Games Workshop Pricing Feedback Thread

[violenceha]

Why not make this thread a poll?

Also what's with the laughable rolex post? you're comparing wargaming supplies with a status symbol? Is that what you believe GW products have become?
Guys will start siddling up to bars near a group of women and let the cuff of the shirt fall back enough to show a wrist covered in a unit of greatswords, that's right ladies, they're greatswords, a whole unit and i've got a steam tank outside to take you all home in.

[Mart007]

I just like to I dont normally like Pricing threads, they are boring, but so far no one has made an over emotional post - yet

What GW need is an equal competitor, but I can never see anyone catching them, I just cant see any other company making systems with such rich background, fan base and highstreet stores - they really do have a monopoly, if another company set up back in the 80s or early 90s with a similar model, sure, but GW are so far ahead I think it would be impossible today. They would stave off any upstart very quickly.

This isnt a crit on GW, they have built up a company with a stunning product in very unusual way - reliant mainly on word of mouth and people stumbling across one of there stores.

The problem it leads to is that they can dictate the price.

I dont think the hobby is that expensive on the other hand. Sure its a lot of money for what you get, but I for one look at the hobby as a whole, the amount of time I spend gaming and painting - I probably spend about £500 a year, thats a lot of stuff, but in reality over a year not actually that much to spend on doing a hobby I really enjoy.

People will spend well over a £1000 on smoking if they are a 20 day. There's loads of ways to waste your money, at least with a GW army if you paint it well you will get your money back it on ebay! (more if you wait long enough for the prices go up and your army hasent been upgraded!) Theres not a lot of things you can say the same for!

[Crazy Harborc]

There are plenty of wargaming minies and rules sets that are great to play AND cheaper to buy than GW's.

The majority of the world's wargamers do not use GW minies nor do they use GW rules systems.

As GW's target market customers mature/grow into adulthood, they do seem to "go away". During that metamorphosis period of wargaming many of those GW only gamers discover the rest/real world of wargaming rules and minies NOT made by GW.

I do wonder IF those GW gamers.....who stopped playing would have stuck around or come back into the fold IF....GW was not priced as if only GW makes minies and or writes rules for wargaming.

By the by, since last years GW price increases and including the most recent increases, as well as the further box sets (re)issued in smaller boxes (but higher unit/each prices for the contents) my group has decided to discontinue buying the great for historical use Empire minies we have been using.

Heck, now that other companies are making 28mm plastic minies, historically correct gamers can buy those at (much) lower than GW prices. $1 to $2 each for minies instead of GW's anywhere from $2.50 to $4.12 each for minies.

[parus_ater]

You can find Warlord Romans and celts at £18 for 30, Perry plastics at £15 for 40....

It's a bit of a generalisation to say that the majority of wargamers don't play GW games, everyone dips occassionally.

[Crazy Harborc]

I know/have known at least 100 wargamers who like me, discovered wargaming years before GW started up. I do agree that the people who started wargaming by playing a GW rules system are likely to "revisit their stored away minies".

Based on what GW has claimed (750,000 regular customers world wide), I really doubt the majority of the world's wargamers play any GW systems. Not rarely even.

Also there's Wargames Factory, 30 plastic foot Celts for $19.95. Celts on horse....you get 12 for $19.95. More troops coming each month.

[Mart007]

lol, no other company comes near GW's size they are market leaders by a million miles! I'm sure there are other great systems!

The point is wargaming, including other systems isnt actually that expensive in terms of what other things cost. If your spending over £600 - £700 on GW stuff a year, then maybe the problem doesent lie with GW. Anything less than that is perfectly acceptable for a hobby recreational activity you do all year.

[ashc]

I can agree with you on the argument that other hobbies are often more expensive or at least equal to the wargaming (or 'GW') hobby, and as far as GW are concerned it is those hobbies they compete with, NOT other wargaming companies.

The question is, for that £600-£700 a year, do you feel you are getting perceived Value For Money?

[Mart007]

yes, I get a lot of pleasure out of the hobby.

[zedeyejoe]

You can find Warlord Romans and celts at £18 for 30

Or indeed £15.30 (the price I sell them at)

For comparative purposes of starting out in wargaming, I checked out the price of some Nike football (soccer) gear

Shirt £39
Shorts £16
Boots £34

Total £89 and resale value virtually nil!

[mightymouse]

I can agree with you on the argument that other hobbies are often more expensive or at least equal to the wargaming (or 'GW') hobby, and as far as GW are concerned it is those hobbies they compete with, NOT other wargaming companies.

The question is, for that £600-£700 a year, do you feel you are getting perceived Value For Money?

Yes GW do often relate money customers spend with other hobbies like xbox gaming etc in their sales spiels. Its like comparing chalk and cheese.

And No I no longer feel I get value for money. In fact have not for the last 4 years. The thing that is my biggest bugbear is the "value" of miniatures based on their position in a codex.

[ashc]

For comparative purposes of starting out in wargaming, I checked out the price of some Nike football (soccer) gear

Shirt £39
Shorts £16
Boots £34

Total £89 and resale value virtually nil!

Shinpads? Socks? Just saying, the starting outset of any hobby is pretty high wherever you go, its a question of whether you consider what you are getting is worth the cost...

[Mart007]

But the demand is there, just by looking at the second hand value of the goods. If your not feeling like your getting value for money stop buying the stuff.

I laugh at myself sometimes for having spent £20 (usually more!) on some plastic soldiers. But really, I am going to have them for as long as I want, I will have spent ages painting them - something I really enjoy, then gaming with them for years.

And dont start with the new dex crap, you dont ever need the latest models, just use your old ones, sure you may have to shuffle a couple of units around every five years - big deal..

I feel a lot of the problem with expense in this hobby is gamers not keeping there wallet in there pants!

[ashc]

I do think it's a lot worse if you have New Army Syndrome, or its cousin, Shinynewmodelitis.

[Mart007]

I cant believe I called trousers pants, Im British!

They are good at marketing shiny new models, always have been. Take Planet Strike, I bought the Stronpoint set and the new rules, I didnt need to, I have plenty of 40K stuff to enjoy the hobby with - but I wanted it. Was it expensive - yes - do I care (a little maybe) but I choose to buy it as I know I will bloody love it!

[lanrak]

Hi all.
As value for money is subjective.
Some chess players are happy with a paper playing board and plastic pieces, others want solid gold and platinum playing pieces and Ivory and Ebony board hand crafted by the finest artisans.
The first pays £2 for thier Chess Hobby,the other pays £784,000 .

BOTH people think they get value for money.

Therfore I would like to point out the turn around in the ethos behind making the EXPENCIVE change to plastic manufacture.

Plastic manufacture allows VERY high volume production compared to metal casting.
Concidering GWs high fixed overhead costs.
Maximising the economies of scale through plastic manufacture is the most sensible way forward.
High volume of sales at low prices.
Also lower prices lowers the bariers to entry to the 'GW hobby.'

So for 2 VERY good fiscal and customer related reasons , pricing new plastics at similar cost to metal cast product is just stupid beyond belif.

If GW wanted to keep low volume high mark up buisness practices why waste millions of pounds on plastic manufacture , when metal/resin casting is more suited to this?

I belive the real problem is the corperate directors are making knee jerk short term decisions to please the shareholders, rather than looking at longer term growth of the buisness.

Raising prices coupled with static turn over =shrinking buisness .
Static prices coupled with growing turn over = growing buisness.

I am NOT a buisness expert, but if I can spot this heinous fau pas , why can not GWs corperate directors?

TTFN
Lanrak.

[Mart007]

Because your wrong

[isaac]

Care to give more than just that?

Other manufacturers are starting plastic production (victrix, perry) and their prices are very low. Now, I don't expect GW to go this low, but lower prices are good with plastics. Yet, GW treats them like they are metal minis.

[zedeyejoe]

So for 2 VERY good fiscal and customer related reasons , pricing new plastics at similar cost to metal cast product is just stupid beyond belif

OK I can give you a reason back. You can either choose the give the advantage of cheaper costs to your customers or keep them for yourself and make profits.

See plastics as a cost reduction programme, not to mention that some people actually prefer plastic to metal. Then you have the choice to offer the product cheaper or make tons of money selling at the current prices.

Now the argument for lower prices is based on one thing, that lower prices would bring in more sales and through that route make more money. No one that I have ever seen post actually has justified that lower prices would bring in more sales, it is just assumed. I do not agree that there is a right to assume it.

[Mart007]

Because the demand is still there, and if any of these other comapanies started to imprint on GW sales - They would do something about it...

These other companies are really small fry compared to the GW machine and anyone who plays these games will almost in all cases use GW stuff anyway.

The only thing I would like to see out of GW is more deal packs around the £50 mark, things like a speed freek box and such like for all armies, sort of like the Appoc boxes but a bit smaller - that would be cool and an incentive to build an army.

[noneedforaname]

as far as im aware GW already tried the low price high volume trick, it failed.

the new plastic chaos knights where 1/3 the cost of the previous version and have sold in vast numbers due to be being too cheap. However the side effect of being too cheap is that they havent paid for the mould yet. Hence they now try to work out how many units players are likely to need for there armies, projected total units sold, and divide cost by that amount to try and ensure they at least break even. Hence greatswords, most empire players will field one unit in an army, so less projected units sold so higher unit cost.

Do you really expect a company to invest in new products just to get the opportunity to make a loss on it?

By making it too cheap the company makes a loss, this damages the business, which damages the hobby. Pretty simple Huh? GW does not make huge profits every year and does not pay high salaries. How can this be seen as gouging or profiteering.

Would you go to work, work eight hours then give your employer £50 for the privilege and not take home a salary? Thats what your expecting GW to do if you expect super low prices.

If you want a txt book definition of profiteering look at the UK's utility suppliers, they post year on year record profits without cutting costs or increasing units sold. Yet your all burning electricity posting on here.