WizKids will be conducting a promotion in conjunction with the release of its Marvel HeroClix: Armor Wars expansion to encourage consumers to purchase larger quantities of the product from brick and mortar stores, instead of from online discounters. With brick and mortar retailers under increasing stress this year due to competition from online games (see ''05 Game Sales Starting Weak') and online discounters, WizKids is looking for ways to support stores, which WizKids spokesperson Jason Mical called 'the foundation of the gaming community,' because of their organized play and other 'added value' for gamers.
The promotion is based on a new SKU, 'ClixBricks,' which consists of 12 booster packs shrinkwrapped together at a suggested retail price of $95.88. Consumers that purchase a HeroClix: Armor Wars ClixBrick from a brick and mortar retailer can send in the receipt to WizKids and receive an 'exclusive and free' collectors edition figure. Participants will also be allowed to order the convention exclusive Dark Phoenix figure for $30 plus shipping and handling. Both figures are limited to one per household. HeroClix collectors identified by their participation in this promotion may also be eligible for 'future benefits.'
from the Armor Wars expansion
WizKids is also altering its HeroClix collation patterns in order to bring more collectors into the hobby. Although individual experience may vary, and these are only averages, if a collector bought enough boosters to get a set of Mutant Mayhem, he/she would have 180 duplicates, on average. If the same collector buys enough boosters to get a set of Armor Wars, he/she will have only 40 duplicates.
WizKids also expects that purchases in ClixBricks will tend to get a better mix than purchases of the same number of individual boosters from an open stock case, with one of three boosters purchased in a ClixBrick containing a unique figure, on average.
