Ah, here we are again. The yearly price increase right on time; like clockwork. By now you've probably heard about the news coming out from GW as of late. Tales of price increases. Stories of embargoes being put in place. And a dance number on new resin molds for the exact same product of metal molds being more expensive. All of this bad news hitting at once, I have to question what's going on up there in GW-Land. Anywho, I'm not going to get a big rant here going when others have already done just that, and with far less cursing than I enjoy using myself. So here's the deal, we at MWC think it's very important to get the word out on this nonsense GW is trying to start, so below are several links to help out the cause and spread awareness.
Price Increases
HexL0rd at WMAGW's Solution
Porky's Informative Post w/ Video (long)
The Vanus Temple's Deal Before Price Increases Hit
Dave at Gone To Ground's Solutions
Dave at Commissar Dave Praetorians IV Coy's Viewpoint
Lo at House of Paincake's Viewpoint As A Store Owner
gdmnw's Comments And Questions On The Price Increases And Finecast
DFK! at The Emporer's Codex's Post
Porky's Informative Post w/ Video (long)
The Vanus Temple's Deal Before Price Increases Hit
Dave at Gone To Ground's Solutions
Dave at Commissar Dave Praetorians IV Coy's Viewpoint
Lo at House of Paincake's Viewpoint As A Store Owner
gdmnw's Comments And Questions On The Price Increases And Finecast
DFK! at The Emporer's Codex's Post
The Embargo
AU/NZ Petition On Facebook
Drkmorals at The Emporer's Codex Talks About It All
Wargaming Tradecraft Talks About It All
Red at First Blood's Post
Drkmorals at The Emporer's Codex Talks About It All
Wargaming Tradecraft Talks About It All
Red at First Blood's Post
Links To Our Reviews Of GW Alternatives
(Support Those Stores Who Care)
Tabletop Fix <-Daily Updates On GW Alternatives
Paulson Games (Bio-Terror)
Ramshackle Games (Boring Machine & Iron Grumbler)
Paulson Games (Bio-Terror)
Ramshackle Games (Boring Machine & Iron Grumbler)
Responses From GW
The MWC team here takes this situation seriously and want to do all we can to help out the community. As more news comes in we'll be updating MWC and this post to keep the info flowing. In addition, we would like you all to comment below links you feel should be included.
Australia and New Zealand have gone through overpaying for a long while, but things for them are going to take a large leap from bad to horrible. As for the rest of us, it's price increases on models we were promised price decreases on. I find myself asking, how long before the rest of us go the way of Australia with GW? Support your fellow man, support the game, support your gaming community.
Australia and New Zealand have gone through overpaying for a long while, but things for them are going to take a large leap from bad to horrible. As for the rest of us, it's price increases on models we were promised price decreases on. I find myself asking, how long before the rest of us go the way of Australia with GW? Support your fellow man, support the game, support your gaming community.
If you just got chills, that's normal. I have that effect on people.
Hi All,
I can confirm that I have a meeting with the head of GW Retail Australia booked in for Tuesday 31st May! It is amazing what some people power can do!! However, this is just a start. Hopefully some reasonable change will come out of this and perhaps some possible future meetings.
I am keen that this is not just a one man band of me making all decisions etc (and essentially acting like GW have been to us!). So please keep posting up suggestions, points of view and specific complaints as long as they are helpful and directed toward our aim of getting GW to drop their prices to a reasonable level, not GW hating/bashing/personal attacks.
Thanks for all your support of something I only started on Sunday not really knowing how big it would get.
Cheers!
James
UPDATE 05/19/2011
Post from James Sutherland, creator of the AU/NZ Petition Group on Facebook:Hi All,
I can confirm that I have a meeting with the head of GW Retail Australia booked in for Tuesday 31st May! It is amazing what some people power can do!! However, this is just a start. Hopefully some reasonable change will come out of this and perhaps some possible future meetings.
I am keen that this is not just a one man band of me making all decisions etc (and essentially acting like GW have been to us!). So please keep posting up suggestions, points of view and specific complaints as long as they are helpful and directed toward our aim of getting GW to drop their prices to a reasonable level, not GW hating/bashing/personal attacks.
Thanks for all your support of something I only started on Sunday not really knowing how big it would get.
Cheers!
James
UPDATE 05/19/2011
It's with a sense of caution I'd like to present the following post to everyone from SandWyrm of The Back 40k. This post holds a lot of power to wield, but as the Spider-Man comics have told; With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility. Please read this post in its entirety and follow the suggestions given to us all by SandWyrm. We aren't going to win anything if we go about things sloppily. Good luck to us all.UPDATE 05/22/2011
Response to GW from Wayland Games:Hi Everyone,
Before we start, if you'd allow me to present a little background about Wayland before we get into the meat of the issue I'd be grateful.
We laid out our little web store back in August 2008, our beginnings were humble, with my brother and I packing orders in a spare room. It wasn't ideal but it was what we had to start with and we grew and grew through the continued business of our loyal customers through four warehouses to our current location. In thirty three months we have gone from a spare room in Essex, UK with my brother and I packing boxes to a global operation with fourteen full time staff which is now positioned as one of the largest if not the largest independent hobby retailer in the world. We run our business today as we always have done, in a professional and ethical manner both within the letter and the spirit of the law. Almost all suppliers like us, customers enjoy our openness and service-oriented outlook and whilst we're realistic enough to know we're not by any means perfect we will always strive to improve to ensure our central tenet of great prices and better service.
Managing such growth has been far from simple; we have experienced growing pains like any business in any sector that has exploded in market share terms. Our growing pains have also been more painful as we continually seek to adjust to a shifting commercial landscape from our dominant supplier, Games Workshop. Like many of you, I believe that Games Workshop produce a fantastic product which gives endless joy to countless people. I am proud to be associated with them. Unsurprisingly, therefore, I read with real concern the statement by the CEO Mark Wells over the new trade terms which effectively prevents us selling Games Workshop supplied products outside Europe. Mark’s statement can be found here
Mark seems to be clearly of the view that on-line retailers ( and we are not purely that, of course given our bricks and mortar presence) “free ride” on the back of Games Workshop’s bricks and mortar outlets. We have sought over the years, and I thought with some success and recognition, to demonstrate to Games Workshop the value that we provide not just in terms of sales but also in terms of pre and after sales service (not to mention our activities at trade fairs), which is clearly equivalent to the service that is provided on the “ground” by bricks and mortar outlets. Quite aside from the legality of Games Workshop’s actions, we are confused by the commercial attitude of Games Workshop which hampers our ability to sell to hobbyists to the clear disadvantage of both Games Workshop (albeit maybe not their retail arm) and the hobbyists themselves.
I will not air anyone’s dirty laundry in public. Therefore, I am writing to Games Workshop separately (its board, lawyers and their principal shareholders) to share my concerns in greater depth. I hope that commercial common sense will prevail and that we can continue to work with Games Workshop to expand their market and bring a great product to as many people as possible at the best price possible. After all, Games Workshop not only has a clear responsibility to the market but also a clear responsibility to its shareholders (which, after all, could be you and me!).
In the meantime, we believe after the announced terms are implemented we shall be able to continue to offer all of our loyal customers the same product range that we offer today. There may be a small lead time to implement but we've been given a rather short period to react. We will comply fully and completely with the new terms and conditions of sale imposed upon us and will not contravene them in any capacity whatsoever (albeit we would not wish that to be seen as acceptance of their legality), all we seek to achieve is that customers both old and new are able to benefit from our view of the market wherever they are located. We all love our hobby.
Over the next few weeks we'll be providing updates as to how the process of implementing these changes is coming along, the chances are we'll use Facebook to disseminate this information as it is a great platform for customers to interact with us and each other.
We look forward to continue to serve you and we always will.
Keep on Wargaming.
Richard.
Wayland Games
Before we start, if you'd allow me to present a little background about Wayland before we get into the meat of the issue I'd be grateful.
We laid out our little web store back in August 2008, our beginnings were humble, with my brother and I packing orders in a spare room. It wasn't ideal but it was what we had to start with and we grew and grew through the continued business of our loyal customers through four warehouses to our current location. In thirty three months we have gone from a spare room in Essex, UK with my brother and I packing boxes to a global operation with fourteen full time staff which is now positioned as one of the largest if not the largest independent hobby retailer in the world. We run our business today as we always have done, in a professional and ethical manner both within the letter and the spirit of the law. Almost all suppliers like us, customers enjoy our openness and service-oriented outlook and whilst we're realistic enough to know we're not by any means perfect we will always strive to improve to ensure our central tenet of great prices and better service.
Managing such growth has been far from simple; we have experienced growing pains like any business in any sector that has exploded in market share terms. Our growing pains have also been more painful as we continually seek to adjust to a shifting commercial landscape from our dominant supplier, Games Workshop. Like many of you, I believe that Games Workshop produce a fantastic product which gives endless joy to countless people. I am proud to be associated with them. Unsurprisingly, therefore, I read with real concern the statement by the CEO Mark Wells over the new trade terms which effectively prevents us selling Games Workshop supplied products outside Europe. Mark’s statement can be found here
Mark seems to be clearly of the view that on-line retailers ( and we are not purely that, of course given our bricks and mortar presence) “free ride” on the back of Games Workshop’s bricks and mortar outlets. We have sought over the years, and I thought with some success and recognition, to demonstrate to Games Workshop the value that we provide not just in terms of sales but also in terms of pre and after sales service (not to mention our activities at trade fairs), which is clearly equivalent to the service that is provided on the “ground” by bricks and mortar outlets. Quite aside from the legality of Games Workshop’s actions, we are confused by the commercial attitude of Games Workshop which hampers our ability to sell to hobbyists to the clear disadvantage of both Games Workshop (albeit maybe not their retail arm) and the hobbyists themselves.
I will not air anyone’s dirty laundry in public. Therefore, I am writing to Games Workshop separately (its board, lawyers and their principal shareholders) to share my concerns in greater depth. I hope that commercial common sense will prevail and that we can continue to work with Games Workshop to expand their market and bring a great product to as many people as possible at the best price possible. After all, Games Workshop not only has a clear responsibility to the market but also a clear responsibility to its shareholders (which, after all, could be you and me!).
In the meantime, we believe after the announced terms are implemented we shall be able to continue to offer all of our loyal customers the same product range that we offer today. There may be a small lead time to implement but we've been given a rather short period to react. We will comply fully and completely with the new terms and conditions of sale imposed upon us and will not contravene them in any capacity whatsoever (albeit we would not wish that to be seen as acceptance of their legality), all we seek to achieve is that customers both old and new are able to benefit from our view of the market wherever they are located. We all love our hobby.
Over the next few weeks we'll be providing updates as to how the process of implementing these changes is coming along, the chances are we'll use Facebook to disseminate this information as it is a great platform for customers to interact with us and each other.
We look forward to continue to serve you and we always will.
Keep on Wargaming.
Richard.
Wayland Games
UPDATE 06/03/2011
A well thought out video open letter to GW from the owner of Miniwargaming:
GW has really gone off the edge this time. Between the embargo and the price hike, I'm not sure anybody is gunna be able to afford to play Warhammer.
ReplyDeleteGood news for PP and the other indies. But GW is gunna lose on this one.
Thanks for going to the trouble of collecting all this!
ReplyDeleteFor me in Australia, $110 for a Storm Raven, $103 for a Land Raider and $62 for a Tactical Squad may finally spell the end of a 25 year relationship with GW. I know for sure I won't be buying anywhere near what I use to and will now turn to alternatives so that I and my two sons can continue to enjoy what has become a family hobby.
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad the world has bucked and GW has actually had to take notice, the power of the modern world with blogs and social sites is wonderful when it can pool together like this.
ReplyDeleteWhether they act or not is another thing, but I hope some justice is done as I can't really justify the Australian RRP for the GW products.
Tordeck is pretty right...the idea is that they get more direct money, but they still get plenty of cash through retailers.
ReplyDeleteThis scares the hell out of me for GoM
Hi found this place of the facebook page really love what you do here !
ReplyDeleteThanks, Black Bob Craufurd. We're just trying to help those out who are unhappy with what GW has decided and those who won't be able to afford the models they want anymore.
ReplyDeletePeople are going to make a lot of different decisions at this juncture, but whatever their choice we wish to help.
Frends...
ReplyDeleteGW speacks only one language, if you want to do anythink...
DONT buy Worldwide for 1 or 2 Month, and do this until he gives in.
Myself play, paint and collect GW Produkts last 20 Jears, but after last 2 Jears, i dont buy any new Cast because the Price Politic!
It is not new, he do it last Jears and we have done..right nothing!
My personal decision is to buy nothing new, all what i need i can buy from Frend ho logged out from 40K and buy the Stuff times bevor.
I try to support and buy from sellers like Microart, Scibor, Avatar of War and it will be more if demand increasess.
THX
And that's the stance I plan to take myself, Furijozo. Thanks for the input.
ReplyDelete