Specialist Arms Forum
Specialist Games General Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Aldhick on January 17, 2014, 07:26:54 AM
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I don't want to look like a bad luck-wihser but after what happened to SG, this news brings me some sort of grimm sattisfaction... as I'm only WM and Mordheim player and minis collector who buys from ebay now, any future of GW won't affect my hobby any more...
http://masterminis.blogspot.de/2014/01/the-future-of-games-days-games.html (http://masterminis.blogspot.de/2014/01/the-future-of-games-days-games.html)
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Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
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Hi,
did some investigation on Bloomberg. The major investor reduced his shares and estimates under expectations in the second half year. All revenues and profits went down compared with expectations. We will see if they can compensate the loose of several clients from the past who don't support them anymore after changing their business model to plastic and destroying the specialist games.
My money (and I spent a lot) will find now other companies producing quality miniatures.
Regards,
Jurisch
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I really liked the Master Minis analysis. Really interesting about how prices were indeed really low in the early 2000s and how easy it was to get discounted stock.
I still really don't understand why they stopped SG. If they brought it back now they'd earn £££ of direct mail orders. They could double the price and still get huge sales from people grateful that they're not paying FOUR times the price for a dark elf blister on eBay. It's mad.
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To be honest I doubt SG was a significant percentage of their revenues.
Yes, veterans would typically spend more but there are only a few of us to support the growth GW needs as a business. If Games Workshop would fail it would be for a variety of reasons, SG not being one of them.
But business logic aside, the miniatures gaming space is seeing some disruption at the moment and I enjoy the pluralism with new companies (e.g. Mantic games, Warlord etc) and all the crowdfunded projects.
We obviously need to embrace all that as a community!
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I too am off the GW treadmill now as I no longer play Warhammer or 40K. Since they stopped selling SG figures, they have no impact on me at all. When a few more of my GW paints dry up, I'm also going to go over wholesale to the Foundry paint system paint range.
All Empires rise and fall and it it's impossible for any country/company to stay at the top forever....
I think it will be a while before they go though, they are still making a LOT of money for a company that sells toy soldiers.
In the emantime, I look forward to other manufacturors of 10mm fantasy gradually picking up the reigns where GW has stumbled.
Dave
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Well the analysis on that website points out that GW margins are obviously high on all kits, especially plastic - but what was doing the harm was them underestimating the scale of internet and discounted selling. Things ordered direct from GW are basically 95% profit because there's no overhead through stores no middle men get a cut.
Makes me think how vindictive the SG cut was as they were only sold direct and they had already sorted out the moulds from 1999 to 2004.
It strikes me that GW keep doing these bizarre limited edition things like - only stocking magic cards for their warhammer armies for a few months - or doing a limited edition version of the core games or funny coloured dice / templates. I can't imagine those sell well enough to justify the distribution. If they really understood these things we'd be getting something like Space Hulk every 2 years. That sold so fast their arm was bitten off. Then when they tried to do Dreadfleet, no one knew what to make of it. It was exactly what newbies AND veterans DIDN'T want.
If they were smart they would have made a standalone Deathwing game instead of Dreadfleet. And then a standalone Blood Bowl game after that.
Imagine how many veterans would have gone out and bought the really pretty new plastic fantasy kits to make new teams if they had made Blood Bowl or Warhammer Quest as rumoured!
Those are products in 28mm scale that would excite veterans and are excellent entry points in to the hobby.
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I am off the GW wagon as well ever they axed SG
GW has too much emphasis on sales rather than value
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http://natfka.blogspot.sk/2014/01/games-workshop-germany-shut-down.html (http://natfka.blogspot.sk/2014/01/games-workshop-germany-shut-down.html)
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I must caution that rumours from that site vary wildly between accurate and complete silliness!
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being a german, and having asked the manager of our local GW store, i sadly can only confirm that it is indeed true that the german HQ is closing.... :(
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Hmmm, bad move methinks. Far better to run the overseas arms of a business using locals who know the market. Trying to do it remotely will lead to problems. Not that GW aren't up to their dangly bits in problems already.
Meh.
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Looks like the bullcrap rumors about GW dropping whole WH armies doesn't have to be such a bullcrap after all...
http://masterminis.blogspot.de/2014/01/the-future-of-games-workshop-part9.html
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actually that's in his assorted rumors section so still outstanding. however something that crazy wouldn't surprise me
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The FW/GW thing is bunk. I called to order a FW book through my GW and they said they don't offer that anymore.
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New business data from GW:
Pretax profit 12.4 Million GBP instead of 21.4 Million GBP the year before.
Tom Kirby says "good year" and stepa back january 2015.
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If they go under, what happens to the IP on all their stuff?
They've obviously lost the plot completely.
As for their profits falling off a cliff, I'll just repeat my earlier post:
Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
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They say they spent £4 million on their website?
That can't be right.
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They don't get down, they still make gains. But it seems the peak they had last year came from the several buys from the SG players buying the old stuff before it went out. And now several clients stopped to support them at all.
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The market like it - share price the highest it's been in a month, and about the 2nd highest it's been since Jan 1st.
Me, couldn't give a flying f....
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As a Space Wolves player, I have just learned that the latest model is a dreadnought called "Murderclaw" that can also have a gigantic shield and a giant hammer.
It makes the Dreadknight seem positively reserved in aesthetic. x-D
Eventually I'll paint what I have and play them as 6th edition rules. Don't think I'll be getting any new stuff.
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Not quite- 'Murderclaw' is a new Dreadnaught Special Character, because Space Wolves didn't have one of those ::)
Venerable dreads now get the axe+shield option, because they needed a 3++ save...?
I no longer care if GW goes down. I just hope they never attempt to touch Specialist Games again (not unless they somehow recapture their old style- and old game designers).
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There have been topics posted many times over the years about the possible demise of GW. Regardless of the fall in profits, they're still making a substantial profit, so I can't see it happening.
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Irisado is right - they've "only" made a profit of 12 million selling plastic toy soldiers!!!!!!
They're not going to disappear anytime soon. Their glory days do appear to be well behind them however.
I will echo other's comments - I don't really care anymore as since they stopped specialist games, I no longer buy anything from them except brushes and paints. I will probably stop buying even them soon, as other manufacturers do paints and brushes better.
Dave
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Well, as far as we are concerned here. The Specialist Games were placed in the hands of the "community" a long time ago and I like it that way much better.
I stopped caring about GW about the same time they stopped caring about me. ;)