Here is my $.02... And GW business discussion!
Well, I was in the middle of writing this when the necron rumors slipped. I think the point still stands but I'll now approach the topic in the past tense and still suggest what GW can do to help us in our search for info.
Currently the policy of GW is to not release anything that could be seen by the general public. They hope to do this to keep us in suspense and in an ignorant state of "Ill buy more Grey Knights because I don't know when the next codex is coming out.
What I want to know is, did this work on you? GW has said that it is a new 'temporary policy,' and that they will change things back if they get flak from the player base.
here is my thoughts:
1. I hated not knowing what was coming out and when. I like to be able to plan my purchases and if I on'y have 2 weeks notice (or less) then I haven't set aside the money to purchase the stuff I want. Also, Im sure my wife won't take the excuse of "But I have to buy them now, I didn't know they were getting released until next week"
2. GW also doesn't like releasing tid-bits because they are afraid of people doing things like making models to go with rules and such. This is just stupid. Sure some guy out there will kitbash his own Thunderwolf.
3. What if GW just released a stat line, but didn't give us points or special rules or anything (not even a squad name). Do you know how crazy the internet would get over this kind of thing? NUTS!
Those are a few of my points, Ill share the rest in the comments section, cause I know we all have an opinion on their corporate information policy.
Seriously though, could you imagine MGM saying "Were not telling you what movie is coming out this weekend cause we don't want Duke to make a cheap copy, you'll just have to wait till it is in theaters." DUMB!
Duke
The GW "take my ball and go home" idea is lame at best.
ReplyDeleteNot promoting you new and upcomming goods, no matter what you sell, is counter productive and thinking that every player in the universe is a slave to big biz plan is not much of a stance.
Look at NetFlix, here is a key word, backpeddeling.
The lack of info is a turn-off for me personaly.
Will it change things?...How could it?
The figs will still come out on the day they want them too, the price will be what they say it is. What is realy different?
Other than GW trying to impose some kind of phantom controll over a ghost of an idea that comes off like high school politics.
The real question for me is:
When will the pre-orders be up/ship?
How is this a bad thing to let your customers know?
The real deal in my mind, is that I think GW is mad about the dex its-self being ripped and put on the web. (DE/BA/GK just to name a few!)
Their solution seems to hinder the wrong part of the hobby.
Also, its making me sound like a grumpy old man!
Sooo, thanks for that.
Well said, you grumpy old man!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, just show us puzzle piece pictures and let us go nuts.
Think about this release schedule;
6 months out: sketches (may or may not be ing the codex)
3 months out: select play test statlines and special rules. Don't give us points costs an let us go nuts talking about "omgsuxorz-broken!"
1 month out: pictures of actual models and unit names. Things would go crazy.
Duke
Duke
ReplyDeleteI don't think its the 'people' making stuff - GW encourage that, always have, and now give you all the extra options and hope you buy the vanilla box to make an extra chapter squad etc.
I reckon it is the third party parts and (mostly with notable exceptions here and there) crap model manufacturers, combined with people leaking rules, that is the target.
A leaked rule without context ie the whole codex, could leave an older army player thinking the sky has fallen. Anticipating all the 'flavour of the month' and 'WAAC bandwagon jumpers' to get on board with their rushed, undercoated new netlist armies, the old army owner wonders what the point is.
So now, the voice of reason says wait and see what the detail is before biatching - someone clever from the internet will paly something retro and come up with a cheese or clever solution for an old codex to win against new, then they chill out.
An interesting thing that was brought up in one of the GW vs. Chapterhouse threads over on warseer (i think), is that if I am miniature company A and I make a model of a new unit, and produce it before GW, I own the copyright to the miniature even if I use GW trademarked names, or imagery. Not only that but if GW comes out with a Necron Uberlord A, after me, then I can sue them for copyright infringement.
ReplyDeleteGW may be playing it really safe until the lawsuit with chapterhouse is settled, and it gets all its ducks back in row. I am sure that GW was planning on dealing with chapterhouse much quicker than it has happened, and that may have set them back on their heels.
Honestly I don't know if there is a huge difference between announcing sooner rather than later. Some people will prefer one, some people will prefer the other. I do think that one reason against announcing stuff early is that it muddies the waters (so to say).
Basically if you have a preview schedule like the one above that means 1 month before the nearest release you get names and units of Codex A, playtest stat lines of Codex B, and sketches of Codex C. That is a lot of information, and overall enthusiasm may increase, but enthusiasm per product will definitely drop. And since most GW purchases are one time purchases (e.g. you do not use up your purchases like a consumable), GW wants the enthusiasm per product the highest possibly, which means focusing on one thing at a time, and limiting the flow of info.
@tylermenz: great point about having info about multiple books at the same time. I still believe that realizing. Controlled info releases are better than nothing and then having leaks.
ReplyDeleteYou will have less leaks if you have relationships with the press.
Duke
I agree with you article. This whole hush-hush policy is just counter-productive, both from the point of view of the customer, who cannot plan and save money for the next release, and of the company itself, which is made to look silly when something leaks out.
ReplyDeleteAnd something will leak out eventually.
On the contrary, building up the hype seems to make a lot more sense from a business point of view. Everyone else (other miniature companies, videogame producers, movie makers) teases his upcoming releases, why not GW?
I can understand that they are concerned with rules finding their way to the general public ahead of time. But if that's the case, they need to crack down on that, not on the miniature side of the release.
People are starving for information, better to give them a bone to gnaw on than to remain tight-lipped and have information slip through your fingers.
I agree with people that think we should be given snippets of rules, teasers of models ahead of time. That would probably satisfy most people.
As for the GW/Chapterhouse legal conundrum, I'm not sure that another company producing a model based upon an idea from GW prevents GW from making their own model. After all, it's not because there are Space Marines, that no one else can make power armoured supersoldiers...
@ Duke I agree that leaks are a bad thing in general, but who is to say that what you are planning on releasing 6 months ahead won't be leaked 7 months ahead. Even with a staggered release, you will still have leaks.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous The whole copyright thing is quite complicated, and I don't assume that I know all the intricacies, but the idea that I stated deals with the fact that you cannot copyright ideas, but you can copyright the physical objects like sculpts. So GW can't copyright the idea of a Tyranid Harpy, but Chapterhouse can copyright the miniature of a tyranid harpy (assuming it gets it out first).
It just makes me lose interest, if there's nothing advertised or leaked (purposefully or not)then I'm not looking forward to it, therore am less likely to save my money to buy it. essentially, I don't care about the new release as much as I would because it hasn't been bigged up by the company :p
ReplyDelete