Game Boards

Hmmmm...

Actually I would indeed think Game board production is far more involved, technically and cost-wise, than duping audio CD's, pressing vinyl, printing J-cards/Inserts and even Album Covers (or jackets for 45's)...

Take a moment and think about this... could you imagine if the next CD (or Vinyl Album) you bought came in a full color heavy duty quality fold out 20X20 game board!? Great gimmick indeed, but you'd be dumping some tall cash on that gem.

Its just common sense, technology and quality level... I can print out a one off industry store shelf quality full color CD insert with some pretty affordable equipment I have in my home office. I can also push one button and dupe 50 CD's from a single master in about an hour or so, have labels imprinted on them and again with some very available and reasonable equipment all in my house. Someone who wants to spend a bit more can kick it up a notch in all areas and start a pretty serious pro-level business in their basement.

This is why businesses like discmakers (http://www.discmakers.com) have had dramatic price drops over the past decade... oh if you could see my catalogs from them when i first started crankin out product thru them in the early 90's... huge difference... dirt cheap now.

Now, do you think I can print off a full color high quality 20X20 sheet of paper that gets magically and perfectly transferred/applied to a thick cardboard matted board also of some consistency that I surely cant construct in my own home with taht nice glossy coating/protectant slapped on for good measure? Can the kid down the street?

Even a full blown vinyl album cover is far more simple in steps, materials, and components... and knocking out the lacuers and the plates is like a non-issue, its just so easy and cost effective to do for those places.

It is definitely comparing a cup to a blender with the *classic* gameboard being the blender (with 4 different speed settings!)

Print J-cards on the same paper with the same ink and same method the pro's do.... yes very possible... a gameboard... no.

I have a pile of recent games I bought (play testing fodder and bit kidnapping) that have a fold out *paper* printed map/gameboard... this is far more common now a days...

Even industry giants like Yu-Gi-Oh and Whizkids throw in a cheap piece of paper with some color printing on it for their game board/map environments. Ever wonder why?

For me there is just no comparison, I mean in my eyes printing a gameboard is more equivelant to making full color comic books or magazines that are bound and ready for the store racks.... and just try and get some quotes on small runs for one of those items...

I'd imagine printing (like the big boys do) on game boxes is just as costly and involved... there is the step that prints the image, then its transferred on and folded around the box, coated... who knows what else... where as the CD or Album jacket was done at step one....

The media involved in music duping and packaging is just far simpler, cheaper, and readily available... I just see it as two different levels of involvement and process.

I'm just saying printing a standard classic game board (material and process) is a very big deal... and even a bit of a niche... just my take on it.