Comments on: ZeroClix http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/ The Journal of Gamer Culture Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:43:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/#comment-64149 Michael Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:12:28 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=2469#comment-64149 Oh but then again maybe each gencon is different.... I mean state-wide... Oh but then again maybe each gencon is different…. I mean state-wide…

]]> By: Michael http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/#comment-64148 Michael Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:09:26 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=2469#comment-64148 Im positive i saw wizkids at gencon this year, and think they had the life size models of Starwars Clone Wars pieces.... And they had pirates too (which i hope survives) Im positive i saw wizkids at gencon this year, and think they had the life size models of Starwars Clone Wars pieces…. And they had pirates too (which i hope survives)

]]> By: BeastMasterJ http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/#comment-64147 BeastMasterJ Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:39:08 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=2469#comment-64147 I'm with Dave on this one. Once the belts start to tighten industries/products based on disposable income get hit first. Restaurants go down, but grocery stores remain steady; boutiques like Crate and Barrel, Linens and Things, etc. loose out because people can no longer afford that imported ebony hope chest that matches their Egyptian Wool comforter so nicely. My main supplier of MTG cards closed up about a 6 months after 9/11, although I'd imagine their profit margin was thin anyway. <abbr><em>BeastMasterJ´s last post: <a href="http://beastmasterj.blogspot.com/2008/11/winter-is-coming.html" rel="nofollow">Winter is Coming...</a></em></abbr> I’m with Dave on this one. Once the belts start to tighten industries/products based on disposable income get hit first. Restaurants go down, but grocery stores remain steady; boutiques like Crate and Barrel, Linens and Things, etc. loose out because people can no longer afford that imported ebony hope chest that matches their Egyptian Wool comforter so nicely.

My main supplier of MTG cards closed up about a 6 months after 9/11, although I’d imagine their profit margin was thin anyway.

BeastMasterJ´s last post: Winter is Coming…

]]> By: The Game http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/#comment-64146 The Game Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:37:43 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=2469#comment-64146 "as in pretty much every economic downturn recreational spending actually increases as people seek more escape from their problems" Have a source for this? All the game companies and shops I've talked to have said the opposite and worry about economic downturns (especially around the holidays.) But if that's more localized and the general trend is otherwise, I'd like to find out. “as in pretty much every economic downturn recreational spending actually increases as people seek more escape from their problems”

Have a source for this? All the game companies and shops I’ve talked to have said the opposite and worry about economic downturns (especially around the holidays.) But if that’s more localized and the general trend is otherwise, I’d like to find out.

]]> By: OgreCave » WizKids officially shut down http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/#comment-64145 OgreCave » WizKids officially shut down Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:13:05 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=2469#comment-64145 [...] So yeah - Topps is formally exiting the hobby games market and terminating all WK product lines, or what’s left of them anyway. The predictable noises are being made about changing economic times and etc., but one wonders whether the sports trading card business is really that much better to focus on. I suppose the phrase “no risk, no reward” might be sounding a little sweeter these days to Topps’ owners (who are, for those of you not keeping your scorecards up to date, Dearborn Partners and Michael Eisner’s Tornante Company). [Edit: so there's me with the reading-comprehension fail: it sounds like HeroClix and something else (my guess is actually Star Wars PocketModel rather than Pirates) will be continuing under a new brand after a short break, rather than permanently folding. Critical Hits has some more details and discussion.] [...] [...] So yeah – Topps is formally exiting the hobby games market and terminating all WK product lines, or what’s left of them anyway. The predictable noises are being made about changing economic times and etc., but one wonders whether the sports trading card business is really that much better to focus on. I suppose the phrase “no risk, no reward” might be sounding a little sweeter these days to Topps’ owners (who are, for those of you not keeping your scorecards up to date, Dearborn Partners and Michael Eisner’s Tornante Company). [Edit: so there's me with the reading-comprehension fail: it sounds like HeroClix and something else (my guess is actually Star Wars PocketModel rather than Pirates) will be continuing under a new brand after a short break, rather than permanently folding. Critical Hits has some more details and discussion.] [...]

]]> By: Bartoneus http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/#comment-64144 Bartoneus Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:48:38 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=2469#comment-64144 It's actually a pretty curious situation, as in pretty much every economic downturn recreational spending actually increases as people seek more escape from their problems. What is likely to happen as far as our hobbies, however, is that while sales of books and products may decline I imagine more people will be playing D&D and they will play more often! This is kind of an odd twist to the whole market. We're already seeing movie ticket sales increase, especially considering the collision of economic troubles, an election (here in the US), AND the full onset of Fall all hitting at the same time. Dave: How the heck did we miss the wizkids booth? Are we not lecherous enough or what? It’s actually a pretty curious situation, as in pretty much every economic downturn recreational spending actually increases as people seek more escape from their problems. What is likely to happen as far as our hobbies, however, is that while sales of books and products may decline I imagine more people will be playing D&D and they will play more often! This is kind of an odd twist to the whole market.

We’re already seeing movie ticket sales increase, especially considering the collision of economic troubles, an election (here in the US), AND the full onset of Fall all hitting at the same time.

Dave: How the heck did we miss the wizkids booth? Are we not lecherous enough or what?

]]> By: DNAphil http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/#comment-64143 DNAphil Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:13:02 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=2469#comment-64143 I was a fan of Mage Knight, back in 2001 and played for a few years, when my time for playing RPG's was pretty lean, and I was not in a good place to be GMing (during a divorce). I wound up giving up on MK later, because I was saving for my wedding, and I had come to the realization that I was really more of an RPG player than a Mini guy. I sold off a bunch of MK minis, but kept a bunch of figs, rule books, rulers, and all my hand-made terrain, and have been saving it for when my kids become old enough to learn the game. The closing of WizKids makes me somewhat concerned about the gaming industry and the economy, but I think that WizKids fell prey to the "build it and sell it" plan. For many years, WizKids did fine as their own company, and I am sure made enough money to support its own company. Then they sold the company to Topps, which I am sure did Jordan and some of the other owners well. But Topps is a much larger company and a public company, and one that has a core product (sports cards). So now the WizKids line has to keep up with the core business, and when business starts to falter, they closed down. Not to draw too many parallels, but WoTC did the same thing with Hasbro. What's to say that WoTC does not get the axe if Hasbro has a big downturn. As for GenCon...yea..Ms. Marvel. <abbr><em>DNAphil´s last post: <a href="http://www.dnaphil.com/2008/11/06/gnome-stew-more-lessons-from-the-long-campaign/" rel="nofollow">Gnome Stew: More Lessons From The Long Campaign</a></em></abbr> I was a fan of Mage Knight, back in 2001 and played for a few years, when my time for playing RPG’s was pretty lean, and I was not in a good place to be GMing (during a divorce).

I wound up giving up on MK later, because I was saving for my wedding, and I had come to the realization that I was really more of an RPG player than a Mini guy.

I sold off a bunch of MK minis, but kept a bunch of figs, rule books, rulers, and all my hand-made terrain, and have been saving it for when my kids become old enough to learn the game.

The closing of WizKids makes me somewhat concerned about the gaming industry and the economy, but I think that WizKids fell prey to the “build it and sell it” plan. For many years, WizKids did fine as their own company, and I am sure made enough money to support its own company. Then they sold the company to Topps, which I am sure did Jordan and some of the other owners well. But Topps is a much larger company and a public company, and one that has a core product (sports cards). So now the WizKids line has to keep up with the core business, and when business starts to falter, they closed down.

Not to draw too many parallels, but WoTC did the same thing with Hasbro. What’s to say that WoTC does not get the axe if Hasbro has a big downturn.

As for GenCon…yea..Ms. Marvel.

DNAphil´s last post: Gnome Stew: More Lessons From The Long Campaign

]]> By: Bartoneus http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/#comment-64142 Bartoneus Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:35:08 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=2469#comment-64142 I don't recall seeing them at GenCon this year either, specifically no real-life Ms. Marvel! I don’t recall seeing them at GenCon this year either, specifically no real-life Ms. Marvel!

]]> By: The Game http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/#comment-64141 The Game Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:27:16 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=2469#comment-64141 Very strange, I must have missed them entirely. (Just checked my photos of the convention, didn't see any of their booth there either.) Very strange, I must have missed them entirely. (Just checked my photos of the convention, didn’t see any of their booth there either.)

]]> By: Mad Brew http://critical-hits.com/2008/11/10/zeroclix/#comment-64140 Mad Brew Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:25:30 +0000 http://www.critical-hits.com/?p=2469#comment-64140 They had a pretty big "booth" going at GenCon this year, and always had a large crowd around their life-size (actors standing on clix bases) demos. In fact Ms. Marvel was <em>very</em> popular. <abbr><em>Mad Brew´s last post: <a href="http://www.madbrewlabs.com/index.php/2008/11/10/mad-brews-new-avatar-other-creativeness/" rel="nofollow">Mad Brew’s New Avatar & Other Creativeness</a></em></abbr> They had a pretty big “booth” going at GenCon this year, and always had a large crowd around their life-size (actors standing on clix bases) demos. In fact Ms. Marvel was very popular.

Mad Brew´s last post: Mad Brew’s New Avatar & Other Creativeness

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