avenue for a quick buy in. That is what has sold me, and a lot of other people, on Wings of Glory. I don't mind painting lead, in fact, I quite enjoy it, but there is something to be said for being able to plunk down money on a pre-painted model being able to get right into playing the game.

[Greyhawk Grognard]

Originally Posted by RevBob

It's possible to "lose" in that scenario by having personnel committed to fulfilling the Kickstarted project at the expense of more profitable projects. Human resources are not infinite, either in management or in production.

Then why not just produce nothing but Munchkin and be done with it? Drop everything else that doesn't produce as many dollars-per-man-hour spent, since that seems to be your reasoning above. All Munchkin, all the time.

Then let other companies license out the less "profitable projects" to pick up the marginal markets. That way you can focus on "more profitable projects" and not waste time on these silly distractions.

[DocRailgun]

People are of course free to correct me, but it was thse other projects (like Ogre miniatures) that almost sunk SJG pre-Munchkin. The thing that I think people don't realize here is what SJG is doing here. Of course we look at the Kickstarter progress and say 'Hey, this is brilliant!', but let's look at what's really going on - this edition of Ogre was going out the door anyway, it was ready to be sent to the printer so Evil Stevie and Phil thought they would do a little experiment. Everything that has been added to the box so far or offered as stretch goals were already prepared (the rules, the counters, the maps, the chipboard Ogres), already contracted (the dice, the pins) or is easy to just add to what was already previously prepared (counter sheets, the one sided maps).
It's just not feasible to rely on money from Kickstarter to fund a project from beginning to end. Sure, there might be a million dollars pledged for a potential Car Wars project, but we could all change our pledged amount to zero the day before the project is funded and then where would it be? Nowhere.
Of course noone would pull their funding in that way, but you can't run a business hoping that will be the case.

Maybe I'm wrong and Kickstarter is the wave of the future, but I think the way SJG is using it is the right way: a project is funded, planned, etc. ahead of time and any Kickstarter funds will either make the project better or will offset whatever funds the company would have otherwise used.

I guess I'm wondering what 'other companies' you're talking about? People have had a long time to talk to SJG about working on other projects and such, if they were serious about licensing or working on a project (and has a serious plan to get it paid for and done) wouldn't they already be done?
I'm sure you remember how many people lost their proverbial (and maybe literal) shirts when they invested their life's-saving to produce OGL material?

SJG is still around because it stopped trying to make things that a few people would like to see. Pre-Munchkin the company made quite a lot of game books, even when it was clear that the RPG market was drying up... because that's what SJGs did - make RPGs. They also tried to make miniatures for Ogre... neither worked out well and almost sank the company. Producing cool things also sank (or almost did) a number of other companies - Mongoose almost died after its problems with the Battlefield Evolution line (they had to abandon the line altogether) and miniatures (or rather over-generous prize support and the theft of the same by some people) eventually sank Wizkids (or at least prompted the sale to Topps).

Originally Posted by Greyhawk Grognard

Then why not just produce nothing but Munchkin and be done with it? Drop everything else that doesn't produce as many dollars-per-man-hour spent, since that seems to be your reasoning above. All Munchkin, all the time.

Then let other companies license out the less "profitable projects" to pick up the marginal markets. That way you can focus on "more profitable projects" and not waste time on these silly distractions.

[Jeffr0]

Originally Posted by Greyhawk Grognard

Then let other companies license out the less "profitable projects" to pick up the marginal markets. That way you can focus on "more profitable projects" and not waste time on these silly distractions.

No.

I for one would not like to see the likes of Mongoose get their hands on SJG's venerable properties. Not after what they did to Traveller and Star Fleet Universe.

GURPS has excellent PDF support. Ogre is coming back this year. It looks like there's more old school to come. Life is good.