Misjudging the Market: AOS VS Star Wars

[Gamgee]

I can't help but put on my broken record and state I think this highlights the Atlantic cultural divide. GW doesn't do 'the community' because it is vibrant without them spending time on it - in the UK at least. This might not work in the States - because there is clearly a higher sense of entitlement as a consumer.

The proposition that the Whale of Disney would come after the Minnow of GW is odd to me - because GW are such a minnow by comparison the £16m profit (or whatever from last year) is not even worth the steam off Minnie Mouse's lady bits.

Star Wars anything and everything will do well. But then, it has always done so. Grimdark is not a direct competitor though, they just happen to have some common themes.

If GW thought FFG was a competitor I don't think they would add to the strength of that competitor's hand by licensing stuff their way.

It's not Disney they need to worry about. It's Disney's comrade FFG I went into detail on it in my previous post.. So... indirectly it is Disney. Hahaha. FFG is being put into a position where they could buy up GW. Which is now such a minnow to them and their scale of profit. Then some years down the line they are bought up or brought into the Disney fold. Very clever.

[URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrLgXmHJTFI#t=1m20s"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrLgXmHJTFI#t=1m20s[/URL]

[Mr Mystery]

Odd.

FFG's owners published their results.

And the FFG element wasn't really anywhere near GW's own takings?

[Path Walker]

It's not Disney they need to worry about. It's Disney's comrade FFG I went into detail on it in my previous post.. So... indirectly it is Disney. Hahaha. FFG is being put into a position where they could buy up GW. Which is now such a minnow to them and their scale of profit. Then some years down the line they are bought up or brought into the Disney fold. Very clever.

[URL="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrLgXmHJTFI#t=1m20s"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrLgXmHJTFI#t=1m20s[/URL]

Except they don't compete in the same spheres at all, their is audience cross over but, GW is about collecting miniatures that you can play with, thats their business model (agree with it or not), FFG don't have that same model, they sell games, the models are just playing pieces for those games, so both can happily coexist, they have shown no interest in competing with each other, as other people pointed out GW license properties to FFG, their relationship is mutually beneficial.

Disney could just as easily license Star Wars miniature wargames to another company anyway, hell, GW have a good track record there with the LoTR deal, I'm sure if they approached Disney with the idea they'd listen.

[Gamgee]

Except they don't compete in the same spheres at all, their is audience cross over but, GW is about collecting miniatures that you can play with, thats their business model (agree with it or not), FFG don't have that same model, they sell games, the models are just playing pieces for those games, so both can happily coexist, they have shown no interest in competing with each other, as other people pointed out GW license properties to FFG, their relationship is mutually beneficial.

Disney could just as easily license Star Wars miniature wargames to another company anyway, hell, GW have a good track record there with the LoTR deal, I'm sure if they approached Disney with the idea they'd listen.

Wouldn't it be great if FFG owned 40k? It would make a great game. It certainly couldn't hurt to own the second biggest mini IP to use for any sort of game they want without having to deal with GW's derp. Makes perfect business sense to me. And since they even make good games I could easily see them considering it. At one point in history 40k was a great game. Then they got into the minatures side. Hid behind their walls so to speak.

[Captain Bubonicus]

2 things here. Firstly - I don't think they are working hard to marginalize and alienate older consumers. They may not be doing anything to NOT marginalize and alienate them, but it is a sin of omission not commission.

I think the AOS rules they released for older WHFB miniatures were a pretty good example of GW giving the "old guard" the finger...

"Sure, you can keep playing with your old miniatures - but you have to rub your head, pat your belly and scream "RUBBER BABY BUGGY BUMPER" the whole time you're playing. Isn't this fun?"

[Mr Mystery]

Not really, no.

And can you define 'GW's derp' please? And how do you mean GW, a company noted for their miniatures, 'got into the miniatures' side?

[daboarder]

I can't help but put on my broken record and state I think this highlights the Atlantic cultural divide. GW doesn't do 'the community' because it is vibrant without them spending time on it - in the UK at least. This might not work in the States - because there is clearly a higher sense of entitlement as a consumer.

The proposition that the Whale of Disney would come after the Minnow of GW is odd to me - because GW are such a minnow by comparison the £16m profit (or whatever from last year) is not even worth the steam off Minnie Mouse's lady bits.

Star Wars anything and everything will do well. But then, it has always done so. Grimdark is not a direct competitor though, they just happen to have some common themes.

If GW thought FFG was a competitor I don't think they would add to the strength of that competitor's hand by licensing stuff their way.

its less "come after" and more, Eat all the food in the pond

[Gamgee]

Not really, no.

And can you define 'GW's derp' please? And how do you mean GW, a company noted for their miniatures, 'got into the miniatures' side?

You said it yourself. Their into the business of selling miniatures. Doesn't seem to stop them from shoving out games ALL the time, but yeah I'll agree with you because it doesn't really matter. Even if all they did and all their focus was on mini's only there is more than enough incentive to buy them up. FFG currently has two of the best selling minatures games around and is gaining ground fast. In the span of a few year's their doing what GW took their entire company's existence to do. Any executive not worried wouldn't be on my payroll.

[Denzark]

its less "come after" and more, Eat all the food in the pond

I get this - but even where GW figures are not great (in profit whilst just today all the major markets lost 3-8% - in a DAY) they are still not in a position where they would be forced to sell - so why would the board let the golden goose go?

[Path Walker]

You said it yourself. Their into the business of selling miniatures. Doesn't seem to stop them from shoving out games ALL the time, but yeah I'll agree with you because it doesn't really matter. Even if all they did and all their focus was on mini's only there is more than enough incentive to buy them up. FFG currently has two of the best selling minatures games around and is gaining ground fast. In the span of a few year's their doing what GW took their entire company's existence to do. Any executive not worried wouldn't be on my payroll.

I really think you're overestimating FFGs size and remember, those big games they have? They're based on licenses (they also have their own IPs and great games based on those like Android and Descent) what happens if Disney pull them? They are limited in their scope by fact that their biggest sellers aren't wholly owned, no one knows the terms of those deals but FFG and Disney and no one can say how long they'll last.

I'm sure the new star wars films will be great, well marketed successes but that's out of FFGs hands, they're reliant on another company for their success. If Disney got a better deal from someone else, they'd leave.