Tell me if I'm wrong here, but doesn't it seem like everytime you turn around, someone has something nasty to say about GW. I mean, it seems like everybody and their mother had a bad experience with Finecast, or had a poor customer service experience that made GW back into "the evil empire." And don't get me started with the rantings about pricing.
So, what gives? Did GW really turn back into the evil empire? Was Finecast so outrageouely flawed? Are GW mini's really that expensive?
The quick answer to these questions is no. But while simple, it doesn't really paint the complete picture. So here is my take on each of these questions, starting with Finecast.
Finecast is a good thing for both the hobbiest and GW. But like all things hyped up, the reality usually falls short. There were very few new models released at launch, so alot of people felt like they were being sold a bill of goods. And to an extent they were. We were all told how much more detail there would be on these new models, and on some I agree, but on others I just don't see it. So if you, like me, saw one of these models where "I don't see a difference" and stopped there, you would think Finecast was a gimmick. But if you take the time to look at each model you can, you will see some differences. Case in point, this fellow, I own this model in metal and in Finecast, and I can tell you the runes on the top of his staff are much cleaner and more defined in the Finecast model.
Now there have been some complaints about miscasts and melting. I left said skaven model in the car under direct light on a black dashboard for 3 days with a mean temperature of about 95 degrees (Farenhiet)just to test this issue. Result: a slight, and I mean slight, warping of the staff. Now if you are having more issues than that, I would re-examine how you take care of your models. About miscasts, they happen. They happened in metal, they happen in plastic. There isn't a company out there in the industry that doesn't have them. To those that have issue with it, get a new hobby.
Next question, is GW overpriced? Depends on your definition of overpriced. For the detail and number of models they produce I think they are generally fair priced. And by the way this comment comes from a player who would love to play Sisters of Battle but doesn't based on cost. So who does it better and/or cheaper? Mantic sure does it cheaper, but can anyone truly say that these models are better then these ones. How about Avatars of War? They certainly have the quality, and these Slayers are dead sexy. But how many delays did they have? And that was one unit! GW has 1 or more releases a MONTH! I mean really?!? When AOW has a second release come talk to me about how they compete. As for the game itself, I don't know anyone that does it on the scale GW does and with as much support, but I must admit I am not that versed, so if someone out there can educate me I'd love to hear it.
I saved the evil empire for last. Here is where I divulge some personal information. I used to work for GW. Not in any major capacity, and I didn't leave of my own volition, but it was my doing. Even after my departure, I would still go into my old store and support the community. Then 2 major things changed, one GW reduced it's staff to one man per store (at least here in the states, I have no idea how they do it else where). And 2, they changed Games Day. Both moves I think that put money over the good of the community.
I will be the first to point out that GW is a business and yes they are out to make money, but when I worked for the company, the GW stores weren't designed to make money so much as grow the community. Our goal was to break even, and develop the relationships that keep people playing. No where in the edicts of our training was the phrase "and make a profit." GW used to believe that if you did the right things and treated people correctly the money would come. I believe that people think GW is returning to it's old ways of the evil empire because GW has lost sight of that. And nothing speaks to this loss of vision more than the one man store and the fact that I couldn't go to Gamesday this year because it was in Chicago. When GD was a multi location thing, everyone could go (kinda). Now 2/3 of the country can't feasibly make the trip.
In the end I think all of the GW negativity stems from this, people don't believe GW cares. And the people that used to reassure the public that GW did care are gone, or atleast 2/3 of them are. That is the real danger. GW makes a wonderful product. If they didn't people wouldn't care. We WANT to buy their product. If we didn't we wouldn't care. We just don't believe that GW isn't trying to take us for all our worth.
To close with an analogy, we are the 65 year old wealthy man, who loves a 25 year old beautiful woman. She tells us she loves us to, but in the back of our mind we wonder... would she love me without the money? So GW needs to sign the prenub, and start rebuilding it's relationship with it's consumer base.
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