As the latest rumors would have it, Games Workshop is apparently taking a new direction in overall product design and marketing strategy. Thanks to The Bolter and Chainsword for this interesting post (who, I should mention, originally took it from Dakka Dakka). New Direction of Games Workshop
A lot of what is said in the post about the new overall design strategy sounds good to me. This is despite the fact that the guy who’s recently been put in charge of this shift in policy, the ‘product and hobby strategist’, is none other than…Jervis Johnson!
Despite the fact that Jervis is in charge, I still feel that this comes as good news. For those who don’t know, Games Workshop is not in the best financial position, having reported losses (again) in this year’s annual report. The old tried and true methods of making short-term financial gains at the expense of long-term game development and new player growth have finally caught up with the company. Whether or not they will reduce the prices of their miniatures remains to be seen, but this sudden shift in policy is definately a change for the better, in my opinion anyway. Many of the overall games development and marketing strategies that put the company in this predicament were instituted by Games Workshop’s business brass higher-ups – most of which are not gamers and do not play Games Workshop games.
But the new head of product strategy and development is Jervis Johnson – who is a gamer and a long-time games developer. Even though it is Jervis Johnson, that is still a lot better than the alternative, which is some business minded guy who knows how to make money in the short term but doesn’t know crap about what it takes to make a good game. I think Honda (that is, a poster on B&C, not the auto manufacturer) put it quite nicely: “As it is, the strategic direction of the company for products is now in the hands of someone who is a long time developer of the game systems he is in charge of, is a gamer, and is capable of providing the guidance needed to make the hobby part attractive again. I think that is a far superior choice from ‘our’ (i.e. the gamers) perspective, than someone who is a ‘turnaround’ specialist, that will make decisions to increase profitability for the sake of profitability, without consideration of what it does to the existing customer base.”
Now I’m not the biggest fan of all of Jervis’s ideas, but the fact that the direction of games development is in the hands of a gamer and not a businessman is good news.
In terms of specific changes, a number of good ones stand out, most significantly the overall standardization of the core rules and the game. To clarify, the core rules and the army books will be written to create balance given a certain set of conditions: standard missions, 1,500 points, standard table size, standard amount of terrain, etc. The old method of having all sorts of ways to play the game, with everything from varying point size, to varying table size, to using cityfight or junglefight rules, or kill-team rules, or campaigns, is more or less going by the wayside. That’s not to say that players won’t be able to do what they want in their games, but it is saying that the consumer has been warned that the game is intended to be played (and is therefore balanced) under a certain set of conditions. This standardization is an important step in the right direction for 40k’s development as a game. It might take away from the hobby, but as a game, it’s better off.
The other significant change is a focus on core armies with army books and a de-emphasis (and outright exile) of sub-list armies that appear in White Dwarf or in sub-codexes (like Craftworld Eldar, Kroot Mercenaries or Ork Speed Freaks). According to Jervis, every current army with a codex (even Dark Eldar!) will not go away, and will be supported by the company on a timely basis indefinately, including new models and new codexes in a timely fashion. Additionally, it means that Games Workshop will be very hesitant to release new armies, as that would mean a committment to support another new army indefinately.
I have to say, as much as I like both of these new changes, I just must take the second one (timely codex releases, etc) with a handful of salt as Games Workshop is notoriously lazy about releasing new/re-done codexes, despite numerous promises to release them sooner in the past. That being said, I feel that this news does in fact signal a policy shift for Games Workshop, and I for one am optimistic about what might come from it.
“The old tried and true methods of making short-term financial gains at the expense of long-term game development and new player growth have finally caught up with the company.”
I’ve never heard how GW has been working worded more clearly. I totally agree that this is a good thing for GW, but it’s unfortunate that it results in another re-release and more stuff to buy. If it sticks, and years down the line they’re with the same (or an upgraded, not re-done/changed) system and it really becomes a hobby rather then something you simply have to replenish every few years, then GW should be in good condition.
It seems to me this strategy is going to cause some serious growing pain and require serious belt tightening, its for the best, though. My only thought is that for this to work the company may lose even MORE money in the short term (3-4 years) as they stop cannibalizing their business and focus on a long term strategy. It will be interresting to see if they have the discipline to stick to the plan, or whether some huge conglomerate will just gobble them up for their intellectual property down the road.
Nice post Sultan. I remember back in high school the group of us laughing and joking about Jervis Johnson, but I honestly cannot remember why. I only have a faint inkling of a memory telling me he wrote and designed the hilarious Chaos Dwarves army. All in all I think GW just needs to suck it up and start frickin advertising so their models won’t need to be outlandishly priced. One positive note that came to my mind is that maybe with all these changes, they’ll bring back Stunties to 40K! Anyone else excited?!?!
I think the reason we joked about Jervis Johnson was because he lost every battle report he took part in – often due to some terribe tactical blunder. MainEvent: you are definately right about the growing pains. Because GW needs to take corrective action NOW, and not years later when its time to clean the slate and start 5th edition, there will be a period of imbalance as the ‘new era’ codexes are released for some armies while other armies which already had codexes done in 4th edition wait around for a redux. This may drive some people away and will undoubtedly cause complaining from many corners, but those gamers who can see the big picture will take it as a good thing. I can only hope that GW sticks to the plan and doesn’t decide to change course a few years in before it has all been completed.
I have been playing GW games back when Space hulk first came out. I was also a true follower of the “boys from the rock” I still have some figures that are painted black, from the time before they went green.Point being, I have stoped playing 40K I can’t stand it any more. At some point GW needs to fininsh the rules. Finish the rules! For good or bad , right or wrong let the players play the game. Evey year it’s new rule this or that, a new codex, even experimental rules. Remember the Experimental assualt rules we all had to use when we went to an RT event, they didn’t even go into 4th edition. GW needs to let the players play the game. A finished Game.
Argamon: I couldn’t. Agree. More.