Author |
Message |
 |
|
 |
Advert
|
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. |
|
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/02 23:34:54
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Kovnik
|
AlexHolker wrote:1. Pick a couple of "iconic" plastic kits from each army. Make them half price. Space Marines could get Tactical Squads and Rhinos; Imperial Guard, IG Squads and Command Squads; Dwarves, Warriors and Cannons. The idea would be that a new player could cheaply build a "pauper" army of basic units, then build upon that foundation by fleshing it out with less common units.
I particularly love this idea. It would be odd with orks because you could do a lot with the boyz at half price and a few bits.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
It would just go like this
Rolling chart
1: you made friends with that pony
2: You picked out a pet
3: You didn't make friends with that pony, try again next turn!
4:Celestia needs you for important business no friends will be made this turn.
5:Oh no not again your pet ate that ponies mane and they now dislike you greatly, spend the next couple of turns trying to win them back (If you don't have a pet re roll)
6:You made best friends with that pony
|
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/05/02 23:37:03
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/02 23:40:26
Subject: Re:What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Douglas Bader
|
Not that they'll actually do any of it until someone buys the company and fires all of the current management, but here's what I would do:
1) First, kill all the lawyers. Stop suing random authors over the use of "space marine" and sending DMCA warnings to fan sites, it just ensures that GW is constantly in the news for things that make them look really bad. There's no real benefit from it, and it damages the brand.
2) Stop believing your own propaganda. The idea that GW is its own Hobby™ is pure delusion. You have competition, and that competition is taking more and more of the market away from you. So start acting like it.
3) Get rid of finecast. It's a garbage product, and every time a customer has to exchange a model a dozen times to get one that isn't horribly miscast, or has a model break and/or melt under the slightest hint of harsh treatment, your brand image suffers more damage. And since those unhappy customers often tell their friends or post harsh reviews online a single bad model can cost you several customers, not just one.
4) Lower the barriers to entry. For a new player GW's prices are the highest in the industry, and that makes getting started in a GW game a pretty intimidating idea. The last thing you want to be doing is scaring away potential customers with a $500+ price tag just to get the basics.
5) Focus on long-term growth instead of one-purchase customers. The kids who beg their parents for space marines and then abandon it all a week later are good for immediate profits, but they don't build a healthy game and community that will continue to be appealing in the future. Obviously GW should continue to take their money, but they should not consider it a "success" when they have a ridiculously high turnover rate.
6) Accept that the internet and marketing are real things in 2013. Stop doing stuff like closing your facebook page because there were negative comments, or posting "preview" videos and pretending that you don't know what's coming when 90% of the people watching the video have already downloaded a pirated copy of the entire codex. Look at how WotC does marketing and previews for MTG, and follow their example.
6) Hire the worst WAAC TFGs to balance the game. Let them play with the rules, find every possible exploit and badly balanced unit, and then fix it. It's nice that there are more frequent FAQs now, but far too many of those issues never should have made it into the book in the first place. And while we're at it, playtest competitively and professionally like WotC does with MTG, don't just play a "fun" game occasionally with "cool" random events and "fluffy" armies. That's not what playtesting is.
7) Stop excluding "wrong" player types. Some people play casually. Some people play competitively. Some people like the art. Learn from WotC and sell to all of them. Don't just declare that you make a "beer and pretzels" game and write off an entire section of the market, that just makes competitive players take their money to other companies.
8) Accept that not all countries are the same. Having lots of retail stores apparently works great in the UK, but in the US the geographical factors are completely different and there are independent stores everywhere. Banning international sales to keep the internet from undercutting your Australian GW stores doesn't get people into your stores, it gets them to take their money to your competition. Etc. Get rid of the UK-focused management and have each regional branch run by someone familiar with their specific market, and accept that this will mean different regions have different strategies.
9) Stop substituting price increases and cost cutting for making an appealing product and long-term growth. Hopefully this will be accomplished by the previous things (including firing everyone who just wants to keep stock prices up until they retire), but let's make it explicit: stop trying to run GW like a generic business and assuming that all you need to do is increase prices and improve "efficiency" (as defined by some generic rules for How To Run A Successful Business). Yes, that's the easy way to make the next financial report good enough to keep your stock prices high, but it's not how you get long-term success. Stop being lazy and invest the work required to make a successful business, not just delay the inevitable a bit longer.
|
There is no such thing as a hobby without politics. "Leave politics at the door" is itself a political statement, an endorsement of the status quo and an attempt to silence dissenting voices. |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 00:53:36
Subject: Re:What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Drop Trooper with Demo Charge
Essex, UK
|
Thought i'd pop my 2 pennies in here, as i gave up the hobby for about 10 years and before last month hadn't gone into a GW store since the end of 3rd edition, about 2003 i think.
I was only a young teenager and i used to love getting the bus after school, with the weeks saved lunch money to buy some models to build and paint for the weekend. the cost of squads of units and tanks must be well under half what the units cost now, not really sticking to inflation are you GW? If i recall i codex was £12, i just paid £30 for the new tau codex! (albeit it is a hardback) But the order of it inside is illogical compared to old codex's what does this do? oh i have to scroll through the book to see the cost.
And then there was blister packs, and the ability to go and buy individual units with individual weapons. All in stock and with a set price based on what letter they were rated. I used to love going in and just seeing what took my eye, to build and paint. Not because i needed it to battle. Just because it looked badass.
I went in recently for the first time in ages. and wanted to go in with the same starry eyed optimism (bearing in mind i'm in my mid 20's) staff were as friendly as i remember, built a good rapport instantly. When talking about my background/how much things had moved on rules wise since 3rd. We started looking at some units, none seemed to be in stock. And would have to be ordered in, and most individual models wern't being produced anymore. And it actually made me abit upset. that kids couldn't go in and experiance what i did when i was young.
Overall how things have got worse (in my humble opinion)
-Massive price inflation - seriously you younger gamers might not understand
-Lack of stock kept in store
-Lack of models made by gw in blister packs.
-Weird shop opening hours (i'm assuming this is nationwide)
-Paints, i seriously never thought i'd hate anything more than when screw tops were introduced, these are way worse. Dry paints are terrible. the lids are useless. And to top it off they changed all the names (again younger games might not understand how annoying that is)
- Flyers (purely because i'm old school and hate change, as do my buddies)
-Pre-measuring
How things have improved:
-6th edition plays SO much better.
- I'm going to be controversial and say i actually like finecast. so many days were wasted trying to get Abaddon the depoiler's sword and arm to stick on in my youth. Or fixing together a Wraithlord. And the quality of the casts were no way near as detailed. (IMO)
|
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 01:13:18
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Longtime Dakkanaut
|
why do they need saving? They are making money faster than ever before.
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 01:29:39
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Douglas Bader
|
tgf wrote:why do they need saving? They are making money faster than ever before.
No they aren't.
|
There is no such thing as a hobby without politics. "Leave politics at the door" is itself a political statement, an endorsement of the status quo and an attempt to silence dissenting voices. |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 01:50:34
Subject: Re:What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Disguised Speculo
|
feth saving GW, only the IP matters.
Just wait for them to topple over, and then someone will snatch it up because its certainly worth a small fortune. Then you can dust off your old models and get back into the game with better rules and gak
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 02:07:02
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Ambitious Space Wolves Initiate
Scotland
|
Does anyone know why exactly the stores carry so little stock relative to what they used to? The stores used to be rammed with stuff and there's a lot less now, especially blister packs. I know it makes sense to shorten the product line but I don't see why they can't always have at least one of every blister.
When I'm walking past I often go in to see if something catches my eye but it's always spam of the same ones I don't want. They can order it in but so can I, what's the point.
|
4000pts 3000pts
2000pts 1500pts
4000pts 2000pts 3000pts 2000pts
2000pts
Star Paladins Chapter: 3000pts
Genestealer Cult: 2000pts |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 02:09:27
Subject: Re:What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Norn Queen
|
Dakkamite wrote:feth saving GW, only the IP matters. Just wait for them to topple over, and then someone will snatch it up because its certainly worth a small fortune. Then you can dust off your old models and get back into the game with better rules and gak You're assuming a tabletop company will pick it up. As you said, it's the IP that matters, and that's not the game. It's just as likely someone like FFG will buy it, and you'll only ever see RPG's based in the universe, or a video game company like EA or Activision, who'll run it into the ground with yearly terrible video games. The best case is someone like WotC picking it up, but there's plenty of worst cases as well. Automatically Appended Next Post: little bobby oppenheimer wrote:Does anyone know why exactly the stores carry so little stock relative to what they used to? The stores used to be rammed with stuff and there's a lot less now, especially blister packs. I know it makes sense to shorten the product line but I don't see why they can't always have at least one of every blister. Shelf space. Even GW stores have limited shelf space. Hell, some don't even have the shelf space to put one of every boxed product on the shelves. My local store, months after the VC release, had their Black Knights hidden away under a table with a bunch of other stuff because shelf space just wasn't there.
|
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/05/03 02:11:46
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 03:55:41
Subject: Re:What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Plaguelord Titan Princeps of Nurgle
Alabama
|
Yes, I agree with all of this. If you did even a few of these things, GW, I would probably start buying again.
|
WH40K
Death Guard 5100 pts.
Daemons 3000 pts.
DT:70+S++G+M-B-I--Pw40K90-D++A++/eWD?R++T(D)DM+
28 successful trades in the Dakka Swap Shop! Check out my latest auction here!
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 04:04:02
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Big Fat Gospel of Menoth
The other side of the internet
|
Bubonic plague ravishing GW HQ. Or Zombie plague. Or Cybermen. I'm not picky.
|
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
RAGE
Be sure to use logic! Avoid fallacies whenever possible.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 05:20:09
Subject: Re:What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Douglas Bader
|
-Loki- wrote:Shelf space. Even GW stores have limited shelf space. Hell, some don't even have the shelf space to put one of every boxed product on the shelves. My local store, months after the VC release, had their Black Knights hidden away under a table with a bunch of other stuff because shelf space just wasn't there.
TBH I don't think this is really the case. The local GW store has plenty of shelf space (and space to add more shelves), but they don't bother. It reminds me of the last days of a local independent hobby store: they couldn't afford to buy new inventory, so they started removing shelves and spreading everything out more to hide how empty the store was. Somehow they've managed to take barely more than the GW corner of the average FLGS and fill up an entire (small) store.
|
There is no such thing as a hobby without politics. "Leave politics at the door" is itself a political statement, an endorsement of the status quo and an attempt to silence dissenting voices. |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 09:22:55
Subject: Re:What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Ambitious Space Wolves Initiate
Scotland
|
Peregrine wrote: -Loki- wrote:Shelf space. Even GW stores have limited shelf space. Hell, some don't even have the shelf space to put one of every boxed product on the shelves. My local store, months after the VC release, had their Black Knights hidden away under a table with a bunch of other stuff because shelf space just wasn't there.
TBH I don't think this is really the case. The local GW store has plenty of shelf space (and space to add more shelves), but they don't bother. It reminds me of the last days of a local independent hobby store: they couldn't afford to buy new inventory, so they started removing shelves and spreading everything out more to hide how empty the store was. Somehow they've managed to take barely more than the GW corner of the average FLGS and fill up an entire (small) store.
Yeah in my local GW there is a large amount of unused space, even the blister section is obviously half empty. Box sets don't lend themselves as well to an impulse buy (though I suppose they're about the same price these days)
|
4000pts 3000pts
2000pts 1500pts
4000pts 2000pts 3000pts 2000pts
2000pts
Star Paladins Chapter: 3000pts
Genestealer Cult: 2000pts |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 09:28:40
Subject: Re:What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Multispectral Nisse
Luton, UK
|
DanFST wrote:. the cost of squads of units and tanks must be well under half what the units cost now, not really sticking to inflation are you GW?
Prices have gone down. Or something.
|
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.” |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 09:30:38
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Infiltrating Broodlord
|
As long as you don't look at their recent profit figures, that is.
I'm loving this debate. Save a company (whose shares and profits are at a high, outperforming most if not of their competitors) by halving the prices. let's go!
|
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 09:31:00
Subject: Re:What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Aspirant Tech-Adept
|
Peregrine wrote:Not that they'll actually do any of it until someone buys the company and fires all of the current management, but here's what I would do:
1) First, kill all the lawyers. Stop suing random authors over the use of "space marine" and sending DMCA warnings to fan sites, it just ensures that GW is constantly in the news for things that make them look really bad. There's no real benefit from it, and it damages the brand.
2) Stop believing your own propaganda. The idea that GW is its own Hobby™ is pure delusion. You have competition, and that competition is taking more and more of the market away from you. So start acting like it.
3) Get rid of finecast. It's a garbage product, and every time a customer has to exchange a model a dozen times to get one that isn't horribly miscast, or has a model break and/or melt under the slightest hint of harsh treatment, your brand image suffers more damage. And since those unhappy customers often tell their friends or post harsh reviews online a single bad model can cost you several customers, not just one.
4) Lower the barriers to entry. For a new player GW's prices are the highest in the industry, and that makes getting started in a GW game a pretty intimidating idea. The last thing you want to be doing is scaring away potential customers with a $500+ price tag just to get the basics.
5) Focus on long-term growth instead of one-purchase customers. The kids who beg their parents for space marines and then abandon it all a week later are good for immediate profits, but they don't build a healthy game and community that will continue to be appealing in the future. Obviously GW should continue to take their money, but they should not consider it a "success" when they have a ridiculously high turnover rate.
6) Accept that the internet and marketing are real things in 2013. Stop doing stuff like closing your facebook page because there were negative comments, or posting "preview" videos and pretending that you don't know what's coming when 90% of the people watching the video have already downloaded a pirated copy of the entire codex. Look at how WotC does marketing and previews for MTG, and follow their example.
6) Hire the worst WAAC TFGs to balance the game. Let them play with the rules, find every possible exploit and badly balanced unit, and then fix it. It's nice that there are more frequent FAQs now, but far too many of those issues never should have made it into the book in the first place. And while we're at it, playtest competitively and professionally like WotC does with MTG, don't just play a "fun" game occasionally with "cool" random events and "fluffy" armies. That's not what playtesting is.
7) Stop excluding "wrong" player types. Some people play casually. Some people play competitively. Some people like the art. Learn from WotC and sell to all of them. Don't just declare that you make a "beer and pretzels" game and write off an entire section of the market, that just makes competitive players take their money to other companies.
8) Accept that not all countries are the same. Having lots of retail stores apparently works great in the UK, but in the US the geographical factors are completely different and there are independent stores everywhere. Banning international sales to keep the internet from undercutting your Australian GW stores doesn't get people into your stores, it gets them to take their money to your competition. Etc. Get rid of the UK-focused management and have each regional branch run by someone familiar with their specific market, and accept that this will mean different regions have different strategies.
9) Stop substituting price increases and cost cutting for making an appealing product and long-term growth. Hopefully this will be accomplished by the previous things (including firing everyone who just wants to keep stock prices up until they retire), but let's make it explicit: stop trying to run GW like a generic business and assuming that all you need to do is increase prices and improve "efficiency" (as defined by some generic rules for How To Run A Successful Business). Yes, that's the easy way to make the next financial report good enough to keep your stock prices high, but it's not how you get long-term success. Stop being lazy and invest the work required to make a successful business, not just delay the inevitable a bit longer.
LOL, most of these are quite true. However I can summarize it in just a few words "Pull your head out of your a$$"
Also,
Fire Mat Ward and everyone that agrees with him about rules and fluff.
|
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 12:29:03
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Stone Bonkers Fabricator General
We'll find out soon enough eh.
|
Hivefleet Oblivion wrote:
As long as you don't look at their recent profit figures, that is.
I'm loving this debate. Save a company (whose shares and profits are at a high, outperforming most if not of their competitors) by halving the prices. let's go!
It's not hard for your shares to outperform those of your competition when your competitors are privately owned, ie don't have publicly traded shares. On that basis, we also don't know whether or not GW's profits are outperforming any particular competitor, since private companies don't publish reports for shareholders.
What we can do is look at the wargaming industry as a whole, which is growing, and at GW's performance relative to that industry, which is stagnant. We can also look at trends in GW's income, which has been in a cycle for a few years now of one year up, followed by two years down. We can also compare the cost of products to their stated inflation-adjusted income, and from that infer that volume is declining. We can look at their various policies of late and explain the fact that profit is stagnant despite declining volume(which would imply falling profits) as being the result of cost-cutting and price rises, neither of which are sustainable in the medium to long term. If you want to argue that analysis argue it, but dismissing it out of hand as "hating" or "lulz basement MBA" is churlish.
Now, as to why people suggest cutting prices might be considered a positive move for the company, lets consider it. Those competitors you insist GW are outperforming(yet are somehow driving the growth of the industry, since GW aren't) often compete primarily with GW based on price - Mantic are a good example, with their two main selling points being tournament-friendly rules and comparatively cheap "not-Warhammer" models. By reducing their prices, GW either A; force Mantic and other price-based competitors to follow suit, narrowing their margins to the point that many will fold and thus cease competing with GW, or B; regain market share from those competitors by bringing their product's price to quality ratio back in line with what people are willing to pay. Another benefit of reducing prices would be the opportunity to substantially increase volume of sales, assuming the reduction is properly marketed of course, which allows GW to use another of its advantages against the competition; its size.
The issue is, GW have to compete somehow, and right now they don't appear to want to. They won't compete on price, they cede vast swathes of the wargaming community to their competitors without a fight(skirmish, mass-battle, naval combat, all game genres with lots of different options available because GW neglected(and are now eliminating) Specialist Games), they claim to compete on quality and exclusivity yet their designs become more toy-like with each release and boutique resin miniatures are available which far surpass GW models in technical and aesthetic prowess for equivalent or cheaper prices.
They're running out of options. When they run out of things to cut, and if they continue to refuse to compete, how exactly are they supposed to keep making money?
|
I need to acquire plastic Skavenslaves, can you help?
I have a blog now, evidently. Featuring the Alternative Mordheim Model Megalist.
"Your society's broken, so who should we blame? Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No, lets blame the people with no power and no money and those immigrants who don't even have the vote. Yea, it must be their fething fault." - Iain M Banks
-----
"The language of modern British politics is meant to sound benign. But words do not mean what they seem to mean. 'Reform' actually means 'cut' or 'end'. 'Flexibility' really means 'exploit'. 'Prudence' really means 'don't invest'. And 'efficient'? That means whatever you want it to mean, usually 'cut'. All really mean 'keep wages low for the masses, taxes low for the rich, profits high for the corporations, and accept the decline in public services and amenities this will cause'." - Robin McAlpine from Common Weal |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 12:59:28
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Battlefield Tourist
MN (Currently in WY)
|
My remedy is very simple. Look at what made them successful before, learn from it, and play to your strengths.
1. Change the mission of the company. It should not be to "Make the best Toy Soldiers in the World" instead, I would change it to, "Make the best games using Toy Soldiers in the world." It is a subtle but very important difference. Change the culture.
2. Realize that "Cult Marketing" should be the focus. Word-of-Mouth is key. To do that, you have to give your followers the belief that they are being "part of the Hobby" and that gives you a look behind the curtain.
4. Compete across all niches of the Hobby. Being the biggest boy on the block should give you advantages in the market. Take advantage of it and use your muscle to force your smaller competitors to outperform you instead of letting them own the field of battle.
5. Lead, don't follow. GW invested heavily in the manufacturing side of the Hobby. Excellent, now make a similar commitment and reinvest in the Market Research side fo the Hobby. Stop thinking about what consumers want out of Warhammer, and start thinking about what gamers want the next evolution of Wargaming to be. Be the first to market.
6. Lots of stock buyback. Reduce the say of the Stock Holders and increase the value of each share. This by default increases the powe rof the company to control their product. Then, if capital is needed, you have something worth selling.
Kind of businessy and less 'Gamey" focused, but there you go.
|
Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
https://www.patreon.com/Bloodandspectaclespublishing |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 13:24:10
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Multispectral Nisse
Luton, UK
|
Stop thinking about what consumers want out of Warhammer, and start thinking about what gamers want the next evolution of Wargaming to be.
Excellent point. GW is stuck reinventing the wheel currently whilst the competitors are pushing the hobby into new areas (or forgotten ones).
Not only that, but they've just scrapped all the interesting parts of the car (after letting them rust for 10 years) so they can continue working on the wheels.
On the other hand, there are still plenty of people lining up to buy GW's wheels, so they clearly see no reason to change yet.
|
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/05/03 13:36:10
“Good people are quick to help others in need, without hesitation or requiring proof the need is genuine. The wicked will believe they are fighting for good, but when others are in need they’ll be reluctant to help, withholding compassion until they see proof of that need. And yet Evil is quick to condemn, vilify and attack. For Evil, proof isn’t needed to bring harm, only hatred and a belief in the cause.” |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 13:40:52
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Last Remaining Whole C'Tan
|
What makes you think GWS isn't going in the direction that it wishes to be going; that it needs to be "saved"?
|
lord_blackfang wrote:Respect to the guy who subscribed just to post a massive ASCII dong in the chat and immediately get banned.
Flinty wrote:The benefit of slate is that its.actually a.rock with rock like properties. The downside is that it's a rock |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 14:03:42
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Battlefield Tourist
MN (Currently in WY)
|
Ouze wrote:What makes you think GWS isn't going in the direction that it wishes to be going; that it needs to be "saved"?
That's what scares me. You see the direction it is going is to be bought out by some Private Equity group to boost Kirby's (and other board members) value for his retirement, and leave gamers high and dry when everything gets churned and dismantled.
So, I selfishly want GW saved for me!
|
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/05/03 17:37:47
Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
https://www.patreon.com/Bloodandspectaclespublishing |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/03 21:10:08
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Swift Swooping Hawk
|
Im tellin ya fellas...
When GW goes under I hope Privateer Press or Battlefront picks up the IP and RUNS with it!!
Let FFG take the RPG stuff.
40k would be super cool in 15mm -- imagine marines sculpted to the correct scale size-- Land Raiders in squadrons....oooohhh that would be AWESOME!!
|
-3500+
-1850+
-2500+
-3500+
--3500+ |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/04 06:54:04
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Lord Commander in a Plush Chair
|
little bobby oppenheimer wrote:Does anyone know why exactly the stores carry so little stock relative to what they used to? The stores used to be rammed with stuff and there's a lot less now, especially blister packs. I know it makes sense to shorten the product line but I don't see why they can't always have at least one of every blister.
When I'm walking past I often go in to see if something catches my eye but it's always spam of the same ones I don't want. They can order it in but so can I, what's the point.
Last time I was in a GW store, quite a while ago now, I couldn't find the figures I wanted so asked a member of staff who told me it was direct-only, even though it was quite new. The suggestion that they don't have shelf space isn't true, they had a lot more stock in shops of the same size years ago. What's the point in having dedicated retail chain shops and not even stocking the new releases, but keeping them online and telling me that I'll have to mail order it and pay postage, or come back to the shop next week. Waste of time.
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/04 07:54:30
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Bonkers Buggy Driver with Rockets
|
What is need in my opinion is better customer contact and improved marketing. Mainly by building up a relationship with some of the big gaming sites such as Beasts of War and giving more previews and information more than a week in advance.
Squigsquasher wrote: Wizards of the Coast could be a good bet, or even (from a modelling point of view) Bandai. WOTC do pretty solid rules and handle their business fairly well
ROFLMAO to WOTC!!! No. Just... no.
WOTC are a hundred times worse than GW will ever be. They killed D&D minis, killed star Wars minis with power creep, killed Heroscape and are killing D&D RPG. Their errata is in volumes. Their rules wording is TERRIBLE (the word 'can' means 'must' in their CMGs). They're owned by Hasbro so are more money, money, money than any other games company and they treat they staff like dirt with annual redundancies at Christmas.
|
Apologies for talking positively about games I enjoy.
Orkz Rokk!!! |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/04 08:02:16
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Douglas Bader
|
Ugavine wrote:WOTC are a hundred times worse than GW will ever be. They killed D&D minis, killed star Wars minis with power creep, killed Heroscape and are killing D&D RPG. Their errata is in volumes. Their rules wording is TERRIBLE (the word 'can' means 'must' in their CMGs). They're owned by Hasbro so are more money, money, money than any other games company and they treat they staff like dirt with annual redundancies at Christmas.
Meanwhile MTG has none of these problems and is doing far better than GW could even dream of.
|
There is no such thing as a hobby without politics. "Leave politics at the door" is itself a political statement, an endorsement of the status quo and an attempt to silence dissenting voices. |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/04 08:09:29
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Kid_Kyoto
|
Peregrine wrote:Meanwhile MTG has none of these problems and is doing far better than GW could even dream of.
MTG? That game that has one unified set of rules the size of a Chick Tract written by a cadre of authors updating it at once where the solution to dealing with kludgy parts of the system from 10 years ago is just to declare them disallowed? Quite.
They've done almost as good a job at keeping the rules reasonable as Hasbro has done on Candyland.
|
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/05/04 08:09:59
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/04 08:13:57
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Douglas Bader
|
daedalus wrote:MTG? That game that has one unified set of rules the size of a Chick Tract written by a cadre of authors updating it at once where the solution to dealing with kludgy parts of the system from 10 years ago is just to declare them disallowed? Quite.
Err, lol? The only parts of the rules that have been banned have been ante cards (since nobody wanted to play for ante once the game became expensive), the "throw this on the table and destroy anything it hits" cards (for being a tournament nightmare), and the "play a sub-game" card (for being a tournament nightmare). That's a handful of irrelevant cards that nobody used anyway. Meanwhile, unlike GW, WOTC seems to be capable of making rules that work. There is no possible situation where you have to argue over how the rules work in MTG, everything is covered explicitly in the rulebook. And that's with a game that is much more complicated than 40k.
And of course there's also the fact that WOTC doesn't ignore the competitive tournament market, understands how to market a game, etc.
|
There is no such thing as a hobby without politics. "Leave politics at the door" is itself a political statement, an endorsement of the status quo and an attempt to silence dissenting voices. |
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/04 08:27:52
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Kid_Kyoto
|
Peregrine wrote: daedalus wrote:MTG? That game that has one unified set of rules the size of a Chick Tract written by a cadre of authors updating it at once where the solution to dealing with kludgy parts of the system from 10 years ago is just to declare them disallowed? Quite.
Err, lol? The only parts of the rules that have been banned have been ante cards (since nobody wanted to play for ante once the game became expensive), the "throw this on the table and destroy anything it hits" cards (for being a tournament nightmare), and the "play a sub-game" card (for being a tournament nightmare). That's a handful of irrelevant cards that nobody used anyway. Meanwhile, unlike GW, WOTC seems to be capable of making rules that work. There is no possible situation where you have to argue over how the rules work in MTG, everything is covered explicitly in the rulebook. And that's with a game that is much more complicated than 40k.
Then I suppose I don't really "get" MTG:
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/149
https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=judge/resources/banned
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/232
In addition, I was under the impression that only the latest core set and couple expansions were "valid" for play. I could be wrong. I haven't played MTG since Tempest.
I mean, friendly games, whatever, of course, but then again, I can still bust out my Codex: Catachans for anyone who's willing to put up with it, right?
Again though, I'm confused that you're surprised that a set of rules written by different authors spanning the course of three iterations of core rule revisions doesn't hold together very well. You might as well be pissed your 4th edition D&D character doesn't work in a Spelljammer game. All things considered, sometimes I'm impressed they keep it together as well as they do. Does that mean I don't want it to be better? Of course not. Always room for improvement.
And of course there's also the fact that WOTC doesn't ignore the competitive tournament market, understands how to market a game, etc.
Now that's an entirely different bag of worms. 40k doesn't hold up in a tournament setting because, for better or worse, GW is actively rallying against it.
|
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/04 10:41:03
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Lord Commander in a Plush Chair
|
Mtg cards are useful in different formats. Standard covers the most recent sets, modern about 10 years worth of cards and legacy which goes back the full way. You play the format that suits you, I'm a newer player so only do standard because I can't afford to buy into older discontinued card set, thus I only play with other people limited to using more recent cards, as a new player I can play on an even footing. Older players can play formats that allow older cards. Not everyone wants to play with all printed cards regardless of their age, the pool of cards is many thousands.
Why is this seen as a criticism of Wizards? The alternatives are to always allow use of any cards, which would make it impossible for new people to compete. Or to always ban all older cards from competitive play, which would let those with older collections go to waste.
Instead WotC offer events and supported play styles designed to cater for different types of players, but they are criticised for it. Why is that? The number of totally banned cards are few, and they're usually overpowered and no fun when used because they distort the game.
If you need a comparison to GW, how many figures from years ago have been removed from the game? Loads. If you want to use them, you need to make up rules or proxy them as a counts-as army. But the result is that there are no formats of 40K that allow you to use Zoats today. Either you make up rules (not legal outside the home/club) or you play an older edition like Rogue Trader, in which case you can't use your modern Dreadknight without a similar fudge.
With mtg cards, a Black Lotus from 1994 is completely compatible with the cards being printed today and is legal for competitive use in the Legacy or Vintage format, I forget which.
As for the rules being like a book, the fact is that you can teach someone to play Magic in an afternoon. Most of the full ruleset is redundant to a new player because it deals with much older cards. The mechanics of play are very straightforward and the rules for certain abilities are printed on the card in full anyway so you don't need to look anything up. And if you do struggle with something, every card ever printed is on their website with various rulings by judges to clear up any confusion. And there's a discussion area for each card for people to rate it and make comments.
How do GW compare? Well their erratas are infrequent and incomplete, there's no interaction with the players on their website, they barely do organised events, they don't have any sort of release fanfare when new things are released in the manner of Wizards - when their new sets are supported by a weekend of events, games and promos. When WotC release a new set, it's a real event. When GW release a new codex it's about as lively as the latest Star Wars figures arriving in the toy shop. Exciting to see new figures, but there's no attempt to make it any more special than new stock being out on the shelves.
|
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/05/04 10:43:19
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/04 13:59:58
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Fixture of Dakka
|
All interesting ideas, but all GW needs is a CEO with a brain
|
|
|
 |
 |
![[Post New]](/s/i/i.gif) 2013/05/04 14:06:06
Subject: What could "save" GW?
|
 |
Decrepit Dakkanaut
|
Squigsquasher wrote:Now it's no secret that Games Workshop have been getting worse and worse recently. the question is, what would make them better?
What do YOU think?
Keep giving them our money?
|
|
 |
 |
|