Wednesday 17 April 2013

Games Workshop not really supporting The Hobbit





I went into Games Workshop in Oxford Street today and fancied buying King Thror, as I have been enjoying painting some character figures for my new Roman army,  Not only did they not have one but the GW guy seemed very uncertain about the figures in the range. When I asked if they had the set of the Men of Dale he started looking in the (very limited) LotR boxes rather than the very distinctive The Hobbit sets.

This lack of stock (alright it is the week after the DVD came out but they should have allowed for that), his lack of knowledge of the range and the derisory treatment of the game in White Dwarf makes me wonder why on earth they spent so much money on the licence if they aren't going to support it.  Other than the launch issue there has been nothing in White Dwarf for months.  Even worse, until this month's issue, they have all been sealed in plastic so you don't find this out until after you have bought it.  

Maybe, especially given the prices, they really do believe, as Jervis Johnson was recently quoted as saying, that GW figures are now about collecting not gaming.

Frankly, I believe that the White Dwarf team are being lazy and unimaginative.  So, admittedly The Hobbit is not full of set piece battles but come on, make something up!


9 comments:

  1. I am beginning to wonder that the license obliges GW to produce all the figures for all the movie characters and races, yet they know there will be many that will not sell, hence putting the price up on all the figures to make enough from the figures that do sell...?

    But sadly the pricing puts off those that would collect armies for the game, thus relegating the figures to collectors pieces further compunding the problem... The license says you must make the figures, but this will not result in sufficient sales?

    Or am I just playing Devils Advocate?

    As for the GW staff, they always have their own preferred games in the GW range and know less about the other games...

    I recall a mate who worked for them for a brief time many years ago; parents would come in wanting to buy the fantasy game (lead up to xmas), which he didn't like and after a bit of chat they'd end up leaving having bought the 40k set...

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  2. Maybe they just want to get people into the much larger Lord of the Rings range but, if so why rename it The Hobbit?

    You could be right over the licence...


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  3. The Hobbit hasn't had nearly the same impact that LOTR had. The BGIME range f mags that came out pulled lts of people (me included) into a whole new hobby. Without something similar with the Hobbit, there is just no way they will bring new people into the game. I can't work out what the commercial rationale for their pricing and release methods is. Seems like they have resigned themselves to the game being only interesting to the die hard supporters.

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  4. Yes, I bought the first issue of BGIME with the goblins and painted the whole lot in an afternoon and my little boy and I played some games on our kitchen table straight away. I bought every copy in the end.

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  5. I've been a Tolkien fan for 30+yrs. when I found out that PJ was bringing out the LoTR movies I was over the moon. My excitement grew when I found out the GW we're producing a wargame and I couldn't wait for the launch. I have most of the original LoTR models and the first 7 yrs of GWs mag. Unfortunately, GW are no longer putting the same effort as they use to. It is a shame but I think the game will become a sideline for them that they will drop in a few years.

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  6. Not a single article in Whit Dwarf for a year now. I wonder whether they will do anything to coincide with the launch of the new film...

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  7. Wow.Its not like there was a HUGE battle in front of the gates of moria GW could use?Nah that would be stupid and would make money.Oh wait:There WAS.I have a few fellowship era White dwarfs on scribd and they had a huge focus on the last alliance.Which was good.Other then the fact that everything but the numenorians and maybe the elves in the battle were metal(winces at how expensive the last alliance scenario would have cost)

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  8. Here in New Zealand they don't even stock half the Hobbit figures they just make you order online...

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  9. You want to feel ripped off? Come to Australia. $140 for a rule book which I can get for $90 elsewhere. Half the models in a box for more money? No more metal models but Fine Cast? More like FAIL CAST with holes and bubbles everywhere so they produce a product to sell to fix their own faults. Over priced and lower quality now. It is not worth bothering.

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