GW in trouble?

[Aldhick]

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

[andys]

Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

[Jurisch]

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

[Stormwind]

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.

[athensfantasy]

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!

[David Wasilewski]

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

[Stormwind]

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.

[fracas]

I am off the GW wagon as well ever they axed SG

GW has too much emphasis on sales rather than value

[Aldhick]

http://natfka.blogspot.sk/2014/01/games-workshop-germany-shut-down.html

[Stormwind]

I must caution that rumours from that site vary wildly between accurate and complete silliness!

[FistusMaximus]

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.... 

[andys]

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.

[Aldhick]

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

[Jimmy Zimms]

actually that's in his assorted rumors section so still outstanding. however something that crazy wouldn't surprise me

[Seahawk]

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.