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Lord_Astaroth wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:Still, Kroot, it's another "We're going to release something soon... but we're not going to tell you what it is because... uhh... well just because!!!" announcement. In other words the type of 'marketing' only an imbecile would think is a good idea.

Gotta agree with you there. They need to get people excited about a release well before the release. That's what EVERY other company does. Oh well, what does Microsoft, Sony or any other big company like them know about business. Grassroots companies like them will be gone before next year. *Shakes head* GW, you need to learn from the big dogs.

I personally dislike GWs marketing efforts, or lack thereof. However, Apple computers takes a somewhat similar approach. The differences being they get major press when they release a product, and spend lots of money on advertising once a product is released. I think that GW does a disservice to its stores by keeping them in the dark. Customers regularly know more about releases than employees. With one man stores, employees do not have time to paint or play and are thus distanced from the hobby. This substantially hurts employees' credibility. This is bad news given that the company is putting all of its eggs in the basket of these stores.

Much as I dislike it, I don't think it's correct to call the strategy ineffective.

Look at the number of Grey Knight threads that started when the Incoming! e-mail came out and then exploded once we actually got some hard info.

If everyone's already aware of the release for several months it's difficult to build that kind of hype.


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As I said, i'd much prefer they gave us more info, but that may not work in the way they want it to.

It's an interesting idea that we might form part of the marketing strategy. Endlessly dissecting every small morsel of information until we've whipped ourselves into a frenzy just before they show us the new release with the "click here to order" button.

I propose we stop doing it for a month and see what happens.

That would require everybody being in on it and the mods being like total fascists who lock every thread even remotely related to the topic.

When I saw this, I immediately thought of the 'marketing' that J.J. Abrams does with his movies.

Remember the first trailer for Cloverfield? It was basically a shot of the NYC skyline and then the words "CLOVERFIELD" for 15 seconds.

That's what these 'Incoming!' articles remind me of. Frickin' J.J. Abrams.

SonicPara wrote:

streamdragon wrote:

SonicPara wrote:It is a little odd to have a Wave 2 so soon when Blood Angels had to wait almost a year and Space Wolves even longer but it seems that GW is making up for neglecting he Dark Eldar for so long. Yes out of the current 5th edition codices Tyranids really should get their 2nd wave first but Dark Eldar players have been far more patient in their long wait for an update then Tyranid players have had to be in their wait for a Tervigon or Harpy

Your new book, did it radically change the way your army plays from the previous edition? No? Because the Tervigon (ugh) has become a mainstay of Tyranid forces. No Tervigon, no Tyrano Fex (double ugh), none of the special characters... but at least they gave us the Pyrovore! (triple ugh)

Space Wolves got a second wave? Did I miss the TWC models? (IIRC, they're the only things we're missing...)

I apologize about the Space Wolves bit, I meant to say that they are still waiting. You are correct, they don't have a 2nd wave yet. As I said, Tyranids really should get their 2nd wave first due to the reasons you cited (mostly the tervigon) but my point was in the years and years of neglect that Dark Eldar players were subject to perhaps GW felt was reason to rush their model line to completion.

Ah, I apologize of the SW stuff seemed snarky, I was honestly wondering if I'd missed something as I've been playing lots of fantasy and not really paying attention to 40k. ;D

And fair enough on the Dark Elder wait; I know our local DE player has been fairly happy with the changes. Truthfully, I would have rather had my Tyranids wait and gotten better quality Codex/Models than we did. ;D

Kroothawk wrote:

DarthSpader wrote:i dont think this is anything new.... just the standard army info.

Gorechild wrote:This is odd, theres nothing new on there at all.

On the contrary, this is the long expected announcement for the 2nd wave of Dark Eldar in June.
The text confirms Haemunculi, Archon's retinue, Wracks and Grotesques (maybe even scourges) to be in it. But the Venom is expected then as well, maybe even the flyer(s). So BrookM, you can take the question mark from the title and add 2nd wave.

How does the text confirm an Archon's retinue? I'm not being sarky, I just can't find anything to that effect if you could enlighten me - I really want to get my hands on some retinue models

Kanluwen wrote:When I saw this, I immediately thought of the 'marketing' that J.J. Abrams does with his movies.

Remember the first trailer for Cloverfield? It was basically a shot of the NYC skyline and then the words "CLOVERFIELD" for 15 seconds.

That's what these 'Incoming!' articles remind me of. Frickin' J.J. Abrams.

That's the donkey-cave who did Gone Fishin'!

Super 8 has me intrigued... although it will probably just turn into another movie about a big arse monster that the army can't defeat.

The marketing by GW is annoying, but it's not stupid or ineffective for two reasons:

1) They release a news item or article every day. This gets you back to their site to check it out, which obviously increases site traffic, which leads to sales. It's Marketing 101 and it works.

2) Marketing is getting people to talk about your stuff. Here, we've got a 2 page thread after a couple of hours about what's not there! Why should they release more information than they have to if we'll bitch about what little they release and pore over every word to see what we've missed?

So, really, it'd be more correct to say they're jerks than stupid.

Foo wrote:The marketing by GW is annoying, but it's not stupid or ineffective for two reasons:

1) They release a news item or article every day. This gets you back to their site to check it out, which obviously increases site traffic, which leads to sales. It's Marketing 101 and it works.

You go to their site every day in hope of news? Man, I don't think I've EVER got news from the GW site before Dakka/BOLS/Warseer. I have no idea what news section you're looking at.

Their Friday "news" article about the Specialist Games ranges just made us cry, they gave us a glimpse of days gone by.

streamdragon wrote:I think I speak for all Tyranid players out there when I say " you GW. you."

+1

It's amazing how fast threads go into '@$%# GW'. Obviously there is a large number of posters who do not know the first thing about business or marketing.

BrookM wrote:Their Friday "news" article about the Specialist Games ranges just made us cry, they gave us a glimpse of days gone by.

+1

I wasn't around in GW's glory days, but I'd readily give up 40k and WHFB if they brought back Blood Bowl, Epic, Warmaster, and BFG.

Then again... what would current day GW do to those games?

Ketara wrote:

Foo wrote:The marketing by GW is annoying, but it's not stupid or ineffective for two reasons:

1) They release a news item or article every day. This gets you back to their site to check it out, which obviously increases site traffic, which leads to sales. It's Marketing 101 and it works.

You go to their site every day in hope of news? Man, I don't think I've EVER got news from the GW site before Dakka/BOLS/Warseer. I have no idea what news section you're looking at.

They send out an email newsletter update every day with a link to a new article. Whether I actually click the link and go or not is a different story. The point is that they obviously do this to drive traffic.

Chimera_Calvin wrote:

Kroothawk wrote:On the contrary, this is the long expected announcement for the 2nd wave of Dark Eldar in June.
The text confirms Haemunculi, Archon's retinue, Wracks and Grotesques (maybe even scourges) to be in it. But the Venom is expected then as well, maybe even the flyer(s). So BrookM, you can take the question mark from the title and add 2nd wave.

How does the text confirm an Archon's retinue? I'm not being sarky, I just can't find anything to that effect if you could enlighten me - I really want to get my hands on some retinue models

GW wrote:These piratical armies are not only comprised of the Kabalite Warriors that form the backbone of each noble house; they are accompanied by all manner of allies, minions and other such menials that seek to gain the Archon's favour.

Well, the above quote describes quite accurately the Archon's retinue consisting of Xeno allies and slave-beings. But being cryptic and nebulous, it could also mean something else or nothing at all.

I was hoping to hear wolf news soon as well. But this means I can have a venom when I start without building one from scratch.

All you people and your whining about needing models for your army. I play Tau and all the models in the codex are available....it doesn't mean much without a workable codex but hey at least we have models. And now it looks like GWs going to stiff me again by putting the Tau codex out probably 1 month before 6th edition hits the shelves and makes the entire codex worthless again.

Anybody want to buy a Tau army?

agnosto wrote:All you people and your whining about needing models for your army. I play Tau and all the models in the codex are available....it doesn't mean much without a workable codex but hey at least we have models. And now it looks like GWs going to stiff me again by putting the Tau codex out probably 1 month before 6th edition hits the shelfs and makes the entire codex worthless again.

Anybody want to buy a Tau army?

Good lord no, they're terrible.

Just teasing, man.

streamdragon wrote:No Tervigon, no Tyrano Fex (double ugh), none of the special characters... but at least they gave us the Pyrovore! (triple ugh)

But don't forgett, they will be releasing (*exciting buildup*)...
this summer (*reaches cresendo*)...
the Harpy (*crickets chirping*)

agnosto wrote:All you people and your whining about needing models for your army. I play Tau and all the models in the codex are available....it doesn't mean much without a workable codex but hey at least we have models. And now it looks like GWs going to stiff me again by putting the Tau codex out probably 1 month before 6th edition hits the shelves and makes the entire codex worthless again.

Anybody want to buy a Tau army?

You really think the Nid codex is more workable than the Tau dex? I mean, sure, with one fairly specific build that relies on models that don't yet exist. So (sorta) book w/ no models, or (sorta) book w/ models. I'm not saying "Tau dex is fine!" (although *ANECDOTE ALERT* the local Tau player does fine) or anything, mind you.

Edit:

wyomingfox wrote:

streamdragon wrote:No Tervigon, no Tyrano Fex (double ugh), none of the special characters... but at least they gave us the Pyrovore! (triple ugh)

But don't forgett, they will be releasing (*exciting buildup*)...
this summer (*reaches cresendo*)...
the Harpy (*crickets chirping*)

Seriously? That's ... it?

That's it for the "Summer of Flyers" releases, yes.

Also *ANECDOTE ALERT* I have three local Tyranid players who do just fine.

Venom, scourges and wracks, guarentee it.
Talos, grotesques and Chronos after that
Haemonculi, court, klaivex, vect, malys, duke, kherudhak-guy, drahzar and variants (second archon, I think) sprinkled in with everything.
Flyers last.

That's what I'm thinking. Is it impossible to want a Trueborn kit? No way I can caniballize all those warrior kits to get SCs. Not to mention there isn't a single Shardcarbine in the range, depsite being a prominant weapon. I could see them doing one, to be honest.

5 torsos and legs
7 or so heads
5 Shardcarbines
2 Dark Lances
2 Splinter Cannons

streamdragon wrote:

wyomingfox wrote:

streamdragon wrote:No Tervigon, no Tyrano Fex (double ugh), none of the special characters... but at least they gave us the Pyrovore! (triple ugh)

But don't forgett, they will be releasing (*exciting buildup*)...
this summer (*reaches cresendo*)...
the Harpy (*crickets chirping*)

Seriously? That's ... it?

Actually, the same rumours talk about a complete 2nd wave for Tyranids this fall. With Tyrannofex (incl Tervigon?), Ymgarl Stealer, boneswords and the Harpy, the latter not being part of the rumoured summer of flyers but of course fitting. But these all are rumours by stickmonkey and noone else up to now, so need more confirmation.

streamdragon wrote:I think I speak for all Tyranid players out there when I say " you GW. you."

I'm sorry, I forgot how all the Tyranid players had to wait 10+ years for their codex...

Modquisition on. Reminder, lets avoiding discussing individual posters' posting styles thank you.

Please Gods of 40k, deliver your faithful a venom kit and we shall rejoice!

Ozymandias wrote:

streamdragon wrote:I think I speak for all Tyranid players out there when I say " you GW. you."

I'm sorry, I forgot how all the Tyranid players had to wait 10+ years for their codex...

1. I'm talking about a second wave of models, not a 'Dex.

2. I'd have gladly waited 10+ years, as the last Dex was good and the new one is... well, not so good.

Again, I'm not saying DE don't deserve their dex, I'm not saying DE don't deserve their models, and I'm not saying Nids are somehow the red headed step children of 40k (whatup 'Crons... :( ). I'm saying that Nids got a crap codex with a bunch of nigh-necessary units that didn't get new models, and still don't have new models.

Bloodwin wrote:I just saw the announcement via twitter and I wondered what was missing. I'm rather annoyed about this as I'm still hoping for some Thunderwolves.

As for the marketing, I can see how it is frustrating but it's pretty much what Apple do.They dont say anything for ages and let the rumor mill do its thing. it seems to work for them and I dont see GW suffering (in the UK at least).

That is often the response when people complain about GW's consistently ridiculous marketing strategy (or in fact its consumer research. Anyone remember when they declared they were doing Plastic Catachans because Cats were the guard that sold best, missing completely the fact that Cats were the only range with a full selection of heavy/special weapons? Or the whole history of selling Marines for that matter..?)

...well anyway, that's what people say, but is GW really doing as well as all that?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4408763.stm 2005

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6233559.stm 2007

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12117510 2011 (After the bit on HMV.)

So I wonder if GW marketing is in fact all that effective, or if copying the "big boys" is the best route to follow for what they are trying to sell? Obviously there is a recession to be factored in there, but still...