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Anyone have insights on how the Hobbit game is doing?

Or the movie for that matter?

It opened in Trinidad on Boxing Day and I saw it over the weekend and it was... y'know good. It felt like LotR with slightly upgraded CGI and a bit more padding. It didn't go anywhere new so it felt very familiar and comfortable.

So I wonder if the toys and merch and all that are doing anywhere near as good as they did 10 years ago.

And of course the new special prices on the Hobbit game can't help much.

I don't have any numbers, but I've visited the local GW a few times since the release and the sales seem pretty slow. I was there on their "Hobbit-day" as well, and even then the interest seemed scarce.

And GW won't get any Hobbit money from me until the dwarves get their own box.

Well, the "Limited" edition of the Starter Set has yet to sell out in ether the UK or in my local GW. While it's probably sold out in other shops, or countries only stores, it isn't a great sign when Dark Vengeance sold out in a few days. The stock from the Hobbit is yet to really sell much, most of it's still from the initial release.

Movie:

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=hobbit.htm (You can check up on most other films on Box Office Mojo as well)

Game:

Not a clue - I haven't heard of anyone who are in my circle of gamers who are excited or for that matter even curious about them. I am sure you do have some LotR gamers who are hoping that it will be the second coming and allow them to blow the dust off some of their old models. Probably some collectors who will be buying up all things Tolkien. And I would guess there will be some new blood - but compared to what I heard and saw the first time around...not to impressed.

The change in price points from LotR to Hobbit figures may be able to keep the movie bump to be about the same as it was with the LotR movies...but I don't think you will see the same level of interest.

I don't think the FLGS has sold anything. Maybe a box of a unit but not the main game. But I don't just hang out there as much as I used to. Lots of people looking at it, no one grabbing it.

its no dreadfleet, at least with that game I didn't have to buy anything else

 Rainbow Dash wrote:
its no dreadfleet, at least with that game I didn't have to buy anything else

Didn't Dreadfleet have to be destroyed because it failed to sell as well as GW hoped.

yes, oh how did it
but I gave it a chance before they got rid of it, and I liked it

 Rainbow Dash wrote:
yes, oh how did it
but I gave it a chance before they got rid of it, and I liked it

I imagine GW may regret the Hobbit, like the Lord of the Rings in general.

 blood reaper wrote:

 Rainbow Dash wrote:
its no dreadfleet, at least with that game I didn't have to buy anything else

Didn't Dreadfleet have to be destroyed because it failed to sell as well as GW hoped.

No - GW created the molds and stated that they were stopping production after a set number were made (and sold) though no one really knows what that number was or how fast it sold (I have seen it still on the shelves in three stores in the past month).

Limited Edition creates a [false] demand, as many people believe that things which are limited have an intrinsic investment potential to them. You can see this playing out on eBay right now. There are still a lot of NIB copies available for under the initial retail price, but you also have some people trying to sell it for over $600. They all probably bought several boxes with the intent of turning a fast profit on the limited aspect of the game...many have decided to just cut their losses though - while others still maintain some wishful thinking.

yeah seems because of Space Hulk, GW got an inflated ego (more so then usual)
thinking lotr is just as good as the other 2 so will charge accordingly and feel people will pay for it
but with fantasy on the down and lotr not that popular (as always) and even harder to get into
seems they are on their last game

I dislike being a heavy bearing mod, however, please would you put some grammar into your posts, Rainbow Dash?

It is a rule of the forum for the reason of clarity.

I imagine if GW understood their market a bit better they would have seen that Space Hulk sold on the back of nostalgia. Old gamers knew to expect a great game, and new comers were being told it was something special. It was always going to sell.

It's just so obvious why Space Hulk sold fast. But GW seemed to think they could pull off the same trick with something no one had seen before. That's a challenge before you consider that as games go, Dreadfleet just wasn't very good.

They should have done Warhammer Quest, it ticks all the boxes that Space Hulk did. Now they are probably convinced that one off releases don't work.

No hobbit sales at my local store. Plenty of jokes made about it though. I did put up a post that if anyone at the local store was buying the starter box, I would go in 45 USD just for the scenery bits. Need that fr a Malifaux table.

No Hobbit players in our meta and on the "hobbit" day, the tables were filled with people playing 40k

The box sucks though. I love LotR and all about it, but seriously, a box where you can either play as mentally slowed ugly creatures or a bunch of dwarves?

Not excited at all.

 Sigvatr wrote:
No Hobbit players in our meta and on the "hobbit" day, the tables were filled with people playing 40k

The box sucks though. I love LotR and all about it, but seriously, a box where you can either play as mentally slowed ugly creatures or a bunch of dwarves?

Not excited at all.

...Yeah, not too much choice of subject with this movie though, is there? I mean, if you want to follow the main characters etc...

 martin74 wrote:
No hobbit sales at my local store. Plenty of jokes made about it though. I did put up a post that if anyone at the local store was buying the starter box, I would go in 45 USD just for the scenery bits. Need that fr a Malifaux table.

I'll sell it to you if I decide to get it in late January, early-mid February...

 Bolognesus wrote:

 Sigvatr wrote:
No Hobbit players in our meta and on the "hobbit" day, the tables were filled with people playing 40k

The box sucks though. I love LotR and all about it, but seriously, a box where you can either play as mentally slowed ugly creatures or a bunch of dwarves?

Not excited at all.

...Yeah, not too much choice of subject with this movie though, is there? I mean, if you want to follow the main characters etc...

Make a box that's about the Dwarves vs. Orcs flashback battle. THAT was an epic battle. Have a limited edition Thorin with an actual shield instead of an oak branch.

But goofy goblins? That's stupid.

Hey. I like those goblins!
And so do plenty of folk. Not to your taste perhaps, but they're good models technically, and there's plenty of folks who do like playing the 'evil' dumb critters much more than some silly heroes

Actually, since GW has some fear of having a good side in their games (and women) all you ever play is evil
if it was GW's choice I am sure Gondor would have some secret police that killed people because they badmouthed Denethor or something...and the flag would be a white tree surrounded by skulls?

Oh and of course the story would never end!

Almost no Hobbit sales in my local store, just 2 starter boxes, 1 rulebook and 3 Ork boxes.

 Sean_OBrien wrote:

 blood reaper wrote:
Didn't Dreadfleet have to be destroyed because it failed to sell as well as GW hoped.

No - GW created the molds and stated that they were stopping production after a set number were made (and sold) though no one really knows what that number was or how fast it sold (I have seen it still on the shelves in three stores in the past month).

Actually blood reaper is correct: GW actively recalled and destroyed Dreadfleet boxes.

I think the local GW sold 3, tops. The locals and I were shocked by the prices for some of the model cost. The only thing I actually could see being used in range for conversions are the goblins for Nurgle cultist.

I'd buy a starter box once they get cheaper.

Which means I might not buy them at all.

The really scary thing?

It's still cheaper than the lego equivalent.

 Sigvatr wrote:
No Hobbit players in our meta and on the "hobbit" day, the tables were filled with people playing 40k

The box sucks though. I love LotR and all about it, but seriously, a box where you can either play as mentally slowed ugly creatures or a bunch of dwarves?

Not excited at all.

If Jackson was smart he'd have changed the 13 dwarves to hawt elf chicks instead.

Ah well.

GW seems to have a disliking of women

 aosol wrote:
I think the local GW sold 3, tops. The locals and I were shocked by the prices for some of the model cost. The only thing I actually could see being used in range for conversions are the goblins for Nurgle cultist.

I'd love to get a hold of goblin king and those goblins. But I have far too much paint and model and no more time...

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

 Sigvatr wrote:
No Hobbit players in our meta and on the "hobbit" day, the tables were filled with people playing 40k

The box sucks though. I love LotR and all about it, but seriously, a box where you can either play as mentally slowed ugly creatures or a bunch of dwarves?

Not excited at all.

If Jackson was smart he'd have changed the 13 dwarves to hawt elf chicks instead.

If only for the delicious tears of nerdrage

The problem is GW put in a bid for the model rights and the contract was theirs but warner brothers altered the contract before the movies were released and this tripled the contract cost.

Take with a grain of salt of course as I can't back it up but it all comes from my LGS.

Seems to be popular in my local GW- the starter boxes are rarely on the shelves and I've seen the staff sell quite a few. Half of the regular gamers were playing hobbit/Lotr at the last gaming night before christmas.

I did see an adult couple come in and buy the box literally minutes after leaving the cinema (as far as I could hear from their convo).

Thing is, even me seeing lots being sold is as irrelevant as you guys seeing it not selling; loads of people just order online from GW and we can't be in a store 100% of the time to see how the product does.