Harbinger Magazine - Content

[Pr0fane]

The good folks at Harbinger have posed a question to their community, but since they don\'t yet have a forum, I thought I\'d help out by posting a poll and getting an impression.

Currently they are the only English miniatures magazine not sponsored by one miniature based company. As each issue is released they improve, their coverage to date has been excellent and offering good diversity.

But the question has arisen over content. Should they expand their content?

For the record, I am in no way affiliated with Harbinger nor being endorsed. I just would like to see this magazine succeed.

 

[atacam]

I would like to see it expand. But dont sell out to any mini companies. One does spring to mind, that asked?told Harbinger to move the release date of their latest issue,

Quote:

When GW jump we ask how high.

Sorry Harbinger, I buy you mag because I thought you would not be pushed around by this company...maybe not.

I subscribe to you not them, I expect my mag to be with me on time.

 

[t_haye2]

that\'s rubbish. Why would GW give a toss about Harbinger mag, they\'re hardly competition, meaning that they don\'t take away customers from them, but provide more info on other lines. The release date of the mag had to be changed to to a whole load of other reasons, not because White Dwarf told them so...That\'s just the most paranoid thing I\'ve ever heard in my life, sorry.

 

[Sturmhalo]

As far as I know Harbinger and GW have a very good and amiable relationship, but that doesn\'t mean that GW tells them what to do!

Growth of content has been promised from day one so it\'s safe to say that that\'s an on going process already.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Well,

as far as the poll question goes, I wouldn\'t mind seeing it expand to include miniature based boardgames. Having said that, I don\'t think that computer games, CCGs, RPGs or regular board games are really appropriate topics for the magazine, unless the context in which they are discussed relates to a miniature line, for example if someone came out with a line of minis based on the creatures in Magic the Gathering, you could compare the card to the mini in some way, or discuss how you could use reaper minis with a D&D campaign. That sort of crossover is OK in my book.
What I\'d like to see is more event coverage, in particualr the French, US and Uk Golden demons and other painting competitions. I\'d also like to see larger pictures in the showcase. Oh, if Harbinger crew are reading this, you might like to publish my comments in the letters page!

Regards

Kat

 

[t_haye2]

problem with the showcase is the quality of the images they have to work with. I mean, images need to be at least 300 dpi to be good printing quality, and most images they get are only 72, low res at best. They have to keep them small, otherwise they look terrible

 

[Jarrett Lee]

In issue 8 they mention that a certain \"retailer\" asked them to bump the publication by a week - but I believe they are referring to a magazine/book reseller and NOT GW

 

[AlexDaKid]

Can we try and keep computer games out of harbinger please!!!!

I\'m so sick of mags with computer games in! I was reading a copy of slam (basketball mag) and that had 3 pages of games reviews in it! They weren\'t even basketball games!

But by all means include EVERY tabletop game you can think of!

 

[supervike]

slightly expanded....

Expanding to Mini based board games needs a little more explantation....

Are they talking board ames like Axis and Allies, Warcraft, Risk...

Or Monopoly, Life, etc...

Strategy based Board games I can support. But also, I don\'t want to see the mag get too diluted. There are plenty of Computer mags, although I don\'t mind them covering games/products that can be applied to the miniature hobby.

 

[atacam]

t_haye2, i\'m not being paranoid, read the editorial, beneath the cry havoc picture in issue 8.

BTW i dont speak rubbish just fact, and before you accuse, maybe you should get the facts straight as I did.

(this is not intended as a personal flame, as I have the upmost repect for both you and you work)

 

[UncleHex]

Originally posted by atacam

Quote:

When GW jump we ask how high.

It doesn\'t say that.
It says \"...certain high street retail giants...\" and \"...certain retailers...\"
I can see how one would assume this to mean GW but it is not necessarily the case.

 

[t_haye2]

atacam, I realize that english isn\'t your first language and therefore you might have misunderstood the editorial and news bit.

It\'s about the major magazine retailer in the UK wanting them to put the mag forward a week, so they will sell more copies(because the first rush of White Dwarf will have settled), GW has no hand in this at all, it\'s simply business sense from the distributing/retail company in question....It happens so often in the magazine business, similar mags are hardly ever published on the same dates, because it would clash with consumer buying behaviour. If new magazines were put in the stands on the same day every week, peeps would only buy one or maybe two at most. If you have a new mag coming in every other day, buyer behaviour dictates that they are more likely to pick up another one that they would otherwise not have bought. This is called marketing, and although you seem to love to hate evrything Gw does, it has nothing to do with them. Blame WHSmiths if you have to

 

[mickc22]

GW aren\'t \"high street retailers\", not that I\'m trying to defend them as I think they are big enough to do that themselves, I think the reference is to a certain distributor of printed materials, pens, papers, etc. The name of WHich SeeMs I THink a bit hard to recall
..........sorry best I could do on the spur of the moment

 

[mickc22]

.........and there\'s me trying not to mention any names.......lol

 

[atacam]

atacam, I realize that english isn\'t your first language

Being that I\'m an \'uni Enlish lit\' graduate, one would asume that it is.

Any way \'short pale guy\' would point towards GW, and being that I also did work for GW I know how much control they command over the magazine and release dates. As The mighty voice of harbinger said, he can see why I got the idea.

As for buying behaviour, it is part of my job to investigate this( I cannot ommit who I work for) and we do tend to release magazines to coincide with others of the same genre.

I do not hate all GW does. as said before I have worked for them so know thier stratagies. I do not agree with them, also as a now gamer/customer I do not agree with the price rises, when you consider what you are actually getting for your money. I do have it on very good authority they have been very shaken by the success of Rackham.

I happen to know the owner of a small independant game shop. He has told me that GW \'put upon\' him, personally I think it amounts to nothing more than bulling the little guy. Having said that I do buy GW products occasonally, and do enter the Golden Demon, so yet more proof that I\'m not totaly anti-GW, but yet again you jump to the wrong conclusion.

I have a friend who is very anti-GW and we argue endlessly on the matter of the companies....selling strategy....customer policies..product range.....worth and quality of mini\'s produced. I find myself forever taking the side of GW, although I do agree with some of his points.
(this is not another GW bashing thread)

 

[t_haye2]

well, frankly atacam, GW doesn\'t have a problem with Rackham, they do not rock the income of Gw at all. They\'re actually a greta source of inspiration for a lot of the creative heads in the Studio, who love their models.
You seem to have the idea that GW would bully people into doing their bidding, well, I know for a fact that the editor of Dwarf thinks that Harbinger is a great innitiative(seeeing as he told me so), but he doesn\'t fear them as competition simply because they would not be able to afford to produce a magazine like White Dwarf.

you read what you wanted to read in your mind. GW told Harbinger to change their release schedule?...well, if you want to believe that, that\'s fine, you obviously seem to believe the great evil empire theory.

 

[Ebonbuddha]

Who told you this? I don\'t see them doing that since they cover alot of minis and games. Not to mention, looks like GW has succeeded in driving the nails in their own coffin. Looks like the masses are moving to more affordable, better games.

There is my two cents.

Originally posted by atacam

Quote:

When GW jump we ask how high.

Sorry Harbinger, I buy you mag because I thought you would not be pushed around by this company...maybe not.

I subscribe to you not them, I expect my mag to be with me on time.

 

[Ebonbuddha]

Battle Reports!

I would love to see battle reports for some of the games. I would also see some more coverage of Dark Age minis, Chronopia, and Warzone.

Why not an annual painting contest? Maybe the three winners can get plaques and some other goodies.

And a Harbinger Ogre mini.
And dancing girls. A lot of dancing girls.

And sugar free chocolate.
And beer.
:flip::bouncy::flip::bouncy::flip:

 

[supervike]

back on topic...

Harbinger is getting much better.....I finally got a chance to read through the whole mag and I really love the improvements.

But, you know what I really love, I mean besides the great smell of the mag when I first take it out of the envelope?

Its the ads. I just love seeing ads from miniature companies. It exposes me to products I have never heard of, and that, to me is worth the price of admission.

Plus, have I mentioned how cool That Harbinger of the North (the next free promo) looks......

 

[t_haye2]

I dread to ask...but why sugar free chocolate? and I would vote for Pez...lots and lots of Pez....hmmmmmmm