While Supplies Last; Specislist Games

[magickbk]

It's kind of funny, way back in the day there was no uproar when anything Specialist got discontinued. The mentality behind the games was that your gaming club would get it when it came out and then play it every once in a while amongst the group after the initial release. Not sure if that is still how things work in the UK, but GW used to heavily support clubs, including having special web pages for them, and a club finder to find people near you that played. In the US this was never the case, and it has always been about the FLGS, which frequently has a larger but more transient group that makes it difficult to play the other games. I've played in a few Necromunda campaigns over the years, but I think it has been about 13 years since I played in a store outside a group of 5 people that occasionally break it out.

[gunslinger626]

GW... GW... Are you INTENTIONALLY trying to go out of business? Do you hate yourself so much? Get yourself into counseling before you just start killing whole product lines.

[Ghostofman]

GW... GW... Are you INTENTIONALLY trying to go out of business? Do you hate yourself so much? Get yourself into counseling before you just start killing whole product lines.

More likely they are in counseling and killing product lines is what they need to do to stay in business.

The economy and (many) other factors have been hitting GW pretty hard the last couple years. It's not the end of the world for them, but they are trying to keep the number of broken seals below 5. Dropping older lines that aren't moving (and aren't even really supported) to reduce overall costs is just basic business practice. If anything I'm a little surprised it took them this long to cut their losses. Though I suspect that the little sales bump from the fans buying up what they can before it's gone will be carefully applied to the next quarterly report to make it look like a repeatable gain...

[ElectricPaladin]

More likely they are in counseling and killing product lines is what they need to do to stay in business.

The economy and (many) other factors have been hitting GW pretty hard the last couple years. It's not the end of the world for them, but they are trying to keep the number of broken seals below 5. Dropping older lines that aren't moving (and aren't even really supported) to reduce overall costs is just basic business practice. If anything I'm a little surprised it took them this long to cut their losses. Though I suspect that the little sales bump from the fans buying up what they can before it's gone will be carefully applied to the next quarterly report to make it look like a repeatable gain...

This is where I am. Not buying stuff up - I'm not going to pour more money into a game that is both dead where I live and dying off in general - but in not having strong feelings. It's sad, but I'm sure that GW is doing what they see as best in this case.

Frankly, the real problem may be in the idea of Specialist Games, rather than in the final killing-off. Maybe it made sense back in the day of tightly knit groups of friends playing in their garages, but in this day and age of game stores, Internet communities, and tournaments, people want games that they can pick up, carry around, and play anywhere, and that requires perpetual distribution. GW never intended for specialist games to be played like this... and now they're just letting it go.

[gcsmith]

Personally, while it's a shame they are not going to be stocked any more. It's no big loss to me, I recently got into dread ball, and all I can say is, I love my New Luna Republic Elements.

[Psyberwolfe]

Drop games people like because LoTR/Hobbit has gone gang busters? /sarcasm

[sangrail777]

I really don't think these will actually be gone for good. I saw on a few of the items that are sold out now say they can be ready to ship in 5-6 weeks. I think the molds might get redone or they are just finally getting turned to finecast. (at least thats what I'm hopeing)

[Arkhan Land]

I'de say were 5 years from being able to buy a tactical squad in walmart

[eldargal]

Right, GW stuffing their products in Walmart is totally in keeping with their whole 'luxury product' thing they have going.

[Houghten]

I guess this means that The Taros Campaign: Second Edition won't include Epic / Gothic battles...