Anyone else notice the "trend?"

[psiekier]

I look t it another way. Once the games stop being fun I'm out. I sold most of My Games Workshop stuff about a year ago. It didn't matter to me that I had several thousand dollars in my collection(not to mention the time) I was fed up and done. It's a good thing that well painted minis hold their value.

I almost sold my Blood Angels army many years (10 or so) ago. I'm glad I didn't, as I have something very personal that I can cherish - both for the sake of the games and the memories it brings back; not to mention I will be able to share it with my child(ren) when the time comes.

For the most part, I've found that selling things like this that I can never get back has been a big mistake, and I regret it later every time. Sure, I can trim down my collection by eliminating duplicate models and useless things that I got as part of package deals, but it will be nice to come back to now and again and relive the past.

I think(hope) the trend will continue. I've noticed much more interest in some of the lesser known games at my local store. We all have our breaking point, and it seems that many people are reaching theirs when it comes to Games Workshop.

I'll tell you what I've noticed here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area: Games Workshop is not profitable unless you have the overhead to distribute it.

• Fantasy and Sci-Fi Games in Carrollton, Texas, where I once fought almost weekly 40K games during the early days of Third Edition, went out of business trying to make their bread and butter on GW.
• Lone Star Comics, a successful chain in our region, dumped GW a few years back because they were losing money trying to keep enough stock on the shelves to turn business. They are still doing great business in comics, cards, and other games AFAIK.
• Big World Comics and Games in Carrollton has dumped GW in favour of FOW. The owner is a shrewd businessman indeed, and turns quite a profit on eBay selling used models, paintball supplies, and comic-related merchandise in addition to his brick-and-mortar store. Not much in the way of GW any more...
• Generation X in Bedford is still in business. I'd always seen a lot of card games going on in the back, but have also particpated in some of the best RT Tournaments there, too. The GW section seems to get smaller every time I stop by.

In fact, the only two places that seem to be able to make money on GW stuff are the Games Workshop store in Grapevine (the company itself) and Hobbytown USA (which makes most of its money from radio-controlled stuff anyway).

The only gripe I have with FOW is that they seem to be a little pricey with their rule books and they are a bit like GW in the effec that they release new material constantly.

Does it strike anybody else as oddly humourous that a game based on mid-20th century warfare could have new material? I mean, last time I checked, the military historians had pretty much figured it all out.

[UnDyingJuggalo]

if u wanna read more about this, go to www.privateerpress.com and check their forums. theres a similar topic posted there that has been running for a while (privateer press is the company that makes warmachine)

Id like to rant for a moment if i may, on why i personally am dropping gw. i already stopped buying gw stuff from retailers and was only getting it through other people and ebay. Then, I heard they increased the price again. After that i found out that they'd messed up, and were delaying the eldar codex till 2006 and are dropping DE because people dont play them. Wtf, what a bunch of <not smart>. of course people arent gonna play it if u dont give em unit choices. that was supposed to be the whole point of having a new codex for them. Dark Eldar could be great if those (censored) at gw felt like putting more than 5 minutes into writing the book. and now, to top it all off, the paints have gone up in price too (50c more for metallics, and regular may go up soon as well). i guess they figure since everyone is ditching their over priced game for warmachine, theyre gonna have to make more money off of the overpriced paints instead. Finally, I also very much dislike, and have always disliked the editors. i mean seriously, these morons missed the fact that the WHOLE RANGED WEAPON CHART isnt in the ork book, thus making it necessarry to go online and track down a faq to read it. How effing stupid do you have to be to make a mistake like that? Seriously, If I did something that serious doing paperwork at my job, Id prolly lose my job and my ability to get a job doing clerical work ever again. but Gw has kept the same dumb editors, and they continue to make the same stupid mistakes.

plus, on top of all this, warmachines rules are easier, and the models are cheaper. Instead of playing once every week or two (not even) because a decent sized game takes hours, I can play whenever, in the space of about 45 minutes. I disagree that all you need is the right combo against your opponent, since you never really know what anyone is going to take and theres a counter for anything. Its definitely based on powergaming, but EVERYTHING in the game is based on that so it balances out well. Its not like 40k where they have powergame armies that can beat down all the other armies easily, nor do you see so many people playing the same forces. (Can you say Ultramarines?) I realize theres only 4 forces, plus mercs, but you still get a more even spread over these forces, as opposed to everyone gravitating towards one or two of them, and they will be releasing several more in the future. plus, with less factions and all factions in the book, there is more of a chance to release extra models for each one in every rulebook that comes out, as opposed to once every few years in a white dwarf, or only when they new codex comes out

ok, I'm done ranting. I guess what im really trying to say is that gw is a bunch of greedy idiots and i dont want anything to do with it anymore. Ever since they were bought out by whoever it is that owns them now, prices have been rising, and my satisfaction with the game has been falling. If i wanted to get (censored) in the (censored) id just go commit a felony and get locked up, I dont need to play a game to do it.

And if you disagree with my views on anything, you should go have your head checked.

[Linrandir]

Ever since they were bought out by whoever it is that owns them now, prices have been rising, and my satisfaction with the game has been falling.

AFAIK there haven't been any ownership changes at GW, just management changes and incredibly stupid business decisions. I'm not going to rehash the thread we had going a little while back with Neal's thoughts on the 2nd anniversary of the GW No Net Sales policy.

Which, to my mind, is ironically appropriate since their net sales have been dropping like a rock.

I haven't bought a new GW product at retail price in...nearly a year now. Of course, I think I've played a total of 3 games since 4th ed came out but that's the way things happen.
I've switched to Vallejo paints and Warmachine almost exclusively, except to finish up all those crazy modelling projects I started while I was involved in GW stuff regularly.

Apothesis! W00t!

[insidius]

Apothesis! W00t!

Indeed. Indeed.


I'm gonna be starting a Khador army soon, even though I've known about Warmachine for a year now, I've just now decided to get started.

Gonna wait until next month and buy quite possibly the largest ALL METAL figure I've ever seen (Karchev the Terrible, $45) and build a 'jack army around him and a few Kovniks.

http://privateerpress.com/WARMACHINE/ga ... eview.html



EDIT: *cough* viewtopic.php?t=6052 *cough*

[UnDyingJuggalo]

sounds like a fun army. ill make sure to pull out the sunburst guns and plenty of knights for u


i thought it was an ownership change at gw back about 7 years ago, but maybe it was a new ceo. either way 40k has been sinking faster than micheal jacksons **** in an 8 year old since then.

[Meady]

Amen on the rant Juggalo, I completely agree! I'll have to check out warmachine, FOW and Warlord.

Speaking of which, if your looking for a fantasy game to replace GW's, you might try reapers warlord game. They have like 12 armies or so, and the rules are very simple.

www.reapermini.com is their home page.


--Colin

[El Jefe]

I look t it another way. Once the games stop being fun I'm out. I sold most of My Games Workshop stuff about a year ago. It didn't matter to me that I had several thousand dollars in my collection(not to mention the time) I was fed up and done. It's a good thing that well painted minis hold their value.

I almost sold my Blood Angels army many years (10 or so) ago. I'm glad I didn't, as I have something very personal that I can cherish - both for the sake of the games and the memories it brings back; not to mention I will be able to share it with my child(ren) when the time comes.

For the most part, I've found that selling things like this that I can never get back has been a big mistake, and I regret it later every time. Sure, I can trim down my collection by eliminating duplicate models and useless things that I got as part of package deals, but it will be nice to come back to now and again and relive the past.

I think(hope) the trend will continue. I've noticed much more interest in some of the lesser known games at my local store. We all have our breaking point, and it seems that many people are reaching theirs when it comes to Games Workshop.

I'll tell you what I've noticed here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area: Games Workshop is not profitable unless you have the overhead to distribute it.

• Fantasy and Sci-Fi Games in Carrollton, Texas, where I once fought almost weekly 40K games during the early days of Third Edition, went out of business trying to make their bread and butter on GW.
• Lone Star Comics, a successful chain in our region, dumped GW a few years back because they were losing money trying to keep enough stock on the shelves to turn business. They are still doing great business in comics, cards, and other games AFAIK.
• Big World Comics and Games in Carrollton has dumped GW in favour of FOW. The owner is a shrewd businessman indeed, and turns quite a profit on eBay selling used models, paintball supplies, and comic-related merchandise in addition to his brick-and-mortar store. Not much in the way of GW any more...
• Generation X in Bedford is still in business. I'd always seen a lot of card games going on in the back, but have also particpated in some of the best RT Tournaments there, too. The GW section seems to get smaller every time I stop by.

In fact, the only two places that seem to be able to make money on GW stuff are the Games Workshop store in Grapevine (the company itself) and Hobbytown USA (which makes most of its money from radio-controlled stuff anyway).

The only gripe I have with FOW is that they seem to be a little pricey with their rule books and they are a bit like GW in the effec that they release new material constantly.

Does it strike anybody else as oddly humourous that a game based on mid-20th century warfare could have new material? I mean, last time I checked, the military historians had pretty much figured it all out.

I am like you, I will never part with all of my 40K stuff. I have WAY too much time and money invested in it.

I have however begun phasing GW paints out and I am starting to try to decide if I want to sell my tyranid army or not.

I have 3 armies. Most of them are fully painted. But with all the crap I have thats not, and the FOW Germans and Battlefleet Gothic fleets I have.
I just have too much crap and not enough time to paint it all.