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If you were in charge of GW and SG...
Markconz
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 11:24 am 
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Ok, you've got your livelihood and the livelihood of many other people who work for your company dependent on the decisions you make.... what would you do with GW and SG?

Silly answers not allowed (unless they are funny, or you can't be bothered doing a real one... hate GW etc... basically any reason... ?:p )


Here's my take:

If I was in charge of GW and SG this is what I would do?
First I would target my expensive marketing in a blitz towards the young and impressionable who have their whole spending lives ahead of them, eg teenagers who have their parents disposable income to burn. I?d use things that are big and colourful, recognisable, and appealing to the mass market - LOTR, WFB and 40k. I?d use models which are just the right step above the toys tweens and teens will be growing out of. I?d stick with some iconic themes (Space Marines - humanities finest!) because brand is everything and it works when you are trying to sell stuff. I?d get these young un's ?hooked with this stuff for as long as I could and sell them as much as I could in that time. ?Some of these people will stay and keep buying stuff, watching the websites, magazines, forums and conventions. 'Loyal' customers I guess you could call them...

Meanwhile I?d keep SG quietly ticking over in the background with very low operating costs. Every six months or so its products (coinciding with a new SG range release) would be poked into the faces of the 'loyal' customers through the aforementioned channels. Why?

If there is anything universal about human nature it is the desire for more. Not all 'loyal' customers will be happy to keep collecting armies for the same systems forever. Many of those 'loyal' customers (experienced gamers (jaded gamers?)) will tire of the main systems and seek new challenges. ? My ?SG section gives me a potential way to keep those people as customers rather than losing them to another company.

And lets talk cheap again, one person to run the SG website and post the rules revisions and articles written for free by the players (but remembering that all the SG systems have nonetheless had extensive in house development already). ?A few cheap competitions and prizes to boost loyalty and participation. ?Only other cost is making the figures and shipping them off to paying customers ....

Bwahaha!


Oh some specifics on the SG ranges for epic, I?d ?release Chaos in February 2007, ?Tyranids in August 2007, Necrons in February 2008, a Titan weapons pack in August 2008? ?etc. then I'd put all but the first back 6 months because my people tell me it can't be done  that quick...  :D




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Tiny-Tim
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:02 pm 
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Exactly what I'd do, but including regular unjustified price rises just before the new releases.

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colonel_sponsz
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:11 pm 
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I used to care about this but not any more, GW no longer offer me what I want so I'll spend my money elsewhere.  There are people stepping in to fill the widening SG miniatures void, by all acounts LOTR is floundering and several hardcore 40k and WHFB players I know (10 years or more) are moving away because they feel the rules are more a way to sell over priced and increasingly poorly designed figures and less about an interesting game.

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Bombot
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:14 pm 
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I actually agree with you Mark.  Games don?t need constant rules updates if the rules are tight enough, which the Epic rules, although not flawless, are.  There is proportionately far more complaining about the state of the 40k rules than the Epic rules.  So what players just need is the minis.

The problem SG have is convincing players that they aren?t going to fold within 6 months.  

If Chaos minis make it out then Epic will look 10 times healthier.  I think it would be better if the chicken lickens hold fire until then, as it is not a help to Epic for potential new players to wander into onto a message board and see nothing but predictions of impending doom.

Mind you every gaming board ever has predictions of impending doom so gamers are probably used to it :)

What I would have done is ensure the major ranges get minis as a priority, instead of releasing fluff like Seigemeisters and Feral Orks, that can't be changed now.

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Grimshawl
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:28 pm 
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Okay, I'm in Charge of GW... First off I need to get some competent Public Relations people to help clean up our less than sterling image amongst our customers, no one else really knows we exist at this point so they are all we got and a decent amount of them are bad mouthing us for poor decsions,
Next I proclaim GWs under new Management and that I intend to do a better job of taking care of our customers. probably anounce  this in a new White Dwarf, speaking of which I get some real articles into the Dwarf and some real content. I invite all the Vets and long term gamers to come in to a local GW and give us another chance. and I try to hammer a more friendly behavoral pattern toward vets into my sales staff.
I reopen funding and personall into the Specialisty Games, short term this alone will show many of my customers that I am trying to turn things around and hopefully in the long term it will actually reset these entry level games up as another way to get people into our larger core games, I'd also bring back space Hulk, modified slightly to introduce the Marines versus genesteallers concept that got ME into GWs games all those years ago.
I would change our Method of advertising, word of mouth is not enough, actual adds outside of WD.
I would overhaul the GW Americas model and see what could be salvaged of our relationships with the Indie stores.
I ?would get some comprehensive FAQs out to cover problems in our game mechanics and open some kind or contest, maybe a monthly drawling to bring in one of our Gamers/customers to either write an article for the dwarf or maybe spend a day with the design team or at the studio, hopefully this would help showcase our new freindly to our customers and back in touch with them policies.

so there, thats a start on what I would try to do.

It goes almost without saying, but I would reduce our prices somewhat, maybe not as low as I'd like to see them as a customer but defenitely enough so I could show the New GW is not all about price gouging, a little savings to the customer can go a long way to molifying their cost complaints.




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primarch
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 10:46 pm 
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Hi!

Markconz, your ideas are very reasonable, and IMO would work. Now al we need is several millions of pounds to put them in practice..... :;):

Primarch

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Evil and Chaos
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 10:57 pm 
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(primarch @ Aug. 17 2006,22:46)
QUOTE
Hi!

Markconz, your ideas are very reasonable, and IMO would work. Now al we need is several millions of pounds to put them in practice..... :;):

Primarch

Ummmmm.

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consectari
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 2:07 am 
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I think so far Markonz has the most solid ideas.  Practically dead on.  I don't think anyone is really asking for miracles from GW, just legit. signs of life.

As far as lowering prices, that would need to wait until you were inside to see if it was really feesible.  It may not be.

One thing I'd change is the release schedule.  Release the bulk of Chaos in spring '07, with a few specialty forces to beef up armies released later to keep gamers interested.  

Don't  schedule another army release until spring '08.  Give yourself time to make it happen.  Gamers hate promises you can't keep.

Focus does need to be on the core games.  Specialist games is "specialist" for a reason.  It is geared toward a specific, smaller crowd, though it could pick up some 40kers as they grow older, with the right marketing techniques.  

One stage I think that needs to be looked at IS Space Hulk.  It should start with a basic board, with card walls and either card figures or really cheap plastics, with a very basic rule set, just like any other board game.  Try to appeal to the pre-teens and get them hooked.  Free full color catalog in every box! :;):  

It would also have upgrades available.  Interlocking plastic bulkhead sets, 28mm mini sets designed to be used with the game but also transferable to regular 40k.  Most importantly, an advanced set of rules, to make it more appealing to older players as well.  In effect, it would be a game that grows as the customer grows with sets minis and scenery that are usable for 40k.

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Markconz
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 3:08 am 
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(primarch @ Aug. 17 2006,21:46)
QUOTE
Hi!

Markconz, your ideas are very reasonable, and IMO would work. Now al we need is several millions of pounds to put them in practice..... :;):

Primarch

??? Ummm - Primarch (and others) , I just described exactly what GW and SG ARE doing right now! ?:laugh:

I was sure you guys would see that!? (And object to it!?)

Even my epic scedule up to Tyranids (with my stated delay to 2008 for the nids) is what SG has planned. ?The Necrons and titan weapons pack are not planned as far as I know (but anyway they would be 2009 and beyond according to my plan once you include the delays for reasons of practicality that I stated).


Seriously, the only way GW can screw up this puppy is if they don't release Chaos and Tyranids in a timely fashion. These are absolutely the only major challenge GW faces in ensuring epics future with the current system. What they have done to date IS very well done all things considered. If they screw up this last little step after doing everything else so well then I'll be at the front of the queue ahead of you all, to put the boot in myself.... ?:cool:




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Mojarn Piett
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 7:18 am 
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(primarch @ Aug. 17 2006,22:46)
QUOTE
Hi!

Markconz, your ideas are very reasonable, and IMO would work. Now al we need is several millions of pounds to put them in practice..... :;):

Primarch

You probably confuse Markconz with Grimshawl here...  :;):  :p


I was sure you guys would see that!?


I did.


(And object to it!?)


Why bother?  Our views of the matter are just about diametrically opposite and there is a thread for it already.  :;):

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Markconz
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 7:34 am 
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(Mojarn Piett @ Aug. 18 2006,06:18)
QUOTE

I was sure you guys would see that!?


I did.


(And object to it!?)


Why bother? ?Our views of the matter are just about diametrically opposite and there is a thread for it already. ?:;):
Thank you for restoring my faith in your eternal vigilance Mojarn!  :laugh:  I'm so glad it wasn't lost on you of all people  :)

You are quite right there is already another thread for objections!

Can I not tempt you (even a little bit!) to state what you would do if you had the chance (so far only Grimshawl has appeared to give it big serious whack of the bat in a different direction...)

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vanvlak
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 8:21 am 
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I'd award myself a nice bonus, plus GW's collection of Epic and BFG and MoW and Warmaster and Chaos Dwarf miniatures, and a grand selection of FW stuff (so now you know where my heart is); and then promptly resign and appoint in my stead (well, first appoint, and then resign :p  ) a professional games man who really knows what gaming is about and who could also be a profesional CEO. Now we can have fun deciding who that would be -  Andy Chambers? Rick Priestley? Jervis? Robin Dews? I'd love to see Adrian Wood in charge (an Ork Warboss for GW). For some reason I get the idea that good old Fat Bloke Paul Sawyer would be a good choice - but then I always felt he was the best WD editor. :D

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Magnus
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 10:50 am 
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(Markconz @ Aug. 18 2006,04:08)
QUOTE
??? Ummm - Primarch (and others) , I just described exactly what GW and SG ARE doing right now!  :laugh:

I was sure you guys would see that!? (And object to it!?)

For the record, I did too.

As for GW's plans.... forget about all this mini stuff and start making real money with videogames (traditional and MMORPGs).

Oh and kill every GW executive in charge when I assume company leadership. Of course  :p
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iblisdrax
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:44 pm 
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(Magnus @ Aug. 18 2006,05:50)
QUOTE

(Markconz @ Aug. 18 2006,04:08)
QUOTE
??? Ummm - Primarch (and others) , I just described exactly what GW and SG ARE doing right now!  :laugh:

I was sure you guys would see that!? (And object to it!?)

For the record, I did too.

As for GW's plans.... forget about all this mini stuff and start making real money with videogames (traditional and MMORPGs).

Oh and kill every GW executive in charge when I assume company leadership. Of course  :p

Umm...well...they tried muddling about in the MMORPG area already, with somewhat dubious results.  The first company they got to develop the Warhammer license had it promptly pulled way before the game was ready, and the second one has yet to release a game.  And with the market somewhat saturated, it will have to be remarkably good to compete against the WoW juggernaut.   However, the RTS 40k game was decent, if short, and could be modified signifigantly.  I just want my turn-based Epic version, not a RTS.  :p


ib

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Evil and Chaos
 Post subject: If you were in charge of GW and SG...
PostPosted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 2:01 pm 
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(Evil and Chaos @ Aug. 17 2006,22:57)
QUOTE

(primarch @ Aug. 17 2006,22:46)
QUOTE
Hi!

Markconz, your ideas are very reasonable, and IMO would work. Now al we need is several millions of pounds to put them in practice..... :;):

Primarch

Ummmmm.

However, I am the only one who can actually prove he saw it ahead of time. :D

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