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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Games Day Rumors


Greetings, my most excellent painters!

Many of you have probably heard it already... 

The future of Games Day and Golden Demon events is currently more than uncertain. Just in the year we wanted to go to ALL of them for the first time :( This is a summary of all of the rumors I found on the web.

If you haven't heard, here a short summary of the current rumors - there are a lot of rumors out, so what is true and what not still remains to be seen: 
No more demons around the globe?
  • It appears certain that their will be no Games Day France
  • Games Day Spain should have been announced by now, but it has not
  • Games Day Germany's venue in Cologne has not been booked by GW yet (needs to be booked a year ahead) and there is talk of either moving to another venue or not having a Games Day at all...
  • UK and US are said to be still 
  • Italy, Japan and Australia? I have not heard anything yet
At first, I could not believe it. To think that after decades of Games Days, Games Workshop even considers dropping these events - especially since they finally are writing solid profits again - defies my natural sense of business logic. 


Money is the root of all evil

The only reason I can see is money - unfortunately not surprising. But knowing that, for example, even though you have to pay 30€ to even get in, thousands of crazed hobbyists gather in Cologne every year to celebrate their nerdieness and their hobby. And they don't go there so they can shop GW minis - they cost the same as in every store and of course more than on the internet. 

Most people visit the Games Days for the Golden Demon Competition. Seeing the beautifully and skillfully crafted works of art inspires everyone from 7 years to 99 years of age. Painting miniatures - this is what is at the core of it all is at stake - and nothing less than this

Pre-GD-Dinner Cologne 2012

International Community & Friendships

Maybe GW does not realize this, but their events have turned into a platform for nerds from across the globe to create the biggest small community there is. And we stick together like superglue. I have met so many incredibly hoopy people at these events and I would just simply miss it. Of course, we would find other ways and other events to meet, but meeting at a Games Day with a mix of comradery and competition was just awesome. 

Pre-GD-Dinner UK. Small but great :) 
Hundreds of people schedule vacations around these events and look forward to the next one the moment the current one is over. Last year in Cologne, we met with around 100 people from all over the world to our 'pre GD Dinner' one of my personal highlights of 2012. Same happened at GD France, GD UK,...

Shutting down Games Days is not to be taken lightly. The image and reputation of Games Workshop will definitely take a serious hit if that happens. Personally I am just saddened by all these rumors, because for me all of this makes little sense both from a marketing and operational point of view. But worse than that, I already hear a LOT of angry voices out there that claim to no longer buy GW products if this should be true. Well, with emotions running high all of this must be taken with a grain of salt, but in my experience having customers being angry at a company is often times, well, ... not so good.

I love GW, always have, always will. And I will continue to buy their products. But as a whole I fear that GW will become a little less attractive to many people out there, which in turn will hurt GW. And that hurts me. 

Forgeworld

3h in line for 2 Angrons. And those I gave away to you!
Eurodisney-style crowd control for nerds :D
Oppa Presman Style
If there is one company I even love more than GW, then it must be Forgeworld. Awesome guys, with awesome product. 

In my mind, one of the biggest losers in all of this could be Forgeworld. 

If you ever visited a Games Day event, you know that from opening to closing of the event the Forgeworld line was always the longest. Why is that? Well, most people cannot afford to order stuff for 250 pounds (or pay 10% (!!!!) shipping fee) per shot. So hundreds and thousands of people are on a pilgrimage to the Games Day Events so they can buy their favorite items from Forgeworld directly. 

Even Angron is angry...
IF all of the rumors are true, then I think Forgeworld needs to revisit their S&H policies. Otherwise I fear they will sell less. Their 'visibility' and 'exposure' in the market is defined by two things: Showing their awesome designs at Games Days and - much more importantly - being able to admire the work of some of the best painters in the world use their miniatures. 

I have been guilty of buying literally hundreds (sigh) of FW miniatures because some GD project has inspired me. Of course, they are all safely stowed away in many a box, but you know what I mean. 


So, what if it is true

Well, if it is true, than I will add this experience to the stack of similar 'I am mindboggled beyond reason' experiences. If push comes to shove, there could be as little as four Games Day Events in the world. Maybe even just two or three.

Quo Vadis, GW? Hope you have a cover save...
Cancelling GD UK won't happen, or I will eat all of my FW miniatures. 
Cancelling GD US seems like a similarly silly suicide move as well. 
Cancelling GD Japan - well, with a hand full of stores and extremely high prices in Japan I am not sure if that is the one market/GD I would keep - but for personal reasons, I hope Japan will have a GD this year, for I long to return to the country I miss so much.
GD Australia: Doubt it will be cancelled, them 'roos are gonna punch everyone who tries. 

So that leaves France, Spain, Italy and Germany. So let's say except for UK everything gets cancelled. I doubt that everyone will fly to Birmingham to get their dose of dorkness. I will, but then again, I always have. 

So what do YOU think?

What do you think? 
Which events did you use to go to? 
How would a decision by GW to cancel events  impact you and your relationship with GW? 
Do you think this makes sense? 
Do you care?

Leave a comment below and WIN a THIRD copy of the Limited Dark Angels Codex from Games Workshop. Winners will be drawn on April 1st, fools! There are two more chances to win a codex, namely here and here

Please be as civil as you can :D

48 comments:

  1. This post Looks funky on IE but hoopy on Chrome... IE has problems handling Basic HTML, it seems ;)

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  2. If this happens: it sucks! I wanted do participate on my first ever GD in Germany. On the other side i usually don´t give much about rumors.

    We will see..

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    1. Yeah, I hope its all a bad dream, too. :D

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    2. I'm over here in the US and they've kept ours in Chicago for several years now, we might as well not have one for the majority of our country being unable to attend that one at a reasonable cost.

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  3. That is sad news indeed. And they better not cancel GD AUS lol they will cop more then a punchin lol :D

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    1. I hear you man... Need to meet you there this year ;)

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    2. I would be very upset if they canceled gd oz!
      Ive already started work on my entries!

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  4. :/
    I hope that is kind of joke, there must be GD Germany because I will be there! :)
    f**k I'm really sad now :(
    GW is going in the wrong direction!
    Saving monies on everything, prices of minis rise, but the quality is not better.
    :(

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    1. Again, these are just rumors - so no need to be sad just yet... And if there is no GD Germany, ALL OF US will come to the Hussar 2013! You should rent a bigger venue :D

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  5. I have to say that it is very well known by now that GD Spain 2013 will not happen. And that is also said about GD France. I hope the others are safe but I'm not that sure about that. I will try to go to as many GDs as they are left alive but this looks very bad folks. :(

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    1. Oh, so Spain IS cancelled then? So the rumors seem to be true, the plot thickens...

      Sad.

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    2. Yes, seems it will be cancelled because we still don´t know nothing and Armies on Parade, usually solved on Games Day and Golden Demon, is going to be online this edition

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  6. as sad as this may seem this could also be an opportunity for painters to unite and maybe organize some events like that on our own.

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    1. True. There are many great events out there - as far as painting standards are concerned, even much better ones. Painting Crusade, Lugdunum, Duke of Bavaria, Mont SanSalvino, Hussar - just to name a few.

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    2. Thats quite true. But a canceled GD would brake some traditions. Sure, we as the painters will move on and meet at other, maybe better events, but it wouldn't feel the same..... Not bad, but not the same

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  7. Would be a pity if they fold in most countries (even though I live but an half-hour from B'ham)

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    1. Could you provide matresses and beer for around 100 visitors at your place? :D

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  8. aye, this su*ks big time. boring boring boring. if german gd close as well, you have to arrange another competition over there... *hint hint*

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    1. We already have a plan... since last year...
      *hint hint* :D

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    2. Could you provide matresses and and beer for us? ;)

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  9. Pretty bad, I think they should keep at least two GD's in Europe. And leave US and Down-Under going. Japan, I have no clue if there is a big painting community there.

    I haven't been to one ever, and still would like to go to one sometime. :/

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    1. I'm from the Netherlands ;) We at least have "The Fang" as painting competition from GW since last year, before that there was nothing special if I remember correctly.

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  10. Just right now, I'm really happy to have the Duke of Bavaria as a backup plan. But seriously GW, go on cancel another GD. If already heated the Holy Promethium and I think some Burning GW stores will look beautiful in that case. If you get the idea ;)

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  11. In France there is also some rumors that the GD France would not happen in Paris (like the last year it was set in Montreux) but "maybe in an another big city"...

    I wish it could happen in Bordeaux ^^... but if the GD is finally cancelled, I would be, at least, totally disgusted by the GW economic policy (there would be nothing but a bad explanation like the last raise of prices -.-)

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  12. This is a massive disappointment to me... I really wanted to get back to competing at the Golden Demons this year and have been contemplating getting over to Germany/France/Spain to meet some of those painters and see what you guys are doing first hand. The GD was a perfect excuse for this.

    I would love to think that this was a 1 year stall and that there will be some huge announcement letting us all know that everything is back on track, rules are standardised, venues may have changed but that the GD culture will continue in 2014. But I think that is a very long shot...

    *grumble, grumble*

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  13. In my opinion GW is going in a very wrong direction. Personally discouraged their products and prices. For almost a year I did not buy any product from this company.
    Zaphod Thanks for all the information.

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  14. What a pity :) GW politics are always so strange. I dont understand why but I don't want to.

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  15. In meantime I guess, that germany won't happen as well, let's see. I'm really sad.

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  16. I hope this is not the case! As you alluded to, this is most likely a financial decision. I could see GW doing a "Euro Games Day". They consolidated the US Games Day a few years ago as you may remember, cutting the event from 3 (or 4?) down to one a year. Again, I hope this is not going to come to pass--I've drawn so much inspiration from the various events over the years...

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    1. I don't know what the attendance at GD Spain, France or Italy was as I never went to any of these (unfortunately, as it now seems). Combining Germany and UK into ONE GD alone would not work, imho. Last year's GD UK was already crammed with people - cant imagine how it would go if there were 5000 people more.

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  17. Making just one will make it even more strange to get a good result. Normally in the highclass categories you have 10 great figures. The winners are chosen because of personal taste and marketing. How will it be when all good artists will join just one event...

    As far as I heard it was a decision because the license of the Hobbit was ao expensive plus the game flopped...dunno if it is the truth.

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    1. Maybe GD competitions could introduce a system like at other game shows where everyone can win gold, silver, bronze - but then again that would mean handing out thousands of prizes to the 'winners' - and I find it doubtful that GW would do this.

      On the other hand, the more I think about it, the better the idea is I fathom :D

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  18. The US used to have like 7 or 8 GDs a year, which was probably not ideal. Now that we only have 1, and it doesn't move, I could probably go to the UK GD for nearly the same price and plane ride as the Chicago one and I'd get a trip across the pond doing so.

    These events need big homes and I'm sure it's a great deal of effort to move them around but surely the sales from tickets and the FW booth alone make up the cost of having a small team organizing the thing year round and the venue.

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  19. GW has made some bone head moves lately, but I suspect that the larger they get as a company the harder it is to control everything and keep everyone happy. I like their products for the most part, but their customer service is slipping and even my once loyal gaze is wandering to some of the other fabulous mini companies out there...

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  20. Just visited my first Golden Demon in Germany last year. It would be a pitty if it turned out that it would be my last... Golden Demon competitions evolved to represent the top in miniature painting as far as I'm concerned.
    I agree with Lukas that it wouldn't be the same anymore. But don't count your chickens before they are hatched:)

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  21. Well, I hope/think (honk? ^^) that GDs are *just* suspended/postponed, possibly for improbable-marketing and/or chain-of-command issues.

    This also because these events were the link between the average player-painter and GW's professionals, the point where even low-skilled players or collectors could "dream" of reaching some heights in painting skill, where newbies and pros could meet and exchange impressions, tips... and a way to increase the interest into buying some (more) minis.
    This last is, mainly, the reason why I think this is a strange and quite unwise maneouvre made in order to increase the 'crave' - so to speak - for the event and any marketing connected to it (being tshirts, limited editions figures-sceneries-books-whatever...)

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    1. Yeah, I myself have been guilty going to a GD event with the goal of NOT buying another mini. I usually ended up with one or two bags full, anyways... That won't happen if I don't go there...

      And you are right - the link between painters and gamers is an important one! That's how I got sucked into the painting madness ^^

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  22. GW announced the painting competition "The Fang" some weeks ago, a painting competition held in non-gd countries and that carries the same rules as GD. its held localy by every GW store and has a clear connection to golden demon (no entries that participated in gd are allowed in the fang). i do belive that som way or the other it will continue. just hope it will not be held in every GW store... inflation...

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    1. Not just inflation - I personally would not prepare a mini for a store. The EVENT is what I want to go to - I want to meet people from everywhere. Can't do that in a store...

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  23. I hope this rumor turns out to be false...but after all the talk about GW's financial difficulties I don't find it surprising.

    Its all about what they get out of the GD's...maybe they're thinking the publicity isn't worth the money and energy(which is also money to a certain extend) they put in to these events.

    You're right about it being sad for the community though...caus' after all we are the best PR they'll ever get.

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    1. In my first year of University I learned this:

      In times of financial problems, advertizement, marketing and customer communication must never be sacrificed.

      And I really hope that The Hobbit was not as big a financial desaster as everyone says... After all, GW was writing some very solid numbers recently...

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  24. I didn't realize this was the case. I never attended any GD but the people I know that have been to in the past said they will probably not return. As usually GW rather than trying to improve it decided why bother and just taken it down. Shame really

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  25. Well this unfortunately doesn't affect me that much since I won't be able to make it anyway. I sure do hope I can manage to get myself to one of these in the future though. They look like a ton of fun! Hopefully these cancellations aren't true for all of you that can make it. I'll be looking forward to seeing the photos you all take.

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  26. Not surprised by anything (bad) that GW does lately. Given that I already have negative feelings toward them and have never participated in GW events, I'm not really impacted. That being said, I do feel bad for everyone that was looking forward to these.

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  27. mother f@#!ers, i love games day, its a great chance to see all the pretty models and buy forgeworld direct, and now there taking it away from us..... its reasons like this that have caused my 'founded by playing Warhammer' tight knit club/community is now playing Warmahordes, such a better structured game and the company cares

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  28. GW added this to the homepage:
    http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?start=&articleCatId=&aId=24600001a&categoryId=&catId=&pIndex=&communityArticleCatId=&section=&singlePageMode=true

    No content but a good sign?

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