citation needed
...and here I thought I was posting on the internet
Unfortunately, I can't directly identify my sources as several of them currently work for GW, although all at store manager level or lower. I also know a couple of bitter disillusioned ex-store managers...
I would love nothing more than for what they told me to be wrong.
Is he though? I can't see anything in that post that's particularly wrong.
Apart from misidentifying the main audience, the belief unsupported by facts that GW treats vets badly and the incorrect assertion that GW doesn't think vets are worth very much? Other than those points I'd agree he was spot on.
The people who spend the most on their hobby are young professionals spending their own money and with no families or other major financial commitments. These are committed hobbyists ('vets') with a lot of disposable income and the target audience for the support that GW extends to vets in general. Kids spending their parents' money are generally a way down the totem pole as far as value is concerned because you can't sell directly to these people, you have to sell the product twice for each sale and parents have different value thresholds than the kids do. This is true in most hobbies targeting a similar demographic.
I know you were very involved with GW a few years ago, but do you still have a lot of contact with people in the know? (Answer that as vaguely as you like if it is a tricky subject). I ask because your statement above is pretty much what I believed up to a few years ago (I have been buying GW stuff since the 80s). Recent off the record chats with staff, who I know more as friends, seem to turn up the same few points:
- a proportion of head office regard a significant proportion of vets as parasites- in a literal sense, no particularly as an insult.
- the majority of their large in store sales are parents buying stuff for kids for birthday/Christmas
-vets only produce a tiny fraction of the income to a store that kids do
- the age spread for customers is a very flat pyramid- many kids, few vets
-stores have a mandated time split between time spent recruiting new players (12 year olds mainly) and time spent keeping players in the hobby (i.e. stuff for vets). This is heavily weighted to recruitment.
Outside of these talks, I have seen the closing of gaming rooms, the banning of specialist games being played in store, the enforcement of 3 introductory tables, one for each system, that can only be played on by those new to the hobby (even at 9pm on vet nights, with only 3 other tables available), the removal of the bits ranges, severe lack of support for specialist games... the list goes on.
However I am not a bitter, GW hating warmachine player (although I know a fair number of these). I love their games, their miniatures and their worlds. I would love to be able to change it but I am fairly resigned to being a second class customer. My time is far more pressured than my cash is so things like apocalypse and all the lovely giant forgeworld stuff are just not that much use to me. At the other end of things, the 40k intro table at the local store has a stomper on it- I asked it it was just for show and was told that staff would consider selling one to beginners...
Sorry, this has been a bit long, but this is why I would be really surprised if they went to resin for uniques/small numbers- it would prevent what I believe to be a large part of their market from using all the miniatures.
...but hey, despite the blow to my massive ego, I would love to be wrong on this