The same week that Games Workshop is summoned to court for the Chapterhouse case, and we have a very interesting yearly price adjustment.
Perhaps most puzzling of all is the fact that there is a very mysterious super early leak of the new Apocalypse July releases (Which according to GW was all Faeit 212’s fault right?).
So is it all coincidence? What do you think? Did GW’s price balloon finally pop? -MBG
Courtesy Apocalypse 40k:
The word is out and Games Workshop has raised prices on paints and brushes.
After 5 years of constant price increases on their models, seeing some models like a Land Raider go up 50%, this year’s annual price increase will be limited to hobby supplies.
Maybe GW has realized it can only squeeze so much out of its customers. Many of my friends have left the hobby because they are so pissed at Games Workshop, and with good reason. With codex 40K models now crossing the $ 100 mark with the $ 115 Wraith Knight, Games Workshop is establishing itself as a rich man’s hobby. In a time of slow economic growth, and almost ZERO inflation, how Games Workshop justifies these price increases is beyond most hobbyists.
Wayne Clark, a good friend of mine, had almost every 40K army. And LOTS of them. He probably owns a quarter million points overall. And last year he rage quit 40K because he was so pissed about the relentless price increases.
Probably the most noticeable price increase is the 40K starter set, which went from $ 50 in 2008 to $ 100 now. For a company dedicated to “recruitment” into the hobby, the whole point of the one man store philosophy, asking someone to buy a $ 100 starter set is a big chore. At $ 50 they would fly off the shelves according to numerous GW managers and game store owners, but at $ 100 it is a tough sell.
Ultimately, the bigger question is whether Tom Kirby, Games Workshop CEO, is setting the company up for a sale. Cutting costs and raising prices to drive profitability is a indicator that this may be the case.
And stay tuned for big news on how Games Workshop ran me out of being a store owner because they didn’t like this blog. (Dice of War, NOT Spikey Bits) That story starts this afternoon.
Loken
About the Author: Rob Baer
