Druchii.net

So I have seen a lot about GW's last quarterly report resulting in a downsizing of the company and its armies. Hoping it's not true. Would hate to see Wood Elves, Beastmen, Tomb Kings, and others go.

On the bright side, no more Finecast.

Here is some more information. http://natfka.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/gw-changes-stores-closing-and-armies-no.html

and here: http://masterminis.blogspot.de/2014/01/the-future-of-games-workshop-part9.html

I'm not going to "believe" any of it at this stage, but the market value decline is a very bad sign indeed.

*Don't go anywhere my beloved WHFB Dark Elves*

Interesting reading. Not sure how much stock I would put into all of those rumours, however change is definitely needed and has been for a while. I would be surprised if they didn't at least finish the existing army books.

If they were going to release bretts and wood elves this year, the work on these books is already done and it will be more beneficial to just release them than to write the production costs off.

Now I've read on another forum that this most likely means the dark eldar treatment for these armies. Meaning they will no longer be stocked and only available online until they get their updated books.

I think the best move GW could make this year is to finish releasing all the armies and then produce a starter kit for 9th edition that is very affordable and contains everything you need to play the game. I count affordable as around $60-$100 looking at the prices of current board games (having just recently paid $200 for second edition axis and allies...).

The nex ft step would be to reopen their fan communication channels, reopen their long lost forums, create an "ask a designer" segment and work on their PR very, very hard. This would be the hardest part for GW. They would have to swallow a huge humility pill. All they really need to do is reach out to the community and they will get unlimited free data and volunteers.

I think they should drop LoTR and that license. Do they seriously make any money from that line? I don't know ANYBODY that plays it around here. The figures (even plastics) are outrageously priced and just about nothing is compatible that can be used in Warhammer. I realize this last bit was intentional (and stupid). This game system has to be a huge loser for them. Am I wrong?

don't make more publicity on that defeatist garbage (that mastermini's blog).

It's funny how all of a sudden, everyone knows everything about business, and how a lower than expected profit means the end of an industry.

Rumor is Forgeworld will take over The Hobbit after the "merger".

In a way I can see this happening. Pixar closed off their studio in Canada (Dan of Extra Creditz, one of the guys on that team worked there), so I can see it here.

They still haven't found a way to make it more affordablev to the common person for the most part (weather it is offsetting costs, terrifs, or reasons).

I know its a luxury good but in hindsight so is soda and that's affordable.

I don't know why they bother with hobbit, heroclix does hobbit waaaaay better and far cheaper. Apparently they rake in money off of it too with all those epic and horde actions it added. Affordability is a wider audience. I have about 15 friends that would play WHFB with me but refuse to because anything more expensive to them than a $60 starter (same price as a video game) seems like a rip off if they haven't played it much.

Enkiel wrote:don't make more publicity on that defeatist garbage (that mastermini's blog).

It's funny how all of a sudden, everyone knows everything about business, and how a lower than expected profit means the end of an industry.

At one time I owned Games Workshop stock. Took a lose on it when I sold it. Only a hundred shares or so. But this is not the first time they had low returns. But I can see as a simple consumer who has bought their product for 20+ years that they are making some grave errors. They use to be much better about hyping their product. Company sponsored Grand Tournaments and such. The US White Dwarf Team was separate than the UK one. They did a lot to promote sales over here. The company has focused too much on large complicated models and not on the hobby itself that makes us want to buy the models.

Here's something a bit more attested, from the Nottingham newspaper I think? I hope they don't do anything more drastic than this. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=491558114286418&set=a.491558140953082.1073741828.152899918152241&type=1&theater

A lot of doom and gloom talk.. I wouldn't trust such talk. Not one bit. They are as likely to be true as fortune telling.

Daeron wrote:A lot of doom and gloom talk.. I wouldn't trust such talk. Not one bit. They are as likely to be true as fortune telling.

+1 ^^

If you look at the financial trends for GW, it is very clear that there are fewer people buying. The player pool is shrinking, and they need to take steps to expand their audience. A strategy of getting more money from fewer people is not sustainable.

Dyvim tvar wrote:If you look at the financial trends for GW, it is very clear that there are fewer people buying. The player pool is shrinking, and they need to take steps to expand their audience. A strategy of getting more money from fewer people is not sustainable.

And that is essentially what they do to us. Keep reprinting the rules and remaking models and adding some more that we cannot compete without. Even ugly ones like the skillcannon.

I will try not to panic!

Let's all play Hordes instead.

Hordes are a completely different game. The point is there is no other miniatures game that would represent fanrasy battles. fantasy skirmishes, sure. But not battles.

Dalamar wrote:Hordes are a completely different game. The point is there is no other miniatures game that would represent fanrasy battles. fantasy skirmishes, sure. But not battles.

Have you guys tried Kings of War? Is it a bit similar at least?

Lets all look out our hipster glasses and play Warmachine!

The only wargame that I like better than Warhammer is Total War .....and Creative Assembly have the license from GW = GOOD NEWS

I think only part of these rumours are at all credible.

100% Credible Bet-Money-On-It:
no more Fincecast products

This is probably GWs worst-kept secret. It has been rumoured since Finecast launched that it was merely a stopgap in the transition to full plastic range, and by extremely credible sources (Hastings on Warseer).

Forge World products will be available over the redesigned Games Workshop

As above, this is not an unexpected move. Horus Heresy has been selling like hot cakes; so much so that ForgeWorld cancelled all their Warhammer projects, hired more staff to support Horus Heresy, then cancelled more Warhammer stuff. Battle for Black Fire Pass? Monstrous Arcarnum models? All sacrificed on the altar of Horus Heresy. Moving it over to the main page where GW can then sell you even more SPEZ MARINEZ, except these are old school retro hipster Marines, makes so much business sense I'm genuinely surprised it hasn't happened already.

Won't Be Surprised If It Happens
LotR and the Hobbit francise will be handed over to Forge World

Another long-running rumour is that the Hobbit is tanking, hard, but GW expected this - they only picked up the licence to corner the market and stop someone else coming in and doing it better. LotR itself has long been on life support. Moving both over to ForgeWorld is basically putting the franchise out to pasture - it'll slowly wither, receiving the occasional ForgeWorld support in between Horus Heresy releases - but with FW now on the front page, GW can still claim to New Line that they are giving it their full support until Tolkienmania has finally run its course and it can be quietly forgotten.

roughly 30% of the sortiment will be come webshop exclusives
As seen in its actions in 2013, GW is terrified of losing revenue to discount webstores. Whether this is a profitable move or not, it makes sense from a business decision - especially if you're revamping your website, you want people to visit it.

Don't Hold Your Breath:
all Games Workshop stores in Germany will be closed

This would be a very drastic decision indeed, and not the first place I'd expect country-wide closures to begin (see: Australia, New Zealand). As previously discussed, already known to be misinterpretation.

Never Going to Happen:
Wood Elves, Bretonnia, Beastmen and Khemri products will no longer be produced, updated or supported

Armies haven't been chopped since the days of Squats and Chaos Dwarfs. Look at what they did with Tau or Dark Eldar instead: given previously unpopular armies a complete revamp and relaunching them. Especially with the Dark Elves and High Elves both getting redone recently, with new racial ASF, and Wood Elves being referred to in the Dark Elf book, I can't see them getting dropped. Tomb Kings have an 8th edition book, and Beastmen is near as damnit. The only one of these I'd see any plausibility to is Bretonnia, but I think its more likely that we're seeing misinterpretation as with the Germany closures. Maybe what we're seeing here is these armies being moved to a direct from GW only basis.

Tomb Kings have a LOT of Finecast stuff. I could see them getting dropped for that reason alone. Doesn't make sense to make a bunch of new plastic kits for a poorly-selling army.

Similarly, not much incentive to revamp Brets and Woodies to all-plastic.

Wood elves are too iconic to drop, my guess would be the online-only thing until a new book drops. I did see at least one wood elf model disappear from the website in recent weeks (I was going to buy a specific Spellsinger/weaver model but when I got around to ordering it was no longer there), that was a metal model though so they probably just ran out of stock.

I'm sure the changes to the wood elves on the website are because the new book which is imminent.

All of the 8th Elves were planned together, so these 'rumours' are too late in the day to effect the upcoming wave of plastics and dual kits. If there is any truth in them, I'd imagine it would be from 9th onwards...and even then, it wouldnt make much sense to drop an army youve just updated!

Silvershadow wrote:Wood elves are too iconic to drop, my guess would be the online-only thing until a new book drops. I did see at least one wood elf model disappear from the website in recent weeks (I was going to buy a specific Spellsinger/weaver model but when I got around to ordering it was no longer there), that was a metal model though so they probably just ran out of stock.

I recently tried to get Glade Riders (a newer plastic box set) so I could use the horses for Darksteeds. The game store owner was shocked to find it no longer had a product code for direct ordering. He had to call in the request. Either they are making new glade riders or indeed discontinuing the woodelves.