Sadly if AoS does well 40k won't be safe, they stupidly don't care about existing customers because you've already bought your army they just want new players.

Talk about fear-mongering. No, 40k is not in jeopardy of going down the road of Fantasy and becoming similar to Age of Sigmar. Why? Just look at the pace of releases GW has had going for the past 7 months. I mean, what have we gotten so far? Eldar, Harlequins, Skitarii, Mechanicus, Space Marines, Dark Angels, Imperial Knights...

In previous years, a release schedule like that would have taken them two or three years to push out. But because they are no longer focusing as much on the fantasy side, they can dedicate more resources to the game that makes them a metric crap tonne of money. 40k has always been more successful than fantasy, and they would be damaging their company if they cut it apart.

They are losing year on year profits at an alarming rate and GW have openly said they don't do customer research so they don't know why people are buying less.

The increased production is an attempt to reverse this downward trend because they think if you push out more products people will buy them because it's GW and therefore the best in the business in their minds, they don't think they have competition and that arrogance is indicative of the company.

As well as ramping up to a weekly release they've closed some shops and reduced others to one man stores that open 4-5 days a week or if the manager is ill not at all.

They've cut to the bone with staff and pushed out as much stock as they can and this year is worse than last year we know that from the preamble to the upcoming financial statement where they blame the poor exchange rates for economic trouble which is of course nonsense.

Do not for a second think the bean counters who run the company give a fig about players being happy Kirby and his yes men on the board just want to collect dividends, if they think AoS is what people want they won't ask anyone they'll do an end times for 40 k then relaunch it as the same mess AoS is rule wise.

Age of Emperor!

Bolters are now D weapons! Khorne goes missing! Nazdreg, Creed and Logan Grimnar become gods! If you play a Admech STC congregation army you get 3 Imperial Knights Free and start with 3D6X10 victory points! (Seriously that's the only way I could think off that would make the admech convocation army worse!) Terra is destroyed and we now all live on Cadia except it's stuck halfway in the webway and ahahha Horus was never killed by the Emperor Ahahahahahhahahhahahhahhaaa! The hive mind is a c'tan ahahahahahhaaaaa I'm gonna let the scarecrow out! Ahahhahahhahahaaa... Sob. Sob...

Thank god this is not real.

Not! Yet!

I think 40k is pretty much safe (ie everything is already round based copyrighted) from GW's meddling. The only casualties so far are the space marine statue and aquila outside the GW HQ.

I mean what are they gonna do? Make the shoulderpads on marines even bigger?

Oh lord ...

SHOULDER PADS NOT IMPORTANT. ONLY LIFE IMPORTANT.

What's the use of saving life when you see what you do with it?

Sadly if AoS does well 40k won't be safe, they stupidly don't care about existing customers because you've already bought your army they just want new players.

Talk about fear-mongering. No, 40k is not in jeopardy of going down the road of Fantasy and becoming similar to Age of Sigmar. Why? Just look at the pace of releases GW has had going for the past 7 months. I mean, what have we gotten so far? Eldar, Harlequins, Skitarii, Mechanicus, Space Marines, Dark Angels, Imperial Knights...

In previous years, a release schedule like that would have taken them two or three years to push out. But because they are no longer focusing as much on the fantasy side, they can dedicate more resources to the game that makes them a metric crap tonne of money. 40k has always been more successful than fantasy, and they would be damaging their company if they cut it apart.

They are losing year on year profits at an alarming rate and GW have openly said they don't do customer research so they don't know why people are buying less.

The increased production is an attempt to reverse this downward trend because they think if you push out more products people will buy them because it's GW and therefore the best in the business in their minds, they don't think they have competition and that arrogance is indicative of the company.

As well as ramping up to a weekly release they've closed some shops and reduced others to one man stores that open 4-5 days a week or if the manager is ill not at all.

They've cut to the bone with staff and pushed out as much stock as they can and this year is worse than last year we know that from the preamble to the upcoming financial statement where they blame the poor exchange rates for economic trouble which is of course nonsense.

Do not for a second think the bean counters who run the company give a fig about players being happy Kirby and his yes men on the board just want to collect dividends, if they think AoS is what people want they won't ask anyone they'll do an end times for 40 k then relaunch it as the same mess AoS is rule wise.

I wasn't doubting that the company is having problems with profit. I was saying that 40k makes GW more money than Fantasy, and that has been the case for quite some time. The biggest problem for fantasy is that the game stagnated. They hadn't added in any new content in races since the Ogres in 2005; their releases were poorly thought through, leaving some army books in 8th edition to languish with their 6th edition book; the fluff, while extensive, was boring and simple for many people and didn't have the draw that the 40k fluff does. Their own lack of interest in supporting WHFB is what lead to it being killed. Whether or not GW does market research is irrelevant when the numbers show them what they need to see. Fantasy did not make money, and 40k did. Fantasy needed to have new life breathed into it, and so they redid it as age of sigmar.

Again, I point to the sheer rate of release that GW has been at for 40k to demonstrate why they will not send that game down the same time any time soon. So going on about how 40k is doomed to follow in Fantasy's footsteps is nothing but fear mongering.

I think 40k is pretty much safe (ie everything is already round based copyrighted) from GW's meddling. The only casualties so far are the space marine statue and aquila outside the GW HQ.

I mean what are they gonna do? Make the shoulderpads on marines even bigger?

Oh lord ...

SHOULDER PADS NOT IMPORTANT. ONLY LIFE IMPORTANT.

Achievement Unlocked: Fifth Element Quotesmith

I wasn't doubting that the company is having problems with profit. I was saying that 40k makes GW more money than Fantasy, and that has been the case for quite some time. The biggest problem for fantasy is that the game stagnated. They hadn't added in any new content in races since the Ogres in 2005; their releases were poorly thought through, leaving some army books in 8th edition to languish with their 6th edition book; the fluff, while extensive, was boring and simple for many people and didn't have the draw that the 40k fluff does. Their own lack of interest in supporting WHFB is what lead to it being killed. Whether or not GW does market research is irrelevant when the numbers show them what they need to see. Fantasy did not make money, and 40k did. Fantasy needed to have new life breathed into it, and so they redid it as age of sigmar.

Your missing the point. What he us saying is that, though 40k has been making more money than fantasy for years, it is also making less money each year than 40k of the previous year. If age of sigmar sells really well and it starts making current 40k levels of money, the GW board is going to say "doing this multiplied fantasy sales by 10, imagine 40k sales increased by the same factor".

Forgive someone who doesn't give a rats rear about financial reports, but how detailed are they? Do they go into detail about which games brought in how much, or their overhead? Or are they just saying they projected this much and made that much, which was a difference of X from the previous year?

GAMES WORKSHOP SAYS SALES DOWN - 6, 2015

I wasn't doubting that the company is having problems with profit. I was saying that 40k makes GW more money than Fantasy, and that has been the case for quite some time. The biggest problem for fantasy is that the game stagnated. They hadn't added in any new content in races since the Ogres in 2005; their releases were poorly thought through, leaving some army books in 8th edition to languish with their 6th edition book; the fluff, while extensive, was boring and simple for many people and didn't have the draw that the 40k fluff does. Their own lack of interest in supporting WHFB is what lead to it being killed. Whether or not GW does market research is irrelevant when the numbers show them what they need to see. Fantasy did not make money, and 40k did. Fantasy needed to have new life breathed into it, and so they redid it as age of sigmar.

Your missing the point. What he us saying is that, though 40k has been making more money than fantasy for years, it is also making less money each year than 40k of the previous year. If age of sigmar sells really well and it starts making current 40k levels of money, the GW board is going to say "doing this multiplied fantasy sales by 10, imagine 40k sales increased by the same factor".

Exactly.

Forgive someone who doesn't give a rats rear about financial reports, but how detailed are they? Do they go into detail about which games brought in how much, or their overhead? Or are they just saying they projected this much and made that much, which was a difference of X from the previous year?

It's a publicly traded company so the reports are fairly detailed, we know ten years ago they made 30+ million in pure profit 36.4 I think being their biggest year and that amounts gone down gradually apart from 2013 then last year it sank to 11 million in a year they released a new edition of 40k and a new space marine codex which is their biggest seller.

The increased release schedule came after this in an effort to raise profits but it's clearly not working if they are lowering expectations and had to borrow money to pay out dividends.

People I know who work on wall street and manage hedge funds have run the numbers some say five years till they are in real trouble others as few as two till they are bankrupt, im no expert but I trust their analysis.

The market has grown 20% but GW is chronically mismanaged and the industry leader is in decline while it's competition grows and they've failed to even try and change direction, reliable sources have quoted the CEO as saying the cost of entry is too high but their new game is introduced with heroes for £20 and five basic infantry being £30 so for 50 models your looking at £300+ which is more expensive than older fantasy for the same model count.

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2015/07/bombshell-gw-welcome-to-the-age-of-limited-edition.html

*Sigh*

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2015/07/bombshell-gw-welcome-to-the-age-of-limited-edition.html

*Sigh*

I'm not angry just really disappointed.

This gents is why ffg gets my money now not GW.

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2015/07/bombshell-gw-welcome-to-the-age-of-limited-edition.html

*Sigh*

This is making me wonder if they can return the plates for a refund within thirty days if they're not satisfied.

*double post*

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2015/07/bombshell-gw-welcome-to-the-age-of-limited-edition.html

*Sigh*

I actually quite liked the look of those gates, too. Perfect for my Daemons army.

edit: still showing as available for preorder on the GW site.

edit#2: be strong, Gecko...

Ophidian gateway makes for some sweet Alpha legion cenery for 40k...dammit AoS, why does severything you are fit in better in 40k?

Because it IS 40k. In disguiz.

Because it IS 40k. In disguiz.

Pretty much to the point instead of sigmarines you could use blood angels and no one would notice.

Pretty much to the point instead of sigmarines you could use blood angels and no one would notice.

And vice versa.

"The End Times". You weren't kidding, GW. You really weren't.

Something struck me as I was looking at the aos set in the WD today. Remember when the big tall guys in heavy armor, with their faces hidden behind helmets were the chaos warriors...and now it's its the sigmarites- ie the good guys?

The enemy doesn't look lile much of a threat if the good guys are immortal superman in adamnatium armor.

I've listened to half of the audiobook so far. Not as bad as i feared but some bits sound like they should be narated by Brian Blessed.

Something struck me as I was looking at the aos set in the WD today. Remember when the big tall guys in heavy armor, with their faces hidden behind helmets were the chaos warriors...and now it's its the sigmarites- ie the good guys?

The enemy doesn't look lile much of a threat if the good guys are immortal superman in adamnatium armor.

I've listened to half of the audiobook so far. Not as bad as i feared but some bits sound like they should be narated by Brian Blessed.

That sort of thing?

Imagine the old testament mixed with the symarillion if it was written by HP Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. And have that yelled into you face by either Gerard Butler or Britain's loudest thespian, Brian hawkmen, diiiive Blessed.

BROTHERS! YOU HAVE BEEN FORGED IN SECRET BUT TONIGHT WE ERACE THE LONG YEARS OF SHAME! TONIGHT WE OPEN THE GATES AND TAKE BACK THOSE REALMS SO LONG DENIED TO US! TONIGHT WE STRIKE LIKE THE THUNDER AND BRING THE LIGHTNING! TONIGHT WE BRING WAAAAAAARRRR!!!!

TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL oh wait that's from 300...

It get's better for a while, when we meet a group of human survivors and the chaos warband that is hunting them. But when the Sigmarines show up again the chaos lord goes into total ham come at me bro mode.

Who knew Khorne cannibals could get so hammy?

Every time people tell me the background story I just keep thinking how that bits been stolen from magic and that other bit is from another franchise, and its all such an unoriginal mess.

Every time people tell me the background story I just keep thinking how that bits been stolen from magic and that other bit is from another franchise, and its all such an unoriginal mess.

Unlike the old 16th century europe (holy roman empire) meets Tolkien meets grail legend setting that was absolutely no blatant plagiarism at all you mean?

Sadly if AoS does well 40k won't be safe, they stupidly don't care about existing customers because you've already bought your army they just want new players.

Talk about fear-mongering. No, 40k is not in jeopardy of going down the road of Fantasy and becoming similar to Age of Sigmar. Why? Just look at the pace of releases GW has had going for the past 7 months. I mean, what have we gotten so far? Eldar, Harlequins, Skitarii, Mechanicus, Space Marines, Dark Angels, Imperial Knights...

In previous years, a release schedule like that would have taken them two or three years to push out. But because they are no longer focusing as much on the fantasy side, they can dedicate more resources to the game that makes them a metric crap tonne of money. 40k has always been more successful than fantasy, and they would be damaging their company if they cut it apart.

and the massive irony is 40 took about four years to actually ever get released as Bryan Ansell at the time thought no one would like it and they should concentrate on Fantasy.

It's why the first 40k range was a mere 14 models and even by 88 there were only a few hundred, hardly any vehicles and a lot of the models were pretty poor conversions of fantasy models.

In 87 they released the first 'chapter approved' supplement but again thought no one would want it and only made about 5000 of them. Sold out in a day and you couldnt get a copy for less than about £100 until 2nd edition was well established. Even now a copy is around £60 on ebay in fair condition.

GW never ever expected 40k to have been the life saver it was.