Thursday, June 20, 2013

4 Questions to Ask Before Selecting a Game Board Manufacturer

Tough economic times have fueled a renewed interest in good old-fashioned board games. With less discretionary income, many households are turning to family game night rather than looking to more expensive entertainment options. In turn, this has created more opportunity for would-be game designers and developers to bring their ideas to market. Finding and selecting the right board game manufacturers is an integral part of this process.

Once the initial concept and the ensuing creative details for a new board game or puzzle are in place, it is then necessary to find an experienced and reputable game board manufacturer to make it a reality. All game designers, from the largest toy manufacturers all the way down to the smallest start-up enterprises, need to weigh this decision carefully. This is because partnering with the right game board manufacturer can mean the difference between success and failure for the new product.

Here are 4 questions worth considering when selecting a game board manufacturer:

How much experience do they have? Do they specialize in producing board games or is it simply an add-on to their other production offerings? It is important to find a manufacturing partner with a lot of experience in the type of product you wish to produce. Mistakes in this arena are very costly in terms of both time and money and working with a qualified game board manufacturer can help minimize this risk.

Who are their other clients? Do they freely share their design portfolio? If so, are there any easily recognized brands represented in it? Although it is not an absolute guarantee, odds are if they are working with any of the major game companies, such as Parker Brothers or Hasbro, they most likely produce quality work. This isn't to say that smaller or newer manufacturers without big name accounts aren't worth checking out, as well. Just be sure to ask for testimonials and/or referrals from their current customers before making a decision.

How comprehensive are their services? Some game board manufacturers offer a full line of support services to help guide projects easily through the production process. This can greatly reduce the amount of time and effort needed to get the project completed. For example, do they offer comprehensive graphic design services to help bring your vision fully to life or will you need to devote time and energy to outsourcing that yourself? Also, do they offer a full range of fulfillment services such as assembly, shrink wrapping, warehousing and distribution? Without question, a full-service game board manufacturer can greatly simplify and streamline the process of creating and distributing a new product.

Can they provide production-quality samples? Some manufacturers have the ability to provide realistic prototypes before launching into full-scale production. Manufacturing a board game is a complex and expensive process and it is more cost-effective to find potential problems before production begins. Therefore, it is important to find out if this option is available before making a final decision.

Clearly, launching a new board game is a big project. However, finding the right game board manufacturer for the job can make the process go much more smoothly.

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