Time for my 360 Review

[philreed]

Originally Posted by GranitePenguin

The 40th anniversary Organized Play events were basically a flop.

The costs were far, far high too high for the return on investment. As much as we would have loved to continue these, the demand wasn't there to justify the expense.

If I were to approach the situation again, I would personally target a "home league" approach. Since we now know that (most) retailers are far too swamped to get behind a series of in-store Ogre events (the game isn't big enough to be worth their time), instead construct a quarterly subscription for "Ogre at home" so that people can run Ogre parties.

Include in each kit:

* That quarter's scenario, which would also include a url directing players to a forum thread where they can report the results of their matches and interact with others AND directions on entering the quarterly scenario design contest.
* A new Ogre playmat; the scenario takes place on this new battlefield.
* The contest winner for "best scenario using the previous month's playmat" as a printed new scenario sheet.

All papers would be rolled up into the playmat, the entire package shipped to subscribers. Whatever excess inventory remains opened up for sale to the world on our online store.

A one-year subscription would cost $160 (includes U.S. shipping) and we would need 200 subscribers to make the idea really work.

Then, with the above tools in place, Ogre players could get a new map and new scenario every quarter, and either play at home or take the package to a local store or convention.

[Leonidas]

You are doing great, no doubt about it.

I entered the Ogreverse one year ago, I played a lot, and bought basically all the stuff that’s out there. I felt your enthusiasm, the warmth of the community, and I really can’t complaying about anything.

It seems that I am the only player in my country, I do not think I have seen anything Ogre related into the major gaming event here in Italy. I can host a SJG representative and help somehow. Italy could be a land to conquer.

The Ogre must flow.

[sparky00]

Communication has been excellent, both on this site & BGG. Your posts are serious enough to be informative & light enough to stay interesting.

Getting both rule books updated & printed is a huge thing - it will put Ogre on a firm foundation for years to come.

Also appreciate your efforts to harmonize the look of Ogre materials, even extending to surprises like the S&TO manual in the current graphical layout. These don't generate a lot of discussion, but they really give the game materials an attractive, unified look.

I've got high hopes for the Battle Box - hopefully it can become a regular inventory item, rather than disappearing in a few weeks like the Armory Box (by the time my budget recovered from emergency furnace replacement & vehicle repairs, the Armory Boxes were gone). I think the Battle Box is a good concept that provides a minis path for O6E owners. If this connects, it could give the player base a much needed boost.

Also appreciated are the efforts to get Nightfall completed. I really admire SJG as an organization for following through on this commitment, and you for taking on the huge task of putting together multiple scenarios for a long-delayed project.

Although I don't believe the potential of some of the sponsored ODE expansions has been exhausted by any means, I do share the desire others have expressed for genuinely new material. Not necessarily units, but scenarios, maps & possibly structures/scenery.

One criticism: announcements. Recently, there was an announcement for M1 playmat and also a social media stretch goal during the Mini rulebook kickstarter. The playmat was announced and orders closed with a very short time. i understand it was an experiment, but a little longer order period could have been beneficial to some. The social media stretch goal was different from anything previously attempted and was announced very late in the campaign. I believe it would have done better being announced earlier, even if the "like" goals were higher.

Overall- excellent job. Keep slogging up the hill!

Its a crowded, difficult time in the gaming business, but Ogre has proved durable & resilient. When the marketplace sorts itself out, Ogre will be better than ever, and perfectly poised to seize market share.

Just need to expand the base & get some new items for the loyal vets.

[TheAmishStig]

Originally Posted by philreed

The costs were far, far high too high for the return on investment. As much as we would have loved to continue these, the demand wasn't there to justify the expense.

If I were to approach the situation again, I would personally target a "home league" approach. Since we now know that (most) retailers are far too swamped to get behind a series of in-store Ogre events (the game isn't big enough to be worth their time), instead construct a quarterly subscription for "Ogre at home" so that people can run Ogre parties.

Include in each kit:

* That quarter's scenario, which would also include a url directing players to a forum thread where they can report the results of their matches and interact with others AND directions on entering the quarterly scenario design contest.
* A new Ogre playmat; the scenario takes place on this new battlefield.
* The contest winner for "best scenario using the previous month's playmat" as a printed new scenario sheet.

All papers would be rolled up into the playmat, the entire package shipped to subscribers. Whatever excess inventory remains opened up for sale to the world on our online store.

A one-year subscription would cost $160 (includes U.S. shipping) and we would need 200 subscribers to make the idea really work.

Then, with the above tools in place, Ogre players could get a new map and new scenario every quarter, and either play at home or take the package to a local store or convention.

Release the league rules that were going to be part of Ogre Organized Play (as a PDF, and put a note about it on each quarter's scenario pack...no need to print them and put them in every package), and you need 199 subscribers.

[totalfailure]

After participating in every Ogre Kickstarter since the DE (missed that as I was out of gaming at time), and buying the M1 playmat trial too, I think I should comment on why I personally would likely not buy into Phil’s presented mat/scenario concept presented here.

Quite simply, I don’t get to play enough, personally, to make that kind of investment or commitment practical. Even though the overall price is not unreasonable, as you would be getting more for the same price per as the trial mat, quarterly would just be too much product too often to justify for the amount I get to play. And I would have a pile of stuff there wasn’t much I could do with it.

While my personal situation is not a standard to run the idea by, I thought it might be helpful to say why I probably wouldn’t participate, even though I care about Ogre, and it’s future. I suspect you’d be able to get your 200 subscribers regardless. But I will have to be that guy peering in the window watching everyone have a good time without me, I’m afraid.

[ColBosch]

Originally Posted by sparky00

The social media stretch goal was different from anything previously attempted and was announced very late in the campaign.

SJ Games has already learned from this. The current Kickstarter campaign for Munchkin Unicorns and Friends included social media stretch goals from the very start, and fulfilled them.

[sparky00]

Originally Posted by philreed

The costs were far, far high too high for the return on investment. As much as we would have loved to continue these, the demand wasn't there to justify the expense.

If I were to approach the situation again, I would personally target a "home league" approach. Since we now know that (most) retailers are far too swamped to get behind a series of in-store Ogre events (the game isn't big enough to be worth their time), instead construct a quarterly subscription for "Ogre at home" so that people can run Ogre parties.

Include in each kit:

* That quarter's scenario, which would also include a url directing players to a forum thread where they can report the results of their matches and interact with others AND directions on entering the quarterly scenario design contest.
* A new Ogre playmat; the scenario takes place on this new battlefield.
* The contest winner for "best scenario using the previous month's playmat" as a printed new scenario sheet.

All papers would be rolled up into the playmat, the entire package shipped to subscribers. Whatever excess inventory remains opened up for sale to the world on our online store.

A one-year subscription would cost $160 (includes U.S. shipping) and we would need 200 subscribers to make the idea really work.

Then, with the above tools in place, Ogre players could get a new map and new scenario every quarter, and either play at home or take the package to a local store or convention.

I like it! Count me in.

[Izzy_B]

Originally Posted by philreed

The costs were far, far high too high for the return on investment. As much as we would have loved to continue these, the demand wasn't there to justify the expense.

If I were to approach the situation again, I would personally target a "home league" approach. ...

A one-year subscription would cost $160 (includes U.S. shipping) and we would need 200 subscribers to make the idea really work.

Then, with the above tools in place, Ogre players could get a new map and new scenario every quarter, and either play at home or take the package to a local store or convention.

Cant tell if this is brainstorming a possible product but if so I'd sign up even though I can't get anything like a league going here in Tokyo but just because of my darned urge to competeness.

That said, I wonder if the price point is too low for y'all to cover costs of development. However, I do like the idea of something that is essentially a "ambassador's kit" for brand advocates. Even if it is kind of a loss leader and even it may be hard/impossible to measure success of brand growth due to this particular approach, as you have said in several places, the LGS in general can no longer be counted on for this role.

Obviously some here are already doing this with just existing product but something like this with quarterly new demo gear might be an idea worth exploring if there is a committed core of willing participants.

[Knockman]

Comms from you are excellent, and I like how you took onboard suggestions for the format. You now have a good legacy of published Updates that could be indexed for easier referencing, especially to any latecomers and new players of Ogre. So carry on with what you're doing here and how you're doing it.

I note from an early response from the great man himself that comms feed from SJGames to you could be better for informing you of any changes. That's quite crucial. You are left to trust them to sort that, but in the meantime, you will have to manage any frustration or aggro that comes direct to you when someone complains about something, and it was not your fault. I suggest you keep a simple log of those instances. It's also good evidence for what needs to be improved upon.

I am slightly concerned on the Ogre production strategy for the future. I wouldn't want to see an increasing reliance on KickStarter for every new-ish product. I'm already directed to W23, being non-US resident, and while I can appreciate the business reasoning behind it, it's a method that hardly encourages non-US new players to get into the game. Globally-aimed KS game projects see considerable success in getting their game into a global market. The 'use-your-FLGS' approach isn't that well founded for us here in UK, and dare I also suggest for Europe too. I am fortunate in having a local games outlet, but many of my gaming crew don't. So internet is often our solution, either from the giants or from those game shops who also provide website ordering too. And for them to cope, they use main distributors that they can order stock from, and it's those few companies who channel product into UK. Whatever and however you do it for Munchkin, you should do the same for Ogre.

I absolutely agree with the aims to increase awareness of Ogre as a game to new people. That will see the product line gain a better foothold to hopefully give it better resilience. And that can only benefit us old veterans to see it finally stay in consistent continual production, even if there are quiet periods and other new priorities. However, while I have done my best to promote the game, I can only do so if there is product for the convert to then purchase. So we can only go so far.

For example: Ogre Minis has great potential to fill various current voids in sci-fi micro-wargaming as other games have floundered or stalled. An ironic opportunity where the Ogre plastics could become 'proxies' for other games, where in the past we were using their minis to fill gaps in the Ogre line. Ogre Minis is a great re-working of a good wargames rule system, and it needs further support in the near-future, and not just checked off the list as 'job-done'.

In summary, you're doing a great job with what you have to hand. You need a better Product Promotion Strategy, underpinned by better and more flexible supply and delivery facilitation, and linked to a long-term Future Product Strategy to then be able to say what will be coming out and when to fans old and especially new. I hope you get something like that, as it would be so sad to see Ogre stall again. But keep at it - never has Ogre needed a Field Marshall leading at the front more than at this time!

(My apologies if this is a bit 'rambling' - I'm recovering from a rather hot and hectic weekend where I went 'medieval' on a lot of people!)

[dwalend]

Originally Posted by TheAmishStig

Release the league rules that were going to be part of Ogre Organized Play (as a PDF, and put a note about it on each quarter's scenario pack...no need to print them and put them in every package), and you need 199 subscribers.

Provide the (online) structure for hosting games at people's houses consistently - meetup maybe - and you need 198 subscribers.