This isn't a post about the trials and tribulations of my ongoing journey into 3d printing - other than to say it has been a blast and an education, and I'm still learning. What I wanted to muse about is how much these home printing machines will impact our gaming now and in the future.
At the moment the answer is probably - not much. I'm quite surprised by this conclusion. I think the issue is the general faff with the machines, which at least in my limited experience are still very much "this way up" things, and also the level of skill and practice needed to regularly get acceptable prints. It is this second part in particular that causes me to scratch my head as a layman. I can run a perfect print, rerun it, and it will fail. I'm sure there is a reason, but I may as well be chanting an incantation to the Machine Spirit for all I understand what is happening. Of course this is my fault. There are hours of on line tutorials to watch, help pages galore, but I rarely can find the time to watch and take it all in. Having said that, I am getting better, and I'm feeling more confident. There is a wonderful freedom in having a 3d printer for a wargamer. Feel the need for a "x" model or tank or plane, there is probably the file available either free or for a small price somewhere on line, just download it, slice it, and pray to the Machine God before pressing the "print" button, and several hours later you have a model. Or you don't. Probably because you miss pronounced Yog Sottoth or something similar in your chanting (is the Y really a J sound?).
So will this drive miniature companies out of business? I can't see that happening. Most gamers will not want the mess, (poisonous) chemicals, smells and faff. Cleaning them up is an adventure too, and not always a happy one. However in a few years time when the tech becomes a little more friendly I would imagine it could start impacting some sales. At the moment it is a cool way to get models that are not readily available, but most players will just go to their normal suppliers.
The other reason is human nature. Those Shapeways planes I mentioned - some of them are still unpainted. In many ways this may be something 3d printing will make worse. If I no longer have to weigh up the costs of ordering a model plus p&p and then wait a week for it to arrive, I suspect the impulse printing will increase, and that could be a problem if like me you have a substantial unpainted "pile of shame".
However I do think the market and demand for 3d printed models is only going to grow, and how companies react to it will be interesting. If , rather than buying a physical model I can buy a licence stl file at a reasonable price I would be tempted. If course it would have to be a licence that would allow me to print several models, just in case I get the incantations wrong when printing.....................
