Model Range Refreshes

In tabletop wargaming, models typically last forever (if taken care of). As most are made of plastic, resin or white metal, miniatures don't significantly degrade over a period of years. An indestructible flower vase sells well only one time. No repeat sales.

With that in mind, how do companies continue to make money, selling miniatures?

Let's look at a few approaches that popular game companies have used.

 

Change of Material

One of the common ways most companies use to market miniatures of same design to veteran players. This usually starts from when a miniature, which was originally made of metal, is decided by the company to have a change of material for any reason. It could be the size of the mini, or the amount of sales (large or small) of that mini. 

From here, the design of the miniature is then tested and "ported" over to the embodying technology, such as plastic injection molding, to be able to change the material to, in this case, plastic.

This "new" miniature is then marketed to consumers as a refreshed product, either at the same price, or more. Rarely do we see a price reduction because the company needs to recoup on its investment for the miniature.

You see this with Corvus Belli's miniatures for Infinity (which I play a lot, no bias here). TAG's, Remotes and large models have now made the transition from Metal to Siocast, using a completely different moulding technology, at a cheaper cost.

 

Comparison of the Two Materials

New Variants

A more comprehensive way to refresh a range, is to have new product. New variants of miniatures that have similar features, with their own new ruleset. This requires more planning but less investment, as the common parts can be used from variant to variant. Of course, this depends on how different the variants are, the more unique, the more expensive it is to design and build.

Games Workshop has done this with Space Marines from Warhammer 40k. A Tactical Squad and a Devastator Squad are both Space Marines, just different load outs and different rules.You'll need to buy both to get their variants.

 

Devastator Squad on Left, Tactical Squad on Right

New Rules

Making rules of a certain box of minis to make them more competitive, as a form of an update, is one of the most common approaches. 

Privateer Press did this with Hordes and Warmachine, Games Workshop on each Codex, and even Corvus Belli. Each update making a particular character or squad more competitive, where in the previous revision, would be overlooked by players.

While this is the "easiest" way to do so, since there is no change in the physical model, the rewards are limited as well, since the ones that will flock to purchase the update miniatures are mainly the competitive players, which represent a small slice of the overall player base.

 

Warmachine and Hordes by Privateer Press

Games Need Companies

Those are some ways on how companies continue to sell products. This is to shed light on the matter, that games are made and supported by companies and companies need funds to survive and to continue to develop on the games that we play. 

 

We're still going to buy them regardless, but at least now, you know.