Games Workshop to end digital edition of White Dwarf magazine

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**Ghaz**

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/06/26/digital-white-dwarf-news/

Hey, folks,

If you remember, try to cast your mind back to the distant days of 2012… well before the return of the Primarchs. A time when Imperial Knights were just dudes on horses, Sisters of Battle seemed forgotten to the annals of history, and the first Stormcast Eternals were still just a twinkle in Sigmar’s eye.

Back then, White Dwarf took its first foray into the digital space, making pages from pixels and, on occasion, even including a video. At the time, there wasn’t any other way to stay up to date with the latest happenings from the worlds of Warhammer.

Since then, it’s safe to say we’ve come an awfully long way. Like, really, really far.

Now there are Facebook pages, video tutorials, more regular newsletters, blogs, Instagram feeds, websites for our settings, live-streams, and of course – the Warhammer Community website itself – there’s never been more great online content for Warhammer.

It’s with that in mind that we’ve decided to stop the digital edition of White Dwarf and redirect our efforts.

We know that, for those of you who enjoy the magazine digitally, this is sad news, and we are going to do our utmost to reward the digital edition’s loyal readership.

Subscribers:

Those of you with a current subscription to the digital edition of White Dwarf, and those of you with a current combined digital and paper subscription, can choose from either a full refund for the remainder of you subscription or request double that value in gift vouchers for use on games-workshop.com.

https://whc-cdn.games-workshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/WhiteDwarfQA.pdf

**judgedoug**

Dang, makes me wish I purchased a digital subscription yesterday. It'd be worth double today!

**Sqorgar**

I once considered getting a digital subscription in addition to my physical one, just because my issues would be two weeks late regularly. It was so bad that from my first year's subscription, I think I had duplicates of 7 issues just from them sending out replacement issues after a week. It's gotten better, but I'm still one of the last people to read the magazine. I'm assuming that rampant piracy is the reason for this decision.

**Enosh**

I'm confused, they are still doing the normal white dwarf right?
so how much more effort is it to push that thing on the net for people who like to read through a WD every now and then, but can't be bothered to collect paper magazines

**Yodhrin**

Sqorgar wrote:
I once considered getting a digital subscription in addition to my physical one, just because my issues would be two weeks late regularly. It was so bad that from my first year's subscription, I think I had duplicates of 7 issues just from them sending out replacement issues after a week. It's gotten better, but I'm still one of the last people to read the magazine. I'm assuming that rampant piracy is the reason for this decision.

You'd assume wrong then(unless that's sarcasm?) - almost all the "piracy" of WD stuff is people taking cellphone pics or scans of the actual physical magazine, I don't think I've even seen a full digital issue on the usual places after the first six months of the new version.

**The Phazer**

Well that's pretty unfortunate.

I was about to take out a digital sub as I just don't have physical room for issues any more. It's a bit confusing about how much effort the workflow must take to make it not cost effective tbh.

**DanceOfSlaanesh**

Yodhrin wrote:
Sqorgar wrote:
I once considered getting a digital subscription in addition to my physical one, just because my issues would be two weeks late regularly. It was so bad that from my first year's subscription, I think I had duplicates of 7 issues just from them sending out replacement issues after a week. It's gotten better, but I'm still one of the last people to read the magazine. I'm assuming that rampant piracy is the reason for this decision.

You'd assume wrong then(unless that's sarcasm?) - almost all the "piracy" of WD stuff is people taking cellphone pics or scans of the actual physical magazine, I don't think I've even seen a full digital issue on the usual places after the first six months of the new version.

You can download digital pirated white dwarf in many places the same day it is released. Its really common.

**endlesswaltz123**

Enosh wrote:
I'm confused, they are still doing the normal white dwarf right?
so how much more effort is it to push that thing on the net for people who like to read through a WD every now and then, but can't be bothered to collect paper magazines

Creating a digital version of a magazine is not quite as simple as turning the print pages into an online PDF unfortunately, especially when interactive content is taken into account, you have to consider all the different devices that may be used to view it for example.

It's not hard work that requires high levels of technicality, skills and training to do, but it is not a 5 minute job either. They have probably forecasted the cost for the next 5 years to carry on the conversion and deemed it not worth the cost/profit it is bringing in, especially if they are getting huge numbers of page visits and interactions on other platforms as the original message suggests.

**Original Timmy**

Thats a shame those that use it especially in the digital world we are now living in, personally i only buy the occasional physical copy if its got a good paint splatter or info on a new release i like

**Voss**

They're killing the digital version before the print version? That's... weird and backwards. They're right that they don't need it now, but that's even more true of the print magazine.

**MonkeyBallistic**

I only buy the digital version. I don’t think I’ll be buying the print version.

**endtransmission**

awww, I was going to switch to the digital sub when my renewal comes up

**Fango**

This really sucks, I have purchased most of the digital WD mags, what happens now to that content? Are they killing the app and not letting us have access to them?

Edit: NM, the FAQ addresses this...question is, how long will they maintain that app and keep the content on their servers...I feel like I should take screen-caps of all of them and back them up now.

**Davor**

Wait. GW is getting rid of advertising people are paying for?

**GoatboyBeta**

Fango wrote:
This really sucks, I have purchased most of the digital WD mags, what happens now to that content? Are they killing the app and not letting us have access to them?

Edit: NM, the FAQ addresses this...question is, how long will they maintain that app and keep the content on their servers...I feel like I should take screen-caps of all of them and back them up now.

And this is why I prefer physical versions for this kind of product. Digital platforms can do some really cool stuff, but a printed magazine or rule book will outlast them.

**AndrewGPaul**

I already did that to combine all the Necromunda articles into one PDF; I could do the same for the magazines as a whole, but the pop-up boxes and scrolling segments make that difficult. I can do it for the various board game rules extras, and I suppose it can't hurt to ask them if that material will be made available in a different way.

Now, where do I find the receipt for my digital subscription? ...

**nels1031**

AndrewGPaul wrote:
Now, where do I find the receipt for my digital subscription? ...

I’m not sure for other formats, but for ipad/itunes :

Open up the itunes store, at main menu, scroll all the way down and click on appleid. In account settings, find purchase history. Then find the date when you made the purchase. Click on the purchase then scroll down and select option to resend receipt. Attach to an email and send to gw’s website link in the announcement. Spend your new found fortune on AoS combat gauges.

**MajorTom11**

I was all digital. I won't EVER subscribe to the print edition because it was always, always super late. This is a mistake imo, moving against technology and digitization and relying on physical media is completely counter to the market and modern user preferences.

It will be back sooner or later, but this is just a dumb move at present.

**NoggintheNog**

Its odd timing too.

Anyone who took out a subscription for the 'new' white dwarf when it launched (plenty, they gave a discount for pre-orders) will, like me, just be up for their second renewal.

I hot my renewal request just yesterday, and it still included the digital/print combo option.

I was actually going to switch to the digital copy this time because after 2 years I've got a big pile of books that take up space. I'm going to end up scanning the bits I want and binning the paper mags anyway, so digital seemed like the best solution.

If their problem is in costs for maintaining the app, just pit it on pocketmages or zinio and let them deal with the platform costs.

**lolman1c**

Even if pirates was a big issue there have been so many studies shown that you make more sales than you lose... i doubt this is an issue because it's basically saying "We have pirates! What should we do to our ship sir? Should we fight back, run away or maybe trade with them?" "Meh, just blow up the ship... nobody gets anything" "but sir? We have a potentially beig haul! We can maybe mkae it to port!" "Nah, blow it all up".
Like, what would you want? 30 <% of people getting something that'sbasically a paid advert for free while you still get 70>% of people giving you money or no money at all, lose many customers who can't get a copy and the pirates still find a way to get a free copy (and the lost sales probably do that as well because it's the only way to get one).

As mr. Gabe said himself when they asked him about piracy and Steam. He sade that the best way to combat piracy is just make it easier to not pirate. If i can buy a game quick and simply for sale at £5 when would i spend my time dredging through suspicious websites, gathering maleware and trojans, waiting 48 to download a crappy seed only to be taken to jail so the state could make a sample out of me for other pirates. XD
Same with the WhiteDrawf... why would I be bothered to go to the shops in my crips stained PJs when i can get it online?

**TheGrimDork**

As a general rule I don’t buy WD. I always talk myself out of it as there is better hobby content on the web and I think of the money I would save by not buying it going toward some more minis.
However, if my resolve weakens, I end up impulse buying the digital WD. I won’t be impulse buying the paper edition, it just won’t happen. Have bought 3 digital copies over the last year.
The only other exception to this, I bought a physical copy of the one with all the cards in it ( December I think).

TLDR, with the end of the digital edition I will end up buying WD a LOT less often.

**Yodhrin**

lolman1c wrote:
Even if pirates was a big issue there have been so many studies shown that you make more sales than you lose... i doubt this is an issue because it's basically saying "We have pirates! What should we do to our ship sir? Should we fight back, run away or maybe trade with them?" "Meh, just blow up the ship... nobody gets anything" "but sir? We have a potentially beig haul! We can maybe mkae it to port!" "Nah, blow it all up".
Like, what would you want? 30 <% of people getting something that'sbasically a paid advert for free while you still get 70>% of people giving you money or no money at all, lose many customers who can't get a copy and the pirates still find a way to get a free copy (and the lost sales probably do that as well because it's the only way to get one).

As mr. Gabe said himself when they asked him about piracy and Steam. He sade that the best way to combat piracy is just make it easier to not pirate. If i can buy a game quick and simply for sale at £5 when would i spend my time dredging through suspicious websites, gathering maleware and trojans, waiting 48 to download a crappy seed only to be taken to jail so the state could make a sample out of me for other pirates. XD
Same with the WhiteDrawf... why would I be bothered to go to the shops in my crips stained PJs when i can get it online?

Yup. All the rules content will still make it online anyway, so all they've done by canning the digital edition assuming stopping piracy was their goal is make it so people pirating the rules content will no longer be exposed to the rest of the magazine, ie the marketing content that the rules material is there to entice you to read through in the first place

**zend**

Well damn, I liked having nice official PDFs. Now I'll have to get scans.

Edit: Also, people aren't looking in the right places if they think scans are currently the only way people have been pirating them. Ive seen official PDFs going all the way back to the Gathering Storm feature issues. Scans gakky cell phone pics just pop up faster and in easier to find places like front page of /r/Warhammer, so that's what people use.

**Marxist artist**

GoatboyBeta wrote:
Fango wrote:
This really sucks, I have purchased most of the digital WD mags, what happens now to that content? Are they killing the app and not letting us have access to them?

Edit: NM, the FAQ addresses this...question is, how long will they maintain that app and keep the content on their servers...I feel like I should take screen-caps of all of them and back them up now.

And this is why I prefer physical versions for this kind of product. Digital platforms can do some really cool stuff, but a printed magazine or rule book will outlast them.

Except in a fire or underwater.

**Overread**

I can see the logic in this; from GW's point of view chances are the type of customer who is invested into digital magazines is already reading the community websites, facebook and news updates etc... Ergo chances are they already know what's in the WD mostly before the issue arrives.

So instead keep the physical product for the market that likely isn't as digitally invested (it also works well as a physical advert in news agents) and move the digital staff from WD over to the full online team.

**Davor**

Hopefully this doesn't mean that the Warhammer Community site will be a subscription now.

**Overread**

Davor wrote:
Hopefully this doesn't mean that the Warhammer Community site will be a subscription now.

I can't think why they'd do that - its power is being the free source of official info.