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They're uncompromising, can be rather irritating, and, worst of all, they can be very overpriced.

But, at what cost? It seems alot of the time, people take GW services for granted.

every time I go to GW, I see kids hanging around in the store. they don't mind looking after kids, as long as there is a chance for patronage.
They're usually willing to help with problems [within the game] that you're having, and helpful while you're learning to paint.

their tools can be of rather poor quality, and their cases can be just as bad, but they're almost never going to not take responsibility for their products. they almost always refund, except for extenuating circumstances

So, it's my opinion that people don't always bag GW - other then being expensive, they're often very good and reputable.

oh, and they have excellent customer service. [by phone and e-mail.]

Just my two cents. what are yours?

I've heard it said that by buying GW games you're not just buying the models, but buying into a community. I can't argue. As somebody who loves wargaming, I'm always guaranteed to find another 40k player in any game store I go to. It's not the best game in the world, but it's not too hard to find a game.

I have no major issues with GW aside from some of their cynical sales ploys and rulebook inconsistency (was impressed with the mass FAQs on the release of Warhammer 8th though).

Certainly in the UK, they are a big reason for the fairly active war gaming community. It's where most of us start.

I think that, because the employees are also part of the hobby, they are enthusiastic and willing to help. It's like a perfect job because you are pretty much just doing what you like to do and getting paid.

If GW was a food, I would give it a 7 out of 10. Not too bad really but room for improvement.

Can I have sprinkles please?

the game is fun but they're a pretty terrible company and you have to drink the Jim Jones kool-aid if you want to use their stores

OoieGoie wrote:
Can I have sprinkles please?

Given your avatar, this comment is adorable.

Anyway, GW is just fine. The hobby is sort of pricey, but not to the extent that I stop buying. The biggest issue seems to be the rate at which prices have escalated. When I started playing 16 Chaos Warriors were 20 USD, and that was only (!?!) 12 years ago.

Evil sponge, why are they a terrible company? are you saying it's bad of them to ask you to pay for their space, their terrain, their toys, their knowledge?

that comment really gets to me. how dare you forget why patronage is important.

I don't have any problems with GW. I think some people just love to hate them and they yell about it on the interwebs because they can.

Yeah the price is high, but I know it's high and I buy what I can afford and actually want, I also buy the occasional model just because I want to paint and sell it, and then turn around and use the cash I make to buy stuff I want to keep so the hobby pays for itself sometimes.

The games have their issues but they're still fun to play and they make some of the best looking models around. I'll be more than happy to keep giving GW my money for as long as they continue to have high quality models that are fun to paint, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

I have no real issue with GW, except lack of support for Specialist Games. They are sitting on a veritable treasure trove of great spin off games and are doing nothing with them, aside from Space Hulks limited run.

I have never had problems with GW. I mean, I;ve heard the horror stories online about some horrible managers or pushy employees, but I've never encountered it myself.

They may be expensive, and the rules may not be the best, but I enjoy my games. They always have a very....cinematic quality to them. I mean c'mon, everyone has imagined that game their playing as some bad ass movie right?

I guess, all in all, GW isn't a bad company. They're not gods among men in their perfection, but they get the job done, and they get it done well. What else can we ask for?

From what I've read on Dakka, there are a lot of players who will grumble about the prices but still willingly pay them. I stopped last year, not even buying from discount websites. What I will point out is that there will come points for all of you where you will feel less inclined to buy from any source. And while GW brought many of us into the hobby, GW are now pushing many of us out of the hobby; even 'little Timmy' may not even be able to afford to get into the hobby! Beware the law of diminishing returns...

The quality of their plastic kits is just top notch. It's what keeps me interested, frankly.

Their customer service is tops and their ubiquitous nature means you can find a player in almost any wargames groups and they are the means by which many many gamers enter the hobby.

But their position within "the hobby" is an aggressive domineering one and the quality of their miniatures is generally good, their actual games and publications are fairly poor. They are in fact too ubiquitous which drives down competition and therefore, from our gaming point of view, customer choice and variety. Their massively corporate profit making approach means they are heavily invested in attracting new players and constantly leave older players with models, armies and whole games unsupported or in fact deliberately rendered obsolete. As far as their support for gaming goes in stores, it only stretches as far as their main games which is where the money is made. Taking in a copy of necromunda is unlikely to be allowed a game, hell do they even allow people to play Space Hulk released last year? And thus you are isolated as a veteran to gaming with small gaming groups and that's when you know you are a vet... when half your products and models are 'officially' useless and only any real use in private groups and with house rules.

I think they allowed Space Hulk for the month it was released then it was gone again.

Generally their best point is customer service.

Like 'em or hate 'em, GW is the gaming equivalent of microsoft, they're big and ubiquitous, they know it, they're taking advantages of it, and no, they don't really care about you.

Having said that, they're overcosted, clearly, but still reasonnably competent when it comes to writing games. There are far less competent gaming companies around.

n0t_u wrote:I think they allowed Space Hulk for the month it was released then it was gone again.

Well there you go. How many other manufacturers offer just a month's support to one of their products, even a limited edition one?

I wouldn't call what GW did with Space Hulk 'support'. I mean, not a month (or two) before they released Planet Strike and that was all but forgotten by the time Space Hulk came out.

dogma wrote:

OoieGoie wrote:
Can I have sprinkles please?

Given your avatar, this comment is adorable.

And given your avatar that comment is horrifying.

I appreciate GW for giving me something to do no the weekends

GW put retail stores in main streets in cities all over the globe. This has grown miniature gaming more than anything else. I mean, lots of people burn out or outgrow GW games and go onto other products, but how many of them would have ever played a game if the only means of getting into mini games was mail order (now the internet) or tiny little stores in the bad part of town, run by a really, really smelly man?

NELS1031 wrote: I have no real issue with GW, except lack of support for Specialist Games. They are sitting on a veritable treasure trove of great spin off games and are doing nothing with them, aside from Space Hulks limited run.

Actually specialist games have proved to be a huge loss. After you buy the army/models you want, there's not much left to it beyond that. It's not like the wargames where you can expand your army in a variety of ways, you have a limited selection. I understand the theory is "When I get tired of the same old game, I can switch it up with a specialist game!" but reality has proven that given the opportunity gamers will cause communities to stagnate by playing specialist games.

My opinion, gw has excellent customer service, but are too pricey. I wished they kept up with the support games, necromunda, epic, bloodbowl, space hulk just too name a few, these were really great games. I remmember a road warrior style game gw made back during the rouge trader day off hand I can't think of the name of it, but it look like it had potential. Anyone rememmbers the name of that game?

I don't think the good points listed really balance out the horrible overpricing and inconsistent quality of GW's products. Really, the things that people in this thread are praising them for should IMHO be the bare minimum standard of service we expect from every company.

Back when GW had a bitz service, I would have said they had great customer service. Now, I have to say they only really provide service when it looks to them like they'll get an easy sale. In fact, I've found my local GW to be perhaps not unfriendly but cold if I am there to watch other people play and not buy something myself.

JOHIRA wrote:Now, I have to say they only really provide service when it looks to them like they'll get an easy sale. In fact, I've found my local GW to be perhaps not unfriendly but cold if I am there to watch other people play and not buy something myself.

Honestly, we get along great at my local GW because I've been going there for a few years. Even to the point joke smack-talk to each other.
Me: "Hey Bill, check out this paint-job"
Bill(without looking right away): "It's stupid."
Me: "Your face is stupid."
Bill: "Not as stupid as yours."
Me: "But it does not matter for me because I'm as tough as a kroxigor*."

However, when I go to a different GW. I also get this feeling that I'm unwanted since I'm usually not exactly flipping my wallet out.

*It's a running joke that Bill once said I was T4 and he(as an LM player) is kind of annoyed that kroxigors are S/T4, so we joke that I'm as tough as a kroxigor.

Captain Solon wrote:Evil sponge, why are they a terrible company? are you saying it's bad of them to ask you to pay for their space, their terrain, their toys, their knowledge?

that comment really gets to me. how dare you forget why patronage is important.

No i'm saying that, of course I don't expect them to give away their services for free, I'm saying its not a very well run company.

The only thing about GW that irks me is that everyone is eye-humping my girlfriend, including the staff.
Curse her attractiveness.

That or one of the GW staff at my local shop is really obnoxious to the extreme.

Aside from that, I've never found them too pushy or anything. Probably because I'm the kind of guy that ignores pushiness.

I believe, overall, that GW only gets a 3 out of 10 at best. The customer service is great. It should be with any larger company though so I cant make this a high mark item. Their models are consistent most of the time with a higher quality of sculpting, design and actual quality of casting. There are the minotaurs though so this reduces points as well. Their inability to produce all of the models listed in an army book is a big reduction in points as I see it. White Dwarf has gone through the roof in price and through the floor in quality. Another big downer. Codex creep is annoying even if it isn't intended. I am still unsure if it is though. The new gamers only attitude is horrible. Most companies are able to support their regulars and attract new people as well so I see this as a horrible attitude brought on by greedy corporate banking types. Damn you Bank of Scotland. The quality of their hobby products such as tools and paints are rather poor in most cases and can be found substantially cheaper and often much better at your local hardware store or hobby shop.

Overall I really can say that the only thing that keeps GW afloat is the community that they shun and actually show a disdain for in their retail stores from what I have read. Why people choose to defend then at all still amazes me. I believe that because of this community though GW wont have to change at all because they are still supported. What is the motivation to stop kicking you if you keep coming back every time that I do?

Wolfun wrote:The only thing about GW that irks me is that everyone is eye-humping my girlfriend, including the staff.
Curse her attractiveness.

That or one of the GW staff at my local shop is really obnoxious to the extreme.

Aside from that, I've never found them too pushy or anything. Probably because I'm the kind of guy that ignores pushiness.

Get used to the eye humping. the GW store isn't the only place it happens. Or get an uglier girlfriend.
It isnt the fact that they are staff that makes them obnoxious. Its the fact that they are elitist staff in an elitist hobby.
You might be one of the few that has a store without pushy staff. Be thankful.

Excellent on-line customer services, yes. Free shipping and swift delivery? Ace.

Their brick and mortar stores? No thanks, I stopped going there after the cool kids were fired and replaced by massive tools who do the leg hump tactic the moment you step in. "OHHIDIDYOUKNOWTHEREARENEWDARKELDARTHATYOUSHOULDTOTALLYBUY!!!" Decline their offer and be prepared for the stare. Also, don't crack jokes about their sales tactics, hoo boy.

Costumer service was excellent, they were nice enough to ship me replacement stuff even though I couldn't find any of the info they asked for, box number or receipt (twas a small error at least) and the quality of the models are generally top notch.

Complaints: pricey and not enough attention to their other games. Though I would like a battlefleet gothic force still, just for the look of the craft.

BrookM wrote:Excellent on-line customer services, yes. Free shipping and swift delivery? Ace.

Their brick and mortar stores? No thanks, I stopped going there after the cool kids were fired and replaced by massive tools who do the leg hump tactic the moment you step in. "OHHIDIDYOUKNOWTHEREARENEWDARKELDARTHATYOUSHOULDTOTALLYBUY!!!" Decline their offer and be prepared for the stare. Also, don't crack jokes about their sales tactics, hoo boy.

I was under the informed impression that GW staff approach customers because it's their job. If they're leghumping then they're bad employees for a start... but on the other hand if you're too socially stunted to impress upon them that you're "just looking" then you probably deserve it. Going into a GW to take the piss out of them is probably a bad idea, yeah. That applies to just about everywhere else too.

evilsponge wrote:

Captain Solon wrote:Evil sponge, why are they a terrible company? are you saying it's bad of them to ask you to pay for their space, their terrain, their toys, their knowledge?

that comment really gets to me. how dare you forget why patronage is important.

No i'm saying that, of course I don't expect them to give away their services for free, I'm saying its not a very well run company.

Given that they actually are a rather successful and very well-run company, I'm inclined to politely advise you that you're mistaken. Aside from your blunt opinion, do you have any supporting statements?

Regarding Space Hulk, I've recently seen people playing it in a GW store and no one made an attempt to stop them.