News about changes to GW's product release marketing - New Info added 21/5/2011!

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**Korraz**

I said it and I'll say it again: This is going to be hilarious to watch. Especially the responses from the apologists.

**Kroothawk**

NAVARRO wrote:What?! Extra fee? The thing is overpriced already. Kill the exports in Europe, I mean the sales in Europe are already so good.

What they mean is the following:
Sales within a country continue same as before.
If a company wants to export them (e.g. to Australia), they have to order special export boxes which are more expensive. The boxes are marked for each country so "illegal" exports can be found out. No idea if this procedure is legal though.

**NAVARRO**

Kroothawk wrote:
NAVARRO wrote:What?! Extra fee? The thing is overpriced already. Kill the exports in Europe, I mean the sales in Europe are already so good.

What they mean is the following:
Sales within a country continue same as before.
If a company wants to export them (e.g. to Australia), they have to order special export boxes which are more expensive. The boxes are marked for each country so "illegal" exports can be found out. No idea if this procedure is legal though.

Yeah but the thing is will these country only fineboxes be imposed to EU internal market? and as such Wayland and Maelstorm be charged extra fee for those?
I hope not because that would mean I was stuck to spanish GW prices and by consequence I would be flipping a finger or two.

**RiTides**

Kroothawk wrote:Also posted in the WD thread but better fits here, as the scope is much wider.

More details on GW policy change as posted by the same person on BoK giving us the 6th edition rumours (actually this is how his post starts and the motivation to spill the beans):
http://bloodofkittens.com/network/members/rideroftheerk/activity/14616/

rideroftheerk wrote:I was told in privacy but can’t vouch for the accuracy. Corrected some spelling errors from icq conversation:

anonymus wrote:I am really pissed! The recent shift in GW’s marketing strategy is only the beginning. The goal is to completely control every bit of information that is going out and make every advance sneak peek look like an accidental leak. Think of Apple and you know what they are trying to achieve. They simultaneously try to keep the internet crowd happy with some leaked bits here and there and the store crowded focused on the next release. Prepare for more of these infamous “you see one eighth of the miniature and should stand in awe” pictures. The restructured White Dwarf will be the only place for “official” news. The days when Games Days were a good source for exciting news are gone. No more seminars.

Independent shop owners will get the info at the same time as the public. From autumn on product codes will be chiffres and retailers have to order bulk packages for new releases without knowing what is in it if they want to get the releases on the first day. If they want to buy the boxes individually they have to wait two weeks until GW releases the chiffres. Mail Orders won’t arrive on the day of release, they will be SENT on the day of release. So no more accidental early arrivals. If you want to buy a product on the day of release you have to go to a GW store or one of the shops that have bought the release package. There is no chance to get the products via an online store on time.

The retail embargo for the southern hemisphere were initially planned for every single country, so no more exports from UK to continental Europa, but GW’s law division stopped this as it would have violated EU laws. So now they will introduce two boxes for every release with exactly the same content but different boxes. One is for the retail in a single country and comes at the standard wholesale price. The other box has all the necessary taxation and regulatory clearances for export. These boxes are virtually the same but GW is charging an extra fee for them. Online shops can choose to stop exports or accept a serious blow to their profit margins.

We, the gamers, are sitting on the receiving end of this dishonest policy once more. We are treated like children and that is exactly the goal of these changes. So here are some of their plans, as long as the info is available, to spoil some of their surprises:

Seems like GW didn't take into account the number of staffers pissed by the new decisions and willing to ruin the information embargo.

Ugh.......................................

**Sheck2**

Kroothawk wrote:
NAVARRO wrote:What?! Extra fee? The thing is overpriced already. Kill the exports in Europe, I mean the sales in Europe are already so good.

What they mean is the following:
Sales within a country continue same as before.
If a company wants to export them (e.g. to Australia), they have to order special export boxes which are more expensive. The boxes are marked for each country so "illegal" exports can be found out. No idea if this procedure is legal though.

I would like it is illegal to restrict the distribution of your customers.

The precedent is...third party distributors or even governments can buy pharmaceuticals and then sell them to other markets (re-distribute) where they are more expensive...this behavior is legal. So selling toy soldier to other markets where they are more expensive is legal.

**Scarey Nerd**

Korraz wrote:I said it and I'll say it again: This is going to be hilarious to watch. Especially the responses from the apologists.

Amen, Korraz. GW seem determined to set their company alight and let it burn to the ground, I've got my sunglasses and popcorn all ready for the big finale.

**warboss**

Scarey Nerd wrote:
Korraz wrote:I said it and I'll say it again: This is going to be hilarious to watch. Especially the responses from the apologists.

Amen, Korraz. GW seem determined to set their company alight and let it burn to the ground, I've got my sunglasses an popcorn all ready for the big finale.

I, for one, welcome our new ant overlords!

**iproxtaco**

I really, really hope that it's all BS. I'll likely refuse to buy from them if GW does this. Amazing.

**His Master's Voice**

Well, that "order blind" thing seems like a good candidate for the most mishapped marketing move ever. It's the proverbial cat in a bag, just not proverbial at all.

BTW, what's with the "lolzor, it's guNna brUn, lmao!1!" attitude that's running though Dakka recently? I know some people don't care about GW (or at least that's what they want everyone to believe) but screaming how they're going to enjoy the company destroy itself at everyone really doesn't make you cool, hip or whatever the hell you call people in funny trousers these days.

**warboss**

His Master's Voice wrote:Well, that "order blind" thing seems like a good candidate for the most mishapped marketing move ever. It's the proverbial cat in a bag, just not proverbial at all.

I'm sure Sergeanthorse and Mikhalia will keep us updated if those turn out to be true later this summer. Even though both have said GW has supported their stores via various programs, I suspect they wouldn't be happy about having to blindly order new releases.

**Kroothawk**

The evil overlord of Nottingham, pressing as much money from the poor as possible, until some merry men resisted. Sounds somewhat familiar

Sheriff Tom and Prince Jervis? Naaah!

His Master's Voice wrote:BTW, what's with the "lolzor, it's guNna brUn, lmao!1!" attitude that's running though Dakka recently? I know some people don't care about GW (or at least that's what they want everyone to believe) but screaming how they're going to enjoy the company destroy itself at everyone really doesn't make you cool, hip or whatever the hell you call people in funny trousers these days.

Guess some people think that this management regime is beyond repair (having fired everyone critical and closed every feedback channel, controlled by shareholders that tolerate everything, just everything), behaving like a declining dictatorship in its last days and that a crash is the only way left to get rid of it.

**Scarey Nerd**

Kroothawk wrote:The evil overlord of Nottingham, pressing as much money from the poor as possible, until some merry men resisted. Sounds somewhat familiar
Sheriff Tom and Prince Jervis? Naaah!

Would that make "Ward of Gisbourne" as well?

**Korraz**

His Master's Voice wrote:Well, that "order blind" thing seems like a good candidate for the most mishapped marketing move ever. It's the proverbial cat in a bag, just not proverbial at all.

BTW, what's with the "lolzor, it's guNna brUn, lmao!1!" attitude that's running though Dakka recently? I know some people don't care about GW (or at least that's what they want everyone to believe) but screaming how they're going to enjoy the company destroy itself at everyone really doesn't make you cool, hip or whatever the hell you call people in funny trousers these days.

Watching how the mighty fall is one of the oldest amusements of mankind. Whole industries live of it.
I, for one, would enjoy it because I want the company to be reborn, new and better.

**iproxtaco**

I agree. I now want GW to fail, hard, so it can be taken over by someone who actually knows what they're doing.

**Scarey Nerd**

Korraz wrote:Watching how the mighty fall is one of the oldest amusements of mankind. Whole industries live of it.

"Schadenfreude, making me feel glad that I'm not you!"

**Kroothawk**

Two quotes from this website that may fit http://www.blippitt.com/19-actual-lol-quotes-from-actual-managers/

We know that communication is a problem, but the company is not going to discuss it with the employees.

A group of us got together concerning the lack of merit increases this year (even though management got theirs). We made up a bumper sticker and stuck it on the Boss’s new Lexus. It reads, “How’s my managing? Call 1-800-NO-CLUE!”

**Scipio Africanus**

Sheck2 wrote:
Kroothawk wrote:
NAVARRO wrote:What?! Extra fee? The thing is overpriced already. Kill the exports in Europe, I mean the sales in Europe are already so good.

What they mean is the following:
Sales within a country continue same as before.
If a company wants to export them (e.g. to Australia), they have to order special export boxes which are more expensive. The boxes are marked for each country so "illegal" exports can be found out. No idea if this procedure is legal though.

I would like it is illegal to restrict the distribution of your customers.

The precedent is...third party distributors or even governments can buy pharmaceuticals and then sell them to other markets (re-distribute) where they are more expensive...this behavior is legal. So selling toy soldier to other markets where they are more expensive is legal.

Only a moron in a hurry would suggest that is a precedent.

Heh... Law humour.

No, but seriously, what they're doing isnt illegal. What they're doing is saying 'if we find you're selling x to group a, then we will cut off our supply line to you.' perfectly reasonable, it's like 'you sleep with my sister, I won't give you discounted prices anymore as a result'

Tell me you can't see the correlation between those two events!

**NAVARRO**

Scipio Africanus wrote:
Sheck2 wrote:
Kroothawk wrote:
NAVARRO wrote:What?! Extra fee? The thing is overpriced already. Kill the exports in Europe, I mean the sales in Europe are already so good.

What they mean is the following:
Sales within a country continue same as before.
If a company wants to export them (e.g. to Australia), they have to order special export boxes which are more expensive. The boxes are marked for each country so "illegal" exports can be found out. No idea if this procedure is legal though.

I would like it is illegal to restrict the distribution of your customers.

The precedent is...third party distributors or even governments can buy pharmaceuticals and then sell them to other markets (re-distribute) where they are more expensive...this behavior is legal. So selling toy soldier to other markets where they are more expensive is legal.

Only a moron in a hurry would suggest that is a precedent.

Heh... Law humour.

No, but seriously, what they're doing isnt illegal. What they're doing is saying 'if we find you're selling x to group a, then we will cut off our supply line to you.' perfectly reasonable, it's like 'you sleep with my sister, I won't give you discounted prices anymore as a result'

Tell me you can't see the correlation between those two events!

-More like "you didn't sleep with my abusive sister, I won't give you discounted prices anymore as a result"

**His Master's Voice**

Korraz wrote:
His Master's Voice wrote:Well, that "order blind" thing seems like a good candidate for the most mishapped marketing move ever. It's the proverbial cat in a bag, just not proverbial at all.

BTW, what's with the "lolzor, it's guNna brUn, lmao!1!" attitude that's running though Dakka recently? I know some people don't care about GW (or at least that's what they want everyone to believe) but screaming how they're going to enjoy the company destroy itself at everyone really doesn't make you cool, hip or whatever the hell you call people in funny trousers these days.

Watching how the mighty fall is one of the oldest amusements of mankind. Whole industries live of it.
I, for one, would enjoy it because I want the company to be reborn, new and better.

Crowd mentality, in other words. Never been a fan.

And if anyone thinks something good will come out of any possible GW crash, you're in for a nasty surprise. Asset partitioning and IP buyout/freeze is such a nice perspective...

**Korraz**

It can only get better from this point.

**Scarey Nerd**

Korraz wrote:It can only get better from this point.

Why would you say that!? That'll jinx it! Before you know it there'll be rivers of molten Necrons/Tyranids/Tau/Eldar/Chaos Daemons/Chaos Space Marines/Dark Eldar/Orks running through the streets of Nottingham, and our Ultramarine overlords shall draw their goblets from the brew and drink heartily!

**Bloodwin**

Oh ffs the zombies are back... Somebody call an exorcist please.

**Kilkrazy**

I think it would be quite interesting if GW went bust. It would open a space in the entry level wargame market and possibly lead to huge amounts of creativity.

**Scarey Nerd**

Kilkrazy wrote:I think it would be quite interesting if GW went bust. It would open a space in the entry level wargame market and possibly lead to huge amounts of creativity.

An excellent point. What would we all do if GW did indeed go under? I doubt that many of us would quit wargaming altogether, so would we turn to Warmachine and other existing games, or would we risk our £ on new games that would presumably come out to fill the niche that GW so heavily defend?

**infinite_array**

Scarey Nerd wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:I think it would be quite interesting if GW went bust. It would open a space in the entry level wargame market and possibly lead to huge amounts of creativity.

An excellent point. What would we all do if GW did indeed go under? I doubt that many of us would quit wargaming altogether, so would we turn to Warmachine and other existing games, or would we risk our £ on new games that would presumably come out to fill the niche that GW so heavily defend?

If GW went under, I can see the fans taking over the franchise. And why not? Their are plenty of companies producing Fantasy and Science Fiction figures. And the precedent has already been set with Epic: Armageddon and Blood Bowl - games that only improved when GW decided to abandon them, and the community took over.

**Howard A Treesong**

I think it would be sad if it became impossible to get GW Space Marines any more, that's about their only real unique, iconic image. But if someone was using their IP somewhere, I can't see that is would be so bad... for me anyway.

But even if GW did go under, and the company was financially ruined, their IP is worth something because of the number of customers and fans of their fluff that exist. They have a strong brand, that would have to be worth something even if they lost all physical assets.

**Le Grognard**

Ah, I see the 'firebomb the Independants' attitude is back from the early 2000's. Don't know why they just don't do what they've always wanted to do; GW product only available through the stores or thier online store. I know, sales to independants make up a bulk of the sales, but you wouldn't know it from the policies and restrictions they've created.

I, as a former Manager and fanboy, will enjoy the inevidible fiery crash and burn and hope a Phoenix rises from the ashes. /rant

**Pacific**

I'm wondering when the prices will get so high that it will become economically feasible to buy a boat and a depth charge, and head to that boat carrying all the GW stuff that sank in the Atlantic, and get hold of all the Falcon Grav Tanks still awaiting rescue

**Compel**

The way I see it, GW is not going to go bust. I think some things are more likely.

1) Tom Kirby, a short time after seeing things going horribly wrong is 'encouraged' to take early retirement. A former GW illuminatii comes back and takes over. Or, maybe Alan Merrett.

2) Hasbro or someone (Disney? eg Marvel) buy out GW and take it over.

From what I understand, all the problems come entirely down on Kirby's head.

**Rymafyr**

Disney taking over the ip...worse fate by far ...lol