Heroscape Packaging Ideas

[Tyrnix]

Let me put it another way. <rant mode on>I think a lot of people see HS, to put it bluntly, as looking childish and cheaply produced. Most people would never even consider spending $40 on it. That's why I suggested lowering the price, however, there are other, perhaps better, alternatives. I know for one that a lot of what goes into the sales of a product has to do with how attractive it is to its target audience. While kids play this game, they're not the ones buying it. Most young adults and even many older teenagers are drawn away on the basis of the childlike appearance of the game. One look at the terrain tiles and they're packing their bags and heading for the next county. Also, the packaging is more presenting of a child's game than an adult strategy game; It looks like something you'd be embarrassed to buy for yourself.</rant mode off> I think if they improved the overall appearance of the box and the terrain tiles, and to a lesser extent, the rulebook and the army cards, they wouldn't have to change the price and a much larger audience would be drawn to it. Just my $.02.

[ej]

Originally Posted by Tyrnix

Let me put it another way. <rant mode on>I think a lot of people see HS, to put it bluntly, as looking childish and cheaply produced. Most people would never even consider spending $40 on it. That's why I suggested lowering the price, however, there are other, perhaps better, alternatives. I know for one that a lot of what goes into the sales of a product has to do with how attractive it is to its target audience. While kids play this game, they're not the ones buying it. Most young adults and even many older teenagers are drawn away on the basis of the childlike appearance of the game. One look at the terrain tiles and they're packing their bags and heading for the next county. Also, the packaging is more presenting of a child's game than an adult strategy game; It looks like something you'd be embarrassed to buy for yourself.</rant mode off> I think if they improved the overall appearance of the box and the terrain tiles, and to a lesser extent, the rulebook and the army cards, they wouldn't have to change the price and a much larger audience would be drawn to it. Just my $.02.

I wouldn't want to play with anybody who cared that much about those aspects of a fantastic game. </too-much-honesty-mode off>

[Onacara]

Originally Posted by ej

I wouldn't want to play with anybody who cared that much about those aspects of a fantastic game. </too-much-honesty-mode off>

Get out the tape measures we are gonna play a grown-up game!!!!

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by ej

I wouldn't want to play with anybody who cared that much about those aspects of a fantastic game. </too-much-honesty-mode off>

<agreeing with ej mode activated>

[Roland]

Originally Posted by Tyrnix

Let me put it another way. <rant mode on>I think a lot of people see HS, to put it bluntly, as looking childish and cheaply produced. Most people would never even consider spending $40 on it. That's why I suggested lowering the price, however, there are other, perhaps better, alternatives. I know for one that a lot of what goes into the sales of a product has to do with how attractive it is to its target audience. While kids play this game, they're not the ones buying it. Most young adults and even many older teenagers are drawn away on the basis of the childlike appearance of the game. One look at the terrain tiles and they're packing their bags and heading for the next county. Also, the packaging is more presenting of a child's game than an adult strategy game; It looks like something you'd be embarrassed to buy for yourself.</rant mode off> I think if they improved the overall appearance of the box and the terrain tiles, and to a lesser extent, the rulebook and the army cards, they wouldn't have to change the price and a much larger audience would be drawn to it. Just my $.02.

Yet all that that you say draws people way actually draws in more than you think. What other game can you sit down and play with your kids, then the next night bring it over to your buddies house, sit down and throw a few back while trying to kick their butt with some good old fashioned fantasy warfare?

[Dr. Weirdscaper]

Originally Posted by Onacara

Get out the tape measures we are gonna play a grown-up game!!!!

*zip, thud, gasp, banned*

[nyys]

Originally Posted by Tyrnix

One look at the terrain tiles and they're packing their bags and heading for the next county.

The terrain tiles are actually what drew my interest... couldn't wait to get it open and see what it was all about.

[Fatespuppet]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the terrain is the easiest part of HS for me to sell to other gamers. Even if they don't like the game itself, the terrain can be used for more 'adult' aimed ones like 40k. Games like 40k are often 50 to 100% more expensive then an HS master set. Add in that they don't have painted figures, have a rulebook containing 100s of pages and practically takes a law degree to play and you'll see how great a price $40 is.

That being said, I don't feel the least bit of embarassment shopping for HS stuff. Then again, I buy 3 times as many legos as I do HS(especially since I have almost a complete set of HS now). :P

[Dryden]

Originally Posted by bad_calvin

I would have expected to pay a bit more then $40 to be honest. Some of the "board games" I have purchased are well over $50 and closer to $60 and $70. You get a lot of miniatures and terrain in the box sets.

When I tore into my very first Heroscape 1st edition set, I was shocked how much stuff was included for only $40.00. I would say I had similar feelings with Heroscape's two predecessors, BattleMasters and HeroQuest, with their value/price offer.

Heroscape may be marketed to adolescent boys, but the adults who are heavily invested in the game are not dissuaded by the price. In either case, I don't think 'common consumer' is an apt name for the target audience. The same 'type' person that drops $100 on d20 core books, or $80 on BattleLore, or $150 on two units of Warhammer figs and some paint, doesn't bat an eyelash at $40 for Heroscape. $40 is a bargain. A steal!

When I was that adolescent pre-teen in the mid 80s, there was only one line of games I wanted: Milton Bradly's Game Master series. Axis & Allies, Conquest of the Empire, and Broadsides & Boarding Parties (and later Fortress America and Shogun) ... I wanted all of them. I practically begged for those first three for Christmas in 1984, and I wound up eventually getting Conquest that year, and A&A the year after that. Those were around $35 or $40 back then IIRC, which is equivilent to the $75-$80 range today, adjusted for inflation.

[Sherman Davies]

Originally Posted by Cavalier

<agreeing with ej mode activated>

Yeah, you know how I know I'm an adult in spite of the fact that I play Heroscape? I long ago stopped caring what strangers thought of me. Makes life a whole lot easier and more fun.

[Sir Graves]

Originally Posted by Onacara

I really wish that people talked about the actual packaging ideas and not what types of units they want to see. (That is a different thread)

I did in my reply in this thread.

[Sir Graves]

Originally Posted by Tyrnix

Let me put it another way. <rant mode on>I think a lot of people see HS, to put it bluntly, as looking childish and cheaply produced. Most people would never even consider spending $40 on it.

I gladly spent $40 retail on my first RotV master set a few months back and never regretted it for a second (haven't paid more than $20 on the next couple though now that I'm a little more enlightened by the community here, heh, but would again in a second if there were no other alternatives). Personally, I'd argue against the assertion that it looks "cheaply produced" in any way whatsoever--quite the contrary I say! Even at 40 bucks it's a good deal. There's nothing cheap about it.

But as for it looking "childish", well, I get what you're saying somewhat as far as the box design goes (though childish is too strong a term to me) and alluded to a similar point in my original post in this thread, and suggested WotC might want to consider "aging up" the box look (and TV spots) just a little bit at some point if they want the game to appeal to a wider age range. I do think this would help it sell better myself--as opposed to only aiming the marketing at small children. I think this is a valid observation.

That said, don't get me wrong...the actual game itself flat out rocks, I don't care what your age! If you're an average adult, once you get past the box (which is still very cool, if somewhat kiddish looking), all preconceived notions go out the window when you play with the master rules and realize how much depth and strategy there really is underlying the fun, breezy gameplay!