"Games Workshop to produce WW 2 table top game (20mm)" Topic

Here in the U.S. a lot of indy games stores began thriving precisely because of G.W. products, especially in the 80s. In the college town where I lived at the time, at least three new stores appeared where there had only been one before. All these new stores carried at least a limited stock of GW stuff, and some even expanded into historicals to a degree. By the 90s most comic book and indy game stores jumped on the collectible cardgame market. Of course, there were few official GW stores around at the time. However, I can still go to my local indy game shop in either Berkeley or Oakland and purchase the full range of GW products, as well as a whole host of other game products, without ever having to bother with going to the Metreon Games Workshop Store in downtown San Francisco. The management of the indy stores with whom I do business are always quick to state that were it not for GW games like FoW and the Privateer Press offerings might never had found the niches they did. In fact, one of their chief complaints these days is of "market saturation." If you should step over the RPG sections of their respective stores you'd see what they were on about.

From where I stand, it would seem that GW (and I'm no fan, believe me) really did help the industry, at least as far as the U.S. market was concerned. Had it not been for Games Workshop along with the offerings of the RPG producers, I wonder if my favorite games store would ever have bothered to carry a full range of Artizan design minis for example, as they do now.

In the UK the suspicion (amoung traders I've spoken too) is that GW use independents to gauge the market. If the indy sells enough they open a store, and pull support from the indy. Plus the local indy here says doesn't matter what she orders, she gets what GW want to sell, not what the demand is.

Urban myth Last Hussar.

Retailers only get what they order and GW cannot 'pull the plug' unless the retailer owes them too much money.

One comment: GW won't be able to dominate the 20mm WW2 market like they did the 28mm fantasy market because the WW2 market is supported by model builders, who dwarf wargamers in terms of sales and volume. At least that's my understanding.

Murvihill:

Your quite correct modelers buy huge amounts of 20mm stuff, one reason so much is available. It will insure that price competition remains robust. Many manufactures and a diverse market.

Its one reason BF went with 15mm – a much easier market to control.

This is very good news for gamers.

TomT

Really- better tell that to the traders who tell me it happened to them.

Unless I've missed something, don't GW already sell 28mm WWII and other historical periods under the guise of Warlord Miniatures(I know WL mins are made in Lenton, Notts, not a million miles from GW HQ) and WL are run by John Stallard, one time UK sales something or other for GW. Perhaps its just coincidence (or I'm a bit cynical). Furthermore, the vehicles and figures are priced similarly to GW's.(Check out Bolt Action – Sherman against a GW 40K Leman Russ)
I love the quality of GW figures (I have a 10.000 + point Bretonnian Army to prove it!!) but the price for plastic is astronomical. At least the Perry twins have seen the light, their plastic figures are more realistically priced!!!!

Keep up the rhetoric,we still live in a democratic(ish) society

You wont see it in the stores, but as so many people have commented it will be one of the games that GW supports with out letting it impinge on their core activities. I hape the figues will be of a good standard and as long as they are priced realistiacly all the best to them.

It will surely be an attempt by GW to keep their clientele beyond 14/15 years old by appearing a more mature pursuit (something that can run alongside girls and beer). The drop off around that age in gaming, in the UK at least, is immense (as it is in many pusuits…particularly sport).

I found out today that WH Historicals do A WW1 game. Has there been some confusion maybe? They also do pirates and wild west games.

@Last Hussar … the thread is not targeted at the Warhammer Historicals line (which is now run by Forge World) which does indeed produce rulebooks and no minis. From ancients to pirates, wild west to world war one.

This thread was specifically aimed at Games Workshop being the company that would produce some WWII rules, targeted at the use of 20mm minis.

"Games Workshop" can mean the actual GW company, or it can be broadened to include Forge World, and according to at least one recent post, it can be broadened even further to include a company now run by a former GW employee (Warlord Minis).

To my way of thinking, I believe the brief article in some mag that showed a piccy a brief blurb about the "GW" game was inaccurate. Even the "Specialist Range" of games that GW put out in the past required "some" minis. Take Blood Bowl and Necromunda as examples. They didn't just borrow the minis from their main WFB or 40K lines, they actually sculpted all new minis.

Take the newest incarnation of Space Hulk. Again, they sculpted all new minis for that.

GW (and by that I mean GW, not any offshoots) is in the business to sell minis, and they do that by offering up games that use their minis. But I can't see them getting into the production of WWII stuff.

I could certainly be wrong, and I don't care either way if they do or do not produce WWII minis. But I'd bet money they won't do it. Too much competition in that genre.

Is there any more news on this ? I've got loads of 20mm WW2 that I can't ever see myself using, as I prefer playing other periods and if I play WW2 it's in 1/300 scale. If GW bring out 20mm rules for WW2 I'll probably sell my 20mm stuff on ebay, as the prices should be much better then.

@Wargaming Dad:

Warlord Games are run by ex-GW staffers. As I recall Stallard & Paul Sawyer were let go by GW when they were in a down period. There is no current connection between the companies other than publishing Black Powder which was written by Rick Priestly and (I think) Jervis Johnson.

I'd love to see GW come out with some new 20mm WWII figures. More choice is always a good thing.

Thanks lebooge, I agree more choice can only be a good thing. I wonder what might have been if GW had put as much effort into mainstream w/gaming figures, imagine the WWII multipart plastic figure packs and vehicles that would be available ( for Gaunt's Ghost's read Kelly's Heroes or Saving Pvt Ryan or possibly all the characters from Band of B's (were the British in WWII?….oh well)

Au revoir mes amies

My local indy games store closed down – beacuase they had been selling some GW stuff amongst their products, GW saw there was a market here (despite two GW stores within 10 miles) and proceeded to open up – and, iirc they stopped selling to the local indy store. Of course, nothing can be proven 100%, however, there was no call for a GW store here (I had asked other local stores) until the Indy store proved successful.

"They haven't announced miniatures. And if previous activity from Warhammer Historicals is anything to go on they will be producing rules without accompanying miniatures."

Well maybe its a nice time to do a "take over" of somewhere like Valiant minis, repackage and re-price? £5.00 GBP a sprue seems about right for GW. Or how about a deal with Warlord?

Or maybe they will just realise that they missed the boat when FOW came into being, and what they might be trying to do is a "me-too" strategy, too little too late.

Thinking about it, the Nottingham connection doesnt really mean much. Its the Wargaming capital of the world. Everyone is there in the city of Snott or the East Midlans generally. Caliver have just relocated there, taking minifigs with them, and there are loads of suppliers within 50 miles of Nottingham.

I suspect it's the internet that killed off the stores, not GW (who actually do have a successful chain of retail outlets!) Punters cut out the middle man in return for cheaper prices. In real terms, wargaming has never been cheaper, nor more choice avaiable, all because of the internet.

Seattle gamer- I am aware of what the thread is about- I merely offered the opinion that people may be confused.

GW staff know NOTHING about this game- I've asked in 3 different shops since this thread started.

any updates on this?

the new wargames illustrated says its been renamed panzer krieg normandy and the author is warwick kinrade …. they were playtesting them at the derby show in oct 2010 .

Hey, I know Warwick.

They might be OK if's he's involved …

I had a chat with Warwick at Derby – the rules are armour centred, 1:1. Since I like higher level, combined-arms and 10mm, they don't look like my kind of thing.

Waste of time – GW are only really interested in 40K & Warhammer Fantasy – that's what brings home the bacon!