GW Germany HQ Closing Down

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**Absolutionis**

Games Workshop Germany seems to rumored to be next on the chopping block. Also, GW US and GW France are now wholly subservient to GW UK.

http://natfka.blogspot.com/2014/01/games-workshop-germany-shut-down.html

Something big is underway in response to yesterday's semi-annual report and stock losses resulting in what looks like Games Workshop Germany Headquarters is shutting down. US and France will be effected as well. This will place stores under direct leadership of GW UK.

Please remember that this is considered a rumor until we know more information and something official is announced. The origins of this are in German from the site Brueckenkopf online, and I have a translated version of it below.

via Dennis on Brueckenkopf online
http://www.brueckenkopf-online.com/?p=98657
As we have just learned that, Games Workshop Germany will shut down and the leadership of the German shops to England.

From this measure are also Games Workshop France and the USA affected. According to our source, the employment contracts of the employees were dissolved in the HQs as a result, with some probably the choice was woks to move or discontinue to UK.

The chain of stores is placed under the direct leadership of Games Workshop UK in Nottingham. Here are sure to report in the next week, the new boss in the stores, as they are currently without contact.

This change was apparently already on 16 January 2014 at the same time implemented with the announcement of the results of the semi-annual report.

Seems that there's still gallons of fat to trim before Kirby et al find the common denominator.

**jonolikespie**

Gee I wonder why this could be..
/unenthusiastic sarcasm

For the first 10 pages of the financial report thread it was fun for those of us that have been preaching doom and gloom getting some validation but this is starting to get sad. I mean really, the entire US branch is now just a division of GW HQ in the UK? Nothing we've heard in the last few days is anything other than more of the same crap that landed GW in this mess in the first place.

**-Loki-**

I wouldn't call resorting to laying off middle management as gallons of fat. When you get to this point thing are generally pretty dire.

**Joyboozer**

Commissar Kirby strikes again!

**WarOne**

-Loki- wrote:
I wouldn't call resorting to laying off middle management as gallons of fat. When you get to this point thing are generally pretty dire.

A local HQ in a country different from the one you started in helps deal within the laws and regional differences of that market. It also gives employees a closer resource for help and guidance.

Axing it will save money, yes. But it will also undermine the integrity of those who work in that country as well as make it difficult to operate, especially if situations arise.

**-Loki-**

WarOne wrote:
-Loki- wrote:
I wouldn't call resorting to laying off middle management as gallons of fat. When you get to this point thing are generally pretty dire.

A local HQ in a country different from the one you started in helps deal within the laws and regional differences of that market. It also gives employees a closer resource for help and guidance.

Axing it will save money, yes. But it will also undermine the integrity of those who work in that country as well as make it difficult to operate, especially if situations arise.

Ummm that's what I meant. It's not gallons of fat, it's cutting the bone.

**RatBot**

More Great News (TM)!

To be less sarcastic, though, this is getting sad. Are there any multinational corporations that run their business centrally, without any sort of local HQ? Is that what's happening? Cuz that's what it seems like. This will save them money in the short-term but I can't imagine it's going to help long-term. We'll have to see what the full year report looks like but unless something drastic happens this seems like using a cellophane wrapper to perform field triage on a sucking chest wound.

**AlexHolker**

Anyone else feel like they're watching David Attenborough?

"As food grows scarce, the pride of managers turns to cannibalism. The alpha male chooses a victim and they are devoured, to sate the pride's hunger for a little while longer."

**H.B.M.C.**

More centralised control sounds like a good idea, but the US and the UK are so completely different in terms of population distribution and demographics that I just don't see how GWUK can effectively (micro)manage GWUS from half the world away.

Of course, this could lead to a "Boston Tea Party" situation, with GW managers dumping crates of FineCost into the harbour whilst screaming "No price rises without representation!".

**captsabre**

Now that would be a funny site to see :')

**Eisenhorn**

Wonder whos buying hasbro or mattel?

**agnosto**

Where's Kroot at? I figured he'd be in here in the first few posts.

**jonolikespie**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
More centralised control sounds like a good idea, but the US and the UK are so completely different in terms of population distribution and demographics that I just don't see how GWUK can effectively (micro)manage GWUS from half the world away.

Of course, this could lead to a "Boston Tea Party" situation, with GW managers dumping crates of FineCost into the harbour whilst screaming "No price rises without representation!".

Surely having GW UK in direct control of the US stores is a good thing, it's not like the UK policies being forced on a non UK market are one of the big reasons GW into this mess in the first place, right?

**Jehan-reznor**

I wonder where all the white knights are, proclaiming that this is good news.

**agnosto**

More like it's trimming what little perceived fat remains before the end of year financials.

**wuestenfux**

Well, this is really bad news. I enjoyed playing in the Drakenburg, the German HQ in Düsseldorf.
Not sure if products translated to German will be affected (Codexes, etc.).

**VyRa**

wuestenfux wrote:
Well, this is really bad news. I enjoyed playing in the Drakenburg, the German HQ in Düsseldorf. Not sure if they will close it also.

According to Bruckenkopf the lease on the Drakenburg is already running out and and isn't going to be renewed.

**wuestenfux**

VyRa wrote:
wuestenfux wrote:
Well, this is really bad news. I enjoyed playing in the Drakenburg, the German HQ in Düsseldorf. Not sure if they will close it also.

According to Bruckenkopf the lease on the Drakenburg is already running out and and isn't going to be renewed.

This is actually bad news. I guess that the ToS tournament in Germany to be held in the Drakenburg will also be reconsidered.

**Alpharius**

agnosto wrote:
Where's Kroot at? I figured he'd be in here in the first few posts.

I was wondering the same thing.

Someone has got to hand out the pitchforks and torches on site though, right?

Or is that more likely to be... leading the chorus of "I told you so!" down at the pub?

**Hivefleet Oblivion**

jonolikespie wrote:
Gee I wonder why this could be..
/unenthusiastic sarcasm

For the first 10 pages of the financial report thread it was fun for those of us that have been preaching doom and gloom getting some validation but this is starting to get sad. I mean really, the entire US branch is now just a division of GW HQ in the UK? Nothing we've heard in the last few days is anything other than more of the same crap that landed GW in this mess in the first place.

You're right.

In the past, I've thought that people who love predicting doom and gloom overdid it. But cutting, to try and restore profit against falling sales, is a classic, foolish, ill-thought out move. They should be trying to increase sales, not cut costs.. moves like this are likely to launch a death spiral, and will kill the company sooner.

I think a lot of the negativity about GW has been unfair, because there are a lot of talented people, and a lot of creativity in the company. But this obsession with cuts seems to show they are really lions led by donkeys.

**Da Boss**

If they close the store, the independent game shop that is literally 2 minutes walk away will be happy. There are a few places selling GW products in the vicinity that will be pleased, I imagine.

Shame though- it's the nicest GW store I've ever been in, with a huge gaming space and some excellent displays, not to mention very friendly staff.

**Kroothawk**

agnosto wrote:Where's Kroot at? I figured he'd be in here in the first few posts.

I was at work, then reading the news, then rereading my thread "Is GW retreating from all non-English markets?" from September http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/550322.page and all the replys calling me crazy, out of my mind and a GW hater

I will make a more substantial reply when I have thought all this over.

Anyone still doubting my theory of GW in a state of powershrinking?

wuestenfux wrote:Not sure if products translated to German will be affected (Codexes, etc.).

The German translation team has been disbanded a while ago, replaced by one or more persons in Nottingham. So it already IS reduced to the bare minimum.

**Oaka**

Well, at least I had fun playing Games Workshop games throughout my entire adolescence and early adult life. It's not like kids these days are going to play anything that isn't on a phone or tablet, anyways.

**fishy bob**

GW Amsterdam closed shop today apparently.

**MeanGreenStompa**

Sorry to hear all this.

I hope some bright sparks out there will take up the mantle and provide good quality Independent gaming stores in the wake of this and offer a great range of games including GW's... Providing GW doesn't make it too hard for them to do so...

**Kroothawk**

Tom Kirby had to make a tough decision: Keep GW USA, GW Germany, GW France, GW Netherlands ... or keep his yearly income of £ 1.3 Mio . Someone had to pay for Kim Il Kirby's dumb business decisions.

**agnosto**

Kroothawk wrote:
agnosto wrote:Where's Kroot at? I figured he'd be in here in the first few posts.

I was at work, then reading the news, then rereading my thread "Is GW retreating from all non-English markets?" from September http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/550322.page and all the replys calling me crazy, out of my mind and a GW hater
I will make a more substantial reply when I have thought all this over.

Anyone still doubting my theory of GW in a state of powershrinking?

wuestenfux wrote:Not sure if products translated to German will be affected (Codexes, etc.).

The German translation team has been disbanded a while ago, replaced by one or more persons in Nottingham. So it already IS reduced to the bare minimum.

Vindication at last!

So, do you have time to stop by the Pitchfork and Torch Emporium on your way home from work?

**Kroothawk**

At the moment it is more a mix of shock, sorrow, and condolence for some of the people I know at the German GW HQ rather than hate and anger.
It is sad that one mad-man can run the company into the ground and there is nobody who stops him.
This is a bad day for tabletop gaming all over the world. I really hate to have been right about this.
Now I am off to watch "Der Untergang": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downfall_%282004_film%29 .

**Alpharius**

This is sad - condolences to all those who will be losing jobs.

**Bronzefists42**

It's starting to look like the end. The white knights have left us and the black knights are celebrating in the wake of their hideous predictions coming to fruition. Now GW either becomes someone else's property or is wiped out.