Originally posted by NGArtStudios
I think Aliengod hit the nail right on the head here. GW has decent products but their real genius lies in mass marketing as well as the fact that there really is no alternative to their products that are as readily available.
I was initially going to argue that you were wrong, but the more I thought about it the more I actually agree in principle.
GW\'s mass marketing is working because their primary target customerdoesn\'t have the discernment or experience to see through the BS.
Its older (and perhaps more cynical) gamers/painters that see what a carefully calculated business model they are using.
Their high street presence gives them the added advantage over other companies in that their self promotion is encapsulated.
\'Little Wayne\' doesn\'t end up buying a box of toy soldiers from big toy store and has to take them home to open and look at the rules. Then find he can\'t understand stuff and get disappointed and ends up binning them, with GW he has a store with people who will explain the \'In\'s and Out\'s\'. Thereby allowing him to continue adding to their profit.
It is a sound marketing ploy, not much different in principle to a car dealership ie Ford, Mazda or Honda being supplied from a single location. So when you need a spare part you know where to go.
Also the fact that their games are one of a kind is what makes them very successful.
Sorry I dissagree, their games aren\'t \"One of a Kind\". They are the most highly available and widely publicised of the genre.
But consider as Aliengod3 suggested, if Rackham, Privateer Press and I-Kore had a High Street presence would their markets especially in the UK have been a major competitor to GW? Quite Possibly.
Now in the UK, the origins of Wargaming, as we know it now, were incredibly \"low Level\" Most Wargames were historical, Roman & Napoleonics and aimed at large contingent armies, Rules were restrictive and tourneys/gatherings were RARE, most wargames were limited to \'clubs\' gathering in church halls.
The development of D&D and Fantasy as an alternative to historical was an evolution in the hobby. GW have simply developed that into a \"kid aimed\" marketing strategy.
In the USA the number of Comic book stores is far higher than the UK and the comparative market audience greater, so Stores that can afford the gaming space can develop audience appreciation of other games.
Over here floor space rental and the overheads for small businesses like Comic book/Model stores (located in biger cities) in most cases prevents the loss of sales floor space allocated to non-profit making gaming tables.
GW use that to their advantage in ensuring that floor space is given over to gaming tables so that \'Wayne\' brings along \'Kevin & Matt\' so that they too play the game and spend money instore.
I think thats is sometimes refered to as \"Customer Fueled Marketing\".
I agree with you for the most part but I will still argue that GW has an edge because their games are somewhat one of a kind. Rackham, PP and all the others I think would probably be a bit more popular if they had the marketing capability that GW has but I still don\'t think they would get the edge over GW. My problem with Rackham and PP as well as most of the other companies is that their games are primarily skirmish based. I may only be speaking for myself here but Warhammer (especially fantasy) is quite unique that it is a fantasy game on a larger scale, as apposed just a few minis in a war band. Sure a lot of other war games such as the historical ones are on a much greater scale as well, but as far as fantasy and even science fiction goes, GW offers the closest thing you can get to massed battles, as apposed to skirmishes. That\'s just my two cents though, and I am sure that most people may even prefer the smaller scale games because they are faster, and cheaper.
