3D Printers Discussion

[Too Bo Coo]

Have you guys read this article?

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/criticalintel/10946-Games-Workshop-is-Dead-Long-Live-Games-Workshop?utm_source=postit&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=all

[pixelgeek]

Have you guys read this article?

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/criticalintel/10946-Games-Workshop-is-Dead-Long-Live-Games-Workshop?utm_source=postit&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=all

Interesting summary but I don't think that there is anything there that hasn't been said here.

I also disagree that 3D printing isn't going to cause problems for GW. And I also don't agree with his conclusion. GW suffers very real threats to both enter level gamers and long term gamers that their core business model has caused. I don't see how they are going to rectify that. They have priced themselves out of new gamers at this point and made a game that many existing gamers can't play due to time constraints.

Its not viable and I haven't seen or heard anything from GW that makes me see how they are going to address the problems.

[Dr Mathias]

I thought it was an interesting article, and I will simply state that I don't know enough to say one way or another if GW is 'on the way out'. The college age students I get that happen to know about Warhammer/40K etc. only know it through video games and the Heresy books. That there is a tabletop game is usually news to them.

At some point GW may just produce fiction and license out their IP for media they're not equipped to handle in house. 

[Argonor]

Interesting summary but I don't think that there is anything there that hasn't been said here.

I also disagree that 3D printing isn't going to cause problems for GW.

Aye to both.

GW may well offer a self-printing solution, but the guy completely misses the point of self-printing: Ppl having a 3D printer at home (or a friend or a printing store with one nearby). Why would it matter that GW can afford to buy premium top-of-the-art 3D printers?

As soon as the technology for 3D scanning and printing at home catches up, quality-wise AND also price-wise, GW (and other manufacturers) will certainly face a big problem (you can then make a full army, just buying and scanning a few sets of components).

[Barbarian]

That won't happen.
Look at the price of the cartridge for a printer nowadays.
Awfully overpriced.
And there are millions time more people using printer than 3D-printing.

It will always be cheaper to buy from a manufacturer.

[Vermis]

Aye, that. Is there such a huge need for home 3D printers to justify their development, even close to the usefulness of the ol' inkjet? I dunno. I don't know what the situation will be with home 3D printers in a few years, or ever, but I keep getting the feeling that the attitude of it heralding the gaming singularity needs to be tempered a tad.

Besides: at this rate, by the time home 3D printers become viable for the cost and quality of mini printing, no-one will be buying GW minis anyway.  

[Cubs]

I see it following the same pattern as with ordinary printing. First of all, only specialist printers or studios had printers able to produce decent quality pictures, invitations, posters etc.. Nowadays most people can print out an A4 size picture or photograph at home and would only need to a printing shop for an usual or high quality image.

Within 10yrs I can imagine the price of both printers and resin coming down to a level where they're fairly common in the home, but larger manufacturers will still be able to produce the highest quality mins or buy the resin in bulk to keep their prices low enough.

After 20yrs we should be able to produce most of what we want at home, only going to specialists for unusual stuff our home printers can't handle. The price of resin (or perhaps even an alternative material will be developed) should come down as the market for it drives manufacturers to find cheaper ways of making it. That doesn't mean companies won't be able to offer cheap deals for bulk printing, but the market will certainly change a hell of a lot with the customer being able to take on more themself.

It happens with everything - cameras, computers, printers - eventually what was once considered advanced technology becomes part of an ordinary household. Of course, in order for that to happen there must be a market for it in the home, but I really don't see that as an issue.

[Argonor]

I can only say, that about 25 years ago, I was told the same about colour printers.

No-one needed it at home, and I would never be able to afford one. Don't underestimate the power of technology.

Look at phones: How many ppl actually NEED to be able to access the internet at all times and from all locations? How on earth did those that claim they do cope with everyday living before the arrival of the smartphone?

[carlos13th]

3d printers would be great for replacement parts for things for starters.

Need a new washer? 3d print it.

Clip breaks on something! 3d print it.

I can see them becoming very useful.

Not to mention the speed at which they will allow manufactures of all sorts of products to do very fast prototyping.

[joroas]

I assume that there will be no shortage of designers who will sell the designs to you as PDF file or whatever.

[Cubs]

3d printers would be great for replacement parts for things for starters.

One small example of that is the little wheel on the front of the shower. Ours split - a tiny little peg inside, only half an inch across - and the cost of a replacement plastic wheel was about £20, because it's a special part that is only available as part of the front assembly and is not sold individually. I glued it in the end, but I'm waiting for it to break again and we're back to changing the temperature by pliers.

Just think of how easy it already is to make terrain pieces using a 3d printer. Make (or buy) one section of castle wall, say, and then print out as much as you can afford with the resin.

I don't see how GW or anyone else will be able to stop people simply scanning their product and printing out multiples at home. There may be some attempts to stop it at first - as with music - but it will be damn difficult to stop people.

[Barbarian]

I can only say, that about 25 years ago, I was told the same about colour printers.

No-one needed it at home, and I would never be able to afford one. Don't underestimate the power of technology.

And do you print at home ?
I don't.
For photos, I use a photo shop.
For rules, I use site likes Lulu.

Always cheaper.

[Cubs]

And do you print at home ?

Urm ... yes ...

[Lowtardog]

Urm ... yes ...

I do in a way does work count

[pixelgeek]

Look at the price of the cartridge for a printer nowadays.

It isn't a legitimate comparison. Printer manufacturers make their money from ink and not printers. Hence the ridiculous price and the attempts to add DRM to printer cartridges. 3D printer manufacturers make their money from selling you a printer.