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I'm done. Game over.

I cannot justify paying their prices anymore, I just can't. I looked at their new pricing the other day, and had enough. No more.

There are many other games out there that I'm interested in (Infinity, PP, Malifaux, Battletech to name a few) that interest me much more.

GW, thanks for the memories, but that's a wrap.

Steelmage99 wrote:It has made me seriously look at Infinity and others.

This was the furthest thing from my mind in the preceeding six months.
Back then all I thought about was when the rest of my DE would be out, and how much I looked forward to painting some of the awesome Grey Knights that was sure to be just that..awesome.

Back then I pretty much bought without thinking...."Is it new? I want 2, maybe 3!" is the mindset I am getting at here.

Now I am thinking that the models are too expensive, and the "style" of GW is too annoying.

I have been through exactly the same thing, and I share the same sentiments.

I had a WFB O&G army lined up. WFB 8th edition gave me a quick kick to the shins (the thought of painting up blocks of 50 infantry, and the price of such a unit, like being stood at the base of a mountain - isn't this meant to be about enjoyment?), followed by a punch to the stomach that knocked the wind out of me (the increase in price/reduction in number of models per box). The final chuck-norris roundhouse kick that KO'd me was the trade embargo, meaning that such a new army would be practically impossible for me to buy even if I really wanted it.

I would say the finecast debacle, cutting of release news, new WD policies are the equivalent of kicking me when I am already down, KO'd. The camels back had already been broken by this point.

So, I wrote to GW letting them know my discontent and how sad I was that a company I previously loved was behaving like a sun-crazed and drunken baboon, and put my money where my mouth is. Ordered some Infinity, and no doubt my revisit some FoW in the future again also.

So,

Honestly? The only effect it has had on me is to get me to order the Lord Commissar I've had my eye on for a while from Maelstrom, to take advantage of the 18% off GW voucher they'd issued.

I'd shifted the majority of my gaming spend away from GW 5-6 years ago. I'll still pick up the odd figure that I like to paint, and still pick over eBay from time to time for metal IG bargains.

GW is not the whole hobby, merely a small part of it - they lost me, really, when they canned Specialist Games new releases during the Epic: Armageddon release.....

It basically means I'll be waiting until the Finecast QA stuff is sorted out before buying anything, and I'll be picking up the odd metals for models that I really want.

It also means I'll be spending less, because prices are higher.

I've also branched out into: Trafalgar, 15mm Napoleonics, 10mm Seven Year's War, FOW, 28mm Cowboys, 28mm Pirates, Historicals (28mm Romans, Normans/Crusaders), and so on.

I've already got 5 40k armies, 2 WHFB armies, and all the specialist games, so there's enough backlog in assembly, painting, and terrain making (not GW terrain) to keep me busy the rest of my life.

For me, it's just meant that I've hoovered most of what I want for my Necrons from eBay over the past few weeks (Only a few bits to get). I've grabbed a few more lords ready for the rumoured characters.

Unless the new Necron models are worthy of Chuck Norris, I wont be grabbing those, at least not new.

I've not properly gotten in to 40k, having only played a dozen or so games, so I'm not dumping it. I'll just buy the old stuff and get creative with green stuff.

drastically increased the number of people pretending to be into hoards and warmachines at my flgs.

As long as my models stay under the cost of a night at the bar, I'll be fine.

For me...very little.

The price increase...I dont buy enough to be greatly effected.

The Finecast deal...thats more of an issue. Theres a handful of minis I was thinking of getting that are now Finecast. However, with the quality issues they seem to be having Im either going to hunt down leftover metals or source equivalents from other manufacturers.

Mind you Im not huge fan of metal, but Ill deal with it since the quality is far better than the Finecast at this point. I do hope they get it sorted out, as the Finecast does seem to be really sharp when it comes out right.

Really hasn't changed anything for me for I already had most of what i need for my Orkz.
I have yet to check out any of the Finecast models up close though.

I got into the hobby because it seemed like they'd be willing to hold your hand through it. My first Hobbycenter had a painting station with free paints, auctions on old stock, and clerks who'd be much more willing to play a few games than try to move stock on you, and gave you actual advice on how to save money by buying alternative models. GW's own website had conversion articles and bitz order, making sure i didnt have to pay out the ass with them to get the bitz I wanted. The codexes were filled with wonderful colored pages of converted models and gave some good conversion projects to compensate for what's not there. And back then, GW only had metal for when it wasn't practical to make into plastic.

Now I just see ads everywhere saying "buy this". The Clerks are only interested in me if I open my wallet. The paint stations say I have to bring everything, even my own water. There is no help on alternative models. And GW makes models that should be in plastic metal (or now Resin Failcast) and charge me out the ass for them.

I know that most of the stuff from before is more or less them giving me stuff, but since I'm paying a premium for their base products, it's a pretty fair tradeoff. In fact it actually made it easier opening my wallet, knowing that I am not making a wrong decision by committing this money. Now it feels like they're just taking the cash and tossing you out to the curb, if you mess up they'll just say "buy another one then" rather than extend a hand.

The changes have put a hault on all further GW purchases. It has me bummed out that they make these terrible decisions. People say it's to benefit the shareholders, but I don't see how angering the client base will accomplish that. The friends that I'd set up games with have quit as well. They're trying to get me to start up a Warmchine or Hordes army, but I'm reluctant at this point to buy any sort of table top model game. Either way I'm done with GW. I'll probably sell my marines when I have a better idea of where I'll spend my disposable income and invest the money there.

saxx wrote:drastically increased the number of people pretending to be into hoards and warmachines at my flgs.

As long as my models stay under the cost of a night at the bar, I'll be fine.

Haha, you know I think this is a threshold that a lot of people use to justify their purchases (at least I used to!), does GW realise that line that they have crossed?

I used to go to GW's website for all sorts of conversion and hobby insight and inspiration. Back then, the website and the online store were two separate sites. When they changed to one big store, always reminding me of what it thinks I need, and the hobby content was relegated to a token presence at best, I quit going there. When White Dwarf battle reports became a scripted means to drive sales and the magazine as a whole became redundant I quit reading it.
On the other hand, I still enjoy the hobby and I'm thankful that I have a Dakka community that keeps me motivated and with members that showcase their work. I've been studying and working in the Middle East for the past 4 years and when I returned to the US, I discovered all of the third-party parts and companies that make similar scale models, alternative heads, bases, etc. Since I don't game at a GW store I've begun using and/or incorporating other companies products in my armies and it's really reinvigorated my interest in the hobby. I've tried but never been able to get into Warmachine, Hordes or any other system, whereas I really love the 40K background and fluff (Matt Ward stuff aside). I'll continue to model, paint, support my FLGS and to some extent play, but I'll never exclusively purchase GW parts and models again.

darkkt wrote:My concern is that the pricing etc will be a barrier to new players... and without new players, the game dies.

+1

I remember when you could go into a store and forget it was a shop. I admit now you can still go in and paint and game, but you know the staff wont be happy if you don't buy andthing. I know it is their job so i'm not complaining. I am just saying how the ability to go in and talk about what you are thinking of doing rather than just buying is starting to fade. My local store is still great and you can go in and play a game and get some gaming paining advice so i'm not complaining at them but other stores I have visited seem to really want to push you to open your wallets the second you enter,

I actually fully quit 40k before all these pricing issues came out. Got sick of so many things. For some reason the lawsuit against chapterhouse was like the final straw. I was under no illusions that me quitting would do anything at the time to GW, but I just felt its time to move on.

Been playing since 2nd edition and before I quit I had plans to start a DE and Necron army. I already have Daemons, Salamanders and IG.

I shelved them all. Now I play warmachine Cryx and am thinking of making a Circle of Orboros army.

Also learning that warmahordes is actually quite a good game when I previously thought that 40k was the only game worth playing has led me to start considering other games like malifaux and infinity.

I hope to one day come back to 40k and I hope GW is a different company then.

I'm still going to buy any GW stuff I think is good value, but the stuff that is good value is now rarer so I'm taking the plunge into historicals, Kings of War and writing my own squad based sci fi game that I can use nice third party miniatures in. I'll still play 40K with my Orks, and Fantasy with my WoC, Dwarves and Orcs, but new pastures beckon.

Very simply put....never buying anything directly from GW again. The price increases are insane! When i look back to when i started playing prices have gone up by like 60-70% which is just extortion.
For me, there is no need to buy from them anymore when online sites like maelstrom, darksphere and ebay give discounts of anything up to around 20% which makes them affordable.
I'm just pleased i have a lot of stuff to paint before buying anything new!
Its also made me consider switching to another game, Battlefield Evolution is looking pretty good atm, can get tanks, planes for around £10 which is nothing compared to GW prices

The only thing it has changed, is that forums are a lot less enjoyable to read, due to all the whine threads.

It's a simple price rise, all companies do it.l

These changes really aren't going to effect me at all. I have enough models waiting to get done that I could not buy anything for a year or more and still have new projects to work on. But, I budget my money and spend around $50 a month on my hobby, unless there's something new my nerdiness tells me I need, like when the baneblade first came out. And I rarely play anyway, I mostly just buy to paint.

yeah I don't like higher prices, but after almost 20 years of GW's business practices, I guess I'm just kinda used to it now. They're gonna raise them next year.. and the year after that and the year after that. I'll continue to buy what I want, and even happily pay full price at my FLGS, as long as they continue to put out a product that I feel is worth my time and money.

Shadowbreed wrote:The only thing it has changed, is that forums are a lot less enjoyable to read, due to all the whine threads.

It's a simple price rise, all companies do it.l

That's no change.

Like NeoMaul, I'm under no illusions that my decision will directly affect GW.
Perhaps, as part of the greater picture, I will have some effect on them. I don't fool myself into believing that they care, at this point, what I'm going to do.
That said...

I have 2 game groups. One meets monthly for RPGing. The other meets weekly for 40K. WH40K is my only miniature game, because (and ONLY because) nobody in my 40K group has any interest in any other games. These guys are my friends, and socializing with them is more important to me than what game I'm playing. So, I'll stick with 40K.
That's what I WILL do.
What I will NOT do, though, is buy anything I find to be non-essential.

When the 6ed rules come out, I will buy them. If any of my armies get a new codex, I will buy it.
If I see models that I absolutely CAN NOT find a replacement for from a different manufacturer... I MIGHT buy them.
I used to buy models just because I liked them. I used to buy EVERY codex that came out ("Know your enemy" and all that). I'm done with it.

EVERYTHING I buy from GW will be bought via Bartertown first, Dakka second and online discount retailers third. There will be NO GW direct purchases. I won't buy Finecost, if I can avoid it. If I have to buy it, I'll call and demand a replacement over even the tiniest imperfection.

There are no GW stores local to me, so using alternative models won't matter for my weekly gaming. Most tournaments I do or would go to are held at Miniature Market, and I doubt they'll have any issues with alternative models. If I go to any larger tourneys, they will (a) not be militant about "GW Models Only!" or I just won't go, if I can't meet that requrement.

That's how it's affected me.


Eric

MagickalMemories, I think your situation will be echoed by many, many other gamers all over the world. Of course a lot of them will be in Australia/New Zealand, but each price increase takes the game out of reach of players, and more importantly those coming into the hobby.

Although you could look at it from the opposite angle - GW's treatment of it's customers will mean that many gamers might get to try something new. I think experiencing a new game, no matter what it is, can actually revitalise the hobby for people. People are often quite staid with their habits (and I think really this is why so many people stick with GW) and don't like change - when it's forced upon them, and they have to reluctantly give it up, they might find that 6 months down the line (having got into a new games system) they are better off for the new experience.

I took a step back from 40k the other day and realised that I had been playing the same set of rules, with minor alterations to individual components of the game, since 3rd edition came out. Not to say it's a boring experience, and often the game is far from it, but you know when you come to the table exactly what sort of experience you can expect - there are no surprises, or if there are, they are within the tight confines of the game. Now, games such as Infinity and Maliflux are something of a new generation - they have built on the groundwork of rules mechanics designed for games such as WFB and 40k, and made something exciting and new. The smaller number of models is something that so many players will be unfamiliar with, and I hate to say it considering the man-hours I have put into GW's core range, but they make some of GW's efforts look quite antiquated by comparison in terms of the sheer dynamism on the tabletop.

By displaying the level of regard for it's customers akin to a drunken hobo with his fly-unzipped, and in mid action of releasing a bladder full of the convenience store's finest on anyone that comes close to him, GW may well have done a service to the 'hobby'. They will push people onto some of the fantastic new games that have come out over the last couple of years, games which might otherwise have slipped under the radar and faded into oblivion.

I can't emphasise enough to people who are thinking of quitting altogether - try something new. Although you may be initially apprehensive, there are other games out there which knock the stuffing out of GW's efforts in terms of how much fun you can have on the tabletop.

Even more of a shift to eBay.

Possible sale of my Nid army -- I'm still hemming and hawing over it, but it seems likely to offer OK resale value (lots of metal, much of it unpainted), which could let me buy DE or Infinity.

DE army on hiatus; I have the codex and 3 or so boxes of unassembled minis, but may just sell them too.

No more purchases for Dark Angels. I have enough, anyway.

Grey Knights army will remain a predominantly henchmen one; I have some metal GKs but will not be picking up enough plastics to make a full GK army. I will be buying non-GW vehicles to be counts-as Chimeras (not sure whether to go with Antenociti, or Old Crow, or Ramshackle, or Bitspudlo, yet), and scratchbuilding some counts-as Stormraven ornithopters.

Definitely buying in to Infinity.

Not buying more codexes -- I was trying to get all of them, but... nah, not any more. Too expensive.

More sharing/borrowing of armies and codexes. My games club has most armies available, one way or another. We'll proxy, and convert, and if one of us goes to a tourney, they'll borrow minis as necessary for the force they want to take.

Just as a reminder this thread is about how the changes made by GW have affected the hobby for you. While most responses have been in line with this there have been a few that are mainly just talking about how GW used to be and grudging about how GW is now. That isn't the point of the thread as there are plenty of others out there where you can do that, so while I appreciate the responses please no GW grudging. At least not here

Shadowbreed wrote:The only thing it has changed, is that forums are a lot less enjoyable to read, due to all the whine threads.

It's a simple price rise, all companies do it.l

when I see a company price rise so much 10 toys cost £23 I'll agree with you, until then you have no idea why people are complaining so you shouldn't have a say, its allot more than "a simple price rise".

I gotta say, I wish I'd got into game design years ago, because it's lots of fun.

Stella Cadente wrote:

Shadowbreed wrote:The only thing it has changed, is that forums are a lot less enjoyable to read, due to all the whine threads.

It's a simple price rise, all companies do it.l

when I see a company price rise so much 10 toys cost £23 I'll agree with you, until then you have no idea why people are complaining so you shouldn't have a say, its allot more than "a simple price rise".

While I do agree that it is much more then a simple price rise and that the tone of his statement (or indeed the statement itself) was uncalled for as it will just make waves if it is the only thing that has changed in the hobby for him then it's the only change. Of course no one makes him go on to forums or click on those threads that are "complaining" against what GW has done so his issue is of his own cause.

I used to have a gamming group and we played a mix of Heavy Gear roleplay and tabletop. I have ordered the new rules along with some minis and hope to find some players here in my area. I like the backstory/plot of the game. Plus Giant Robot fighting! (well sortof)

Im not sure yet if I will drop GW permantly. I think I will pick up 2 or 3 more boxes to round out a small GK force but I think thats it. When the new Chaos Codex drops (when ever that will be), I may start agin, depends on the rules and new models. I have kept getting WD's, but I think I will stop doing that also, just not to much intresting in them these days.

Not a bit because I quit playing 40k two years ago and WFB last year.

Well, It doesn't affect me at all I buy stuff from fellow dakka members, and used stuff, and cheap ebay stuff.

But If I actually payed full price, it would be expensive.

Wow, I guess I'm the exception to the negativity then!

The latest changes to GW:
1) More Codexes released per year than ever before
2) Introduction of FAQs
3) Consistant release of some of the best models seen yet
4) More engagement with the community, now with things like Facebook
5) Replacement of Metal for Resin
6) Explosion of community groups - podcasts, professional blogs, etc.

I'm now focusing more on the hobby more than ever, and haven't played a game of Malifaux in months... (though its still an awesome game)