The LAF Games Workshop Discussion Thread

[Too Bo Coo]

I have to say, although I grossly overpaid for it, the new plastic scraper is pretty brilliant...

[Vermis]

Lol! My sentiments precisely.

[Momotaro]

I have to say, although I grossly overpaid for it, the new plastic scraper is pretty brilliant...

While we may disagree with the aesthetic at times (OK, often), no-one is denying that they make good stuff.  I love their new paint range.

But the prices are at the heart of the problem...

Consider how much new stuff they've produced in the last 18 months, all the new rules and datasheets, and they way they've monetised everything from stats to painting guides (you know - what used to be in White Dwarf) just to stand still in sales terms.

The new website... keeps showing me different sections in different languages.  Right now it's showing me that I'm in the UK for delivery, costs are in pounds, and the White Dwarf section is in English.  All the Space-Wolfy bits are in Spanish...

The company I work for puts IT systems into hospitals to manage patient data and activity, and integrates them with clinical results systems and business-intelligence reporting/billing data warehouses.  While I can't divulge prices, £4 million would get you an awful lot more than what GW appears to have been delivered.  And we'd have migrated the old database too...

[Col. Aubrey Bagshot]

£4M for  a massive internet and intranet project including hardware, with storefront with full control over front and back end isnt that bad...
And there would be a lot of internal cost in that as well, salaries etc etc....

If you want to look at wasted money of huge IT projects ask someone in the NHS...
It would make GW's expediture look like pocket change....

[Momotaro]

If you want to look at wasted money of huge IT projects ask someone in the NHS...
It would make GW's expediture look like pocket change....

Oh the stories I could tell you if I wasn't under NDA... 

[pixelgeek]

That's crazy talk man, didn't you read that their customer base is wealthy middle-aged men? They know this through the ouija board.

I really still can't get my head around the idea that they don't do any data gathering on their audience. Its so bizarre a concept that I have to assume that he is talking out of his *ss.

There are even gaming websites that do occasional market surveys.

[FramFramson]

I really still can't get my head around the idea that they don't do any data gathering on their audience. Its so bizarre a concept that I have to assume that he is talking out of his *ss.

There are even gaming websites that do occasional market surveys.

Without customer data, he is talking straight out of his ass!

[OSHIROmodels]

But, but, but, they're little jewels that everybody knows and loves, each one crafted from the frozen tears of angels and then cast in a really shit resin/plastic mix 

How long till they finally fold then? Three years, four?

cheers

James

[Vermis]

While we may disagree with the aesthetic at times (OK, often), no-one is denying that they make good stuff.  I love their new paint range.

But the prices are at the heart of the problem...

Uh-huh!

Consider how much new stuff they've produced in the last 18 months, all the new rules and datasheets, and they way they've monetised everything from stats to painting guides (you know - what used to be in White Dwarf) just to stand still in sales terms.

To be fair you had to pay for White Dwarf too. But I hear ya. Crappy Tyranid and Ork codexes...es, with good downloadable 'dataslate' units released on the very same days, costing almost as much as the main £30 codex... that pissed off a lot of GW fanboys in itself. (now ex-GW fanboys)
A lot of people thought that sales from a new edition of 40K, new Space Marine codex, and imperial knights would turn around GW's numbers in this half-year report and shut the doomsayers up. They didn't. They shot their biggest guns to no great effect, and now they've just got pea-shooters and slingshots left. To state the obvious, it don't look good.

How long till they finally fold then? Three years, four?

Two or less, according to Wayshuba on Warseer and Dakkadakka. I forget exactly what his job is, but it involves monitoring the behaviour and health of businesses. He's been talking for a month or two about how he's seen all the classic warning signs of a death spiral before (drastic cost-cutting, desperately increasing rate of releases, etc.), that GW is showing them, that it'll take exceptional measures to pull them out of it now (not with Kirby and yes-men still pulling the strings) and that it won't be a slow dwindle to a 'more manageable' size of a business. It'll be quick, like TSR. Not with a whimper but a bang.

[OSHIROmodels]

It'll be interesting to see

I would assume that rights would be sold off? How about the moulds etc?

cheers

James

[westwaller]

There used to be a lot of free painting guides on their website a few years ago too- stuff useful for general painting and modelling, not just for GW stuff. They also used to have things like the space Marine chapter gallery- which I imagine inspired people to buy MORE stuff...

I don't want to see GW fold in all honesty, I would like it to 'get better'!

They have lots of great things going for them, they just need to realise what they are!! They really should set up an offshoot were you can get their old stuff- They could sell the new Skullz/Grimdark to the kids, and their 'vintage stuff' to us more ahem mature customers. Warhammer Vintage- they can have that for free!!

Oh and stop producing massive expensive shit too...

[Vermis]

It'll be interesting to see

Definitely interesting times.

I would assume that rights would be sold off? How about the moulds etc?

I don't have a baldy notion, and again I'd just be parroting what I've heard elsewhere. But I've heard some people hope that Hasbro rides in to save the day and jam Warhammer/40K under the WoTC label. Others aren't so sure since their RPG and CCG efforts have been more successful than their mini games. A couple wonder if Warlord or Mantic will try something, which doesn't seem altogether likely. A lot think that a buyer will just gut the IP for making video games, or think it'll just die off altogether.

There used to be a lot of free painting guides on their website a few years ago too- stuff useful for general painting and modelling, not just for GW stuff. They also used to have things like the space Marine chapter gallery- which I imagine inspired people to buy MORE stuff...

I don't want to see GW fold in all honesty, I would like it to 'get better'!

Me too, TBH. I wouldn't mind them being the big fish in the wargaming pond if their games, prices, practises, website changes etc. still 'deserved' it.

These days their problems with all that can be almost completely explained in four quotes from the top:

They never do any marketing or market research. They don't need to.

Their customers are sheep.

Their customers will buy anything they release.

The GW hobby is buying GW products.

[OSHIROmodels]

Hasbro would certainly seem to me to make it more mainstream and could possibly be a fresh influx of new gamers to the 'normal' hobby of wargaming (the GW Hobby... Which tool came up with that idea  ).

None of the other companies would have enough to buy, surely?

cheers

James

[Too Bo Coo]

Maybe we can buy it and turn it into a co-op!

[nic-e]

apparently the telegraph ran an article on games workshop financial reports and the attitude problem of the hgher ups apparent in the writing.