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reds8n wrote:http://wargamesfoundry.com/

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I was about to report this as spam, but reds8n is a mod, so...

shameless plug. I'm speaking of course of Aquaman. He is obviously not cool.

*takes names in "special" notebook*

The link I posted is to the company that Mr. Ansell - sans Mullet AFAIK -- set up and runs post GW.

I think you'll find I'm already in the "Special notebook". I don't need to be in there twice thank you.

You could run some badass Necromunda out of their range.

These guys scream Delaque.

KamikazeCanuck wrote:That's cool. What do you do in real life?

I produce videos for a major video game company.

Manchu wrote:You could run some badass Necromunda out of their range.

These guys scream Delaque.

They have some great ranges, I have most of the Judge Dredd/2000AD one myself.

Back on topic, someone mentioned John Blanche was ex-GW. Is this correct?

I had to come in here to see WTF a "G-Dub" was...


So much for hoping a gaming site would be a good escape from ghetto speak...

We mustn't forget the Chairman, Mr. Kirby, who recently moved his big chair to Baltimore in order to whip those lousy US GW employees into form!

I really liked Gav Thorpe's work on Inquisitor and his previous projects... He has added touches of flavour to the 40k universe that have become real establishments. I'm not really a big fan of his narrative writing but epic props to his imagination.

Australia's own Dave Taylor was always a figure I liked in the GW 'pantheon' - although he isn't a part of the design team his work on the hobby community level was always inspiring and his conversions always kicked arse!

Kilkrazy wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:That's cool. What do you do in real life?

I produce videos for a major video game company.

I had no idea - that sounds pretty cool!

What's some of your work that we might have seen?

Arctik_Firangi wrote:

Australia's own Dave Taylor was always a figure I liked in the GW 'pantheon' - although he isn't a part of the design team his work on the hobby community level was always inspiring and his conversions always kicked arse!

Seconded, DT is a really cool guy!

I also liked Pete Haines. Very cool and had great ideas, plus fun to have a beer with!

Alpharius wrote:

Kilkrazy wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:That's cool. What do you do in real life?

I produce videos for a major video game company.

I had no idea - that sounds pretty cool!

What's some of your work that we might have seen?

lol, telling you that would defeat the purpose of not naming the company in his original post i suspect. i don't know if he wants crazed dakkites calling his company to complain about a game they bought asking for "killkrazy the cutscene guy!!".

Alpharius wrote:

Kilkrazy wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:That's cool. What do you do in real life?

I produce videos for a major video game company.

I had no idea - that sounds pretty cool!

What's some of your work that we might have seen?

He probably doesn't want us to know, the company would just start getting hundreds of letters from various Dakkites proposing their ideas for the 'next big thing' because 'they know somone in the know' and we would end up getting him fired

notprop wrote:
Back on topic, someone mentioned John Blanche was ex-GW. Is this correct?

No.

People always hate on Bryan Ansell 'cause of the mullet, funnily enough if it wasn't for him Games Workshop wouldn't have ever really been as successful as it is today.

I always felt like 40k lost a lot when he left.

warboss wrote:

Alpharius wrote:

Kilkrazy wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:That's cool. What do you do in real life?

I produce videos for a major video game company.

I had no idea - that sounds pretty cool!

What's some of your work that we might have seen?

lol, telling you that would defeat the purpose of not naming the company in his original post i suspect. i don't know if he wants crazed dakkites calling his company to complain about a game they bought asking for "killkrazy the cutscene guy!!".

FM Ninja 048 wrote:

Alpharius wrote:

Kilkrazy wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:That's cool. What do you do in real life?

I produce videos for a major video game company.

I had no idea - that sounds pretty cool!

What's some of your work that we might have seen?

He probably doesn't want us to know, the company would just start getting hundreds of letters from various Dakkites proposing their ideas for the 'next big thing' because 'they know somone in the know' and we would end up getting him fired

I think you guys are right. He shall remain Killrazy the mysterious video game guy.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Don't forget to mention what these people did/do. Like Pete Haines: wasn't he 'eavy Metal or something?

He helped write the good Chaos codex.

Manchu wrote:Although often derided, Ansell's work might be one of the main reasons GW made it to this "no more rockstars" era. He refocused GW as a business and helped lead the company into financial success.

Actually one would suggest it is in fact Tom Kirby who is more responsible for the success of the GW. He was the one who introduced the "starter box set" -- starting with 4th edition WFB ( the elves and goblin one IIRC) and after he'd left the company was purposely "headhunted" back by them to help pull their asses out of the fire.

Kanluwen wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:aww, I liked that guy his white dwarf articles back in the day were usually good.

Those must have been some pretty radical changes to get him sacked! Any idea what we're talking about here? Pink Ultramarines treading into the year 40,001!?!

Ruleswise, he wanted to make the game more and more and more complicated.

He threw a hissy fit when they scrapped the idea, then left to found Red Star Gaming after Starship Troopers went bust.

He now works at Blizzard Entertainment, was the genius behind splitting Starcraft II into 3 "episodes" and making units that you get in campaign unavailable in MP.

Andy is dead to me now. He took my firebats from me. HE WILL PAY!

What about Dave Andrews? I know he has been around for a long time (since the 90's, anyway), and he is often pictured/mentioned in WD. I would have pegged him up there with Jervis, myself, but maybe that's just because I like the sculpts he did for BFG so much .

Vladsimpaler wrote:People always hate on Bryan Ansell 'cause of the mullet, funnily enough if it wasn't for him Games Workshop wouldn't have ever really been as successful as it is today.

I always felt like 40k lost a lot when he left.

we're not hating on the mullet, we're admiring its pure 80's awesomeness. the sleaveless shirt however...

Brother SRM wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:Interesting. Pic 3 in Andy Chambers right? He's gone?

Who are the others? - especially pic 2 yikes! That's a mullet and a half.
Do you know who that rebel that went up against the suits?

Andy. He wanted to radically change 40k for 4th edition, and a lot of his ideas went on to become the Starship Troopers miniatures game.

Not at all convinced by this claim. As with pretty much all artistic endeavours, if you work for a company, the work belongs to them, not you. Ergo, he could not have taken plans paid for by GW, regardless of whether they liked them or not, and take them to another company.

Mr Mystery wrote:

Brother SRM wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:Interesting. Pic 3 in Andy Chambers right? He's gone?

Who are the others? - especially pic 2 yikes! That's a mullet and a half.
Do you know who that rebel that went up against the suits?

Andy. He wanted to radically change 40k for 4th edition, and a lot of his ideas went on to become the Starship Troopers miniatures game.

Not at all convinced by this claim. As with pretty much all artistic endeavours, if you work for a company, the work belongs to them, not you. Ergo, he could not have taken plans paid for by GW, regardless of whether they liked them or not, and take them to another company.

I've been told games rules and method of play are virtually impossible to trademark/IP

I would think so.

reds8n wrote:

Manchu wrote:Although often derided, Ansell's work might be one of the main reasons GW made it to this "no more rockstars" era. He refocused GW as a business and helped lead the company into financial success.

Actually one would suggest it is in fact Tom Kirby who is more responsible for the success of the GW. He was the one who introduced the "starter box set" -- starting with 4th WFB ( the elves and goblin one IIRC) and after he'd left the company was purposely "headhunted" back by them to help pull their asses out of the fire.

I know very, very little about what's happened 'behind the scenes.' I don't think Ansell is in any way the sole contributor to GW's development but from what little I do understand, he was one of the first guys to really push for profitability. Not a popular position, to be sure, except in the longer view perhaps.

I too would cast the vote for Kirby being the major contemporary driver. With the 'starter box' idea the company was changed from one that marketed 'miniatures with rules' to one that had a specific, saleable and expandable product range from a retail point of view. Ansell, to me, seemed determined to push the range as a 'model train' type hobby - with a great deal of support and advice for the community of existing and incidental enthusiasts but not so much in the way of effective salesmanship.

A lot of us wargamers - myself included - weren't introduced via the 'starter sets' but it's easy to see how valuable they have been in cultivating the rich community of wargamers we have today. It's clearly central to GW's continuing success and expansion. Even in the relatively 'elitist' online hobby/wargaming community (as opposed to the real world hobby/wargaming community) we see plenty of new Dakka members who have recently picked up the hobby via AoBR!

MeanGreenStompa wrote:

Mr Mystery wrote:

Brother SRM wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:Interesting. Pic 3 in Andy Chambers right? He's gone?

Who are the others? - especially pic 2 yikes! That's a mullet and a half.
Do you know who that rebel that went up against the suits?

Andy. He wanted to radically change 40k for 4th edition, and a lot of his ideas went on to become the Starship Troopers miniatures game.

Not at all convinced by this claim. As with pretty much all artistic endeavours, if you work for a company, the work belongs to them, not you. Ergo, he could not have taken plans paid for by GW, regardless of whether they liked them or not, and take them to another company.

I've been told games rules and method of play are virtually impossible to trademark/IP

Yes and no I'd reckon. Whilst it might be tricky to actually put any kind of official 'this are ours' type stamp on it, as long as the company has proof any given mechanic was designed in their office, on their time they have a solid case for ownership. I'm not saying ideas mooted for 40k were transplanted into SST, but the common suggestion is that 40k 4th Edition by Andy Chambers was just given a different title. This is most likely not the case.

And before anything gets heated, let us be crystal clear that I am not throwing out accusations of lies etc. Just saying there are a few issues with the common claims about Andy C's departure.

What about Nigel Stillman, and all the other people who used to make their awesome terrain that we never see any more?

Actually, I know where they went - they're not needed now that GW sell lots of terrain in kit form. Who needs to retain a team who're good at making terrain custom terrain when you can just get your lackey's to build some of your own kits...

H.B.M.C. wrote:What about Nigel Stillman, and all the other people who used to make their awesome terrain that we never see any more?

Actually, I know where they went - they're not needed now that GW sell lots of terrain in kit form. Who needs to retain a team who're good at making terrain custom terrain when you can just get your lackey's to build some of your own kits...

Indeed. If you make something, promote the hell out of it. Then you sell more of it.

And people say GW have no business sense.

Manchu wrote:These guys scream Delaque.

Not as much as these guys.