You Vex Me, GW

Games Workshop is notorious for making decisions that seem to go directly against their customers' best interests. Price increases, power-creeping codices, and short-sighted policy changes have pushed many gamers out of the hobby, while many more are at the breaking point. There is gobs that could be written about their company, but I saw something today that was positively head-scratching.
Progreen10 on DakkaDakka posted a link to a statement made on the Facebook page for one of GW's brick-and-mortar locations in the UK. You can read the full statement here, but I'm including the interesting bits below (underlining mine).

• "we will be bringing to a close our open gaming. This is great news as it inevitably means that you local store will be hosting fantastic new activites and events designed to give you a whole host of new hobby challenges and our trained staff will be on hand to support you and make sure that you get the most out of this awesome new programme."
• "Finally I wish to allay any fears or rumours some of you may have or have heard. Namely that Games Workshop is "getting rid of its regulars". Please do not be concerned as this is not the case. GW intends to support ALL of their collectors..."
• "I know that some of you may have questions after reading this, please do not post them below - instead please talk to a member of staff."

After watching a few discussions, it's hard to approach this without being cynical. GW, like any large company, is great at spinning a horrible decision ("Great news everyone, get out!". And while this is only a statement that applies to a single store, it isn't the first store to implement this change, and I"m sure it won't be the last.

Open gaming at a "friendly local gaming store" (FLGS) is crucial to players in almost any location. Larger groups often don't have the luxury of meeting at someone's home, so they rely on a store to allow them to game. Others also don't have any way to find fellow gamers outside of those public gaming tables. Not all stores have this, but everyone is grateful for those that do provide a nice location free-of-charge.

As far as I know, GW has always tried to be a focal point for players to play a casual game of 40k (or other GW games) with their buddies. Providing everything someone needs for gaming is almost expected of any decent FLGS, and the official store of the world's most popular miniatures game seems like it should lead the charge in providing such a location. But to only give players a place to part with their money (at full MSRP) seems like an early April Fools prank.

Part of the allure of a FLGS is the atmosphere it creates. If people only want to buy stuff, they can do it online (often for 10-25% cheaper!). But people will pay full price at a retail location because they enjoy the experience. You don't go to the shoe store to hang out with friends for a few hours because the shoe store provides a necessary item that you need to be present to purchase.

However, we're hobbyists. While grabbing an item off the shelf and leaving with it (after paying, I trust) provides a certain excitement, part of that has nothing to do with the exchange of money and acquisition of goods. It's about going to a place where you're allowed to leisurely hang out, then buying stuff to support that store. We don't need to be there to buy the items, and if a FLGS is a cold, mechanical place then it's hardly worth spending the time and money when you could sit at home and get cheaper items a few days later.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this single, slow-growing policy is going to kill GW. Things like putting the most well-known store in Canada out of business can handle that. But it's things like this that tell me Games Workshop is short-sighted and arrogant.

I can't even fathom the reason for this change. There have been a couple serious theories floating about (amongst many sarcastic ones), and here are the ones that make the most sense to me:

• They want to keep a positive image of their product. People grumble about GW all the time, and I can image that a few new players were turned away after talking to players and learning that these cool armies on the table cost each player thousands of dollars across years of price-increases. For someone looking to buy a $80 two-player starter box, that's a painful reality. It also explains why GW doesn't allow comments or ratings on their YouTube videos, or why they explicitly requested that people not ask questions on Facebook, which I take to mean that they will delete any negative comments because "they were warned."
• Gamers are gross. If there's one thing unique to my FLGS, it's the smell. Years of sweaty gamers is pent up in a large room connected to the store, and it lingers. GW works to put out a professional, clean image and an off-putting smell can both create a bad experience and confirm the stereotype that we don't shower. And if you're not a gamer yet, it's unlikely you'll want to start a hobby that will put you around "those people."
• They want to get people in and out as quickly as possible. This one sounded iffy when I first read it, but it got me thinking about what the store experience would be like for the workers. If everyone coming through the store is expected to purchase something, you know how to focus your time. From the customer's view, the store is filled with prompt, helpful people who can answer questions or demo the game (which is about all the tables will be used for). There's no one lingering in the store needlessly because there's nothing to keep them there if they aren't buying.
• They're trying to remind people that 40k isn't a game. That sounds silly, but that basically encompasses GW's vision for their miniatures. Their customers aren't gamers, they're "collectors." The GW store is more like a model train shop than a Gamestop, and they exist to sell supplies to collectors, not give you a place to play a game they only created to appease those who wanted a reason to collect.

The last one seems the most logical to me. Unfortunately, it seems that people don't want to accept it. If Warmachine has taught me anything, it's that miniatures games can be competitive and fair. Since it was my first wargame, I was always so confused when people talked about how imbalanced 40k was. While I understood "power creep," where one army gets more powerful when its new rulebook is released, I didn't realize how much of a difference it could make. After all, Privateer Press releases stuff for armies all the time while still maintaining balance. But GW isn't Privateer Press, or Wyrd, or any other company that exists to sell great models and a great game.

I think that's the least cynical way to look at GW and their policy changes. As I watch various forums discussions involving people who are just so mad at GW but don't do anything about it, I can't help but notice they act like victims more than consumers. I'm not a person who would ever make light of domestic violence, but there are some similarities between those who suffer from "battered person syndrome" and those who stick with GW despite years of bullying.

One of my major reasons behind this theory is that GW collectors cry foul constantly, but they feel like they can't leave the game. Whether it's because GW is also holding on to their friends, or they feel like they have too much invested in it, they just can't quit the game and move on. Some even feel like GW knows exactly what they're doing and will defend their shady practices. But year after year, they know that GW doesn't care about them, yet they still buy in to the game.

And I don't say that to rant. I bought in to GW, realized the hefty investment I'd need to make, and now I'm getting out with no animosity toward GW. They're up front with their business model - no nickel-and-diming to be had, just them charging a price that many of their supporters will pay.

I'm fine selling my Orks at a loss because I'm not going to be frustrated during my free time. I love painting GW models, but I'm a gamer, not a collector. There may be one model I want for my display case, and I'm willing to pay a premium fee to get it. But I'm not paying an unfair amount in order to play a game.

So if GW pushes you to the point where you cry "enough!" then let it be enough. You don't NEED the game, you CAN sell your stuff and move on. Gaming is a luxury, and if you are complaining because of this policy or that price increase, and you know they won't change (and GW won't)... why are you still with them? There are so many games out there designed for gamers, not collectors.

See you tomorrow!