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 Jjohnso11 wrote:
We’re also paying for lore, marketing, YouTube channel, facebook page, pensions, warehouses, shops, warhammer world, all that extra stuff that we take for granted and would complain about if GW only produced miniatures and not the rest of the stuff. I’m fairly certain they commission writers, painters, sculptors and a few other artistic, yet non miniature related leads to build a better environment for the game.

I recall someone saying that GW has planned projects and development four years out. You can’t do that if you aren’t
investing in the future. Don’t people complain about kickstarters that take years to deliver purchased products. How long does it take to receive a miniature when you buy it at the store?

People forget how unique GW is as a hobby company. How many wargame companies have their own factory (in the UK no less), warehouses in other countries, their own retail arm, their own publishing arm, and regularly licenses their IP to dozens of other companies?

 Kroem wrote:
Let's be honest, pricing based on costs is quite old fashioned. They aim to put prices as high as the market will bear whilst driving down production costs to maximise profits, that's the way of successful business I'm afraid.

On the other hand, as customers we should always be asking for a better deal!

This is all very true. My #1 gripe with them is the ever increasing investment required to have a decent army. GW & FW need to have region specific pricing related to in market value. not the highest but surely not the least. As they reduce costs(theirs) the economy of scale should transmit a further reduction in consumer cash outlay. that would in turn increase the diversity of purchasers/purchased goods. More customers making more purchases of a wider variety of products can only further be beneficial to any enterprise.

There are 2 types of people, Cost & Value. They are not even close to the same. One focuses solely on $€£¥ actual cost to them and the other feels that the product/service/goods equate to the cost. One is mutually exclusive to the other, but not vice-versa.

GW, as provided by their financials and interaction with the customer base, seem to succeed where others fail. You may have an excellent IP/game/whatever, but if you are not able to reach both customers, you have to rely on one revenue stream. the most successful companies(in general) cater more to one than the other.

GW is able to have all of the previously stated (dis)advantages mitigated by their strong market presence and dedicated customer base. Their models are arguably the best in class, their customer support/interaction is(as of recently) top notch, and are implementing a steady release of models for (most) of their games.

My view of GW (as an entity) currently is not how I did for a significant period of time. I purposefully avoided anything 40k (and GW as a whole) for a quarter of a century. they have me back now as a customer, but that is tempered with the knowledge of what happened previously.

@ my flgs there are at least 10 or so more "returnees" that have come back either gathering storm or 8th proper.

I'm looking forward to what they have planned and hope that the pricing will be reevaluated in each market. While GW may be an expensive hobby in the wargaming market, it isnt even close to my other "hobbies", music, golf, motorsport, shooting. hell even the cheapest firearm I would buy, would net a decent 2k+ army. Or a turbo kit for my DC2 would bag me a warlord titan.

When i was 11 mowing lawns for my 40k addiction it was a little harder to build what i want when i wanted it. Now thankfully, if I see a stupid plastic toy soldier that tickles my fancy, what the hell, why not.

BrianDavion wrote:

 Gael Knight wrote:
Are you denying that GW have substantially raised the prices on old existing kits?

Inflation has not matched these price increases over the years. Also, GW produces these sprues for pennies, production cost hasn't risen.

"they produce these sprues for pennies" is only part of it though, there's storage costs design costs, inital mold creation costs, distribution and shipping costs. and then GW has to pay their staff. and then yes make a profit etc. there's also the artistic merit of the figures that allows higher prices (some of their minis are drop dead gorgious)

Ah yes designing new box to fit 10 cadians cost so much you needs to more than double their price. For sprue that paid mold price years ago.

The conversation about prices and channel economics aside, I am happy that GW is doing well.

There was a time under Tom Kirby that I was convinced the company was going to go under. Shows you what a change in leadership, listening to customers can accomplish.

Aye but don't forget that they are also making heroes out of plastic too. An infantry model can be expected to sell many times to the same customer; whilst a hero or character might be sold once to each customer.

Yet the mould is likely quite similar in cost for both. So the infantry has to make up some of the difference.


AoS however has some issues in that GW doesn't (or can't) lower the prices on existing kits (I seem to recall its something in their company code). Which means you end up with daft situations where something like Witch Aelves - once an elite unit - are priced at elite value even though they are now marketed and sold as a core troop.

Not sure that’s entirely true.

We’ve seen GW repack stuff like Stormcast Eternals, doubling the contents but not doubling the price to match. Though I was surprised they didn’t do the same for Witch Elves.

(Edited to soften wording, came across as critical of the poster, rather than the info shared)

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Not sure that’s entirely true.

We’ve seen GW repack stuff like Stormcast Eternals, doubling the contents but not doubling the price to match. Though I was surprised they didn’t do the same for Witch Elves.

(Edited to soften wording, came across as critical of the poster, rather than the info shared)

Aye they could easily repack witchaelves to a new box or present a getting started box or similar. It's very odd that they've not - then again it might just be that the army is selling strongly enough that GW doesn't feel the need to invest in that direction. If the customers make high profits then GW isn't under direct pressure to lower them or offer discount.

 Gael Knight wrote:
I think it really depends on the kits they release in the future. If it's more like the recent Chaos Terminator kit for the price points they are asking I think there will be problems.

Character sprues are also ridiculously priced. The worst one I can think of is probably the Jackal Alphus.

Yep the money to point ratio on some models i crazy.

A custodes bike squad is 45 euro for 270 points thats 1 euro for 6 points
A Tech-Priest Enginseer is 23 euro for 30 points thats 1 euro for 1,3 points


I also really like that GW is doing so well. i bought stocks befor 8th edition came out

I'm not sad GW is doing well, I'm sad that they are being rewarded for egregious prices and poor rules (overall). It just reinforces the fact that those things are not a big deal as their profit continues to soar, so they have no incentive to fix it.

That's capitalism, baby. Just because one aspect of the game is important to you doesn't necessarily mean it's as important to the general playerbase. For many of us, the prices are reasonable, and the rules are good enough to enjoy the game. For me, the most important aspects of 40k/AoS are cool models and good lore surrounding them. GW continues to deliver in those areas.

Also lets not forget that for the first time in a VERY long time all arimes are being brought up to date in the same rules edition and pretty fast. It wasn't more than one edition ago that you'd be waiting months per update and you'd worry "IF" your army would see a new update or not (unless you were Ultramarines).

 EnTyme wrote:
That's capitalism, baby. Just because one aspect of the game is important to you doesn't necessarily mean it's as important to the general playerbase. For many of us, the prices are reasonable, and the rules are good enough to enjoy the game. For me, the most important aspects of 40k/AoS are cool models and good lore surrounding them. GW continues to deliver in those areas.

Yes this, I noticed when I got back into the hobby that its all about the miniatures now, I think most people that buy the stuff don't play regularly enough to care about or even notice the quality of rules or balance.

 Rayvon wrote:

 EnTyme wrote:
That's capitalism, baby. Just because one aspect of the game is important to you doesn't necessarily mean it's as important to the general playerbase. For many of us, the prices are reasonable, and the rules are good enough to enjoy the game. For me, the most important aspects of 40k/AoS are cool models and good lore surrounding them. GW continues to deliver in those areas.

Yes this, I noticed when I got back into the hobby that its all about the miniatures now, I think most people that buy the stuff don't play regularly enough to care about or even notice the quality of rules or balance.

Its that or the majority of players dont really care that the game is super balanced or unbalanced and or will self balance between friends.

I am ok with this and im glad they are doing great.

 Desubot wrote:


Its that or the majority of players dont really care that the game is super balanced or unbalanced and or will self balance between friends.

I am ok with this and im glad they are doing great.

Yes there are quite a few like that, although the balance never bothered me that is how we have always sorted out any disagreements since the early days, I can understand why the more competitive players dont like it though as they dont always all get on !