Games Workshop is Dead! Long Live Games Workshop!

[dubious_wolf]

These articles are why I LOVE The Escapist.
I hate that games workshop has been trying to squeeze my wallet, and it's one of the big reasons I've picked up magic the gathering and am looking into MMO's (I can play eve online/WOW/elder scrolls online/etc for years for the price of an army)
but I still hold warhammer close to my heart. I love the game, but hate the environment.
This article clearly is well done and looks at the issues of GW. but comes from a place of enjoyment.

Keep up the good work.

EDIT:
Yeah so I didn't really notice the game lengths until you mentioned it. I remember playing a game of 6th edition and it just draaaaaagged on. we took 4 hours. 4 hours! war I used to play 2500 point WARHAMMER FANTASY games in less time.

EDIT:
I think 3D printing will be less problematic than you think.

I for example do not have any desire to digitally sculpt a min then just print it out...
I'll probably still be the person that buys minis and kit bashes. or hand sculpt.

and I know there are a lot of people like that.

 

[Starke]

Edit: I forgot to mention the treatment the managers have been getting. Anyone else aware of the "BIIIIIIIG MOONNEEEYYY!!!!" sales training meetings?

I haven't heard any details...

 

[Aedwynn]

My poison of choice was always Battlefleet Gothic, I liked 40k well enough but BFG was my favourite game by GW.

Naturally they dropped all support for it.

I stopped playing Warhammer due to the insane turn lengths and the frankly insulting prices, I play the odd game of Warmachine now and I've got a new toy spaceship game with models easily as nice as BFG and half the price. My complete fleet will probably run me £200.

I, too loved BFG. Was gutted when they dropped all support. I get my toy spaceship fix with Firestorm Armada these days. In fact, Spartan Games (The makers of Firestorm amongst some other games) have pretty much replaced GW in my tabletop wargaming life.

I wish they'd remake the old Space Crusade board game. That and Hero Quest are the reasons I got into the hobby and the background and spent hundreds of pounds on Tyranids and Orks. The GW skirmish games were great entry points into the hobby. I saw more than one kid use Necromunda Gangers as Chaos\Genestealer cultists. Hell, I saw people use the Space Marine squads from Space Crusade as tooled-up Veteran Squads.

I think GW will be around for a while longer, although I am a bit of a jaded fan I don't really want to see them burn. I don't play the games or buy the minis anymore, but I do still like GW paints and brushes. Also, I kinda always felt bad for the store staff. Running a store on your own can't be fun.

 

[Atomic Spy Crab]

Well it was pretty obvious games workshop wouldn't die because 1/1000 of its money dropped (Price joke)
Also on the topic of prices, can we complain about something else for once? Such as the lack of a sisters or ork update?
(Even though $50 for tetto'eko is outrageous)

 

[Azahul]

Wow, I didn't know Warhammer was so cheap in the US! That a Tac Squad, Rhino, and 5 paints would cost me $135 here. I can't imagine why anyone in Australia plays the game.

It's been pretty fantastic for my local non-Games Workshop games store, which has been massively pushing Warmachine. A battlebox will cost you less than half what buying that unit combination in 40k will. Literally every 40k player I know has moved into the world of steampunk robots and giant monsters as a result.

 

[Lotet]

$50 for tetto'eko is outrageous

It's a bad deal, but I usually don't care much about how expensive a special character it. It's things that I want to use a lot like commissars that are a problem. $110 Aus for 5 Commissars

I think 3D printing will be less problematic than you think.

I for example do not have any desire to digitally sculpt a min then just print it out...
I'll probably still be the person that buys minis and kit bashes. or hand sculpt.

and I know there are a lot of people like that.

Projects like Hero Forge don't involves sculpting it involves customizing a character with the gear you want, they have a program from flicking between options till you get what you want. I wonder how much GW will charge if they let people order in commanders without any weapons aside form the ones you ordered.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Well it was pretty obvious games workshop wouldn't die because 1/1000 of its money dropped (Price joke)
Also on the topic of prices, can we complain about something else for once? Such as the lack of a sisters or ork update?
(Even though $50 for tetto'eko is outrageous)

I stopped playing due to lack of support for Orks. I would get seriously ruined by all these other players armies having all this stuff I don't know about and wrecking my shit with it. The prices over here are awful too, around $80-90 (That's NZD) for a pack of just 10 Space Marines? It's a complete rip off.

 

[ForumSafari]

I, too loved BFG. Was gutted when they dropped all support. I get my toy spaceship fix with Firestorm Armada these days. In fact, Spartan Games (The makers of Firestorm amongst some other games) have pretty much replaced GW in my tabletop wargaming life.

Same, I'm currently painting up the starter set and I've tossed a squadron of Murmillos and a Falchion carrier in as well. The Dindrenzi aesthetic is gorgeous but eventually I want one of most of the patrol fleets, the models are insanely good and very well priced. Also gotta love sword shaped ships named after gladiator classes.

I wish they'd remake the old Space Crusade board game. That and Hero Quest are the reasons I got into the hobby and the background and spent hundreds of pounds on Tyranids and Orks.

Hah same here, I loved Heroquest.

Running a store on your own can't be fun.

No they always look run ragged, bet they really hate their job by the end of the week. I used to staff an offie solo and that was no fun, at least there I could read.

 

[Lightknight]

The cost for the mass produced plastic figurines has soundly kept me out of this game. I can easily pay the $40+ to buy entire boardgames that my friends play for hours on end over and over again but for figurines I put on a map? Not happening. I remember the first time I got Warhammer starter pack for a steal ($50) and took it home and opened it up but realised it was just figurines and little to nothing else. I sold it right back and bought the comics I would have purchases instead. What a scam. Yeah, the game is fun and it's neat to be able to paint and customize them. But holy hell is it cheap to make those but expensive to buy. Now with the number of high quality boardgames out there that are cheaper than warhammer products, I'm not sure I'd even start playing this when 3D printing becomes a viable household product. I suppose it's close from what I've read.

As for right now, making custom models for cheap seems to be working just fine. Even if every home doesn't have a 3D printer or casting set, someone you know does and is willing to make you a set for much cheaper. The laws of supply and demand is a heartless ***** when the everyman can create the supply side of the equation.

 

[thiosk]

I do not play the game. I buy the books, buy occasional videogames, and am interested in the backstory, because its pretty fun sci fi.

I went to a store in california, and there was nothing for me. No books to speak of, no aquilla stickers, nothing but long tables and the plastic miniatures and painting supplies.

I don't know how much of the business model I represent, relative to the miniatures, but I felt that paying zero attention to it was a major mistake.

 

[Sir Shockwave]

THE TERRIFYING NECRON MENACE OF 3D PRINTING
One day soon, 3D printing is going to wipe Games Workshop off the map. In that golden future, we'll print ready-made miniatures at home, copy Space Marines ad infinitum, babies will weep only diamonds and no one will ever fail an armor save.

At least that's what some disgruntled fans say.

I don't buy it. Look guys, GW execs don't have cotton balls stuffed in their ears. They know all about 3D printing and the Hero Forge Kickstarter. They realize 3D printing could be a business threat. But here's the thing - they could easily launch their own web UI that lets you design and print a custom Space Marine Captain. It wouldn't surprise me if GW's experimenting with it right now, and because they're GW, they'll buy the best printers and find out how to make the best 3D printed models in the business. Say what you will about their policies, but GW has been making high-quality miniatures for three decades and has continually improved their methods and technology. There's no way they'll let a cheaper, more versatile production method undercut their product.

This, right here. I agree wholeheartedly with the writer - GW would be at least preparing for the oncoming of 3D Printers. Not to mention the same system is being experimented with in the Hero Forge Kickstarter, and previously the Proxy War [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/proxyarmy/proxy-war-custom-3d-printed-miniatures] and ArcanEngine [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/330752914/arcanengine-build-and-3d-print-one-of-a-kind-table], it's spiritual predecessors.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

I stopped collecting the miniatures years back. It was, as has been stated, far too expensive in time and money. I kept buying and reading the novels though,a but I've even given up on those since it seems like there's a new one out every week, and there's no way I can keep up.

 

[DataSnake]

At this point, the tabletop game feels kinda like a vestigial appendage on the excellent Dawn of War games and Black Library novels. Unfortunately, it looks like it's developed cancer of the price tag.

 

[major_chaos]

And key here, while the Infinity guys are not actually cheaper per figure, they are far, far cheaper per army.

Which doesn't change the fact that to me and most of the people I game with, assembling metal is slightly less fun then driving bamboo splinters under your fingernails.

OT: As a big fan of WH40k I really hope that GW can see the writing on the wall and change their ways before its too late, becuase at this point I have yet to find another tabletop that has the fun building/customization, massive scale, and easy to learn rules of 40k. (Seriously, I sat down in a local Ma & Pa hobby store and read the Warmachine rulebook and all I got out of it was a headache)