Thursday, January 16, 2014

With a view on the Titanic: GW stock drops 25%

http://www.lse.co.uk/SharePrice.asp?shareprice=GAW

Overview:
I've divorced myself from my GW addiction last year.  I haven't bought any Games Workshop product recently.  I'm still playing the 6th edition of WH40K with friends.  But I've given up on WHFB 8th edition.  I don't wish the company ill.  I believe they produce good looking models.  However, their current management needs to go.  They'll either driven the company in bankruptcy or or be forced to sell it in a fire sale.

Here is my reasoning:

1)  Games Workshop has upset its customer base.  No one is happy with GW.  Or I should say few people are.

2)  The company has been cranking out new releases no one can afford or wants.  And the initial cost of their basic box set is too expensive for most novice gamers.
     
3)  There has been little marketing of new supplements for WH40K or WHFB.

4)  Little thought has gone into play testing new product.

5)  New releases have been rushed to market to make up for the fact product hasn't been selling with said customer base.

6)  Specialist game lines have eliminated in the name of profitability.  This has further alienated the customer base who'd been buying their specialist games.

I could on about this Titanic.  The only thing I can say is I'm glad I'm not in charge of the shipwreck.

However, my problem is two-fold.  I own four different WH40K armies.  I'm willing to go to other game systems like Stargrunt II or an older edition of WH40K whenever the ship finally hits the iceberg.

I don't see GW's current management turning things around.  I see them selling the company to a large corporation that wants GW's IP for toy manufacturing or producing movies or video-games.  In order to turn things around, GW would have to lower the prices on their product lines and radically revamp their current WH40K and WHFB rules for the sake of playability and balance.

Good luck on that happening....

So, I'm sticking to my prediction of the impending financial train wreck that is Games Workshop.      
 

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