No mini with Games Day tickets...who else feels a bit hard done by?

[cannon_fodder]

I'm willing to bet that (probably across the board), the Slayer Sword winners (at least in the US and the UK) will be Finecast models (AKA Newly released (ala necron heroes) NOT re-released) so they can go...LOOK!! LOOK!! THEY ARE REALLY NICE!!NOT AS BAD AS THE NET SAYS!!!

GW- GONE WONKY

anyway. . .

 

[PegaZus]

I'm willing to bet that (probably across the board), the Slayer Sword winners (at least in the US and the UK) will be Finecast models (AKA Newly released (ala necron heroes) NOT re-released) so they can go...LOOK!! LOOK!! THEY ARE REALLY NICE!!NOT AS BAD AS THE NET SAYS!!!

GW- GONE WONKY

anyway. . .

Why, you'd think it was a conspiracy or something! Imagine! Company judges declaring their new product the winner of a company competition!?!

And just to keep freak happy: BOHICA^2!

 

[EyeKahn]

Old games day price was higher. They cut out the price of the model to make it optional for the participant. So IF you buy a ticket and GO there. And then you buy the model you are spending the EXACT same amount as you would in previous years BUT it is nt enforced on you. They at least lowered the price of the ticket. IF they didn't then yes, I'd get bent out of shape too. As it is we're losing nothing.

 

[noneedforaname]

Well we all know about last years conspiracy with the new WFB plastics sweeping the board and how GW are putting out the line that the winner was using the new citadel paints as they where on the test team. Wether that's true or not remains to be seen but it does show how GW "judges" golden demon.

@eyekhan sorry but your wrong, for uk last year ticket plus mini was £30, this year ticket no mini is £30. As the Gamesday mini is £12 then to get the same ticket/mini combo as last year it's an extra £12 which is not far off a 50% price rise.

 

[AndyG]

About right for the year on year rise for GW products hey?:sarcastic:

 

[Pictish Mini Painting]

Hmm, well my entry will have a finecast and FW model on it so may cover both bases and be painted with new GW paints, but also with Vallejo, oils, airbrush etc etc, but i will claim its all 'new GW'


I may also dig out that Necron FC lord as a quick entry haha.

Its a conspiracy...(Dons tin foil hat!)

 

[EyeKahn]

Actually Noneedforaname I'm dead accurate BUT I live in the US and that is what they did here. So perhaps we are both correct then In the US for Chicago/US Games day they lowered the price of the ticket by the cost of the model. Let us hope that carries through a bit.

 

[RuneBrush]

The problem is the cost of hosting the event jumped a lot with the extra hall to avoid the farce that was last years sales area. It's not the best but tbh they could reduce the game tables and got the same result, I can't understand the desire to game at games day, it's manic.

I completely agree, I really don't understand the appeal to travel all the way to the NEC with a backpack of miniatures the size of a small continent strapped to your back. A few demo games or unique games being played by staff is one thing but if you want to play a game then bugger off to your local GW store, they open late two evenings in the week for that reason.

 

[Griffin]

I'm willing to bet that (probably across the board), the Slayer Sword winners (at least in the US and the UK) will be Finecast models (AKA Newly released (ala necron heroes) NOT re-released) so they can go...LOOK!! LOOK!! THEY ARE REALLY NICE!!NOT AS BAD AS THE NET SAYS!!!

And painted with only new Citadel Colors too don't forget.

 

[Sand Rat]

Actually Noneedforaname I'm dead accurate BUT I live in the US and that is what they did here. So perhaps we are both correct then In the US for Chicago/US Games day they lowered the price of the ticket by the cost of the model. Let us hope that carries through a bit.

And cut support for any tournaments here in the states after this year. Not a good plan to keep long term hobbyists in your fan base.

 

[AndyG]

Yep but as loads of posts have said before they couldn't give two figs for their long term fanbase it's all about getting the fourteen year olds for a couple of years as they spend hundreds and hundreds building up their army with the newest finecrap and then dump em.

 

[Pictish Mini Painting]

Yep but as loads of posts have said before they couldn't give two figs for their long term fanbase it's all about getting the fourteen year olds for a couple of years as they spend hundreds and hundreds building up their army with the newest finecrap and then dump em.

There is an element of this, but its been that way since about 2000, its not a new sales strategy, and the LOTR\Hobbit bubbles will keep them ticking along for the next 5 years anyway. The thing is, a lot of the gamers i know are getting into their 30's and having their own kids, and they all try and get their kids into the game a bit as well, you would think keeping the vet's sweet would make them want to carry on the tradition into their kids.

But at the moment a lot of the folks i know are now starting to look to other manufacturers for models, privateer press are getting better and better, lovely source books, great plastic starter sets that let you play a game straight away etc.

I think this is where GW is missing a trick, not having a part of the fantasy\40k rules for skirmish smaller games as a starter so people can play with a small starter set, but i know why GW dont offer this, ££££

 

[AndyG]

Yep your not wrong more people are looking at other games systems but hey GW dont care. If they can sell less merchandise at a much bigger price thats even better for them less shipping, storage, shop rental, staff wages etc. Maximising their profits all along the board and oh yeah moving to a MUCH cheaper medium like finecrap pushes those profits even higher.

Look at their share price its on the up.

Your right about the skirmish why the hell should they when the kids will fork out a couple of grand on the biggest army they can field eh? Dont offer them any cheaper alternative!

To be honest Im like a jilted lover I used to LOVE GW; was back there in the early 80's and carried on absorbing each humongous price hike after another. Until finaly I snapped on the introduction of finecrap..... so love turned to hate, LOL.

I kinda felt like I owned a peice of it you know being in there almost from the beggining so I feel betrayed.

Silly I know; the're a bussiness like any other and they will get away with what ever they can until they cant any more but it realy does rankle!!!!

 

[Pictish Mini Painting]

I feel kind of the same, in that i have been with GW for a long time, but i also understand they are a business and they know that people are still paying the prices for their stuff regardless in most cases. I dont buy whole armies at once but i could if i wanted to, and most of my friends are in a similar situation, but i have gravitated more towards individual miniature painting, so dont notice the set up costs as much, people will notice when the new edition comes out as books are involved and armies may become less good\more awesomes etc, so the hate will fizz up again.

I just feel there are times when GW do seem to look like they want to kill themselves, then other times they come out with good ideas, such as the new paints, which i like, or the vampire count knights or gaming board which i dont...mainly due to the silly cost.

 

[squidders]

Yep but as loads of posts have said before they couldn't give two figs for their long term fanbase it's all about getting the fourteen year olds for a couple of years as they spend hundreds and hundreds building up their army with the newest finecrap and then dump em.

I have to argue this. GW are very sensible to target 14 year olds for a few years, they are the ones with all the time on their hands and all the friends. When I was 14 I had so many people I used to knock around with but these days there is a core group and other casual friends. GW would be wrong to want my demographic as a target. Sure I have a salary and a 14 year old doesn't but 14 year olds are adept at extracting cash and have the bored friend base to persuade to get into gaming.

It could also be argued that it's the customers who make the market. Our anecdotal evidence is no substitute for hard numbers that I am sure GW has about who is buying and playing. I'm sure that if 90% of the attendees to Games Day were 30+ they would change something. I have accepted that the days I used to go to GW in Hammersmith and listen to Bolt Thrower are gone, it's a shame for sure but they are just as reasonable for trying to pick an audience / customer base as companies like http://www.vtechuk.com/ who are also not so interested in my business as a "user".

GW don't refuse to sell to me if I buy someone elses minis so I'm not going to stop buying theirs because they target a group that isn't me for their sales.

I still love WHFRP but alas it's just not on the cards for me.

 

[AndyG]

Yep everything you say is true; and in my post I said my dislike of them was silly. Yep they for the reasons you've stated are going to make more money from the 14 year olds than the grown ups. I am not in disagreement with you.

I would like to add another reason than the ones you gave, becuase i like a controversial debate i do:laugh:

We work, so we place value on money and we have to be at least slightly rational with our purchases, were as most 14 year olds just tap the bank of mum and dad.

So we need to get value for money and I think it fair to say that compared to other companies GW do not give good value for money and haven't for a while. We as working adults on the whole recognise that so are not going to pony up the dough for their products any where near as regularly as 14 year olds do. I.e. we're probably going to say "Whoa now stop it.....a price hike of 50% in some cases...and for an inferior material ...... errrrrr no!?!?!"

So it goes back to the do you feel upset about being asked to pay a great big fee for a trade show ticket and you get no mini..... Yes I would because it is not value for money in my opinion. In fact pretty much the definition of a rip off being asked to pay to go to a glorified shop and buy their merchandise while your there and get no freebie. Salute £10 a fraction of the cost, excellent comp and loads of give aways a realy nice metal mini and freebies from gripping beast and mantic. Proper value for money.

Just my two cents and hey I don't run a great big multi national firm so what do I know

 

[squidders]

Aye, you're right... Salute is cheaper and still manages to give nice stuff away. I'd wager though that a big-ass room at Excel is cheaper than the massive space GW take at the NEC though. Also, i'm not sure if the traders at Salute pay for stands or not but if so, that will cover more cost.

I'm no multinational owner either but I think once a company gets shareholders, they must be seen to make profits whereas smaller companies have more of a free reign to do what they feel. I don't like a lot of the new GW stuff... actually, I don't like most of it but every once in a while they make something that really impresses me. so on that basis... I'm in.

 

[AndyG]

.....I'm no multinational owner either but I think once a company gets shareholders, they must be seen to make profits whereas smaller companies have more of a free reign to do what they feel.......

thats the god damn truth just look at the mess Hasbro have made of D&D. As soon as its stock market and big investors like pension companies and the like are in then bang goes artistic expression and beeing able to do what the customer wants instead youve got to do what the market decrees.

 

[squidders]

On the flip side, that random small company that makes that random awesome mini will suddenly go out of business because making the coolest minis isn't always the most profitable.

 

[TrystanGST]

On the flip side, that random small company that makes that random awesome mini will suddenly go out of business because making the coolest minis isn't always the most profitable.

Seems like Rackham learned that the hard way.