The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread

[Elbows]

Yep, I think it was last year or the year before (possibly both) where the main thing keeping GW afloat was income from licensing agreements (phone app games, video games etc.).  It's a good revenue flow for them.

[nic-e]

Yep, I think it was last year or the year before (possibly both) where the main thing keeping GW afloat was income from licensing agreements (phone app games, video games etc.).  It's a good revenue flow for them.

They've said themselves that their IP is their most valuable product. It makes sense for them to ahnd out alot of smaller contracts, They get more time to work on their core games and expand new ones whilst also having more control over the way each individual third party product reflects their IP.

[FramFramson]

Having deals with more small companies instead of one bigger one also gives them more leverage with the licensees. FFG is big enough that they could tell GW to take a walk instead of the usual situation, which is the other way around. 

[Mason]

Which is what will probably happen if any of the licences prove too profitable/successful
.
When the licence runs out GW can simply take over on the back of someone else' hard work getting it off of the ground, or simply raise the price for renewal.

Win-win all round for them, I reckon.
.

[3 fingers]

Join the Oldhammer trading group on Facebook, post a pic of something clearly not 'Oldhammer' and ask 'What this? How much?'. 

Pet peeve aside, I'd just open the damn things and paint them up in a fit of nostalgia. 

yeah or try an sell something that you can still buy from GW   

[Shamash-Bel]

It's also a shrewd, low risk move for GW. They sell the licensing rights, and if the thing is a flop, well, that's on the affiliate company and not GW.

They'll probably do loads of these little deals and just run with the few that actually catch fire.

It also means that the smaller companies can play with game mechanics whilst knowing they will get a certain percentage of sales (since there are people out there who will buy ANYTHING Warhammer).

[JArgo]

Warhammer Historical

We were playing Legends of the Old West yesterday and the conversation turned to the whole Historicals series.

In the spirit of the new GW we wondered why GW don't rerelease the books as PDF's?

They could start with the best sellers to see how it goes and in comparison to the crazy prices old issues go for secondhand, they'd be good value and maybe snapped up.

Where's the downside for GW?

[pocoloco]

Since GW don't sell any historical minis, it would only boost the sales of their competitors (other miniature manufacturers) and perhaps turn ppl playing historicals and not GW products. And since GW can't have IP over historical names etc, they could 't protect their interests in that field either.

[Kitsune]

Warhammer Historical

We were playing Legends of the Old West yesterday and the conversation turned to the whole Historicals series.

In the spirit of the new GW we wondered why GW don't rerelease the books as PDF's?

They could start with the best sellers to see how it goes and in comparison to the crazy prices old issues go for secondhand, they'd be good value and maybe snapped up.

Where's the downside for GW?

Selling a product with a picture of non GW models or terrain in it is a big nono for a company trying to promote themselves as all inclusive holistic "the hobby" devoid of any competitor

[Elbows]

Yep, while it would make tons of sense to sell that line again and make money off of it --- they've left that option in the dust.  Even the new 40K codices no longer have any entries (even weapon options) which are not actual models released by Games Workshop.  The days of converting weapon load-outs for your Space Marine captain are at an end.  This is probably their worst move as a company (despite generally getting better and better recently).

[stone-cold-lead]

Surely it would be silly for any manufacturer to promote a competing product? Also, did their historical books sell really that well in the first place and would it really be worth them diverting funds to do a reprint?

[Kitsune]

Surely it would be silly for any manufacturer to promote a competing product? Also, did their historical books sell really that well in the first place and would it really be worth them diverting funds to do a reprint?

Plenty of people cross promote and give credit to other companies in their books. GW like to consider themselves existing in a world devoid of all other gaming, so that's the image that they promote.

[stone-cold-lead]

Plenty of people cross promote and give credit to other companies in their books. GW like to consider themselves existing in a world devoid of all other gaming, so that's the image that they promote.

There's plenty of cross promotion of products out there but I think that tends to be more for complimentary products rather than competing ones. GW aren't in the historical market anyway and I don't know why the even stepped foot in that genre. They're making leaps and bounds with the new 40K and a reinvigorated AoS so no need to give historics a thought from a business standpoint.

I would disagree that GW think they exist in a bubble. They may have thought that way in the past but that really doesn't appear to be the case now. You can happily mention other games to store staff and not be blanked. Someone mentioned gaming up at Warhammer World and how much gamers and staff alike were chatting about other games and companies. Look at GW's increased presence at various cons too. They're back in the community of gaming and seem well aware that they can't deny the broader hobby. If anything, the changes with GW we've seen over the past two years shows how aware they are of their competitors.

[voltan]

GW aren't in the historical market anyway and I don't know why the even stepped foot in that genre.

From what I remember it was a personal project from the game designers that went a bit further than planned.

[Andrew May]

From what I remember it was a personal project from the game designers that went a bit further than planned.

Yeah, half the "old guard" were/are avid historical players. I heard a funny story that the studio had to ban staff from painting historical figures in their lunch breaks.