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I cancelled my subscription of almost 20 years when the GW decided to change me from receiving their monthly hobby magazine to some crappy pamphlet full of photos with zero content. Two-page spread photos just don't work, the crease between pages renders the centre of the photo, generally the picture's focal point, impossible to see. The "battle reports" in this sales pamphlet are a joke. There was just zero interesting content. To top it all, with WD going weekly, it effectively doubles the price of the magazine per month if you collect every issue.

When I rang the publisher to cancel my subscription, she was friendly and polite but sounded quite weary, and she admitted they were receiving cancellations for White Dwarf in significant numbers. She didn't know how many, she just said my complaint was the same they'd heard many times over, and she indicated that whatever percentage of readers had cancelled, it was high enough to be troubling; she had no idea if WD would revert to monthly but agreed with my opinion that they should.

So, what's the state of White Dwarf at the moment? Does anyone subscribe? Are they still running that crappy photo booklet? I felt absolutely disgusted (betrayed is a better word, I'm an aspie, we take this stuff seriously), as they shifted the goalposts and gave me what THEY wanted, not what I wanted. (This is the reason why so many TV series fail - the creators are working for themselves, not for the people who pay them to keep going.)

I really, really liked WD and feel it was back on form before they bloody changed it.

Same here. I'm afraid the monthly/weekly thing is still going.
I haven't looked at either for over a year.

http://www.blacklibrary.com/whitedwarf

is still going.

You couldn't subscribe to WD magazine until fairly recently

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/WD-12-month-Sub-ENG-2015

You can also sub. to Visions magazine

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/WVisions-12-month-Sub-ENG-2015

or both !

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/WD-Visions-12-month-sub-ENG-2015

Thanks, gents. You're joking... Visions is still going? Who the hell wants it? Who are its target audience, and what requirement does it fulfil?

 NoPoet wrote:
Thanks, gents. You're joking... Visions is still going? Who the hell wants it? Who are its target audience, and what requirement does it fulfil?

All those things could be answered with a bit of market research, but such things are otiose in a niche.

I love these threads, you could have literally spent 5 minutes finding this information via Google.

But nothing beats a thread full of mutual back slapping over GW eh.

I’ve actually picked up a pair of WDs recently. They are back to putting actual content in it from time to time. Not enough to warrant subscribing, but if you know the rules for something you want are in it, it’s only a few bucks. Sure, I could grab leaks online. But tossing GW a few bucks for doing something I like is the only way they listen. And it’s nice to have a hardcopy. For all their faults, GW does print a high quality pics on good paper.

I picked up the one with the harliquin rules, as I have an old squad and wasn’t going to spring for the full codex. When the assassin board game came out, the WD had rules for the 4 of them, plus the detachment/formations needed to fully play them in 40k.

White dwarf is still a fairly good publication. Visions is still horrible..... Pretty pictures and all. My wife buys it for me occasionally while shopping and to be honest it kind of annoys me as its so poor and Im finished with it in half an hour. I can't get white dwarf as they only sell it in GW stores and I'm rarely in town so it's out for me unless I subscribe but subscribing to a weekly is too much I would never get it read. I struggle to get time to read a paper every other day.

While I agree that the poster probably knew WD was still going I thank him for allowing me to vent about how annoyed I am with GW for canceling WD. Dirty rats that the are.

-

Why is it that nobody is allowed to ask a question without someone saying "Google it"? Perhaps I wanted to talk to people from Dakkadakka because I like dealing with human beings and want first hand opinions, not some closed two year old thread in some corner of the net.

I thought the WD team were aware how popular battle reports were? Canning them seems idiotic. I agree the Fat Bloke era was the best and it took a proper dive after he left, but I felt it increased in quality about a year before it went to weekly. The improvement in enjoyment of WD seems to coincide with the reduction of LoTR coverage which, IIRC, was not something WD readers enjoyed anyway. "Epic this, epic that" - the only Epic anything I wanted was Epic Space Marine. They'd even dropped the stupid battle report format where they listed four units they wanted to try out, then talked only about them afterward.

WD is still very much alive and I think *from what I've seen* that it's now not just a magazine for the hobby itself but also the place where rules or formations that didnt make the cut for the codex will be showing up. I personally was never big into WD but I like format it's in now and how I can kinda cherry pick what I get with the smaller weekly issues.

I miss the drawn covers from the old WD with the Conan lookalikes atop a pile of skulls. The photoshopped covers suck

Knockagh wrote:
I miss the drawn covers from the old WD with the Conan lookalikes atop a pile of skulls. The photoshopped covers suck

I preferred the cover designs they were doing from about 2011 till when the DV set was first released. Sure I was clear not much effort had gone into them since they were just a previosly shown artwork on a plain white background but there was something about them that really endeared to me in a way the current cover style doesn't.

The Division Of Joy wrote:
I love these threads, you could have literally spent 5 minutes finding this information via Google.

But nothing beats a thread full of mutual back slapping over GW eh.

Yet you just couldn't resist coming in for a dig, hey?

yes many of us loved white dwarf as it stood but many hated it. I know it was slated continually on at least one popular 40k podcast that I love. Left me screaming in the tractor cab listening to them slate my beloved mag. But there you go headquarters gauge opinion somehow and obviously there were not enough lovers to keep the old girl going. I'm truely sad by her passing in the old format I grew up with it; it kept me interested in 40k and WFB for all these years, and yes my interest has slowly diminished with its passing. There are other factors too but not getting WD each month has definietly weakened my hobby motivation.

 Azreal13 wrote:

The Division Of Joy wrote:
I love these threads, you could have literally spent 5 minutes finding this information via Google.

But nothing beats a thread full of mutual back slapping over GW eh.

Yet you just couldn't resist coming in for a dig, hey?

It's like raaaain on your wedding day.

That's not ironic.

Expecting rain, going to extreme lengths to plan your wedding to accommodate wet weather and then your wedding day being one of the warmest days in history.

That's ironic.

But gak and run is nothing to do with irony and deserves to be pointed out and shamed whenever it occurs.

Nv

Ok ok,back to the posters question please. It maybe could also take in does anyone buy warhammer visions? I will start a new thread now called just that!

Knockagh wrote:
Ok ok,back to the posters question please. It maybe could also take in does anyone buy warhammer visions? I will start a new thread now called just that!

I thought I posted to another thread about Visions Maybe I'm imagining things.

Anyhow, I buy most issues of White Dwarf, but not those related to Fantasy or Chaos, because I have little interest in that -- then I catch up at the end of the year when unsold issues are $1 (or giveaways) at my FLGS. For Warhammer Visions, I buy them all, because I like the photography -- some of it helps get the creative juices flowing, some of it is inspirational, and some of it makes me think "That's a cool idea!". The last couple of issues, I usually stick on the coffee table and people that know nothing about hobby flip through it and find it interesting when they're over -- much more so than a White Dwarf.

It's easy to dismiss as "well this is another $10 magazine that's a waste of money". But heck, my wife has like 15 magazine subscriptions to things from gardening to architecture to furniture to food. Most magazines are $5+, and they don't contain a fraction of the content of an issue of Visions.

Now, if you're looking for gaming content and more than just modelling photography, then yeah, it's just the wrong magazine for you. What I have found, though, is since about December 2014, the weekly White Dwarf issues have gotten significantly better in terms of gaming content (at least, for 40k).

Well, it is going here.
Actually, I have all 70 WD at home.

My local newsagent has started stocking Visions, noticed a few on the stand near the entrance. They have 2 issues stocked now and havent sold any. I feel bad for them having to try and sell them, and who knows how many theyre contracted to stock.

I havent seen Whitedwarf tho.

Dropbear Victim wrote:
My local newsagent has started stocking Visions, noticed a few on the stand near the entrance. They have 2 issues stocked now and havent sold any. I feel bad for them having to try and sell them, and who knows how many theyre contracted to stock.

I havent seen Whitedwarf tho.

Don't feel bad. They can return unsold issues

 Talys wrote:

Dropbear Victim wrote:
My local newsagent has started stocking Visions, noticed a few on the stand near the entrance. They have 2 issues stocked now and havent sold any. I feel bad for them having to try and sell them, and who knows how many theyre contracted to stock.

I havent seen Whitedwarf tho.

Don't feel bad. They can return unsold issues

Ahh I wasnt aware they could return them. Thats good, because I wasnt going to buy any no matter how bad I felt for the store.

My local FLGS stocked Visions for a while (perhaps the first four or five months) before dropping it, as virtually nobody bought it past the first issue. They still stock the weekly one, although it doesn't seem to be doing much better.

But yes, it's still going. For how long before they try to revamp it again or just let it die, who knows. White Dwarf as I knew it when I was attracted to the hobby a decade and a half ago is long dead and buried.

 NoPoet wrote:
Why is it that nobody is allowed to ask a question without someone saying "Google it"? Perhaps I wanted to talk to people from Dakkadakka because I like dealing with human beings and want first hand opinions, not some closed two year old thread in some corner of the net.

Well you know, we always have someone on here who has to prove we are idiots and they are better than us.

It mind boggles me. We are all geeks and nerds. A lot of us got bullied in school. Now that we are all grown up and are faceless we can bully other people online now.

Are we nerds and geeks classy now?

I gave up on White Dwarf over 5 years ago. When ever I go into a GW store I offend the workers there when they asked me if I want to get a subscription. I know they are doing their job but I always ask "why do I need to buy over expensive toilet paper?" I say White Dwarf is a former shadow of it's self and is not worth it no more. I say the battle reports are fake, content on How To is gone, converting is gone, so for me it's not worth it.

As you said White Dwarf just became an advertisement for GW. While it always was an advertisement before it didn't seem so. Now it just slaps you in the face of it. So why should I have to pay for GW advertising? That is something we should be getting for free when we already pay for expensive plastic toy soldiers. I guess GW just can't give out anything for free. I swear GW would charge us the air we breathe in their store if they could charge us for it.

Now White Dwarf Weekly seems better. I still wouldn't get a subscription for it, but the content seems to be better for it now. I only get an issue when it applies to me. So anything Tyranids or Dark Angels. When I wanted to get a paper version they seem to sell out so now I just get the iBook versions now. Other good thing about the iBook version is you can get older issues. So if I ever want the Skitarii for example I can pick them up when ever I want.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
One thing I don't like about White Dwarf Weekly is basically now we are getting about the same or a bit less we would get in a monthly book, but now for people who collect every issue we have to pay double now for it.

So GW found a way for people to pay double for WD now.

I'm glad that people have explained WHY they like or dislike WD and WV. The Dakkadakka forums are not something I've used extensively, but my questions have received dozens or hundreds of answers in a few days, each answer showing everyone's unique likes, dislikes and so on. THIS is why I didn't Google this question about WD.

Davor also raises a good point: many of us were likely to have been outcasts in our youth and in many cases, into adult life. I see people in two broad characters:

* The intelligent, emotional, passionate dreamers, who like unusual and interesting things and who can't be content with a mundane existence. They realise the universe is an epic place stranger than sci-fi, but it's where they belong, and they explore it with their hearts and minds. These are us. We are the ones who get bullied and left out by the second group.

* The ordinary, selfish, reality show-watching, newspaper-reading, iPhone-owning trogs who go home and open a bottle of wine in front of the telly. All they want is to be rich, famous and well-laid. The universe is horrifyingly large, empty, but also boring and needlessly complicated. This is the group that believes it owns the Earth and they are the ones who bully the first group.

Davor wrote:

 NoPoet wrote:
Why is it that nobody is allowed to ask a question without someone saying "Google it"? Perhaps I wanted to talk to people from Dakkadakka because I like dealing with human beings and want first hand opinions, not some closed two year old thread in some corner of the net.

Well you know, we always have someone on here who has to prove we are idiots and they are better than us.

Oh, come on. Just because someone is well spoken does not mean it's a put down. Some of us use these forums simply to improve our grammar.

Davor wrote:

It mind boggles me. We are all geeks and nerds. A lot of us got bullied in school. Now that we are all grown up and are faceless we can bully other people online now.

Are we nerds and geeks classy now?

No. In my high school, anyone who read comic books was considered a nerd. Movies based on comic books now dominate box offices worldwide.

If anything, we were ahead of our times. This thought is the only thing that makes me think there's some hope for GW.

Davor wrote:

I gave up on White Dwarf over 5 years ago. When ever I go into a GW store I offend the workers there when they asked me if I want to get a subscription. I know they are doing their job but I always ask "why do I need to buy over expensive toilet paper?" I say White Dwarf is a former shadow of it's self and is not worth it no more. I say the battle reports are fake, content on How To is gone, converting is gone, so for me it's not worth it.

As you said White Dwarf just became an advertisement for GW. While it always was an advertisement before it didn't seem so. Now it just slaps you in the face of it. So why should I have to pay for GW advertising? That is something we should be getting for free when we already pay for expensive plastic toy soldiers. I guess GW just can't give out anything for free. I swear GW would charge us the air we breathe in their store if they could charge us for it.

Now White Dwarf Weekly seems better. I still wouldn't get a subscription for it, but the content seems to be better for it now. I only get an issue when it applies to me. So anything Tyranids or Dark Angels. When I wanted to get a paper version they seem to sell out so now I just get the iBook versions now. Other good thing about the iBook version is you can get older issues. So if I ever want the Skitarii for example I can pick them up when ever I want.

It's funny that we complain about the social stigma associated with wargaming then complain about what crap the magazines are. Something about wargamers is that we are never going to be satisfied with the rules / prices / publications / paints / whatever, yet we don't seem to be able to walk away either. The fact you did means you possess self-esteem, and that's awesome.

 Bottle wrote:
*SNIP*
And this was definitely NOT the case in the past. Yes I'm about the bring up the glorious days of Fat Bloke again. But White Dwarf was a great read back in the day.

1. Bring back Battle Reports. They were funny, they were exciting, they showed you the game in action and most importantly they showed you the 'highest level' of the hobby, I.e. beautifuly painted miniatures fighting over incredible terrain. It was something to aspire to.

2. Bring back the staff characters. Who writes white dwarf now? What is the white dwarf bunker? The magazine feels so soulless because there are no characters and no banter in the magazine anymore.

Think this is pretty much it. The magazine now is a buying companion if you're getting the latest army, and that's about as far as it's use extends. It's not a 'magazine' in terms of the journalistic content it contains, and hasn't been since about issue 315/316, when the mag transformed fully into an advertising pamphlet, which is nine years ago now - can you believe it!

The amount of quality magazines that have died over this period; 'The Word', 'Hotdog', etc. and this steaming pile of horse gak has managed to survive like this for nine fething years.

You have to assume that it only persists as its made for peanuts (a text count on a par with the back of a cereal packet means you don't have to employ people to write) or else operates at a loss and is propped up GW's profits from elsewhere. But in actual fact 'White Dwarf', as everyone who loved the magazine knows, died many years ago. This imposter wears its skin, but the facade lasts until you open the first page, and when you get close you notice it smells a bit funny..

Davor wrote:

 NoPoet wrote:
Why is it that nobody is allowed to ask a question without someone saying "Google it"? Perhaps I wanted to talk to people from Dakkadakka because I like dealing with human beings and want first hand opinions, not some closed two year old thread in some corner of the net.

Well you know, we always have someone on here who has to prove we are idiots and they are better than us.

It mind boggles me. We are all geeks and nerds. A lot of us got bullied in school. Now that we are all grown up and are faceless we can bully other people online now.

Are we nerds and geeks classy now?

I gave up on White Dwarf over 5 years ago. When ever I go into a GW store I offend the workers there when they asked me if I want to get a subscription. I know they are doing their job but I always ask "why do I need to buy over expensive toilet paper?" I say White Dwarf is a former shadow of it's self and is not worth it no more. I say the battle reports are fake, content on How To is gone, converting is gone, so for me it's not worth it.

As you said White Dwarf just became an advertisement for GW. While it always was an advertisement before it didn't seem so. Now it just slaps you in the face of it. So why should I have to pay for GW advertising? That is something we should be getting for free when we already pay for expensive plastic toy soldiers. I guess GW just can't give out anything for free. I swear GW would charge us the air we breathe in their store if they could charge us for it.

Now White Dwarf Weekly seems better. I still wouldn't get a subscription for it, but the content seems to be better for it now. I only get an issue when it applies to me. So anything Tyranids or Dark Angels. When I wanted to get a paper version they seem to sell out so now I just get the iBook versions now. Other good thing about the iBook version is you can get older issues. So if I ever want the Skitarii for example I can pick them up when ever I want.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
One thing I don't like about White Dwarf Weekly is basically now we are getting about the same or a bit less we would get in a monthly book, but now for people who collect every issue we have to pay double now for it.

So GW found a way for people to pay double for WD now.

This
In some ways the current white dwarf is better then it was in late 5th early 6th when they removed all game content and went to a sales display magazine. They now have actual content again such as formations, dataslates, Warlord trait tables for subfsctions, exclusive campaign scenarios, some paint guides, battle reports, even a set of card based tactical objectives. People complain about this stuff being in the magazine but this is exactly the stuff it should have.
If I would redo white dwarf, I'd drop the visions magazine or at least incorporate it into the white dwarf maybe make once a month have a larger photo spread of th past months releases.
However I'd add in a few new sections.
Each week should have a battle report.
Each weed should have a paint guide on the current weeks releases.
A photo spread of the new models.
A small lore section on the new models
And a small faq section where people can submit a rules question for the developers can answer.
Each week can also include a new dataslate/formation/campaign scenario/detachment.
a section on black library with an excerpt from a book.
A section on forgeworld could even be a slightly more detailed version of thief newsfeed.
And the rest of the book can be the typical webstore showcase.
I'd buy a physical subscription of this especially if they released special characters this way with a short story about them and a conversion page on how to create this special character via gw models.