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Sidstyler wrote

Personally I don't see GW being too popular with a crowd who already have access to some of the best, most detailed kits in the world.

I see your point there. But, you should consider that GW has some real strong points in the Japanese market. I don't know if its fair to compare Kotobukiya to GW.

1) GW has a game system. As far as I know Kotobukiya makes pretty things to assemble, paint, and look at. GW systems offer so much more to immerse the hobbyist. If GW supported a massive league scene or tournaments in Japan out of a single game center they could further distinguish the GW HOBBY TM. f

2) Warhammer is foreign and Gothic. Japanese people love robots, it is known. However, you shouldn't underestimate the appeal of the Gothic in the Japanese market. There is a lot of interest in it among the youth. Look at youth fashion and anime.

Mr. Konrad wrote

We manage to get by without a G.W store here in Aichi just fine.

Welcome to dakka. Are you one of those Yokaiichi gamers? If so, great--I have been planning to contact your group before the next time I'm in your area. It would be cool to get in some games while I'm in the area. I come out that way a few times a year.

Yeah, you've got a good point with number 2 there.

solkan wrote:Taking the Dark Eldar warrior box as the sample data point, GW's Pound Sterling to Japanese Yen exchange rate is 1 to 216.

The first source that I found said that the exchange rate wasn't that high since 2007, but according to Google Finance just now the exchange rate for July 25, 2008 was 214 Yen to the Pound. The current exchange rate's 161.21 according to the same source, and hasn't been above 165 since 2008.

So, allowing for the rounding of prices to nice even numbers, the problem with the prices is just that they appear to be based on an almost three year old exchange rate. (Assuming that GW doesn't inflate the prices any to make its Japanese customers pay extra for living on an island. )

There's something wrong with Google Finance. Today's rate is 127 yen to the pound and it hasn't been above 140 for months or a year. I follow the rate quite closely as I have to manage conversion of my cash between yen and pound.

Back in the summer of 2008 it was about 210-ish and declined rapidly since then thanks to the global financial crisis.

I never trust Google Finance, there are way better conversion calculators out there, e.g. the EZB/ECB one.

When you cant sell your stuff in Japan, considering it is one of the most, if not the most dense populated countries in the world, combined with a good income level, you are in deep $!%$·!·$!·.

Then again, we are talking about a company that does everything humanly possible to drive its customers away, i actually think that the design team and R&D people at GW deserve some sort of industry price/recognition, it can not be an easy job to keep GW afloat with the management they have. There is a reason their prices have increased almost 50% since 2005 and their sales only 20%+, i wonder when are they going to get the message.

Also, some one mentioned, if they sold their minis at $5 people would still complain, i for one doubt it, what i am sure of is that at the rate they are going, sooner rather than later people are not going to know what they are for...

Kilkrazy wrote:

solkan wrote:Taking the Dark Eldar warrior box as the sample data point, GW's Pound Sterling to Japanese Yen exchange rate is 1 to 216.

The first source that I found said that the exchange rate wasn't that high since 2007, but according to Google Finance just now the exchange rate for July 25, 2008 was 214 Yen to the Pound. The current exchange rate's 161.21 according to the same source, and hasn't been above 165 since 2008.

So, allowing for the rounding of prices to nice even numbers, the problem with the prices is just that they appear to be based on an almost three year old exchange rate. (Assuming that GW doesn't inflate the prices any to make its Japanese customers pay extra for living on an island. )

There's something wrong with Google Finance. Today's rate is 127 yen to the pound and it hasn't been above 140 for months or a year. I follow the rate quite closely as I have to manage conversion of my cash between yen and pound.

Back in the summer of 2008 it was about 210-ish and declined rapidly since then thanks to the global financial crisis.

Nah, the 1.61 figure was wrong because I was reading the wrong part of the page. Instead of reading the nice big bold letters on the top, I was looking at the Dollar to yen rate and forgetting I was checking UK to Japan prices.

I've got a question for all our Japanese Dakkanauts:

Just how popular is Infinity over in the land of the rising sun? If GW games - grimdark and gothic, skulls on everything - is sort of popular, how well does a game with a much bright palette and anime-infused nature do?

I have to wonder if those unfortunate disasters played a role in GW's decisions as well; maybe that was the last straw for those shops or they figured that the market wouldn't be enough for the near future (especially at those outrageous in-store prices).

Sucks to have these stores closed but at least there was a new one opened up at Shanghai IIRC.

Hey infinite array, I think it's really a question of exposure. Corvus Belli is tiny. There presence in Japan is virtually nil at this point. But, there are encouraging signs.

Sir Motor wrote:

Me. I (am going to) play Infinity. I'm now translating rule book for who cant read English.

I plan to get into multiple factions myself.

Without more Japanese cheerleaders leading the vanguard I just don't see it blowing up.

Duncan_Idaho wrote:Shigate ga nai.

It was to be expected from GW, but still sad news.

Why expected? GW does not run commercials. How will they promote their game systems in Japan in the future?
Seems not logical to me.

Wuestenflux wrote:

How will they promote their game systems in Japan in the future?

My guess is: inadequately.

Definition of "fight a rearguard action"

"To try very hard to prevent something from happening when it is probably too late to prevent it."

Poorly planned, poorly implemented.

AesSedai wrote:

Sidstyler wrote

Personally I don't see GW being too popular with a crowd who already have access to some of the best, most detailed kits in the world.

I see your point there. But, you should consider that GW has some real strong points in the Japanese market. I don't know if its fair to compare Kotobukiya to GW.

1) GW has a game system. As far as I know Kotobukiya makes pretty things to assemble, paint, and look at. GW systems offer so much more to immerse the hobbyist. If GW supported a massive league scene or tournaments in Japan out of a single game center they could further distinguish the GW HOBBY TM. f

2) Warhammer is foreign and Gothic. Japanese people love robots, it is known. However, you shouldn't underestimate the appeal of the Gothic in the Japanese market. There is a lot of interest in it among the youth. Look at youth fashion and anime.

Mr. Konrad wrote

We manage to get by without a G.W store here in Aichi just fine.

Welcome to dakka. Are you one of those Yokaiichi gamers? If so, great--I have been planning to contact your group before the next time I'm in your area. It would be cool to get in some games while I'm in the area. I come out that way a few times a year.

Point 2) is a good observation. Some of the Japanese guys I've played with were like, "I used to (stilll) build Gundam models, but GW miniatures are so different." Anime stuff appeals to non-Japanese geeks, why not the other way around? Though the youth interest in "goth" seems to manifest itself in junior high school girls dressing like Pippi Longstocking in mourning and drawing comics of sad girls with eye patches.
I play in Nagoya mostly. We have a regular monthly game day there, 40K FB, Warmahordes, this and that. I have not been down to the Yokkachi game day in quite a few years now, but I hear it is still going strong. Check out Nagoyahammer.com, all the local gaijin game geeks post there.

Just mentioned price disparities in Japan on another forum
(we cop it from the likes of Hasegawa to the extent that many modelshops are no longer ordering stock from them apparently)

It was said that the difference could be down to the high import taxes Japan pays.
Is this correct please?

I don't know, CBB. I always understood Japan to have high import taxes based on the product, not a general thing. Foreign rice has high tariffs. Foreign chocolate and chips don't seem to. Beer (both domestic and foreign) seems to be highly taxed because of it's malt content. Imported spirits on the other hand seem to be barely taxed at all.

I haven't done extensive research on this, but most Japanese model shops have sci-fi models from western companies. There is always a tiny section with at least a few Star Wars models and a Batmobile or two. I went to one hobby shop in Yokohama that had tons of imported WWI/WWII plastic figures (maybe Airfix?). I never did a rigorous price check on all of these but I don't recall them being unusually expensive. That suggests to me that there isn't a tariff on foreign models in general.

Wow and I thought we had it bad in the UK seen as over the past few years most products have increased in price by approximately 50%!!! My condolenses to the Japanese gamers out there!

The tokyo area actually seemed to have a decent following last time I lived there, which was in 2006/2007. We played either at Jinbouchou or in the Yellow Submarine in Chiba. We also played at the civic center in Chiba sometimes. Both places were able to get tables, and we brought our own terrain. An Outrider seemed like he was always present at all the events.

I'll check things out when I visit this coming week. I do know, though, that Warmachine has begun to become popular.