Games Workshop Profits Down 24%, CEO Happy

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Actually mate, it is quite expensive. Little Timmy probably doesn't have £65 burning a hole in his pocket and even if he did he'd have to buy glue, paints, brushes and a craft knife (provided he doesn't have one of those already) unless he wanted to spend all day staring at the models on the sprue and wondering what might be. That's going to cost him at the very least another £10. More like £15 since they've bumped the prices up again. Then once he's done that Timmy has sunk almost £80 into having 2 small armies, of which he can only play one side at a time and hasn't got the codex to access either army's special rules or unit lists.

If he wants to continue his hobby (let's assume with the SPHESS MEHREENS since they're almost certainly in the starter set and the now lone employee in the shop has told Timmy SPHESS MEHREENS ARE THE BEST EVAR*) little Timmy will have to fork out about £20 on the codex bringing him up to £100 just to get into the game properly. He now has 2 armies, one of which won't get played with, and two books. If he wants to take it further that'll cost him even more.

Eh, £65/£80, it's £15 difference (& they're snap fix, no glue needed). It's not like you don't need those things for other tabletop games. Also, when did little Timmy have £40 for the latest call of duty? He still gets it.

Yes, that's what I said.

It's the add ons that get expensive. First they get you hooked on cheap samples, then they jack up the price.

 

[AstaresPanda]

I love how GW is so protective about their IP when it comes to video games, but is more than happy to see it dragged through the mud with crappy to mediocre junk like Storm of Vengeance, the recent Space Hulk and Kill Team. They are sitting on one of the most gaming-friendly IP out there, they just need to give it to a competent developer and let them go crazy with it. And it will print money. But no, we're getting Eternal Crusade, Regicide, Drop Assault and a few more cheap-ass iOS trash games. Yeah, go with that GW, don't try reviving Dawn of War, continuing Space Marine or maybe getting someone to make that Inquisition RPG that tons of people have been dreaming of for years. The only potential light at the end of the tunnel at the moment is the next Space Hulk, and even that light isn't all that bright...

Oh yeh that one thing that i just do not get, perfect ip but gets wasted with random assholes. Dawn of war needs a 3rd game. Space Marine needs a sequal and perhaps have dedicated servers. Eternal Crusade mmo sounds good and the early gameplay it just looks like Space Marine but bigger scale. Space Hulk was total ass, have more fun playing the board game the mission were the same it was pointless. The old PS1 Space Hulk fps was sooo much better and creepy.

Not sure why ppl hated on DoW2 so much was great my marines did not feel so expendable.

 

[shadowmagus]

Just stop GW. I have yet to find a tabletop that is anywhere near as fun to build, play or read as 40k, you have one of the most fun IPs around, one that was been a source of many great books and games, and yet you happily throw that all away by finding the worst possible business decision and sticking with it. Reduce prices, get more than one person per store, get some quality devs to make 40k video games, and stop dicking over third party retailers. This isn't rocket science, and the plummeting profit margins should make it clear what you are doing now isn't working.

Warmachine is a fun and very tight squad based game that won't run you 150+ to get started.

See what I just did GW, no one says that about your game anymore.

See, shit like this is why I bought Warmachine figures.

You. I like you.

 

[Karadalis]

I can get a 1/144 gundam model kit for below 15 Euros.. with atleast the same amount of material usage then a GW tank, wich is posable like an action figure and is actually quite big.. not to mention they usually come with lots of accessoires.

Meanwhile a mere predator tank costs up to 40 euros and is essentially a block with bits sticking out that was made unnecesarly complicated to put together.

Did i mention that YOU NEED NO GLUE to build gundam model kits? They have poly caps.

Shame that there are no Table top rules for them.



Games workshop is constantly shooting itselfe in the foot and now kirby comes out and applauds himselfe as captain having thrown aboard crewmembers when the bloody ship is sinking slowly into the ocean?

See people.. that happens when you let a bunch of manchildren without any real idea how to run a business... run a business.

Their absolute toxic attitudes against 3rd party vendors doesnt really help them either... as a business that produces wares my first priority would be to make my wares as much available as possible to the broadest audience possible.

Thought nowadays if you even want some of the new models you have to drive miles to the next games workshop store cause no 3rd party store is allowed to get them.

And then theres the prizing that only knows the way up while the quality (crapcast) of their products keeps declining further and further.

Or how about suing internet fanpages out of existance for "violating copyrights" or suing people for using the word "Space marine" in their books?

In other words Kirby is pissing on his company and tells everyone its raining.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

How about dropping prices for all the reasons people mentioned, and stop just focusing mainly on the Imperial factions in 40k.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

How about dropping prices for all the reasons people mentioned, and stop just focusing mainly on the Imperial factions in 40k.

Ward loves his Ultrasmurfs and Grey Knights too much.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

How about dropping prices for all the reasons people mentioned, and stop just focusing mainly on the Imperial factions in 40k.

Ward loves his Ultrasmurfs and Grey Knights too much.

And that's fine, I'm not saying pay less attention to them, just more to the other factions.

 

[Jandau]

I love how GW is so protective about their IP when it comes to video games, but is more than happy to see it dragged through the mud with crappy to mediocre junk like Storm of Vengeance, the recent Space Hulk and Kill Team. They are sitting on one of the most gaming-friendly IP out there, they just need to give it to a competent developer and let them go crazy with it. And it will print money. But no, we're getting Eternal Crusade, Regicide, Drop Assault and a few more cheap-ass iOS trash games. Yeah, go with that GW, don't try reviving Dawn of War, continuing Space Marine or maybe getting someone to make that Inquisition RPG that tons of people have been dreaming of for years. The only potential light at the end of the tunnel at the moment is the next Space Hulk, and even that light isn't all that bright...

Oh yeh that one thing that i just do not get, perfect ip but gets wasted with random assholes. Dawn of war needs a 3rd game. Space Marine needs a sequal and perhaps have dedicated servers. Eternal Crusade mmo sounds good and the early gameplay it just looks like Space Marine but bigger scale. Space Hulk was total ass, have more fun playing the board game the mission were the same it was pointless. The old PS1 Space Hulk fps was sooo much better and creepy.

Not sure why ppl hated on DoW2 so much was great my marines did not feel so expendable.

I wouldn't get my hopes up too much about Eternal Crusade, that game has been in development hell for too long, changed hands too much, changed direction too many times. It's pretty much doomed to be mediocre at best, and likely just straight up crap. It's a game that failed and now it's stillborn corpse is being reanimated into something resembling a game to recoup at least some of the money that went into it.

As for DoW2, people hated it because they changed it too much. It was a good game, a very good game, but it should have been a spinoff or a new brand. It was more of an RPG than an RTS and was a major departure from the previous games, which a lot of people hoping for a modern rendition of the classic game just weren't interested in.

 

[Elijah Newton]

I'd play the game as-is if the prices came down on the minis. I'm an old, geritol-gobbling bastard and remember when a pack of 20 marines sold for $20. In proper corvus helmets, none of this Mark 7 malarky. What, didja run into a wall? YA LOOK LIKE A PUG, YA RIDICULOUS EXCUSE FOR THE EMP'RAZ FINEST.

Where was I? Oh right. 20 models for $20 dollars. A rules book which ran $50 and was considered exorbitant. An honest day's pay for an honest day's work. A chicken in every pot.

DAMMIT, YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN OR THERE'LL BE A HIDING! DON'T THINK I DON'T SEE YOU BACK THERE!

*grumble grumble*

All that being said, they really could do with revising their rules from scratch. Like tabula rasa that shit and start over beginning with a careful consideration of what scale of battle they want to be promoting. Necromunda and Mordheim hewed very tightly to the idea of small squad combat and the level of details in the rules reflected that. Those games never dragged, they were almost like a decent board game. Contrast that with umpty-thousand point battles in WH40k, when it takes how long for a single side to play? Surely we can agree that glacial pacing cannot have been part of the original intent of the game.

The only game I can think of that is more systematically broken was Car Wars. ( um, again, the old Steve Jackson version, not the newer revisions )

(because I'm old)

(*grumble*)

 

[Elijah Newton]

I wouldn't get my hopes up too much about Eternal Crusade, that game has been in development hell for too long, changed hands too much, changed direction too many times. It's pretty much doomed to be mediocre at best, and likely just straight up crap. It's a game that failed and now it's stillborn corpse is being reanimated into something resembling a game to recoup at least some of the money that went into it.

Could I trouble you for sources? Because I know that Dark Millennium ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Dark_Millennium ) had been kicking around for quite some time and has been canceled, but I thought Eternal Crusade ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Eternal_Crusade ) was a new project. Are the two related?

Not challenging, just curious.

 

[Jandau]

I wouldn't get my hopes up too much about Eternal Crusade, that game has been in development hell for too long, changed hands too much, changed direction too many times. It's pretty much doomed to be mediocre at best, and likely just straight up crap. It's a game that failed and now it's stillborn corpse is being reanimated into something resembling a game to recoup at least some of the money that went into it.

Could I trouble you for sources? Because I know that Dark Millennium ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Dark_Millennium ) had been kicking around for quite some time and has been canceled, but I thought Eternal Crusade ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Eternal_Crusade ) was a new project. Are the two related?

Not challenging, just curious.

As far as I'm aware, Eternal Crusade is a retooled/rebranded Dark Millennium, though I'd love to be wrong here...

 

[AstaresPanda]

I love how GW is so protective about their IP when it comes to video games, but is more than happy to see it dragged through the mud with crappy to mediocre junk like Storm of Vengeance, the recent Space Hulk and Kill Team. They are sitting on one of the most gaming-friendly IP out there, they just need to give it to a competent developer and let them go crazy with it. And it will print money. But no, we're getting Eternal Crusade, Regicide, Drop Assault and a few more cheap-ass iOS trash games. Yeah, go with that GW, don't try reviving Dawn of War, continuing Space Marine or maybe getting someone to make that Inquisition RPG that tons of people have been dreaming of for years. The only potential light at the end of the tunnel at the moment is the next Space Hulk, and even that light isn't all that bright...

Oh yeh that one thing that i just do not get, perfect ip but gets wasted with random assholes. Dawn of war needs a 3rd game. Space Marine needs a sequal and perhaps have dedicated servers. Eternal Crusade mmo sounds good and the early gameplay it just looks like Space Marine but bigger scale. Space Hulk was total ass, have more fun playing the board game the mission were the same it was pointless. The old PS1 Space Hulk fps was sooo much better and creepy.

Not sure why ppl hated on DoW2 so much was great my marines did not feel so expendable.

I wouldn't get my hopes up too much about Eternal Crusade, that game has been in development hell for too long, changed hands too much, changed direction too many times. It's pretty much doomed to be mediocre at best, and likely just straight up crap. It's a game that failed and now it's stillborn corpse is being reanimated into something resembling a game to recoup at least some of the money that went into it.

As for DoW2, people hated it because they changed it too much. It was a good game, a very good game, but it should have been a spinoff or a new brand. It was more of an RPG than an RTS and was a major departure from the previous games, which a lot of people hoping for a modern rendition of the classic game just weren't interested in.

Eternal Crusade is a new game its not what the guys at VigilGames were working on before it went to shit along with THQ.

 

[Riot3000]

I remember GW was the best in high school and college but now it is just sad. I mean I am making much more than I was in high school and I am not even trying to buy more or get people into it. It sucks because I still love nerding over the lore because Orks iz best but I will not suggest it to even my more well to do friends.

Honestly the only thing will get me hyped for GW would be a Warhammer 40K game in the vein of Stars Wars BattleFront with all the factions available but that is not happening so it will be a dream.

 

[Ironman126]

SNIP

snip

When it comes to prices, and this may sound incredibly stupid, but I only buy Forge World and off eBay. I play Legion, and Forge World is the only part of the company that seems to care. And when laid out the pricing of Forge World bits isn't that much more than GW. It takes me a little longer to build up an army, but damn it, its a army worth playing from people who enjoy playing the game!

The more I read about GW as a whole, the more I'm convinced that GW views 40k as an annoyance. A stepchild from a previous marriage it now has to care for, rather than the flagship of the entire company.

And as far as the Grey Knights go, yes they're bad now, I'm just worried they'll become even worse.

I had considered buying Forge World stuff a short while back, but I couldn't really justify the purchases based on pricing, but then again, I couldn't do that for the Citadel models, either. I have to say, I really like the products Forge World puts out. Buying off Ebay is definitely the way to go. Any chance I get to screw GW out of some money and still get to play the game is a in my books.

As for GW and their attitude towards 40k, you're hitting the nail on the head. To be honest, I'm not sure that GW really wants to have any of their IPs anymore. The way they basically ignore Fantasy and Lord of the Rings (or The Hobbit, whatever they're calling it these days), you'd think they were trying to move towards the business model of "We want people to just give us money so we don't have to maintain any IPs."

 

[Arkynomicon]

GW is in so much damage control mode that it's laughable.

They really need to invigorate the 40k IP because it being stuck in the 80's is showing a lot these days.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

I like how people in this thread are basically encourage tabletop piracy....

Buying off Ebay is definitely the way to go. Any chance I get to screw GW out of some money and still get to play the game is a in my books.

Yep, real subtle there guys.

I don't quite see how buying second hand models or rules off Ebay is in any way piracy. They are a physical product that can be sold on to anyone the owner wishes.

1 guy mentioned 3d printers in a way that might be taken as "ha, ha, just print your own", but that's about it.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Well some of us here thinks that doing the same (i.m buying second hand) with video games is piracy. + piracy is basically "ha, ha, just copy it!" Why should this be any different? Cause it's a model?

So was that more of a (very) subtle dig at people who think buying second hand videogames is piracy?

 

[Arkynomicon]

I like how people in this thread are basically encourage tabletop piracy....

Buying off Ebay is definitely the way to go. Any chance I get to screw GW out of some money and still get to play the game is a in my books.

Yep, real subtle there guys.

Buying used products is not piracy in any way. It's your right as a consumer to buy legally produced second hand products legally.

Now buying models from some shady guy in China that illegally recast models would be closer to piracy considering that they are actual bootleg productions.