print your own figures

This post is perhaps not Malifaux specific. OK, it' s not at all Malifaux specific, it's generic and applicable to any figure gaming system.

A quick google suggests a 3D printer is currently available for a mere £15,000. Hmm.. OK, that's a lot of money, but, like any technology it'll start to come down. And I was wondering, does this have implications for our hobby?

Why accept the costs of manufacturing, packaging and distributing figures if you can sell the template for people to print their own in their own home?

You the user would browse the wyrd web site, think, hmm.. I like that one, click a button, order it, receive the template there and then and have a figure 5 minutes later.



Mini figure 3d printed. image by Creative Tools

Now I'm no 3d printing expert, I don't know what the limitations of these devises are, but from what I've seen of what can be printed, I think these machines are more than capable of printing these figures, maybe some of them will need to be printed in sections and glued together, but they could still be printed. In fact, as you can see, a quick search and I've found someone that's already done it.

Also, for those that aren't painting fans, colour 3d printers are also available. Perhaps before too long they will be sophisticated enough to print colour well enough that you could buy a colour template and not need to paint the figure afterwards?

There would need to be a method of limiting the number of times you could print a template. GW aren't going to sell you one orc template and watch you print off 200 of the blighters are they?

Not sure if figure prices would be cheaper for the consumer or not, the manufacturer could reduce their prices as they'd have no manufacturing costs, no distribution costs and no packaging costs. However consumers would need raw materials, and the printer of course.

There are of course implications for game stores too. They sell plenty of things beyond figures, but this could make a dent.

But, at the end of the day, maybe this is all just a rambling pipe dream.

These printers are still very expensive, it might cause too much of an upheaval to the industry, and lets face it, it hasn't happened in an area it could have done already.. the books and manuals our games rely on.

What do you think? Let me know.

gaming resolutions

It's that time of year, they're all doing it, so why shouldn't I?  That's right, it's gaming resolutions time.

Thing is, you see, it's virtualy pointless for me to do this.  I have a full time job, a 15 month old son, and I'm having to find a new place, pack and move all within the next couple of months..
However, that all said, here's my 'aims' for 2012.

Play more - I now have two possible opponents, my regular and a good friend who's had his first intro game and is interested in more, so this may be feasible, other restraints permitting.  Also there is a gaming club not a million miles from here that I could get to on a Sunday evening.

Paint more - had a brief period last year where the painting picked up a bit, but apart from a few finished sorrows all that left me was a bunch of half finished models.  And of course I now have new stuff I'd rather paint than finish the half done stuff.  Minimum one evening a week shouldn't be unreasonable.

(c) Wyrd miniatures.

Paint an entire crew - Will focus my painting toward my new Rasputina crew and try and get them finished.  Not entirely certain on a scheme yet but they're likely to be similar across the crew so should make completing the crew easier (if I don't get bored).

Stick to buying Arcanists - At least for a few months, so I don't get distracted from painting the crew and playing them.

Buy Twisting fates - I still don't have this, must rectify.

Paint better - painting more will help but I need to be brave and try out some new techniques maybe.

And that's it.  Nothing unusual or desperately exciting, but hopefully this will serve to focus my efforts.



(Previously published elsewhere January 2012)