Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

 Alfndrate wrote:

TEC wrote:
Someone stole my gorram DakkaDakka username!!!
I had to make a new account....

No one can steal a username that's already been registered...

Apparently they damn well can, because I have my original confirmation email that say my username (The Emperor's Champion), password, and associated email, and none of them are mine anymore.

 Alfndrate wrote:

My local GW Hobby Center Operator points out that this message is for A SINGLE UK STORE
something that applies to GW stores in general.

Um... no one is arguing this, but as others have pointed out, it's affecting more and more GW UK stores...

You know, you might like to think that, but Bell Of Lost Souls is taking this completely the wrong way, and from there it's trickled all the way to my Facebook (because otherwise I'd not have noticed).

Let me clarify...

No one here is arguing that this is a wide spreading GW thing, but like this thread has pointed out, GW King's Lynn is not alone with stores that have done this...


Automatically Appended Next Post:

TEC wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:

TEC wrote:
Someone stole my gorram DakkaDakka username!!!
I had to make a new account....

No one can steal a username that's already been registered...

Apparently they damn well can, because I have my original confirmation email that say my username (The Emperor's Champion), password, and associated email, and none of them are mine anymore.

This user? A user with 0 posts? That's an issue for Nuts and Bolts, if that is your username and you're trying to get it back, please take that there, as we're getting off topic.

 Alfndrate wrote:
Let me clarify...

No one here is arguing that this is a wide spreading GW thing, but like this thread has pointed out, GW King's Lynn is not alone with stores that have done this...

Nonetheless, The first post should REALLY make it clear that this isn't a widespread things that's suddenly happening to all stores.

TEC wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:
Let me clarify...

No one here is arguing that this is a wide spreading GW thing, but like this thread has pointed out, GW King's Lynn is not alone with stores that have done this...

Nonetheless, The first post should REALLY make it clear that this isn't a widespread things that's suddenly happening to all stores.

Well, you see if GW corporate had a universal community page where they could make such an official statement such things would not snowball in a way only the Internet can make them do so.

Hoisted by your own petard again GW....

If this is truly what they are rolling out to the public they are completely insane.

I would understand if they wanted to close the doors on their brick and mortar but to cripple FLGS abillity to bring product to their customers and then make it impossible for gamers to game anywhere else? absurd.

Def sounds like some trolling to me

 logg_frogg wrote:

Def sounds like some trolling to me

It was posted by the store's manager on the store's official FB page (a link which has been provided at least twice in the thread and is in the OP). It is NOT trolling.

I see this move as a completely good thing. If GW rolls this policy out to the world, that removes the only possible reason I'd have left not to use non-GW bits/models. The GTs are gone. If playing at a GW store is gone as well... Not, of course, that I gamed much at my local GW (before they closed it), but to be honest it was something in the back of my mind...

Valete,

JohnS

I read this article, read the comments, and thought....

It's not a customer friendly move to be sure, but that shouldn't surprise anyone.

#1 "Sales aren't where we want, inventories are stockpiling, what can we do to cut corners people?"
#2 "I know! Let's take a few stores, and phase out in store gaming, then reuse that freed space for storing our stuff that won't sell."
#1 "Are you crazy?!?! Getting people into stores and playing helps push product!"
#2 "Not a big deal. We'll see how sales perform with our test stores without open gaming; if sales are significantly down, we bring back open gaming and proclaim how we're now listening to the loyal customers we love so much. If sales don't drop enough to offset our cost savings, we do it to the other stores, taking a wait-and-watch stance."
#1 "But where will people -play- if we close the gaming areas?"
#2 "Who cares. Playing isn't our concern, sales are. Do you know how much of our purchased product is sitting in bins waiting to be painted, or even assembled? Lots. And then you have the figs that are assembled and painted, but never played. Collectors and hobbyists are who we need to target; actually playing games is something we need to convince our customer base is just a happy accident."
#1 "But we're a gaming company! People need a place to play our games!"
#2 "No, we're an IP management firm. People need a way to consume our intellectual property. Some of that freed space could go towards more pushing of the RPG lines, the novels, our digital products even!"
#1 "What about the tables, and the staff?"
#2 "More painting days. We get some staffers who can paint, have them teach classes, require only GW approved materials be used at the classes, and the parents have a way to drop off the kids for a couple of hours. Heck, we can package 'learner bundles' or materials and call it a convenience for the consumer."

I mean, I could be waaay off target here, but from a corporate stance it makes some sense.

TEC wrote:

 Alfndrate wrote:
Let me clarify...

No one here is arguing that this is a wide spreading GW thing, but like this thread has pointed out, GW King's Lynn is not alone with stores that have done this...

Nonetheless, The first post should REALLY make it clear that this isn't a widespread things that's suddenly happening to all stores.

But every month or two another store rolls out the same policy, so while not sudden it certainly is widespread (have seen threads for throughout Europe, Australia and the US in the past year). They definately favor this format over actually being an environment that fosters gaming.

dirge93 wrote:
I read this article, read the comments, and thought....

It's not a customer friendly move to be sure, but that shouldn't surprise anyone.

#1 "Sales aren't where we want, inventories are stockpiling, what can we do to cut corners people?"
#2 "I know! Let's take a few stores, and phase out in store gaming, then reuse that freed space for storing our stuff that won't sell."
#1 "Are you crazy?!?! Getting people into stores and playing helps push product!"
#2 "Not a big deal. We'll see how sales perform with our test stores without open gaming; if sales are significantly down, we bring back open gaming and proclaim how we're now listening to the loyal customers we love so much. If sales don't drop enough to offset our cost savings, we do it to the other stores, taking a wait-and-watch stance."
#1 "But where will people -play- if we close the gaming areas?"
#2 "Who cares. Playing isn't our concern, sales are. Do you know how much of our purchased product is sitting in bins waiting to be painted, or even assembled? Lots. And then you have the figs that are assembled and painted, but never played. Collectors and hobbyists are who we need to target; actually playing games is something we need to convince our customer base is just a happy accident."
#1 "But we're a gaming company! People need a place to play our games!"
#2 "No, we're an IP management firm. People need a way to consume our intellectual property. Some of that freed space could go towards more pushing of the RPG lines, the novels, our digital products even!"
#1 "What about the tables, and the staff?"
#2 "More painting days. We get some staffers who can paint, have them teach classes, require only GW approved materials be used at the classes, and the parents have a way to drop off the kids for a couple of hours. Heck, we can package 'learner bundles' or materials and call it a convenience for the consumer."

I mean, I could be waaay off target here, but from a corporate stance it makes some sense.

Or they did some market research and found out that having a load of regulars in the store all the time makes the place look tacky. They may be trying to "clean up" their high street image.

BTW, Read the BoLS thread...doesnt seem as though anyone is assuming it is a global thing...most seemed rather indifferent.

 BryllCream wrote:

Or they did some market research and found out that having a load of regulars in the store all the time makes the place look tacky. They may be trying to "clean up" their high street image.

Yeah, an empty store when you're trying to sell a social hobby is a good idea.

Blue knights gonna blue knight.

 Sean_OBrien wrote:
BTW, Read the BoLS thread...doesnt seem as though anyone is assuming it is a global thing...most seemed rather indifferent.

These threads have been popping up regularly as folks get told no gaming in their store, it is occurring globally, just not simultaneously.

The local GW guy where I am is friendly, helpful, knows his product and encourages gaming in the store. It's too bad his masters set the pricing, driving most Aucklanders to the major (and cheaper) reseller.

 Grimtuff wrote:

 BryllCream wrote:

Or they did some market research and found out that having a load of regulars in the store all the time makes the place look tacky. They may be trying to "clean up" their high street image.

Yeah, an empty store when you're trying to sell a social hobby is a good idea.

Blue knights gonna blue knight.

Maybe they will hire out a bunch of the guys who look like the Apple computer commercial guy to hang out and pretend to be gamers...


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:

 Sean_OBrien wrote:
BTW, Read the BoLS thread...doesnt seem as though anyone is assuming it is a global thing...most seemed rather indifferent.

These threads have been popping up regularly as folks get told no gaming in their store, it is occurring globally, just not simultaneously.

Oh, I know that...mentioned as much a couple posts up. My responce was the claim that the sky was falling on Bols.

If true, it is the best news ever.

I am sure that all right-thinking wargamers have always considered that playing wargames is the very worst thing a wargames company could do to popularise its products.

I'm pretty sure it's the smell.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
If true, it is the best news ever.

I am sure that all right-thinking wargamers have always considered that playing wargames is the very worst thing a wargames company could do to popularise its products.

I know you're being facetious, but at least 2 people in this thread actually do.

Go figure.

I can't help but think that this whole fiasco could have been avoided if they simply didn't shut down their main facebook page.

Now anything said by any official GW facebook page is seen as applying to all of their shops, even if it's only meant to affect one shop.

Well done GW!

It could be a strategy to deal with a particularly odious local group, you never know.

a fat guy wrote:
I can't help but think that this whole fiasco could have been avoided if they simply didn't shut down their main facebook page.

Now anything said by any official GW facebook page is seen as applying to all of their shops, even if it's only meant to affect one shop.

Well done GW!

Already pointed that little factoid out.

 Grimtuff wrote:

Well, you see if GW corporate had a universal community page where they could make such an official statement such things would not snowball in a way only the Internet can make them do so.

Hoisted by your own petard again GW....

Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Da Boss wrote:
It could be a strategy to deal with a particularly odious local group, you never know.

So says a guy in France.....

I kid, I kid!

A poster on Warseer took the liberty to translate what was actually meant by GW:

Within the next few months you will notice a few changes to your local Games Workshop. The first of these will be arriving in the next couple of weeks.

The most important of these changes is that we will be bringing to a close our open gaming. This is great news as it inevitably means that your local store will now be only there for you to buy our overly expensive plastic models and then leave. Our untrained staff will be on hand to support you and make sure that we get the most out of you that we can.

I am sure that many of you will have already noticed a huge surge of GCN clubs we have recently been closing down so as not to promote the GW hobby. We have done this to ensure that all our stock holders are a happy bunch and it means we get to fleece you some more in store.

Finally I wish to make sure your fears are in actual fact true. Namely that we Games Workshop are "getting rid of its regulars". Please do be concerned as this is obviously the case. GW intends to support only the new, young and gullible soon to be collectors and the coming changes are entirely geared towards exactly that and we will do this now and forever. YOU ARE CATEGORICALLY NOT BEING TOLD TO LEAVE. YOUR JUST NOT WELCOME.

I know that some of you may have questions after reading this, please do not post them below - instead please talk to a member of staff.

Hopefully you trusted me in Kings Lynn, and I ask you trust me now, quite simply because we Games Workshop know you are stupid enough to do so.

Thank You

That's disappointing. I never really got overly in to the gaming clubs near me as I never really liked hanging out with the people who frequented them, but occasionally just went to GW with my mate and played a few games.

Now, that was back home. I recently went to the GW store in Philly and frak me that was terrible, it stank to high heaven of BO and I had absolutely no desire to stay there.

If GW want to improve the quality of life in their stores and not scare away people with sensitive noses they need to implement a "store must have good ventilation" policy.

Of course, a positive of this new policy is I now have exactly 0 motivation to actually use GW miniatures. I used to not like using models from other ranges in my army simply because I did a lot of my gaming at the local GW store. Eliminate that and now there's really no reason to try and keep my armies primarily GW models.

So congrats GW, all the policies you've introduced in the past few months have successfully made you less appealing than other miniature companies.

One of my local GWs got rid of all of it's gaming recently.
It went down to a 1 man store and the manager basically said he wasn't able to run all the campaigns and gaming nights on his own so gaming would stop.
He said he wouldn;t do it until he had made sure that there was enough clubs in the area for people to game at first. He's managed to organise the existing local clubs and help create new ones (including an under 16's) so that there is a place to game every night of the week in that town.

So he gets a store that he can do his job in (introduce new people to the hobby) and everyone else gets a place to play without any of the store's restrictions on time, space etc.

Seems a win win all round to me.

 ProtoClone wrote:
Sounds like this is an effort to control the amount of hobby/community exposure there is to beginners.

The less people buying in to the game are exposed to others already in the game the more likely GW will be able to make a sale. Once those new hobbyist are out in the world and starts finding stuff online, they run in to the community and will find the dirt that GW has created.

Maybe not true, but this is what it is sounding like to me.

Emphasis mine.

That is exactly what they are doing, GW employees world wide are being told to push you out the door as fast as possible. One negative person can spawn an entire group of negative people especially those of us that have GWs track record. GW wants you to be dumb and ignorant as possible to their underhanded and dishonest business practices. I've said it once and I'll say it again; GW is at war with its own customers, they are putting up barrier after barrier in order to isolate and alienate customers as much as possible.

PhantomViper wrote:

GAMES WORKSHOP, KINGS LYNN wrote:
The most important of these changes is that we will be bringing to a close our open gaming. This is great news

AHAHAHAHAHAHAH

I'm sorry, but I can't be the only person to find this hilarious!

That was pretty funny haha Wow this is crazy. I knew there were rumors about this but I didn't think they were real! One of my completely pro-GW friends said they should start charging people to even come in the store! And he and other players I know even agreed with decisions like that Ive only been gaming for a few years, but I have a bunch of 3rd edition 40k era White Dwarfs. Back then it seemed like the whole idea was to make people happy and let them have fun with gaming. Isn't it supposed to be a free environment for fun? Even after everything I didn't think they would stoop this low. This is the last straw, I'm done with GW.

Don't mean to rage but this just makes me mad.
I hope they figure out another solution

 progreen10 wrote:

GAMES WORKSHOP, KINGS LYNN wrote:
Within the next few months you will notice a few changes to your local Games Workshop. The first of these will be arriving in the next couple of weeks.

The most important of these changes is that we will be bringing to a close our open gaming. This is great news as it inevitably means that you local store will be hosting fantastic new activites and events designed to give you a whole host of new hobby challenges and our trained staff will be on hand to support you and make sure that you get the most out of this awesome new programme.

I am sure that many of you will have already noticed a huge surge of GCN clubs we have recently been helping promote and start. We have done this to ensure that all your current hobby activites are continued to be supported in appropriate locations available to all.

Finally I wish to allay any fears or rumours some of you may have or have heard. Namely that Games Workshop is "getting rid of its regulars". Please do not be concerned as this is not the case. GW intends to support ALL of their collectors be they new or old, and the coming changes are entirely geared towards us being able to do this for now until forever - YOU ARE CATEGORICALLY NOT BEING TOLD TO LEAVE.

I know that some of you may have questions after reading this, please do not post them below - instead please talk to a member of staff.

Hopefully you trusted me in Kings Lynn, and I ask you trust me now, this will be a great an wonderful journey for the store (there is going to be some seriously cool stuff coming) and as ever we have all your best interests at heart.

Thank You

Interesting that we are 'collectors' now. Perhaps that new coined phrase is enabling for the price rises (we are producing 'collectibles' for 'collectors').

Also, did anyone else read this
The most important of these changes is that we will be bringing to a close our open gaming. This is great news
and yet hear this?
The most important of these changes is that we will be bringing to a close our open gaming. This is great news everyone!

Id guess the collector terminology is another attempt to avoid the toy issues, and designs versus copyrights. In the same way they dropped the claim of making the 'Best toy soldiers in the world' claim from their website.

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:

 progreen10 wrote:

GAMES WORKSHOP, KINGS LYNN wrote:
Within the next few months you will notice a few changes to your local Games Workshop. The first of these will be arriving in the next couple of weeks.

The most important of these changes is that we will be bringing to a close our open gaming. This is great news as it inevitably means that you local store will be hosting fantastic new activites and events designed to give you a whole host of new hobby challenges and our trained staff will be on hand to support you and make sure that you get the most out of this awesome new programme.

I am sure that many of you will have already noticed a huge surge of GCN clubs we have recently been helping promote and start. We have done this to ensure that all your current hobby activites are continued to be supported in appropriate locations available to all.

Finally I wish to allay any fears or rumours some of you may have or have heard. Namely that Games Workshop is "getting rid of its regulars". Please do not be concerned as this is not the case. GW intends to support ALL of their collectors be they new or old, and the coming changes are entirely geared towards us being able to do this for now until forever - YOU ARE CATEGORICALLY NOT BEING TOLD TO LEAVE.

I know that some of you may have questions after reading this, please do not post them below - instead please talk to a member of staff.

Hopefully you trusted me in Kings Lynn, and I ask you trust me now, this will be a great an wonderful journey for the store (there is going to be some seriously cool stuff coming) and as ever we have all your best interests at heart.

Thank You

Interesting that we are 'collectors' now. Perhaps that new coined phrase is enabling for the price rises (we are producing 'collectibles' for 'collectors').

Also, did anyone else read this
The most important of these changes is that we will be bringing to a close our open gaming. This is great news
and yet hear this?
The most important of these changes is that we will be bringing to a close our open gaming. This is great news everyone!

It is probably part of there strategy in the CHS case as they are trying to position there Minitures as pieces of art rather than playing pieces in a game to get around a number of legal issues.

Thats me out im done with GW