Securing The Future Of OnTableTop [Radio Show Discussion Added]
October 13, 2020 by warzan
Click Here For The Recorded Cult Radio Discussion (Warning: Strong Language)
2020 didn’t quite turn out to be the year we had all been expecting, did it? It has been a year that would stretch the innovation and resources of any small business. Like many, we have seen aspects of our organisation surge in growth and other aspects slow down.
The last six months have been an eye-opener for myself and Lloyd as business owners as we look at the possible lay of the land including its risks and more importantly its opportunities.
Over the last few weeks, we have been in close contact with the management team at Wayland Games Ltd. and have as of yesterday reached an agreement to sell OnTableTop and merge it into the much larger organisation.
During this process, we have met some wonderful and caring folk within Wayland’s management who share our passion for innovation, community and just trying to get better at what we do!
As we worked with them it became clear that we all had an opportunity to bring the best of what we have together and really do some great things in the gaming industry. Wayland Games have become an absolute powerhouse over recent years and have stepped in with resources, infrastructure and scale to allow us to take the platforms we have been developing to the next level. Ultimately, they have also provided our gaming communities with the best tools, content and community platforms we can create.
By joining this larger family we are being given the opportunity to create all manner of things to help improve your gaming lives and provide even more fun and innovative opportunities for amazing companies and game designers we work with.
I’ll be honest. Lloyd and I have some mixed emotions about the whole thing. We have worked our little socks off to build and grow this platform, and packaging up that ten-year labour of love to a new owner does leave a little lump in the throat.
However, both Lloyd and I have a 360-degree view of the business, the industry and its community. We see the infrastructure required, the industry trends and the opportunities appearing plus the costs and risks involved in attempting to seize those opportunities.
This then was an opportunity we decided to seize. It not only secures the long term future of the platform and community but the opportunity to bring forward some of the exciting projects and ideas that we have been sitting on was irresistible!
Going forward there will be a relatively short period of integration where we can capitalise on the significant and well-oiled infrastructure the team at Wayland has built. This will heavily free up the time of myself and other key team members, to turn our sights to the future.
So yes, Lloyd myself and the team are all sticking around and will continue to be completely involved. Securing the future of our team and community during these troubled times was a decision we did not take lightly and we are looking forward to the journey ahead with you guys and gals!
This is another milestone in the "Beasts Of War" project. Many of you have been on this journey from the start, and we look forward to many more years with you both online and at events all over the world.
Join Us For A Discussion On The Future
I (Warren) will be hosting a live "Town Hall" in the Discord Server during the Live Cult Radio Show (8pm BST Wednesday 14th October) to chat about all of this and answer any questions I can. You are all very welcome to tune into that or even call in to ask questions.
Click Here For The Recorded Cult Radio Discussion (Warning: Strong Language)
Join Us On Discord
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I’m sure we will talk about the last time we tried this and what has changed since then!
OK, folks, onwards and upwards!
Here we go, here we go. I can only offer my best in your future venture. I am very pleased you are keeping the shop open, it is as close to the yoyo as they will alow you. Please stay in the land of the leprechauns it did not go well last time ( you got kicked out of England.
Don’t let anyone buy your depth. Good luck, I will be listing tomprrow.
Sad news. I have had fantastic customer service from the OTT store. Wayland is a site I go to only to browse the many things they don’t have in stock. Will the OTT store remain separate from Wayland? Won’t bother if it is integrated in to their store.
I hope this works out and secures your future output of great content.
Change always bring uncertainty, and I’m feeling naturally wary. However, it sounds like this is a good decision to bring more resilience at a very challenging time for businesses, and it should allow the team to focus more on the areas that they actively enjoy whilst palming off the unwanted responsibilities onto others. I’m optimistic in hoping that should translate into better content if the core essence of what you are about is retained.
Don’t you lot think your escaping that easy lol I sign on for the crack as much as I do the gaming. I’m hoping all the team we know and have gotten used to these many years continues well into the wayland future.
I know covid has been a bad spanner in many businesses plans however as someone shielding you have kept me sane and occupied I’d hate to see you go or slow down.
On a positive note though reading the comments a mainland venue for boot camps is very appealing.
Whatever the future brings though I wish you and all the team the best for you and your families.
Well it is a part of life that things change and in the current economic climate no one can fault you lads for making such a choice (certainly none of us who don’t know the ins and out of your business and how hard/easy it was to make ends meet and move the business forward). I just want to wish you guys all the best with this move; I do hope it pans out for you not least because you smelly lot deserve it! 🙂
Never an easy choice when it envolves your baby ,but you either sink or swim ,and I’m sure you’ve chosen wisely…..can’t wait for Friday and Sunday…one of the only reason I put the tv on now
Great to hear you have secured the business and the livelihoods of all at OTT but Wayland have an absolutely terrible reputation for customer service and there are lots of tales online of customer dissatisfaction
Let’s hope you guys can show them the way too do things.
Shame you didn’t team up with Mythic or Warlord.
Will always be a BoW or OTT fan and supporter, can’t say the same for Wayland unfortunately and I hope they are going to leave the day to day running of OTT to you guys. I assume it’s going to mean more Wayland adverts on the platform, and possibly in the weekend shows?
It’s you guys that make the OTT brand what it is, and they’d be stupid to change it as they’d lose everything and everyone who loves it. Too many times hasa company taken over a winning formula, changed it and wondered why it has failed.
The main reason for it’s success is the team that’s been built around it, long may you continue
Oh no!!!!!!!! I’ve had heard nothing but bad things about Wayland and the one dealing I had with them was dire….. I really hope this works out for you guys….. Maybe Gerry won’t have to wait nine months for his next order from them now though 🤪😂
is that likely… I don’t think so 🙂
Sorry to hear this news guys. I do hope this change will be positive for you and OTT site will keep on going and delivering great content. That was definitely one of the positive sides of 2020!
From the filing history it looks like, since yesterday, Richard from Wayland Games is sole director of the company. Hope you still retain some grip on OTT site future / strategy. All best.
As a member of this community, I hope that this merger allows both companies to grow and become greater than the sum of their parts. I’ve enjoyed the journey so far and this will just be another step along the way to wherever the destination is, so I look forward to seeing what it brings. (I’m hoping even more great content 🙂 ).
As owners of the business, I hope that this was not too tough a decision to take. It would be sad to think that this was forced on you due to the wider circumstances. I also hope that the rest of the OTT team are well. Given the year that we have all had, changes and worries at work can just add to the pressures of life. Make sure you all take time to discuss the impacts this might have on each of you and ensure that the whole team moves forward together.
But good luck with the merger and the immediate plans to bring the two companies closer. I’m looking forward to seeing what this brings.
Hopefully you both got paid, you deserve it. You’ve worked harder than most, sacrificed a lot, and have earned the right to reap the benefits. Most of all I really hope this deal does that for you personally.
You don’t owe anyone anything but I for one hope the personalities we know and love will stick around. Because that’s where the value in the business is for me. If not, it’s been a good run and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Wow will defiantly be tuning in this Wednesday to hear the low down guys.
As a long time backstage member and now a cult member, I wish the the whole team at OnTableTop the best always. It has been a rough year, and if it keeps the team together I am all for the merger. I tune in every week to listen to the banter on the hobby we all love, and will continue to support the platform. Looking forward to the future!
As long as all you boys are still around for silly buggers on the weekender. Especially you Warren. For some reason my wife loves your voice ??? I hope this frees up more time and resources for you guys to do more great things….And llyod and Gerry to do a full SAGA battle and report….Dressed as vikings I heard someone suggest..Cheers
At first hearing about the sale from another COG I thought it was a joke.
Decisions like this can and are a very tough thing to make as they don’t only affect the owners but their staff too…..and I know first hand how you guys care about others.
Have followed the platform from BOW to OTT way back before they teamed up with Wayland before.
I know there were some legal issues with GW and you had to part company….I hope this time that both companies grow from this merger and the platform that @warzan and @lloyd have nurtured and cultivated will continue.
We all came for the laughs and have stayed for the coffee and cake.
To all involved we are all rooting for a great future for the GREATEST war game platform! May it continue.
I have made great friends coming to the boot camps that I would otherwise not had the opportunity to make may that continue!
Myself Stewart ( mad Joker ) my better half @caileendeas (Helena) mad female joker from the time we renewed our wedding vows with you guys will keep supporting 100%
Love you guys
@dignity @avernos @lloyd @warzan John
Tom working behind the scenes
All other People not front stage that help the gears turning( you know who you are)
Wow that’s incredible and shocking news. Good luck for the future guys. What does this mean for the shop in Coleraine?
Congratulations guys. Any change will be met by some reservations, but change doesn’t have to be seen negatively. Indeed, this can be viewed as a great opportunity to champion even more the independent company product lines such as Oathsworn, Diehard, Studio Miniatures, etc. (As OTT/BOW successfully do) and this will create a comprehensive portfolio of gaming genres (historical, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, pulp, steampunk, etc.) across various platforms (board, tabletop, RPG, etc.) and resources that can over time rival the juggernaut that is Games Workshop. OTT will be a key CoG in the new order – I’m glad I became a little CoG during the first peak of Covid in order to save my sanity, because all now bodes well…
“If you dare nothing, then when the day is over, nothing is all you will have gained.” (Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book)
Hi mate, do you realy think Wayland will champion games etc that they don’t sell?
I’m hard-pressed to name a game Wayland don’t sell. They are pretty system-agnostic that way. 🙂
Oh indeed
Does this mean the end of front stage and back stage?
No more let’s plays with Gerry and justin? No more let’s play demos like the lardies and other companies?.
dhmmmm,,,,, this must have been hard to choose. I think that it was an opportunity given the circumstances. Who could have predicted 2020 and really the dramatic affects. I can see giving up one’s own hard work to be a part of something else but there will always be some sadness as comes wit change. Not an easy choice and hope it’s the right one, let’s see where we all are in 1 year and afterwards.
Unexpected, but interesting news that seems to bode well for the future of OTT. Fair shout guys
As long as the deal made Warren and Ludwig millionaires I am quite fine with it.
Best of luck Boy/Gals may your future be bright!
Sail up quietly along with all this piratey stuff and then open the hull ports to fire a broadside with the news, you have. Behind the scenes there’s more going on than even gets to us so this makes sense. My heart goes out to everybody out there and I hope that this move will allow you guys to keep keen focus on the content and not worry about the bills.