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The reason for the secrecy is the little issue of trying to promise a rose garden and instead producing a turd.

It was either in the near end of 4th edition, or almost the end when they started this. They were promising a bunch of stuff, but later we found that they were overextending thier promises with the lizardmen, the IG, the Orks, and the other stuff all the way up to the execution of the 5th edition release.

The internet was busting much balls over thier little oversites and then Jervis the gimp came out with the "Secret squirrel" tag when he spewed out his "Things to come" crap...
Had something to do with the new Ork codex, if memory serves right.

They say its secret but in reality, they had already stepped on it a few years back, and now hedge thier bets, as well - Just in case one or three of thier sculpters leaves the company and jumps ship to another well known wargame, or mini's company. Remember?

Why again did we get two or three different boxed sets of Space marine "Vets", again?
Oh... thats right. I remember now.

Muh ha ha ha....

I think they tightened up after the fiasco with the IG codex. Nothing wrong with leaking things here and there but from what I've been seeing on the SW rumors threads, both here and on Warseer, people who aren't in the know or haven't seen it are asking those that have seen it, points costs right down to the options for storm bolter, plasma pistol, yadda yadda. In about a weeks time I know by putting 2 and 2 together that I will be able to write up an army list for SW and be 95% correct weeks ahead of when it goes officially on sale. Doesn't that seem a little wrong to people? Yeah, it's kind of GW's fault that they release black box copies a month in advance but I can imagine if they didn't the nerd rage meter would break from overload.

I said in another thread that GW should do it like the movie industry. Tell us what codeciies we can expect in 2k10, show us a green or even a concept sketch for those armies and then do that once again bout 3-4 months before the codex and then show one of the final, new models around 2-3 weeks in advance. I just feel though that even with that a lot of gamers would still complain and whine that they don't know 99% of the codex 6 weeks in advance.

You don't watch a movie trailer and expect to see 99% of the movie do you and then complain when it shows you 1-3 minutes?

I bought the IG codex this past May but really, I wasn't all that enthused about it after knowing 95% of the rules, points and etc. I had made a list based off the rumors and it was 98% accurate, only a few rules that were mixed up by people going off memory. I only bought it to have a legal copy but since I don't play in tournaments I could have used the rumors I had compiled into my own codex and gotten by with that.

I realize people will still buy the 'dex for the same reason I did even if they already know 99% of it or have obtained it illegally by some donkey-cave who has no moral qualms about stealing (and yes, it is wrong and does hurt companies as much as the pro-thieves/torrent junkies will say otherwise).

I feel that no matter what GW does as far as marketing people will complain. Blizzard has been teasing people with Diablo 3 for well over a year now, it still isn't close to being done according to developers and it looks for all intents and purposes it won't come out until 2k11 and yet their are STILL people bitching it is taking too long, that "they have had ever since Diablo2 to develop this game." Blizz can't seem to silence the nerd rage about Diablo3, I'm thinking GW would be in the same boat as Blizz.

Some people should really pull their head out of the sand.

Telling you (generic "you") that a new codex for army X will be released within the next 6 months, will make you stop buying models for army X.
Due to GWs tendency to make good units bad and bad units good (from a sales point of view), most people will be hesitant to buy any new models.

I am a victim of this too. I have revived my Tyranids (about 8-10 months ago).
Will I be making any major purchases and/or conversions between now and Jan/Feb?
No, of course not.

It is simply not smart for GW to reveal anything beyond a 6-week window (which is the new standard, as far as I am told).

CComparing to video games is like comparing apples to oranges.

Do I like being kept in the dark by GW?
No.
Do I understand why they do it?
Yes.

warpcrafter wrote:It's not secrecy, they just don't know what the fuckety feth-feth they're doing.

Win.

Shaman wrote:
For example I have been considering Dark Eldar...

Dude haven't you heard, there is new DE in the works! Check it out,

Lint is showing goatse....

Aw darn it Lint! Every time that picture is shown they move back the release of the new DE codex by another month. (It's now officially somewhere around 2058)

I think GW should be secretive about the rules, and I find it slightly off that so many of the rules/army lists/upgrades are so readily leaked.

However, telling the customers what the next handful of armies coming down the pipe are? Heck yes I'd love that. I also don't buy into the 'losing' money if people know a new codex is coming. Odds are they'll be saving up for the new stuff and will go ga-ga over the fresh plastics. Burning someone by letting them buy a old style DE Raider in Dec of 2057 and then next month presenting the new Raider model is, I feel, *not* a way to maximize profits because odds are you're annoying your customers.

My thoughts,
Thor.

Considering they are the monopoly in the tabletop wargaming scene, it's not like they're under any obligation to get their acts together.

Steelmage99 wrote:Some people should really pull their head out of the sand.

Telling you (generic "you") that a new codex for army X will be released within the next 6 months, will make you stop buying models for army X.
Due to GWs tendency to make good units bad and bad units good (from a sales point of view), most people will be hesitant to buy any new models.

I am a victim of this too. I have revived my Tyranids (about 8-10 months ago).
Will I be making any major purchases and/or conversions between now and Jan/Feb?
No, of course not.

It is simply not smart for GW to reveal anything beyond a 6-week window (which is the new standard, as far as I am told).

CComparing to video games is like comparing apples to oranges.

Do I like being kept in the dark by GW?
No.
Do I understand why they do it?
Yes.

Couldn't they counter this by at least giving us some information on what will be redone and what not? When I heard there was a new Eldar 'Dex coming out I bought the current battleforce because I was pretty sure they wouldn't do anything to the tank, the guardians or the Vyper. So I actually spent money out of anticipation for the new book.

I wonder if anyone knows the figures, but I would reckon gamer impulse buying makes more money for gw then planned army buying..

Planners would rarely need new purchases (after the intial purchase) cause they plan them and have everything they need. Plus a planner is going to nail your inventory when the want 5 land raiders or whatever.

Impulse buyers will always need new purchases cause they havent thought things out. So more money for GW in the long run. Also they wouldn't nail the inventory, but rather provide steady sales.

If impulse buying makes GW less money then the planned buyers then secrecy makes no sense as the planners cant save up etc. But I dont think this is the case.

Cruentus wrote:

n0t_u wrote:Although the Space Wolves codex is older than the Dark Eldar one.

Bzzt. Not quite. Dark Eldar were the second codex after Space Marines in 3rd edition, since they were in the starter box. Space Wolves came out after. And I don't count that 'update' they released for them as a new 'codex'.

Alright, I just remember reading that the current Space wolves one came out in 2000 and then the current DE was 2000-2002 (iirc).
But then again that would just be the one thats slightly fixed up and that doesn't really count

Grot 6 wrote:
The internet was busting much balls over thier little oversites and then Jervis the gimp came out with the "Secret squirrel" tag when he spewed out his "Things to come" crap...
Had something to do with the new Ork codex, if memory serves right.

And people wonder why GW appear to ignore what is said on the internet

In the case of the Orks, we got what was promised, and more. We didn't quite get the codex we'd hoped for (when does that ever happen?), but the (plastic) models we got generally exceeded expectations. Then we got a Stompa.

Tailgunner wrote:

Grot 6 wrote:
The internet was busting much balls over thier little oversites and then Jervis the gimp came out with the "Secret squirrel" tag when he spewed out his "Things to come" crap...
Had something to do with the new Ork codex, if memory serves right.

And people wonder why GW appear to ignore what is said on the internet

In the case of the Orks, we got what was promised, and more. We didn't quite get the codex we'd hoped for (when does that ever happen?), but the (plastic) models we got generally exceeded expectations. Then we got a Stompa.

Kinda like Pot Calling Kettle.


Ok, so you can cut and paste. Now go back and put up the rest of my post if you're going to take the trouble to use it to make yourself look like a ponce.


As for your Internet quip, Pfft, wtf ever.
There are more then enough people from GW that post here that you really need to go back to your jokebook to try and find another funny.

At first...
I started posting my usual tear your ass off type of insult laden post with alot of cut and pasted pictures from BOLS, Warseer, and a couple of old picks from Dakka for good measure, but I changed my mind...
Because your frakly not worth wasting my time on with a long drawn out piss-throwing flame-fest that you obviously want.


I'm going to just say -

We had the same conversation back in Late 08 early 09 about the release stuff, and you just weren't part of it... I can see why you come out of left field talking like a douche.


Of course there was alot going on with all of the changes, the 5th edition stuff, the release issues, and the overextended LATE deadlines. But of course, you are more interested in throwing ka-ka and stepping up to the plate over something petty.
Being such a smart ass, I can see why you would have ignored the history behind the decisions. More then likely trying to impress someone with snappy dialogue like-

"We didn't quite get the codex we'd hoped for (when does that ever happen?), but the (plastic) models we got generally exceeded expectations. Then we got a Stompa"


Johnson himself discussed the subject when he explained about the secrecy stuff himself, in a standardbearer back when he first started pounding sand on his keyboard. Might have been around a year or so ago, but it was contentious, eitherway. He went on at length about it at both Gamesday, and in the Standard Bearer rag he writes in the WD about the subject.

Of course this was as way back as far as December, so it would stand to reason why you are interested in just one part of my post.

CHAOS, SM, IG, ORK's, Planetstrike, the issue with the boxed sets, and then we get to see the stuff that happened with FW, so yeah, I can see why you ignored the obvious.

Hell, I even remember when everyone was cooing over the current Chaos Spazz Marine codex, claiming it was everything better then sliced bread...
Then it came out, crapping all over those expectations. That was one if not, THE major reason for the NOT telling you what was coming out within the year. Even NOW this far past its original release, They are still smarting over the contents of that book.

Symantics didn't even matter in the subject. The bottom line was that there were several contentions that were the reasoning behind the "Secret squirrel releases", of course being so clever you wouldn't care about that, anyway.


Try adding something to the conversation next time, toolbag.

n0t_u wrote:

Cruentus wrote:

n0t_u wrote:Although the Space Wolves codex is older than the Dark Eldar one.

Bzzt. Not quite. Dark Eldar were the second codex after Space Marines in 3rd edition, since they were in the starter box. Space Wolves came out after. And I don't count that 'update' they released for them as a new 'codex'.

Alright, I just remember reading that the current Space wolves one came out in 2000 and then the current DE was 2000-2002 (iirc).
But then again that would just be the one thats slightly fixed up and that doesn't really count

The original copywrite date for the DE codex is 1998. There was a re-release in 2002 that merely included modifications that appeared in a WD article that modified the cost for Reaver Jetbikes, changed the way wyche weapons worked, and added a vehicle upgrades. All told, the updated codex included modification to 2-3 of the unit entries and one page of new material.

Amen to that Saldiven. I like to keep an accounting going of how often I play my DE force versus a player of the game who wasn't born when my codex was released.