Howdy everyone and a belated happy Halloween!

Things at the ranch were let’s say…festive and featured numerous employees dressing in costume like our awesome Senior Production Manager Chas DeLong. Here’s a pic of Chas sporting my favorite costume from the event-

One word- Booties!

Today, I’m going to kick off a rolling ten-(business) day blog that features a theme. Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment. A few posts ago, I mentioned that we were going to explore what the Brand Development department was all about and get into what the future of HeroClix looks like. It’s a subject that even ten blogs may not dent.

Though the concept of a Brand Development department remains fairly innovative at its core, most game companies start as a Brand Development team. To take it back further one step, here’s how we (WizKids) defines Brand Development.

Department Description: Brand Development has three distinct job functions relating to HeroClix:

1) Design, develop and creatively manage the game of HeroClix

2) Coordinate with licensors to improve the scope and relevance of HeroClix

3) Strengthen and grow the HeroClix Brand

Some of these are intentionally wide in scope, but the thrust is that the departments of Brand and R&D are now one. We work together as one unit to provide the customer with the best possible game and brand vision that we can. We select set themes as one, and work hard to ensure the game is the best that we can make it.

As I said earlier, this is how most companies start out.  The game designers and brand guys are essentially one team.  They work to make a great game and are huge fans of that game.  They also go on sales calls, meet with licensing folk, and in our case, read lotsa comics.

We’ll talk more about the department more over the following couple o’ weeks.

Now, on to the blog theme- THE TEN TENETS OF WIZKIDS BRAND DEVELOPMENT!

While there are certainly more than ten tenets for our department, these ten are pretty strong philosophical guidelines for the direction that HeroClix will proceed over the coming years. Each day, we’ll tackle a different concept, and I’ll try to provide you a little color on the subject.

Today’s Tenet, Tenet #1 - Primum Non Nocere

Twenty points if you know Latin (significantly less points if you know this one from watching E.R. and zero points if you got this from watching Grey’s Anatomy)…

Primum Non Nocere, to quote Wikipedia, is “a fundamental principle for emergency medical service.” It roughly translates to “First, Do No Harm.”

What does this mean from a Brand Development standpoint?

It means that we’re not going to change things just for the sake of changing them. If making changes to HeroClix even has the remotest potential of being detrimental to customers, the licensor, or WizKids; we won’t make them. There is a temptation on any new team/department/division to radically alter things to put the team’s fingerprints on a product or project.

We will not do so.

I give you my word that all HeroClix planning must pass the hurdle of “is this better than what we have done or currently are doing?” If the answer to that question is not “100%, yes” things will remain business as usual.

Like a doctor that subscribes to Primum Non Nocere, we have a duty to preserve and foster the game that people love. If changes have to be made or the are the fans’ best interest, we will work to develop them, message them to you early, and provide firm reasoning for our decisions.

Well, my fingers are all typed-out for today. Tune in tomorrow for the second Brand Development tenet, and for a pretty HUGE, EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!

HASTA MAÑANA

Jake