Games Workshop wants to be a studio that cares about balance, fun, and the players, but it seems like they always falling short…
Atomic Mass Games’ Marvel Crisis Protocol is a perfect example of a game where the studio is passionate about it, cares about balance, doesn’t hide behind paywalls, and wants to keep the game fun.
Not saying the game is perfect, but in their live preview events, they show off how much they actually care about the game. It’s just refreshing to see a bigger company so passionate about making the experience and fun of the game the number one priority. Not the all-important quarterly profits, paywalls, and the next big thing.
Obviously, we love Warhammer; just sometimes, we wish GW would heed the community’s call. With the constant power creep, even when you think your army is set, if you want to keep up, that means more minis (or rulebooks)! We know it’s part of the strategy (we know, we know), but we feel like they could still make money and keep the game moving by pivoting to something more hobbyist friendly.
Games Workshop Wants to be Like This Studio but Just isn’t
The video from the Gamers Guild is a great interview with Will S. and Will P. from Atomic Mass Games about some new (at the time) models and the ban list. In the interview, you can really tell how much they care about the game and the fact that they actually want the characters to reflect the comic book side of things.
Just talking about Cable, they had some very interesting insight into making him feel like the character you know and love. At first, they wanted to give him a teleport, psychic blast in combat, and effective shooting, because that’s what Cable does! But with Drop Off, he created many problems, so they decided to eliminate Drop Off from the game through rigorous playtesting.
Instead of just creating the most powerful mini and almost forcing you to buy it, they decided based on game balance, variety, and fun.
The whole interview is extremely in-depth, and they go into why they decided to ban/restrict certain game elements. Again, it’s great to hear a studio decide to keep the game fun and varied instead of making all the new stuff just so much better.
Whereas Games Workshop doesn’t give much insight and just creates crazy demand for new minis and lets them be a little broken until the new hotness comes around.
This quote from the interview sums up their views perfectly:
Create a game that can bring anybody to the table. If you love Marvel and hobby miniatures, we hope that Marvel Crisis Protocol is set up in a way that allows the easiest entry to it.
Differing Ideas & Barriers to Entry
Look, any way you slice it, Warhammer has a big barrier to entry. Just look at Space Marines, the most popular faction. With a constant influx of minis and rules, if you’re just getting into the game, in one year, you had to buy multiple codexes, learn your army almost over again, learn new rules, and if you don’t want to get stomped, probably grab a ton of new minis.
Not to mention FAQs, points changes, and whatnot. It’s just hard to convince someone to keep with the game when they have to spend about $800 for an army and then spend another $100 plus on just rules.
Now everyone’s favorite subject paywalls.
Look, we know companies have to make a buck, but when you hide a unit that has been hyped (like the Heavy Intercessors, for example) for months behind a giant paywall, how does that look to new players (and veterans alike)?
Well, it just pisses people off, and you probably don’t sell nearly enough of them. Thus forcing people into the secondary market to pay premiums sometimes.
We’re not saying Atomic is perfect, but seeing a bigger company worry so much about player experience and keeping a game affordable has been refreshing. For about $100, you can get into Marvel Crisis Protocol and really enjoy it.
Will you eventually want new minis? Yes, but will they be hidden behind paywalls, and will power creep ruin the experience?
The simple answer is no.
Do you like the way Marvel Crisis Protocol is being handled? Do you think we could ever see a change from Games Workshop?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
