Reply To: GW: Why do they do it?

[captainventanusParticipant 4936xp 1]

GW’s business culture is conservative averse to taking major risks, making sure there is a continuous pipeline of releases and making sure they are globally at the same time. They clearly had production and storage issues well before the pandemic made issues worse. I wouldn’t think they are going out of their way to use FOMO as a tool to drive first-day sales that is counterproductive in the long-term.  When something sells out in hours or minutes its fair to say that demand was underestimated and in some cases obviously so. They though seem to want/need to value limited production on some items above all else perhaps because of the long-term planning, distribution and storage limitations.

They have been vigorous in purging the catalogue of older and less well selling items. That in turn allows them to put out new stuff too. Removing reasonably core components of a game like for Aeronautica or Necromunda is hardly helpful to their growth. Taking away core small bits from the 30k line which can’t have been major logistical burdens is what got me the most.

All that being said about GW from personal experience, as annoying as missing the odd item has been, I don’t see them as the worst or even a bad company in this regard.

FFG – as others have said the of components for the core SW games has been patchy for years now and only getting worse. I’ve given up trying to play Legion as whenever I wanted a new unit in the past few year its been hard to track down if not impossible. I don’t need the things delivered the next day. Waiting more than 6 months starts to push things.

CMON/ASOIAF – as far as European distribution goes forget it, new units come out maybe 6-12 months late. Getting older units is tricky at times.

PSC – Mortem et Gloriam. Where I currently am in the 9 months its been out I haven’t even been able to get a core box. All my usual stores are supplied with a couple randomly every few months that sell out immediately. And its not ‘just’ a Brexit issue either. Fundamentally the availability of the products is patchy at best. That’s not going to get new people into the game. I’d put TTCombat in the same boat here as the availability of DFC/DZC bits has been patchy years after the actual takeover.

Warlord – pumps out a new game and after the hype recedes leaves ranges half finished. And we went through a patch of beta-testing rule books.

These are just examples of companies, intentionally or unintentionally, putting up barriers that have prevented me for getting into those games more. So I don’t just see it as a GW issue.