Will customer action make GW lower prices?

[oldone]

i would like to say first that it will differ inbetween countries, but the one i vist the most has resently had its staff change because of their choice and i have not notice any difference in there behavior they all seem pleansent and still try to make me buy there wonderful models (really isn't that hard to be fair ) so i don't think there is an negative feeling towards veterans but more so a casual one but with a speical interest in neewbies is that make sense. so they like veterans to talk to and every thing but they want neewbies to buy tons of stuff and then give up in 3 months (i had this problem with my friends 8 of us started and 3 years down the line 1 of us is left )
so no i don't think veterans boycotting GW will do any good as the company will simple close stores make less stock or even slow down (the snail pace) of undates which will just be unfair to people who don't boycott.
ok i may have got off track

[Denzark]

I've been a fan of GW since 1989.

They have never lowered their prices, not even once, in that time. Yes, plastic sets have been released that are (marginally) cheaper than the metal sets they replace, but I cannot recall a single time the sets have been reduced in price by GW themselves (no, that drop in UK interest rates really doesn't count).

The closest they've come is selling off old stock at extremely reduced prices, but those events are true one-offs (I remember one in 1994 and one in 1998). The other time was the Apocalypse era of bulk buying sets - that's what I'd like to see more of.
However, the idea of asking GW to lower prices? I'd love it to work, but the last twenty years speak against it. It's a beautiful fantasy, like that farm we'll own. It'lll be ours, and nobody'll can us, and it'll be ours.

Tell me about that place, George. Tell about how its gonna be.

Well, Lennie, well have a few pigs, some sheep; we'll grow crops, grain, and have a patch of alfalfa

For the rabbits?

Yes Lennie, for the rabbits.

Tell me about the rabbits George. Tell me how it's gonna be...

Well...

LOL this is why English teachers would all be killed by the Ordo Hereticus in an ordinary decent and caring society.

[fuzzbuket]

@ lennie

*BANG*


p.s. i hate english class >

[DarkLink]

and is it any wonder that in any new codex the rules are shifted to make you buy new models and that game rules are tweaked to make you buy stuff less than useful

This keeps the veterans coming back for more, while new codices and releases get band-wagoners and noobs to splurge. GW's got their bases covered.





Yeah, english class is quite the contrast to what I'm used to. In engineering classes, you sit down and the teacher gives you precise, quantifiable data and knowledge, which you then use to accomplish stuff.

In the GE english class I have to take, I wrote a 500 page essay bull$#!#ing about how the poem Invictus changed my life. I didn't even read the poem until a year or two ago (though I really do like it). I just needed something to blabber on about.

Bit of a difference there.

[weeble1000]

Only one thing is certain. If you don't do anything, nothing is going to happen. Anybody can be pessimistic about what any sort of customer action will achieve, but if customers don't do anything, there is a 100% guaranty that it will not achieve any results.

For me, a boycott is not specifically about prices. Games-Workshop's price increases are simply emblematic of the company's position towards its customers. There are many other ways in which Games-Workshop demonstrates a disregard for its fans and customers from its codex release schedule to the way it handles intellectual property.

Games-Workshop is losing market share and its response has been to raise prices and attempt to take control of the hobby with aggressive and overly expensive litigation. The company is attempting to claim a copyright on the term bits. That isn't just some random thing that found its way into the Chapterhouse complaint. It is perhaps one of the most glaringly evident parts of a general attempt on the part of Games-Workshop to draw as much of the hobby into its possession as possible. That is not a good thing for the hobby and it is not a good thing for any wargaming enthusiast.

If nobody does anything about it, it will not stop, guaranteed. I do not subscribe to the notion that believing nothing can be done is a reason to sit back and accept something that you do not approve of. If you approve of what Games-Workshop is doing, then let them do it. If you do not approve of it, sitting back and letting it happen will not change anything and you might as well give Games-Workshop an endorsement to keep doing it because the company will view non-action as approval, and why shouldn't it?

If there has ever been a time in recent years to effect change at Games-Workshop, now is that time. The company is vulnerable. Sales are down, stock is down, revenue is struggling to keep pace, and Games-Workshop has overexposed itself with the Chapterhouse lawsuit. This is the time when a minimal customer response could have a much more significant impact than it would when the company is healthy with a surplus of cash. Games-Workshop is trying to find a way to remain viable and profitable right now. If you send the message that its recent behavior is the right way to keep the company viable by sitting back and doing nothing, then this is the behavior and the treatment you can expect from Games-Workshop going forward.

And what is that treatment? Games-Workshop has made it clear that its goal is to expand its North American market. That's why Tom Kirby is spending 40 weeks of the year in the states and drawing additional compensation in spite of a salary freeze. And how is Games-Workshop expanding its North American market? By attempting to run a small local business into the ground.

I do not approve of it when a British company attempts to expand its market share in America by attacking local business with egregiously unfounded litigation. And this is merely one aspect of the way that Games-Workshop is attempting regain a stranglehold over this community. It is only one example of the way that Games-Workshop treats its long-term fans and loyal customers. And it is only one example of the type of poor business sense that involves eliminating a company whose products depend Games-Workshop's own sales.

I am not going to tacitly approve of this behavior by doing nothing. I am going to do my part to ensure that it stops happening and that it does not happen in the future. If you do not approve of Games-Workshop's actions or policies, then this community needs your help to protect itself.

[Lockark]

Personally I think GW's drop in profit margins are a combination of new competitors and the global recession. (In the form of Privet press's growing popularity and other games working hard to break out.)

The strength of GW's competitors is a good thing because it encourages GW to accualy compete in terms of price and quality of content.

This is a VERY good thing for the hobby in the end. In the same way the "console wars" is good in the realm of video games.


BUT. The last thing we need is fan boys running around. Play the games you want to play in the end. But don't be affride to play new systems. I personal am starting a Malifaux and Warmachine. But still happy collect GW modles.

[Denzark]

Games-Workshop is losing market share and its response has been to raise prices and attempt to take control of the hobby with aggressive and overly expensive litigation. The company is attempting to claim a copyright on the term bits. That isn't just some random thing that found its way into the Chapterhouse complaint. It is perhaps one of the most glaringly evident parts of a general attempt on the part of Games-Workshop to draw as much of the hobby into its possession as possible. That is not a good thing for the hobby and it is not a good thing for any wargaming enthusiast.

When GW refers to 'The Hobby' it does not mean tabletop wargaming in any and all it forms. It means those who have raised throught the ranks of starter boxes, 2-3 armies for their games system, and on to Specialist Games with healthy doses of forgeworld and Black Library en route. There is no evidence to suggest the GW 'The Hobby' and 'the wider hobby that is tabletop wargaming' are anything other than mutually exclusive, no evidence that bringing them together is GW's intent, nor that GW is stupid enough to think that it could control it all in one.

If nobody does anything about it, it will not stop, guaranteed. I do not subscribe to the notion that believing nothing can be done is a reason to sit back and accept something that you do not approve of. If you approve of what Games-Workshop is doing, then let them do it. If you do not approve of it, sitting back and letting it happen will not change anything and you might as well give Games-Workshop an endorsement to keep doing it because the company will view non-action as approval, and why shouldn't it?

If there has ever been a time in recent years to effect change at Games-Workshop, now is that time. The company is vulnerable. Sales are down, stock is down, revenue is struggling to keep pace, and Games-Workshop has overexposed itself with the Chapterhouse lawsuit. This is the time when a minimal customer response could have a much more significant impact than it would when the company is healthy with a surplus of cash. Games-Workshop is trying to find a way to remain viable and profitable right now. If you send the message that its recent behavior is the right way to keep the company viable by sitting back and doing nothing, then this is the behavior and the treatment you can expect from Games-Workshop going forward.

With all your clever arguments about how doing nothing guarantees nothing changes, again I note you only re-surfaced with this idea AFTER the profit warning became news. Hence you were bending over and taking it (sorry tolerating GW corporate policy is what I mean) quite happily until this time. A profit warning saying 'we may not meet market expectations' is different to saying 'we are on the brink of destruction and will make any changes Mr Outrage from the internetz calls for, just to get his greenbacks in my pocket.' I think you overestimate their vulnerability - the new Space Marine FPS hits this year, and that will give them a considerable royalty inject, as will Grey Knights/Storm Raven, and the 'summer of flyers'.

And what is that treatment? Games-Workshop has made it clear that its goal is to expand its North American market. That's why Tom Kirby is spending 40 weeks of the year in the states and drawing additional compensation in spite of a salary freeze. And how is Games-Workshop expanding its North American market? By attempting to run a small local business into the ground.

I do not approve of it when a British company attempts to expand its market share in America by attacking local business with egregiously unfounded litigation. And this is merely one aspect of the way that Games-Workshop is attempting regain a stranglehold over this community. It is only one example of the way that Games-Workshop treats its long-term fans and loyal customers. And it is only one example of the type of poor business sense that involves eliminating a company whose products depend Games-Workshop's own sales.

Again, the fact it is a British Company. Hell, this is like when the Aussies beat us at Cricket (not now though ha!), or anyone else at football. We invented both, and it hurts to lose. So GW comes back with American style big corporate tactics and you don't like it.

I'm not sure GW ever had a stranglehold - that implies a total lockdown to me. So how the invention of Warmachine implies a total lockdown, I don't know. Also, assuming you mean the wargaming community and given that GW company report clearly says they aren't going to produce historical miniatures, how does that match your stranglehold comment? What, aren't the historical boys part of your community?

Weeble good luck on your outrage bus.

[Aldramelech]

A couple of years back I remember The Monopolies and Mergers commission looking into the Music Industries pricing of Cd's and whether they were taking the piss with their prices.

Perhaps the M&G commission should take a look at GW?

Edit: Ive looked into this and at the moment GW are not subject to an investigation because no one has made a complaint.

A complaint could be made to the Competition Commission on the grounds the GW have unfair share of the market or a complaint could be made to the office of fair trading that GW's prices are grossly inflated.

Food for thought.......

[Duke]

The problem is that they aren't a monopoly... Sure they have a monopoly on their IP, but that is the whole purpose of IP law, to give you a monopoly on it. What they would argue is that they are in an oligopoly which is like a monopoly but with a few large players and entrance into the industry is very difficult because of this. They will point to Battlefront and Privateer Press and show how they have entered into the wargames manufacturing industry and they will be right. GW isn't a monopoly to the rest of the world, but it is to us gamers.

Duke

[Aldramelech]

The problem is that they aren't a monopoly... Sure they have a monopoly on their IP, but that is the whole purpose of IP law, to give you a monopoly on it. What they would argue is that they are in an oligopoly which is like a monopoly but with a few large players and entrance into the industry is very difficult because of this. They will point to Battlefront and Privateer Press and show how they have entered into the wargames manufacturing industry and they will be right. GW isn't a monopoly to the rest of the world, but it is to us gamers.

Duke

Read my post again Duke.

In the UK the Monopolies and Mergers Commision (Now the Competition Commision) do more then investigate monopolies. They also (together with The Office of Fair Trading) investigate companies that charge inflated prices for products where the consumer has no or little choice, as the company has no direct competition. Also GW's tactics to keep people out of "their" hobby would also be of interest to the office of fair trading, you cannot claim exclusive ownership to a "Hobby".