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So, opportunity cost keeps coming up in all of these threads. What is the limited resource that needs to be allocated to more profitable lines instead of SG? Are there any labor laws in the UK which would obligate GW to continue spending money to employ (or pay other benefits for) staff that is no longer needed?

 Lansirill wrote:
So, opportunity cost keeps coming up in all of these threads. What is the limited resource that needs to be allocated to more profitable lines instead of SG? Are there any labor laws in the UK which would obligate GW to continue spending money to employ (or pay other benefits for) staff that is no longer needed?

I think the presumption is that there are FTE that are assigned to 'casting' in general, and that their time would be better served casting not-SG products.

Backfire wrote:
snip.

Nowdays there are less cards per set than there used to be. And why do you need to keep up if your not playing in tournaments?

Lightning Bolt vs Incinerate isn't a subtle nerf. Its a new, much less powerful card.

It really just seems like its a matter of who you were playing with. I have no trouble finding truly casual decks to play against.

If they release a card that is similar to, but better or worse than another card then it is for balance reasons. Look at 40k for horribly lazy design.

they should ave axed all the hobbit BS that never makes $, no one plays it, no one likes it, it takes up half the store, and does nothing... I used to play gorkamorka/mordheim on the table that now collects dust at GW because its a hobbit table now.

FFS why cut the good stuff off when you have a gangrenous game like the hobbit

 cincydooley wrote:

 Lansirill wrote:
So, opportunity cost keeps coming up in all of these threads. What is the limited resource that needs to be allocated to more profitable lines instead of SG? Are there any labor laws in the UK which would obligate GW to continue spending money to employ (or pay other benefits for) staff that is no longer needed?

I think the presumption is that there are FTE that are assigned to 'casting' in general, and that their time would be better served casting not-SG products.

I think that's what it is as well. Seems like they could simply hire more casting staff though. I don't believe that it's more than semi-skilled labor, and I'm sure there are people in the UK looking for a job. I could see sculptors potentially being a limiting factor, since there are only so many talented sculptors available and I assume training one is non-trivial. Molding and casting isn't as demanding as far as I am aware.

It may not be profitable to hire staff to do that, but that's not quite the same thing.

I voted other because I think the next thing to go will be the bottom 10% most unprofitable stores etc.

 easysauce wrote:
they should ave axed all the hobbit BS that never makes $, no one plays it, no one likes it, it takes up half the store, and does nothing... I used to play gorkamorka/mordheim on the table that now collects dust at GW because its a hobbit table now.

FFS why cut the good stuff off when you have a gangrenous game like the hobbit

Plenty of people like the Hobbit, myself included. It's a great game. I think it's more popular in Europe than it is in the States.

 ExNoctemNacimur wrote:

 easysauce wrote:
they should ave axed all the hobbit BS that never makes $, no one plays it, no one likes it, it takes up half the store, and does nothing... I used to play gorkamorka/mordheim on the table that now collects dust at GW because its a hobbit table now.

FFS why cut the good stuff off when you have a gangrenous game like the hobbit

Plenty of people like the Hobbit, myself included. It's a great game. I think it's more popular in Europe than it is in the States.

Nah, the Hobbit is pretty much dead in Europe as well. All of the initial boxes that my LGS ordered still sit in the shelves gathering dust.

PhantomViper wrote:

 ExNoctemNacimur wrote:

 easysauce wrote:
they should ave axed all the hobbit BS that never makes $, no one plays it, no one likes it, it takes up half the store, and does nothing... I used to play gorkamorka/mordheim on the table that now collects dust at GW because its a hobbit table now.

FFS why cut the good stuff off when you have a gangrenous game like the hobbit

Plenty of people like the Hobbit, myself included. It's a great game. I think it's more popular in Europe than it is in the States.

Nah, the Hobbit is pretty much dead in Europe as well. All of the initial boxes that my LGS ordered still sit in the shelves gathering dust.

And you can sitll buy the LE boxes from GW's website (not to mention my LGS still has 2 sitting around, then again they have Dreadfleet still too).

It must be selling somewhere though!

 ExNoctemNacimur wrote:
It must be selling somewhere though!

Why must it? The Hobbit is seriously dead in the water. Just compare it to the huge reaction when the LOTR was released.

I'm late to the news, just seen that GW have been axing their specialist games. Why Gw why! I loved battlefleet, now I have to rely on over bloated ebay prices? FUUUUU-

 AtomicEngineer wrote:
I'm late to the news, just seen that GW have been axing their specialist games. Why Gw why! I loved battlefleet, now I have to rely on over bloated ebay prices? FUUUUU-

This is great news!

 Grimstonefire wrote:
I voted other because I think the next thing to go will be the bottom 10% most unprofitable stores etc.

I agree with this. They'll start closing stores rather than chopping one of the three main games.

Perhaps reducing the amount of resources allocated to the Hobbit to a bare minimum, but I'd still expect to see stores and staff go first.

The staff are reduced to 1 person a store right? You can't get much lower than that..

This is the problem with cost-cutting measures, eventually you run out of ways you can reduce overheads. Many would argue that they have already gone too far at the expense of long-term growth.

 Pacific wrote:
The staff are reduced to 1 person a store right? You can't get much lower than that..

This is the problem with cost-cutting measures, eventually you run out of ways you can reduce overheads. Many would argue that they have already gone too far at the expense of long-term growth.

Not all staff are shop staff - people at head office could feel the bite as well.

Warhammer World and White Dwarf are on the chopping block, followed by the remaining battle bunkers (if there are indeed any left) and I think the single man GW stores will soon follow. If the systems start getting touched it'll be the SoB getting officially squatted and LOTR vanishing. Despite strong competition from Mantic and other companies if they give up ground on WHFB it's basically rolling over and exposing their throat.

Just a quick comparison, because I've been considering picking up a fantasy themed wargaming, the new High Elf release from GW really didn't do anything but I like Mantic's Elves a lot, and their Kings of War line apparently have a couple other cool armies coming out within the next year or so. Mantic's got a great Elf army deal for around $174 that includes about 130 models, including a hero mounted on a monstrous creature (big battle dragon) I also tossed another $20 hero on there (the light elf mage, because I like the model). So around $194 and some change shipped, and that comes with all the rules and codex required to play. I then jumped over to GW and did my weather best with no knowledge whatsoever to recreate the Kings of War deal with WHFB. I used two battalions, picked a random female mage hero, and a lord on dragon back, then grabbed the codex and I was over $360, and that's before I picked up the rule book. I also have no idea if that's in any way a viable force and as stated I like the sculpts less. I also have little doubt that without much work the Mantic models would be quite serviceable for WHFB rules.

I really don't think the hot water is on for GW yet, but with fantastic quality skirmish games coming out below them (Infinity and so forth) and some pretty heavy weight contenders coming in at their level like Mantic and the opening thrusts from Dreamforge Games, and other smaller sculptors like Raging Heroes stepping up throw their hats into the ring as well for full army lines (and not to mention Privateer Press and other established competitors) I do think the heat's gonna be on in a hurry in the next couple years unless GW does something to shake things up. The current status quo is just not gonna cut it.

Edit: Clicking around on Mantic I found something fun, you can save yourself some money on the mega army deal by buying two of the 85 piece army boxes, which doubles your scouts, gives you an extra 20 spearmen, and two more bolt throwers, then buy the dragon lord, and in my case the light elf mage and one of the elf cats to accompany her cause I like the fluff, and it comes out around $19 more for $70 worth of product (going off a regiment of spearmen for $25, two bolt throwers at $15/per and a section of scouts for another $15, with a total of 172 normal models, and the big dragon)

Whew, that's a lot of painting!

 Pacific wrote:
The staff are reduced to 1 person a store right? You can't get much lower than that..

This is the problem with cost-cutting measures, eventually you run out of ways you can reduce overheads. Many would argue that they have already gone too far at the expense of long-term growth.

They should replace stores with Space Marine vending machines. Much cheaper, and the Japanese market would eat it up!

 Easy E wrote:

 Pacific wrote:
The staff are reduced to 1 person a store right? You can't get much lower than that..

This is the problem with cost-cutting measures, eventually you run out of ways you can reduce overheads. Many would argue that they have already gone too far at the expense of long-term growth.

They should replace stores with Space Marine vending machines. Much cheaper, and the Japanese market would eat it up!

Vending machines that dispense boxes of space marines or space marine shaped vending machines?

Fenrir Kitsune wrote:

 Easy E wrote:

 Pacific wrote:
The staff are reduced to 1 person a store right? You can't get much lower than that..

This is the problem with cost-cutting measures, eventually you run out of ways you can reduce overheads. Many would argue that they have already gone too far at the expense of long-term growth.

They should replace stores with Space Marine vending machines. Much cheaper, and the Japanese market would eat it up!

Vending machines that dispense boxes of space marines or space marine shaped vending machines?

Why not both?

I could actually almost see this, as it would probably work surprisingly well. They're doing them for iPods, cell phones, and accessories for same in a lot of places.

Ultimately, 'retail store' as a 'place to buy things' is becoming a niche thing. You need more than that, and stores need to find ways to make a profit off that other stuff.

I've wondered how a non-free 'gaming area' would work as an adjunct to one of the 'maker space' places that have been opening in various cities. The 'maker space' concept is it's basically a workshop with a bunch of tools including CNC gear and similar. More than your usual woodworking kit. I think most run as co-ops/clubs with classes, equipment rental, lockers, etc. as space rental. I wonder if gaming areas would work as an adjunct: have rooms with tables ready for rent to RPG groups, wargamers, etc.

Eventually, and I am only half-joking here, I am afraid that GW will only sell 40k related products.

I would not have thought so ten years ago, but times change and the space marines alone sell more than all the fantasy factions combined.

 Easy E wrote:

 Pacific wrote:
The staff are reduced to 1 person a store right? You can't get much lower than that..

This is the problem with cost-cutting measures, eventually you run out of ways you can reduce overheads. Many would argue that they have already gone too far at the expense of long-term growth.

They should replace stores with Space Marine vending machines. Much cheaper, and the Japanese market would eat it up!

Or they could have Space Marine computers so you could order online, but at the store!

...Wait...