Ah, yes, we all know and love GW policies. I can\'t say I remember a time when it\'s been better, for I have started playing just a year ago.
But I have to say, GW needs to remember and realize a few things.
First of, they claim a copyright on every little bitty of fluff, even stuff like Orks, dwarves and elves. I\'ve even seen claims that the word \"Eldar\" was copyrighted to them, which it is definitely not, for Tolkien used it long before GW even existed. They need to remember they did not invent every tad bit of fluff all by themselves, but combined stuff others had created into a new world. These days you can\'t create something entirely new, just recombine old things. Even if you come up with everything by yourself, it\'s probably been used already.
Secondly, they should realize that guarding their so-called copyrights like a cerberus won\'t get them into any better position, more likely even into a worse position. If everybody cared so much about licenses a light bulb would cost hundreds of dollars, cause we\'d have to pay Benjamin Franklin\'s and Thomas Edison\'s descendants.
The customer appreciates freedom. Hell, even doing a conversion is hard at the border to breaking the copyright.
I think they\'re gaming systems are still cool; easy to learn and all, and that their minis aren\'t works of art in themselves could be considered a plus, because then you have a lot of room for improving them. And after all we should not forget that you can\'t do as much detail in plastic as you can in resin. What they have lost is not quality of product, but quality of customer service. The staffers in the local store are great guys, and they all agree that GW policy ain\'t the best, but they can\'t change a thing, for those at the top control everything. Maybe one should kick their asses out of their bureaus and make them travel through the stores and meet gamers, so they remember what this hobby is all about:
Having fun
Perhaps GW will get back to earth, perhaps they won\'t. I don\'t really care much. It\'s the way business works, and even if I disagree, I can\'t change it. Unless, of course, I got super-rich and bought all the GW shares.
GW can\'t stop all the small companies, and sooner or later they have to realize that and just think: Hey, why stop them? Let\'s make them work for us.
Anyways, I\'m not going to discontinue buying GW stuff, \'cause I like the games, but neither will I discontinue arguing with staffers about the policies.
Hmm, maybe at this years Games Day Germany I can meet one of those gurus and kick his ass.
WEll, I better shut up before I begin to repeat myself, which I fear has already happened.
P.S. Another thing I dislike about GW is the fact that many of their online stores only allow for Credit Card payment, with no explanation as to why this is so.
