Elite Dangerous is losing (out on) about 700 million or more. Why?

Hooplah

Hooplah
They have a product that sells internationally but don't take advantage of it. Enter Kenner Toys a small Cincinnati, Ohio company who got exclusive rites to make toys for the 1977 release of the first Star Wars movie. It was a mess but over the years they made billions in profits. They did this promoting on American TV commercials. Others like He-Man, GI Joe, they used Filmnation in CA to use Saturday morning cartoons to promote their products. Why doesn't Frontier take advantage of this in their prime?

Elite Dangerous started out with a kickstarter. Taking 'The Dark Wheel' by Robert Holdstock (rest in peace 2009), getting a Hollywood writer to update it, getting Filmation with an animated version and then maybe there will be some toy companies looking for CMDR Jameson as well as all the most popular ships in the game. Frontier will make billions but get some great toy/movie lawyers. These Americans are ruthless...

Regards
 

Stealthie

Stealthie
Merchandising is a reciprocal arrangement.

You're only going to be able to sell a quantity of merchandise proportional to the amount of people who're in a demographic likely to be aware of the franchise and want to own merchandise.

In regard to ED, you're not going to get squillions of little kids wanting a toy AspX in the same way they might want a toy X-Wing.
Also, most of the people who are aware of ED probably aren't going to be hugely interested in a range of toys.

Having said that, I suspect if FDev started flogging a range of miniatures, in fancy looking display-boxes, I bet a lot of people would buy at least some and they'd make good no-brainer xmas presents for anybody who knows an ED player.
 

Leadfoot

Leadfoot
I'm sure that if FD wanted to, they could sell plastic or metal models of the ships in the game (or a Hutton Mug). You know you'd buy it. Paint kits for those of us wanted to paint them.

If it had it's own narrative, it would be nice to see a TV series (CGI, anime). Maybe a movie - my part could be played by The Rock. :)
 

DragonIV

DragonIV
Hooplah said:
They have a product that sells internationally but don't take advantage of it. Enter Kenner Toys a small Cincinnati, Ohio company who got exclusive rites to make toys for the 1977 release of the first Star Wars movie. It was a mess but over the years they made billions in profits. They did this promoting on American TV commercials. Others like He-Man, GI Joe, they used Filmnation in CA to use Saturday morning cartoons to promote their products. Why doesn't Frontier take advantage of this in their prime?

Elite Dangerous started out with a kickstarter. Taking 'The Dark Wheel' by Robert Holdstock (rest in peace 2009), getting a Hollywood writer to update it, getting Filmation with an animated version and then maybe there will be some toy companies looking for CMDR Jameson as well as all the most popular ships in the game. Frontier will make billions but get some great toy/movie lawyers. These Americans are ruthless...

Regards
Click to expand...
All of the IPs had far more recognition in the US public at the time. Kenner Toys may have been small, but I can assure you that Star Wars was not. Marketing toys for a famous franchise like Star Wars is, well....easy. The commercials merely announced the presence of the toys--but the behemoth that is Star Wars truly sold them.

How does that in any way reflect on Frontier and Elite Dangerous? Elite isn't anywhere near the top of the charts among games--it's a niche product. It has no tie to any IP already existing that is much more well known. Sure, they could try marketing other properties, but those will be niche, too. I seriously doubt they'd even be profitable doing this, let alone making them billions.
 

Hooplah

Hooplah
Selling toys is all about massive advertisement internationally. They don't sell without this. Getting Frontier to at least take a look on a few markets and they are missing out. ED is a niche? So was Star Wars most Hollywood companies didn't want to touch it. ED has an opportunity to test the waters at least.
 

Caydran

Caydran
Video games don't make good toys or movies. Ask Chris Roberts about Wing Commander. At least he got MS to foot the bill for the movie before they fired him. I doubt any toy company would touch that one with a ten foot pole.

Frontier, take note.

You don't want to go down that road.
 

Afterglow

A
I’d buy some models (prefab - not the glue and paint kind.. I was never meticulous enough). Probably a tshirt or two. Some stickers for my ride? Hell yeah. Hutton mug? Of course. They could probably sell the in-game bobbleheads.
 

metatheurgist

metatheurgist
If ED was a property that a studio or merchandiser thought they could make a profit off Frontier would have already been approached by now. I'd imagine the shareholders wouldn't have any objections to making more money either so the lack of this makes me think it hasn't been approached that way.
 

Cageman

Cageman
Hooplah said:
They have a product that sells internationally but don't take advantage of it.
Click to expand...

Not acting on an opportunity is not the same thing as losing money.

I would turn that around and say... they could earn more money by doing.... A,B and C.

Losing money is when you invest in something that turns out no-one wanted.

EDIT: Clickbait title where OP do not understand the basics of losing money vs earning more money strategies regarding investments.
 
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CMDR Karrde Sun

CMDR Karrde Sun
They would need a mainstream product to lower the risk of making physical products?

Might need a bit more padding in the game before its ready for the COD kids?

Having said, id buy some physical products.

The counter is the current flooding of physical toys at retail based off games is a little dumb.

Maybe they should start with a netflix series. As long as it turns out better than defiance?
 

Stealthie

Stealthie
Lightspeed said:
Free Anaconda with every mug :D
Click to expand...

See, that would be a brilliant marketing strategy; embracing the meme and acknowledging the fanbase. :LOL:

I keep meaning to go to one of those custom mug makers and order a mug with Hutton Orbital printed on it, as others have already done.
Given that FDev obviously already have a supplier for their mugs, getting a Hutton mug made sounds like a no-brainer.
Everybody who ordered one would probably buy both.
 

CMDR Harada

CMDR Harada
I'd probably buy a model of the Vulture.. Or my wife/kid would for me for Xmas. 4 or 5 inches long, on a little stand. Pricing would be the key.. Sure I'd pop for $20-30.. $120 ? Nope.

Sounds like a great idea for someone with the autocad skills and a 3D printer ( and FDevs approval, of course ).
 

Stealthie

Stealthie
CMDR Harada said:
I'd probably buy a model of the Vulture.. Or my wife/kid would for me for Xmas. 4 or 5 inches long, on a little stand. Pricing would be the key.. Sure I'd pop for $20-30.. $120 ? Nope.
Click to expand...

That's the sort of thing I'm thinking of.

Google "Minichamps F1 helmet" for examples of a similar thing.
It's an outfit who sells tiny model F1 driver helmets, in a little plastic display box, for about £10 a pop.

That's the sort of thing that players would probably be prepared to buy of their favourite ships, and you'd also get people who wanted to collect them all.
 

Cosmo

Cosmo
The Elite franchise has untapped potential for:
  1. Comics
  2. Netflix series
  3. Figurines
  4. More novels
  5. Posters
  6. Clothing
It's odd that Frontier doesn't provide such things yet, because it could generate a lot of revenue.
 
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