Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

This year I went to Games Day UK, held at the NIA, after going last year to the one held at the NEC. Last year I found the event great with lots to do and see.
This year however the ticket had gone up in price ant the event was at best a big shop, with a few display stands, Armies on Parade and of course the Golden Daemon.

So I just wanted to know your views before writing off to the event organisers.

General consensus so far from Dakka users who went are that it sucked balls. There is a thread here discussing it:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/554017.page

Plus another thread in the News & Rumours section:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/555102.page

Essentially, GW seem intent on removing pretty much anything from Games Day that actually offered any reason to go to it. Which is nice.

I hear Nottingham is going to be restructured into a one-man shop.

Only old models and no participative games and actions? Guess you can have that cheaper at your local GW store without paying a ticket and travel. You only miss waiting for 2 hours in a queue for buying FW models at retail.

 Kroothawk wrote:
You only miss waiting for 2 hours in a queue for buying FW models at retail.

To be fair, waiting two hours to buy a pile of new "get it early at GD" stuff that will sell for significantly more than retail on ebay that night is a pretty good plan if you're already in the area and don't have anything better to do. Too bad that seems to be the only thing of value at GD.

You forgot about the show only stuff. But even if you're already in the area and have nothing better to do, you'd need to sell a lot to make back your £35.

I did see someone at the last GD buying a whole box (40? 50?) of the LE marines, so there must be plenty of money in reselling.

The chap that took my ticket says he was done and on the train home by 1pm, Cant have been that good.

Don't forget - the ticket cost £35, so you have to try to make that back first.
And you were only allowed to buy 1 of anything - no multiples. So for example if you wanted 2 massacre books, you had to wait and queue twice and hope they didn't recognise you.
And then hope that people were daft enough to go 'ermagerd!' and buy it at an inflated price on ebay when the last one was selling for £120ish for a week....and then FW released it the week after and it was worth £70 again.

Where were all the games? They were the best part of last year's by far.

I was disapointed and will probably not be going next year if this continues.

I think this says it all:

 zedmeister wrote:
I think this says it all:

Yes it kinda does. But didnt they have less tickets so that would be a reason aswell, right?

Why sell fewer tickets unless the demand has fallen?

The next time someone asks for proof that GW's customer base is shrinking they can look at those pictures.

To think I'm probably somewhere in the left hand pic....

 PredaKhaine wrote:
And then hope that people were daft enough to go 'ermagerd!' and buy it at an inflated price on ebay when the last one was selling for £120ish for a week....and then FW released it the week after and it was worth £70 again.

But that's exactly what happens. People put stuff up on ebay at inflated prices, and people who don't want to wait are willing to pay those prices. After all, you don't need everyone in the community to think paying £50 extra to get a book a week early is a good deal, you just need one person to do it. And worst-case scenario you still have a £70 book to sell so all you've really lost is the cost of the GD ticket.

 Peregrine wrote:

 PredaKhaine wrote:
And then hope that people were daft enough to go 'ermagerd!' and buy it at an inflated price on ebay when the last one was selling for £120ish for a week....and then FW released it the week after and it was worth £70 again.

But that's exactly what happens. People put stuff up on ebay at inflated prices, and people who don't want to wait are willing to pay those prices. After all, you don't need everyone in the community to think paying £50 extra to get a book a week early is a good deal, you just need one person to do it. And worst-case scenario you still have a £70 book to sell so all you've really lost is the cost of the GD ticket.

We had a guy swap an unassembled Warhound Titan with a friend of mine for the then unreleased Lord Zhufor fig.

True story.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Why sell fewer tickets unless the demand has fallen?

The next time someone asks for proof that GW's customer base is shrinking they can look at those pictures.

Suppose you got a point....
I'll never get why do people line up for hours to get a mini thy will be out in a few months.

 Grimtuff wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:

 PredaKhaine wrote:
And then hope that people were daft enough to go 'ermagerd!' and buy it at an inflated price on ebay when the last one was selling for £120ish for a week....and then FW released it the week after and it was worth £70 again.

But that's exactly what happens. People put stuff up on ebay at inflated prices, and people who don't want to wait are willing to pay those prices. After all, you don't need everyone in the community to think paying £50 extra to get a book a week early is a good deal, you just need one person to do it. And worst-case scenario you still have a £70 book to sell so all you've really lost is the cost of the GD ticket.

We had a guy swap an unassembled Warhound Titan with a friend of mine for the then unreleased Lord Zhufor fig.

True story.

I just threw up a little

 zedmeister wrote:
I think this says it all:

Spoiler:

It can't be a true reflection on the hobby number base. Maybe it is the amount of people who don't bother with games day.

Smaller venue to save gw money. It didnt even sell out. GW stopped selling tickets even though there were loads available.

GD is essentially forge world open day part 2

It's what happens when you totally disregard the players desire to enjoy the hobby..

Amazing how people would prefer not to be primarily treated as chattel whos only purpose is to spend money.. 2003 had its problems with 3rd edition but at least we had people at GW who seemed to legitimately care about the players.

Too bad all of those people were fired and/or resigned

I went, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I picked up some pre release stuff, chatted to writers, sculptors, and painters.
I got advice on my sculpting and painting, swapped army ideas with the design studio and Forgeworld.

Wasn't as good as last year. I still enjoyed myself but its different for me since I go down with my mates from the store, so we all have a bit of a laugh anyway. I did miss the participation games this year though and the food wasn't planned very well and very basic with not a lot on offer. Went to get food at 12:30, a normal lunch time, to find out that they've sold out of some stuff and they only had Pasties, Steak Pies and Sauage rolls left. They had ran out of pork baps and hot dogs. Considering I'm not a big fan of Pasties & Pies that annoyed me quite a bit but I just had to suck it up and eat a pastie.

I left and went into town, got myself a McDonalds. Seemed better option than what was on offer, also got some fresh air and saw an air cadet band play in town.

That was actually my biggest complaint of the day, the food.

I don't have an issue with what was on offer, it was tasty enough and hot. However it was a long walk away from the main stands in the 'food village'.

It was a specific caterer apparently not the normal menu so a lot of people didn't know what was what, so had to explain to each customer the choices.

There was NO seating at the food bit, I found some later on a bit further round the ring but it was 3 tables. Fortunately I was able to eat my pastie and cola in the seats in the arena but it was a fair hike back with my shopping which was heavy due to Massacre book. I was half expecting to be told I couldn't go into the arena with food but fortunately this wasn't the case.

The food in LG arena was much better, more choice and decent seating.

I still think the NIA is a bad venue for the event, the NEC was much better. I know that in the NIA you can wander into town but again if you have bought stuff the bags are a pain to humpf about. I think a bigger backpack next year.

Herzlos wrote:
You forgot about the show only stuff. But even if you're already in the area and have nothing better to do, you'd need to sell a lot to make back your £35.

I did see someone at the last GD buying a whole box (40? 50?) of the LE marines, so there must be plenty of money in reselling.

Hate to say it but the same figures were available at the Throne of Skulls tournament at WHW last month where you could just wander in and buy them even if you weren't playing at the event, no queuing!

Excellent if you are in the area! ;-)

Its not been relevant in any other thread, and I didn't really think it important enough to start a thread by itself, but I did notice that the cheaper "accompanying parent or guardian" ticket didn't seem on offer this year either, meaning if your kid was too young to go unattended, you were looking at £70 for one child and one parent.

 filbert wrote:
General consensus so far from Dakka users who went are that it sucked balls. There is a thread here discussing it:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/554017.page

Plus another thread in the News & Rumours section:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/555102.page

Essentially, GW seem intent on removing pretty much anything from Games Day that actually offered any reason to go to it. Which is nice.

I think you summed it up best in another thread: A games day without any games!

 LavuranGuard wrote:

Herzlos wrote:
You forgot about the show only stuff. But even if you're already in the area and have nothing better to do, you'd need to sell a lot to make back your £35.

I did see someone at the last GD buying a whole box (40? 50?) of the LE marines, so there must be plenty of money in reselling.

Hate to say it but the same figures were available at the Throne of Skulls tournament at WHW last month where you could just wander in and buy them even if you weren't playing at the event, no queuing!

Excellent if you are in the area! ;-)

And yet I haven't actually seen anyone mention owning one yet.

Edit: I can't even find any on ebay. Did even the resellers not bother with them after last years debacle?

I have the boarding machine from last year, acquired through a friend and this year I picked up the Davinite Priest but I wasn't into buying them up and turning a quick buck on Ebay tbh.