Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

This is an automated message added by the articles system.

A new article titled Growing the Hobby Why How and Who has been added to the dakka articles system.

This message thread is for the discussion of content in the article.

If you have anything to add to the article, then just jump in and edit it by going to the actual article page and clicking 'edit' (the link can be found just above the article). If there is no edit link then the article is locked for now, so just add your comments or content to this thread and if they are appropriate then they should eventually get merged in.

If there is something in the article that you wish to debate or comment on, then this is the place to do it. Just hit the reply button and get chatting! You need to be registered and logged in to post in the forums so if you are an anonymous article editor then now would be a great time to register and join in dakka's great forum discussion!

This is a older peice done some time ago but it still is worth reading with the current down turn in stores & players due to the recession we are in . Taking the extra effort to gather with friends to game and hosting small game nights can all help add a positive thing to our daily lives....cheers

Agreed. The more people brought into a hobby means more purchases for that hobby's parent companies, main stores, and independant branches. In turn this translates into lower costs for said goods over time, as more people are creating a higher demand, which is earning the company in question more money and convincing them to widen their range. A wider range will, in turn, create yet more players as these new additions hit the spotlight and become the "featured products". Existing players will buy into the new material, and new players will get a glimpse of an awe-inspiring range of plastic and pewter goodness that's just too good to resist. And with a larger follower base, that company's prices will be somewhere along the same lines.

So how do we as players draw more attention to the games? There's always the good ol' FLGS or brand name Hobby Shop hosting games and other occasions, but unless you know what you're walking into, an FLGS or brand name store might not appeal to some people. So how do we get more people into the games if they won't enter the stores to start with? Simple. Publicity. Newspaper ads. Internet ads on places like Facebook, where lots of people will have a chance learn about tabletop games.

Another option that's tried and true is to bring a small number of minis and play a game in a public area. Parks are great for this sort of thing, as they often have numerous tables and small concrete areas upon which minis can maneuver, dice can be rolled, and a hobby can be displayed in the hope that some people might stop to watch and garner an interest in the game of choice.

And as the previous poster said, keep game-nights alive. Nothing starts a weekend off better than a couple cases of beer, some buddies, and your preferred wargame. "House Rule" nights are always a plus, and also help to keep a wargame from getting that "stale" feeling to it.

How do you become Anonymous ??

It's a system post whenever an article is created.