Re: [NetEpic ML] GW & criticism

From: Peter Ramos <primarch_at_...>
Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2002 18:15:10 -0400

Hi!

> Of course GW can turn their noses up at their customers. They are a
> privately traded company and private companies can do that. Of
> course, we all know that if they were a public company their
> shareholders would bitch-slap them for such shabby business
> practices, force them to listen to their customers, make changes to
> their products and lower prices to increase their market base and
> profits.

Thats true. Although in this time of recession, with less expendable income we'll see how "well" they do this year.
>
> It's amazing that they have exsisted all this time on just a couple
> of products. I mean, really now, aside from miniatures they only
> have two games. And if you compare that to other companies, that
> makes them small time. If they could keep all their better games in
> production without sabota...I mean, without the consumers not
> supporting them, they'd have WHFB, 40k, Epic, BFG, Man-o-war,
> Talisman, Hero Quest, Necromunda and perhaps some others.

While we see it from a bias position the miniatures market is a drop in the bucket compared with real large markets like consumer electronics. So a company could very well survive and prosper in the gaming market with a few good high yield products. The other of course is that there is no otehr company that is their "size". The only other one that could swallow GW in one bite is WOTC who is Hasbro backed. But for now they are on different sides of the gaming pond and not competeing directly for now (although WOTC is starting to produce its own minis.

> Seems as though every time they branch out into another gaming style,
> even though it's all in the same fantasy/future universe, and start
> to attract new customers, they let it die on the vine. It's as if
> they expect these new customers to start playing their core games
> because the game they are interested in got dropped by GW.

This IS their philosophy they have admited as much in retailer propaganda. These short lived games are GW's hook to get people to play 40k or fantasy, their cash cows. I wonder how many they do "assimilate" with this tactic.
>
> I doubt GW will fail completely, but they will never be a large,
> successful company.

They have had several failed ventures, GW in AUS and in Japan. If it wasn't for GW US they'd have gone bankrupt a long time ago. While they may never disappear, I'd at least settle for Hasbro to buy them out, at least they know how to make quality products.

Peter
Received on Sun Feb 03 2002 - 22:15:10 UTC