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So, the first round of the Australian Golden Demons was on last weekend. Did anyone notice?

I didn't. Had intended to put an entry together this year, but (assisted by my complete lack of enthusiasm for the current store-based format) I completely forgot about it.

Looking online, it seems that there's very little discussion of it. No pics (because some painters objected to having pics of their work showing up online before the finals, GW instituted a 'no pics' policy on the initial rounds). No update on the GW site.

No doubt GW will put a news story up eventually mentioning (as they do every year) that this is the biggest turnout yet!!!1! ... but I can't help thinking that the OzGD's are an endangered species, that probably should have been just put down in a humane fashion when they canned Games Day.


And no, there's no real point to this post. Just a wistful reminiscence of what used to be.

Fully agreed.

Still, no sense crying over spilled paint.

What's done is done and all that.

I'm really not sure why they still bother - especially when there's seemingly no effort on GW's part to make it an 'event'. I never did find out why they really canceled Games Day. I heard it was costing them too much in insurance, but the ones I went to always seemed well-attended (though that may be just hindsight).

Maybe they should team up with Gencon Australia, hold it on the same weekend in an adjoining venue and do joint entry tickets.

It was a cba thing (cost/benefit analysis, but the other 'cba' also fits).

In order to attract the most numbers, it HAD to be in Sydney (largest capital city). Unfortunately, Sydney also has the highest venue hire fees (and they go UP every year).

It was costing them more per year than they got out of it. Even with part costs claimed as "publicity". There just weren't enough gamers in Sydney to make it viable (and State rivalry issues also come into play).

As for teaming up with Gencon...

GW don't TEAM up with anyone. There is no GW in team.
They don't attend the US GenCons, why would they attend the local one. It's their way or the highway.

Although a Brisbane based GD/GC might be a good option (combined hire/shared costs) I still can't see it happening.

unistoo wrote:I'm really not sure why they still bother - especially when there's seemingly no effort on GW's part to make it an 'event'.

As I understand it, the current Golden Demon (as opposed to simply canning it when they dumped Games Day) was the result of some pushing from a small group with some links to GW head office, who pushed for the event to continue in some form. I would think that GW agreed to do it so long as it requires minimal effort and expense... which the current format certainly fits.

I never did find out why they really canceled Games Day. I heard it was costing them too much in insurance, but the ones I went to always seemed well-attended (though that may be just hindsight).

Cost was the main issue, supposedly. Although I strongly suspect that there are cheaper halls in Sydney than the Horten Pavilion... and the expense and hassle of having to ship in staff from all over the country could have been lessened by utilising more volunteers. Or changing the format slightly, like integrating a GT as they do overseas rather than concentrating solely on all the little participation games.

It's impossible to guess what the actual thinking was, though, since we don't have all of the information, and what we do have is suspect (Well, that and, I don't know about you, but I don't actually know everything there is to know about running an event of that size, so this is all just armchair-expert speculation, really)... While GD was running, they said every year that the event ws bigger than ever before. But after they canned it, suddenly the story was that attendance was dropping off each year.

I went the final year... and the hall was packed. Go figure.

I wish Cali still got its Games Day

Sigh...

Cryonicleech wrote:I wish Cali still got its Games Day

Sigh...

You and me both.

So Oz's Golden Demon is on par with Japan's...that's sad. At least there was probably the full range of categories as opposed to "single figure" and "Games Day figure."

There is an australian gamesday? /facepalm.

insaniak wrote:GW instituted a 'no pics' policy on the initial rounds). No update on the GW site.

We're going to host a painting and modelling event for the whole country! Anyone can enter, and we'll judge who has the best.

But we're not going to do it at a central location.

In fact, you'll have to do it at your local store.

And you won't see the other entrants either because we're not allowing anyone to take photos.

So basically we'll just let you know if you win.

Sounds awesome, right?

Gutteridge wrote:There is an australian gamesday?

Not anymore, there isn't.

Also. H.B.M.C. is apparently American tonight.

Gutteridge wrote:There is an australian gamesday? /facepalm.

Nope.

There used to be an Australian Games Day, which included Golden Demon.
Now, there's just a regional painting competition masquerading as Golden Demon.

Sorry to hear about the lack of support for Games Day type events down under. If it's any consolation, and I'm sure it's not, Games Day events were in jeopardy everywhere recently, either elimiated or reduced severely in support this year. Even Games Day UK, based on what people shared on the Internet, seemed greatly reduced in quality this year. Check out the thread at http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/260705.page if you haven't already about the past and future of US Games Days for more on this topic.

I went to 2001 and it was pretty good from what I remeber. But totally not worth the travel from Bris to syd..

Hmmm. Interesting.

I should have thought Games Day was exactly the kind of event to drag in the frothing 12-year-old newbs as well as the vets.

Maybe the wheels finally are falling off the GW wagon.

Shaman wrote:I went to 2001 and it was pretty good from what I remeber. But totally not worth the travel from Bris to syd..

I went to one of the early ones (Jes Goodwin was a GoH). Even then it was not really worth the cost (However, Jes is a god among insects, so I let it slide) and since that one, it got progressively worth less.

The painting comp was outstanding in those days.

The scratchbuilt Banesblade, Warlord titan, Victoria Lamb's diorama pieces with OSL (none of which were ever done justice by GWs crap miniature photos - light and colour balance were all way off).

For me, it was worth it just for the opportunity to pore over the Demon entries and the studio displays. Also came away each time with lots of ideas for tables and terrain. Well, to be fair, the lovely bronze statue sitting in my display cabinet also kind of made the last year worthwhile...

Having said that, there were seemingly obvious ways the event could have been improved. The upcoming product seminars were pretty useless to anyone with net access, since everything was usually already revealed at the overseas GD's by the time Oz rolled around... and the news blackout that came in the yers after GD was cancelled can't have helped overseas either.

Having the retail set-up there always seemed a little pointless, since everything was the same price as in the store at home anyway. Offering discounts, bundle deals, more exclusive product or pre-release minis would have seemed like obvious ways of boosting the return from the day.

And hell, even just getting more information out to people before hand... They used to run a Games Day bus from each of the capital cities for those who didn't want to or couldn't drive. But they didn't actually advertise the fact. I only knew about it because I mentioned to one of the staff in-store that I wasn't going one year because my car was off the road, and he mentioned the bus then. I can't help wondering how many more people would have been interested in going if they had known there was actually a cheap way of getting there...

There was a bus!

OMG worthless.

Wait, Golden Demon started last week?
I wasn't even sure it ran over here anymore.

I agree that they need Games Day here

H.B.M.C. wrote:We're going to host a painting and modelling event for the whole country! Anyone can enter, and we'll judge who has the best.

But we're not going to do it at a central location...

And where would that be? Last time I looked, the centre of Australia was a desert.

There isn't really a central area for Australia, it would probably be either all states or Sydney/Brisbane.

I'm guessing that they aren't going to do all the states

Nope. It was Sydney or nothing. As that's where the head office is for GW. Ingleburn is a very far outer suburb of Sydney ( a satellite suburb that failed to make orbit).

I think GW should try and get more support for their Australian playerbase. The cancellation of WDOZ because of one editorial slip-up was ridiculous, and having a Games Day here would help increase sales and make a good location to announce new releases and sell funky GD-exclusive stuff to us. They should fix their prices here too; it's something my FLGS manager always talks about. Last week, he was on the phone with GWHQ most of the day debating why prices should be lowered for Australia.

What a guy.

Yeh I live kind of close to Ingleburn.

What kind of company makes its main base in Ingleburn anyway?


Yep $69 Dreadnoughts for the lose. Spase mahrinz codex only $50
It's pretty bad when you consider $35 for a box of 10 IG as a good deal.

Cheese Elemental wrote:I think GW should try and get more support for their Australian playerbase. The cancellation of WDOZ because of one editorial slip-up was ridiculous, and having a Games Day here would help increase sales and make a good location to announce new releases and sell funky GD-exclusive stuff to us. They should fix their prices here too; it's something my FLGS manager always talks about. Last week, he was on the phone with GWHQ most of the day debating why prices should be lowered for Australia.

What a guy.

Thats why they cancelled Oz dwarf.. editiorial slip up?

I only liked Ozdwarf when Dave was at the head.. booster wasn't as good imo..

Booster's still cool, though - for someone who lives on the GC.

Dave has to settle for living in Boston. Sucks to be him.

Shaman wrote:

Cheese Elemental wrote:I think GW should try and get more support for their Australian playerbase. The cancellation of WDOZ because of one editorial slip-up was ridiculous, and having a Games Day here would help increase sales and make a good location to announce new releases and sell funky GD-exclusive stuff to us. They should fix their prices here too; it's something my FLGS manager always talks about. Last week, he was on the phone with GWHQ most of the day debating why prices should be lowered for Australia.

What a guy.

Thats why they cancelled Oz dwarf.. editiorial slip up?

I only liked Ozdwarf when Dave was at the head.. booster wasn't as good imo..

Yeah, during an army show-off article, I think it was Space Wolves, the guy who owned the army was talking about how he used models and parts from a different company to make it look better, and was basically saying how much better they were than anything GW made for the same purpose. That's how my FLGS manager described it.

Cheese Elemental wrote:I think GW should try and get more support for their Australian playerbase.

They can start by reducing all prices so we're not paying 40% more for the same thing as the US and UK (actually it's edging closer to 50% now, thanks to the Oz to everything else exchange rate).


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Tailgunner wrote:And where would that be? Last time I looked, the centre of Australia was a desert.

Bad attempt at humour is bad.

At least oz got a games day. NZ gets nothing *shed's a tear*. Mind you, for some reason we apparently have 2 GW's in Auckland now. Which is stupid IMO, considering the one on Queen St was sparingly used as it was, when i went anyway.

GW needs to remove all miscellaneous events and focus on just one single gamesday for the US.


That means getting rid of Grand Tournaments etc..

Instead support "mini" conventions at large Gamesworkshop outlets over the country and with verified retailers for people to qualify for the larger tournament at the epic games day.


Then just do a big feth off tourney there.


its kind of stupid for them to have multiple grand tournaments.


GW pretty much just throws awy money but one event one single even like Adepticon is would draw a much larger crowd and actually be an "event".