Tuesday 29 May 2012

Games Workshop Price Rises (Some by 33%!) 4 June 12

Nearly didn't spot the news on the latest greedy grab on our wallets by GW this year, it was at the bottom of the latest Wayland Games newsletter. While price hikes are nothing new on their products, I think most people would find it hard to argue against the fact that their products are already overpriced. The list Wayland have is here, while I think many would agree that whoever runs GW pricing strategy is A) Greedy B) Out of touch with customers and C) Slightly Insane, some of the price hikes are actually unbelievable. Some items are going up by 33% that's right 33% (The noticeable one being the Space Marine Battleforce jumping from 60 to 80 pounds!). Since coming back to the hobby in a small way, I really can't believe GW's sales and marketing strategy. It just seems unreal in the tightened economies we are living in, with people having less to spend and while the competition from other tabletop games and independent model artists is so fierce. Inflation is slightly above average at 3%, GW I think you have made a mistake and added a zero!

Its almost like the company isn't really interested in its modelling side other than bleeding its current customers dry! Its a completely, although not entirely, separate point but I can't find White Dwarf anywhere nowadays, only in the occasional highly stocked newsagent, certainly not supermarkets or high street such as WH Smiths. I first got into modelling because the shop in our village sold 7 or 8 magazines kids would be interested in and White Dwarf looked really cool to me at 10. Why now seemingly very little interest in attracting new/young modellers? Seriously 7 magazines on train modelling (7 different ones!) in WH Smiths and no WD. Now I know some people don't like it and think its just a marketing tool (but if nobody sees it, not a good one!) but with the massive success of 40K games why is it not everywhere to try and attract people in/back to the hobby?

Slightly ranty post I know but I just don't understand the strategy at GW. £25 for a Codex, £25 for a Razorback, are these realistic prices, am I just out of touch? If anything with cutting shops and making so many cuts in product quality to cut costs I actually wonder whether the company sees Computer Games royalties and publishing as the future and will end up winding down its modelling side. I can certainly see a online only and independent stockists GW in the (not that far away) future.

My secondhand uber expensive Praetorians are starting to look a bargain! What do other people think?

EDIT: For a more constructive outlook than my rant, Colonel Scipio has done a How to Beat GW Price Rises article and its actually a really good basic guide to hobbying cheaply, go take a look. 



12 comments:

  1. I think most people would forgive you for a "slightly ranty post", I think GW have really lost the plot now. With finecast (yet to see ONE that's as fine as the old metal) and now this it seems GW are approaching the point of no return.

    Are you out of touch? hell no. A space marine battle force will be 80 quid, and thats not a legal army in its own right, and due to 40k's scale wouldn't be that fun to play with anyway. That 80 is about 3 weeks food shopping for me and the mrs, its also two infinity starter sets with enough left over for a couple of extra models per force, or two new xbox/ps3 games.

    I've had a good 20 years with GW, both warhammers, and pretty much all their specialist games, but today i feel priced out of starting a new project. I'll make the odd purchase as things are released for my armies, but with life, direct debits, and other hobbies
    i have better things to spend my money on. It's a sad day when someone like me says that!

    Time will tell if GW can keep its customers and attract new blood to the hobby. Their starter sets are still great value and a good gateway if you like the armies included. That said i have seen many other games popularity rocket over the past year, many new members are discruntled gw fans. How long can they afford to do this?

    If a new army is going to set you back 300-400 pound, they are going to have to do alot better on their "whats new today" page than "new year, new army". "Armies on parade!, excuse to start a new army!". "New super funking cool codex, i have to buy this new army, so should you, did i mention how cool it is??"

    Apologies if this sounds rather anti GW/40k, but i think it's GW's attitude towards customers that really annoys me, which makes price rises like this all the more bitter to swallow. Time they say is a great healer, and maybe i will feel differently once the shock of the scale of these rises subsides.

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    1. I don't think you sound anti 40k, while I think you are quite within your rights to be anti GW! The two shouldn't be lumped together as over the years they have produced an amazing, detailed and fun universe and some really great models for 40k. GW's sales and marketing plan though baffles me. They have an ever shrinking share of a hugely competitive market now (mainly one they have created through their decisions!) and their seems to be no long term sales strategy. They purely seem interested in doing the best they can to maintain their bottom line. It is a frankly baffling way to do business and while I feel the artists and staff are still creating great work, whoever is leading the company doesn't (they just can't!) have its long term future in mind.

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  2. "Look everyone, minis made of aids-cheese that cost more than the old perfectly fine metal ones, god you people are so thick we expect you to lap it up and be happy about paying more for them , lol on you ...

    for our next trick , we know there's a recession on and well you are going to be pretty tight atm, we should probably work a bit harder for your hard won wedge, especially if we have to beat out other more competitively priced hobbies, but its just easier to ramp up the prices sure loads of people will probably be put of starting a new army/the hobby but we will be one step closer to our ultimate goal of one customer buying one miniature (made of syphilis and piles) for 20 million pounds once a year, soon soon , did we mention we hold you in total contempt , we need you not, jog on... "

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    1. Simply brilliantly put! Now THAT is a rant!

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  3. Lol, thankee, its what I do ....

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  4. That rant post made my day. I have been out the hobby for a few years now and decided to get back into it. Then found out that all the prices for everything had doubled. Now I find out that they're increasing the prices again. GW are diluded to think that this will help them win customers. I love 40K, but this is too far GW, stop whilst you still have a few people interested.

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  5. To carry on, I still remember when a codex was £12.50 and was appalled when it went to £15 that was only a few years ago. GW are pushing themselves out a market that they pretty much created. It's a sad thing and I hope that they come to their senses soon and stop making prices ridiculous.

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  6. Once upon a time a battleforce cost £50, I remember when i was a budding 13 year old lad so pleased with buying beautiful models and playing a beautiful games...I'm now 17 and it's a sad time when I can buy a new skateboard for the price of a battleforce (btw a grate custom skateboard costs about £80), my point is I loved 40K because it wasn't super expensive, my 'rents would happily fund it when I started, and it was cheaper than buying new video games and skateboards etc, and was also really sociable and fun... now on the other hand I'd rather play xbox in the dark cave of pizza boxes, model boxes and skateboard parts I call my room than fork out for what there charging on student money (AKA jack squat money). sorry if this post doesn't make much sense, my point is it's over priced in a way were it's making me not want to play the hobby anymore

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  7. I got priced out a long time ago. It got to a point where it was much better to just stick with what I had as it would cost too much to start with a new army; and then as I got older and got a job and moved away then stop all together.

    I have recently discovered a friend has a few bits old 40k bits. So that got me interested in seeing what changed these days. Funnily enough in the last 8 years not a great deal has changed with Chaos space marines on the models front from what I remember (maybe the odd new character types) except; their prices!!!! Almost everything is not far off of double the price I remember!?!?!?!? So something which I already thought was difficult to justify spending on has become utterly unjustifiable.

    Sorry GW, you need to bring prices right down and make it accessible because your fan/consumer base has to be falling! That is a downward spiral; as you bring prices up to cover your lost turnover you lose more in turn as you price more people out.

    Sad times for us fans.

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  8. I really enjoyed 40k, it was the game that got me into war-gaming but as a poor college student I just can't in good mind spend so much to get so little in return.

    For example it costs 35 Canadian dollars for 10 orks that I need at least a hundred of to be competitive and they aren't even failcast, which sports even more ridiculous prices like tank-busters for instance which are $55 Cdn for like five guys.

    I have since moved to Historicals, even in metal they are cheaper than any Games workshop. I especially like the Perry twin's box sets. I got 48 Austrians for $30 that's less than the price of one 1 ork boy squad!

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  10. Looking at getting back into the hobby after almost 20 years I am stunned by the Games Workshop Prices, I was always an expensive (and time consuming) hobby. The 2 best things you can do are 1) Vote with your wallet, shift to playing other companies games, But if you must have that GW fix 2) look to ebay and other auction sites - rediscover the old games and previous editions they were all really cool (most were dropped by GW because they could not flog you ad ons!).
    If enough gamers were to stay away, prices would be moderated, and fast!

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