There is so much crap swirling around the Internets about Warhammer Fantasy Age of Sigmar right now, that no one seem to know anything.
Is this the way to launch a new product release? Conventional wisdom would say no I think, but that isn’t stopping everyone’s favorite toy company from doing it anyways.
There was a pretty sweet discussion going around on Warseer recently about just this. What the heck is AoS, and what/will people play it?
Via Hastings
Originally Posted by Kherith
I’m inclined to agree if AOS is skirmish only box game and full rules aren’t available, how many existing players are going to buy it? ……
And THIS is the reason that WFB as we knew it is gone, because it isn’t selling. So they either scrap it completely, or try something new in a fantasy setting. If you for one moment that success of this game means existing WFB players buy it then you are very mistaken, if only all existing WFB players buy it then it has failed already!!!!
How is this so difficult to understand? Why have so many people got “I am the world” ideas. GW know that their current WFB player base isn’t bringing the sales, they could not give a rats ass about the existing players, THIS IS A NEW PRODUCT INTENDED TO BRING IN NEW BUYERS!!!!! for the love of Pete! WFB has been dwindling in popularity for some time (mainly due to GWs stupidity), this is a total shakeup, they don’t want just to attract 100% of exisiting players! if you have 100 people playing a game/buying and it’s not making you enough money why would you re-launch wanting just the majority of those same poeple????? for a start you’d probably get a good deal less of the original 100 due to nostalgia/rage quit etc. maybe 50 out of the original 100 continue with the new game = failure. Now completely scrap the game = lose 100 people, rebrand, relaunch, shake up the very system right from it’s roots, make it barely recognisable, make it similar in ways to products that are doing ok, fair enough you’ll probably lose 80-90 of the original 100, BUT there’s at least a CHANCE that you might attract 500 people who just happen to think this is awesome!
And yes I know GWs marketing sucks, BUT not changing a failing system (sales wise) will lead to the whole thing going away, I think they have made a very bold move in doing what they’re doing (I just wish they’d at least try and communicate with their current customer base to make improvements).
Sorry that’s a bit ranty, but it’s late and I need coffee.
Will Fantasy Players give Age of Sigmar a chance?? I would say ‘ask again later’ at this point.
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 the Las Vegas Open, each of which attracts thousands of 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 2011 Adepticon 40k Team Tournament. He was even featured for his painting in issue #304 of Games Workshop’s White Dwarf Magazine.
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.
