Petition - Bring Back Hobby Articles

[Druchii Monkey]

Hi there, not sure if you guys/gals are aware but GW has recently removed an absolute ton of hobby articles from their web site.

Affecting me personally they have removed the Dark Elf Spearmen, Dark Elf Corsairs, and Cold One Knights tutorials, and Space Marine heavy weapons tutorials. Practically all of the stage-by-stage and assembly guides have been removed e.g. the Skaven Doomwheel guide.

I have contacted GW customer services about this and their response was that the articles were dated so they took them down.

There is a possible rumour that GW have done this due to a rumoured new paint release in March but that is not the official story.

The purpose of this thread is as a petition to request the following from GW:

"Games Workshop, please make available to your customers in one form or another, the full range of freely available hobby articles that you recently removed from your web site. These articles were a valued resource in the support of our hobby and their removal without notice is unsatisfactory."

The aim would be to reference this thread in an email or letter to GW customer services and management to try and pressure them to address the situation?

Many thanks for your time. The purpose of this thread is simply to address whether we want these articles back or not.

[winterdyne]

I think they should re-write them. Their actual hobby content, both on the site and in WD has been abysmal for years, for the most part being thinly veiled 'buy this product' spiels. Very little on how to actually plan a project or the techniques used.

[shelfunit.]

Bring them back, replace them as they write new ones. Simples. Also entirely agree with winterdyne.

[Crawtworld]

Some of the articles where definitively not outdated, gw has some other reason for doing this.

[Druchii Monkey]

Some of the articles where definitively not outdated, gw has some other reason for doing this.

I feel sorry for the poor chaps in GW customer services - i gave them quite an earful - and they have no other choice but to feed me made up nonsense. They're good chaps, only doing their jobs. Seriously they can't just have taken all of this down on a whim, must be a big change coming up soon hey?

[Druchii Monkey]

A very short sampling of the articles they have removed. There must be over a hundred in total:

Skaven: Screaming Bell Stage-by-Stage Assembly and Painting
Dark Elves: Black Ark Corsair Stage-By-Stage
Skaven: Doomwheel Stage-by-stage Assembly and Painting
Space Hulk: Stage-by-Stage Painting Guide
Orcs & Goblins: Savage Orc Stage-by-Stage Painting
Tyranids - Warrior Stage-by-Stage Assembly
Space Marine Drop Pod: Assembly Stage-by-stage
Forces of Chaos Stage by Stage Assembly
Space Marines: Painting Crimson Fists Stage-by-stage
Tyranids: Genestealer Stage-by-Stage Assembly
Orks - Assembling a Battlewagon Stage-by-stage
Orks - Stompa Stage-by-Stage Assembly
Chaos Daemons: Bloodletters Stage-by-stage
Building a Rhino stage-by-stage
Beastmen: Beastmen Stage-by-Stage Assembly and Painting
Imperial Guard: Sentinel Stage-by-Stage Assembly and Painting
Imperial Guard: Valkyrie Stage-by-Stage Assembly and Painting
Skaven: Clanrat Focus & Stage-by-Stage Painting
Lizardmen - Stegadon Assembly Stage-By-Stage
Eldar: Fire Prism/Night Spinner Stage-by-Stage Assembly
Orks - Assembling Stormboyz Stage-by-stage
Galadhrim Stage-by-Stage Painting
Orks - Nobz Assembly & Painting Stage-By-Stage
Painting Space Marines - Stage-by-stage
The Empire: Greatswords Stage-by-Stage Assembly and Painting

For a full idea of the scale put the following search string into Google and look at all the dead links:

"stage by stage" site:games-workshop.com

[Scaryscarymushroom]

For a full idea of the scale put the following search string into Google and look at all the dead links:

"stage by stage" site:games-workshop.com

*googled*

About 6,890 results (0.14 seconds)

That is a LOT of articles. Even if it's 5 pages to each article that's over 1,000.

[lbecks]

I support this petition! Put hobby articles on the website and bring back EM Masterclass to WD!

[giant stegadon]

The "dated" excuse doesn't have a lot of weight to it. Thats why I keep telling myself they are going to surprise us all next month with new painting articles for everyone...and maybe lower prices. But seriously, why would all the Island of Blood related stuff be thrown out with "How to paint a Glade Guard"? Now that I've thought about it, I think there was new 'how to' articles were for Orcs, but I'm not sure about TK and OK. Did anyone notice this for 40k?

Additionally, I have (must) to believe GW understands these articles keep a lot of people buying Citadel paint. Furthermore, browsing those articles act as there own advertisement since it gives people a reason to keep poking around the GW website. All that being said, its worth letting them know people want this content and the mutual benefit there is.

[Druchii Monkey]

The only thing that makes vague sense is an imminent change to a significant portion of their paints i.e. the "dated" excuse will be correct by the end of the month. It's a lie but it stretches the truth. Still some of these articles were 100% fine and a few paint colours changing wouldn't have made a big difference - maybe the change is bigger than that.

For me it boils down to one of three things.

1) Either this decision was made with zero thought?
2) Or they are giving the whole section an overhaul and bringing it back in another shape, but then why did the old section need to go before the new one was ready?
3) Or they are massively reworking their paint range very very soon.

[popisdead]

Writing letters and mailing them to GW is the best way to get a point across. Electronic opinions are washed away in the mire.

Jervis posts a mailing address every WD, it would be your best bet.

I also support you, I would love to see more hobby articles in the magazine and online.

[Bael]

I'm really annoyed about the Skaven articles being taken down. They were never in WD and I was half way through both guides.

[Westside]

I think the internet is pretty 'Orwellian' in general, things are always 'disappearing' and being 'revised'. Winston Smith would have been kept real busy.

Since GW could easily host all the content, and downloads they ever had on the site but choose not to perhaps it's best just to buy a White Dwarf here and there when they have an article of interest. Considering most of the stuff I'm interested in happened years ago 'lots' of WD on Ebay on the sound like the way to go. (then I can shop for my 'new' minis at the same place)

[lbecks]

I think the internet is pretty 'Orwellian' in general, things are always 'disappearing' and being 'revised'. Winston Smith would have been kept real busy.

Since GW could easily host all the content, and downloads they ever had on the site but choose not to perhaps it's best just to buy a White Dwarf here and there when they have an article of interest. Considering most of the stuff I'm interested in happened years ago 'lots' of WD on Ebay on the sound like the way to go. (then I can shop for my 'new' minis at the same place)

I have the last 12 years of WD and the hobby articles such as "how to build..." and the tabletop level guides on the website aren't the same ones they put in WD. They were designed as web content.

[Druchii Monkey]

I'm really annoyed about the Skaven articles being taken down. They were never in WD and I was half way through both guides.

I am just over half way through my Dark Elf Corsairs and there is no way i can remember all the steps i'm going to need to take to make them all look like my test model.

If anyone has the Dark Elf Corsair guide anywhere would appreciate it?

I think the internet is pretty 'Orwellian' in general, things are always 'disappearing' and being 'revised'. Winston Smith would have been kept real busy.

Yes, but GW have a responsiblity to support the painting and assembly of their products, so when they take down en masse one of the corner stones of this support without warning it goes beyond simple revisional flux.

Since GW could easily host all the content, and downloads they ever had on the site but choose not to perhaps it's best just to buy a White Dwarf here and there when they have an article of interest. Considering most of the stuff I'm interested in happened years ago 'lots' of WD on Ebay on the sound like the way to go. (then I can shop for my 'new' minis at the same place)

Please let me know which issue of White Dwarf had that Dark Elf Corsair article in it and i will grudgingly buy it as a one off?

Going forward though, White Dwarf coverage is not as extensive as the articles they had posted. Orcs and Goblins in particular had around ten online guides on painting everything from standard goblins to orc boar boyz, savage orcs, river trolls. Typical White Dwarf coverage would probably cover two kits from any particular army release - White Dwarf coverage has nowhere near the breadth.

Writing letters and mailing them to GW is the best way to get a point across. Electronic opinions are washed away in the mire.

Jervis posts a mailing address every WD, it would be your best bet.

I also support you, I would love to see more hobby articles in the magazine and online.

Good idea on writing to Jervis. The idea of the online poll is to support such writing so they can see a range of opinions and how this affects various people if they want to.

[Commissar_Kahl]

I voted outdated but what I really meant was that most of them were crap, but that wasn't a poll option.

[spaint2k]

I originally had little opinion on the matter, since it wouldn't be the first time and it won't be the last. I usually save website articles that I like.

Unfortunately, I discovered that the article with an ork scenario and a bunch of cool ork scenery (grot fort, squig pen etc) had been taken down. A real shame - and I never got a copy of it either. So I voted Yes.

[Dai-Mongar]

I have no opinion on this. I can see how these How-To articles are useful for beginners, but I've got more than enough experience to need a GW guide to tell me how to paint my minis.
The loss of scenarios and gaming articles is a little sadder, but I'm fairly confident that they'll put more up.

[Druchii Monkey]

FYI on my initial attempts to get through via customer services:


My First Email:

"The majority of these have disappeared from your site - what's up? Deeply concerned. Dark elf corsairs, spearmen, cold one knights - all gone!
I took a few days off work to do some space marine devastators and was going to use some heavy weapons painting guide you had on the site - not there - please tell me this is not deliberate."


Customer Services Response:

"Thanks for the email, many of the older articles have dropped off the website recently, including many of the painting guides. Most of these articles have been out of date for some time and used paints that are no longer available. Our hobby books such as 'Eavy Metal Masterclass, the How To Paint books and White Dwarf, contain an array of painting guides, and our Hobby Centre staff are always willing to help out with painting techniques - just pop in and have a chat with them. We also show plenty of painting tips on What's New Today, sharing the techniques used by hobbyists all over the world. With the new blog, this advice will be even easier to find, so don't forget to keep checking back."


My Second Email:

"Sorry but this is absolutely bonkers.

For dark elves you had three step-by-step guides on painting corsairs, cold one knights, and spearmen. I followed all these guides to the letter within the last 9 months to paint an excellent looking dark elf army. These guides although a little rough round the edges were perfect for me and are still very current.

Your painting guides on Dark Angels and Space Wolves were also good, and i was planning to look at your guide on painting space marine heavy weapons today - have got the day off. All gone. The majority of the painting articles are gone. You could have at least made them available through an archive. Next i'm going to find all those awesome painting guides on basing are gone as well. Ridiculous.

I am a loyal GW customer who has bought both the How to Paint and Heavy Metal Masterclass books. For my purposes these cover off Ultramarines, Night Goblins, and a Dark Elf Dreadlord but not Dar Elf Corsairs which were a challenging unit to paint and not Space Marine heavy weapons which is what i took today off to do. Crikey i'm cheesed off. With the Corsairs I've got ten more and can't remember how that guide went. Good grief. I have spent over £400 on your products this year and all i am asking is for you to keep up a few painting guides that i find useful. Yes your store staff can help, and they are a good bunch, but your painting guides are better, specifically the one for the Dark Elf corsairs. No member of your store staff has the patience to go through that level of details.

The GW withdrawal of these painting guides is outrageous and high-handed. The assumption that most hobbyists out there can simply do without them is arrogant, careless, disloyal to customers, and thoroughly disappointing. Please escalate so that this clearly upper management blunder can be corrected as soon as possible. What was the person who did this thinking??

Best wishes,

p.s. also with all due respect showcasing what people have painted on What's New Today does not equal a painting tutorial, add this to your lock-down on news about upcoming releases, and GW are not in my good books at the moment."


Customer Services Response:

"Thanks for the email, we have passed your email on to the head of product development to review your feedback."


My Third Email:

"Any update from the head of product development?

The guide in particular that is critical to me because i'm half way through painting them is the Dark Elf Corsair guide. Any way of getting a copy of this?"


Customer Services Response:

"Thanks for the email, the articles are no longer available, unfortunately we won't be able to receive copies of these guides.

Many of the techniques in the how to paint guides can be transferred over to other models; it would simply involve changing colours and applying the same effect to a new model. If you would like help with applying these techniques the staff in your local store staff should be able to give guidance on how to do so."


They are really clutching at straws on that last response. Yes, we know you had a lovely stage by stage but can't you just apply the principles from something else.

A few more avenues to go down but Customer Services seems to be a dead end on this one.

[Llew]

And you think GW is the one clutching at straws?

They're gone. They're dead. You should have printed them. I'm sorry for your loss, but you may have to wing the rest on your own. Shouldn't that be fairly easy to do if you've already used the techniques?

For painting techniques that are not product-specific though, Privateer Press does some really amazing articles in their magazines. They have some of the best tutorials I've seen, and they teach broad techniques, not just how to paint a specific kit.