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I've noticed a steady trend in the pictures GW uses to depict its player base, but I was never concerned about it until today's What's New Today blog post.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=18100003a

They're all really young kids. This is on going and prolific in all new pictures I see depicting the player base, whether it be in WD or on the website the players in the pictures are all really young kids. I don't know about the rest of you, but this doesn't hold true to my immediate gaming group, the groups I see at my multiple LGS's or the crowds at any Games Day.

It's slightly disturbing for me.

It's always been a not so well kept secret that GW's "target audience" is in the range of 10 - 14. Some stores show this more than others.

BTW: there's exactly -1- picture in there with the "really young kids" and it's a Mega-Battle, which just happens to be geared to that segment.

I don't see the issue you're seeing.

"the only smell around is the tang of pure hobby..." Yeah, that or the unwashed bodies of dozens of pre teens who don't know what deodorant is yet.

Can 10-14 year olds even properly grasp a more complicated game like WFB? I've not come across a fantasy player younger than 16, and he was exceptionally mature for his age.

Personally I dislike children in the game, but more than that I dislike children and childish threads on forums such as this.

I can accept 12 year olds playing each other and minding their own, but letting 12 year olds post willy nilly on forums gets annoying real fast.

I started this game when I was 16, and I was fortunate enough to have a local group of adults who taught me proper gaming etiquette. Sadly, from what I've seen at GW stores(which I am rarely seen in) that etiquette is nowhere to be found.

I can't help but feel that the prominence in the same blogpost of the guy with the horrible beard and the washed-out Blind Guardian t-shirt rather gives the lie to this assertion.

English Assassin wrote:I can't help but feel that the prominence in the same blogpost of the guy with the horrible beard and the washed-out Blind Guardian t-shirt rather gives the lie to this assertion.

Note all the 12 year olds right behind him though.

Aerethan wrote:

English Assassin wrote:I can't help but feel that the prominence in the same blogpost of the guy with the horrible beard and the washed-out Blind Guardian t-shirt rather gives the lie to this assertion.

Note all the 12 year olds right behind him though.

Fair point; I was distracted by his horrible beard.

I'd say mine's about 50/50 <16/>16.

I liked this bit:

"And, in this age of modern technology, we've even started to put banners in our store windows..."

oni wrote:I've noticed a steady trend in the pictures GW uses to depict its player base, but I was never concerned about it until today's What's New Today blog post.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=18100003a

They're all really young kids. This is on going and prolific in all new pictures I see depicting the player base, whether it be in WD or on the website the players in the pictures are all really young kids. I don't know about the rest of you, but this doesn't hold true to my immediate gaming group, the groups I see at my multiple LGS's or the crowds at any Games Day.

It's slightly disturbing for me.

I am shure if you look in the back of some older Wd's, the part most people skipped the where we are locations, there is ALWAYS a pic of a hobby manager with a smile on his face showing some kid (10-14) how to paint. Or a pic of a mega-battle with hordes of kids and one GW employee with a smile on his face.....like he thinking about how he could murder all these kids and get away with it (I used to work there, I thought that a lot of times, luckly I have self-restrant =o])

They have been in all of GW's pics of there hobby centers, but until a few years ago....The Giant issue I think that timieish anyways.... you really hadto look for them. Now a days there plaster them everywhere in WD, hobby centers back pages of BL books etc etc etc.

Everything is getting younger, they tend to have more disposable income methinks

I mean heck iphones and video games were probably first marketed towards older audiences but now look at them

I noticed them too, looks like my local GW every saturday...
Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, at times

And yes that beard is terrible

kenshin620 wrote:Everything is getting younger, they tend to have more disposable income methinks

I mean heck iphones and video games were probably first marketed towards older audiences but now look at them

Yes but WFB is a little more involved than Madden or Angry Birds.

And the younger crowd has only the income their parents give them.

And even then, targeting ONLY the middle class 10-16 year old demographic is a small category. I'm sure there is far less money in that demo than in the 18+ market as far as "disposable" income is concerned.

Eh, I was 9 when I started the hobby back in the early 90's. Most of the people that played in the GW store were at most 16 years old, the rest younger. I've always seen their stores targeted at the young crowd.

My club no longer has any under 18's.

It's not unusual for clubs here to lose the kids between 16-18 (and often up until 23-24). They often have other concerns at that age (finishing school, girls, booze, cars) after all.

I started when I was 18/19. I couldn't play 40k any earlier - it didn't exist.
I was never a child gamer, so don't have a common frame of reference.
The first club I joined was a historicals club - but they were open minded enough to accept other games into the club in order to revitalise them. They were all over 25 at the time (most are still gaming, some 23 or so years later).

I started when I was 11, I'm 35 now.

This is not a new trend nor is it new news that GWs primary target customer is 12-16 year olds. None of this is remarkable given that GW are a toy company, the only remarkable thing is that old farts like me still like this stuff.

Oni I suggest that this may be your own advancing year that are giving you this new perspective.

@ Aerethan - you're sailing a little close to condesention stating that Wfb isn't for 12-16s when clearly everything GW produce are targeted here. In any age group there will be those that take the time to learn and those that do not. I had no trouble with RT at 11 and im in no way the sharpest stick in the bunch. Kids want to play, GW encourage the learning of the rules. This is a good thing.

I was 10 when I started 5th ed fantasy. And 12 with 40k.

I was playing 40k and WHFB at the age of 12-13. To say kids of that age don't understand the rules is utter rubbish. I was not a tactial genius at that point, but I could play.

It dose not suppries me that they show lots of kids. I see that and could not care less. That, to me, is what a busy GW looks like. Loads of kids and staff in need of adult conversation. If these kids and there parants see a shop full of 30 year old men they arn't going to want to go near the place. Thats why they do photos with lots of kids.

Obrek wrote:"the only smell around is the tang of pure hobby..." Yeah, that or the unwashed bodies of dozens of pre teens who don't know what deodorant is yet.

Is that any worse than the over weight 40-somethings who are well aware of the existence of deodorant and showers, yet shun both?

Mad4Minis wrote:

Obrek wrote:"the only smell around is the tang of pure hobby..." Yeah, that or the unwashed bodies of dozens of pre teens who don't know what deodorant is yet.

Is that any worse than the over weight 40-somethings who are well aware of the existence of deodorant and showers, yet shun both?

+1
My gaming store has a mix of players that are there all the time, but for the most part, everyone is clean, everyone is around 20-30 and the biggest collectors are the ones in their late 30's They can afford the game. when i was a teen i really liked rouge trader. I bought the book and a box of the marines. that was as far as it went since i couldnt afford any of the rest of it. of course marines came in a box of what seems like about thirty figs back then.

He he - when I started, W40K and GW stores didn't exist, and Citadel figures were 3 for a £1.....

I have to admit the worst part of going into a GW store is the hordes of loud and scrofulous little kids...and that's just the staff! How do their parents afford everything for them?

Aerethan wrote:
Yes but WFB is a little more involved than Madden or Angry Birds.

Me thinks that you are forgeting that WFB 8th edition really IS a game for the 10-14 age bracket. Kids of that age aren't tactical geniuses, but then again, when was the last time that you actually saw tactics being required in a WFB game?

I started when I was 11, (34 now) and a friend at boarding school played and got me in, then a few more joined in.
By the time I finished school 5 years later the school had >30 players in the school club playing each weekend.

Back then the nearest stockist was by mailorder 2000km away, and the nearest store was either US east coast, or the UK....

I don't think GW has a target age- they're open to people of any age being involved. It just so happens to be that a lot of kids get involved because it appeals to them.

Pictures contain a lot of kids because they're the ones with lots of enthusiasm and drive for the hobby and regularly turn up to GW events and games.

My local GWs have a pretty even mix of ages gaming in them- usually at different times of the week though.

Also, I've met many 10-16 year olds with better manners, less pettyness and better understanding of the rules than lots of 'adult' gamers...

Its the simple fact that we're all getting older.

I started later (almost 30), and am 42 now. I also notice how loud music is :-)

GW have always skewed younger, and the 'veteran' fanbase is way out of the target demographic. Just like for clothes and music, etc.

I did get my nephew started (his parents love me), and he is 9. And my son is 2, and likes to play with the models already.

Yeah, definately younger target audience.

Lorizael wrote:I don't think GW has a target age- they're open to people of any age being involved. It just so happens to be that a lot of kids get involved because it appeals to them.

Pictures contain a lot of kids because they're the ones with lots of enthusiasm and drive for the hobby and regularly turn up to GW events and games.

My local GWs have a pretty even mix of ages gaming in them- usually at different times of the week though.

Also, I've met many 10-16 year olds with better manners, less pettyness and better understanding of the rules than lots of 'adult' gamers...

GW's bread and butter is the 10-18 year old range, EVERYTHING else is iceing on the cake. GW only cares about its younger crowd because they saw thats where the money was. It doesn't mean that they don't want a older persons money, they would just rather get a newbie buying a AobR or IOB then some vet buying a box of GK termies.

Cruentus wrote:Its the simple fact that we're all getting older.

I started later (almost 30), and am 42 now. I also notice how loud music is :-)

I still like my music loud... REALLY LOUD! And I doubt that will ever change. I'm what's commonly referred to as an audiophile. My father still likes his music really loud as well, must run in the family.

oni wrote:

Cruentus wrote:Its the simple fact that we're all getting older.

I started later (almost 30), and am 42 now. I also notice how loud music is :-)

I still like my music loud... REALLY LOUD! And I doubt that will ever change. I'm what's commonly referred to as an audiophile. My father still likes his music really loud as well, must run in the family.

You call that music? Sounds like noise. Why, back in my day...

My father is a musician who doesn't have much hearing left, so the music always tends to be loud. Which is great if you like marching bands on LPs.

OT, I can sort of understand GWs focus on the younger audience who are likely to be less discretionary aout what they purchase, and how much of mom and dads money they use. Ooh, baneblade? YES! Ooh, zombie dragon? Sure! (Even though he plays empire). I know that while I have more disposeable income now, I'm particular about my purchases, but have already given GW a good chunk. I guess I'm icing on the cake for them.

I also think that you see veteran gamers branch out into historicals and other games, while the younger set are more likely to stay with what their friends are doing, even if it is for just a short while (gws plan). Of course, that's also a gross overgeneralization as well on my part.

I think its a good thing that kids play too, as long as they have basic manners its nice to see them enjoying themselves, and they are less likely to use hyper competitive lists, in my experience anyways.

Besides, I'd rather play with someone who is twelve, than with a 30 year old who acts like they are twelve. Bloody 30 year olds acting like kids give us all a bad name! (No disrespect to 30 y/os who aren't like this)

The only post I have ever had deleted on facebook was a comment I made on some of the finecast release day pictures on the GW page of a sea of 10-12 year olds which said something along the lines of "GW's target audience".

Obviously hit a bit close to the nerve