Games Workshop

Games Day 2004

This assignment was a bit of a strange one for me personally, especially as I have been somewhat, (like a lot of you guys), sceptical of the entire set up of GamesWorkshop, and especially their price structure and whether indeed their products are value for money when you think what you are paying.

 

So taking the above into account, I wasn’t really looking forward to the trip to Birmingham, especially with all the work I had at home that needed doing, AND, I was going to be missing the Derby show!

I actually found myself asking the question, why am I going here, why did John ask me to go, especially as,( I am going to be totally honest here). I saw Games Workshop as an uncaring money grabbing organisation.

So with all that in mind you can probably see how loathe I was to actually go!

It was Early Sunday morning when I set off and by the time I was getting into Birmingham it was getting near to 9.00am and I was supposed to be meeting John there at that time.

I suddenly became aware whilst driving of an unusual amount of coaches travelling in my direction, but Birmingham being the hub of the motorway network I thought no more of it, that was of course until I reached the N.I.A. which is the Gamesday venue, it then struck me that all the coaches I’d seen and passed were in fact heading to this very spot: the show can’t be that popular surely!

Heading to the car park, again another shock, literally thousands, and yes I do mean thousands, of people, kids through to older age groups, including families, all flocking to the N.I.A. and there was an air of anticipation that I have not felt for a long time emitting from all these persons, all intermingled with smiles laughter and excitement.

Now I began wondering, is it me or is this lot all on drugs?

I parked the car grabbed my kit and invite and headed for the VIP entrance, passing a huge queue of folk, some of which were carrying of all things banners of all shapes and sizes, carrying intricate designs and the names of towns from the length and breadth of the nation????

Now I was really thinking, these people are VERY strange!

I headed for the Entrance designated and signed in, I was then shown into the press suite and greeted by Caroline Law, our main host for the day.

After the greeting I began asking questions about this and that, such as the banners, now, once it was explained it became all too obvious.

The banners were a rallying point for the different shops, each shop had a different banner designed by each, all that came on the coach from the shop area were to rally to that particular banner, (no one would get lost or end up on the wrong coach), good idea I thought, especially as the coaches had come from all over the UK.

Being in the V.I.P. suite I was granted a birds eye view of the whole floor of the arena, each area was explained as to what was where, so all the games in one area covered a certain, “period” shall we say. 

Along with these gaming areas there was a large section of the arena which particularly interested me. This was split again into sections, one for building and converting minis, painting, terrain piece making and a terrain board building exhibition. All barring the terrain board building exhibition were hands on, you could sit down, convert a mini with expert advice, all the materials were given freely, (including the minis), and take the item home afterwards, Brilliant I thought, and the same went for the other hands on opportunities available. This went on throughout the day. It Turned Out that there had been, (terrain items alone), some 4,000 pieces made, that staggering amount like I said was all done in ONE day, converted minis? well I don't know the exact amounts but there were a heck of a lot put in the display cabinet and there were more than those being happily carted away by there creators.

Another area which grabbed my attention was the Forgeworld exhibition, here you could see and talk to the sculptors and designers of the new up and coming Forgeworld releases, again I was taken aback that you could simply walk over browse and ask whatever you liked about any of the projects, these included works in progress, all I can say about these when I did go and have a look was that they were simply stunning.

Everywhere, the staff were very courteous and pleasant and they all had an interest in whatever you were saying, and it wasn’t just because I had a V.I.P. badge around my neck either, I listened to conversations with members of staff and the general public, and the same treatment was given to everyone, what ever gender or age group.

Something that really struck me also, was the entire attitude of the gamers, all were there just for fun and to participate in the huge selection of games and seminars, I did not see or hear of anyone throwing a wobbler because their unit had just been annihilated, they actually laughed about it and thought oh well try again!

This is something a lot of us could learn from, Wargames are Games, and so should be fun, something some of us tend to forget and manage to get too engrossed and serious about it, (And yes I admit it I have got a little too serious too in my time!).

I did want to get a look at the Golden Demon Entries, but the sheer volume of bodies looking at the cabinets was too much and I was afraid of spending too much time looking at all the entrants and missing something else!

I did return to the press lounge and I couldn’t get the words sorted out, or how to explain how I felt about the whole experience, I was lost for words, and I think John will back me up on that. It was something I will not forget in a long time and I hope we as Historical gamers can learn to create what Games Workshop have created. They have got hold of fantasy gaming by the horns and pulled it out of the wargames dark ages, something we indeed need to do with Historical Wargaming, as it is in comparison looking very worn around the edges to say the least!

Now as anyone who has read my reviews regarding GW will know, like I said earlier, I have often said about the pricing of their gaming items and accessories, as being over priced. Now I am more aware of the Games Workshop approach to gaming, and of the backroom operations of the organisation, I understand that a lot of the cost is to pay for not only…development, design, packaging, but overheads, shops and not forgetting wages. 

On top of this is the GW's unique customer support, showing a customer how to play the games, build terrain paint and put their models together as well as provide somewhere to game.
It is sometimes hard to remember but, when you buy a product from Games Workshop the price doesn’t just cover the obvious, it also covers all the help etc… that they can provide. 

You can go into the shop with your model half made up, not buy anything and one of the members of staff will help you to finish the model or aid you past your stumbling block. Nowhere else can you get this service, and I must admit I never looked at it from that angle and in such a depth as to get to the conclusion as I now have.

Now don’t go thinking , “Oh right someone else that will be praising them endlessly and whose reviews will be biased from here on in”, because you woul be very wrong, if, like there has been in the past, I find something to criticise on a model I will continue to do so, I will not and will never be biased to any figure company in any of my reviews and Games Workshop will be no exception, but, I will no longer criticise there pricing policy, All I can say to you all is take a look if you can get to games day go, it really is an eye opener, I thought as you did, and my opinion changed during that day.

Now to the Games, there were two "Historical" games being shown, (yes they do introduce the thousands of fantasy gamers to Historical gaming and embrace it, unlike some historical gamers who actually Ostracize fantasy gamers and generally shun them away into some dark recess of a corner somewhere, and that's if they feel generous!), A hundred years war Battle, and a Cowboy skirmish, again, much fun and mirth emitted from these two tables and some of the comments the gamers were making sounded encouraging for the historical side of the hobby.

All the games, (40k, Warhammer FB, Lord of the Rings), were all put on by all the different shops across the country, and these were stunning, two that struck me were a Warhammer FB game which included a huge ship in a dock, which was totally scratch built, it made a lovely center piece to the table, absolutely stunning! another and this was more down to the terrain item they had modelled, was a battle over a ford crossing, it was the waterfall in the background that drew me over, (waterfalls can look one of two things when modelled, crap or excellent, this one was excellent), I take my hat off to the guys who made it, waterfalls are like I said one of the hardest things to model, this looked beautiful. casting my eyes over the table, I noticed the buildings, just a few no overkill, and again these were of an excellent standard.

These were just two games but there were a heck of a lot more, each had something different to catch your eye, and to be honest, I can understand why some of the crowd had been so excited to be here, (remember my comments about the crowd outside in the queues?).

Something else that did strike me, and that was the art gallery, no not by GW's own artists, but from the members of public that are in the GW side of the hobby, (wish they'd done this when I was first into Fantasy, I'd have entered a picture myself!), and to cap it all, this competition/gallery had it's own coveted Golden demon Award.

My final comments I hope bring home something to you all.

Having the seen the machine in motion and now fully understanding the whole phenomenon that Games Workshop has done for the Fantasy side of the hobby I can only hope that we as historical gamers get the kick in the butt we need to drag us out of the stuffy back rooms and into the 21st century! I for one look forward to it with anticipation, as it will be and would be a worthwhile experience.

So how would I feel about going again if I got the chance? Yep I’m definitely up for it, and I hope some of you at least give it a whirl, take the plunge and see what historical wargaming could be like!

This will probably shock you all, yes please sit down! and you too John!

I have been in my local GW store since, (much to my sons delight!), no not to bitch about the prices, What then? I here you ask, well I have actually signed up to learn how to play LOTR's and yes I've now started, and yes I am enjoying it, and no I don't feel like an idiot! I'm having fun and playing a great game with my lad and some other guys that are also learning the ropes, next is 40k, and probably after that, re-learning WFB, (yes that's what got me into wargaming all those many years ago properly with other people, and not due to getting that tatty old book on solo wargames out of the library that used to comfort me when there was nobody else to game with!).

I and my son do have a fair selection of LOTR's figures, but I have been buying some 40k stuff to get ready to game that too! I hope some of you do what I've done and give it a whirl, it's fun and it's something that you can do with your son or daughter, (quality time and all that!), and enjoy, and when the time comes they too will learn Historical mini gaming.

Think about it and have a go, I did, and tell you what I'm glad too!

Cheers

Steve Crofts.

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