tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post7518769677797086976..comments2024-01-06T04:13:41.492-07:00Comments on A Paladin In Citadel: Paizo's Pathfinder Miniatures: Self-Defeating Business DecisionsAaron E. Steelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-16042225059208828352014-04-12T01:00:09.791-06:002014-04-12T01:00:09.791-06:00For twisting the knife, now i'll only buy five...For twisting the knife, now i'll only buy five Feiyas instead of six.<br /><br />:DAaron E. Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-56109037136199587222014-04-12T00:50:35.064-06:002014-04-12T00:50:35.064-06:00That is brutal to hear, man. I hope it does not in...That is brutal to hear, man. I hope it does not increase your pain and frustration when I say that the Feiya miniature is absolutely gorgeous. :)<br />Erik Monahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885483568568357624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-55164924359900819002014-04-12T00:33:57.003-06:002014-04-12T00:33:57.003-06:00Tim, Feiya is the reason I was initially enthusias...Tim, Feiya is the reason I was initially enthusiastic about, and then disappointed with this minis set. Feiya is a fantastic Iconic. To have her released in a unexpectedly diminished set, with too few must-haves to justify purchasing, put me into a week-long funk, where in frustration, for several days I considered abandoning Pathfinder minis entirely.Aaron E. Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-21014667344199591092014-04-12T00:10:22.924-06:002014-04-12T00:10:22.924-06:00Erik, I agree that (for me) this was not the best ...Erik, I agree that (for me) this was not the best set to introduce a shrinkage in variety. The selection in the RoW set was already significantly less applicable to my table than previous PF cases(with only about 55% of the 44 revealed miniatures on my "suitability" list) and I was hopeful, prior to the set shrinkage announcement, that the remaining miniatures in a 54-miniature set would "bring up the percentages."<br /><br />That hope was dashed when it was announced that the set would be truncated to 44 figs.<br /><br />I'm a big fan of Paizo, despite my only peripheral interest in the Pathfinder RPG, and continue to financially support Paizo through the card decks, and Pathfinder card game. Paizo has more consistently than anyone delivered high quality products, and I want to see Paizo thrive.<br /><br />And I'm serious about the prices, and on-line retailers. One, I'd rather pay more for quality, and two, as a proponent of Paizo and my FLGS, I'm tired of on-line retailers undercutting my FLGS and Paizo's on-line prices.<br /><br />Having had a chance to cool off, I agree with you, to not buy some of the figs from this set would be lose-lose, since there are still many excellent figures, even if there are too few must-haves this time (for me) to justify a full case purchase.<br /><br />Thanks for the measured and thoughtful response.Aaron E. Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789462075611254929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-5932824081908551572014-04-11T19:42:16.253-06:002014-04-11T19:42:16.253-06:00I love that witch character.I love that witch character.Timothy S. Brannanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02923526503305233715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4891509519427970698.post-84024755108825931972014-04-11T18:42:06.685-06:002014-04-11T18:42:06.685-06:00Hey, Aaron. Erik Mona, here. Thanks for your comme...Hey, Aaron. Erik Mona, here. Thanks for your comments on the Pathfinder Battles line. I thought I'd add a couple of additional points to the discussion to provide some additional context. <br /><br />I agree with you that the announcement is poorly timed. I'd have preferred to implement a change of this magnitude on a set that was a little less "out there" in theme, and I'd have preferred to make the announcement about the piece reduction at the same time we announced the product. However, this is a licensed a product, and a lot of the day-to-day business decisions are made by WizKids, even if I am the "face" of the brand online. So sometimes I have to make the best out of decisions that are ultimately made by other companies.<br /><br />My understanding is that the new D&D minis sets will be the same size as the "new" Pathfinder Battles standard. WizKids believes that this is the right mix for the sets, but even with that in mind I can tell you that I am pushing for more individual sculpts, and expect to see at least a partial step back toward the old set size within two or three sets' time.<br /><br />This change should not be read as "financial trouble at Paizo," as you suggest. Paizo is coming off its best year ever, and we are satisfied with sales not just of our entire line of products, but of the Pathfinder Battles line itself. We think there are some changes to be made to our subscription benefits (also mentioned in the same blog post), but for the most part we think it's a solid business. The reduction in sculpts did not come from Paizo, or have anything to do with Paizo's business.<br /><br />I mentioned that a lot of customers had been asking for more commons and uncommons, but that's more by way of context than the justification for the change. The justification for the change is outlined specifically in part of my blog that you directly quoted: "to help WizKids get its costs in line". The "added benefit" is, as I said, an "added benefit." A mitigating factor, if you will.<br /><br />That said, it seems clear that you won't, so I may be wasting my time with this response. I can understand stepping back from a case purchase because of this change, but I am disappointed to hear that this change means you will not buy ANY figures from the set. I certainly hope that is not a universal response to the change--especially from people who have supported the line as you have. If that's the case, I can see the sculpt count trending toward zero much more rapidly than I may have anticipated. <br /><br />Here's hoping that doesn't happen. :)<br /><br />--Erik Mona<br />Publisher<br />Paizo Publishing<br />Erik Monahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885483568568357624noreply@blogger.com