Come see our 11th hour constructive rant on the new Deathwatch and how to help Games Workshop make better decisions.
This article is rated: I’m not an expert, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express once.
The following is a half serious half light hearted look at current events. We don’t claim to be “experts” in any matter, but at the end of the day experience counts for something, and that we have for days.
What were you doing last night (assuming you lived in the Eastern US)? For most of us it involved getting off work and going out. If you lived in western Europe well you were probably asleep, and in Australia it was around mid day I guess.
Point is Games Workshop, while the new Deathwatch looks exciting and all, you may have just shot yourself in the foot from a sales perspective.
Friday nights are NOT for dropping press releases (well at least good press releases, and I know YOU know about that 5 Tells & One Big Lie From GW’s Latest Financials).
No Friday is the day for firing people (according to Office Space), and throwing bad news out the door, NOT new product teasers or launches.
It’s okay we forgive you, we know you’re going though some rough times, but we’re going to get though it, together.
Long story short, don’t give folks a reason to NOT buy all the products you’re putting out this weekend like you just did. It’s bad for EVERYONE’S bottom line, yours included.
What I wanted to mention in the video is the frustration that alot of folks may have when they go into stores this weekend. Imagine you’re the clerk or evey the customer in this (familiar?) scenario.
Customer: Hey I want to pre-order that new Deathwatch box, how much is it?
Clerk: I don’t know.
Customer: Um okay, well when you know?
Clerk: Next week.
Customer: Okay well can I reserve one?
Clerk: No, sorry. I’m not sure how many we’re getting or if they’re limited, I’m sorry but you’ll have to checkback next week when we know more.
Now if the store is savy they’ll have an email or sign up sheet for folks to get called back when GW finally fills the rest of us in on the details.
But long story short, can you think of another business that “promotes” it’s products like this? Leaks are one thing, but when GW themselves are dropping teasers with no concrete follow up information for folks that are ready to buy, they may just be doing it wrong.
This is why personally I think Age of Sigmar stalled out of the gate, and why I think their new toy line (while good in theory) will also suffer the same fate.
GW work with us here, help us.. help you. Let’s all put on our thinking caps and harness that hobby power in the right direction!
New Deathwatch Overkill & WTF is GW Thinking???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcr4LNTkCTw
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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.
