Mmmm....boxed sets...*drool*

Yep, I loves me the box sets.

Granted, some boxed sets were lame.  And TSR went too crazy with them in the later days.

I still think the base idea is still do-able, though.  I think the anti-box argument of "it's too expensive to use a box" is over-simplifying the economics a bit.  Surely a box, in and of itself, can't be that expensive.  I mean, Stuff sold in the freezer section of the grocery store for $1 all have cardboard boxes with full-color printing.

Quote from: jgantsI think the anti-box argument of "it's too expensive to use a box" is over-simplifying the economics a bit. Surely a box, in and of itself, can't be that expensive. [/quoteI think there are also distribution issues.  I know bookstores don't like them as they don't work well with their shelving - that would explain WOTC not using them much but book stores are not much of a market for most games.

Apparently the Exalted: First Age expansion will be a boxed set, which took me completely by surprise. I never pegged White Wolf doing that with any of their Storyteller properties.

I also like the unwrapping a present effect you get with a boxed set.  In fact, nowadays I sometimes get that effect when buying a used boxed set that has an unexpected goodie inside.  Most recently this happened with a boxed set of the 1985 TSR Conan RPG that I scored via mail order from one of my favorite sources The Sentry Box a FLGS in Calgary, Alberta.  When it showed up it had a copy of the 1980s Marvel Conan Universe in it, which was a nice surprise bonus.  

Or like the time I picked up a copy of the old AH Dune board game at auction to find that it included the Duel and Spice Harvest supplements.  Kid in a candy store...

Quote from: Warthur(Say what you like about the second version of Dark Sun, but the cloth map made it all worth it).

You know, I had the same reaction.  I loathe 2nd Ed Dark Sun, but that damn map was so cool that I always ended up using it in my version of Athas and explained away whatever didn't match on the map as the "Here be dragon's effect".  The fact that the map didn't exactly match the reality of my version of Athas was actually a bonus in this case, as the players would sit around it and try to figure out what parts were reliable and what parts were a mapmaker's fancy.


TGA

Regarding recent boxed sets, if the output by Necromancer and the Troll Lords is in any way representative, in the year 2007 a box will cost $70 retail, or $45+ at amazon (with the added bonus of not making the publisher any money).

And even then (Wilderlands), the box will be more like a cardboard wrap around the books than the glorious bulletproof Avalon Hill bookcase of yesteryear. That's just not worth it.

That said, I'm not sure what those Mongoose Conan boxes look like. I mean the city sets. The previews I've seen are very attractive, and they're supercheap.

It's too too bad that Everway tanked. If it hand't, we would have seen a box renaissance.

I love the Mystare boxed sets.
Yes, the second Edition ones too.

XOXOXO to Flint Dille.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityRegarding recent boxed sets, if the output by Necromancer and the Troll Lords is in any way representative, in the year 2007 a box will cost $70 retail, or $45+ at amazon (with the added bonus of not making the publisher any money).

See, here's where I have a problem.  I just bought Memoir '44 for $50.  It comes in a big cardboard box, with a big, thick, fold-out full-color two-sided board, and over a hundred molded plastic figures.  Not to mention the set of dice and cardboard counters.

And it's not like Memoir '44 has huge economies of scale, either.  You won't find it at Wal*Mart.

So my question is, why can Days of Wonder give me all that for $50 and stay in business while RPG publishers are crying poverty about giving me a couple of thin books and a set of dice (and God forbid, a paper map) for $70?

Hell, I also bought Tide of Iron for $70.  And that gives you a huge box, way more plastic goodies, and more big, thick cardboard boards.

While I love them when I get them, I'm with the people who have a lot of wrecked boxed sets while the hardcover books are still doing strong.

So I voted "like them".

However, I still use my Star Frontiers box because of all the counters / chits and the maps. Without the box I would lose those in minutes in this house.

Good question, J.

Off the top of my head: Distributors don't like RPG boxes (as opposed to boardgame boxes). Their reluctance to carry them is factored into the retail price by the publisher, thus further increasing their reluctance to carry them.

Maybe.

Answer:
RPGs sell like comic books.

PS: Or so I think, given that the Troll Lords boxed collector's edition of C&C was only available through their webstore, not through retail.

And that may also be the reason for the cardboard-wrappiness of the Wilderlands box. You can store that on a shelf together with the hardcovers. It's more intuitive for distributors and retailers.

Quote from: jgantsAnd it's not like Memoir '44 has huge economies of scale, either.  You won't find it at Wal*Mart.

I'd bet Days of Wonder has printed over 50,000 copies of Memoir '44. Maybe closer to 100,000. They're a big player in the boardgame industry - certainly not a part-time gig for hobbyists. The Wilderlands boxed set had a print run of something like 2,000. According to Necromancer Games, they made almost nothing on the Wilderlands.

Quote from: SettembriniAnswer:
RPGs sell like comic books.

Then they should by $3.99 in monthly installments!

I love boxed sets, but with the current market it would be insane and economic suicide for companies to make every release a boxed set.

Quote from: jrientsThen they should by $3.99 in monthly installments!

Didnt Palladium do something like that with Mechaniods?