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Hi,

it is an official GW policy change that from now on, new packaging of GW products will only feature the English (and French) names of the units. This includes boxes and blisters and all sides of the packaging. We also have experienced that about half the rules publications will be in English only, see Death from the Sky, all Codex supplements, AFAIK all digital products and now even the small hardcover 40k rulebook. We know, that the German translation team was disbanded some time ago, to be replaced by a core team or single person in Nottingham and that one single person is responsible for all Japanese translations.

All this is difficult to explain, other than GW plans to retreat from all non-English markets and tries to shrink even further instead of expanding to its full potential.

What can be the reasoning behind all this? Frankly, I don't know, but it doesn't sound good or healthy. Any ideas?

BTW this discussion is in General Discussion, as one mod found that this change of GW policy doesn't deserve a discussion in News & Rumours beyond the day of confirmation, so here we are.

I think this hardly constitutes a retreat from non-English markets

It's more a step towards an even more corporate structure

Here in the UK we've lost many Iconic brand names when their owners have decided that single name should be used world wide

eg Marathon became Snickers
Opal Fruits became Starburst

etc

I'm sure GW intends the unit names to be seen in the same light (while making it easier to defend the IP)

Now on the subject of translations of the actual rules that is probably a dumb move as more languages the rules are available in, the more players they can grab

although their full size translation teams did seem to make a hash of things by starting to translate the books before they were finished and not bothering to change the translation when the English version was changed leading to different rules in different languages on occasion (so hopefully you might at least see translations turn up later in the same way print versions of these extras are now many months behind)

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
It's more a step towards an even more corporate structure
Here in the UK we've lost many Iconic brand names when their owners have decided that single name should be used world wide
I'm sure GW intends the unit names to be seen in the same light (while making it easier to defend the IP)

If they really intended to change the names internationally to the English ones, why do they release a Space Marine Codex with no mentioning of the English names? Are Space Marines so unimportant? Will they release another Space Marine Codex in 1-2 months?

In other words: I don't think that this can explain anything here.

No. Your old thread got shut down, I predict this one will not last long.

spam deleted.

reds8n

 Kroothawk wrote:

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
It's more a step towards an even more corporate structure
Here in the UK we've lost many Iconic brand names when their owners have decided that single name should be used world wide
I'm sure GW intends the unit names to be seen in the same light (while making it easier to defend the IP)

If they really intended to change the names internationally to the English ones, why do they release a Space Marine Codex with no mentioning of the English names? Are Space Marines so unimportant? Will they release another Space Marine Codex in 1-2 months?

In other words: I don't think that this can explain anything here.

So is there a German-Language Space Marine Codex about to come out?
If so, then your topic question is clearly very silly, and merely a means to justify some more internet warblegarble complaining about the boxes being changed yet again.

Krooty has gotten awfully bitter about GW in the past few months.

True and ironic given how he has advertised rumours and releases for them for so long.

It's like an insipid effect that gradually builds after prolonged exposure - mark my words, It will happen to you eventually too mate!

I can kind of understand the consternation though - if Corvus Belli suddenly started releasing new rules for cool stuff in Infinity in Spanish-only I would would be the first person on here bitching about it. I'd also probably not respond well if a bunch of posters started saying "well, perhaps you should start learning Spanish - it is the fastest growing language in the world after all?"

 Pacific wrote:
I'd also probably not respond well if a bunch of posters started saying "well, perhaps you should start learning Spanish - it is the fastest growing language in the world after all?"

Exactly. I can sort of understand Kroot's consternation here. It is easy for English speakers to think of this as some sort of storm in a teacup but it is quite a big deal for non English speakers. Whilst I don't think GW are abandoning foreign language markets completely, I do think it is yet another cost saving method - ie. they can print and produce one box design/layout for all markets and thus save costs on localisation.

Sadly, it doesn't even save a single penny, as GW always printed and produced just one box/blister design for all (and all the names have already been translated).

 Pacific wrote:
It's like an insipid effect that gradually builds after prolonged exposure - mark my words, It will happen to you eventually too mate!

I can kind of understand the consternation though - if Corvus Belli suddenly started releasing new rules for cool stuff in Infinity in Spanish-only I would would be the first person on here bitching about it. I'd also probably not respond well if a bunch of posters started saying "well, perhaps you should start learning Spanish - it is the fastest growing language in the world after all?"

I only serve the great god CASH! (both Jonny and the folding kind)

If Corvus Belli did that they would cease trading in the greater world in no time at all. It is an Anglo-centric world we live in; that only really annoys the French for the most part everyone else trades happily enough. \not allot will change that, not even the Chinese (who are quite happy trading in English in my experience).

If GW are going to use English as common units names across the world does it matter?

I'm pretty sure Fiat Punto doesn't contain anything other than Italian but none the less international we all know it means gak little car.

As with most of these sensationalist 'Finedisasters' it’s all allot of hot air from those that feel they must be disgusted with every bit of GW minutia.

 Kroothawk wrote:

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
It's more a step towards an even more corporate structure
Here in the UK we've lost many Iconic brand names when their owners have decided that single name should be used world wide
I'm sure GW intends the unit names to be seen in the same light (while making it easier to defend the IP)

If they really intended to change the names internationally to the English ones, why do they release a Space Marine Codex with no mentioning of the English names? Are Space Marines so unimportant? Will they release another Space Marine Codex in 1-2 months?

In other words: I don't think that this can explain anything here.

Seeing as even a small market like Poland has a translated Codex, I don't think they're retreating, but maybe redesigning their approach to the International market. Not for the better, I'd say.

Poland is a growing market, and it makes sense to support it with localised versions.

I don't see why GW have redesigned the box. I don't think it means anything. It's probably just one of those cases where management decide to do something to show they are needed to make decisions.

1. Bar the scandinavian countries and The Netherlands I guess it is correct to assume that Germany has the highest number of (non-native, obviously) English-speakers in Europe. My wife feels very comfortable here.
So I guess GW just decided to include Germany in the international publication standard, i.e. remove them from the localisation chart. It does save them some money now and hassle in the future.

I have thought it weird in the past that German players had to deal with different (pseudo latin-english) names, to be honest.
And don't think it will change shopping behaviour much. Kids nowadays grow up with so much (pidgin) English, I don't think that they a) will not grasp what is in the box and b) be offended by the lack of German titles.

2. The question of supplementary rule books only being issued in English is a different thing, and I would agree that they are potentially losing sales because of that.
Much more in countries that have traditional difficulties to speak English - even if they know speaking it (I am looking at you, France!).
The question is: Do they lose more sales than it costs to translate the texts and print it? And how will this affect marketing power and hence market penetration, customer retention and sustained sales figures? Again: Are the costs being outweighed by sales? If the answer to that is YES, then, indeed, they are butt-hurting themselves.

But that would not be the first time for GW, would it now?

 Kroothawk wrote:

What can be the reasoning behind all this? Frankly, I don't know, but it doesn't sound good or healthy. Any ideas?

It is annoying, I agree, but given that GW profits are holding up well in the present economic climate, it is obviously done to increase efficiencies, rather than any retrenchment, as you infer.

It's great that you keep us posted with news, kroothawk, but it's intriguing that you seem to post more about negative items (foreign titles disappearing from new box artwork) than about positive items (eg, free 72 page tactical marine painting guide).

Hivefleet Oblivion wrote:

 Kroothawk wrote:

What can be the reasoning behind all this? Frankly, I don't know, but it doesn't sound good or healthy. Any ideas?

It is annoying, I agree, but given that GW profits are holding up well in the present economic climate, it is obviously done to increase efficiencies, rather than any retrenchment, as you infer.

It's great that you keep us posted with news, kroothawk, but it's intriguing that you seem to post more about negative items (foreign titles disappearing from new box artwork) than about positive items (eg, free 72 page tactical marine painting guide).

It's not really free though is it? I still have to buy a expensive and (IMO) needless iPad if I want it. How hard would it have been to put it as a free pdf on their website?

But... but... for a PDF I'd still have to buy an expensive and needless computer if I want it. How hard would it have been for them to put people on every corner, handing out free printed painting guides?

 Bomster wrote:
But... but... for a PDF I'd still have to buy an expensive and needless computer if I want it. How hard would it have been for them to put people on every corner, handing out free printed painting guides?

Nooo! That'd require me to leave my house!

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:

 Bomster wrote:
But... but... for a PDF I'd still have to buy an expensive and needless computer if I want it. How hard would it have been for them to put people on every corner, handing out free printed painting guides?

Nooo! That'd require me to leave my house!

If only you lived on a corner then maybe they could pass you the guide through the window

Im not sure if theyre really retreating. Im guessing they figured out that plenty of people in Germany do speak english rather well, and that they can get by with a bit less work in that market. The Netherlands and Belgium dont have any issues with that, so why would Germany?

I do understand that this might upset some people ... especially those that dont get why Sternguard are listed as something else in the Codex.

In the end though, I dont think its going to change anything at all. The prices are skyrocketing, yet people still flock to the stores (maybe not as much ... but going through the SM thread you see plenty of people listing that theyll pay the price). This may alienate a few people that feel like theyre getting shafted, but I doubt its going to have a massive impact.

Personally, I dont care either way ... Im done buying from GW ...

I don't think GW would wish to leave or let go of any potential market. I do think they are very interested in cost cutting exercises atm and that reducing anything and everything seen as superfluous or 'fat' will be cut back to the bone. There may well have been a meeting re the boxes, for example, that said that the vast majority of their nonEnglish language nation customers already speak and read English and so taking the time to rename and translate was a waste of revenue.

I don't think this has a dark hidden agenda, I think it's just cost cutting, again.

Hivefleet Oblivion wrote:
It's great that you keep us posted with news, kroothawk, but it's intriguing that you seem to post more about negative items (foreign titles disappearing from new box artwork) than about positive items (eg, free 72 page tactical marine painting guide).

My latest threads were on Dark Elves in October, Tyranids in November, new spray cans in September and this policy change. I am happy when I can report good news, but I also report the bad ones.

I don't really see what GW intends to achieve with a Personally it doesn't affect me, since I've been going out of my way for years to put my hands on English publications anyway. But I can see that at least rules (and fluff along with it) should be available for the intended target audience.

That said, I would see consolidating *unit names* as far from a retreat from an international market. Rather the opposite: From the first time the "Dreadnought" was christened "Cybot" I thought that translating unit names was a move toward dramatically fracturing the market, basically isolating every language group within their own little niche. Especially if it is done by people who don't display any hint of skill at finding names that would work as an actual equivalent of the English one (as far as mood and tone are concerned). And it's done in an entirely hodgepodge way, too - so it's okay to talk about "Imperial Fists" and "Blood Angels" in German, but "Genestealer" obviously is too much for delicate German minds to process. I don't attend any international tournaments, but I would imagine that those differences are another obstacle when trying to communicate. So I'm all for an attempt at consolidation in this regard.
Then again, considering the amount of books published in various languages so far, I wouldn't expect GW to make the considerable effort to return all unit names to their English versions.

To reiterate - I have *no* idea what GW plans to achieve with that except somehow saving money in an opaque way... but I'd regard accusing them of "forcing players to learn English" or "deliberately offending non-English speakers" to be the typical kind melodramatic hyperbole that can be expected from the internet.

 Grimtuff wrote:

It's not really free though is it? I still have to buy a expensive and (IMO) needless iPad if I want it. How hard would it have been to put it as a free pdf on their website?

There's the rub. It is incontrovertibly free. But some people will still insist it isn't.

You have to buy a computer to read Dakkadakka. That doesn't mean it isn't free. You would need a computer to read a PDF. By all means, retain your animus against GW, that's a question of opinion, but whether that guide is free or not is not a matter of opinion. It is free.

Okay, so it's free, but useless to the majority of people out there because it's so platform specific. Yay! Useless and free!

obviously it is useless it does nothing for the billions of people who know nothing about warhammer! Clearly GW is releasing garbage no one cares about for free but it isn't really free.


BTW frozenwastes your post cost me about $1205 to read and I insist you pay me back as I had to pay about $1200 for the computer and the electricity and internet connection and the time factor I'm adding on an extra $5.....your BS is expensive because it's platform specific.

What does any of this have to do with GW's use of language on their products again?

Are there ibooks releases available in multiple languages?

 Kroothawk wrote:
Sadly, it doesn't even save a single penny, as GW always printed and produced just one box/blister design for all (and all the names have already been translated).

It is kind of funny that many of the posters have never been to Germany. People do not understand that this country ( and nearby regions) has one of largest game manufacturing areas in the entire world. Product Design. Quality Control is top tier. That region of the world is a board/game strong hold (as well as books). I know this. I have been there years ago and it has not change at all over the years as being a premiere place for quality product. The trade fair is SPIEL and it is in Essen Germany. It is bigger than Gencon.

I keep tabs on current affairs and trends around the world and because of the decline of 40K, my interests are leaning towards boardgames in general to invest in a monetary fashion.

Which comes up to the following. Why is GW not printing different languages on their boxes now? Consolidation of resources due to the fact of the corporation has reduced staffing in this area? The other possible aspect is the loss of their customer base in sections of the foreign market? It could be a printing mistake as well. And finally it could be just the arrogance of the mindset of the corporation. Remember this is the company that stated that Finecast was the best stuff on earth We all know how that turned out to be false.

Why piss off more people in one of the world's largest gaming strongholds when they, as far as it appears do not have too?
I'm hoping that this is just a printing snafu.

 frozenwastes wrote:
What does any of this have to do with GW's use of language on their products again?
Are there ibooks releases available in multiple languages?

Guess his argument is:
GW is not retreating from non-English markets, look at all those English-only digital products