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hardly surprising. I'm not worried, I know where my money's wanted .

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/516236.page

 scarletsquig wrote:
Not really bothered.

I can play dwarf kings hold, dreadball and now deadzone whenever I like.

Just because GW is axing all of it's specialist/ cool stuff, doesn't mean there aren't other companies releasing loads of new stuff.

Just because there are other companies releasing loads of new stuff doesn't mean I'm going to care about them. I'm invested in 40k universum, if GW won't provide me rules & models I care about, then I'm out of the universum, and out of the hobby.

wilycoyote wrote:
I am hardly surprised by this, for years GW have been trying to kill off their Specialist games, by overpricing and just sheer neglect. These were the last bastion of the once loyal fan base of "hobby gamers"

What annoys me more is that GW will still slavishly hold the IP's and woe beside anyone who tries to produce anything remotely like any of these now defunct games.

To rub salt in the wound I am now certain that there will be a limited edition Bloodbowl at some exhorbitant price, late this year. One off sale with a splash article in WD and then no support or anything new afterwards.

Followed next year by Mordheim or a deluxe BFG with a (yes I mean one model battleship) for each of the major races played out on a lovely velvet star map ---

For me at least this is just spitting in the face of the many who have lined ther coffers over far too many years.

my friends thought the dreadfleet mat made a beautiful tablecloth... that's not a game one should ever try and have anyone who plays warhammer play



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 Black Nexus wrote:
hardly surprising. I'm not worried, I know where my money's wanted .

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/516236.page

but seriously I'll go take a bit of a look at that

novemberrain wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

 Goliath wrote:

 Yodhrin wrote:
Oh FFS, I was planning to start an Imperial Fleet for BFG next month. Seriously, is Tom Kirby on a personal mission to piss on the fond memories of anyone over twelve years old or something? :/

EDIT: Righto, just rang up myself, according to the mail order chappie, they are discontinuing some models which are both A: in need of new moulds being made because the old ones are knackered, and B: don't sell particularly well. They are NOT axing the whole range, and they are NOT getting rid of the free rules on the website.

Also, if anyone was specifically after a Repulsive Grand Cruiser, they have two left in the warehouse as of 11am GMT that they'll let you order over the phone if you have a credit card.

So, it's still crappy news, but its slightly less crappy than it could be.

I like that this post has been consistently ignored.

Just thought I'd bring it to your attention.

I'll believe it when I see it, others have said they are gone for good...

http://epicaddiction.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/fw-specialist-games-going-too/

Quick update guys,

I just rang Forgeworld and they are also stopping production of any new specialist games miniatures – this means that all BFG, EPIC, AI ranges are now no longer in production and once the remaining stocks go they will not be replaced.

Has been confirmed by multiple Tactical Command Forum members here: http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=24999

I run Epic Addiction. Just be aware that some FW staffer will know more than others, and although I stand by what I heard from them, the staffer I talked to may not have had the whole truth. On the other hand the staffer Yodhrin talked to might also be in the same place.

Oh no, you're right, the Forgeworld stuff is deffo going the way of the dodo, once their current stock of an item sells out they're permanently delisting it(and even then, the FW guy I spoke to this afternoon said "best get your orders in by the end of the month", I assume he meant May, so they're probably just going to kill the BFG and Epic sections then either way), the staffer I was referring to in that first comment was regarding the GW metal ranges.

 Yodhrin wrote:
Oh no, you're right, the Forgeworld stuff is deffo going the way of the dodo, once their current stock of an item sells out they're permanently delisting it(and even then, the FW guy I spoke to this afternoon said "best get your orders in by the end of the month", I assume he meant May, so they're probably just going to kill the BFG and Epic sections then either way), the staffer I was referring to in that first comment was regarding the GW metal ranges.

If it doesn't sell, you really can't expect FW (or GW for that matter) to keep it in stock.

 Breotan wrote:

 Yodhrin wrote:
Oh no, you're right, the Forgeworld stuff is deffo going the way of the dodo, once their current stock of an item sells out they're permanently delisting it(and even then, the FW guy I spoke to this afternoon said "best get your orders in by the end of the month", I assume he meant May, so they're probably just going to kill the BFG and Epic sections then either way), the staffer I was referring to in that first comment was regarding the GW metal ranges.

If it doesn't sell, you really can't expect FW (or GW for that matter) to keep it in stock.

How many people have have mentioned in this thread that they have either placed an order as a result of this news, expressed regret as they may not have the finances in time or have spoken of fond memories of one of these games?

If they didn't sell it was GW's fault and nothing else.

To be fair god only knows when or if I would have purchased the ships I purchased today if they hadn't dropped them. I've been meaning to pick them up for well over 8 years.

Wow.

I was just about to pull the trigger on 3 BFG fleets for my kids. I spent the past couple of weeks going through the BFG rules with an eye towards integrating them into a full blown 40k campaign from the initial space battles, to planetary assaults etc.

I'm even building a hive city (36" round, 24" tall ) as a centerpiece.

Oh well. Guess I'll take a closer look at Firestorm Armada's miniatures.

clively wrote:
Wow.

I was just about to pull the trigger on 3 BFG fleets for my kids. I spent the past couple of weeks going through the BFG rules with an eye towards integrating them into a full blown 40k campaign from the initial space battles, to planetary assaults etc.

GW support isn't going to make the rules fade off the page in your current rulebook or your current models implode. You can still get BFG stuff pretty easily and even when GW stops selling them retail, they will still be out there.

I am not going to smash my bloodbowl minis with a hammer because of this or stop playing. I will still play mordheim if a game pops up. This really only impacts people who were going to buy stuff from the GW website. I feel like you can buy specialist game lots dirt cheap and collect pretty much anything you wanted.

 Hulksmash wrote:
To be fair god only knows when or if I would have purchased the ships I purchased today if they hadn't dropped them. I've been meaning to pick them up for well over 8 years.

I bought an Inquisitor scale Space Marine as I always regretted not getting one when they first came out, despite never playing or intending to play the game.

One wonders whether the spike in sales will be sufficient to give them pause or *dons tin hat* that was secretly the plan all along.

Or! The part of my brain that still wants to believe GW has a clue and wants to make its customers happy has just suggested that it may be to clear out the old stock in preparation for an annual, rolling spec games update, with new plastic kits and updated rules for each game every few years.

One can dream....

Part of me wants to believe that this a sneaky cash grab on GW's part: let word spread that they're killing off the Specialist Games, and suddenly everyone buys up what's left of the stuff and GW makes a quick bit of money in the short term.

But, I'm not surprised. They've done next to nothing to support the games, and they even did their best to kill off some of the fansites a couple years back.

nkelsch wrote:

clively wrote:
Wow.

I was just about to pull the trigger on 3 BFG fleets for my kids. I spent the past couple of weeks going through the BFG rules with an eye towards integrating them into a full blown 40k campaign from the initial space battles, to planetary assaults etc.

GW support isn't going to make the rules fade off the page in your current rulebook or your current models implode. You can still get BFG stuff pretty easily and even when GW stops selling them retail, they will still be out there.

I am not going to smash my bloodbowl minis with a hammer because of this or stop playing. I will still play mordheim if a game pops up. This really only impacts people who were going to buy stuff from the GW website. I feel like you can buy specialist game lots dirt cheap and collect pretty much anything you wanted.

Well, I suppose that's one way of seeing the shiny bit of pebble buried in the mountain-sized pile of steaming horse-cack.

Backfire wrote:

 scarletsquig wrote:
Not really bothered.

I can play dwarf kings hold, dreadball and now deadzone whenever I like.

Just because GW is axing all of it's specialist/ cool stuff, doesn't mean there aren't other companies releasing loads of new stuff.

Just because there are other companies releasing loads of new stuff doesn't mean I'm going to care about them. I'm invested in 40k universum, if GW won't provide me rules & models I care about, then I'm out of the universum, and out of the hobby.

That's an... interesting point of view. Do you not actually like wargaming?

 Riquende wrote:
That's an... interesting point of view. Do you not actually like wargaming?

It's not that interesting a point of view.

If they stopped making 40K tomorrow I wouldn't suddenly take up Hordes or Infinity. Neither of them interest me that much.

The same applies here. Because a company makes a fantasy football game doesn't mean I have any interest in it.

I don't know why, but the arbites gang, cawdor gang, etc, all the inquisitor people, they are all on 'usually ships within 24 hrs' on the Australian GW site, so I don't know what you guys mean by 'they've disappeared'.

Unless my computer is acting up or something...

Get the rules from the site while you still can - without any miniatures to sell I doubt that they will bother keeping the PDFs available. :(

The Auld Grump

It really is a shame that everything seems to be going for good. There were some incredible bits scattered throughout the specialist sections and I am constantly baffled as to why they were ignored for so long. With the right kind of marketing you can sell anything. I pledged for a bunch of stuff in Mantic's Dreadball kicksarter despite not being even remotely interested in the game itself...

 Riquende wrote:

Backfire wrote:

 scarletsquig wrote:
Not really bothered.

I can play dwarf kings hold, dreadball and now deadzone whenever I like.

Just because GW is axing all of it's specialist/ cool stuff, doesn't mean there aren't other companies releasing loads of new stuff.

Just because there are other companies releasing loads of new stuff doesn't mean I'm going to care about them. I'm invested in 40k universum, if GW won't provide me rules & models I care about, then I'm out of the universum, and out of the hobby.

That's an... interesting point of view. Do you not actually like wargaming?

No, not really.

Well I picked up an esher gang. The hardest gang to convert. I noticed the arbites are sold out which is ashame. I'm sure they'll start appearing on eBay in the coming months though.

Another reason I can see GW doing this is so they can release limited edition versions of the games. Like the rumoured blood bowl later this year. Maybe they will follow it up with other limited release specialist games. I'm not saying this is a good thing. But they are clearly thinking that there's no point in releasing a limited release game if you can still pick it up in the specialist game section.

Backfire wrote:

 Riquende wrote:

Backfire wrote:

 scarletsquig wrote:
Not really bothered.

I can play dwarf kings hold, dreadball and now deadzone whenever I like.

Just because GW is axing all of it's specialist/ cool stuff, doesn't mean there aren't other companies releasing loads of new stuff.

Just because there are other companies releasing loads of new stuff doesn't mean I'm going to care about them. I'm invested in 40k universum, if GW won't provide me rules & models I care about, then I'm out of the universum, and out of the hobby.

That's an... interesting point of view. Do you not actually like wargaming?

No, not really.

Thats why my friends everyone is different... I personally would find quite frustrating to be hostage of 40k in order to enjoy this hobby that is so Rich... the things I have seen and been involved in all these years of hobby are priceless to me and 40k is only one of those rewarding experiences. I kind of feel curious about my surroundings and that makes me evolve into other projects, to discard that from wargaming is like a fisherman that wants to put fish o the table but just limits itself to one specific specie of fish.

 Yodhrin wrote:
and even then, the FW guy I spoke to this afternoon said "best get your orders in by the end of the month"

More like end of the day. Stuff was disappearing between putting in into the cart and going through checkout (which, btw, glitches your order and bills your credit card without completing the transaction), I'd be surprised if there's anything left tomorrow.

 azreal13 wrote:

 Breotan wrote:

 Yodhrin wrote:
Oh no, you're right, the Forgeworld stuff is deffo going the way of the dodo, once their current stock of an item sells out they're permanently delisting it(and even then, the FW guy I spoke to this afternoon said "best get your orders in by the end of the month", I assume he meant May, so they're probably just going to kill the BFG and Epic sections then either way), the staffer I was referring to in that first comment was regarding the GW metal ranges.

If it doesn't sell, you really can't expect FW (or GW for that matter) to keep it in stock.

How many people have have mentioned in this thread that they have either placed an order as a result of this news, expressed regret as they may not have the finances in time or have spoken of fond memories of one of these games?

If they didn't sell it was GW's fault and nothing else.

Yea, except for the fact that this stuff has been around for at least five years or so. Expressed regret and fond memories don't equate to cash in the till, either. As far as the anecdotal statements about people placing orders, I expect it is too little - too late. A few orders now that the news is out doesn't do anything if there was little to nothing being bought in the previous five or more years.

 Krinsath wrote:
Squig, get Mantic working on a BFG replacement in the WarPath universe. I know you're not affiliated with them, but Mantic does this weird thing called "listening to customers" and I'd say you're fairly well known to them.

Yes. You have to convince them, Squig. It's important.

 NAVARRO wrote:

Backfire wrote:

 Riquende wrote:

That's an... interesting point of view. Do you not actually like wargaming?

No, not really.

Thats why my friends everyone is different... I personally would find quite frustrating to be hostage of 40k in order to enjoy this hobby that is so Rich... the things I have seen and been involved in all these years of hobby are priceless to me and 40k is only one of those rewarding experiences. I kind of feel curious about my surroundings and that makes me evolve into other projects, to discard that from wargaming is like a fisherman that wants to put fish o the table but just limits itself to one specific specie of fish.

Why it is strange? I quit MtG years ago because I hated the direction WotC was taking the game, and I didn't start another CCG even though literally dozens were available by then, some of them just as popular than MtG. In fact I didn't start any new game at all to "replace" what I had lost.

Being put into guillotine is not an opportunity to try out new fancy head.

 Breotan wrote:
Yea, except for the fact that this stuff has been around for at least five years or so. Expressed regret and fond memories don't equate to cash in the till, either. As far as the anecdotal statements about people placing orders, I expect it is too little - too late. A few orders now that the news is out doesn't do anything if there was little to nothing being bought in the previous five or more years.

The point is there's obviously interest in the games, and it's pretty likely that a lot of those sales are people who were pushed away by GW's lack of support and now realized that this is their last chance to get that cool game if they ever want to play it. How many of those people would have made their purchases earlier if GW hadn't done their absolute best to kill the games? Obviously thanks to GW's incompetence we'll never know, but I suspect that it isn't a trivial number.

(And yes, that's exactly why I waited until now to buy more of the FW epic stuff. I bought the books for Aeronautica Imperialis and a few models, and I loved the game. But without any support from GW or players in the area I was waiting until I could find some other people who would be interested. I would have gladly spent hundreds of dollars on overpriced little planes if the local store had hosted specialist games night and ran a weekly AI league.)

Backfire wrote:

 NAVARRO wrote:

Backfire wrote:

 Riquende wrote:

That's an... interesting point of view. Do you not actually like wargaming?

No, not really.

Thats why my friends everyone is different... I personally would find quite frustrating to be hostage of 40k in order to enjoy this hobby that is so Rich... the things I have seen and been involved in all these years of hobby are priceless to me and 40k is only one of those rewarding experiences. I kind of feel curious about my surroundings and that makes me evolve into other projects, to discard that from wargaming is like a fisherman that wants to put fish o the table but just limits itself to one specific specie of fish.

Why it is strange? I quit MtG years ago because I hated the direction WotC was taking the game, and I didn't start another CCG even though literally dozens were available by then, some of them just as popular than MtG. In fact I didn't start any new game at all to "replace" what I had lost.

Being put into guillotine is not an opportunity to try out new fancy head.

Strange? Not to me, I only mentioned it was different but it's your prerogative. You can limit or expand your scope as much as you wish, me? I personally would not be in a guillotine like you seem to be and I can assure you that I would have fish on my table regardless of type...

If sales are so important, then why GW keeps around The Hobbit which probably sells poorly even by Specialist Games standards?

Specialist Games are self-fullfilling prophecy - when you give no support & no promotion, of course you're going to end up with a twilight product sooner or later, thus justifying cutting "poorly selling" product. GW seems to assume that miniatures market is a zero-sum game: people are going to spend X amount of money to miniatures, and best way to profit from that is to offer small range of products which offer maximum profitability.
Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that.

Companies cutting out "niche" products to "concentrate on core business" are generally dying companies.

The Ramilies Star Fort has vanished out of stock in the past few hours :(

I actually thought that was one of forge worlds big sellers, considering it seemed to constantly need its mould replaced through use.

Backfire wrote:
If sales are so important, then why GW keeps around The Hobbit which probably sells poorly even by Specialist Games standards?

License obligations? Also, GW hasn't spent years marginalizing the Hobbit stuff to the point where only the most dedicated fans will notice when they get rid of it. Cancelling a "core" game is the kind of thing that makes shareholders worry

Companies cutting out "niche" products to "concentrate on core business" are generally dying companies.

I think that's exactly it. GW is in trouble, so they're doing stuff like cutting "niche" products and rushing out new codices as fast as possible in an attempt to hide the problems a bit longer. The next financial report will inevitably claim a bunch of money saved by finally shutting down the last of their obsolete metal production, and most of their shareholders won't notice anything beyond the net profit numbers.


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 Compel wrote:
I actually thought that was one of forge worlds big sellers, considering it seemed to constantly need its mould replaced through use.

But they probably didn't keep much stock available since it's a niche product, and people have been spending the past ~12 hours panic buying everything. In fact it's probably worst for the high-demand stuff because there are more people thinking "I'd better get another one while I still can", while stocks of some of the really niche stuff might last another day or two.

 Peregrine wrote:

Backfire wrote:
If sales are so important, then why GW keeps around The Hobbit which probably sells poorly even by Specialist Games standards?

License obligations?

Of course. But it goes on to show that it's not just about sales. GW will naturally keep on updating Hobbit until movie cycle is done, complete with 27 new Gandalf figures and 6 different Smaug models. Then they will drop it - unless Jackson starts making Silmarillion trilogy and GW has to buy the license again...

And sometimes, old product ranges might seem like a drag to company, even if they're profitable. I don't say it's comparable, but for example Microsoft hates how popular Windows XP still is, and they wish nothing more than it would go away, but the damn thing just won't die.