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 troa wrote:
You mean...Their policies are actually working? Sounds like GW is really bummed that their policies are working. </sarcasm>

Define "working". If you keep your releases a secret, but profits fall buy 30%, is that a success or a failure?

 AlexHolker wrote:

 troa wrote:
You mean...Their policies are actually working? Sounds like GW is really bummed that their policies are working. </sarcasm>

Define "working". If you keep your releases a secret, but profits fall buy 30%, is that a success or a failure?

I think it is difficult to tie any loss of sales to secrecy. There's too many variables (increase in prices, global economic changes, changes in product, etc).

I wouldn't be surprised if it were one factor though.

I think the secrecy thing only works if you have a consumer market that is only able to buy your product. They are forced to wait for whatever product is released, and there is nothing else competing for their attention.

While I think there are still a lot of wargamers who only collect WFB/40k, or purchase GW models, I think there is a lot more cross-over these days, and we're seeing a crumbling of the (I think, artificial) demarcation within the industry, between GW and everyone else - especially in the modern internet age, where there are lots of cross-game websites/blogs/forums. We're all rolling dice, painting miniatures, discussing rules and so it's only the shortest of steps to try something else. This has been compounded by GW removing their own stores as gaming centres, shutting down official tournament support - it's all helping to move people into shared gaming spaces where they are more likely to come into contact with the wider wargaming hobby.

So, I think GW's secrecy policy comes from a strong self-belief that they are the only ones who do what they do, how they do it, and their customers will buy whatever they release and won't spend their money elsewhere. However, from a consumer perspective I think the reality is somewhat different. If you had seen sneak pics of a Knight Titan 6 months ago, would you have been more or less inclined to blow that £150 on a kickstarter, or start a new force for Warmachine? These things aren't cheap, and I think a lot of people would save and plan such a purchase given the opportunity.

Completely anecdotal - back when this first started (couple of years ago now?) and we stopped getting previews, I bought stuff for a new Flames of War army. I'd felt like a new project for ages and that seemed the best thing on offer at the time. A week later I read about a new GW release (Daemons I think). I would have been all over that had I known it was a month away, and would certainly have saved my money. Instead it went elsewhere. I can't be the only person in this position, and to be honest I'm not sure I can understand the arguments for secrecy (other than the incorrect assumptions on GW's part that I've listed above).

Funny, GW reminds me of how movies were handled as social media was getting big:

Allow no previews, hype the movie like crazy, do not spend as much, hope you can get good sales on original release before all the "fanbase" reports the product is bad...

Maybe this is the intent, there is a tiny bit of lag time before anyone has a good read or build of a product and get it out there.

 pretre wrote:
He's talking about people being ungrateful to rumormongers, not GW.

Oh ok.. teach me to type having only read half the thread. Ill just sit in the corner with a big bowl of shut the feth up then.

Oh and I had to google mendacity.... am I the only bloke being honest or is that a word that see's regular use amongst the masses?

 kronk wrote:
Zweischneid hates people that hate rumor monger bloggers!

Wait. Are you a rumor monger blogger? Is that where this is coming from?

Are you... (long pause) FAEIT 212?

No, he's pinsofwar, and I call that nerve hit. A palpable hit.

 mattyrm wrote:
Oh and I had to google mendacity.... am I the only bloke being honest or is that a word that see's regular use amongst the masses?

Nope! I had to look up mendacity as well. Good word, though. Gonna try and use it in a sentence today.

Since you all won't be interacting with me in person I hope you take me at my word and not consider this a mendacious post!

 mattyrm wrote:

 pretre wrote:
He's talking about people being ungrateful to rumormongers, not GW.

Oh ok.. teach me to type having only read half the thread. Ill just sit in the corner with a big bowl of shut the feth up then.

Oh and I had to google mendacity.... am I the only bloke being honest or is that a word that see's regular use amongst the masses?

People who use the word Mendacity in sentences are 95% likely to carry a pocket watch on a chain and a bowler hat.

I like to use big words in a mendacious attempt to obfuscate my meaning.

The rumors no longer have value and GW is releasing so many items of "something shiny" that we do not care as much.

I wonder if I am getting jaded but I have not been excited about any new release for almost a year now.

Maybe the Imperial Knights model? Most model esthetics have not made me think I "must" have it.

If it were not for my rabid assembly line-like 40k friends I would not be near as excited about playing 40k but huge scraps with massed troops and big guns still excite when not rules lawyering.

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:

 mattyrm wrote:
Oh and I had to google mendacity.... am I the only bloke being honest or is that a word that see's regular use amongst the masses?

Nope! I had to look up mendacity as well. Good word, though. Gonna try and use it in a sentence today.

Since you all won't be interacting with me in person I hope you take me at my word and not consider this a mendacious post!

Oh how wonderfully mend... mendaciou..... mendicititous of you!

Am I doing it right?

 mattyrm wrote:

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:

 mattyrm wrote:
Oh and I had to google mendacity.... am I the only bloke being honest or is that a word that see's regular use amongst the masses?

Nope! I had to look up mendacity as well. Good word, though. Gonna try and use it in a sentence today.

Since you all won't be interacting with me in person I hope you take me at my word and not consider this a mendacious post!

Oh how wonderfully mend... mendaciou..... mendicititous of you!

Am I doing it right?

Are you wearing a pocket watch and a bowler hat?

I have a bowler hat, but pocket watches seem to be irrelevant these days with the advent of smartphones.

You know.. they are the same size and weight but you can do all kinds of other awesome things, such as displaying HD pornography to liven up a somber funeral or a trip to see elderly relatives for example!

 kronk wrote:

Are you wearing a pocket watch and a bowler hat?

I had to look up bowler hat...

 mattyrm wrote:
I have a bowler hat, but pocket watches seem to be irrelevant these days with the advent of smartphones.

You know.. they are the same size and weight but you can do all kinds of other awesome things, such as displaying HD pornography to liven up a somber funeral or a trip to see elderly relatives for example!

Then you did it WRONG!

You must now take it back.

 Dez wrote:
All in hiding due to internet witch hunters burning them at the stake. The vocal audience seems to be very ungrateful, it's a pity.

The people that got the most flak for posting crap are still out there posting crap (well, Stickmonkey has calmed down, at least), so that's probably not it.