tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post8627299929513265037..comments2024-03-28T04:14:41.284-05:00Comments on Miniature Tim: Brand Loyalty...Is It Worth It?Miniature Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17873606899838665652noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-40129635824356601482012-05-25T09:31:35.342-05:002012-05-25T09:31:35.342-05:00HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!! Mind you, I don't know ...HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!! Mind you, I don't know what the exchange rate is, but sonovagun! I know that the prices in Australia are outrageous, anyone who keeps up on the hobby has some knowledge of that, but still.<br /><br />Oh I never said their marketing strategy really makes sense to me, especially in the American market as well, but yes, even moreso now that the prices are driving through the roof. <br /><br />And your last point, while a saddening one, is undeniably true. Though truth-be-told, there are very few tabletop wargames that are as affordable to play for teenagers (and their parents) or new players in general as they were 15, 10 or even 5 years ago. There are ones cheaper than GW, of course, but on such a large scale? Not many :( Especially not with the experience, rich history and story, and quality of sculpts. Few, but not many :(Miniature Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17873606899838665652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-17535614081419696172012-05-24T18:00:24.561-05:002012-05-24T18:00:24.561-05:00Yeah, well Land Raiders are $110 in Australia. Wou...Yeah, well Land Raiders are $110 in Australia. Would I buy one for my son (when he's older)? Sure, but only because I know I could find one online for potentially half the price...<br /><br />I've heard the discussions around GW's target with their marketing strategy, and I'm afraid it's never made much sense to me. Presumably it works, but it seems very strange to unnecessarily exclude your established customers.<br /><br />And as you say, how many new starters are going to look at the ever-increasing prices and decide to jump head-first into the hobby? It's actually easier to accept the steep price when supplementing an existing force than it is to buy a whole army from scratch.<br /><br />And something else I find sad, and which I intend to blog about soon, is the fact that I would no longer willingly introduce people to Warhammer, because of the unforgivable prices. As someone who has enthusiastically pulled numerous people into the hobby in the past, what does that say about my brand loyalty now?Hoodlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08507134198601519253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-836637629469676292012-05-24T09:43:28.286-05:002012-05-24T09:43:28.286-05:00AHHH! See, you make a point at the end of "I...AHHH! See, you make a point at the end of "I don't actually need to buy very much more nowadays". GW's target is never Vets like us it seems, it's usually new gamers in their first 3-4 years of play. However, with prices going up and up, it seems like the only folks who will be able to afford the game will be the Vets. Lord knows I wouldn't buy my son a $75 Land Raider...<br /><br />Crap. Okay, maybe I would if he showed that much interest in the game. Thank God he's only 4.<br /><br />You point of the 'purity' of the models in our armies though is another I hadn't thought of. Of course, I do think that stems from the 'old' days of being able to play in the stores and GW-run tournaments. Now that they've stepped out of the competitive arena, they are losing that grip on the need to remain 'pure' in our armies, and just making it our choice. The better that the third-party compaanies get, the more competition GW will find themselves in for their own games.Miniature Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17873606899838665652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-55591087621988328262012-05-24T09:38:57.272-05:002012-05-24T09:38:57.272-05:00You know, when I first thought up the topic for th...You know, when I first thought up the topic for this article, the new price increases hadn't even been posted yet. You bring up two very good points here. Money, and Store Policy. Considering GW's new business model with their stores being that there isn't much gameplay any more, they are mostly just retail. Game play is mostly reserved for Battle Bunkers and the main HQ now it seems. With that in mind, 'store policy' doesn't really matter, now the big thing will be your opponents consent in a way, which I've never found to be an issue.<br /><br />The money point speaks for itself. :P :) Death warrant? Maybe not quite yet, but they aren't helping their case, that's for sure.Miniature Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17873606899838665652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-30498155901696893922012-05-24T09:35:11.881-05:002012-05-24T09:35:11.881-05:00Thanks Reid :)
I agree with you on your point of ...Thanks Reid :)<br /><br />I agree with you on your point of the commission work you made, but I don't know abotu the point on accessories? To take my example above of the Jetbikes from Kromlech, I've got a sketch of a jetbike conversion using all GW parts from various kits, and then GS and Plasticard... OR I can buy one of two above I like so much. That's a bit of competition. Especially considering it would save me a crap-ton of cash to NOT buy all those GW boxes :P<br /><br />Course, it would then fill my Bitz Box with stuff I didn't use...Miniature Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17873606899838665652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-42544396157794494542012-05-24T09:14:35.219-05:002012-05-24T09:14:35.219-05:00Personally I'm a bit blinded by the fact that ...Personally I'm a bit blinded by the fact that there are so many GW models I want to paint...AND I can use them to game with. So I'm shot in both feet there :P As a painter, though, you have quite alot of freedom and I find it extremely interesting that you chimed in with your own findings of Brand loyalty! Though without the gaming hook in you, I can see the bit more freedom you may have in your choices for projects to fill your time.<br /><br />I love your work on Perdita so far, and can't wait to see more from various manufacturers from you. Folks like yourself expose others to the various brands out there and give us a taste of what the 'outside world' is like, so to speak :)Miniature Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17873606899838665652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-46221267069335352022012-05-24T09:09:03.065-05:002012-05-24T09:09:03.065-05:00"if you offer a superior product at a reasona..."if you offer a superior product at a reasonable price – people will buy it." <br /><br />You couldn't have made a better statement than you did right there. though an addendum to it could be "Or if you offer a product the main company just DOESN'T..." <br /><br />Well said, my friend :)Miniature Timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17873606899838665652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-24077050695109473012012-05-23T21:02:29.136-05:002012-05-23T21:02:29.136-05:00I don't really understand my own brand loyalty...I don't really understand my own brand loyalty to GW. It's been a long time since there was a good reason to stick to using the "genuine" models. I think to some extent now there is a sense of purity in having all the models in the army from the same range. And it also makes decisions easier when deciding what to buy, as well as inspiring you to try modelling stuff that doesn't exist, when you could probably find what you want by turning to another company. It keeps things simple.<br /><br />All of this conflicts with my well developed frustration with GW and outrage at the ever-increasing injustices of their pricing policies. They are doing their damnedest to kill off any residual loyalty - I think they would have already done so if I didn't already have so much stuff (meaning I don't actually need to buy very much more nowadays)...Hoodlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08507134198601519253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-82296895180054947942012-05-23T03:55:31.542-05:002012-05-23T03:55:31.542-05:00There's only been one thing keeping folks from...There's only been one thing keeping folks from whole-heartedly embrasing other mini lines...GW's 'company store' policy of forcing people to use just their minis in RTT's. With the death of Ard Boyz, the gates will open (they are already weak around here at local tourneys)and no one will recieve crap from Tourney organizers for using alternate model lines, as long as they are clear what they represent. And thank god for that...GW still raising prices regardless... Rhinos are $37 and Land Raiders are $75. Sign your own fiscal death warrent, GW.40K + T&Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09058918571922538449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-12907195490537231952012-05-22T17:28:21.215-05:002012-05-22T17:28:21.215-05:00Your blog posts are insightful as per usual!
I th...Your blog posts are insightful as per usual!<br /><br />I think there's a really fine line here. You can pay someone to sculpt and paint your whole army (commission work), but you aren't supposed to buy things that someone has sculpted and produced on a larger scale. I don't really think that these bits are competing products, I think they are just accessories. It's like those Madcatz controllers for consoles.Reidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12867963411254672497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-70906508536018382162012-05-22T14:52:35.413-05:002012-05-22T14:52:35.413-05:00Hi Tim, great post
As a returning painter (not ga...Hi Tim, great post<br /><br />As a returning painter (not gamer yet) I find this topic very interesting. Over the last few months I have been painting GW mini's exclusively . I've been somewhat blinkered and even a bit distrusting of any other brand due, I guess, to my own brand loyalty. <br /><br />Luckily my FLGS has a very broad selection of manufacturers and game systems. This coupled with my recent visit to the salute wargaming convention has really opened my eyes to the other exciting possibilities that are out there. After I complete my latest project (a Tau army) I plan to start painting my way through some of the other gaming systems like Infinity, Malifaux, Flames of War, the forthcoming Bolt Action (WWII war-game), the forthcoming Dropzone Commander (small scale sci-fi war-game) and the numerous mini manufacturers there are out there. It's a very exciting prospect and liberating because I don't feel shackled to GW anymore.<br /><br />I've got nothing against GW, in fact I'm glad there's at least one british company which appears to be doing well. However, the aforementioned wish to try out the world of possibility outside of GW is too good to pass up. I guess I also feel that I'm just not GW's target market any more, that coupled with ongoing Finecast QC issues mean that I probably won't be a GW customer for the foreseeable future.<br /><br />I realise it's different if you're a committed WH40K or WHFB player but this is just one painter's humble opinion.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.theunrealisticartist.com" rel="nofollow">theunrealisticartist</a>the unrealistic artisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07718404801150830440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1404909755379335733.post-79538329340433940902012-05-22T09:45:56.211-05:002012-05-22T09:45:56.211-05:00I think competition is good, if you offer a superi...I think competition is good, if you offer a superior product at a reasonable price people will buy it. Having multiple competitors keeps GW honest and prevents them from raising prices anymore than they already do. In a competitive environment with multiple manufacturers profit is generally capped at 3-5% of the wholesale price. In a noncompetitive environment where a manufacturer is the sole provider of a product, profits rise up into the 8-10% range of the wholesale price. <br /><br />As for buying GW models exclusively, I find that I buy the models that appeal to me. If there is a GW kit and it looks better than the ‘brand-x’ mini, I am sticking with GW. If there is a part or accessory that ‘brand-x’ makes that is better than the GW part, ill go with that. It depends on what you are trying to build and what look appeals to you. At the end of the day it really comes down to what I opened with, if you offer a superior product at a reasonable price – people will buy it.Tallarnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11459754150896912814noreply@blogger.com