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Reply To: Open gaming mini license

January 2, 2021 at 4:04 pm #1593995

blinky465

17028xp

But that’s kind of the point – yes 3d printing *is* replacing purchasing miniatures already.

I don’t know how different companies compare in scale/size, but the likes of Modiphius had some pretty big IP launches a while back, and they are selling .stls online. Many of the sculptors – at least claiming – to have worked on games like Infinity are selling their minis directly to the public. The creators who worked for the big-names are by-passing them to sell directly to their public.

“Noticeable effect” is subjective – if you’re watching the 3d printing community, then printing miniatures is having a massive effect – almost driving the 3d resin printer development. If you’re watching the GW twitter feed, then 3d printing isn’t even a thing.

Yes, they’re nowhere near ready to compete for a *large* share of the miniatures market. But significant and large are not the same. The likes of Elegoo and AnyCubic haven’t put so much time and effort into creating cheap-end home-user 3d printers for nothing! They’re driving demand, not responding to it.

Yes, traditional methods of casting and buying will be around for many years yet – but that’s not to say that 3d printing isn’t already being disruptive, that it isn’t significant, and that the “big boys” haven’t noticed – nor that they’re not going to respond to it.

For me, it’s just a matter of time – not if, but when, they decide to respond.