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Guys, I hate to be the one person who says something really silly but what were you expecting Warhammer Visions to be? They said quite clearly it was to be a picture magazine. A very high quality finished product. That's all. They didn't say it was going to reinvent the wheel. They mentioned there would be lots of pics and would have more images given over to "our" models. Finally, if those people who think they could make a better magazine, why don't you go ahead and do one to the quality of WV, or aren't you orky enough.

Don't confuse glossy pages for quality. There are online magazines producing much better content for free even if the layout is amateurish in comparison. Visions' quality is entirely superficial.

I am actually surprised we do not have leaks for issue 2 yet

If you're a Beasts of War backstage subscriber, Jake Thornton has a very neat interview with them, where he talks about the old days of White Dwarf - Around 1991 - 1997 when he was working on the magazine.

He's also started a blog series on the subject too. http://quirkworthy.com/2014/01/31/white-dwarf-reborn-part-1/

It's cool to have more blanchitsu or kibash articles, but it's mostly filled with pictures like " This techmarine has really nothing special" or " A very casual group of orcs oppose a Tyranoflex that you've seen a hundred times before" or " Mike painted his firewarrior like everyone else".

Some nice pictures, but there are a 100 times more nice pictures in dakka. ( all free, do i need to mention it ?)

Left Hand of the Pheonix wrote:
Guys, I hate to be the one person who says something really silly but what were you expecting Warhammer Visions to be? They said quite clearly it was to be a picture magazine. A very high quality finished product. That's all. They didn't say it was going to reinvent the wheel. They mentioned there would be lots of pics and would have more images given over to "our" models.

I partially agree. That YouTube reviewer got on my nerves. It's a photo book, for chrissakes. After you figure that out, it's not something that deserves the words "curious" and "surreal" 37 times.

Now, I do think it's kinda bogus that existing WD subs will move over to Visions. The sub is cancelled easily enough, but I still get that Visions probably isn't anything like what people signed up for. It doesn't seem like something that needs to be monthly...quarterly would be plenty. Then again, they might have simply wanted *something* monthly to make sorting out the old WD subs easier.


I have the first weekly WD...and I like the format overall. No, it's not the WD of yesteryear. But it's got a little content and some nice pictures for the price of a comic book.

I think it's great on the newsstand. If I flip through it and see an interesting article, it's an cheap impulse buy. If not, I can skip that issue. This is nothing but win as far as I'm concerned. The $11 or $12 price tag of old WD was too much for a magazine impulse buy or if I only wanted one particular article.

It's certainly a different format, but I think it has a chance to be reasonably successful once people get used to it.

Here's a fun project for any coders out there wanting something to mess about with.

Make a script to do 'view a random image' on the Dakka gallery a hundred or so times, get it copy the image and add it to a pdf.

Instant "Dakka Visions" - Job done!

 jojo_monkey_boy wrote:
I cannot fathom why anyone with beyond a rudimentary understanding of the internet would buy their Visions publication.

Through the internet I can...
Go to GW's own web site to see high quality pictures of last month's releases
Visit innumerable forums and blogs to access high quality kit bash and hobby articles that actually go in depth into the process of assembly as well as providing the opportunity to ask questions
Visit CMON to see award winning model entries

So why would I pay over 10 dollars to GW to do the same in a magazine format?

Because I would bet GW thinks none of that stuff exists, or worse that nobody cares. I've read elsewhere that they apparently hate that sites like this exist, so it would not surprise me at all if they were just totally ignorant of the fact it's 2014 and not 1994 and think that people would rather buy their magazine for "the hobby" versus look at better things and communicate with other people on a site like this.

 Compel wrote:
He's also started a blog series on the subject too. http://quirkworthy.com/2014/01/31/white-dwarf-reborn-part-1/

Meh... far too neutral and not enough GW bashing

I'm always impressed with the restraint shown by former GW employees when commenting on the new regime in interviews/blogs. Be fun to see someone let rip occasionally, but maintaining a professional attitude is to be respected.

Interestingly in the comments, someone references the youtube review video and he kind of mocks the guy for showing every single page. IMHO, that's what made the review so great - by showing every single page, we were left in no doubt there was absolutely nothing of interest in the damn thing.

 Flashman wrote:

Interestingly in the comments, someone references the youtube review video and he kind of mocks the guy for showing every single page. IMHO, that's what made the review so great - by showing every single page, we were left in no doubt there was absolutely nothing of interest in the damn thing.

Yeah - totally agree. That's the beauty of the video report over a static article that can only show a few images - he can flip through the entire thing as he talks. Should leave no doubt in the mind of the viewer whether this is something you'd ever want to buy.

I love the guy raging about it being a terrible review because he didn't do an in-depth analysis...Uh... it's a picture book! He talked about the change in size, price, discussed odd layout choices, re-use of images, lack of article text, and 3-language text blurbs. What else is there to say about it other than flip through it and reveal to everyone how useless it is.

Wow, you know what after looking at that vid actually cancel what I said about buying the first editions on general principle. I'd rather spend the money on more paints & brushes. Didn't expect Visions to hit all of the marks people will have wanted but being THAT light on content is ridiculous, and while the weekly WD does seem to have some merits... unless there's something specific I'm after (which I'm sure you good folks here on Dakka would confirm talking about it) it won't be worth it to me.

I buy enough expensive pamphlets going to football games with match programmes, and eventually they just pile up before being separated into 'keeps' and 'bins'. This would definitely end up being the same, the difference being I care enough about my club being as successful as it can be to view it as a little donation to them in keeping it going, but GW hardly needs that extra revenue.

Now imagine how big the gap must be between the deciding managers and the HQ staff familiar with the game, to let such a product hit the market. It's like Morloks and Eloi in one room. Now Tom Kirby must find someone who is responsible for this, and it most certainly won't be him.

Why is the White Dwarf team so large? The weekly magazine is pathetic, does it really take that many people to produce that?

Joyboozer wrote:
Why is the White Dwarf team so large?

Because they are Notthingham people, not some irrelevant HQ staff in the colonies

You've got to admit, some of it is Joker level genius/insanity.

Switch to a weekly release cycle (Which I actually did predict ages ago), release the new models for the newly updated army.

Then don't release the new Army Book allowing you to use the new aforementioned models, until later / the end of the month, unless people buy the weekly magazine, which has the rules in it and will be completely useless and invalidated, within 3 weeks.

Left Hand of the Pheonix wrote:
Guys, I hate to be the one person who says something really silly but what were you expecting Warhammer Visions to be? They said quite clearly it was to be a picture magazine.

It's an A5 picture magazine, their choice of pictures is uninspired, and their use of those pictures isn't much better.

It's why I said you could do the same thing but not be crap:
B4 instead of A5 so you have enough room for pictures worthy of the picture magazine label.
Pick pictures people would want to see, on a common theme. Old black and white artworks, conversions, Golden Daemon winners, all for the Tyranids.
For every full page photograph or artwork, have a full page of close-ups, WIP shots, info about the artist or what have you.

So they trumpeted Blanchitsu as a selling point for Visions but there are only 4 (!) actual pages of content which unfortunately, as someone posted here on Dakka many days ago, is basically John presenting yet another Nurgle Lord conversion. Oy vey... Well, there's £7.50 I won't have to spend after all. I was going to get a copy of both first issues just for the sake of it but, I am more depressed now having watched the youtube review.

White Dwarf weekly seems more promising but, I don't play WHFB so, not much in the first issue to interest me much. Hmm, maybe time to quit. I did once for about three or four years from 2006 but I guess White Dwarf really is dead. Very sad.

Left Hand of the Pheonix wrote: Finally, if those people who think they could make a better magazine, why don't you go ahead and do one to the quality of WV, or aren't you orky enough.

I think we are doing that on Dakka already. There is a percentage of collectors and players here who put their heart into modelling, painting and tactics, and do it exceptionally well. Some take incredible photos and post them, which are not hard to find. Thankfully, Dakka is also a place for the people still finding their way or just beginning. White Dwarf and GW seem to be just dumping great swathes of their fan base.

eflix29 wrote:Some nice pictures, but there are a 100 times more nice pictures in dakka. ( all free, do i need to mention it ?)

So I wonder if GW will attempt some kind of recourse against Dakka for reducing its bottom line?

Just went through the iPad version and this is really bad. Worst of all, Apple says magazine sales are final. Looks like i'm getting a whole year of this "magazine" since i forgot to turn auto resubscribe off.

White Dwarf, sadly, has been weak since the late 90s, maybe early 2000s. I say that because they stopped cool fluff, extra rules and content you couldn't get anywhere else. Further, the reality of the ever expanding internet and popularity of great sites like this one and others negated a lot of the coolness of covering the Games Days, and well painted miniatures. The newer WD format had the same tired articles trotted out each month, so variety was non-existent. It really saddens me though. WD was a great monthly escape for me and my brothers for a long time as kids, and then for awhile after, but alas those days are far behind us.

 Samurai_Eduh wrote:
Just went through the iPad version and this is really bad. Worst of all, Apple says magazine sales are final. Looks like i'm getting a whole year of this "magazine" since i forgot to turn auto resubscribe off.

Tell them that the magazine you subscribed to was cancelled and you did not give permission for them to transfer your subscription to this other magazine.

seems the digital subscription price has gone up from $65 last year, to $80 this time around...
Warhammer Visions 1 was the last issue in my subscription from last year...
i just checked it out, and i'm not sure if i want to renew my subscription...

the Golden Demon coverage has some really good photography, and is the best part of this issue...
Blanchitsu is cool, but seemed to have been cut in half, content-wise:(...
Kitbash had some fun converted Ork trucks...
Army of the month wasn't bad, either...

the loss of designer notes from the sculptors and Codex writers was a bummer...
seems any wordy content will go to White Dwarf Weekly, which doesn't seem like it will be available to download, screwing me here in Mexico...

all in all, it's a sad move...
after 30 years of collecting, i may just be done with my favorite magazine:(...

cheers
jah

Is it just me... But I can't find White Dwarf weekly on iBooks?

Left Hand of the Pheonix wrote:
Guys, I hate to be the one person who says something really silly but what were you expecting Warhammer Visions to be? They said quite clearly it was to be a picture magazine. A very high quality finished product. That's all. They didn't say it was going to reinvent the wheel. They mentioned there would be lots of pics and would have more images given over to "our" models. Finally, if those people who think they could make a better magazine, why don't you go ahead and do one to the quality of WV, or aren't you orky enough.

This really isn't a good defense of Warhammer Visions, because even if it's meant to be a pure picture book it fails miserably at that.

The pictures are unspired schlock, the same cold lifeless setups of GW stock models we've seen over and over. Many of the pics are simply zoom-in/zoom-outs of other pics. If it was a book of conversions, interesting armies, and original 40k artwork it'd have some coffeetable book value but in its current carnation it's utterly devoid of any worth getting.

The book itself just reflects GW's disconnect and how they hate/don't understand that new-fangled internet. This is the kind of thing you'd see back in the day before any person under the age of 92 is able to use a computer and look at these kind of galleries themselves as soon as they hear about them.

Saxon wrote:
Is it just me... But I can't find White Dwarf weekly on iBooks?

Think its only on the Black Library site.

went into GW today, the store didn't have an open copy of the weekly but they let me (carefully) skim through a copy of it. I was to scarred (I think that's the word) to have a serious look through it (this is like, the second time ive gone to the store and "hung out" after buying something. but it looked good, tiny, but good. it had enough pictures, good content in all. but I am sworn to my subscription, and cant wait to see some blanche, I find the guy creepy, but it gives me ideas for stuff to sell to my friend.

Had a browse through a copy at my local store today. Roughly 1/3 to 1/2 is useless. The tyranid pics, retail list, and battle report art pathetic and a waste of space. The GD, Army of the Month, and Blanchitsu (though short) were good. Was hoping for more of that.

That they recycled photo shoots from the vanity shots in the WD Weekly for the tyranids makes it worse.

 nels1031 wrote:

Saxon wrote:
Is it just me... But I can't find White Dwarf weekly on iBooks?

Think its only on the Black Library site.

found it on the BL site...
hopefully they put it in the iBook store...
i buy all my digital stuff with iTunes cards...
no joy for WD Weekly with iTunes money yet:(...

cheers
jah

Anybody excited about an early leak of Warhammer Visions #2?

Magazine seems nothing but a placeholder, done by an imperfect google image search program that does not include proper formating and rotating of pics.

 Kroothawk wrote:
Anybody excited about an early leak of Warhammer Visions #2?
.

Not really.

Incidentally, in the letter that subscribers got sent with their magazines this month, Jes invites people to comment by emailing him so I suggest if anyone feels strongly then they should send a polite email to him expressing their displeasure.

jes@whitedwarf.co.uk

Not that it will do much good but I may well send an email voicing my disappointment at the format change. If GW really are serious about changing WD for the better (and that isn't clear at this point) then they will appreciate and use the deluge of customer feedback that they are likely to get from this change, whether it's email feedback or the volume of cancelled subscriptions.