Games Day Australia 2011

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**reds8n**

from today's GW site..

Rob (who has been sailing the seven seas to Australia, Japan, Thailand and every other country that's hot, sunny and not England) has some awesome news about Games Day Australia.

Rob: This month I was lucky enough to visit Australia and head round a few stores taking pictures for What's New Today (Dan will be showing plenty of these later in the month). While I was there, Matt Weaver kindly took me for a look around their new Games Day site and wow, what a place it is. Games Day Australia will be held on October the 1st at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney. The Technology Park used to be an old locomotive factory, which makes it the perfect venue for a Games Day. We had a brief chat with the people who own the place and I get the feeling that they don't quite know what will hit them when thousands of hobbyists turn up and take the place by storm. If you're in Australia or happen to be visiting at the time then this is one event not to be missed.

The entrance to the venue is full of old machinery and it really does have the feel of the Adeptus Mechanicus about it, if you do go just make sure you don't get too distracted on the way in. The guys are hard at work planning some fantastic displays and activities including Golden Demon, Armies on Parade and the 2011 MOAB Tournament.

There are also loads of old cranes and trains dotted around outside, the perfect inspiration for your next 40K gaming board. Tickets went on sale last night and if you are in our Australia webstore you can buy one below. [If you don't use the Australian web store, don't panic if today's post ends here. It's not like the Black Goblin is --------]

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=15800003a

that link for the UK page.

So, first of October it is then. Let's hope this is worthwhile and brings some cheer to the gamers down there, many of whom have had a torrid time of late.

**insaniak**

It's awesome to see them giving it another go. Might even get me interested in Golden Demon again...

**H.B.M.C.**

Only AUD$75 to get in...

**Kanluwen**

That venue actually looks pretty cool, even without it actually being 'Games Dayed up'.

Much better than the past venues we've had here in the U.S.

Definite 'ouch' on the ticket prices though.

**reds8n**

H.B.M.C. wrote:Only AUD$75 to get in...

... it seems really wierd you posting that and not being able to link to , say, a mail order company who could do it cheaper.

**BrookM**

reds8n wrote:
H.B.M.C. wrote:Only AUD$75 to get in...

... it seems really wierd you posting that and not being able to link to , say, a mail order company who could do it cheaper.

Zing!

**blackclaw1**

H.B.M.C. wrote:Only AUD$75 to get in...

Thats £16 more than we pay -roughly- so its not liek your being extorted and i can imagine if they want any of the eavy metal team to be there and any high ups in the modeling and rules development dudes to be there they have to travel.So its not completely unjustifiable and to be frank if you hate the cost so much , don't go.

'claw

**H.B.M.C.**

I'm trying to fathom what that $75 actually buys you...

**nels1031**

H.B.M.C. wrote:I'm trying to fathom what that $75 actually buys you...

Last Games Day that I went to, about 1 or 2 years ago, I took home about a $100 bucks worth of stuff from the sprue conversion/building contests. Not sure they still have them, but I remember me and my buds felt like thieves as we were walking out. Also got a promo code for a unique Warhammer: Age of Reckoning item and sold that for about $30 dollars on e-bay. It certaily pays to participate in the hobby events taking place away from the gaming tables, FW booth and preview section(back when they were more prevalent).

**raincity**

hmmm Will decide whether to travel over for this when i find out more.

**Sheep**

For most gamers in Australia, including myself, the price of the ticket to get in is an incidental, the real cost is travel, food, and accommodation.

I'm just happy to see them trying it again, the last Golden daemons held in the city battle bunker were sad and claustrophobic affairs. Waiting the 8 hours it took to judge all the entries was painful and only worth it if you won something.

I know I will be going to take part in the Golden daemon for the first time in 3 years, I need to do better then the bronze I have

and I hope it is a success so they will continue them into the future.

Cheers

Sheep

**ChocolateGork**

Huzzah!

**Arctik_Firangi**

We haven't had a Games Day since 2004. Tickets went on sale yesterday - I can't wait!

I'll see you all there.

**insaniak**

H.B.M.C. wrote:I'm trying to fathom what that $75 actually buys you...

That's really up to you.

If they stick with the format of old, it buys you a day of seminars that get you information that's already been spread over the rest of the planet three months previous... but also gets you the Golden Daemon entries from the entire country to ogle (rather than the washed out, in-store version we've had the last few years), games of all shapes and sizes to join in on, studio people to talk to if you're so inclined, speed painting or kitbashing competitions, and a retail stand where you can queue for an hour to buy limited amounts of stuff for (for some inexplicable reason) full Oz retail...

Looks like they've also finally decided to cotton on to the overseas format of running a tournament in conjunction. In fact, it would appear that your $75 gets you, amongst other things:

Games Workshop Website wrote:Just some of the activities we're looking to run are:

- Open Hobby Area

- 40K Big Game

- Warhammer Big Game

- War of the Ring Big Game

- Speed Painting

- Space Hulk Big Game

- Elaborate Display Boards

- Table and Terrain Raffle - Grab a brush and help paint this huge table for a chance to take a section home! Details on the type of table coming soon!

- Club Table Events - Bring your army/models (more details to follow on this one!)

- Speed Demon Painting Contest - Paint to your hightest standard within a time limit. Models provided.

- Art Contest - Sit down and draw or paint something from Games Workshop's fantasy worlds.

- Costume Contest - Dress up as your favorite Warhammer, 40K or the Lord of the Rings character.

- Banner Contest - Bring a life-size banner that you've created for Warhammer, 40K or the Lord of the Rings.

- Conversion Contest - Sit down and convert a model, we provide the materials

- Armies on Parade Competition - Have an amazing army to display? Enter your legal, fully painted and based army.

- Vehicle Conversion Competition - Enter your 40K Vehicle conversion - unpainted models recommended.

Whether or not that's good value is up to you, really. For me, while it's good to see Games Day back, I'm not sure the travel to Sydney is still as worthwhile with Auscon just up the road...

**Arctik_Firangi**

insaniak wrote:
Looks like they've also finally decided to cotton on to the overseas format of running a tournament in conjunction.

Games Day and MOAB (Mother Of All Battles, a well known oz tournament convention for the overseas folks) originally overlapped - this was not intentional - and the arrangement was eventually made that the first day of MOAB would be a part of Games Day itself. MOAB has been dwindling in recent years so it should really help the event to get some numbers up!

**Aspiring Champion**

H.B.M.C. wrote:I'm trying to fathom what that $75 actually buys you...

Used to get a t-shirt.

**insaniak**

The T-shirts used to cost extra on top of the ticket.

**lords2001**

I go to the moab host club- i feel sorry for them - i don't think they had much of a choice - go to games day or compete and probably lose.

Now suddenly anyone who wants to go is forking out $75 plus the moab cost for them to break even. Close to what, 120+ for the weekend? And you probably wont see that much of games day because you are playing so many games. Ah well.

Will forge world be there in person, reds8n? Because that may be worth it.

I think ill just go to games day

**insaniak**

lords2001 wrote:Will forge world be there in person, reds8n? Because that may be worth it

In previous years, they've had a limited range there on the day, with the bulk of it just being ordered on the day and shipped later. So pretty much what you could do anyway from home, without having to queue for an hour first.

To add to the list of 'what you get for your $75' it looks like they have also rolled the cost of the Games Day miniature back into the ticket price, rather than charging extra for it. Which means you get it whether you want it or not, but won't be able to buy multiple as has been the case the last few years where you could just buy them over the counter when you paid for your Golden Demon entries.

**reds8n**

lords2001 wrote:
Will forge world be there in person, reds8n? Because that may be worth it.

..hmm, FW themselves don't appear to have updated their events calendar that far yet

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Events

Given their attendence at other GD's I would be very surprised if they don't attend in some form or other. But, obviously, I wouldn't expect them to bring tons and tons of stock with them. If I hear anything/when there's news I'll let people know.

**H.B.M.C.**

insaniak wrote:To add to the list of 'what you get for your $75' it looks like they have also rolled the cost of the Games Day miniature back into the ticket price, rather than charging extra for it. Which means you get it whether you want it or not, but won't be able to buy multiple as has been the case the last few years where you could just buy them over the counter when you paid for your Golden Demon entries.

So right now we're at AUD$75 for a yearly trade show where:

1. No upcoming releases will be previewed (and don't argue that they will - GW does not understand how to use their own trade shows, and never have).
2. Forge World may or may not be there.
3. If they are there, you'll have to wait in line to buy something (that will be out of stock after you've waited 2 hours to get to the front of the queue).
4. You can play games of 40K (something I do now without paying $75).
5. You can buy more stuff (again, something I can do without paying $75 first).
6. You will pay for a miniature that you may not want (especially if you play 40K, LOTR or, in fact, anything other than Skaven).

What a bargain!!!

Actually this is yet another reason Games Days each year should have three minis - one for Fantasy, one for 40K and one for LOTR - and the purchaser gets to pick which of those they want.

**Platuan4th**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
3. If they are there, you'll have to wait in line to buy something (that will be out of stock after you've waited 2 hours to get to the front of the queue).

Last time I went, I waited in line and got everything I wanted. There's a reason they let you e-mail ahead and tell them what you want.

**Balance**

I have to admit, GenCon seems like a better deal at around US$60 for three days. Then again, I'm a bit ADD, so I like being able to see and play a lot of different games.

**H.B.M.C.**

Platuan4th wrote:Last time I went, I waited in line and got everything I wanted. There's a reason they let you e-mail ahead and tell them what you want.

Ok, so I'd be paying the equivalent$75 in shipping... and then I'd be picking it up myself.

Still not seeing it...

**insaniak**

H.B.M.C. wrote:1. No upcoming releases will be previewed (and don't argue that they will - GW does not understand how to use their own trade shows, and never have).

Well, they used to show previews... Just because of the timing, they were previews that had already been seen online due to everyone else having their Games Days before us.

4. You can play games of 40K (something I do now without paying $75).

You can also play games of WHFB, whichever specialist games they decide to set up, Squig Racing, Chariot Races, and whatever other little games they come up with for the day and decide to build a table for. And the 40K and WHFB games often have a few twists based on whoever built the table being a little creative with it...

Again, not a drawcard for everyone, but it's something to do, at least

Last time I went, I didn't actually wind up playing anything, but did spend a fair bit of time after checking out the Golden Demon entries just strolling around checking out the tables and getting scenery ideas...

Ultimately, it is what you want it to be. If you want to spend a day checking out cool minis, playing in mass-participation games, joining in whatever other activities pop up on the day, and rubbing shoulders with gamers from all over the country (or simply if you want to be a part of the Golden Demons, for that matter) then it's money well spent. If none of that appeals, then it really doesn't matter how much they're charging for it... it's not your thing, so it's going to be too expensive.

**Aspiring Champion**

insaniak wrote:The T-shirts used to cost extra on top of the ticket.

It's been so long since I got my last GD Tee (the one with the bright green Kroot), I thought it was part of the ticket. I remember having to buy a GD ticket to get the shirts (I always bought the ticket+shirt in a GW store). Buggered if I'll be paying $75 just for the opportunity to buy a tee this time, and then not be able to even get the mini.

**insaniak**

I haven't seen any mention of tshirts this time around.

But why wouldn't you be able to get the mini, when it comes with the ticket?

**SagesStone**

Don't think I'll bother to go, the venue interests me more than the event.

It just seems like it will just set up to disappoint. For $75 you kind of expect some pretty cool event to happen, this just doesn't really sound worth it unfortunately.

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Platuan4th wrote:Last time I went, I waited in line and got everything I wanted. There's a reason they let you e-mail ahead and tell them what you want.

Ok, so I'd be paying the equivalent$75 in shipping... and then I'd be picking it up myself.

Still not seeing it...

First thing I thought when I heard about the FW booth.

Depending on what I hear about this one I may go to the one next year if it happens.

**malfred**

75 bucks?

I think we pay that for GenCon 4 day passes. Sorry to hear about the sticker shock.

**nels1031**

malfred wrote:75 bucks?

I think we pay that for GenCon 4 day passes. Sorry to hear about the sticker shock.

Sticker shock? Keep in mind that their minimum wage is 15 dollars an hour, dude. Twice our federally mandated wage.