Possible Master 3 announcement upcoming?

[ImhotepMagi]

Originally Posted by NelsMonsterX

Couldn't they really just solve this issue by simply printing a ton of every set? Why do limited print runs in the first place when you know you will reprint in the future? Just load up a warehouse with figures and sell them on hasbro.com. They would most likely get a discount on high volume production anyhow. When the market is flooded, there's no need for a secondary market.

Except that there's always the possibility that a particular set won't sell as well as another and there ends up being leftover stock for ages. Better to print only what you CAN sell and worry about what you MIGHT sell later. Saves on both production costs and warehousing costs.

[RobertDD]

Originally Posted by Agent Minivann

I can't figure you out. You say one thing. Someone posts something that doesn't fit with it. So then you say something else?

Not really, but you bolded and quoted the wrong parts. I fixed it for ya!

It's simple (and please don't say again that I'm over-simplifying):
1. WotC wants to keep their existing customers happy.
2. WotC wants to make new customers.
3. The needs of (some of the) existing customers collide with the needs of the new customers.
4. WotC needs to ask the following question: are there enough new customers to risk alienating some old customers, or is there more money to be made by just putting out new sculpts.

Originally Posted by Antifascist

What are you talking about? I am a WOTC customer who buys Heroscape, and I will VERY upset if there are not anymore reprints. WOTC is putting out a competitive game that's based upon having the best pieces possible. If they do not reprint the "good" squads/heroes (Blastatrons, 4th Mass, etc.), they will be alienating their newest customers because these new customers won't be able to get the good squads, so they will always get beaten in tournaments, and so they will stop playing. Then it would just be the folks who have been playing since the beginning dominating the scene with no hope for growth of the product, game, or 'scape scene.

For argument's sake, let's say WOTC never reprints another wave but remains determined to not allow this void of competive balance come to pass. The other alternative would be to put out new squads/heroes that simply mimic the desirable abilities of the "OOP" 'scape figures, which of course, would irritate those folks who had been savvy and quick enough to buy up all of the earlier figures with the cool abilities.

Yes, reprinting figures does hurt the originals' values and that will irritate some folks, but like you said, those folks sell that stuff on ebay, and like you said, WOTC doesn't see a dime of those exorbitant prices. Why would WOTC care about alienating a rather small (but also rather vocal, IMO) segment of the 'Scape fanbase at the risk of irritating every possible new customer?

Well, you are taking what I said out of context. Here's the part that really matters in regards to your post:

Originally Posted by RobertDD

Expectations for wave 1 were always set as: we will reprint, this is not collectable. Therefore, customer #5 does not exist for wave 1.

The conclusion from that statement is that no-one will be upset if WotC reprints, and many will be elated (you and me both, by the way!) because these waves have always been marketed as such. We actually don't disagree at all, my comments on my expectation of re-printing regarded exclusives only (and probably not even Volcarren Wasteland).

By the way, as someone who has all the exclusives, I still rather see a reprint of them than not. I just don't expect we will see a reprint. I have suggested in the past that WotC could change the paint scheme of the reprints to still have the collectability in the originals. I think that would go a long way towards satisfying both camps...

[Antifascist]

When you put it into your 4 step program there, it makes sense. I just could not discern what you were getting at in your prior posts RobertDD. I reckon that's my bad.

Your conclusion is correct; WOTC must decide which way forward is more economically viable for them, and of course, they are burdened by the need to post profits immediately due to their corporate nature.

I agree about repaints as well. Such activity would Keep the originals different for those who value the scarcity but allow latecomers to the game to catch up for competetive purposes.

[Agent Minivann]

Originally Posted by NelsMonsterX

Couldn't they really just solve this issue by simply printing a ton of every set? Why do limited print runs in the first place when you know you will reprint in the future? Just load up a warehouse with figures and sell them on hasbro.com. They would most likely get a discount on high volume production anyhow. When the market is flooded, there's no need for a secondary market.

The problem lies in the catalog. There are enough waves that they can't really justify making a huge run of one wave, and then go through the other waves in similar fashion. There would likely be a bigger problem with sets becoming scarce. That type of strategy would probably work very well with MtG (just print, cut, and package) as opposed to Heroscape (pour mold, prep for painting, paint, base, package). It's a large expense in producing the figures, and it will take a lot of warehouse space to sit on it until it sells.

[Gypsy]

The Actual Production of Waves & Figures & Accessories, is not My Published Opinionated View.

My Problem with All of This is; Integrity of Intentions.

We could All wait for New Pieces &/or Reprints forever, if it was Truly Known that the Product would become Available.

To Play Secret Toymaker to the Very Masses that They want to Buy their Product, seems to Undermind their Concerns for heroScape being a Money-Making Enterprise for their Corporation.

Why would you Whine about Profit Margins, but not Inform the People who Control Your Precious Profit Margins, of Your Intentions?

I don't care about When, I care about If........

[kboleen]

I think WoTC should release a generic TILE PACK. A pack of nothing but various tiles; like a Master Set without the figures. I don't know about anyone else but I use the tiles for several different games: Heroscape, LOTR TMG, D&D, and Mage Knight.

[Eirikr]

Originally Posted by Gypsy

The Actual Production of Waves & Figures & Accessories, is not My Published Opinionated View.

My Problem with All of This is; Integrity of Intentions.

We could All wait for New Pieces &/or Reprints forever, if it was Truly Known that the Product would become Available.

To Play Secret Toymaker to the Very Masses that They want to Buy their Product, seems to Undermind their Concerns for heroScape being a Money-Making Enterprise for their Corporation.

Why would you Whine about Profit Margins, but not Inform the People who Control Your Precious Profit Margins, of Your Intentions?

I don't care about When, I care about If........

Maybe they're afraid you will send them messages randomly capitalizing words for no apparent reason and creating your own undecipherable idioms. What does "integrity of intentions" mean? And I assume you mean undermine? not undermind???

[heroscapenoobs]

I think that if they come out with a new master set they should name it something like aquilla's betrayal and have some new aquilla people that join Utgar.

[RichardD]

Why not have some new Aquilla people who actually fight for Aquilla?

She's not exactly blessed with large numbers of troops as it is, and your suggesting that some of them desert and fight for Utgar??

[A&W]

Originally Posted by darkmantle

Its a problem, because I Loved the idea of the marvel game, but with no expansions out, I have no incentive to buy more than one of the original set for the land or whatnot. Honestly, if heroscape had just come out and all that was out was the original RotV I would say the game had a lot of potential, and be thrilled at the idea of more stuff coming out, but if that got delayed time after time, I would end up giving up on the game. The thing so great about heroscape in my opinion is the extreme variety, and the fact that most new waves that come out, everybody has to rethink their strategy a bit to account for the possible new enemies. With Marvel, its just like having a weaker version of RotV and nothing to back it up. I think if they would come out with wave 1, then the selling of both wave 1 and the orignal master set would skyrocket. I hate to see them give up on such a good idea. It also needs a few squads, skrulls or doombots or something to make it a bit more like regular heroscape.

What Marvel needs is common squads and heros. I don't want to buy multiple wave sets or multiple master sets if all the figures are Unique. I think thats what is killing it.

[Zarovichx]

Isn't it about the predicted time (late spring, early summer) to hear about the "Big Announcement" for Heroscape. Here's to hoping it is a new master set with new journal entries.

[ElvenEnvy]

Originally Posted by Zarovichx

Isn't it about the predicted time (late spring, early summer) to hear about the "Big Announcement" for Heroscape. Here's to hoping it is a new master set with new journal entries.

Once we've had Wave 9 for a few weeks I'm sure if they have any plans for the holiday season we'll hear whispers about them then.