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1) Fire all the current game designers and hire people to create a balanced tournament worthy game for both Fantasy and 40K.

2) Close down all the GW stores while increasing support for FLGS. In higher population areas, partner with large FLGS to create a unique experience and a place to sell forgeworld and bits.

3) Change the packaging and model system to be a bit more component based. Basically create less wasted plastic for both the player and the company by not casting stuff no one uses. Base level box stays the same, add-ons (weapons, special shoulder pads, etc) are purchased in bulk sprues or by the piece as bits.

4) Create an in-store bits service where items can be purchased to support item 3.

5) Support tournaments, modeling competitions and other regional events.

6) Flip army per quarter model to the PP model of mass releases with expansions along the way.

7) Release a campaign every year to push the story along. Stagnation will not happen and the player base will help morph the story.

8) Release new games which use the current model lines that take from a few models to a lot of models.

9) Increase marketing via licensing of the GW IP into video games, movies, etc.

10) Get out of LotR as cheaply as possible.

11) Adjust prices as needed to move volume and keep the game accessible.

1: Change the way the stores work. Move them to a franchise like model where support and branding is available (for a price) but decisions (and risk) are borne by the shop owner.

2: Spin off specialist games ala Forge World, (own design team, low volume "boutique" level models, rules very cheap/pdf but available in extra lovely posh flufftastic books, like the IA and Heresy books. They should, by and large pay for themselves and break even. Don't expect to make much or any real money with them. If they do, then consider them joining the main product line and get access to mass production lines.

3: Either include the paid for hobby content in white dwarf and discontinue it as separate paid for content or kill the dwarf and have a web only "super lovely pics" section on the website and the paid for hobby content.

4: Become more aggressive/visible at conventions. Support tournament scene, possibly with some form of subscription model.

5: Either reach out to 3rd party bits creators (not breakers) and licence IP to them OR (with point 3 in mind) spend a bucket of cash on the best IP lawyers on both sides of the Atlantic and determine the legal position of the current and historical IP, and then unleash the IP hounds on a solid footing. [Note, if point 3 is to work they'll not need the competition, they could however take the "Wanna work for us" route first.]

6: Shift the paradigm in the rules creation for the big two (WHFB, 40K) from a combined rule and narrative approach to one of two people, one creates narrative, the other realises that in game mechanics.

7: Bring in software testing techniques to the dev process

8: Make the company private again.

9: Reach out to the bits breakers (not creators). They provide a valuable service that is not economical at GW's size. Allow them a trade discount (although not as high as B&M stores).

 djphranq wrote:
I'd request more cowbell.

Chop up White Dwarf into 4 separate magazines each with a different focus... one for 40k, one for WHFB, one for Specialist games, and one for hobby and studio work. They'd each be the quarter size of the usual White Dwarf but cost half as much as one...and the pages should be plasticard.

Hey, us LOTR players exist as well!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 KingmanHighborn wrote:


Let people use LOTR bitz and models for 40K and Warhammer conversions, as currently GW does not let you use LOTR bitz on your models in thier stores.

It's a Copyright thing, not a GW thing.

With my realistic hat on I'd try advertising one of the forthcoming codex releases like the Tau and see exactly how different the sales figures (and profits) change compared to the Dark Angels

Then release the actual % numbers (not actual numbers) to show whether advertising did or didn't work (my guess is GW is right and advertising does not make financial sense, but the might be wrong)

And I'd bring in some sort of pay to play scheme for stores with tables (eg $10 or whatever per game per table, but that would also translate into $10 off product), It would give stores a good reason to have more tables, and would get veterans who want to game in store spending in store.

Reduce price increases (unless called for by material/labour costs) on older stuff... New stuff should cost more as it still hasn't paid off the significant investment in time/money it required

Look into licensing a 'Tournament Edition' version of 40K &/or Fantasy. As GW I'm not producing a tight tournament game, but a fun home game, but if a consortium of tournament organisers want to do so based on my rules and are prepared to pay to do so. They'd be allowed to sell a 'Tournament Suppliment' modifying rules/units

nkelsch wrote:
Looks like a lot of "reduce profits and make cool people like me" wish listing. Which is not a business model.

Over half the ideas seem like people intent on bankrupting the company through proven failed or unprofitable ventures.

Woosh went right past ya. The point was a fun exercise. Why ya gotta be such a kill joy all the time.

I would decide exactly what the companies core buisness is supposed to be.
And implement a buisness structure to maximise this process , in the most intuitive and synergistic way.

Eg IF we were going to use rules to add value to the minatures, we write well defined intuitive rules sets that hook new players and retain existing gamers.

Rather than over complicated rule sets that are used as short term marketing pamphlets...

Offering value for money is the way to grow a buisness.

Either offer minatures at a better price per minature than the competition.(Take quality into account.)

OR add more value to the minatures by offering a great rule set !

Charging the highest price for average minatures, boosting sales by short term marketing focused rules , is not a long term growth plan.

Within minutes I'd fire everyone, sell off my shares and golden parachute away.

1) Replace Everybody in the organization who does not participate in the hobby. I know it's hard to believe, but do you know that Sandra Casey, the head of american sales...has never played a GW game and has no interest in the hobby? This change would be everybody from the CEO down to the guy loading the truck in Memphis. In order to have a passionate business, you have to employ people who are passionate about it.

2) Close every retail GW store. I have a suspicion that they are all money losers (ok, like 75%+ percent). Yes, they are meant to recruit, but hell..if you don't advertise then the only people who are coming in either already play or know someone who does. Just having a store there isn't going to make a difference if they get into the hobby.

3) Attend conventions and cons constantly. To me, GW has gotten away from "Having Fun". I can't really play in the store, there are no events that a vet would be interested in, you just want me to buy things. Hell, I can buy things online...where is the fun? I would attend every single convention possible with tables and intro sets and product and show people how FUN the hobby is instead of being uptight business people.

4) Kill White Dwarf Immediately. It's a catalouge. No gaming advice, limited painting advice....just stop. Make the online content more how to actually do things vs. selling stuff to me.

5) Make a public statement apologizing to our long time hobbyists for the lack of respect they have been shown and vowing that moving forward we are going to get back to being a hobby vs. a corporate machine who's trying to squeeze money out of a dwindling customer base.



Those are the first five things. I'd probably also not lower any prices, but part of my apology is stating that the existing prices on existing products would not change for 5 years.

Do a bunch of GOOD movies, video games, cartoon series, and maybe comics. They should really do a WHFB game like diablo.
After all that, if they are cool enough everything will sell itself. Almost everyone I know who started the hobby in the last 5 years heard of it via Dawn of War or some other game.

They should also package the books/video games with one snap-fit space marine sprue, like how WD does once in a while. This will get minis into the hands of non-TT players and create exposure to that market.

Move everything to plastic and do different starter boxes like battle forces. So instead of AoBR / DV, you would have something like:
Space marines vs Orks
Eldar vs Chaos
IG vs Nids
Necrons vs Tau
SoB vs Dark eldar... etc.
This way people can choose their starter armies. Each box would have around 500 points each and marketing material specific to the contained races, but the rule book, dice, etc all remain the same for ease of production.

I'm curious as to why you would kill WD. yea it sucks but presumably people still buy it and it is profitable so why would you stop a revenue source? Why not improve it instead of killing it?

We wrote:
I'm curious as to why you would kill WD. yea it sucks but presumably people still buy it and it is profitable so why would you stop a revenue source? Why not improve it instead of killing it?

Actually the recent revamps and attempts at releasing updates in it I'd have to assume that either A) sales are low enough or dropping fast enough to worry the people upstairs or B) it has become unprofitable already.

Having said that I wouldn't drop it entirely, it has been a part of the hobby for too long. I'd start adding real content again, the kind that isn't essential (like updates, flyer rules or codexes) but rather things like the army specific missions that they are now trying to sell to the ipad crowd. Also bring in some good painters (I don't know if they cut half the heavy metal team recently or are rushing them or telling them to paint in a way Timmy can actually copy) and have them do full tutorials again. Showing people how to kitbash would be nice, the 'lets only show out premade terrain' attitude sucks but I can see where it comes from, they could at least show us how to put together the cool things the make out of the bastions and cities of death kits though.
Oh, and FLUFF. Black library are putting out tons and tons of short ebooks (some are like 6 whole pages too), why not throw a one of those in WD every month? Or every other month and when they are not in there throw in something more like worldbuilding, introduce a new marine chapter or guard regiment and go into detail about what makes them different.

I won't pay $12 to buy an catalog but throw in a 4 page short story (they are big pages), a cool scenario mission (not that hard, you could ride out the next 3 years of hobbit stuff by just rehashing the entire lord of the rings story but with bilbo and friends or sending the fellowship to the lonely mountain), and then a few pages of actual 'how to' hobby stuff, rather than 'look what we did'.

KirbyFan wrote:
4) Drop Gamesday. Waste of money.

Going by how busy Games Day UK was (and the ticket price), and the volume of Forge World stock shifted, I can't imagine they could have lost any money on it. They probably hit a 6-figure income from the ticket price alone.

Right about now...I'd have lunch.

I'd inflate the share price and numbers, then sell it off and retire on the fat profits.

Everyone's said all mine except....

Start a new major campaign in the fluff that doesn't center on the Imperium of Man, launch it concurrent with some fresh hot xenos codex, a couple black library books and a formal GW global campaign.

The heart of the conflict would be the Necron Tomb Worlds under Imhotek invading the Tau worlds to gain access to a massive network of awoken tomb worlds. At the same time a radical ordo xenos inquisitor has been contacted by one of Imhotek's nobles, and is using the opportunity to restart the crusades in the Damocles Gulf region of space. So the Tau have it coming at them from two sides. The Eldar are running around being crafty and trying to stop the Necrons AND the Tau who want to utilize Necron technology like foolish younger species are wont to do. The rest of the factions get some fluffy fun as well, with Altaioc being distracted from it's mission of anime fan/kill droid stomping by a large Slaaneshi warband splitting off from the 13th Black Crusade specifically for Eldar hunting, because She Who Thirsts can taste all the space elf in one place, and so forth.

Oh and freaking advertise it!

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

We wrote:
I would raise prices as much as the market could bear.
Get rid of any high paid talented staff and bring in kids to write codexes for cheap.
Write half assed rulesets because people will play them anyway.
Add more skulls.
Release more poorly written Black Library novels.
Raise the price of White Dwarf. Cut the size in half.
Make ridiculous claims about Trademake and IP law then sue any companies that ripped off the IP that my company ripped off.
Redo all the miniatures in cheaper resin - and then raise prices.
Add more grimdark.
Raise prices a little more.
Get on Dakka and Warseer forums and read everyone moan and complain about prices and then talk about how much they buy.
Laugh.
Milk it, milk it for all its worth. Milk those ***ies dry! They don't call me the milkman for nothing!
Get lots of hookers and blow.

So basically you'd just use their current business practices, but slightly toned down?

Nonsense! He said he would actually go on the Internet.

This is a USA centric view, but here is my take.
1. Switch stores to a franchise format where a person pays to open a GW store. Success and failure will fall more on these individuals rather than people back at the corporate headquarters who don't realize they are setting up shop in the ghetto. Plus, keeps up goodwill where good stores don't get closed just because their "usefulness" has ended. I don't know how or if franchises exist outside the US.
2. Widen the information window on figures and releases. We don't need to know the contents of army books, but that people know that a new army/release is coming would help. The six week format seemed to be the sweet spot given input for some of my local stores. Enough of a heads up they know what is coming, but short enough that hype doesn't start to dwindle. The current format may not impact sales, but it does impact goodwill and excitement for the game.
3. Start back up the Outrider program. The game is dying because areas are losing their advocates. Create an incentive for people who like the game and make it worth their effort to push it.
4. Restart/expand the Grand Tournament system. Yes there are fan run tournaments, but having an official tournament helps keep direct tabs on how the game systems are doing and what the player base is up to.
5. Extract yourself from the Tolkien licenses. One of the reasons Fantasy has withered is because you cannibalized it with the LotR. Two similar fantasy games splits resources and player base. Plus, don't trust the Tolkien estate to keep the license with you. Ask Iron Crown Enterprise how things went with them and the Tolkien estate.
6. Switch from iBook to a generic eBook system that exists cross platforms. Yes it will likely result in piracy of the material, but people were pirating army books and material before this and before books went up in price.
7. Make the rulebook a lost leader. You want people to play the game, you don't make them gag at the price of the book right off the back.
8. Compile the armies into one single volume and update it annually. Make it cheap so that by the end of the year, people need to replace it. Think the old bit catalogs that use to come out last decade. Do new major army updates with releases in WD and have cheap pamphlets available for sale. Then at the end of the year incorporate those into the next volume. Each update can include changes due to FAQs and allow minor tweaks to armies within a year as opposed to a decade some times.
9. End price normalization. That SM fig from 15 years ago should not costs the same as the latest shiny fig.
10. Start back up the "third game" system. Mordheim, Necromunda and GorkaMorka were all great entry level games and also served as test beds for new ideas. Their low entry costs brought in new blood. Though don't support the games in perpetuity. Have the classic 6 month hype, 6 month support, 6 month dump model. They are meant to bring in new blood and new ideas, but not supplant the main games. Also make sure the figs are always compatible with WHFB/40k.

1. Work with the Studio to improve customer support/FAQs.
2. Consider putting the current 40k system on 'life support' with some updates while developing and supporting a '40k advanced' ruleset that is developed from the ground up (no assumptions other than the setting... make Space Marines ridiculously powerful in comparison to Guardsmen. Use d10s. make vehicles work better.
3. Review idea for a single online 'platform' that allows cheap purchase of rules supplements and such. Long term plan, this might be the end-game for some material (although core rulebooks will probably stay print for a long time).

 Balance wrote:

2. Consider putting the current 40k system on 'life support' with some updates while developing and supporting a '40k advanced' ruleset that is developed from the ground up (no assumptions other than the setting... make Space Marines ridiculously powerful in comparison to Guardsmen. Use d10s. make vehicles work better.

=I=nquisitor says hi. And making space marines ridiculous overpowered is what singlehandely destroyed inquisitor.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Man, page 3 read like:

1. Lose money
2. Lose more money
3. Lose even more money
4. .???.
5. Profit

nkelsch wrote:

 Balance wrote:

2. Consider putting the current 40k system on 'life support' with some updates while developing and supporting a '40k advanced' ruleset that is developed from the ground up (no assumptions other than the setting... make Space Marines ridiculously powerful in comparison to Guardsmen. Use d10s. make vehicles work better.

=I=nquisitor says hi. And making space marines ridiculous overpowered is what singlehandely destroyed inquisitor.

From what i saw, the major failings of Inquisitor were:
1. Unwilling to settle on being an RPG vs. being a wargame.
2. Scale meant no re-use of existing assets.
3. Scale meant weapon ranges were even wonkier than 40k.
4. System relied on a moderator more than many people like.

But that's just what I heard. My anecdotes and your anecdotes can fight it out in the Thunderdome, I guess.

Step 1. Look at sales figure for Specialist games. Then ship Epic over to Forgeworld completely. Cut five armies. Cut inquistor, Cut mordheim Cut necromunda. deecide whether or not to cut warmaster.

2. Redo Bloodbowl and BFG

3.While all that is going on Figure out a way to sue New line into going away. Then Sorry LOTR fans but its out.

4. Set New in stone release schedule. New editions of 40k and fantasy every 4 years in 2 year rotating cycles.

5.Release schedules will now include 8 codicies or armybooks a year this way every edition every book is updated.

6. In a money making move when the new edition comes out revised Codicies come out.

7. Sell Forgeworld in shop at all GW stores. Customer service issues will be handled by leaving model at store there will be a weekly collection by a district manager who will ship and reorder any issues.

8. Figure out how to cut prices by streamlining efficency.

9. establish a small core of GW employees (3-5) who specifically deal with rules issues

10. Burn Marneus Calgar models in front of Mat Ward to see his reaction.

11. Profit.

If I were the boss of GW I would:

1. Clean up the ruleset. IMHO, a few sweeping measures need to be undertaken. First of all, whenever development on a new edition begins, there needs to be an overall balance chart (and style bible) developed. Each army needs to have its current army-wide special abilities distilled down to two or three main abilities. The defining traits for each army needs to be based on combinations of key-worded abilities such as "eternal warrior". Each units abilities also need to be based on key-worded abilities. For abilities that have no key word - for example "assault after disembarking", if multiple units are to have this ability, create new key words. The goal here is to clearly communicate abilities across different armies by use of keywords. The total number of keywords also needs to be reduced down to about 20. Unit types also need to be drastically reduced. To maintain legacy support, units that form part of a legacy "series" of units should be compressed and simplified:

Shooting Aspect Warrior Statline (Lance of Khaine)
Dire Avengers +X points for Y abilities, Z wargear
Fire Dragons +X points for Y abilities, Z wargear
Dark Reapers +X points for Y abilities, Z wargear

HTH Aspect Warrior Statline (Sword of Khaine etc).

also stuff like Cut Marines etc...

2. Playtesting should actually occur. Playtesting with customer support is free labor. To take a page from the video game world, there should be a closed beta, and an open beta. There should be a baseline ruleset for all armies in the main rulebook like in 3rd Edition. Armybooks is OK, but to maintain the balance, IMHO, GW should go the way of "Campaign Books" like the FW updates.

3. Bitz service was great, but it will never come back due to logistics issues. GW should have packages for all the base kits, and then have "upgrade packs" for everything else... These could be packaged in baggies as opposed to boxes, to save shelf space. They could also be combined: i.e. Rhino Artillery Upgrade (Whirlwind and Vindicator sprue for say... $30). The theory behind this is that users who need the upgrade will buy the upgrade pack, and then have an extra sprue. If they want to use it they need to buy another base kit. = more sales. If the buyer just needs parts from the upgrade sprue, they can buy it straight from GW without going to a reseller, and for cheaper than the combined kit = more sales. If a user has too many of the base kit and want to repurpose them into upgraded kits = also more sales. This would also reduce the quantity of boxes cluttering the shelves as all Rhino, Chimera, Russ, Land Raider, Falcon, Devilfish kits would collapse down to a box and an upgrade baggie or two.

4. White Dwarf should be allowed to die. GW's web presence needs to be expanded. The studio should be allowed to interact with the public.

5. If GW doesn't reinstate the GD circuit in NA, they should consider attending independent events.

My 2 cents.

How about :

1.Turn WD back into a hobby magazine rather than a shiny catalogue.

2.Lower prices over a period of time.

3.Have a regular codex release schedule ( starting with the oldest and work forward ).

4.Playtest rules and have BRB's \ codex proof read.

5.Bring all specialist games back into the mainstream.

Its not much,but it is what i would attempt to do if i were in charge.

 mattyrm wrote:
I'd change the official company name to G-dubz to appeal to teenagers and then release all of the figures pre assembled with the legs as the arms and the arms as the legs. Then I'd write a catchy rap for the commercial such as "G-Dubz G-dubz figures so leet (yeeaahh boooyyyy) feet for hands and hands for feet"

Best idea in this thread.

First 5 things that come to mind and that I think that are killing the growth are:

1: Review target. I mean what is the problem of having a wider demographic? Why not care to all, wargaming is not limited to 10 year old kids. ( this would imply a stronger commitment to deliver quality all across the board). Why antagonize a big part of your clientele? I would try to pump the idea of "games for all the family."

2: New philosophy: being self critical towards your products and procedures, be aware of trends and exterior influences, in the age of communication... communicate (internet, expos, road shows etc)... lay off all yes mans.

3: New releases organization... most armies would have regular small updates instead of news only each 3 - 4 years... For example instead of 5 new boxes for chaos warriors you would have 1 box for 5 factions.

4: Review Stores chain and flood market with product. ( this is also about the trends, at this point the market is going skirmish so mordheim, necromunda etc would go live and strong) ( flags would have support and in that process stop with the secrecy approach to things that is killing informed investment).

5: Head hunt some key people for key spots and keep them satisfied ( it's amazing the amount of A grade artist that left and don't express a good opinion about GW).

orkybenji wrote:
I would probably milk it as much as I can and then escape in a golden parachute.

This. I wouldn't change a single thing, given how many people complain about high prices or stupid looking models and then come back the next day having bought a new stormraven and justifying it because they also bought the Chapterhouse kit. (Yes this is real life)

I think Duke Phillips from the Critic put it best.

"I'm Duke Phillips, and from now on I'm speaking my own mind. First, I'm going to tell you what I'm really going to do as president. I'll run this country like I run my company. I'm going raid the pension fund, dump chemicals in the oceans, and sell our best assets to the Japanese."

1) Reorganise the retail operation. Close the pokey one man stores and centralise the operation into larger multi staff destination stores open 7 days a week and well into the evening. Incorporate staff bonus schemes to include community growth as well as sales growth, linked to tournament entries, game night attendances etc. The staff would be responsible for organising these. Move to stock Forge World and FFG materials in store.

2) Produce a genuine one per faction starter that included a small but balanced force and codex for an appreciable discount.

3) Instruct the studio to produce a small, squad based skirmish game, using the core rules from the main games as their inspiration, with a two step structure allowing for a very basic intro game but with a more advanced level, a la Infinity. Box it with absolutely everything needed to play, get it into non specialist retailers and advertise it in mainstream media. Use this system as both a bridging game and a means to stimulate sales on some under performing lines. Imagine how good a DE Mandrake could be at skirmish level with rules allowing it to redeploy all over the table, make sneak attacks etc, as opposed to their decidedly mediocre 40k showing.

4) Accept the internet exists

5) Acknowledge that indys, employed correctly, are a valuable asset and not an irritation

6) Give the studio more control, only intervening if their ideas were genuinely too costly.

7) Realise that the demographic I was alienating (vets) had more money and were more likely to continue to stick around and adjust the company output to at least reflect the older players interests.

I'd shut the Australian and North American divisions - supply them through mail order via the website.

And that is about all that needs changing.

 keezus wrote:
If I were the boss of GW I would:

2. Playtesting should actually occur. Playtesting with customer support is free labor. To take a page from the video game world, there should be a closed beta, and an open beta. There should be a baseline ruleset for all armies in the main rulebook like in 3rd Edition. Armybooks is OK, but to maintain the balance, IMHO, GW should go the way of "Campaign Books" like the FW updates.

Your ideas are great, except for this one, mainly the last part. I don't want to buy 5 different 30 buck campaign books just so I can play a World Eaters army. An army book system is, imho, good, but have different editions: mini ones for playing and it only has rules and larger ones for home use.