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I must admit, i am surprised that this affected as many as it has in the UK, I dont know anyone that plays in a GW anymore, I guess its the younger crowd ?
Some of the games workshop stores I have been in dont really have space to play games in anyway !

What caused that at the one man stores were regulars taking advantage of the laxity of those managers. It is a place of miniature business first and foremost. A cited reference was of a manager whom allowed a regular to bring in his own personal recliner (and leave it there) for when he was at said store. REALLY!? It's a place of business not a FLGS or a FLGC. If you need one of those, start one.

 Rayvon wrote:
I must admit, i am surprised that this affected as many as it has in the UK, I dont know anyone that plays in a GW anymore, I guess its the younger crowd ?
Some of the games workshop stores I have been in dont really have space to play games in anyway !

The Preston store manages to have a table, god knows how because it's so small, but it does mean squeezing past people to get to the stock by them :(

I'm wondering what will happen to stores like GW Glasgow, where there is near enough a proper gaming room at the back.

- Although, I did hear stories of some stores putting in false walls to hide the old gaming zones?

What I don't get is why GW had to stop veterans nights on Thursday evenings.

 MetalOxide wrote:
What I don't get is why GW had to stop veterans nights on Thursday evenings.

Money I'd guess. Those extra 2 hours the store was open, plus eletricity, heating etc. was probably adding up and they needed something more to cut to make their profits seem better for the shareholders.

That'd be my guess.

 Grimtuff wrote:

 MetalOxide wrote:
What I don't get is why GW had to stop veterans nights on Thursday evenings.

Money I'd guess. Those extra 2 hours the store was open, plus eletricity, heating etc. was probably adding up and they needed something more to cut to make their profits seem better for the shareholders.

That'd be my guess.

It's a shame because there was a strong local community of veterans in my area who actually spent quite a lot during those gaming nights. The cancellation of the gaming night has kinda destroyed my enthusiasm for playing 40k.

Ok, So Gw doesnt want veterans coming in and insulting the company, how hard is that to understand, you cant go into a company and badmouth it.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Ok, So Gw doesnt want veterans coming in and insulting the company, how hard is that to understand, you cant go into a company and badmouth it.

That instantly assumes every vet that plays is bad-mouthing it, and it's all free speech.
Companies should be able to adapt to criticism not pugging their fingers in their ears.

If i go into Mcdonalds and say how much i think their food sucks, am I to presume that is my right? No. The majority of veterans badmouth GW, so they are playing it safe.

Actually you can. I wouldn't order a burger after that though. Your liable to get extra secret sauce.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
If The majority of veterans badmouth GW, so they are playing it safe.

On the internet sure, but not in the actual store, that's just begging to getting kicked out. I don't think anyone's actually this stupid

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
If i go into Mcdonalds and say how much i think their food sucks, am I to presume that is my right? No. The majority of veterans badmouth GW, so they are playing it safe.

I take it you don't get out much.

I work in a supermarket and hear people criticizing us all the time whilst shopping there. Criticism=/="haterz". It is nothing new and GW are not subject to any special treatment, if they're going to act like a certain despotic, overly secretive Asian country then they will be treated as such and no white knights are going to stop me from doing so.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
If i go into Mcdonalds and say how much i think their food sucks, am I to presume that is my right? No. The majority of veterans badmouth GW, so they are playing it safe.

I'm amazed that any veterans actually play in GW stores anymore, its not as if its a pleasant gaming environment and its very restrictive in what you can do. A club will almost always be better, especially one with an 18+ membership policy.

This is actually a good thing as it can only strengthen gaming clubs and like most things GW does these days it will also weaken GW. I don't think I have ever been to a club that only plays GW games, certainly not recently.

 MetalOxide wrote:

 Grimtuff wrote:

 MetalOxide wrote:
What I don't get is why GW had to stop veterans nights on Thursday evenings.

Money I'd guess. Those extra 2 hours the store was open, plus eletricity, heating etc. was probably adding up and they needed something more to cut to make their profits seem better for the shareholders.

That'd be my guess.

It's a shame because there was a strong local community of veterans in my area who actually spent quite a lot during those gaming nights. The cancellation of the gaming night has kinda destroyed my enthusiasm for playing 40k.

I think the current line of thinking is that the vets will buy the stuff anyway, so there's no point wasting money in running a games night for them.

 Compel wrote:
I'm wondering what will happen to stores like GW Glasgow, where there is near enough a proper gaming room at the back.

- Although, I did hear stories of some stores putting in false walls to hide the old gaming zones?

You saying that is some what of a coincidence, my local GW has had the extra space they had walled off. Cutting down on the space available in store. Was given the "blind spot" to be fair it kinda was, and "I think some one somewhere had some extra wood and wanted to build a wall". So yeah, reading some of this thread and what you said connects. Not to much of a worry for me, don't game at it anyways but sucks for those who do.

 Compel wrote:
I'm wondering what will happen to stores like GW Glasgow, where there is near enough a proper gaming room at the back.

- Although, I did hear stories of some stores putting in false walls to hide the old gaming zones?

Glasgow's a pretty big store with about 3 staff at a time and a separate gaming area at the back so I think it'll be safe for now, as the reasoning seems to be about overworked staff and lack of space. I have to admit though that I've never seen the 3 demo tables in use, or more than 1 or 2 browsers at a time in there, but I've rarely seen any of the 6 gaming tables at the back empty.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
If i go into Mcdonalds and say how much i think their food sucks, am I to presume that is my right? No. The majority of veterans badmouth GW, so they are playing it safe.

Ever wonder why? Here you have the perfect recipe for disaster, GW exiles veterans, GW does not advertise, Veteran badmouth GW, GW explicitly and repeatedly stated they depend on customer word for advertising. Gee i wonder how could this ever go wrong...

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
If i go into Mcdonalds and say how much i think their food sucks, am I to presume that is my right? No. The majority of veterans badmouth GW, so they are playing it safe.

As long as you were buying the food and not making a scene, they wouldn't really do much to you no. Certainly wouldn't try to ban people who they overhear doing it.

But McDonalds is an actual efficiently led corporation whereas GW's execs are stubborn children bent on minimizing their own profits.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Ok, So Gw doesnt want veterans coming in and insulting the company, how hard is that to understand, you cant go into a company and badmouth it.

I'm struggling to think of a single time I've heard GW vets badmouthing GW in a GW store. On the internet, yes, in an FLGS, yes, never in an actual GW store.

But I'm sure if GW kick out the vets, those vets will be more than happy to start badmouthing GW in other locations.

I feel GW like to assume they live in a bubble when it suits them and not when it doesn't suit them, it's not overly encouraging as a customer.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Ok, So Gw doesnt want veterans coming in and insulting the company, how hard is that to understand, you cant go into a company and badmouth it.

I'm struggling to think of a single time I've heard GW vets badmouthing GW in a GW store. On the internet, yes, in an FLGS, yes, never in an actual GW store.

Yup, before I stopped going to my local with any regularity I'd lost count of the amount of times I had to bite my tongue just to save face. You'd have to be a bit dim to insult the dictatorship within its borders.

Which is also another theory I have as to why they removed their company FB page. A lot of the regulars may be a bit apprehensive to criticise GW on the stores FB pages if they still wish to patronize said store.

Though that sounds a little too competent for GW...

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Ok, So Gw doesnt want veterans coming in and insulting the company, how hard is that to understand, you cant go into a company and badmouth it.

Yeah, no, I've never seen this happen, either in a GW, or an independent store. Closest I've seen are people who don't play GW games generally saying "Eh, I don't really like Warhammer" or people who don't like a particular rule in a new edition or codex, or lamenting that their codex/army book is 10+ years old. Nothing approaching how people act on the internet.

Or, to put it another way, people in real life, even socially inept wargaming nerds, tend to be far more well-behaved than they are on the internet.

One of the things staff do get a bit annoyed about is people saying, "you don't want to get that unit, it's rubbish."

The amount of times I've seen staff try to talk up say, the pyrovore, is just sad.

 fullheadofhair wrote:
This is happening in the US currently but at a slower place. The manager at my local GW has been making changes to discourage people staying and gaming - the idea is to push people to game at home and in clubs. The idea is to mimic the UK situation.

He has seen quite the drop in people at his store.

This will probably be policy in the US soon.

*The problem of course is that, if they go to FLGS, they will suddenly the larger universe of gaming.
*I'm not understanding - are they sayign they will still have leagues etc., just not open gaming? Thats not a big deal. But if its, no gaming at all, isn't that a little weird? How does one sell games to a kid when tere aren't any kids?

I was thinking how would a single man store control more than a very limited group of people in their stores?
For example a new customer pops in and a couple people are playing demos and others browsing new stuff, some maybe painting and then the phone call starts to ring... I feel sorry for the fella.

Kicking vets is the last thing you should do in one man stores because you know they can actually be those store managers unpaid extra eyes and hands etc.

I believe its in GW best interest to close most of these stores because what is the point if they strip down the community, limit gaming to minimums etc... They cannot even have tournaments in those small stores... Save those pennies and invest in Publicity and roadshows and participate in third party events for better bang for your buck I would say.

My store did exactly same thing, in October last year. Has pretty much killed my hobby as the only time I had free for hobby was on store run vets nights. I still have that time, just nowhere to game it

Gaming in a GW was the most unpleasant thing I have ever experienced and that was when the stores were larger. I can't imagine a game in the tiny one man stores so I don't see how this is even an issue.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Play at a club.

...that funds the game that supports this?

 Grimtuff wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Ok, So Gw doesnt want veterans coming in and insulting the company, how hard is that to understand, you cant go into a company and badmouth it.

I'm struggling to think of a single time I've heard GW vets badmouthing GW in a GW store. On the internet, yes, in an FLGS, yes, never in an actual GW store.

Yup, before I stopped going to my local with any regularity I'd lost count of the amount of times I had to bite my tongue just to save face. You'd have to be a bit dim to insult the dictatorship within its borders.

Which is also another theory I have as to why they removed their company FB page. A lot of the regulars may be a bit apprehensive to criticise GW on the stores FB pages if they still wish to patronize said store.

Though that sounds a little too competent for GW...

Same reason they disable comments on their Youtube channel, or their own forums years ago. Most people, when faced with a majority of negative feedback usually say "am I doing something wrong?" and attempt to address it, GW just went the opposite way and thought "Why are they enjoying our products wrong? Raise the prices!"

 TheMostSlyFox wrote:

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Play at a club.

...that funds the game that supports this?

A quality wargaming club is going to be into more than just GW products, especially one hosted by a proper FLGS. My two closest stores have active players in 40K, WarmaHordes, and Flames of War. One of them is also doing pretty well with Saga, too.

To mirror other comments in the thread, I can't imagine wanting to willingly play at a GW store unless you simply have no other options.