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 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 insaniak wrote:
I don't know about overseas, but my understanding is that this is exactly the opposite of what has been happening here in Oz. The bigger stores were in the high profile shop spaces in the big malls, and they've been downsizing into smaller stores in more out-of-the-way locations.

Yup. Hornsby store? In the main Westfield. Not in a premium location (that would be EB's location right at the entrance to the foodcourt), but it was in the main drag. It's now gone, they didn't open a new one. Chatswood, probably the most successful GW, had a prime position. Now it's a 1-man store in a part of Chatswood where all the other store signs are in Korean. NorSyd? Gone. Parra? We couldn't find it last time we were there, only the empty shell of where it used to be. I know the City store is still around, but the Good Games nearby is doing better.

I overheard the other week that the Gold Coast store is one of the most profitable in Queensland, which I could believe given it's not in a bad spot. On a main road (not really viable from the road though), nestled between quite a few fast food places, just around the corner from a shopping center and down the road from another. Except I heard that on a Thursday night (gaming night pretty much everywhere in SE QLD) when there was me and 3 other people in the store (the FLGS an hour up the road had 15 or so people there playing Warmachine last time I was in on a Thursday night and they just moved to a bigger gaming hall).

I also recently visited the Battle bunker in Brisbane, it was fairly deserted and although it's a great size no one would ever be able to find it if they didn't already know where it was.

Funnily enough the last time I was in both stores I was picking things up and considering buying them but both times the employee was too busy to deal with me so I just walked out.

Suffice to say I was surprised the report was *that* bad, but I wasn't expecting another flat year.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Steve steveson wrote:

 insaniak wrote:

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
The demand was there, the public wanted it..

And yet copies sat on shelves in GW stores for months until being boxed up and sent back to be destroyed.

Yes, but you have no idea how many were sold and how many were sent back.

Stock runs out "GW are stupid! They don't make enough"

Stock is left "GW are stupid! No one wants the game"

Apart from the limited number things that sell out fast we have no idea what happens. Thats not to say it didn't sell well or it did, but we just don't know.

Given that you can still buy them in FLGSs I think it is safe to say that no, there was simply no demand for that game. I'm not even sure how anyone can think otherwise... It was dead on arrival, that should have just been common knowledge for years now.

It's not that it's sitting on shelves and not shifting. It's sitting on shelves at a huge discount and not shifting (I've seen stalls with it at 50% off - so making a loss assuming GW does at best a 40% discount for trade customers), it really looks like it won't shift at any price, and literal stacks of them were sent for destruction.

rich1231 wrote:
Account information would have been a few hours work max.
Password migration on the other hand wont be and will likely be a massive pain.

Downtime was likely to have been a DNS contingency.

Likely, based on the cost, they did last minute acceptance testing during the downtime.

Account information includes usernames, hopefully encrypted passwords not hashed, addresses (you could store multiple) and other contact details, old orders, and wish lists. You would have had a data transformation piece to match up the old schema to the new schema including changing any order numbering scheme, customer numbering scheme, etc. Biggest part would be the previous orders and wish lists per customer as you would have to transform the links to the items in the old orders to the new links, this is not trivial, potentially error prone and far easier just to not migrate it.

Once you decide that you aren't migrating passwords (as they are encrypted) or old orders, you might as well get the user to register again as you would only be migrating contact info, this is zero effort for GW. It has the added benefit of getting rid of the dead accounts that aren't being used.

Dead accounts aren't that bad an issue on a webstore - they take up essentially no space (say 1KB/user) whilst providing you some contact information and minimizing the barrier for sale. For instance, I no longer have an account there, so if I want to buy anything I need to re-register, but I'm incredibly lazy, so unless I really want it I just won't bother.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
I am not sure that the big kits appeal to a large enough number of people.

After all the Knight Titan, though well received, obviously did not save the sales figures this year, even though they can ally with any Imperial army or be an army by themselves.

Yeah. I really don't give 2 gaks for big kits. I prefer LandRaider and smaller models, except for big ass terrain pieces.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
If dreadfleet had instead been a Battlefleet Gothic starter with, say Orks vs Imperium, my group would probably have been all in. We could have added it to our 40k campaigns and gak.

As is, "Pass" was the unanimous answer.

Looky Likey wrote:
numbering scheme, etc. Biggest part would be the previous orders and wish lists per customer as you would have to transform the links to the items in the old orders to the new links, this is not trivial, potentially error prone and far easier just to not migrate it.

Once you decide that you aren't migrating passwords (as they are encrypted) or old orders, you might as well get the user to register again as you would only be migrating contact info, this is zero effort for GW. It has the added benefit of getting rid of the dead accounts that aren't being used.

Nope, order history didn't continue either, nor wish lists. You needed a completely new account.

There's a topic for the thread. Please stick to it.

Does anyone think this would be a good time to become involved in GW as a job? Would someone who understands the hobby side of things turn the company around?

timd wrote:

 TheAuldGrump wrote:

DrRansom wrote:
I didn't know GW was at max production capability. Though I find that a bit surprising, without customer research, how do they know how much to produce?

Don't forget - they closed their production facilities in Florida, and, I believe, destroyed those molds.

The Auld Grump

Memphis is in Florida?

Brain cramp.

Correcting it above.

The Auld Grump

 Sillycybin wrote:
Does anyone think this would be a good time to become involved in GW as a job? Would someone who understands the hobby side of things turn the company around?

A good CEO could turn the company round, but only if the Chairman allows it.

I'm willing to bet that Kirby will remain in full control behind the scenes, he's only standing down from the position right now because UK law demands it. It will become clearer when the new CEO is actually appointed, my guess it will be someone known to Kirby, possibly an internal promotion.

NoggintheNog wrote:

 Sillycybin wrote:
Does anyone think this would be a good time to become involved in GW as a job? Would someone who understands the hobby side of things turn the company around?

A good CEO could turn the company round, but only if the Chairman allows it.

I'm willing to bet that Kirby will remain in full control behind the scenes, he's only standing down from the position right now because UK law demands it. It will become clearer when the new CEO is actually appointed, my guess it will be someone known to Kirby, possibly an internal promotion.

You don't need to know the hobby, just be able to trust and verify the people who do/would.

In GW's current incarnation as a viable long term profit generating business knowledge of the hobby isn't really needed. Nothing needs turning around.

 Mr. Burning wrote:

NoggintheNog wrote:

 Sillycybin wrote:
Does anyone think this would be a good time to become involved in GW as a job? Would someone who understands the hobby side of things turn the company around?

A good CEO could turn the company round, but only if the Chairman allows it.

I'm willing to bet that Kirby will remain in full control behind the scenes, he's only standing down from the position right now because UK law demands it. It will become clearer when the new CEO is actually appointed, my guess it will be someone known to Kirby, possibly an internal promotion.

You don't need to know the hobby, just be able to trust and verify the people who do/would.

In GW's current incarnation as a viable long term profit generating business knowledge of the hobby isn't really needed. Nothing needs turning around.

Wait, did you just say that a business which is haemorrhaging sales has long-term viability?

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

 Mr. Burning wrote:

NoggintheNog wrote:

 Sillycybin wrote:
Does anyone think this would be a good time to become involved in GW as a job? Would someone who understands the hobby side of things turn the company around?

A good CEO could turn the company round, but only if the Chairman allows it.

I'm willing to bet that Kirby will remain in full control behind the scenes, he's only standing down from the position right now because UK law demands it. It will become clearer when the new CEO is actually appointed, my guess it will be someone known to Kirby, possibly an internal promotion.

You don't need to know the hobby, just be able to trust and verify the people who do/would.

In GW's current incarnation as a viable long term profit generating business knowledge of the hobby isn't really needed. Nothing needs turning around.

Wait, did you just say that a business which is haemorrhaging sales has long-term viability?

I was paraphrasing Mr. Kirby.

This augurs well for our long term health and cash flow.

If your measure of 'good' is the current financial year's numbers, you may not agree. But if your measure is the long-term survivability of
a great cash generating business that still has a lot of potential growth, then you will agree.

Ah, I see. Shoulda seen that straight away

Welcome the new CEO, Merritt...

 Compel wrote:

Looky Likey wrote:
numbering scheme, etc. Biggest part would be the previous orders and wish lists per customer as you would have to transform the links to the items in the old orders to the new links, this is not trivial, potentially error prone and far easier just to not migrate it.

Once you decide that you aren't migrating passwords (as they are encrypted) or old orders, you might as well get the user to register again as you would only be migrating contact info, this is zero effort for GW. It has the added benefit of getting rid of the dead accounts that aren't being used.

Nope, order history didn't continue either, nor wish lists. You needed a completely new account.

This was a major piece of marketing stupidity, because GW knew people's order history, delivery address, home address and so on, for all of their customers on the old web site.

GW knew I was into Tau and Tyranids. They could have inferred I was into converting and didn't like Finecast. They had this kind of info for all the customers they now want to sell to over the internet. And they have binned it all.

DrRansom wrote:

From GW's point of view, the video games should be an opportunity to get people into the miniature's game. Make a Blood Raven's starter kit, complete with paint, miniatures, painting guide, and some orks and sell that with a discount to owners of the video game.

PERFECT EXAMPLE here. My son was what, 8 or so. While we played a bit he really wanted to start up his own army of Blood Ravens. When I told him they had no book and had to make up the rules from another book, he lost interest. He wanted his own Blood Ravens Codex.

Talk about opportunity lost. Then again, my wallet thanks them.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Ferrum_Sanguinis wrote:
Cross promotions... the SM movie sound like such a no brainier that even I wouldn't think twice about doing them, and I've never taken a business class or an Econ class since high school FFS.

Uh, The SM movie if you are talking about the Ultramarine movie, was so bad, do you think GW wants to be part of that? I mean that movie didn't inspire me at all with 40K. All it did was remind me how boring the movie was and how boring to play 40K is.

 Kilkrazy wrote:

 Compel wrote:

Looky Likey wrote:
numbering scheme, etc. Biggest part would be the previous orders and wish lists per customer as you would have to transform the links to the items in the old orders to the new links, this is not trivial, potentially error prone and far easier just to not migrate it.

Once you decide that you aren't migrating passwords (as they are encrypted) or old orders, you might as well get the user to register again as you would only be migrating contact info, this is zero effort for GW. It has the added benefit of getting rid of the dead accounts that aren't being used.

Nope, order history didn't continue either, nor wish lists. You needed a completely new account.

This was a major piece of marketing stupidity, because GW knew people's order history, delivery address, home address and so on, for all of their customers on the old web site.

GW knew I was into Tau and Tyranids. They could have inferred I was into converting and didn't like Finecast. They had this kind of info for all the customers they now want to sell to over the internet. And they have binned it all.

Bah, that kind of information is otiose and you know it. If you were discerning you would buy everything GW have to offer - even during pestilence or intervention from Brussels!

Davor wrote:




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Ferrum_Sanguinis wrote:
Cross promotions... the SM movie sound like such a no brainier that even I wouldn't think twice about doing them, and I've never taken a business class or an Econ class since high school FFS.

Uh, The SM movie if you are talking about the Ultramarine movie, was so bad, do you think GW wants to be part of that? I mean that movie didn't inspire me at all with 40K. All it did was remind me how boring the movie was and how boring to play 40K is.

Again something done on the cheap.

They should have spent their own money on it, made a quality product, not let some independent struggle to make something meaningful for the price of a bag of chips, I'm guessing by the time they paid John Hurt there wasn't enough left for much else.

An actual space marine movie, one of high quality, could be a great marketing tool, sc-fi and super heroes are cool, I would be willing to guess that three quartersor more of people who see any hero film have never picked up a comic book in their lives, but the concept of these over the top and often ludicrous stories is now part of the cultural zeitgeist, and I do wonder why they are not going for it.

Space marine, the last computer game, was I thought very well done, sold in quite big numbers too I think.

Davor wrote:

Uh, The SM movie if you are talking about the Ultramarine movie, was so bad, do you think GW wants to be part of that? I mean that movie didn't inspire me at all with 40K. All it did was remind me how boring the movie was and how boring to play 40K is.

I think the lost opportunity was the chance to work with the studio to make a *good* 40k movie.
Instead of just whoring out your IP for short term cash bump.

NoggintheNog wrote:

They should have spent their own money on it, made a quality product, not let some independent struggle to make something meaningful for the price of a bag of chips, I'm guessing by the time they paid John Hurt there wasn't enough left for much else.

An actual space marine movie, one of high quality, could be a great marketing tool, sc-fi and super heroes are cool, I would be willing to guess that three quartersor more of people who see any hero film have never picked up a comic book in their lives, but the concept of these over the top and often ludicrous stories is now part of the cultural zeitgeist, and I do wonder why they are not going for it.

Space marine, the last computer game, was I thought very well done, sold in quite big numbers too I think.

Well if James Cameron can spend 100's of millions of dollars on a love story in Titanic and then Avatar and make billions, I am sure he or Peter Jackson (well maybe not PJ, King Kong didn't do to well) could make a live action 40K movie and make it sell.

Problem is, GW doesn't want to spend millions. GW doesn't want to ADVERTISE or PROMOTE. People are leaving. How do they expect to bring in new people if they don't advertise or promote? Word of mouth is already gone, or if not, tainting GW now, if anything. So how does GW expect to bring in fresh blood, just so they can ignore and make fun of them.

 Sillycybin wrote:
Does anyone think this would be a good time to become involved in GW as a job? Would someone who understands the hobby side of things turn the company around?

As advertised, they need employees with attitude. Skill is less important.
Please have a look into the corresponding thread here at Dakka Discussion.

NoggintheNog wrote:

Davor wrote:




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Ferrum_Sanguinis wrote:
Cross promotions... the SM movie sound like such a no brainier that even I wouldn't think twice about doing them, and I've never taken a business class or an Econ class since high school FFS.

Uh, The SM movie if you are talking about the Ultramarine movie, was so bad, do you think GW wants to be part of that? I mean that movie didn't inspire me at all with 40K. All it did was remind me how boring the movie was and how boring to play 40K is.

Again something done on the cheap.

They should have spent their own money on it, made a quality product, not let some independent struggle to make something meaningful for the price of a bag of chips, I'm guessing by the time they paid John Hurt there wasn't enough left for much else.

An actual space marine movie, one of high quality, could be a great marketing tool, sc-fi and super heroes are cool, I would be willing to guess that three quartersor more of people who see any hero film have never picked up a comic book in their lives, but the concept of these over the top and often ludicrous stories is now part of the cultural zeitgeist, and I do wonder why they are not going for it.

Space marine, the last computer game, was I thought very well done, sold in quite big numbers too I think.

The new sternguard box has heads that are good fits for the characters in the game. Not that GW advertised this fact, or had the models out anywhere near the peak of the computer game...

Davor wrote:

NoggintheNog wrote:

They should have spent their own money on it, made a quality product, not let some independent struggle to make something meaningful for the price of a bag of chips, I'm guessing by the time they paid John Hurt there wasn't enough left for much else.

An actual space marine movie, one of high quality, could be a great marketing tool, sc-fi and super heroes are cool, I would be willing to guess that three quartersor more of people who see any hero film have never picked up a comic book in their lives, but the concept of these over the top and often ludicrous stories is now part of the cultural zeitgeist, and I do wonder why they are not going for it.

Space marine, the last computer game, was I thought very well done, sold in quite big numbers too I think.

Well if James Cameron can spend 100's of millions of dollars on a love story in Titanic and then Avatar and make billions, I am sure he or Peter Jackson (well maybe not PJ, King Kong didn't do to well) could make a live action 40K movie and make it sell.

Problem is, GW doesn't want to spend millions. GW doesn't want to ADVERTISE or PROMOTE. People are leaving. How do they expect to bring in new people if they don't advertise or promote? Word of mouth is already gone, or if not, tainting GW now, if anything. So how does GW expect to bring in fresh blood, just so they can ignore and make fun of them.

Uh, you can forget about James Cameron or Peter Jackson. Those guys won't even get out of bed under a budget equalling GW's annual revenue A blockbuster movie is wildly expensive. GW could not afford such thing in their wildest dreams.

At best you could get maybe something like Iron Sky, which had handful of real actors and loads of decent CGI for relatively cheap, and lots of enthusiastic volunteers.

I guess that GW think that cross promoting a licensed product somehow means that H-H-Hobby customers would be lost.

It isn't logical but would fit Corporate thinking.

I think I just found the captain of the white knights. From BOLS (where else?). I really hope this dude isn't serious:

Lol, guess the investor's in the London Stock Exchange don't read Bell of Lost Souls. While people want to get on here and scream profits are down, the sky is falling, etc. No one on here commented about the balance sheet in the annual report. First equation you learn in accounting is Assets - Liabilities = Owner's Equity. Owner's Equity is what a business is worth in other words. The stock price is climbing after the annual report. The company has an excellent cash flow statement, has added property, plant, and equipment. Yes, sales are down but the company is making gains in so many areas.

They had huge expenses closing the HQ, removing personnel, the legal battles they got tangled up in, or restructuring the entire company. I was pretty impressed when I saw the expenditures on things like the severance packages people received. In other words they admitted they couldn't keep paying the salaries, but they didn't leave people out in the cold. Take a look at the trending stock prices. It doesn't look too bad. Gains after the annual report was released should tell you the company is doing well.

WayneTheGame wrote:
I think I just found the captain of the white knights. From BOLS (where else?). I really hope this dude isn't serious:

Lol, guess the investor's in the London Stock Exchange don't read Bell of Lost Souls. While people want to get on here and scream profits are down, the sky is falling, etc. No one on here commented about the balance sheet in the annual report. First equation you learn in accounting is Assets - Liabilities = Owner's Equity. Owner's Equity is what a business is worth in other words. The stock price is climbing after the annual report. The company has an excellent cash flow statement, has added property, plant, and equipment. Yes, sales are down but the company is making gains in so many areas.

They had huge expenses closing the HQ, removing personnel, the legal battles they got tangled up in, or restructuring the entire company. I was pretty impressed when I saw the expenditures on things like the severance packages people received. In other words they admitted they couldn't keep paying the salaries, but they didn't leave people out in the cold. Take a look at the trending stock prices. It doesn't look too bad. Gains after the annual report was released should tell you the company is doing well.

None. Of. That. Matters. If. People. Stop. Giving. You. Money.

WayneTheGame wrote:
I think I just found the captain of the white knights. From BOLS (where else?). I really hope this dude isn't serious:

Lol, guess the investor's in the London Stock Exchange don't read Bell of Lost Souls. While people want to get on here and scream profits are down, the sky is falling, etc. No one on here commented about the balance sheet in the annual report. First equation you learn in accounting is Assets - Liabilities = Owner's Equity. Owner's Equity is what a business is worth in other words. The stock price is climbing after the annual report. The company has an excellent cash flow statement, has added property, plant, and equipment. Yes, sales are down but the company is making gains in so many areas.

They had huge expenses closing the HQ, removing personnel, the legal battles they got tangled up in, or restructuring the entire company. I was pretty impressed when I saw the expenditures on things like the severance packages people received. In other words they admitted they couldn't keep paying the salaries, but they didn't leave people out in the cold. Take a look at the trending stock prices. It doesn't look too bad. Gains after the annual report was released should tell you the company is doing well.

Sooo.... next year should bring $100 Land Raiders, which will further erode the customer base, which will cause sales to decline, which will drive kit prices up, which will continue driving customers away...
If there were alternative mini wargaming options out there, GW would be in a heap of trouble eh?
Thank goodness stock prices are stable - take that competitors!

It is odd that the share price has had a decent jump as a result of this, though.

I wouldn't expect a nosedive (even for the ignorant me, that would seem too sensible), but I would have thought mostly flat-ish would be ok.