1/17/2006

This Might Be It

As I've mentioned a time or two before, I'm not mad for the Games Workshop pricing scheme. They charge too much and they know it. Their competitors sell for less and offer comparable quality (and, in some cases, superior). Thing is... if you love the game then you pay the premium, and it's okay. Just make peace with it.

I've recently read, however, that another (yes another) price hike is on the way in March from Games Workshop. Paints are theoretically going to be more expensive, as are tank boxes, etc. I'm not positive how much, but it's sounding like $10 per tank box and somewhere around $0.25 per paint pot. Something like that.

I don't know enough about it yet to know if it's all just baloney or if there's something to it. In fact, I am posting this now because just considering a price hike as a concept is easier if I'm not sure yet. So I'm sharing my thoughts before this solidifies.

My thoughts are this: It's silly when people threaten boycotts of manufacturers of gaming materials, or if they say "That's it! I'll show them: I'll quit!". No one cares. Certainly no dent is going to be made in the GW psyche if a bunch of people leave the hobby because of the prices. It just makes you look like a silly drama queen when you stand up on your soap box and exclaim "I'll show you, GW! I'll QUIT!!"

Having said that... if the prices really do go up, that might be it for me. It could provide me with a realistic, logical exit point from this hobby once and for all. When I consider all the things I could do with the money I've spent on Warhammer, it doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

I guess we'll see in March.

7 comments:

AbuShaitahn said...

Regardless of the prices, I'll probably stick with it though my brother has quit due to the prices. He's still playing the game but using Confrontation models to build up his Fantasy armies. What I have a bigger problem with is the price and product availability disrepancy between Canada and the US. The fact that bitz orders are somewhat cheaper if done through the US is sad when the hobby almost demands conversions and thus bitz orders. As an example the Legion of the damned backpacks are 2.50USD each or 1.25CDN. Or the special weapon LotD marines are 7.50USD yet 14.00CDN. Or for something even less intelligent, a one piece model such as Kruellagh is 18CDN in the blister or 26CDN if you bitz order the same one piece of pewter. One really has to wonder if they are using dice to determine their pricing...
Now I have not quit the hobby but I am at the point where I look at other lines first when I need/want bitz. GW has by far the best multi part plastic kits I've ever seen (though I prefer the fantasy ones for their pletora of extra bitz on the sprues) but I may be forced to not quit but redirect my hobby to another game if their prices continue to rise.

AbuShaitahn said...

But when you have a conversion idea, you don't always want to wait until you can find one cheap... could be a while.

I feel like I'm talking with myself... My name is Keith too!

Cheers!

Chantilly Layce said...

Given the increased costs in energy and materials, a price hike is inevitable. Sad, but true. For me, it's now obvious that this hobby is something I'm not interested in putting any more money into. Sure, I'll play with the mini's I have -- but I won't buy anything more from GW since my view is that GW hobby products are a rapidly diminishing value for my hard-earned money.

Unknown said...

Yeah, I've been playing this for nearly 15 years, but another hike, especially of the magnitude we're talking, will make me think twice before buying anything new. I mean, there already was a 15% one 2 years ago, what could possibly warrant another one so soon??

Especially when competition has really stepped up - I don't play confrontation yet, but I know people who do and the quality of their game is easily similar to GW, and their models may even have an edge over citadel's ones - in my humble eyes anyway.

The Black Knight said...

The thing that I never understand about people who are established saying "that's it I quit!" is that once you have an army you don't HAVE to buy anything else! Sure realisticaly you want to get some new things when they get released, but it's a simple matter of curving your spending a bit. Maybe it'll take an extra month to buy what you would have the year before, but it shouldn't be the point where you sell of all of your stuff and take up macromay. I hadn't heard anything about a price increase, but whether it's now or a year from now or a decade from now (unlikely) there will be annother price increase at some point. That's a fact of life.

carmachu said...

Price is no reason to stop. Just get the models second hand, ebay or bartertown. I havent bought anything in years.

It just requires time.

mace said...

25% Increase in the cost of Tanks? No more buying from GW for me.

That said, Ebay is a good alternateive depending on which army you play.

Judging by the price hike being mentioned from different sources, and apparently being mentioned in next months UK WD.. I guess this one's for real (unfortunately) =S

If it filters down to those of us who aren't in the UK.. it's gonna hit Aussies hard. The old price would still be cheaper than the equivalent new price of Tanks.. so basically regardless of price hikes, we're paying a lot more than everyone else.. :(

.mace (came across this post from technorati :P)