GW 2014-2015 Half Year Results

[Erik Setzer]

Well yeah, the hookers will still be available once the pub has shut.

I like to imagine they're actually in the pub drinking while it's open.

[daboarder]

Because 4th of July is just another day anyone outside the US or does it mean something in Oz?

just wanted to chime in and apologise for not replying sooner, I was indisposed.

But as Cait pointed out here.

I don't think the 4th of July should have any special significance outside of the United States, nor does anyone else. However, if you are a business selling toys to Americans it is probably not the best weekend to launch orders on a product. Americans are distracted, not home, or otherwise engaged. It just costs you money. It would be like insisting on running your new television show opposite the Super Bowl.

This is just basic marketing, i.e. commonsense. Since there is no special reason in other countries that suggests to do it on that day, why do it then at all? Ultimately none of us really care, but it is an interesting choice to cite in regards to their regular urge to try and force a square block into a round hole. I don't think there is any nefarious reason they selected the date. I just think it can be accounted by bad business sense.

thats basically the WHY, couple that with the fact that the US is NOT a small market and is GWs second largest market. well its just silly to alienate a large portion of your customer base. And yes 1/4 to 1/3 of your overall sales is a large portion.

On another note, someone asked hwy I stated "consistently" this isn't the first time GW has had a major release during the 4th of july long weekend, I think it was last year they did the a similar thing and it had a majority of people scratching their heads then.

[daboarder]

DAB and others may write me off as a GW apologist and I am not - my relationship with GW is complex but at the end of the day I need nothing off them now except rules and I choose to accept their rules-writing standard as it has not reached my breaking point of their silliness outweighing my 25 years of investment in 40K.

Sorry to tell you Denzark, but I dont really find you an apologist. thats pretty much reserved for a few posters that shall remain nameless (the hypocritical ones that change the goal posts just so they dont have to be in conflict with what GW is doing)

[Denzark]

Sorry to tell you Denzark, but I dont really find you an apologist. thats pretty much reserved for a few posters that shall remain nameless (the hypocritical ones that change the goal posts just so they dont have to be in conflict with what GW is doing)

Hussah!

[grimmas]

Skipping all the other stuff. Too much to quote.

Warhammer got run into the ground pretty hard, and not just in the US. In the UK, it might be different, but the UK is not nearly big enough to sustain a game itself.

They can't just rely on existing people to want it. They need other people to want it. And I'm one of those existing players. Heck, I bought an entire new army this year (not counting the additions to Skaven and Undead).

If they did things intelligently and actually marketed, preorders would be a big deal. They are for many games. But people usually want to know something before they'll do a preorder. We're a couple weeks out from AoS launching, and we know nothing about it. We don't even know that it's a game. Or even a gaming product. Or if there's even going to be products released. We have rumors. It's important to make that distinction. All we have are rumors.

Now, the next White Dwarf strongly suggests a new game is coming called Age of Sigmar. The only info in there is that the battles will be even bigger. Well, hmm, that seems to be going the exact opposite direction of where the game needs to go, given that size of armies was a big problem with Warhammer. And the rumors mostly talk about skirmish-level battles, at least as a starting point. So is that comment in WD just hyperbole? Not true? Well, then, we're once again left with no real information about the game, instead having a line that misleads us.

Much better idea: Start 4-5 weeks (at least) before the release. Officially announce the new game, give info on game play and such, show off new models. List the contents of the starter box, and start taking preorders. Spread the word everywhere, on gaming sites and social media. Let those preorders rake in, let the hype build.

But no. It's a one-week window, and it's iffy that we'll even have anything to base a knowledgeable purchasing decision on. That's why I'm holding back.

I've preordered some games before, because I was given a nice preview to let me know what to expect. But dropping over $100 on something I know nothing about? Nope. I'm not made of money.

Erik we seem to be almost in complete agreement. I'm not sure what I'm saying to make you react so vehemently. You've just written a list of reasons why preorders of AoS aren't going to worth much to GW anywhere (which I agree with) our only difference seem to be my assertion that they going to be the lowest (possibly effectively nothing) in the U.S. and let's face it if they can make some money in the rest of the world they should really take it.

Yes they do need new customers I've definitely mentioned before why I feel this is so crucial and not just for WFB.

I'm not saying you (or anyone) should be making a preorder, I won't be I simply don't know enough to want to drop any money on it, we don't even know if's WFB 9th or a starter game. Blimey the fact it's only available for preorder for seven days should tell us how little importance GW puts on them. That doesn't mean I'm not very excited about it though. Just a thought though if it is a starter game may be AoS IS the hype for the new WFB (I don't know just brainstorming)

Daboarder yes 1/3 - 1/4 is a sizeable portion of total sales however my reason for mentioning this was, with other figures, an attempt to show how it is mostly made up of 40K sales and that WFB has a very small following in the U.S.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm in the US and I think the 4th thing is totally meaningless. WFB doesn't have a strong following in my region like 40k so the release isn't exactly something most folks are getting excited about. If it's a good enough system people (myself included) will gradually migrate to it over the coming months.

That's all I'm getting at. Good job you're here I was beginning to think I was losing my mind.

[Erik Setzer]

Annual report is scheduled to be released on July 28. So in a week and a half, we'll see what's going on.

[Caitsidhe]

Annual report is scheduled to be released on July 28. So in a week and a half, we'll see what's going on.

Yup. I can't wait to see what Father Christmas brings early.

[Caitsidhe]

Yup. I can't wait to see what Father Christmas brings early.

Nailed it. Tell you what... I'm going to go ahead and give my prediction (so we get it time stamped on the record again) for the next report. I expect, despite the AOS and the various other releases we are sure to see that the next report will show another decrease in sales of a MINIMUM of 3%. I expect it to actually hit 5%.

[Mr Mystery]

£400,000 drop in takings at constant currency.

Profits up.

Yep. It's the end of days fo' sho'.

Interesting bit - CEO is promising a full review of their products, then says 'I'm not lowering prices, but ensuring we have a reasonable spread of price points'.

As one of life's little optimists - could mean new kits at a cheaper price point as a sort of 'Tesco Value' range?

[Charon]

Im very curious what "full review of existing products" means. To me it sounds like: "If it aint selling, it is gonna go the way of the squats"