This is great! I hope they keep this model for all future sets with perhaps the bonus of being able to schedule events through Wizkids site.

Sure some will buy the kits just to sell in the store, or on e-Bay, but those venues would be missing out on the sales and new players that tournament play attracts. I can't tell you how many times I had folks walk up and ask for a demo when a tournament was running, or had people buy a starter because the game looked interesting.

So if a store is going to sell the kits, they obviously have no interest in growing the customer base for Heroclix at their location. Groovy. They have every right to, and as a secondary bonus, it puts more of those LE's into the secondary market so that EVERYONE has an opportunity to get them.

The prices will stay low because there will be a ton of them out there. Awesome. Now the people coming out to play will be there for the fun of it and not because that figure is currently selling for $45.00 on e-Bay.

If you have a more casual atmosphere in a tournament environment, there is a higher likelihood that you'll get players returning as opposed to the newb who plays the cutthroat a-hole and never returns because his entire experience was awful.

I vote to do away with the envoys all together! They aren't needed if the sharks have no reason to show. Win-Win!

I'd make sure there was at least one sealed event a month (1 booster battle royale, or a 2 booster 'marquee' event) just so the venue can make some space for new product.

Everyone here does realize that this is not necessarily the future of OP/AP with NECA, right?
This may very well be an attempt to continue/encourage local tournaments at venues until everyone can actually catch their breath and put a plan in place.
The names from WK we have seen listed may or may not be there in 6 months, and the experience NECA has coming out of their first set or two may lead them in any of a number of directions.
All we know is that we aren't being left in the lurch for this set, which IMHO is a somewhat unexpected bonus!
As someone who must remain nameless but who is VERY close to the situation remarked - "We had no info coming out for close to a year and now we're all drinking out of a fire hose!"

So let's not get too embroiled in speculation on what will or won't happen down the road - none of us know. I doubt NECA really has a clear picture for that matter!
But the really good news is, there will be prize support and it will be available through the local venues.
Will there be some "issues" with some vendors?
Of course there will.
Will some ebay their prize support the moment it comes through their door?
Of course some of them will. Some always have.
Bottom line is there will be some cool LEs and maps and 3-D objects (didn't see that one coming!!!) and some cardboard and event event dials that most people could care less about.

But we are back in business my friends!!!

Certainly, Tom, you're right. We have no idea and this does look very much as if it may just be a temporary fix to keep things rolling as the new set hits.

I'm just registering opinion that this looks more promising than the old model to me, and I would, without question, prefer a model where prize support is coming out through various routes so that they need not be seen as prize-only items, rather than going back to the way things were. Honestly, I prefer the past, LE-less year to going back to the way it was before.

My most significant concern: If the orders exceed the supply, how will kits be allocated?

Does anyone know what steps are being taken to address this? Or should we be bracing ourselves for horror stories of how one loyal venue couldn't get a single kit while another has ten up on eBay?

Secondary concern: By the time the Hammer drops, will NECA/WK have a system in place for stores to post their events?

-J

I wonder if since the cardboard and Event Dials are to be found in the Organized Play Kits then it means that the boosters will be sold without them? Could it be just figures in the packs this time around?

Same here.

Evil Bay here I come!

I just want to echo Top10's statement from a few pages back.

This is putting control of in house gaming where it belongs, the venues hosting the events!

This is the best option to jump start OP from zero to full throttle. I appreciate letting venues get everything they will need in unlimited quantities (within reason I assume).

I agree. The form that OP had morphed into was way too restrictive and promoted either A) disgruntled Judges/players or B) Venues/Judges ignoring the rules and doing what they wanted in the face of overly restrictive rules.

I don't think we will actually see some venues with eyes on ebay actually having large orders of OP kits materialize. I believe there are some folks at D/A a little too smart to allow this to happen, and then have to deal with the fallout from good customers who can't get ANY kits!

I'm very uncomfortable with you in complete control, hopefully Kelley is fully involved in the process.... hahahaha

I am anxious to see what the 3D objects and the alternate TA cards are. Can't wait to see those.

Given the quantity of items in the kit, a venue could charge a one dollar entry fee and still make money.



Maybe no event dials, but they have been missing from boosters for the last couple of sets.
While larger than normal, and with the exception of the 3-D objects, this is just a list of the standard prize support stuff that we had been getting.
I fully expect to see a feat or BFC in every booster, as normal.

To share my thoughts...

• [1.] I hope that there are some kits available for our overseas brethren.
  
  [2.] This brings up the interesting concept (that some people have mentioned previously) about paying to play. There are 15 LE figures as prizes, not to mention the multitude of feats, BFCs, event dials, and 3D objects. That comes to less than $1 per piece from the kit. Charge $3 to play for the figures and $1-2 for the other stuff. That way the venue makes a little extra money. The venue can get a certain amount of prize support and make prizes available to all participants.
  
  [2a.] The person running the event can allow the players to choose their prize each event if a venue decides to buy multiple kits. This makes it so you do not have to wait for the prize you want the most.
  
  [2b.] The venue can allow returning players for all tournaments to play for a "special" prize, in lieu of supporting the venue. Think of this as a frequent players program.
  
  [3.] I think that a lot of people here know enough not to spend more than a few bucks for the LE's so the greedy/shady venues will not be as profitable.
  
  [4.] This really does seem like a temporary solution in my opinion.
  

Its funny how this stat is quoted without any facts. Our venue actually increased in Tourney participation during Mutant Mayhem and Legacy.

I am all for the devaluing of the LE secondary market if it means better tourneys. If we lose certain players, we probably didnt need those players to begin with.

In any regards the first players that you want to address are the loyal players that kept playing when the game was in hiatus.

While I'm not opposed to this, I'm certainly not looking forward to potential rules disputes/ridonkulous house rules with judges when I'm visiting venues.

"Because the judge said so" might be an acceptable answer, but not necessarily a reasonable one.

I'm really curious to see if NECA will come out and rule on some of the hazy issues (like Lunge) that were in dispute when Topps sold Wizkids down the river.

From my end, dealing with colleagues and Alliance:

Alliance is officially not allowed to make any announcements regarding the prize support packs yet.

RUMOR: There will be a not-for-sale purchase agreement for the prize kits, so stores can buy multiples, but have to give them away as they see fit. Even if true we know kits will find their way to "market" but at least we'll be able to see who follows the rules and who doesn't. Personally I hope this rumor is true, as long as there are still plenty of kits produced. I'd also like to see an order cap early on, to make sure all the stores that need one to six kits for regular tournaments over a couple months can get them.

My take on pay to play: Requiring purchase of 1 to 3 boosters is the better solution, and prizes should be "free" and paid for by the store from the booster profits. If you have to pay for your prizes, they won't feel like prizes, and that scenario will keep those that care about the value away because in many situations the prize will be worth less than the entry fee that paid for it.