Well Matt I do contest it is good business for a simple fact: Their machines are still casting out at 100 % but only (lets say) 85 % gets sold. So you just overproduced, wasted time, energy and put mileage on your casting machine that does not earn you the profit you calculated into that machines' investment.

Highly inefficient for people that are supposed to be the top of the industry.... A real strategist would not worry about anything but how to actually sell EVERYTHING those machnines can churn out.

Then it is also quite a PR goof. Stating that your sales are unrelated to price and your own figures proove otherwise.

I totally concur with you about business, but I have learned (also the hard way) that a bit more, shall we say, ethical behaviour, is better for the industry AND even more for you. Stupid example from the computer industry. Why did Bill Gates lend 150 Millions to Apple. He should have been happy when they go bust. Well think of Bill what you want but he knew that if Apple goes bust the industry will suffer. GW does not realise that most of their doing is hurting the industry and hurts themselves in the long run.

A bit more stakeholder orientation (shareholders are just one sort of stakeholders really) would do them well. I may not be an orator but usually my advice concerning strategy and finance is not the worst to follow.

New Tau Release sees an XV 104 Riptide Battlesuit. 


"Riptide" was a series in the 80s whose rights now lie with Sony. Core point is that the actors in this series, like the Riptide  Miniature from GW were acting where they were needed most. 

Casual email to Sony to enforce an eventual copyright sent yesterday by some gamers I know, today by me. 


Those who sit in the glass house better not throw stones...sometimes they bounce back. 

Last news :
They forbid to their US retailers to do Online sells.

Reminds me of that great classic:

"and now, the end is near, and so face the final curtain..."

Does anyone need Popcorn while waiting with me to see the curtain fall?

I sincerely hope Sony DOES have the rights and DOES enforce some of GWs medicine upon GW. Would be quite humilating I daresay.

But even then I doubt that GW will learn behaviour...or maybe Dave and Leon (among others)  spoiled me too much. 

Well, it's worth taking a bit of time to read through GW's IP Policy on their website.

They're a business like any other (although they talk about 'The Hobby', they long ago abandoned that as anything other than a marketing ploy) and so will act to protect their business.  I guess they can afford to lose a few peripheral customers like me.

In terms of the seemingly aggressive IP lawyers, it actually makes sense for them.  The problem with the various IP laws (trademarks, copyrights, etc.) is that the 'use it or lose it' principle applies.  So every now and then GW needs to pick on a small company to show that they are actively exerting their IP rights.

This 'space marine' thing though seems particularly bizarre, although i suspect they chose it for its promienence and importance to their core IP.

I'm in a dillemma now though as my paints are coming up for a stock replacement...do i stick to my guns or cave in and buy their paint?

You dare! Ask Leon to sell you some Vallejos!. I have a list to find the equivalents you need.
PM me

I know a lot of people swear by Vallejo.

The few i've bought have been thin and disappointing (red and blue for my FPW French). 
Also i hate their pots.

If I refused to purchase from every company that I believed weren't acting ethically I would be hungry and naked.

I'd also be out of a job as I have to do things many would consider unethical on a regular basis.

Never had that problem except one single pot. Vallejos need to be shaken for quite some time so the components mix well. Then shake some more.

I have switched all my colours and inks to them. One exception: Armour Wash from PP.

You could always switch pots. Another idea would be to look at Coat d'Arms which have the "old old old GW range".

Quote from: Matt of Munslow on 20 March 2013, 12:05:32 PM
If I refused to purchase from every company that I believed weren't acting ethically I would be hungry and naked.

I'd also be out of a job as I have to do things many would consider unethical on a regular basis.

Admitted. But as long as I have the choice to buy either from a company that acts like they are human being OR a company whose CEO publicly says he dos not give a fu.. about those 75 % who do NOT buy anything at any price then MY choice is clear.

Should I have no Alternative, my choice is also clear. I will look for another hobby.

Cheers
Roland

also has pendraken not benefited greatly from GW releasing the various warmater variants??? and other companies spin offs like BKC??? (not a rhetorical question I really would be interested to know)

(please note I'm not a GW fanboy, haven't been in a shop for years and only buy their paints (don't like droppers))

Quote from: sebigboss79 on 20 March 2013, 12:08:28 PM
Admitted. But as long as I have the choice to buy either from a company that acts like they are human being OR a company whose CEO publicly says he dos not give a fu.. about those 75 % who do NOT buy anything at any price then MY choice is clear.

Should I have no Alternative, my choice is also clear. I will look for another hobby.

Cheers
Roland

Like.

Morality is doing what's right irrespective of what you're told.

Personally, although i'm politically active, i'm of the opinion that in our current capitalist hegemony, the only actual 'democratic power you have is the excercise of consumer choice.

Don't like Amazon's non-payment of tax and selling of fois gras?  I no longer buy from Amazon.
Don't like Starbucks non-payment of tax?  No more grandemoccachoccadodawhatsit-sludge for me.
Don't like GW bullying SMEs?  No more GW products for me - possibly.
Etc.
Etc.

And as for my corporate life...i guess i'm lucky in that i work in a field upholding people's human rights, so my daily chores are in large part 'ethical'...but then that's as a result of the choices i've made.  I've left jobs/workplaces with ethics i disagreed with (like, funnily enough, GW!)...

Quote from: Matt of Munslow on 20 March 2013, 12:09:53 PM
also has pendraken not benefited greatly from GW releasing the various warmater variants??? and other companies spin offs like BKC??? (not a rhetorical question I really would be interested to know)

Over the years we have done, yes, and as you say, so have a lot of other companies.  Have a look around at any of the shows, and you'll see a whole load of traders who quite possibly wouldn't exist without GW.

When Warmaster first appeared, we got a lot of extra sales coming in, and similarly with WMA/WMM as well.  Once the initial flurry was over though, it slowed considerably, and since they stopped supporting it themselves, our 1000pt Ancient / Medieval packs have been very slow sellers.  So much so, we're considering scrapping them for something else.

Hmm... how about going the other route Leon. Get a decent ruleset to push the sales?

One thing that works for you is that your resource (metal) can take many shapes. Hence the former WMA army suddenly becomes the new Falkland range.

Also Pendraken should invest into flexibility to reduce turnaround time of above exercise. Even now you are surprising all buyers (at least such is my opinion) with a great deal of speed, quality and also depth of the catalogue.

The problem I see with certain ranges is that interest does indeed vary over time. Lets imagine Fantasy will have a comeback so you need to spin up production there. Then after a while it is SciFi so you switch emphasis there. A difficult exercise IF you are lead by the market rather than create your own momentum.

Another thing working for manufacturers like Pendraken is that the age average is much higher so sales should be relatively stable. In my eyes it would be the wrong step to reduce the variety. Admited some core ranges will need to be radily available wheres others can have a longer delivery time - you know your sales much better than I do.

But seriously you should think about rulesets. At start how about getting some WWII sets, Fantasy etc. There is so much out there and surely an in-house project would be doable. Me myself and I have looked at writing my own ruleset (universal) and cover the rest with "armybooks". But it is a long and painful process for one person alone.

But btt: Not only is Leon nice enough not to bully me should I post pics of painted Pendraken figures (or is that because he knows he does not have a stance?  ) no, the attitude at Pendraken is completely different from what you see at the big 3. Hell, even the guys from mantic are angels when compared to the devil himself. And no, Leon also does have sales in mind as this is what gets him and the family fed. It is a different approach and so far those companies do not even have to DO anything. GW forces customers to go elsewhere. Well..I do not complain and I am sure Leon does not either.