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The 40k players in my locale are heading for the hills. 6th ed has a slew of players converting to warmahordes, bolt action, dust warfare, and other comparable games. Most credit their move to a lackluster 6th edition ruleset, and GW's business practices. This hypothetical question has been floating around; Should GW price themselves out of business, who would pick up the license? Who could afford it? Who could improve the game, from all levels of the hobby?

So far I've heard Privateer Press, Fantasy Flight, and Hasbro as the favorites. What say you?

Keep in mind, this is HYPOTHETICAL.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/497907.page

I bolded hypothetical to avoid a flame war. I agree, that's what they're doing, but 40k will likely outlive them. Fantasy, maybe not so much.

Maybe the boys at Warlord could snatch it up, I mean it used to be theirs anyway, right?

In my opinion, 40k will never truly die under GW. It's just too big at this point, with so many people playing that it can shrug off losing people. I know it's a niche market, but for a niche market it is one of the biggest at the moment.

Now, if they ended up dying, I feel like Privateer Press would snap at the opportunity to pick up the 40k license. They are really the only big GW competitor rules wise, so if they picked up the 40k license and fixed it up I feel like it could work as long as the core of the games ideas stayed the same.

WotC is probably the most likely candidate. They've got the industry experience to be capable of running the company, no existing miniatures games to worry about competing with for resources, and a parent company with the financial resources to afford GW. The last part is probably the most important part: I'm sure everyone can think of experienced wargaming designers that could do a better job than GW's current management, but how many of them are actually capable of buying the company, even at greatly reduced prices post-collapse?

 Peregrine wrote:
WotC is probably the most likely candidate. They've got the industry experience to be capable of running the company, no existing miniatures games to worry about competing with for resources, and a parent company with the financial resources to afford GW. The last part is probably the most important part: I'm sure everyone can think of experienced wargaming designers that could do a better job than GW's current management, but how many of them are actually capable of buying the company, even at greatly reduced prices post-collapse?

If the Wizards do pick up 40k, I'll have a bit of fear.

This is because my first ever Miniature Wargame was HeroScape, a collectible wargame originally was a Milton Bradley game. It did very well and was the first game I spent $300+ dollars on. Then Hasbro gave the game to Wizards of the Coast. The Wizards turned it into a marketting system for Dungeons and Dragons, forgoing the previous theme of Battle for All Time (I mean, the game had Samurais, Zombies, Dragons, Roman Centurions, Angels, Demons, Cyborg Gorriles, Robots, Agents, WWII Airborne Troopers and a lot more). It hardly lasted long, in the same year Wizards of the Coast was given control over HeroScape, they abandoned it and announced that new sets would no longer be made. Since then, the HeroScape community has been hoping someone would buy the system, most create fan-content to continue the work and basically HeroScape right now thrives solely by the community.

So, knowing that WotC abbandoned a game in less than a year after getting the license, can you really say you want Warhammer 40,000 in their hands?

TtN makes a good point there. My feeling was that WotC has a grossly understaffed game development team an HS was too much on their plate. So no I would no want to see Hasbro get GW, maybe if Mantic and
Warlord split it up between them...

I'm going to buy it.

But your friends will be back....

xraytango wrote:
... So no I would no want to see Hasbro get GW...

But you're missing the best possible outcome!

I'd expect whoever bought it to release a shed load of sub-army books - craftworld, IG regiments, etc.

And I'd expect them to consolodate into "basic" ranges, selling tactical squads and predators rather than cranking out £20 a model finecast crap.

Truly you people amuse me in thinking that Warhammer would be better in the hands of someone else.

Battletech sure turned out well.

A lot of people just get frustrated by what they think is a terrible ruleset. Personally, I've been really enjoying 6th edition, certainly way more than 5th. I would hate for privateer press to buyout GW. I feel like it'd just become warmahordes 40k. Their ruleset has never appealed to me (particularily how if your warcaster dies you lose the game regardless of how many units you have left compared to your opponent.)

TimmyTheNerd wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:
WotC is probably the most likely candidate. They've got the industry experience to be capable of running the company, no existing miniatures games to worry about competing with for resources, and a parent company with the financial resources to afford GW. The last part is probably the most important part: I'm sure everyone can think of experienced wargaming designers that could do a better job than GW's current management, but how many of them are actually capable of buying the company, even at greatly reduced prices post-collapse?

If the Wizards do pick up 40k, I'll have a bit of fear.

This is because my first ever Miniature Wargame was HeroScape, a collectible wargame originally was a Milton Bradley game. It did very well and was the first game I spent $300+ dollars on. Then Hasbro gave the game to Wizards of the Coast. The Wizards turned it into a marketting system for Dungeons and Dragons, forgoing the previous theme of Battle for All Time (I mean, the game had Samurais, Zombies, Dragons, Roman Centurions, Angels, Demons, Cyborg Gorriles, Robots, Agents, WWII Airborne Troopers and a lot more). It hardly lasted long, in the same year Wizards of the Coast was given control over HeroScape, they abandoned it and announced that new sets would no longer be made. Since then, the HeroScape community has been hoping someone would buy the system, most create fan-content to continue the work and basically HeroScape right now thrives solely by the community.

So, knowing that WotC abbandoned a game in less than a year after getting the license, can you really say you want Warhammer 40,000 in their hands?

Completely agree. WotC had one relatively successful miniature game (D&D miniatures) and they managed to design it out of existence themselves. Also, atm my guess is that they have their plate full trying to get back at the top of D&D business so I can't really see them picking another license in the foreseeable future.

LordBlades wrote:

TimmyTheNerd wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:
WotC is probably the most likely candidate. They've got the industry experience to be capable of running the company, no existing miniatures games to worry about competing with for resources, and a parent company with the financial resources to afford GW. The last part is probably the most important part: I'm sure everyone can think of experienced wargaming designers that could do a better job than GW's current management, but how many of them are actually capable of buying the company, even at greatly reduced prices post-collapse?

If the Wizards do pick up 40k, I'll have a bit of fear.

This is because my first ever Miniature Wargame was HeroScape, a collectible wargame originally was a Milton Bradley game. It did very well and was the first game I spent $300+ dollars on. Then Hasbro gave the game to Wizards of the Coast. The Wizards turned it into a marketting system for Dungeons and Dragons, forgoing the previous theme of Battle for All Time (I mean, the game had Samurais, Zombies, Dragons, Roman Centurions, Angels, Demons, Cyborg Gorriles, Robots, Agents, WWII Airborne Troopers and a lot more). It hardly lasted long, in the same year Wizards of the Coast was given control over HeroScape, they abandoned it and announced that new sets would no longer be made. Since then, the HeroScape community has been hoping someone would buy the system, most create fan-content to continue the work and basically HeroScape right now thrives solely by the community.

So, knowing that WotC abbandoned a game in less than a year after getting the license, can you really say you want Warhammer 40,000 in their hands?

Completely agree. WotC had one relatively successful miniature game (D&D miniatures) and they managed to design it out of existence themselves. Also, atm my guess is that they have their plate full trying to get back at the top of D&D business so I can't really see them picking another license in the foreseeable future.

I don't think it's an entirely fair comparison, since you're comparing launching a new game (and "here, do something with this" is effectively launching a new game) with no established history to taking over management of a game with a stable fan base, an established product line, and experienced staff, and fixing the marketing/retail/etc problems.

Orktavius wrote:
Battletech sure turned out well.

I haven't followed since the CGL money embezzlement thing coming to light and thus the non-payment for writers, intro box and other products being delayed etc. Anything significant after that? The core game itself and its rules haven't significantly changed as far as I can tell. Still only have my FASA-era 4th Ed Starter set, CityTech and Master Rules, though. Been meaning to get the new intro box for the figs, but haven't gotten around to it.

More on topic, I must say the question posed in the OP has crossed my mind - who would take it up (because someone would, it's such a big IP), and how would it change things? It's impossible to say, basically. The thing about the rules specifically, though, is that it's funny to see people both online and locally bash 6th Ed, even when there's nothing to stop them from going on playing 5th Edition, official GW tournaments aside. And I say this while not being happy with the rules myself, it would seem at a glance that a mix of 5th and 6th could make for a decent ruleset.

 Peregrine wrote:

I don't think it's an entirely fair comparison, since you're comparing launching a new game (and "here, do something with this" is effectively launching a new game) with no established history to taking over management of a game with a stable fan base, an established product line, and experienced staff, and fixing the marketing/retail/etc problems.

Well, D&D minis was a game which IMO proved much more successful and long-lasting than it's creators accepted. The whole production idea behind the game (release models in 'sets'; no re-releasing, which meant older models were increasingly rare) wasn't suited for a long-running game and when they tried to change it, it backfired horribly.

But D&D was a game with an established reputation and fan base at the end of 3.5, and yet they managed to screw it up. Radical design changes coupled with openly telling fans that wouldn't convert that 'they're doing it wrong' (trend which continues today although less overtly) managed to create very big rifts in the fan base.

No USA based company, I hope.

Once GW dies, as all companies eventually do, their property will be sold at auction or in a buyout. If 40k is meant to survive it will most likely become a fan driven development project on the internet and have amazingly balanced rules, and the best fan fiction ever.

CBT has very few changes, I think DFA works a bit differently now than in 4th, but other than that most everything else is the same.

The game has lasted, you have to give it that. It is still possible to buy figures and find groups to play with, even after being handed off two or three times and weathering a competing product. The fluff may have some revisions, but all the factions are still there.

So my point is that if GW were to be bought out,it would likely change nothing other than being a well-run company

 washout77 wrote:
It's just too big at this point...

Wait... too big to fail? Where have I heard that before...

 Peregrine wrote:
WotC is probably the most likely candidate. They've got the industry experience to be capable of running the company, no existing miniatures games to worry about competing with for resources, and a parent company with the financial resources to afford GW. The last part is probably the most important part: I'm sure everyone can think of experienced wargaming designers that could do a better job than GW's current management, but how many of them are actually capable of buying the company, even at greatly reduced prices post-collapse?

This, pretty much.

Just imagine...a GW game with a competitive ruleset! Woah.

One word, Hasbro. May the god-emperor of mankind have mercy on us all.

I think I said before but would it be possible to do a kickstarter type thing with the express aim of buying GW Shares and potentially turning it back into a non-public, not for profit company (IE all the money made gets re-invested into the company after wages etc) ?

 Spyral wrote:
I think I said before but would it be possible to do a kickstarter type thing with the express aim of buying GW Shares and potentially turning it back into a non-public, not for profit company (IE all the money made gets re-invested into the company after wages etc) ?

Lol what you describe is not a company, its a fantasy.

Hasbro is owned by Disney....
Oh god...
Warhammer 40k will be owned by Mickey Mouse D:

Orktavius wrote:
Truly you people amuse me in thinking that Warhammer would be better in the hands of someone else.

Battletech sure turned out well.

Actually it has. the current system under Catalyst is pretty good and has brought back some old goodies with better rules like the lovable LAMS. I played for the first time after about 7 years and is was almost the same game I had left.

xraytango wrote:
TtN makes a good point there. My feeling was that WotC has a grossly understaffed game development team an HS was too much on their plate. So no I would no want to see Hasbro get GW, maybe if Mantic and
Warlord split it up between them...

I think the Heroscape issue is probably more likely due to the fact that the heroscape market was no where near as large as they might have thought when they bought it, so they just stopped bothering supporting it. A license like Warhammer comes with a LARGE and established player/enthusiast base far beyond anything that heroscape ever generated.

Skriker

 Ailaros wrote:
One word, Hasbro. May the god-emperor of mankind have mercy on us all.

My...Little...Heretics....


let it be so

 GimbleMuggernaught wrote:
A lot of people just get frustrated by what they think is a terrible ruleset. Personally, I've been really enjoying 6th edition, certainly way more than 5th. I would hate for privateer press to buyout GW. I feel like it'd just become warmahordes 40k. Their ruleset has never appealed to me (particularily how if your warcaster dies you lose the game regardless of how many units you have left compared to your opponent.)

And that is cool, but many of us have a lot more fun playing non-GW rules these days. 6th edition is still fun, but it still has all the same types of issues with vague rules and contradictions and annoying special rules as 5th did.

The warcaster loss rule comes in that in warmachine your forces are generally controlled by the will of your warcaster. Hence when your warcaster dies, most of your forces stop functioning because your warcaster is no longer controlling them. Where it works for me is that EVERY army in warmachine suffers from the same weakness. It isn't saddled on a single force while others are immune to it like you would get in a GW game.

I would have to say that I would love to see GW keep making minis and let someone else make the rules for their games. They just haven't much of a clue about writing rules or testing them, or using their player base to help test them before finalizing a release. If 40k died I doubt it would get picked up by a company like Privateer press. They already have their own large line of minis for multiple games and have no need to convince people to play 40k or WFB instead. It doesn't make any sense. They are already making big inroads into the mini gaming market on their own, with their own minis and their own rules. Why would they need to bother?

Skriker