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GW just sent another C&D to Fumbbl.com. I play BB there nightly to get my fix. This site has invigorated my passion for this game and keeps it going. We have a local Tabletop league as well, but my appetite for BB is just so ravenous I use fumbbl to "get by".

MANY people are upset somehow by GW's heavy hand. We should all understand that they have to protect their IP, but in this case fumbbl has been around for some 10+ years. They specifically state that you MUST own the game to play there.

I have a proposition for everyone who is upset by these Cease and Decist orders.

It's time to voice our opinion to GW. Note that this isnt necessarily ONLY to voice our dissatisfaction with the C&D orders, call it dissatisfaction with price increases, lack of Grand Tournaments, Lack of FAQ's, overabundance of Marine codex while ignoring Dark Eldar...whatever.

My Proposition:

This is Christmas, the time of year they count on to make some money off of us fools that dont drop them like a bad habit like they deserve.

Boycott them for 2 months.

Just 2 months, you can wait for that new model, that new codex. Make them feel it during the Christmas season. Enough is enough and we as consumers CAN make a difference and make our dissatisfaction felt to the company that seems to care not a fig about those that keep it alive.

We should be the ones that control our hobby. If we can make GW sit up and take notice of us things could only get better.

Dont spend a dime on GW product for 2 months. Make them realise who decides whether or not they stay in business.

I'm not asking for a single thing from GW from any of my loved ones this Christmas, do the same. Ask for money, ask for Visa gift cards (not GW gift certificates), ask for gift certificates to your local gamestore. DO NOT get ANYTHING from GW until AFTER X-mas. They will feel it if enough of us get together.

Sorry, but no. I want my Land Raider.

I agree with this. Put me down for more than 2 months though given the current state of "threats" regarding LRB6.

Spread the word. Put a link to this thread on every forum possible. Make it viral.

You want your LandRaider? Do you want it at the current price or for 10 dollars MORE after the next price hike? I'm betting you've got something else to paint while you wait 2 months to pick it up.

I've put a link to this on Warseer and Fumbbl.com. Spread the word. Make GW hurt this X-mas and have them apologise to us, the consumer for their shoddy treatment of us thru their lack of consideration to those that put money in their pockets.

I join the boycott.

Except for the 15 Squig herd models I'm buying this weekend I'm in.

Time to make a table.

Even better is to get people to mail Jervis (just to annoy him endlessly) with letters (not email). He'll won't have time to pontificate endlessly about how sucky tourney players are, and might actually raise the issue of the IP crackdown with the powers that be.

It is a pity Gav is no longer in the studio... I know where he is hiding on facebook

Here's the problem with this plan:

Deadshane1 wrote:This is Christmas, the time of year they count on to make some money off of us fools that dont drop them like a bad habit like they deserve.

Unless things have changed significantly in the last few years, GW's sales are predominantly stable year-round. Whilst Christmas sees a slight increase in sales, from what I've read in their financials in the past, it's nowhere near the sort of boost that you see in many other retail fields, and is not something that they rely on for anything.

It would be interesting to see if we could combine to make any sort of dent though.

insaniak wrote:Here's the problem with this plan:

Deadshane1 wrote:This is Christmas, the time of year they count on to make some money off of us fools that dont drop them like a bad habit like they deserve.

Unless things have changed significantly in the last few years, GW's sales are predominantly stable year-round. Whilst Christmas sees a slight increase in sales, from what I've read in their financials in the past, it's nowhere near the sort of boost that you see in many other retail fields, and is not something that they rely on for anything.

If enough people join the boycott...they WILL feel it.

If this sentiment is all over the internet enough...they will know 'why'.

What can it hurt to try insaniak? JOIN US!

100 % with you on this Deadshane.

ive been boycotting GW for the last year, I only get my Models on ebay

I will join the boycott so no space wolf battleforce for me!!!!!

I'll be joining up with this.

Use the money you were going to give to GW to try out some indie companies games, like Heavy Gear, Ubran War/Metropolis, Malifaux, Kings of War, etc.

Only thing honestly is I need to get my games day ticket besides that im with you on this.

Hmm, guess you lot will hate me in Jan when new Tyranids come out and I spend about $1k of my student loans on more Tyranids.

Maybe after that I'll boycott. I'll have plenty to paint.

Fateweaver wrote:Hmm, guess you lot will hate me in Jan when new Tyranids come out and I spend about $1k of my student loans on more Tyranids.

Maybe after that I'll boycott. I'll have plenty to paint.

Naw, you're gonna need to buy some paint.

Deadshane1 wrote:If enough people join the boycott...they WILL feel it.

So people say every time they try to get one of these off the ground. Which is about every six months, for at least the last ten years.



I can appreciate people wanting to take a stand over something that has upset them. But, frankly, I can't see there actually being enough people out there upset enough over GW enforcing their IP ownership on a couple of fringe websites to actually make any sort of appreciable dent.

YMMV, obviously.

I'm in. I just ordered 80 Warzone troops from Prince August. You can't beat getting your bulk troops for $0.50 each. They also need to be told that they're being boycotted. I'm gonna send a letter to them and tell them what this is being done. I want a better Chaos Codex!!!

I don't use Citadel except for Foundation washes (only because there isn't a better line of washes in all of gaming). For paints I use Ral Partha, Tamiya (sp), P3 and Vallejo and I prime with Krylon or Duplicolor primers.

The metallic line is good as well but my 'Nids won't need metallics so I've got the washes I need already, paints I don't use so I'd say I'm set for a while.

I think this is a worthy cause, and I support the sentiment. I do think that it will be an up-hill struggle, and as a rule I personally do not get involved in 'armchair activism' http://www.breakthechain.org/armchair.html .


I (as a cynic) seriously doubt the efficacy of internet boycotts. The truth of the matter is most people dont care, and those that do are low in number.

Although - to be fair to the idea, lets do the maths... Dakka has 21,516 registered members. The mode average spend in 2008 was $500 US (http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/246612.page) .

thats a $10M per year spend from Dakka users alone using rough as guts figures. In the suggested 2 months, if everyone on this site spends nothing, thats $1.8 million (again, rough as guts here).

GW revenue last year was 125.7 million pounds - current conversion this works out to be $210million US.

So a 100% successful boycot would be 0.8-1% impact on revenue. This is not insignificant - I consider it would be noticed.

BUT - it presumes a) that the boycot is 100% successful, and b) that the purchases in November/December are cancelled, not merely deferred. the boycot is not likely to be noticed if January is a bumper month for sales as those boycotters can no-longer wait for their land raiders!


I personally think that letters (hard copies, not emails) to GW and WD expressing the concerns intelligently from a large number of people is a much better method of getting attention.

In any case, if this is to be pursued, you need to consider how to make GW aware that a sudden drop in sales is in attached to their C&D orders. Unless this is made clear, the boycott will lack direction.

(oh yeah, Im not spending any money on GW for the next 6 months - but Im unlikely to anyway - I have everything I need).

I haven't purchased anything GW for this entire year and will continue to not purchase their product as long as they continue to be idiots. (Which, given their current track record, will mean that I will never buy GW product directly from them ever again.)

eBay is my friend here.

I actually suggest sending a letter, with a good 1,000 + Signatures. I could mail it to Jervis myself, as long as we get enough sig's.

The problem with a boycott is that over the internet, it is somewhat impossible to ensure that it will work.

At least, I'll try to get some signatures on other forums as well. These Cease and Desists are getting way too ridiculous.

But there IS a way to somewhat get attention.

That is to officially form a coalition/union for this cause ;P

I think GW is making a big mistake trying to shut down all the Blood Bowl sites. It helps promote the game at no cost to them.

G

insaniak wrote:

Deadshane1 wrote:If enough people join the boycott...they WILL feel it.

So people say every time they try to get one of these off the ground. Which is about every six months, for at least the last ten years.



I can appreciate people wanting to take a stand over something that has upset them. But, frankly, I can't see there actually being enough people out there upset enough over GW enforcing their IP ownership on a couple of fringe websites to actually make any sort of appreciable dent.

YMMV, obviously.

This. But I guess, I might as well join in...after I get the last batch of Sentinels and Kasrkin for my Guard.

I've got a big enough painting backlog as is, but eh. I don't even use GW paints anymore.

Aww hell.

I've had a change of heart. I'm in (Right after this weekend, but hell, I don't buy from GW itself anyway)

Green Blow Fly wrote:I think GW is making a big mistake trying to shut down all the Blood Bowl sites. It helps promote the game at no cost to them.

G

See, I still am of the opinion that it's not just as simple as "GW hates you Blood Bowl players.". I still fervently believe that, considering the timing of it, they're cracking down on the "browser" version to aid sales of the actual game.

But I can't fault them, however, for wanting to shut down places that were posting up the rules/statlines, deep-linking to GW's images, etc.

Green Blow Fly wrote:I think GW is making a big mistake trying to shut down all the Blood Bowl sites. It helps promote the game at no cost to them.

This is a big part of the problem with trying to form an organised protest... making sure everyone actually knows what's going on, and is complaining about the same thing.

For what it's worth, GW haven't 'shut down' any Blood Bowl sites. They've issued notices for certain sites to stop practices that GW consider to infringe on their (GW's) Intellectual Property.

Not at all the same thing.

I wasn't going to buy anything for the next couple months anyways, so no problem.

Of course, this is just as effective as not buying gas on Thursdays or whatever the current pseudo-boycott fad is...

If people wanted to show some real gumption, they'd boycott GW for 2 years, not 2 months.
____

Correction:

I will honor the boycott, except for the Dec. 5th Bizarre Bazaar. Buying at my convenience doesn't count.

Also does this include books/forgeworld