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I am fascinated by the thought of Pirates CSG and what if it had been released post-economic crash or even if it came out within the last few years. We know that the economic situation of 2008 had an effect, but it has also been shown that interest was still high. Other issues, such as the cost of manufacturing, also played a role.
I was opening some packs and thinking about how inefficient the actual packaging and material was. By modern standards, costs could be significantly reduced, and a superior product could be achieved. I give WizKids a ton of credit because although there were other CCGs that used polystyrene prints at the time, they pioneered the building aspect and how CSGs became big. I don’t like to critique people of the past based on information we have today. So instead, I wonder what it would be like if this game came out now. Would it be as popular now as it was then? Could the devs and publishers make more money (i.e., better margins)? Would development be as rushed as it was back in the day?
I think it would be massive. Of course, Covid would have hurt pretty bad, but even if it started in, say 2022. Board games and TCGs are exploding right now. It’s like a Renaissance. I go to game shops almost every Friday and play games and talk to people. They are always packed. Recently I have been bringing out the Pirates stuff, setting up a table, and asking random people if they want to play. Everyone who plays loves the game, and when I tell them it no longer exists, they can’t understand it.
I know it’s just speculation, but I can’t help it. It’s what I do! I wonder what some other people’s thoughts are on this.
Addendum: If they released this today, you have to factor in that they would likely have more discoverability. Factors include crowdfunding, internet marketing, influencer collaborations, etc. These are all things that games didn’t take advantage of in the mid-2000s. A lot of us only discovered this game by stumbling on it. Games nowadays have better marketing strategies.
I am fascinated by the thought of Pirates CSG and what if it had been released post-economic crash or even if it came out within the last few years. We know that the economic situation of 2008 had an effect, but it has also been shown that interest was still high. Other issues, such as the cost of manufacturing, also played a role.
With the cost of styrene being an issue late in the game’s print run, and global costs having risen since 2008, the MSRP per pack would have to be higher, quite possibly much higher. (2x or more perhaps)
Would it be as popular now as it was then?
The PotC/pirate craze of the 2000’s must have helped sales somewhat. I think the board game industry in general has become more competitive, with so many games available and various crowdfunding sources.
Recently I have been bringing out the Pirates stuff, setting up a table, and asking random people if they want to play. Everyone who plays loves the game, and when I tell them it no longer exists, they can’t understand it.
That’s awesome to hear! Whenever I play at an FLGS/etc there’s pretty much always at least one person that recognizes it and likely still has some ships in storage.
I think it would be pretty wild if they made a PotC6, brought the game back with it, and had Johnny Depp doing a recorded demo of it while in costume in GenCon/Origins/etc. That would be hype. 🙂
I’m just thinking about how crazy-popular TCGs have become. I run an online shop for MTG cards, which are always in demand. There is a market theory called the long tail, which refers to the fact that demand for a product (especially a collectible) never reaches zero. The advent of the internet proved this theory correct.
The game and its collectibility would make it a force to be reckoned with. A lot of people, myself included, love miniature war games but that the DIY aspect that they demand. I don’t want to spend days building and painting an army or a fleet to play. Pirates solved the issue by keeping that to a minimum. You can open packs and build a fleet in 10 minutes or less.
A lot of TT gamers are history nerds as well. I think people would really get on board with a relaunch.
My last point is that at the height of Pirates popularity board games were not that popular. There has been a revolution in the tabletop world. I would say that, yes the market is more competitive and cutthroat than ever, but the player base is also way larger. Again I compare it to what is popular. with Pirates you and your buddy can each buy a pack and play a game. compare that to MTG, where in order to play sealed with 2 people, you have to buy at least 6 packs each. That’s about $30 per person. and even then, you’ll need lands that they assume you already have. To me, it’s a no-brainer.
There is a market theory called the long tail, which refers to the fact that demand for a product (especially a collectible) never reaches zero.
Reminds me of how Pirates prices have risen the past 5+ years. I hope Wizkids/NECA has seen the higher eBay sale prices, especially this decade.
I don’t want to spend days building and painting an army or a fleet to play.
Agreed, I want to play, not paint!
with Pirates you and your buddy can each buy a pack and play a game. compare that to MTG, where in order to play sealed with 2 people, you have to buy at least 6 packs each. That’s about $30 per person. and even then, you’ll need lands that they assume you already have. To me, it’s a no-brainer.
I’m curious about other forms of packaging and release type. What you get in one pack doesn’t really allow for building a 40 point fleet, let alone one that makes much sense. I could see starter packs in the $10-$20 range, maybe with some guarantee of useful generic crew while still having a collectible aspect as well.
<span style=”color: #000000; font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Helvetica, Arial, ‘Lucida Grande’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>I’m curious about other forms of packaging and release type. What you get in one pack doesn’t really allow for building a 40 point fleet, let alone one that makes much sense. I could see starter packs in the $10-$20 range, maybe with some guarantee of useful generic crew while still having a collectible aspect as well.</span>
Yeah, that’s right, but you can play. I think that is valuable for new players to know that the thing they bought can be used right away. Like I said, on the contrary, in MTG and other TCGs you can’t even play the game if you buy a pack or two. I like the idea that they could create a starter box or something. It would have to be very well-balanced, though.
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