It seems like Games Workshop has handled the release of Age of Sigmar much like the fickle Fateweaver would, with two heads trying to act together- each with drastically different results. Take a look at this…
First off remember all the early ‘news’ for the Age of Sigmar? Games Workshop basically started discontinuing and removing products from retail stores and their website, all with the eerie silence that would make the Phoenix King’s bodyguards jealous. That drove player batty right from the get go, as forums and blogs we’re abuzz with rants and raves mostly against what was going on.Such statements that GW was ‘killing off Fantasy” could be heard wherever you looked… Not the best of ways to start out a product launch.
Then gradually about a mere two weeks out from the Advanced Order date, images of the new models and terrain started surfacing and everyone seemed to do a 180° back to being excited and hopeful for the new Age of Sigmar game again. Let’s face it those models looked amazing, and yes our inner Space Marines were quite pleased. But as quick as the favor for AoS was gained, it seemed to slip away once again with the discovery that there were no points in the game when the rules were leaked about a week out from launch.
People literally burned their armies they were so mad. Yet for all that Chaos, when the models finally hit the shelves, they seem to have become well received. In stores where demos were ran, and management was positive about the new game system, copies seemingly sold out overnight (including White Dwarf #75 with the FREE Sigmarine model).
Now the next chapter of the Age of Sigmar has yet to be written, and it remains to be seen how players (both Fantasy and 40k alike) will respond to weeks of repeated AoS releases. As for right now, Fateweaver – er Games Workshop seems to have the Age of Sigmar situation under control. There is however, nothing as constant as change…
How would you have handled the launch if YOU were in charge?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
