Nanite Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 So, GW posted sizable profits. Also, plastic prices will be hiked in line with metal. *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erion Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Links? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanite Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 Documents here: http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2009/07/29/28638 and the telling quote here: Indeed, with the investment we have made in our state-of-the-art plastic tool making facility in Nottingham and skill of our design and manufacturing teams, the quality of our new plastic miniatures are now superior to their metal counterparts. By charging what these new models are worth, we can continue to invest in further plastic product development and quality improvements across the range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erion Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Ever since the greatswords came out at $41.25 a box, I have been firmly of the opinion that people are not going to pay the same price for plastic models that they have been paying for metals, no matter how nice they are. Metal inherently costs more than plastic, materials wise. Space Wolves will be the tell here. The sprues are supposed to be packed with extra bits, and if they will let me turn regular marine bodies I've got laying aroung into Wolves that look almost as good as models constructed entirely from the sprue, then that's a value add and worth an extra cost. but If all I get is 31 heads that will look silly on normal marine bodies, along with enough parts to make 10 Space Wolves, they've wasted my time and their materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanite Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 Unless GW is being very conservative with their sales estimates, ancedotally I would expect Space Wolves to be a bit of a flop. Not only is it an army with narrow appeal, but the ominous price hikes, and the teeth of The Great Recession may nock sales flat. Planetstrike seems to have generated a lot of interest, but not moving much product, even the apparently rare-Imperial Strongpoint is still on shelves at FLSGs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristof65 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 particularly as other companies start to produce plastics compatible with 40k. If Wargames Factory's Greatcoats finally get out the door, and to the same quality their latest germans and vikings have been, GW may see many IG armies bearing great coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erion Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 That's the beauty (or horror) of supply-chain product allocations (I used to work in warehousing and transportation logistics). GW likely has oodles of those Imperial Strongpoints sitting on shelves in their warehouse, but they've all been accounted for in current and future orders to distributors and retailers and thus people who want one can't get one sent to their own store because nothing is "available", even though physical inventory exists. It got so bad where I worked that we often couldn't ship a specific load because it was waiting for the same product that had been allocated to another shipment a couple of docks away but the other load's outgoing trailer hadn't arrived yet. That, and the days where we were waiting to receive product from another warehouse about 20 miles away for a load that was getting shipped back to that same warehouse were my favorite examples of stupidity ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanite Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 That's the beauty (or horror) of supply-chain product allocations (I used to work in warehousing and transportation logistics). That's probably what happened to the Regimental Advisors pack I ordered that was cancelled by GW. I can't checkout with them in my cart either. Wouldn't be a problem if I could get them from The Warstore or the FLSG, but no, direct only. Jerks. Oh and the "Plastics are just as good" might have more validity if GW wasn't still selling the same horrible Catichans for premium prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars Porsenna Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Ever since the greatswords came out at $41.25 a box, I have been firmly of the opinion that people are not going to pay the same price for plastic models that they have been paying for metals, no matter how nice they are. Metal inherently costs more than plastic, materials wise. Close. While I'm not arguing about the relative costs between metal and plastic, I think a more key problem here is the perception of quality. Fact of the matter is, metal (and something being "heavy") has the perception of being of being of higher quality than lightweight plastics, even if that perception is objectively untrue. While individuals may vary, I think this is true of a whole. Here's an anecdote. In the modelling world, Tamiya has for the past few years been releasing tank kits in 1/48. Clearly this is for both the hobby industry as well as the collector industry. In the latter there is the perception of metal=quality. The models have to have "heft" else they are percieved as toys. Tamiya thus has been using diecast metal hull tubs with a majority of their kits. From the perspective of the hobbyist, this is decidedly, definitely, and without a doubt wrong. Metal has inferior detail, and often compromises the ability to add interiors (the hulls screw together with the uppers!). Although things are changing, the perspective of the hobbyist is that the Tamiya 1/48 kits are not serious models. Thus, I think indeed it is a bad idea, because even IF the plastics are better than the metals, people are unwilling to pay for plastic at metal prices due to the perception of lesser quality. Damon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erion Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I'm not disagreeing. It seems that people are generally of the opinion that plastic models of similar aesthetic quality to metal models should be less expensive, and I think that GW is loading up a nice big bullet with which to shoot themselves in the foot if they think they’re going to get people to pay the same price for plastic models that they would for those models sold as metal. Take, for example, the Exemplar Bastions for Warmachine. Privateer decided to do them in plastic because to create the models in metal would have been prohibitively expensive. A unit of five infantry done in metal would have cost something in the neighborhood of $70-80 retail. The box that now exists in plastic costs $45. A lot of people think that still sounds a bit pricey for plastics, and they're entitled to that opinion (It's actually cheaper than Five GW Plastic Terminators). But I'd rather pay $45 for five plastic models than $70 for five metal models, and I am not at all disappointed with the quality of the box I got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertsjf Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I would expect Space Wolves to be a bit of a flop. Not only is it an army with narrow appeal, What?!? There Space Vikings for the love of god! Who wouldn't want Space Vikings? Blaring The Immigrant song in the background during games? Wagner? c'mon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanite Posted July 30, 2009 Author Share Posted July 30, 2009 I would expect Space Wolves to be a bit of a flop. Not only is it an army with narrow appeal, What?!? There Space Vikings for the love of god! Who wouldn't want Space Vikings? Blaring The Immigrant song in the background during games? Wagner? c'mon! Despite the nomenclature I've never gotten any sort of space-norse vibe from Space Wolves. Space Marine Wearewolves? Yes. But it's all a subjective : ) Oh and can anyone recommend an Imperial space marine chapter that would be likely to ride dinosaurs? Just hypothetical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertsjf Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Oh and can anyone recommend an Imperial space marine chapter that would be likely to ride dinosaurs? Just hypothetical. The, um, Stormlordtroopers? "These aren't the droids you're looking for..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars Porsenna Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Despite the nomenclature I've never gotten any sort of space-norse vibe from Space Wolves. Space Marine Wearewolves? Yes. But it's all a subjective : ) Totally Space vikings, in a cartoon sort of way. Read the novels, it really comes out there... Oh and can anyone recommend an Imperial space marine chapter that would be likely to ride dinosaurs? Just hypothetical. Salamanders. One of the rite of passages is to kill a Salamander. This was the challenge the emperor and Primarch Vulkan participated in together. Possibly some SM tamed a Salamander, and now uses it as a mount... Damon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristof65 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 I think Space Wolves are 'suffering' because they're so overdone. For nearly 20 years now, they've been one of GWs favorites. Back when I was playing 40k 2-3 times a week, 2/3rds of our group (around 12-15 people) were doing either Space Wolves or Dark Angels. I am so sick of hearing about both those chapters - I hear either name and almost literally yawn. Frankly, I think it's time for GW to retire those two chapters to web updates, and bring some of the other chapters into focus. FREX, There were, what, 20 chapters in Roge Trader, and another 16 chapters were introduced in WD, (and later in the WH40k Compendium), most of which they've done very little, if anything with. Fire Hawks? Mantis Warriors? Executioners? Tiger Claws? Marine's Errant? Lamenters? Red Scorpions? Minotaurs? Howling Griffons? Raptor Legion? Fire Angels? Sons of Medusa? In 20 years, what have we seen from any or all of those? Honestly, Fire Angels, Howling Griffons and Tiger Claws sound like awesome chapters to "exploit" and add to the 40k background with. Even the most jaded Space Marine player would probably get excited about a whole chapter based on something "new". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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