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To be fair, Termies haven't gone up in any of the past several price hikes.

I don't play blood bowl. I don't go go grand tournaments. I buy 40k models occasionally but it's rarer now, and I play when I'm home on vacations. The trygon looks nice, the wolf codex wasn't as stupid as I expected, and despite being game breaking, the IG book hasn't derailed my ability to enjoy the game and my friend that plays IG seems to like it. People whine too much, the year seemed fine to me.

The Ironclad plastic kit released this year is awesome.

Mail orders are made free of charge.

The Good: Great new plastic kits all around.

The Bad: Lack of support in regards to FAQ's for mind numbing disagreements that still rage. GW can't be unaware of these huge issues.

Lack of specific missions or rules for tournaments.

I rather think that WD's quality is on the rise, as I've said elsewhere. Also, I like that GW is continuing to do business with FFG. I've loved Rogue Trader and the Radical's Handbook for DH. BL has put out a few good books this year. As other have said, model quality is going up. FW has treated us to some not quite in time for Christmas goodies but they still count for 2009, I suppose. Finally, I think the continued lack of support for turning WHFB and/or 40k into tournament-style games is a good thing (sorry MGS, agree to disagree).

The continued use of the "drop pod model" for store openings and closings, however, is one thing that displeases or at least worries me.

JohnHwangDD wrote:@Gawr: We're focused on name typos now?

We're having some light banter between two adults. I understand if that kind've thing goes over your head.

captain.gordino wrote:I wasn't making fun of those people.

Of course you weren't. You were taking a cheap shot hoping for the easy laugh.

And that's my job.

Plastic minis very good & looking forward to finally opening Space Hulk tomorrow

Particularly pleased with some of the new Skaven stuff, but as other people have suggested, they still desperately need a second wave as a lot of stuff (Abomination, Plagueclaw) is not available for games outside of modelling ingenuity.

Oh and I really, really want Jervis to stop rambling on in WD. Go on JJ, as a Christmas present for one of GWs longtime players...

I'd have to say, it's now been over a year since I bought anything new on spruce and I feel fine about it. The gouging and useless FAQ's and inconsistencies are really getting annoying.

And, can we get some new standard missions that we won't have to pay $25 for? I don't know about you guys, but we've outlawed dawn of war and spearhead because it's just too stupid and takes way, way, way too much time.

I know we're getting a book, but you figure they'd have something new, since the last real interesting thing we got for free was kill team (which is awesome I think).

I'm glad bugs will be getting something. Now only 65% of the universe is drastically outdated. And though I'm not a guard player, the new kits are great and look good (except for catachans of course, who look all look like barry bonds after a juice session).

Pros:
New Lizardmen, Imperial Guard, Space Wolfs and Skaven books that are at least almost not overpowered IMO
All already said armys got VERY nice plastic kits (Temple Guards, Stegadon, Command Squad, Valkyrie, Blood Claw/Grey Hunter, Terminators, Plague Furnance, Clanrats, Stormvermins, Doomwheel)
SPACE HULK

Cons:
Already many times said price going up
Lack of many FAQd things (melta bombs, ram + deff rolla anyone?)
Killing their fans

I've learned to only expect one thing from GW, and that's awesome plastic models. They delivered.

lord_blackfang wrote:I've learned to only expect one thing from GW, and that's awesome plastic models. They delivered.

But at what cost... oh yeah, COST.

H.M.B.C. summed up my feelings pretty well.

As with MGS, I will be buying only secondhand. There are a few models that interest me, but overall they just cost too much. I am pretty irritated that in the middle of putting together an army, the prices went up twice, and my ability to buy online was limited greatly. Overall it isn't a bad thing, I'll be sure to make plenty of stuff from scratch as well.

Manchu wrote:I rather think that WD's quality is on the rise, as I've said elsewhere. Also, I like that GW is continuing to do business with FFG. I've loved Rogue Trader and the Radical's Handbook for DH. BL has put out a few good books this year. As other have said, model quality is going up. FW has treated us to some not quite in time for Christmas goodies but they still count for 2009, I suppose. Finally, I think the continued lack of support for turning WHFB and/or 40k into tournament-style games is a good thing (sorry MGS, agree to disagree).

The continued use of the "drop pod model" for store openings and closings, however, is one thing that displeases or at least worries me.

It says a lot that all the best output you list are Black Library, Forge World and FFG, who aren't even Games Workshop. The main company has lumbered along for another, a few nice releases, the Valkerie, the Stompa and a few others. But also a lot of the same old predictable nonsense; Codex creep, daft looking "kewl" releases, mostly for Space Wolves, broken and misleading promises (their supposed 'mystery' box) and a total disregard for their fanbase shown by their treatment of the latest Blood Bowl book and the way GW legal have been charging around like a bull in a china shop.

fellblade wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:
...Add to this two price rises, C&D's to their loyal fanbase, and over every BB player around, and we're left with a very bad year for GW customers.

Fixed your typo.


And yeah, I pretty much agree, even though I think WotR is the best thing GW has done in years.

Odd thing that. At least for me.

I also think that WotR is one of the best things GW has done in recent memory and then later on the same year (we all knew it was coming) Space Hulk not only gets re-released, but gets a mighty sexy face lift (in both rules and components).

Amazing stuff they have done this year beyond that. Tons of plastic terrain, model quality due to CAD process increases manifold.

It very well could have been one of the best years ever for GW as far as customer satisfaction. I know I was more than impressed, and thats coming from a guy who loves to drink the games workshop Haterade.

I beleive with the multiple price hikes (sure they happen. Of course they knew that the entertainment industry on the whole would not be affected by a horrible economy, so they do what they do best...) and the general ill will towards their customers in the form of: Not giving credit to people who spent literally years working on BB, bullying sites with legal threats who genuinely had content of their own making.

Those two factors alone are enough to drive away the carefully cultivated good will GW has nurtured with such great products back into the red.

I cant say this is good for GW, as anytime you do good work and the customers regard you with disdain over your actions as opposed to the products that you produce it is a bad year.

Shame because otherwise I would be drinking the GW koolaid again, but they allowed corporate and legal greed in the face of economic stress override the fabulous things they have accomplished.

Cost of GW stuff doesn't bother me- I buy almost exclusively from a 20% discount store anyway.

I love a lot of the new kits that were released this year (and 2010 looks like it'll be one hell of a start with LotD and 'Nids), but I do find myself constantly feeling that GW are trying to destroy their existing userbase.

The whole Bloodbowl thing (releasing new rules with no credits) really annoyed me, even though I don't play Bloodbowl. The C&D letters seemed really widespread.

My main problem with GW now is the community aspect of the hobby. When I started 40k in 1998, I could walk into my store and feel welcome. No-one would try forcing Battleforces on me, and I could just go in to chat if I wanted to. The staff were always friendly and willing to go out of their way to help you.

Compare that to now...I walk in GW now, and it depends on the staff member. One guy in store is really nice, and reminds me of the '98 store. However, the other guy who works there regularly is always trying to push you to buy things. I wanted 3 paints one time, and he tried to make me buy Black Reach (not the paint set either). It doesn't feel like the community entering the store are important anymore, and the hobby doesn't feel as fun when you have pushy GW employees. I understand pushing sales is something they have to do, but when I say 'No, I don't want a Battleforce, only this paintbrush', I really do ONLY want a paintbrush. By pushing me, I'll just go and buy GW products from somewhere else, whether it be Ebay or another trader.

I really detest how GW have treated their customers lately, but ultimately I love the fluff/models for 40k, and will continue to buy from other sources. Shame some of the money will end up in GW's pockets.

Neith wrote:My main problem with GW now is the community aspect of the hobby.

Agreed, Neith.

GW, for some insane reason, seem to not only ignore the consumer community, but actively try to either push it away (closure of their own forums) to pontificating on EXACTLY how consumers should consume their goods (Jervis' Standard Bearer article, or what I like to call "Bull$hit thrown from the Ivory Tower").

The fact that they are a publicly traded company dictates that they are less concerned about customers and more concerned about profit by default. This is a no brainer. As consumers we come to accept that this compromise must be made.

But their flagrant disregard for their consumers and the community which they are a part of, can only have a backlash towards them eventually. Certainly there are people who glibly state that they don't care as long as they get pretty dollies (as illustrated in this very thread) but they will care when such corporate actions do affect what they enjoy. Right now its just fringe games being picked on, but wiat until 40K or WHFB, etc get needled and then they too will feel the utter disdain that GW has for the people who keep them fed.

Vladsimpaler wrote:

Ninja'd!

Anyway Howlingmoon, in the spirit of the season, if you wouldn't mind splitting them that would be sick.

Unless Delephont has Eldar, in which case those would be cool.

Well, it just so happens that Eldar, and plenty of it, is on the menu....to be disposed of at stupid prices, out the door prices, get GW off my property prices.......PM me, and I'll tell you more

JohnHwangDD wrote:

Cryonicleech wrote:Unbalanced Warhammer Fantasy Battle,

Daemons of Chaos came out in 2008, right?

Ahhh yes, I do think so.

Anywhoo,

Slowly redeemed their website with the "What's New Today" section.

Stopped Running the Ontario Games Days

Tightened up on their IP enforcement, causing much dismay

Slowly re-working their bitz to acceptable.

wuestenfux wrote:Lack of specific missions or rules for tournaments.

Mission book coming out, and the best bits of it will be adopted by tournament directers.

Specific rules for tournaments isn't something you'll ever see, as the game is played very differently in different places. If GW was running hundreds of tournaments around the world, there'd be the possibility of shoving everyone into the same strait jacket, but with 99% of tournaments being run by independent groups and stores, you'll see a lot of different formats.

FITZZ wrote:
I fail to see how customers stating that they are unsatisfied with a companies performance is "whining",and it would also seem,given several of the above post,that people are discontinuing their purchases.

Well, technically, they're not unsatisfied with the companies performance, they're unsatisfied with the companies choices. The company is performing decently. And, as a company, they don't need to satisfy their customers, they need to satisfy their shareholders.

Normally, the two go hand-in-hand. Happy customers are spending customers. But, in GWs case, it seems that unhappy customers are still customers. And, as long as they are customers, GW will continue to do what it is doing. You don't vote with your forum posts, you vote with your dollars and pounds.

For customers to post their dissatisfaction while still consuming, well, I think that can only be called whining. Clearly they're not so mistreated that they stopped being customers.


My year-in-review would be as follows:

I did not renew my White Dwarf subscription, because WD has sucked for a while now, and it wasn't worth spending the money on. I could get Playboy at less $$ per issue...

I bought Planetstrike stuff, because I liked it, and it's painted and has been used in many games at my house.
I bought a lot of Forgeworld stuff, because it's cool, and I like painting big-ass daemons. But I also bought a lot of Ultraforge daemons, because they're also cool and I like painting big-ass daemons.
I bought a lot of other daemons too, because I also like painting small-ass daemons too.

I didn't go to Games Day, because I am unhappy with how they were run. I will not go next year, because I am unhappy with where it is being run.
I didn't go to a GT, because they cancelled them. I did go to Adepticon though.
I am unhappy with the reduced stock in GW stores. The number of things that have moved to 'direct-only' pisses me off. I have stopped buying anything that is direct-order only, and let my local store manager know every time I would have spent money, but didn't because they stopped carrying the item I wanted in the store.

Most of my gaming this previous year has been done at my home, or SparkeyG's home, with friends and beers. We encourage painted armies, we've played Planetstrike games and Apocalypse games. Once a month, I've gone to a tournament at the Chicago Bunker, where painted models are required for entry. I've been much happier with these games than in previous years, where I mostly gamed at a GW store, against primer company.

If GWs goal for the year was to drive me away from their stores, and towards playing in independent venues and in independent tournaments, they've succeeded admirably. I find that, for the most part, all I want from GW lately is the models (which are still top-quality) and rules.

FITZZ wrote: I fail to see how customers stating that they are unsatisfied with a companies performance is "whining",and it would also seem,given several of the above post,that people are discontinuing their purchases.

Agreed and done. And that pic above says it all.

FITZZ wrote:

captain.gordino wrote:Man, I'm so angry with GW that I'm going to whine incessantly while I continue to buy their products!

Also:

I fail to see how customers stating that they are unsatisfied with a companies performance is "whining",and it would also seem,given several of the above post,that people are discontinuing their purchases.

Do you also fail to see how people are GW "Apologists"?

It goes both ways. There's a rift in the community where there's always the same posters posting the same negative stuff over and over and trying to bait others by posting: "Well where are the Apologists now" tee-hee. Remember that "GW won't pay shareholders dividends thread"? Thats a prime example of what I'm talking about where the whiners spew out the same rants even though they were dead wrong to whine in the first place

Cane wrote:
It goes both ways. There's a rift in the community where there's always the same posters posting the same negative stuff over and over and trying to bait others by posting: "Well where are the Apologists now" tee-hee. Remember that "GW won't pay shareholders dividends thread"? Thats a prime example of what I'm talking about where the whiners spew out the same rants even though they were dead wrong to whine in the first place

The minute people stop posting their "opinions" is the moment you can close the door on internet forums.....other than the odd piece of news, its all about what the peoples think.....

You'll notice that the only people calling the negative view on GW whining, are the GW supporters.....for whom, GW can do no wrong. Now, I'm not saying its wrong to support a company no matter what, its up to you who you endorese, and where you spend your money.....I also think its fine to air an alternative opinion, even if its in support of GW, but do we need to ridicule each other with statements like "Fan Boy" and "Whiner" etc....it really goes along way towards cheapening the whole internet forum experience.

Agreed.

Same [crap] different year.

No evading swear filter please.

Stopped running Grand Tournies But are putting 100's of thousands of dollars into supporting over 70 Independent GT's, which will be run better than the 3 or 4 GW run GT's were, and culminating in an invatational tournament at the end of the seaon.

Stopped doing most of Games Days And are refocusing on making the one games day they are running much better, like they did years ago.

Raised prices on minis, twice Happens, some GW prices went up, so did everything else in the world. They also put out a large number of plastic kits, many of which are better and cheaper than the metal couterparts.

Threw out a rubbish version of BB rules Did an awesome job on Space Hulk.

Very Sad! Have a beer, play some games, you'll feel better.

Feel free to add on... Thanks, I will

Pretty much agree with the rebuttal statements.

For me, 2009 was a good year, as long as I played 40k. 2 or 3 expansions for 40k, a couple 40k army books, some solid new platics kits, Space Hulk. For 40k it was a stellar year. WHFB was a so-so year, just a few army books, some new plastic kits. Skaven minis were an awesome way to close out the year. Its been stated that 2010 is the year of Fantasy and I'm stoked. WotR is not my cup of tea (I play too many games systems as it is) but it was pretty fun to demo. I may get into it someday.

If you wanted to just play, this was a good year. Its not until you get on the internet and see a small vocal minority waving the pitchforks that you actually see anything negative about this year.

I'd say it was a strong year for 40k-- two good Codices, plus Planetstrike and Space Hulk, more promising stuff coming in soon with the Tyranids, and a successful video game adaptation in the form of Dawn of War II.

Brought politics to the front of wargaming.
Sent out loads of C+D letters to protect their IP.
And forgot that without the people they sent their letters out to, there IP is worth sh*t.

Convinced Deadshane that while completely giving up GW gaming isnt warranted, dumping money into my X-box 360 is a wiser idea.