Games Workshop gets a lot of hate. Some, of course, is justified.
One thing GW has absolutely NAILED though, is seemingly not even on the radar of some of the competition.
This gives 3rd parties, independents a great opportunity, opportunities beyond what Games Workshop might reach even, and there are signs some are very much pursuing those avenues right now.
Games Workshop Origin
As most people know, GW didn't start out as the company we know today.
Back in the day, they were benefitting from a growing ecosystem of tabletop hobbyists, selling miniatures and accessories to supplement other companies' IP.
White Dwarf was one of my introductions to Dungeons & Dragons, in fact.
When they came out with Warhammer, and then 40k, was when they really got started growing. The former being heavily influenced by super generic and common fantasy tropes, and the latter being a mixture of cherry-picked Sci-Fi standards and Thatcher-era political satire.
Fast forward a little and they focus entirely on their own IP. White Dwarf going from a hobby magazine to being a Warhammer magazine essentially.
So they finally had their own games rules, stores, miniatures, and a publication.
And that is where they could have happily sat. Lots of companies have done exactly that.
What Games Workshop got right
Just to reiterate and expand the above:
- Physical stores
- Got online at the right time, with eCommerce
- Pivoted to embrace the community (to a degree that is some debate)
- Several product lines across multiple media, both owned IP and licensed
- License OF their IP (games, Marvel comics)
The next, closest comparison in tabletop would be Wizards of the Coast, but if you treat the above as a checklist they are falling behind.
When you consider Games Workshop rode on D&D IP initially, it is a touch surprising.
Yeah, D&D had an 80s TV cartoon, a forthcoming new movie, Critical Role has a cartoon coming, and of course novels and games, but when it comes to being multimedia I would say Games Workshop has them beat.
The "Hobby"
Like most folks who are into tabletop via D&D and Warhammer, I like lots of aspects of "the hobby", which is often more synonymous with the miniatures than the game in many circles:
- Make terrain
- Paint minis
- 3D print
- Sculpt (for real and digitally)
- Laser cut templates and buildings
- Craft dioramas
- Draw/make maps
- GM/DM, write campaigns, etc.
What Wizards of the Coast Get Wrong that GW Gets Right
One thing I DON'T do, that Wizards and many of their competitors think is the default, is run prepared adventures. For me, when I buy those, it is almost like a "Lore Dump" or, in GW terms, a "Codex".
Another thing I believe Wizards do badly, and also Fantasy Flight Games with X-Wing, is pre-painted miniatures and scatter terrain.
Both examples are times the company takes our opportunity for creativity and personalization away.
Look back at what I love about the hobby and you can see it is using their IP, "Lore", "Fluff" as inspiration.
I don't want pre-made characters, I want to personalize and kitbash my toy soldiers.
Even the "board game" Heroquest supplied unpainted accessories.
An opportunity
With this in mind, and the massive explosion of 3D printing, Patreon and Kickstarter, I think there is a chance for third parties or GW to really expand on the creative outlet and accessibility of the hobby.
Going into 2022 we, as a community, have shown we don't always need stuff to come in a big glossy box every time. Let's see ...
- More customization - Digital kitbashing, mashups, buffet menus, bundles/individual items.
- More scenarios and settings - Bring back traditional fantasy RPG, more expanded skirmish opportunities, more pick up and play quick games ...
- More crossover between physical and digital - Big assed boxes still have their place, but the pandemic has shown people also want to play alone together!
- More community engagement - One of the strengths and weaknesses of the big companies is their huge communities, but they don't really own them or engage as effectively as they could.
Where GW has an advantage is their huge head start, but I can see some of their moves being about positioning them for being acquired. It's not beyond the realm of possibility for Disney, for example, to buy and tone down some of the more edgy parts.
That would point them at MASS-market (movies, tv, toys, etc) and take their eye off the rest.
This might be just the market opportunity another company, or a new start-up, needs.