Total War: The Best Possible Marketing For A Discontinued Product

[CrimsonTurkey]

Remember when a successful games company destroyed its whole setting just before a major game released? Then that game reinvigorated interest in the old setting and game stores started selling used products on consignment? Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines was a fun game, no?

Now, after years of 40k getting literally all of the A-list video games, which brought a ton of new blood into the hobby, WFB is finally getting the one that fanboys (like myself) have been clamoring for for ages in the form of the new Total War game. The devs have even stated that they're focusing on established characters and their backgrounds. Doesn't this seem a little like throwing the baby out with the bath-water and then sending out a few million birth announcements?

[Mr Mystery]

Bit premature, as it all depends on what Age of Sigmar turns out to be.

[Denzark]

Having seen a lot of the breakdowns GW does financially, I think computer games came under IP/licensing rather than marketing. So having sold it to sega or whoever does total war, they are actually increasing under this heading.

Marketing is a 3rd/4th order effect at best.

So whilst they may have picked up a few entry level sales from TW players - maybe - even if Warhammer disappears - and their flagship shop at Warhammer World still has it in with age of Sigmar posters... I think MM is correct that this interpretation is a touch premature.

[Erik Setzer]

GW doesn't market. I'm confused on that, and a lot of their other practices, but it seems they want to be ultra-niche. They certainly don't use video games for marketing, because some of the products they've allowed to be made with their IP lately were "meh" at best, and more likely to turn people off.

We know the Warhammer world blew up, and Age of Sigmar will be a different world. Total War is in the (recent) history of the world that blew up. We already know these things. I wish people would stop trying to say "wait and see!" on things that are pretty clear. GW wouldn't have told them how AoS was going to go, because that gives risk of leaks.

It wouldn't be that surprising for a game in the dead world's "history," though. Mordheim is still being set to come out, and it's bases on a historical setting (IIRC, about 500 years or so in the past).

Nor is Total War going to be the only game in a now-gone setting. Warhammer Quest and Talisman will continue to see updates. Blood Bowl is about to get a new edition on the computer. None of those guys are worried, because they know they're creating fun games people want to play, so even if the world is gone in a different game within that IP, they can still use the old world. I'm not going to mind.

[CrimsonTurkey]

I certainly don't mind either, I'm just raising the point that it seems amateurish to not take into effect that not only do good licensed products bring in income via the licensing agreements, but they also act as marketing for the company's core products, even if that isn't their goal. Would it not be much wiser to have a coheisve strategy in which all the products bearing the Warhammer trademark support each other? Warhammer Total War, Mordheim, and the like are going to generate interest. They're going to bring in money from people who buy the games, and a small portion of those people will probably buy some models as well. The problem is that a number of these players are going to want their favorite factions/characters from the games, and if those factions and characters don't exist, that's a lost customer.

The rubbish mobile games don't make much of a difference one way or another, but a AAA title like a Total War game is a different matter. I think a wiser company with more focus put on long term growth rather than quarterly profits would have put End Times on hold until Total War had played out. I'm not saying Total War is a bad idea, it will certainly make both Sega and GW a nice chunk of money, but it's a waste of what could have been fantastic synergy.

[Voltigeur]

I certainly don't mind either, I'm just raising the point that it seems amateurish to not take into effect that not only do good licensed products bring in income via the licensing agreements, but they also act as marketing for the company's core products, even if that isn't their goal. Would it not be much wiser to have a coheisve strategy in which all the products bearing the Warhammer trademark support each other? Warhammer Total War, Mordheim, and the like are going to generate interest. They're going to bring in money from people who buy the games, and a small portion of those people will probably buy some models as well. The problem is that a number of these players are going to want their favorite factions/characters from the games, and if those factions and characters don't exist, that's a lost customer.

The rubbish mobile games don't make much of a difference one way or another, but a AAA title like a Total War game is a different matter. I think a wiser company with more focus put on long term growth rather than quarterly profits would have put End Times on hold until Total War had played out. I'm not saying Total War is a bad idea, it will certainly make both Sega and GW a nice chunk of money, but it's a waste of what could have been fantastic synergy.

I fully agree!

I remember many folks who got into 40k through Dawn of War. That game was a huge success and while there is no telling how good Total Warhammer will be, It would have raised the profile of WHFB just by existing. As it is now I can't imagine GW will get much out of it beyond the royalty checks.

[Spider-pope]

The rubbish mobile games don't make much of a difference one way or another, but a AAA title like a Total War game is a different matter. I think a wiser company with more focus put on long term growth rather than quarterly profits would have put End Times on hold until Total War had played out. I'm not saying Total War is a bad idea, it will certainly make both Sega and GW a nice chunk of money, but it's a waste of what could have been fantastic synergy.

Pretty much. And it's not like GW are unaware that video games can be used to get people to come into stores. Way back when EA released Dark Omen they included a voucher to take to a GW to pick up a necromancer miniature. Pretty easy and cost effective way to get people aware of your product and your retailers.

[hamiltongeyser]

Its not like the warhammer fantasy mmo did much to boost sales...