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So lately I've been seeing some people get upset over GW's strategy of trying to contain all rumors of their upcoming projects. Why are people getting so angry about this? Personally, I don't think it matters very much.

I think its because people liked to know what was coming so they could plan their expenditure.

tbh I'm not that fussed about it. I don't buy much GW nowadays anyway.

I guess it's that people like to have something to look forward to. Like when most sites, and old GW, used to release pictures of their greens. You'd have something to look forward to.

The current GW strategy is to keep it all super secret and then each month they suddenly bombard you with a load of stuff shouting "Buy this it's the bestest stuffs evah!!!"

It's just annoying.

First they say, they don't advertise their products in any form because they rely on word of mouth.
Then they try everything to kill word of mouth.
That's dumb.
The lawyers in GW management are killing the company.

Kroothawk wrote:First they say, they don't advertise their products in any form because they rely on word of mouth.
Then they try everything to kill word of mouth.
That's dumb.
The lawyers in GW management are killing the company.

Because apparently that's how you make a profit when you're a niche company: don't advertise. At all. The less people who know that you even exist the more money you'll make!

And the best way to release new products is to not tell anyone that they're coming out and surprise people with them.

so basically the general conclusion is instead of saying "hey we have this this and this coming out soon" and allowing people to think "hey i could use that" they kill all forms of advertising (im not beginning to wonder how they have even lasted this long with such bad a policy), they release with an ever increasing price tag which the younger people cant afford, and hope they impulse buy? ok i might not do accounting but as an engineer this is going to end badly o.o as far as projects go in industry marketing can take upto and including 70% of the budget, including design testing and production o.O

and as a final note, its not the lawyers which dictate the advertising and such sorts, its the accountants which say "ok this material is cheaper use this" hence the bad resin, or "we dont care about Q&A aslong as we sell" o.o they NEVER consult the engineers, or quality control, while i love the games they produce there going the same was as British Leyland which was producing cars (such as the mini) with half the parts missing, the A frames not welded the engines even bolts and seals, you get my point, it all comes down to the accountants wanting to make more profit than loss and cutting every corner they can along the way until they realise "whoops" we ****** up, there committing mistakes not even a first year first diploma student would and they claim it under the guise of "well we have this credential and that credential you only have that so were big your small were right your wrong" :3 as stated before, like they did with British Leyland x)

It shuts out fans and enforces the perception of "Us and Them"
Fans generally wish to know what is happening with forthcoming products.

It enforces the GW posturing of being "The Hobby"
There is something arrogant about the lack of wanting to show products in development.

It helps to know what is forthcoming to plan expenditure, as mentioned above.
I am not enamoured of buying an Army Book only to find out it has become obsolete very shortly after.
It also enforces the perception that GW treat customers with disregard and see them as cash cows.

The inevitable flood of excuses that have been offered previously on this issue have not been convincing enough to change my mind on this issue.

It is a big factor along with the price rises that has convinced me that GW will not be getting any money from me.


Finally, if there are those that don't care if GW keep people informed or not, and there are those that do want to know what is happening, then keeping fans informed satisfies both sides and everyone is happy.
The only other group would be those that are adamant GW don't provide open house on info. That would imho be a very small and weird group of individuals
AKA GW management

Finecast resin poured into the pants of the first person to say that it is to stop pre emptive strikes on a range by others.
If GW really believe that then it is proof they are a paronoid bunch of morons with skunk poo for brains.

Kroothawk wrote:First they say, they don't advertise their products in any form because they rely on word of mouth.
Then they try everything to kill word of mouth.
That's dumb.
The lawyers in GW management are killing the company.

Not to forget, 10 day lag between release of WD and when subscribers receive it!

I wonder if they will remove pre-orders as part of their extreme Project Hush Hush and release them before they advertise them in WD also...

H.B.M.C. wrote:And the best way to release new products is to not tell anyone that they're coming out and surprise people with them.

And then only release half of it, leaving the rest as vague descriptions in various publications so people will buy multiples of existing product to build it themselves then release it at a later unknown date so they'll buy that as well. So you basically sell people two of the same thing.

Clumpski wrote:and as a final note, its not the lawyers which dictate the advertising and such sorts

Actually, GW's CEO is a lawyer coming from the shampoo industry. May explain why he hires IP lawyers instead of marketing experts to deal with the fanbase.

I think this is excellent news.

Have you heard the rumour that WHFB is going into 9th edition before next Easter?

Apparently 8th edition has been such a sales disappointment, they are bringing forwards the next edition early.

I don't know what the main changes are going to be. Perhaps someone else may have heard something about it.

Hmm... I see where you're going Killkrazy. Now that GW gives nothing away, we can start making stuff up. BoLS will report it as fact anyway, so we can have all sorts of shenanigan fun!

Does that mean the rumoured love child of the Necrons and Blood Angels will have his own race and codex soon?

I for one welcome the forthcoming Sanguicrons!

H.B.M.C. wrote:Hmm... I see where you're going Killkrazy. Now that GW gives nothing away, we can start making stuff up. BoLS will report it as fact anyway, so we can have all sorts of shenanigan fun!

Whispers on the currents and eddies of the warp say that Codex: Squats is slated to be released sometime in the next 6 to 18.74193 months.... and to commemorate this awesome comeback, they'll be spraying a fine mist of LSD onto every product released by the citadel miniatures line for he next 5 years, or until they go bankrupt.

Can you NAME any other company that is being so closed sourced on their information to their customers in this hobby?

Even Apple, (which is in a different market all together) when they are ready to state something has a better time of information (months in advance) to their consumers than this tactic by GW.

Adam LongWalker wrote:Can you NAME any other company that is being so closed sourced on their information to their customers in this hobby?

Some North Corean weapon manufacturers come to mind

GW management keep things so close to their chest I wonder if I could interest them in a new handy product which would free their hands for other tasks.





Automatically Appended Next Post:
I think it would look rather fetching over the suits

Kroothawk wrote:

Clumpski wrote:and as a final note, its not the lawyers which dictate the advertising and such sorts

Actually, GW's CEO is a lawyer coming from the shampoo industry. May explain why he hires IP lawyers instead of marketing experts to deal with the fanbase.

No , it's actually Wade Pryce. HE is the person that decides these policies (GW's words).

From another thread:

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Doop Dude wrote: Wade Pryce is, according to White Dwarf, the guy who controls the rumours, so if anyone would know, it'd be this guy.

Really? So there’s a person I can blame now as opposed to just blaming the nebulous entity that is GW? Imagine that – this guy’s job is to ensure that their customer base knows as little as possible about their upcoming releases. They actually pay someone to ensure that the people who are going to buy their products are kept in the dark about future releases.

I’m... at a loss for a word to describe this... ‘extraordinary’ isn’t enough... astonishing... mind boggling... ah! Wait! Got it:

Stupid.

WD348, December 08, pg. 20 (Australian Edition) wrote:Wade Pryce - the word of Wade is law, so it is said, because he decides when we can tell you about all the cool new stuff. He refers to himself as the Studio's "communications ninja" - we reckon that means you can never find him when you need him.

HBMC: Lest you forget, focus your hate on this man.

They really have a Commisar of Rumours and Thought Control?

Most large companies have some kind of a press office or corporate communications director.

Apparently GW have a counter-communications director.

Dronze wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:Hmm... I see where you're going Killkrazy. Now that GW gives nothing away, we can start making stuff up. BoLS will report it as fact anyway, so we can have all sorts of shenanigan fun!

Whispers on the currents and eddies of the warp say that Codex: Squats is slated to be released sometime in the next 6 to 18.74193 months.... and to commemorate this awesome comeback, they'll be spraying a fine mist of LSD onto every product released by the citadel miniatures line for he next 5 years, or until they go bankrupt.

But Codex: Squats is coming out! It should be around October, I believe. For further information, see this website: http://www.manticgames.com/

H.B.M.C. wrote:Hmm... I see where you're going Killkrazy. Now that GW gives nothing away, we can start making stuff up. BoLS will report it as fact without giving credit anyway, so we can have all sorts of shenanigan fun!

Fixed that for ya.

It basically comes down to the fact that GW believes that strict rumour control mean it will make more £££ on release day than if it builds up the products with sneak peaks, leaked info etc.

Personally, I believe the community does a better job of hyping a release than GW's excitable ramblings which sound like a 10 year old. I doubt however that their current approach is directed at 35 year old men such as myself.

Does the silent majority read the Internet?

I've never heard of the guy but did a Google. This popped up;

Kilkrazy wrote:Does the silent majority read the Internet?

If they spoke up we'd know...

But they wouldn't be the silent majority any more.

I guess I would be in the "Silent Majority" because I support GW and don't speak up about it.