It seems to me to be "the next logical step" in the evolution of Arkham Horror to introduce pre-painted minatures to replace the simple cardboard Investigators and monsters. Monsters would be done with a base that was the similar size to the current monsters so that all the current information could easily be read (under the base of the monster miniatures), and a small area on the top of the base for its evasion number and sign. I wouldn't want to pay $10 for 1 mini, but I think if they release groups of 10 mini's for $10-$12 bucks that would be a good quantity. They could release the Investigators in 3 or 4 "waves," each wave having 8-10 Investigator mini's. There are a lot more monsters, obviously, but those would be released in "monster packs" so you can easily buy a pack and then remove the cardboard monster "chit" that it's replacing. As long as the mini's are all the similar size (in the greater sceme of things, an Elder Thing Mini doesn't have to be 4-5 inches taller then a Rat Thing when you're creating 3d representations of cardboard squares). Anyway, I know I'd buy them because I would love a fully realized 3D game of Arkham with sculpted Investigators and Monsters!

Scale issue aside, the monsters at least are impractical for the purposes of drawing them at random (like the cardboard squares). Also, figures would be more difficult to stack into the sky or outskirts, or as trophies.

Investigators would be a little more practical, but still wholly unnecessary for the work involved to make them (they have to be designed off of the artists' representations).

I can't quite agree, as this game has already grown to mammoth proportions, and I just don't think I could accomodate that kind of extra mass (not with Innsmouth still coming!). Plus, I really like the Investigator artwork on their markers; I wouldn't want to lose that.

That said, I would still buy and attempt to paint such figures and display them in my "gaming hutch". Maybe get some "backgrounds" and make dioramas.

Make your own or something...I could see investigators minis but that it!

I like the game the way it is. On top of the reasons others have given I also like the fact that it's so customizable thanks to the great work put in to the Strange Eons software by Chris Jennings.