Is there any truth to this rumor ?

[eldargal]

Sorry Dosadi but Melissia is right, if you can not produce the evidence, it doesn't count for anything. Until we see official GW 40k global sales figures broken down by codex everything is pure hearsay.
Used to be that people would start with marines then move onto other races, I do wonder whether the overall focus on marines and the ability to collect and field the same army indefinitely (Apocalpse) has changed that dynamic.


Think I'll scrap my plans for a marine army now.

[Dosadi]

Sorry Dosadi but Melissia is right, if you can not produce the evidence, it doesn't count for anything. Until we see official GW 40k global sales figures broken down by codex everything is pure hearsay.

That's fine. All I was trying to illustrate was why GW chooses to focus so heavily on marines and somehow I got carried away with the math. It doesn’t matter what the actual numbers are, the fact of the matter is marines are the best sellers and so GW has chosen to give them the lion share of the focus right now. The proof is in the pudding I guess you could say…

That they have managed to recover with measurable success from the LotR bubble shows that they are doing something right. So I disagree with Melissia’s assessment that they are making a mistake being so astartes-centric.

Used to be that people would start with marines then move onto other races, I do wonder whether the overall focus on marines and the ability to collect and field the same army indefinitely (Apocalpse) has changed that dynamic.

I’d say you hit the nail on the head with this one. Apocalypse has changed the way people buy and build armies. I used to collect and army with the idea of filling every FOC slot. One that was done, I would either move onto another FOC (for my marine army ironically enough) or start another army. Now I see people doing things like five or six HQ’s and three of the same tank for a squadron. I’ve got a friend who is working on finishing up his Deathwing Company with 100 terminators and 12 dreadnaughts. That’s insanity! I’m working on a Red Corsair army that requires five codices to use. Apocalypse has had a profound effect on 40k. The ironic thing is, I don’t even play Apocalypse that much; maybe once every six months at best.


Dosadi

[Brass Scorpion]

My armies were almost always oversized in the past, based more on a collecting impulse than the needs of the force org. chart. With Apocalypse, the impulse has really run wild. Models do look cooler in groups, so even something I probably only would have done one of before, for example a Vindicator, is now done in groups with an aesthetic to connect them visually.

Apocalypse datasheets have some really atomspheric and cool story-driven ideas in them and a lot of my projects for the past 2 years have been datasheet inspired.

[Melissia]

Even "successful" corporations make bad decisions frequently. This isn't entirely a knock on corporations, they have to make decisions based off of incomplete information just like everyone else, after all. But sometimes it's because they have a plan and they stick to it even if it's not working, even if a better plan is out there, and so on. Or they stick with a mediocre plan because they don't want to "risk" the excellent plan that would have gotten them more profit.

GW's history is a bit checkered by both bad and good decisions, like many corporations. I personally see their focus on Marines as a bad one. Should they get a bit more focus? Sure, they're popular, so milk 'em. Should they get so much more focus that it is detrimental to everyone else? No, because that would reduce the profits gained from all the other armies.

[ChrisW]

would love to play my Red Scorpions with the real rules, however the local tournies are never going to allow a whole army under a forgeworld rules set, although they did allow for some kits in the tourniments they had to have a GW base vechile that they emulated. (the whole asking opponents permission thing is a pain)

not to mention the fact that a forge world book is in the area of $80 Can. (in the case of Red Scorpions, for a couple pages of rules) and a regular codex is 35 or so (which has the background & fluff contained).

the draw of the resin crack will keep them selling the models forever, ahh if only they used GW plastic in the moulds......

Now I see people doing things like five or six HQ’s and three of the same tank for a squadron. I’ve got a friend who is working on finishing up his Deathwing Company with 100 terminators and 12 dreadnaughts. That’s insanity! I’m working on a Red Corsair army that requires five codices to use. Apocalypse has had a profound effect on 40k. The ironic thing is, I don’t even play Apocalypse that much; maybe once every six months at best.
Dosadi

that is the way i've always collected my armies (more for the reason of: Hey i'd love to paint that!)

my chaos force gives thanks to GW for the daemon codex. now at least a quarter of it will get out of the cases to play at any givin time.

[Dosadi]

GW's history is a bit checkered by both bad and good decisions, like many corporations. I personally see their focus on Marines as a bad one. Should they get a bit more focus? Sure, they're popular, so milk 'em. Should they get so much more focus that it is detrimental to everyone else? No, because that would reduce the profits gained from all the other armies.

I think your feeling are justified; if I only played one army and that army had not received anything new for it for years and years, I'd be a little bitter too. The problem is that people like that are in the minority. Most GW hobbyists play more than one army and about half play both 40k and Fantasy. GW knows this and assumes for every player that sits on their hands waiting for their army of choice to get a revision there are three players who start a new army every six months or continue to build upon their existing army.

I had hoped GW would start publishing White Dwarf lists again or releasing "trial" rules on their website. the Blood Angel's codex is the perfect example of what can be done by not releasing any new models, yet breath new life into an army (even if it is marines ) At least let the people know that you are still thinking of them.

I’m a big fan of BoLS because they have taken control of “their hobby”. Their mini'dexes and campaign books are a great inspiration for long time players. I encourage more of the same. I've checked out Melissia's homebrew sisters list and it makes me happy to see people taking such a passionate interest in their army. Although, her magic ability to turn any thread into a discussion of SoB is a bit disturbing.


Dosadi