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I am keen to know if ultraforge are still functioning as a company?

Their website hasn't had an update since December 2009 and no new minis have been released. It's a great shame as I am a fan of many of their miniatures.

Anyone still buying directly from them or talked with them and knows what's going on?

Last I heard of them, they were bought out and moving their production molds to the new owners and doing full production lines ala Forge World.

I am also interested in an answer. Their store is closed. Almost everybody is sold out of their products, and they don't answer emails.
Something must have gone wrong.

Kroothawk wrote:I am also interested in an answer. Their store is closed. Almost everybody is sold out of their products, and they don't answer emails.
Something must have gone wrong.

Hmm... something must have gone wrong... I wonder what could have gone wrong with a company that sells obvious knockoffs of GW IP...

In all seriousness, I hope they're still around, i want to get myself a Vrock

I was interested in their multi-armed demon WIP, but now

I doubt it was IP. Probably just ran out of money. There is alot of competition in their product field, including GW and forgeworld themselves.

They might have just been offered a lot of money for their sculpts.

Making resin models is a muggle's game. Almost nobody makes much profit in the field, and most of the tiny one-man or hobbyist companies suffer ignominious deaths sooner rather than later. Ultraforge's case is very typical.

Ordo Dakka wrote:I doubt it was IP. Probably just ran out of money. There is alot of competition in their product field, including GW and forgeworld themselves.

They might have just been offered a lot of money for their sculpts.

Agamemnon2 wrote:Making resin models is a muggle's game. Almost nobody makes much profit in the field, and most of the tiny one-man or hobbyist companies suffer ignominious deaths sooner rather than later. Ultraforge's case is very typical.

Very true. Miniatures is a very fickle niche hobby. Especially if you're carrying specialty items that are a bit expensive

Smart people shouldn't invest in our hobby. They'd be better off somewhere else.

That's kind of true, though I think (?) you meant it as sarcasm. There are several leading producers that have the market by the balls. Comission work has room for multiple players, but casting alternate miniatures is a game that is is so hit or miss.

People see a model from those sites and say "Oh wow, what a great ->model<-. I'll convert one just like it." They don't open their wallet and fish out that wad of notes they had lying around.

Ordo Dakka wrote:That's kind of true, though I think (?) you meant it as sarcasm. There are several leading producers that have the market by the balls. Comission work has room for multiple players, but casting alternate miniatures is a game that is is so hit or miss.

People see a model from those sites and say "Oh wow, what a great ->model<-. I'll convert one just like it." They don't open their wallet and fish out that wad of notes they had lying around.

I wasn't that sarcastic, actually. It's like the joke that the only way to make a lot of money with a gaming store is setting it on fire and committing insurance fraud. Gaming is an unstable, fickle niche market and anyone with a shred of business sense would do wisely to steer well clear of it, unless they have no expectations of ever turning a profit (I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's a gamble any way you slice it).

For "alternative model" companies, the reaction I see most often is that their products aren't better, cheaper and more versatile than the GW equivalents, all at the same time. People just go "Those are great models, shame about the price", after presented with alternatives to GW models they so vehemently clamor for. The very same people then go back and buy GW after all, because it turns out their hatred of "The Man" isn't a strong enough motivator to pay more for better-looking product. Bloody hypocrites.

Agamemnon2 wrote:People just go "Those are great models, shame about the price", after presented with alternatives to GW models they so vehemently clamor for. The very same people then go back and buy GW after all, because it turns out their hatred of "The Man" isn't a strong enough motivator to pay more for better-looking product. Bloody hypocrites.

Buying GW has the advantage of being legal in tournaments. Even if people don't currently play in tournies they make a lot of their purchasing decisions with eventual tourney play in mind. If the independent tourney organizers started allowing alternative models we'd probably see an upswing in support for these small companies.

From what i've heard from the Armorcast guys, the couple behind Ultraforge were doing it to put themselves through art school, and want to get out of the biz. The sculpts have been for sale for a while now, but the last I heard they were asking well above market value for them.

Arschbombe wrote:If the independent tourney organizers started allowing alternative models we'd probably see an upswing in support for these small companies.

Adepticon allows them, at least, as does the local scene here. I'm covered!

Awwww noes, I had promised myself a Vrock when I'd finished the last two of my four Greater Daemons of Tzeentch.

My store just ordered me a greater war demon this week.. so someone has the models for sale

The War Store had some of their models at GenCon. If your in the market you might want to check there.

Ultraforge is sitll alive, just not their main site.

If you want ultraforge hit me up i can pull some for ya.

Agamemnon2 wrote:Making resin models is a muggle's game. Almost nobody makes much profit in the field, and most of the tiny one-man or hobbyist companies suffer ignominious deaths sooner rather than later. Ultraforge's case is very typical.

That reminds me of a saying a heard a long while back...

How do you make a small fortune in the gaming industry?

Start with a large one!

Valete,

JohnS

@Agamemnon2 I dont think the business model you describe is as linear as you are painting it There are some examples of sucess and small companies growing stronger in this industry... yes some do die prematurelly but still some manage to stand the first years of fragile balance and grow stronger.

If anyone is looking for ultraforge, I actually have some on hand.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/319560.page#1972685

Drop me a pm.

Seems like Ultraforge will come back. They have redesigned the website this month and announced the possibility to order from them directly through a webstore which is not yet functional. Still a proof of life we missed for a year.
http://www.ultraforgeminiatures.com/

niceguyteddy wrote:The War Store had some of their models at GenCon. If your in the market you might want to check there.

I checked TWS for ultraforge a few days ago and they had decent stock going.

I wouldnt mind having a Vrock, but its so far down on the list if they are/do have any trouble Im likely to miss out.