Board games - your views

[Dimo]

I'd be very interested to hear your views on board games today in our world of computers and electronics. You see, I feel there's a niche for traditional games in which a family interacts as opposed to each doing their own thing in solitude using iphones/laptops/game consoles, etc. I feel this is a selling point.

There is great value in social engagement but it's probably unappreciated by many these days who are glued to their miniature screens. However, I am not sure whether I have a misplaced belief that there is a decent market for new board games even of a particular genre. My own interest may be clouding my judgement so to hear others' views may be helpful.

There is a market in Europe and the US for board games and I know it isn't a means to get-rich-quick but has anyone any experience in this area or any tales worth telling? I belong to board game forums where there's a healthy membership, and it seems virtually anyone can invent a board game, but I have some unique designs on a pet theme which (in my view) have a better chance in that they will appeal not only to game players but to cat and dog lovers also.

I value the UK Business Forum and thank everyone past and present who responds to my questions.

 

[Dnallov]

Hi Dimo

I feel there's a niche for traditional games in which a family interacts as opposed to each doing their own thing in solitude using iphones/laptops/game consoles, etc.

Although the board game industry has taken a hit over the last couple of decades, there is still a gigantic range and defiantly not niche!

It’s not even close to the industry I’m in, but from what I understand it is one of the hardest markets to get a foothold into.

 

[obscure]

Its a tough market. Getting into retail is tough unless you have a load of money for marketing. Selling online is tough unless you have a lot of money for marketing... getting an established game company to pick up your game is tough..... in short its tough all round. It can be done but you will have to invest time and money into polishing it to get anyone to look at it.

 

[Ian PES]

Hi
I did a brief feature about a local guy -Andreww Sheerin- who was part of a team that had developed a board game (http://www.working-model.co.uk/uncategorized/war-on-terror-the-board-game-2/). You might find that helpful

 

[DazRave]

There's been a fair few kick starter card and board games over the last 2 years that suggest the market is actually growing.

 

[BigTree]

Don't know about making your own games but...

A board game shop opened up in one of the Cardiff arcades not too long ago and appears to do well.

I took a look the other day for my 4 yr old and was surprised most of the board games were not necessarily aimed at children. They appeared to be more Warhammer/Fantasy type games with a sprinkling of the more traditional such as Monopoly.

The owners came across as specialists and knew what they were talking about. I expect it's more of a warehouse for their online sales.

I suggest joining one of the specialist board game forums (must be some!) and get a good understanding of the market.

 

[BigTree]

duplicate

 

[Dimo]

Thanks for those comments. I've been involved in tabletop gaming for a long while and ran a successful club for 15 years. Although I've developed two original games the real issue is financing 5000+ copies of each. I can understand an investor's view that board games are a non-starter as far as making a buck is concerned, which is why so many designers go it alone. Still, in my case I think it's a bit short sighted (well, I would!) bearing in mind the size of the pet market just in the UK alone. I firmly believe my products could sell in millions, but marketing coupled with finance/manufacturing can be problematical for individuals. I believe if an established company with know-how took it on it would be a success story. ***link removed***

 

[lww]

One of our products is a family board game and it is a tough market - as well as the startup costs of artwork, design and manufacturing, as previously mentioned it's all about marketing. Not only will you struggle to get retailers interested without that marketing but without a range of additional products how will you sell stock? Retailers aren't going to want to buy £200 of the same new game. Ours is rated over 4* on Amazon but struggles to sell because without TV budgets or being a household name/brand, people simply have not heard of it.

If I was doing another board game my route to market would be via kickstarter or similar - not for the financing but for the social marketing and interest it generates.

Also, don't forget storage costs - it's not cheap storing 5000 units of a cardboard-based product that requires at least some damp/temperature control.

 

[TotalWebSolutions]

Slightly off-topic but I think the majority of branded board games are too expensive to be considered for purchase these days. At £20-£30 a pop they are equivalent to their console counter-parts. If they were more in the region of £10-£15 I think they would be more marketable and therefore easier for you to get investment.

Have you considered your price-point as being similar to the existing market, or more towards making it attractive for the consumer ?

 

[Dimo]

^ The problem with a £10-£15 price tag is the small margin from getting limited stock. There is a board, card sets, various components and a box so the retail price needs to be at least £20 (unless one can get 20,000 odd manufactured to bring costs down). I'm thinking of £24.95 but I take your point about console games. I'm aiming at a different buyer - predominantly parents who are looking at and appreciating a developing trend of family interaction as opposed to each member sitting alone riveted to their phones and computers.

I did consider Kickstarter but didn't like the success/failure ratio, and in any case would have preferred an expert to head that up.

 

[LowPrices.uk]

It seems like the market has moved on from board games and it's now more of a niche interest.

 

[garyk]

I like a good board game, but normally only at xmas time!

The problem is you need a decent group of people to play and we tend to spend more time isolated.

 

[BigTree]

It would appear you need large TV budgets to succeed no matter how good or bad the game; and if you have, it would seem you can sell anything!

I've a 4 yr old so watch quite a few adverts in the lead up to Christmas on the kids channels and there are games that appear to be awful but will sell due to the advertising (although my daughter seems to find them hilarious)... I'm talking about a dog that poops and the game is to scoop it up! or the head with snot dripping out. There's quite a few others!

Perhaps you need to be different and base you game around a niche community/forum - have some paid subscriptions to go with the board game maybe?

 

[Opinion87]

Might not be considered a board game as such but I carry the games 'Coup' and 'Zombie Dice' pretty much wherever I go. Two great little games.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/131357/coup

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/62871/zombie-dice

 

[Gecko001]

Yes, I still play board games, but really only at Christmas with the odd game of Scrabble or chess throughout the year. Totally new games seem to be rare and most seem to be spin-offs of TV gameshows. Do legal issues with copyright and the cost of ensuring that the game someone "invents" is totally new part of the reason why there are so few new board games? Big TV companies and national broadcasters have deep pockets to pay for the legal costs of producing a new TV gameshow. That perhaps makes the copyright issues, normally associated with a new board, game straight-forward in the case of the game from the show.

 

[Bradley Holmes]

I play a few of those board games that you would play at a dinner party with friends, like Taboo and the like. I really enjoy them, I think the physical aspect is a real draw card, throwing the dice drawing a card from a deck etc, but those are probably the things that drive the price up.