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Where I play, there were no LOTR players except for now - I just convinced someone to start.

It seems the game is in decline.

What could GW do to stimulate sales and the adoption of this game?

I think that appealing to the Tolkein fanbase and a return to 24-man sets could do it.

What about you?

I think with the release of three new movies over the next 2 years, and GW releasing books and figures to go with them, the Hobbit/LOTR game will expand in popularity for a while. A year or two after the movies are out fo the theater it will decline with small spikes in popularity that go with the BluRay releases and corresponding mini's releases.

To be honest, there's not a great deal they could do. Interest waxes when the movies are out, and wanes when they're not, and it's not like GW can do all that much to invent interesting new scenarios or models. They're limited to the sandpit laid down in the books. If LOTR lasts for a year after the last Hobbit comes out before being put into specialist games, I'll be very surprised.

they already shot themselves in the foot by pricing it the same as fantasy and 40k
it was supposed to be a more gateway game, a cheaper thing, and that was one of its biggest appeals

12 orcs aren`t worth 35 dollars
especially at how undetaiIed they are
24 were worth 22 dollars
that was reasonable, very much so
they think whatever their brand is on, its worth whatever they feel they can charge
its not, and LOTR will crash and burn much sooner, I hardly think this Hobbit movie will do much to revive it

ExNoctemNacimur wrote:I think that appealing to the Tolkein fanbase and a return to 24-man sets could do it.

Nope, 'cause when they had them it made no difference. It comes down to a simple fact; the game is popular when the movies are out and not when they aren't. GW tried to keep the game alive last time by diving into the appendices, but it didn't really help. Expect the game to decline again at the end of 2014.

Doesn't help that GW is simultaniously making another 28mm fantasy game that draws heavily on Tolkien.

I mean why should I play a movie/book spin off game when I can play Warhammer Fantasy which has the same factions + vampires + mummies + chaos + lizardmen?

And why should GW push a licensed game when they can push a game they own?

Maybe if WoC or someone had made LotR it would have done better but GW is directly competing with their own game!

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Doesn't help that GW is simultaniously making another 28mm fantasy game that draws heavily on Tolkien.

I mean why should I play a movie/book spin off game when I can play Warhammer Fantasy which has the same factions + vampires + mummies + chaos + lizardmen?

And why should GW push a licensed game when they can push a game they own?

Maybe if WoC or someone had made LotR it would have done better but GW is directly competing with their own game!

Because not everybody likes the background and/or rules of Warhammer. They are different games with different models, hell even different scales. You are saying it like the two games are 90% comparable.

Additionally, Warhammer Fantasy is still more expensive than LotR.

It'll see a slight increase as the movies are released, which is nice. The prices aren't as good as they used to be, for sure, but due to the game's scale it doesn't hurt as much (The game actually plays much smoother the lower the points value of the game)

I still hope. Though there was never much hope, just a fool's hope...

Some folks also prefer a skirmish game vice a game with big units as the manuever element...

Change the prices again. I seriously thought about picking the game up again because I love LotR...but the prices are INSANE now. Back then, I had 24 models in a box and now, you get 12 for a higher price? No thanks!

Honestly, I think the Hobbit films will be a big boost to the LOTR, despite what other people may think. Think about it, what is the main reason someone would play the LOTR battle game? Because they like the films. If you get fanatical about the films or books, then you'll want loads of merchandise, such as posters. A Tabletop battlegame is much the same, although admittedly it won't appeal to all LOTR fans. Still, the more people captured by the films, the more people will get into the game.

The LOTR films are fairly old now, and most people who could be fantasied by the films already are. True, some young people could see them and get hooked, but there'll be no massive Middle-Earth-Love-Craze for them. Unless there were some other films like them. Hmm....

Lower the prices, even just marginally. After I finish out my Elves, I intend to stop collecting from the LOTR line due to the prohibitive prices.

Put out more public awareness of the game. The system is insanely easier to learn than their other popular lines. If they start pushing campaigns and whatnot more often, they will draw more of a crowd.

Promote the game as a competitive gaming system. Nothing says that the game should die out as the years begin to stretch past when the movies were released.

I know part of the reason why there haven't been several new editions of the core rules over the years is the lack of popularity with the line, but I like to pretend that it is due to how effective they were at creating the book in the first place. Sure, some things can supposedly be broken, but for the most part, it appears as though the game is very well put together (LOTR and WOTR).

Personally, I've never been able to play the game locally. I never find people who are wanting to link up and thrown down on some games. So, I've been biding my time and slowly collecting. This has all largely been due to the lack of interest at local stores.

I'm going to take the plunge soon, I think, as someone is running an LoTR campaign at our club soon.

I'm a big fan of Tolkien's worlds, and I've always liked the idea of gaming in that world. However, the big thing that put me off starting was that everyone said the rules were really bad, and as noone played it I couldn't get a game to judge it for myself, so I held off as I didn't want to throw away my money if the game really was crap.

The new game (Hobbit) wich updates the rules for the skirmish game, runs and plays much much much smoother and better than earlyer editions

My personal point on Lotr etc is price wise everythings pretty much "manageable" (Note i didnt say likeable, but people can cope with the prices atm, some better than others)

Apart from Cavalry. Calvalry boxed sets should be 6 COMPLEATE cav models (Mounted, & foot - but no riderless mount) for the price of the 6 cav models now.

Eg: Hunter Orcs on wargs would contain, 6 mounted hunter Orcs, and 6 models on foot with matching wargear for £25 a much more "agreeable" Price

Yeah I'm not one for complaining much about GW's prices but the prices for LoTR are insane. Only 2yrs ago it was €26 for 24 models, and now it is €20 for 12 models. Inflation isn't that bad, so what on earth is their excuse for basically a 50% increase over just 2yrs?

I think besides doing a price change,GW should reconsider doing better models for Lotr as well since some of them are rather boring and well very limited poses or variations if any.

They could start doing multi-part kits like they do for 40K and Fantasy but for Lotr, the problem would most likely be the prices on those though.

JeneralJoe117 wrote:
If LOTR lasts for a year after the last Hobbit comes out before being put into specialist games, I'll be very surprised.

I won't be. The big cheeses at Saul Zaentz would strongly object to having their intellectual property sidelined like that.

The other thing to remember is that GW isn't paying for any contracts on their specialist games. Inquisitor? Mordheim? Battlefleet Gothic? GW owns these properties - if they're left be, they're not making much money, but they're also not costing any. Hence, they get left be, as they're inefficient uses of resources.
But when there's an expensive licence involved, at that point the extra overhead means that it's an overall loss unless they put in at least enough new effort (and thus "marketing") to recoup that. So GW won't leave it be - they'll either keep it on with varying degrees of effort, or drop it entirely. The former seems more likely for the foreseeable future.

GW is a business and what they listen to is money.. the sales or lack thereof determine how much they'll support it The Hobbt. Hence the continued numerous Space Marine models that come out almost quarterly yet other armies that don't sell as well get little to no attention.

Vote with your wallet. I dearly love LOTR but will not pay $100 for a book (that is more than a textbook costs) or $75 for the White Council of Finecast models.

10 years ao I couldn't get enough LOTR because the prices were reasonable. Now they've cut the number of models per box and raised the price. Now I can't convince anyone to play as the game costs as much as 40k, the sulpts aren't very good, and GW's support for games (much like WOTR) evaporates after a few months.

You cannot really vote with your wallet in the case of LotR anymore.

If you do buy the stuff, you support GW's outrageous prices. If you do not buy the stuff, GW drops the system entirely or rather lets it die.

I will likely start the game again, but only as soon as I get a bargain at ebay. I still got the old rule book and I will NOT buy the hobbit rulebook at all given the ridiculous price. There are other means to get access to it.

 Sigvatr wrote:
You cannot really vote with your wallet in the case of LotR anymore.

If you do buy the stuff, you support GW's outrageous prices. If you do not buy the stuff, GW drops the system entirely or rather lets it die.

Isn't that exactly what voting with your wallet is about? Sounds like you may not like the consequences of your 'vote', but you obviously still have it.

Oh this is an easy one, they could drop the cost of everything by Half. GW should be wearing a ski mask for what they're asking for.

As a business owner, I listen to my clients and work with them. Customer service along with the professional service I provide makes repeat customers. Repeat customers put money in my bank account! If I didn't listen to my clients, like GW doesn't listen to us, then my business would dry up and I'd have to do something else in order to pay the bills.

GW acts using a business model that seems to only work for niche products. They don't listen to the consumer, yet cram ad after ad in WD to sell, but won't buy outside advertisement. This exclusivity is a boon and bust for them. As fans, we love he games and products. But as I get older, make more money, and get more experience in my business, there are some things that are universal. If the customer is valued, feels they're getting a value, and is able to develop a positive relationship with the business, they'll keep coming back.

LOTR was big bucks then they claimed the "bubble" burst. Yes it did right after the last movie and GW had only their own merits (not as good as Tolkien's) to fall back on. Now they appear to be gearing up for it again and it feels as if they've gotten lazy, simply expecting the LOTR bubble to come back.

It's a different generation now... kids with more to choose from... veterans like me looking for good minis at good prices... and all of a sudden the droves of fans aren't there.

GW acts as if it doesn't care about us. So that's why I say "vote with your wallet" and spend where you want business to grow. Ebay is your friend if you don't mind not getting the newest shiny thing.

GW will win me back if they reduce prices and listen to us.

Yeah, drop the prices in half would be the only way to get any sort of boost. I mean look at the troll box. $85? For three bland trolls and a fire pit?

The price keeps people away, just like it does other GW games.

here its 100 for those trolls

 Rainbow Dash wrote:
here its 100 for those trolls

Ha! Even at half price that still isn't an easy sell! THAT is just how bad GW has gotten.

yeah, that is just one of those "the hell" kind of moments

Honestly, we can talk for days upon end about "voting with your wallet" but honestly, that will not work. We, as forum members here, are a tiny proportion of the war gaming community.

For every person on this site complaining about how high the prices are getting, or discussing the best alternative place to buy GW models or the best alternative game, there are five, if not more, children buying, with their own money, or their parents, loads of stuff at GW. They will buy them at GW's prices, no matter how high they get, because they're probably not aware of how high they actually are, and their parents will buy it for them because, well, if your kid asks for the Hobbit Rulebook for Christmas, then that's what you'll get him. It doesn't have to be kids either. Most adults who get into the hobby will start buying directly from GW.

Because that's what GW does. It picks you up and carries you along in its Bus of Over-Pricedness and, when you finally realise you should probably get off, they wave you off happily and pick up some other guy at the next stop.

 SneakyMek wrote:
I think besides doing a price change,GW should reconsider doing better models for Lotr as well since some of them are rather boring and well very limited poses or variations if any.

They could start doing multi-part kits like they do for 40K and Fantasy but for Lotr, the problem would most likely be the prices on those though.

I'm pretty sure they can't. I have never seen any company do 25mm scale models that are posable. The models are just too small and dainty.

And I don't really think there's too much to complain about, because lack of posing is made up for in the details, as LoTR models are the most detailed models GW make.

 Godless-Mimicry wrote:

 SneakyMek wrote:
I think besides doing a price change,GW should reconsider doing better models for Lotr as well since some of them are rather boring and well very limited poses or variations if any.

They could start doing multi-part kits like they do for 40K and Fantasy but for Lotr, the problem would most likely be the prices on those though.

I'm pretty sure they can't. I have never seen any company do 25mm scale models that are posable. The models are just too small and dainty.

And I don't really think there's too much to complain about, because lack of posing is made up for in the details, as LoTR models are the most detailed models GW make.

Umm, perhaps you should look up the Perry's WotR range. Yes they are 28mm, but so is the GW LotR range for about the last 8 years or so (And the metals were for a while before that).

Even though I heard the LOTR games were not bad, I am stretched out too far on other games already. I’ve only bought some of the line to supplement minis for D&D games cheaply.