Would you be interested in...

[dijit]

Ohhh and of course... Zombies!!!  One can never have too many zombies!

Not more zombies please!

[AKULA]

Its good to see someone doing some market research BEFORE they launch a range - normally it seems to happen after the greens are done, and is effectively just marketing.

My honest opinion is that the market is saturated with SWAT.

Eureka
Foundry
TAG - a really comprehensive range!
Rebel Minis
Copplestone
RAFM
West Wind
Offensive do Riot cops, so SWAT would be a very simple set on for them.
Hasslefree - the new upgunned adventurers.

As much as I like to see new minis, and might even buy some (although i've got about 100 SWAT/Cops already for zombie games) i hate to see people lose money on this sort of venture.  By the sounds of it, your price model is c£1.50 a figure, so either your sculptor is really cheap, or you are planning on making very little money per figure, or you have vastly overestimated your first couple of years worth of sales.

In a saturated market, the minis need to look really good, to stand out - price isn't enough (unless you are going the plastics route, at 60p per figure) - that sort of sculptor doesn't come cheap, so at the price you've mentioned your profit would be tiny, and therefore the number of figures you need to sell huge for a breakeven.  Yes, i'd like to see you make a profit, so that the range can grow!

If you are sold on the SWAT route, i'd suggest either:

a) a bit more research into "character" SWAT-GTA - ie standout minis rather than yet another bunch of guys aiming a MP5 - trouble is you are then in the same space as companies like Hasslefree, who do this very very well.  Character minis would only sell in smaller numbers, so your sculptor would need to be top notch, and your pricing premium - £3-5 per mini. 

b) If you go mass market - ie cheap generic unit type minis, then get them to fit in sizewise with other existing ranges, and act as complimentary to what people have already bought. eg SWAT medical team, breaching team, sniper etc

If you like the GTA genre, you could always go streetgangs - that way you tap into the zombie market still, and there the opportunity to produce something colourful that stands out.....

Best of Luck

AKULA

[Jase]

Hi!

Thanks for all the replies. I’ll try to answer all your questions.

My preference is for 28mm size miniatures. However, there are no 20mm SWAT miniatures available, so I added that option to see if the lack of 20mm SWAT would be sufficient to justify making them in that scale. An added bonus would be the availabilty to 1:76 scale model kits and diecast cars. Nevertheless, the majority of people prefer 28mm.

A question I get asked a lot is why I think the my figures would be an addition to the ones currently on the market and in what respect they differ. I find this tricky to answer, since I do not find it professional to downplay the miniatures of other manufacturers. I hope you understand. So, instead I’ll try to explain without mentioning particular manufacturers.

All the miniatures currently on the market either have too few poses, are oddly proportioned, have weird poses, too little detail and/or vague equipment. What I want is enough different poses to put together 3 or 4 teams (4 to 8-man teams) without duplicates, to give players flexibility in putting together their team. They would be in realistic poses that you would find in real SWAT too (no more shooting one way, while looking the other) Also, I want their equipment to resemble real weapons used by SWAT teams and their proportions to be accurate, so no more extra big heads and unwieldy long arms. (I’m not a big fan of separate heads, if only that I never seem to get them right).

As for the gangsters, Jackson’s Thugz are indeed one of the things that inspired me, so I am thinking in that direction, although with my own modifications. Other gangsters will be released also in due time (including Italian mobsters).

Paramedics, civilians, firefighters etc. are already on my list, but it’s nice to see that that’s a niche a lot of people like to see filled.

I have played with the idea of doing some Zombies, but they’re not really my cup of tea. So, not any time soon.

The miniatures will be sculpted by the same guy that’s doing Malamute’s Boothill Miniatures. So quality should be no problem.

@Modhail: Even though I’m from Holland as well, doing Dutch riot cops is not on my list, sorry.

@AKULA: I know there are plenty of companies that sell SWAT miniatures, however, as I stated earlier, I’m not happy with them (miniatures that is ). Very few of them have enough miniatures to put together a proper SWAT team without having to resort to duplicates.
Anyway, I’m not doing this to make a profit, but rather to get the miniatures I like and make them available for other people that like them too. So, pricing is still not set in stone, but I don’t want to make them too expensive. There will be a cross between character models and of course regular models aiming an MP5.

Thanks again to all for your input and please keep it coming!

Cheers
Jase

[Stu]

I would love to see rioters and protesters as well as wounded (walking as well as prone)

[supervike]

How about some incarcerated criminals, some with improvised or homemade weapons?

I'd love to run some sort of Prison Riot scenario.

[Jase]

Miniatures for a prison riot are a great idea!! Didn't think of those myself. Thanks!

[supervike]

Miniatures for a prison riot are a great idea!! Didn't think of those myself. Thanks!

Yeah, I've kinda been shopping around for those for quite some time.

The cool thing is that the 'factions' are already well developed, provided you go with the sterotypical types.

Guards, The warden, the latinos, the blacks, the supremists, Andy Dufrense..

It would make an awesome game.

[Westfalia Chris]

The cool thing is that the 'factions' are already well developed, provided you go with the sterotypical types.

Guards, The warden, the latinos, the blacks, the supremists, Andy Dufrense..

No, you got that all wrong - there are only two groups inside a prison... the guards and those who are not guilty.

On topic, I second the call for police forces and first response units other than the already covered ones - most manufacturers seem to focus on the US variety of SWAT. That said, I certainly wouldn't mind more SWAT if they are roughly compatible with Foundry (although "regular sizes" will do, those tiny and tall figures in each pack are a bit strange). I still want to do a platoon- or company-size Delta City Law Defense Force, and I'd appreciate the variety.

[Verderer]

My preference is for 28mm size miniatures. However, there are no 20mm SWAT miniatures available, so I added that option to see if the lack of 20mm SWAT would be sufficient to justify making them in that scale. An added bonus would be the availabilty to 1:76 scale model kits and diecast cars. Nevertheless, the majority of people prefer 28mm.

Actually, that's not entirely correct. Elhiem makes a SWAT team in 20mm and some other interesting modern minis (like zombies..) There was also another maker of SWAT/terrorist types in 20mm, but I am not sure if they're still operating? Combat Miniatures, I believe?

[Modhail]

Jase, I didn't really expect you to make specific Dutch riot cops, to be honest. That's just too much of a niche within a niche...
But I would like to see some more European style kit for riot/swat troops. There's a distinct difference in style and kit between them and the American teams.

Seeing that the first responders, civvies, etc. seem to garner the most interest, maybe it would be an idea to consider doing them first?
More likelyhood to sell and break even your startup costs. And it'll get your starting company/line more attention than "another SWAT figure guy", I think.

[AKULA]

All the miniatures currently on the market either have too few poses, are oddly proportioned, have weird poses, too little detail and/or vague equipment. What I want is enough different poses to put together 3 or 4 teams (4 to 8-man teams) without duplicates, to give players flexibility in putting together their team. They would be in realistic poses that you would find in real SWAT too (no more shooting one way, while looking the other) Also, I want their equipment to resemble real weapons used by SWAT teams and their proportions to be accurate, so no more extra big heads and unwieldy long arms. (I’m not a big fan of separate heads, if only that I never seem to get them right).

I appreciate you don't want to talk about specific companies, or be seen to be criticising existing ranges (very sensible!), but have you seen the TAG range?

IMHO its very comprehensive, with dozens of figures, and the kit/poses are realistic.

Ultimately its your cash/your project so go with what you want to do.

[Commander Vyper]

I would love to see rioters and protesters as well as wounded (walking as well as prone)

Already done very well by Offensive miniatures.

As I've said to a number of hopefuls now, get some first responders that actually look decent and you'll be onto a winner. Then go back and zombify them, but only when you've got them done and finished.

Good luck.

The Commander

[AKULA]

What he said.

 

[Stu]

Ooops...didn't see them, more lead in the pile

[Patron Zero]

One consideration might be regardless of the clique-theme would be having several options for hand-held weapons in general.

If nothing more than a sort of 'generic' (but detailed) hands assortment sprue available to make customization simpler for novice modelers as well as delight seasoned 'veterans'.

Having the option of knives, clubs, pistols or improvised offensive/defensive items should offer the basic models a wider range of applications and usage.

Best of luck !