I'm sad about the direction of this company.

[avatarofportent]

Several years ago when GW started it's annual price hikes, I could see it being justified because the price of oil (plastic) and tin (metal) was shooting through the roof around 2008ish. I think like 2 or 3 years ago there was actually a price drop on several things and I was very happy. I thought that the company understood it's customers got a little hosed by constant price increases.

But over the last few years there have been small things I've noticed with what I think is the changing of the corporate guard at GW. But I was blissfully ignorant.
The first time I noticed anything was amiss, was when the new Tyranid codex came out and they nerfed the ******* hell out of the Carnifex, and brought out the Trygon kit. Now anyone familiar with the Carnifex kit knows it was at the time it was one of the most diverse model kits they had. Now most of the options didn't exist anymore. GW knew everyone had lots of Carnifex kits (I had 6) and didn't need to buy anymore so they screwed them over and made the Trygon/Mawloc required. I was miffed but I carried on.

The next was changes in the store, we used to have 5 guys work at our store. 1 Manager, two Full timers, two Part Timers. They all got laid off and only one guy was hired to run the store by himself as a cost saving measure. The hours of the store got reduced to 37.5 and it would close for 30 minute lunch which is unheard of in retail. Normally you have multiple staff on so they stagger their breaks and keep the business open. A friend of mine worked there 9 years and just got the boot. Man he was pissed.

Then recently they started taking away things from the hobbyist's in the store. The removed one of the tables about 2 years ago and made it a "demo only" table. It sucked losing a table when you could play a game at night and what 10 year old is going to walk into the store at 8pm for a demo. It rarely happened so the table sat there as a display. What a waste. You figured having people play the game and enjoying themselves would be demo enough for potential customers who walk in and see the action.

Then the small hobby things started to go, like measuring sticks, communal dice, and templates. GW stores want you to buy your own so they don't have to supply you with this stuff.

Then when the new paints came out they took away the painting table. Guys would come in and paint there stuff at the table it was a good way to socialize. GW didn't like the cost it was spending on free paints (6 pots a year/colour according to the Mgr) for people so they took it away. I had my own paints at home, but man it helped some of the younger guys get some painting in.

And yesterday the straw that broke my back, was they took the customer copy of all the rule books away. I mean I own over 30 codex's and rule books from these guys but I mean come on, you should be able to just quickly snag a book off the shelf to compare or check a rule quickly. I have done that numerous times. Have you seen the size of the new 6th ed rule book. I have to lug that down to the store now instead of just quickly using the store customer copy.

Don't get me started on the 40 page advertisement which is White Dwarf. I remember the days of WD actually being a hobby magazine, now it's just all flash.

I think the changes can be pretty much summed up by the manager of my store. " We're not a hang out or a gaming company, we're a model company. We sell models"

I've been in this hobby for 16 years and spent easily over 10-20k on this hobby. I love the back ground so much I think it is far superior to any other Cult Sci-Fi stuff out there in the last 30 years. Maybe 40k is too dark for the public though, but that's why I love it. GW is just another faceless corporation now it seem's who just happens to own some awesome IP.

-End Rant.

[Scaryscarymushroom]

I'm sad about the direction of this company.

Me too my friend. Me too. That said, it sounds like a lot of your concerns are related specifically to the way a particular store is run. Now, I have no idea how GW gets involved with their stores, but perhaps it isn't a problem with the company itself.

Or perhaps it is.

P.S. If you like grimdark, you might be happy to give Malifaux a closer look. The fluff in the main rulebook is really good. And is grim and dark.

[Max Jet]

See... this is why I don't like those threads.

What did you expect? Oh sure, the prices for materials skyrocketed. Well you surely know that it's cheaper for GW to produce a plastic sprue than it is for them to make a box? You wouldn't say "Oh the printers got more expensive! No wonder we have to pay 70 pounds for Dreadfleet!"

You had it comming. You paid higher prices and they thought to themselfes "Hey no fall in sale numbers! That means our costumers don't care for the price!" Did you seriously expect something different?

[Harry]

Sounds like you need to join J.A.D.E.D.

[Commissar Merces]

Me too my friend. Me too. That said, it sounds like a lot of your concerns are related specifically to the way a particular store is run. Now, I have no idea how GW gets involved with their stores, but perhaps it isn't a problem with the company itself.

Or perhaps it is.

P.S. If you like grimdark, you might be happy to give Malifaux a closer look. The fluff in the main rulebook is really good. And is grim and dark.

Problem is his concerns are the same exact feelings/changes to the store atmosphere are the same that I have felt and seen over the years and I don't live anywhere remotely close to him (Southern USA).

These changes are truly fundamentally different as it has driven away customers from our local GW store to the point were 90% of the time the past couple of months that I went I was literally his only customer all day I have recently decided to stop going to my GW simply because the prices are stupid and the manager has become unbearable to listen to.

It's not just him though. I travel a lot for work and have stopped by many GW in the States and I am truly disturbed by the current state of our hobby. WD is no longer a magazine, shop managers are used car salesmen, and the Memphis corporate guys that I have run into by chance have to be the slimiest and rudest people I have ever talked to involved in this hobby. While playing one game with my girlfriend (shocking I know) she actually asked if we could leave mid-game because of the way the Memphis guy was pestering us about buying miniatures and scolding the store owner for letting people ask questions about the then rumored 6th edition release on the facebook site and in the store.

Needless to say, I will not be going back to my GW and will only purchase from eBay and MM. GW is opening a new store maybe 3 miles from my home town, but I am honestly scared to even step foot in there because my love for the game has already been so tarnished the past year.

[Scaryscarymushroom]

You had it coming.

That seems a little unnecessary. I mean, imo prices have their cutoff point. At a certain point, I'll put up with getting gouged, even if I know it's happening. Only when it goes over the top will I stop. Which I did.*

At this point I'm eager for GW to continue raising prices and releasing crap books that people will buy no matter how bad they are or how little customer consideration is given.

Why? It depreciates the value of their good stuff! Making it easier for me to afford. I just bought the 5th edition hardcover 40k rulebook on ebay for $15. (I might add that only 3 weeks ago it retailed for $57.75. Pretty steep decline in value!) I'm very happy with my purchase. If only I could find all the 4th edition codices for less than $5 each. I might buy about 1/2 of the 5th edition books for $10 or less. But the other half is garbage and I won't buy it for any price. So please GW, release 6th edition codices for every army. Except GK, Necrons, Blood Angels, Space Wolves, and a handful of other codices with corresponding 3rd-5th ed. material that I don't care for (or have already purchased).

*Last purchased new item was a Land Raider a week before the price rise. Not counting the 5th ed. rulebook I just picked up, I haven't spent money on GW products at all since then; and even went so far as to exchange a 40k-related birthday gift for a malifaux book and models. I haven't cared enough to assemble the LR yet. Too busy playing malifaux & warmachine, and painting puppet wars and Anima minis. Oh, and thinking about whether or not I would actually use the bugs that Defiance games sells for less than $1 a model if you buy from a discounter. Tyranids. Only 50-70% cheaper. Ya.

@ Harry

How does a person join J.A.D.E.D. ...? Do I just proclaim myself a member? Like the Discordian society?

[Commissar Merces]

Sounds like you need to join J.A.D.E.D.

Yes how does one become a member?

[g0ddy]

They didn't take the books away, ask the Manager to see them - they're just behind the counter now. So they get a little bit less beaten up and less people mill around the back reading

I have to say the new manager is a breath of fresh air, regardless of policy decisions that may or may not be out of his control.

The new magma table is looking super-rad too!

---

To clarify for others, when the one-man store bug hit our location there was a Manager and 1 Key Timer employed. Over the years the staff levels have fluctuated but we certainly did have 5 people or more at one time. I find the concept of closing the store for breaks, illness, vacation, manager related travel and meetings to be quite annoying as well.

EDIT: The "burger king" painting table was removed and replaced by 5 or 6 official paint stations up near the windows as part of a partial renovation of the store. Until now - it had basically been in its same condition since it opened in 1998-2000 ish?

~ zilla

[g0ddy]

Is J.A.D.E.D anything like S.H.I.E.L.D... if so where do I sign up?

[Confessor_Atol]

I've been in the hobby for about 18 years myself. For the last 10 or so I've accepted the fact that GW as a company (not the game of warhammer) has become less loveable. To that end, most of the games I play have a very entertaining pre-game phase called "what is the stupid thing GW has done to piss us off phase". Enjoy the excuse for a good whinge! Accept it and move forward with warhammer, or move on to some other company. Feel free to enjoy the game and hate the company. When you aren't buying from your local retailer, get everything off ebay for a fraction of the cost.....

That's how I manage to sleep at night.

[Inquisitor Engel]

I can disagree with how GW runs its retail stores* but given the digital codex auto-update we've just gotten and the high quality of the recent plastic kits, I'd say they've done a lot to reaffirm my loyalty in the past 12 months. FineCast is still hit or miss, but generally is a pleasure to paint overall.

Oh, and with the annual price hikes on plastic kits, Forge World kits seem cheaper in comparison, so yeah, more FW armies.

If you're upset with the local store and the retail policies, build your own table and have your friends round, or better yet, support your local game store (if you have one)


*I personally think they should go for a more hardcore retail approach and do larger stores in high traffic areas, with tables for people to play on, displays showing video, sell the GW video games, giant models in the window and eye-catching displays etc. If they predict the average interest is 18 months or so, they'll capture far more people with pretty displays, having more tables means people will actually come and spend money and who knows, some of them might stay? You don't need THAT many employees, really. 6 tops.

[Llew]

It used to bother me. Mostly now I read about their goings-on with pretty much the same attitude that I approach celebrity news. I shake my head and chuckle to myself that there are people* out there that stupid. They are the Lindsay Lohan/Charlie Sheen of gaming as far as I'm concerned.




*GW, not the people buying GW...that's up to them.

[thenamelessdead]

Can't disagree with anything the OP said. It's nothing new but then GW do have enormous gall and so even now can come out with shock and awe prices/policies. Amazingly I'm considering purchasing one or two things involving 40k 6th, particularly Chaos so that I can at least say my army isn't still 4th/5th Ed (and isn't just Spiky Space Marines - like the sound of cultists). But I'll be scrutinising anything that I'm interested in to see if I really feel the need to hand over vast sums of money for it. That is the key these days really - put serious thought into where your money goes and explore your options.

[Scaryscarymushroom]

They are the Lindsay Lohan/Charlie Sheen of gaming as far as I'm concerned.

Is GW epic-bi-winning like Charlie Sheen? Do they have tiger's blood?

Speaking of winning...

GW should be more careful not to WAAC the wargaming market and drive all their customers away.

[shelfunit.]

@ Harry

How does a person join J.A.D.E.D. ...? Do I just proclaim myself a member? Like the Discordian society?

Yup.

Yes how does one become a member?

Just type it into your sig.

Is J.A.D.E.D anything like S.H.I.E.L.D... if so where do I sign up?

Well, we're mostly an apathetic bunch - we have no forum, rarely PM each other - and if we do it's nothing to do with J.A.D.E.D. Think of us as a movement without velocity.

[Harry]

Well, we're mostly an apathetic bunch - we have no forum, rarely PM each other - and if we do it's nothing to do with J.A.D.E.D. Think of us as a movement without velocity.

Thats how jaded we are!

[Verm1s]

I tried joining J.A.D.E.D. but they were just too chipper and upbeat.

[Scaryscarymushroom]

I tried joining J.A.D.E.D. but they were just too chipper and upbeat.

I read that in a Marvin (the depressed robot) voice and was thoroughly amused.

Thanks Verm1s.

[Yodhrin]

I can disagree with how GW runs its retail stores* but given the digital codex auto-update we've just gotten and the high quality of the recent plastic kits, I'd say they've done a lot to reaffirm my loyalty in the past 12 months. FineCast is still hit or miss, but generally is a pleasure to paint overall.

Oh, and with the annual price hikes on plastic kits, Forge World kits seem cheaper in comparison, so yeah, more FW armies.

If you're upset with the local store and the retail policies, build your own table and have your friends round, or better yet, support your local game store (if you have one)


*I personally think they should go for a more hardcore retail approach and do larger stores in high traffic areas, with tables for people to play on, displays showing video, sell the GW video games, giant models in the window and eye-catching displays etc. If they predict the average interest is 18 months or so, they'll capture far more people with pretty displays, having more tables means people will actually come and spend money and who knows, some of them might stay? You don't need THAT many employees, really. 6 tops.

As a business decision your suggestion is reasonable, but as a customer and a former retail employee and manager in just such stores, doing so would pretty much kill my interest in Warhammer. Big highstreet retailers are one of the most soul-sucking venues to shop or work in that exist. It's especially bad for the employees; even today with all the corporate idiocy, GW are a holiday camp compared to the "big brand" stores. These companies will walk every line, pinch every penny, abuse the letter of every employment law, because the insane rental costs for the best retail locations won't allow anything less.

EDIT: Just to check, shelfunit.; is your sig quote meant to be satirical? This site didn't earn the nickname "Whineseer" for nothin' you know

[Verm1s]

I read that in a Marvin (the depressed robot) voice and was thoroughly amused.

Thanks Verm1s.

What's there to be amused by? Nothing. Not when you consider life, the universe, and these diodes all down my left side.

EDIT: Just to check, shelfunit.; is your sig quote meant to be satirical? This site didn't earn the nickname "Whineseer" for nothin' you know

It's understandable if you know the place that quote comes from. Makes even J.A.D.E.D. seem like trough-snorkelling fanboys.

And from the outside, Warseers whining can seem pretty lame and pointless if they continue to empty their wallets and throw their money at GW.