Games Day Rumors

Greetings, my most excellent painters!

Many of you have probably heard it already... 

The future of Games Day and Golden Demon events is currently more than uncertain. Just in the year we wanted to go to ALL of them for the first time :( This is a summary of all of the rumors I found on the web.

If you haven't heard, here a short summary of the current rumors - there are a lot of rumors out, so what is true and what not still remains to be seen: 

No more demons around the globe?

• It appears certain that their will be no Games Day France
• Games Day Spain should have been announced by now, but it has not
• Games Day Germany's venue in Cologne has not been booked by GW yet (needs to be booked a year ahead) and there is talk of either moving to another venue or not having a Games Day at all...
• UK and US are said to be still 
• Italy, Japan and Australia? I have not heard anything yet

At first, I could not believe it. To think that after decades of Games Days, Games Workshop even considers dropping these events - especially since they finally are writing solid profits again - defies my natural sense of business logic. 

Money is the root of all evil

The only reason I can see is money - unfortunately not surprising. But knowing that, for example, even though you have to pay 30€ to even get in, thousands of crazed hobbyists gather in Cologne every year to celebrate their nerdieness and their hobby. And they don't go there so they can shop GW minis - they cost the same as in every store and of course more than on the internet. 

Most people visit the Games Days for the Golden Demon Competition. Seeing the beautifully and skillfully crafted works of art inspires everyone from 7 years to 99 years of age. Painting miniatures - this is what is at the core of it all is at stake - and nothing less than this. 

Pre-GD-Dinner Cologne 2012

International Community & Friendships

Maybe GW does not realize this, but their events have turned into a platform for nerds from across the globe to create the biggest small community there is. And we stick together like superglue. I have met so many incredibly hoopy people at these events and I would just simply miss it. Of course, we would find other ways and other events to meet, but meeting at a Games Day with a mix of comradery and competition was just awesome. 

Pre-GD-Dinner UK. Small but great :) 

Hundreds of people schedule vacations around these events and look forward to the next one the moment the current one is over. Last year in Cologne, we met with around 100 people from all over the world to our 'pre GD Dinner' one of my personal highlights of 2012. Same happened at GD France, GD UK,...

Shutting down Games Days is not to be taken lightly. The image and reputation of Games Workshop will definitely take a serious hit if that happens. Personally I am just saddened by all these rumors, because for me all of this makes little sense both from a marketing and operational point of view. But worse than that, I already hear a LOT of angry voices out there that claim to no longer buy GW products if this should be true. Well, with emotions running high all of this must be taken with a grain of salt, but in my experience having customers being angry at a company is often times, well, ... not so good.

I love GW, always have, always will. And I will continue to buy their products. But as a whole I fear that GW will become a little less attractive to many people out there, which in turn will hurt GW. And that hurts me. 

Forgeworld

3h in line for 2 Angrons. And those I gave away to you!
Eurodisney-style crowd control for nerds :DOppa Presman Style

If there is one company I even love more than GW, then it must be Forgeworld. Awesome guys, with awesome product. 

In my mind, one of the biggest losers in all of this could be Forgeworld. 

If you ever visited a Games Day event, you know that from opening to closing of the event the Forgeworld line was always the longest. Why is that? Well, most people cannot afford to order stuff for 250 pounds (or pay 10% (!!!!) shipping fee) per shot. So hundreds and thousands of people are on a pilgrimage to the Games Day Events so they can buy their favorite items from Forgeworld directly. 

Even Angron is angry...

IF all of the rumors are true, then I think Forgeworld needs to revisit their S&H policies. Otherwise I fear they will sell less. Their 'visibility' and 'exposure' in the market is defined by two things: Showing their awesome designs at Games Days and - much more importantly - being able to admire the work of some of the best painters in the world use their miniatures. 

I have been guilty of buying literally hundreds (sigh) of FW miniatures because some GD project has inspired me. Of course, they are all safely stowed away in many a box, but you know what I mean. 

So, what if it is true

Well, if it is true, than I will add this experience to the stack of similar 'I am mindboggled beyond reason' experiences. If push comes to shove, there could be as little as four Games Day Events in the world. Maybe even just two or three.

Quo Vadis, GW? Hope you have a cover save...

Cancelling GD UK won't happen, or I will eat all of my FW miniatures. 

Cancelling GD US seems like a similarly silly suicide move as well. 

Cancelling GD Japan - well, with a hand full of stores and extremely high prices in Japan I am not sure if that is the one market/GD I would keep - but for personal reasons, I hope Japan will have a GD this year, for I long to return to the country I miss so much.

GD Australia: Doubt it will be cancelled, them 'roos are gonna punch everyone who tries. 

So that leaves France, Spain, Italy and Germany. So let's say except for UK everything gets cancelled. I doubt that everyone will fly to Birmingham to get their dose of dorkness. I will, but then again, I always have. 

So what do YOU think?

What do you think? 

Which events did you use to go to? 

How would a decision by GW to cancel events  impact you and your relationship with GW? 

Do you think this makes sense? 

Do you care?

Leave a comment below and WIN a THIRD copy of the Limited Dark Angels Codex from Games Workshop. Winners will be drawn on April 1st, fools! There are two more chances to win a codex, namely here and here. 

Please be as civil as you can :D