KoW Why isnt KOW more popular than 9th age, or AOS?

I dont understand how either of those systems is fun compared to this.

 

I thought KOW was more popular than 9th. I could be wrong though.

 

Miniature wargaming is an industry in which the quality of a product (gaming system) is looser linked to its popularity than you see in most other markets because of its heavy reliance on network effects. If in a local area two people play a system it will provide some utility to both but they will tire of only being able to play each other after a while. If 30 people in the local area play a system, every player has a myriad of different opponents (both in terms of people and armies) to play, which will be much more fun. Essentially, the more people that play the system, the more utility each individual gains by playing it. It is the same reason that even if a new social media network is technically better than Facebook, Facebook will probably retain supremacy.

While I'm not sure that there is any hard and fast data about the popularity of AoS vs 9th vs KoW, many reports seem to reflect what would be expected in a market with network effects as the uptake of each seems to have been been highly regional. In the USA, KoW seems to be the dominant game (although there are pockets of the others); in the UK I think AoS is slightly ahead and will benefit from GW's concerted efforts to make it succeed; the rest of Europe seems to be edging towards 9th. This is probably in part due to a heavy reliance on Games Workshop stores in the UK (gunning for AoS) whereas the US has a more varied craft store market that helps the better game succeed (KoW), and no one seems to concentrate on Europe so they have just continued with same old, same old (9th). There is still some room to manoeuvre at the moment as the market has not yet settled after the destruction of the Old World. However, whichever systems do start to edge in front in each area, it will get progressively harder to alter the dominant system as new players will inevitably play the game that most other people in their area do.

One possibility that seems plausible in the UK market (which will remain heavily influenced by GW) is that AoS becomes a gateway game for KoW. I have started seeing this and can perfectly understand it - Uncle Atom (Tabletop Minions) explains why AoS is such a good gateway game, and as players progress on to better-developed systems KoW's popularity in the UK compared to 9th, as well as the fact that it is considerably more fun to play, could make it the 'go to' game once people want something a little more substantial. Whatever happens, Mantic seem to be doing well at the moment as Clash of Kings (the main annual KoW tournament) has gone from 36 players in 2015 to 80 last year and will have 120 this year. I know KoW's main criticism is that it might be too heavily focused on tournament play, but if it can feed off AoS then that position is entirely sustainable in the longer term. Here's to hoping!

Are you being serious?

 

That is absolutely gutting! KoW is by far the better system and it's such a shame you can't get any games in. Do I remember correctly that you are in the North West? Fools of War is on April 1st/2nd at Element Games in Stockport if that isn't too far for you?

 

Well I hope you decide to come along - it looks like it should be a cracking weekend. It will be one of the first tournaments to use the new Clash of Kings pack, so we could see some rather interesting outcomes!

 

The simple reason why AoS is more popular is because GW is behind it. GW promotes it and creates excitement around it in a way that no other company in the industry can. I absolutely despise AoS but even I find myself following the model releases and even rumors to a certain degree.

At the end of the day, GW is the big boy on campus and anything they produce will benefit from the lion's share of the market. Just look at this forum, it is massively dominated by AoS. 8th edition, T9A and KoW content combined comes nowhere even close to AoS posting/discussion/interest. Admittedly, I imagine that a large percentage of T9A activity is shifted to their own official website, but still AoS clearly (and unfortunately from my point of view) rules the roost.

 

I'm really intrigued by where you've heard this - is it something you've come across often? I was just rather surprised as all I've ever heard is that support for KoW is too tournament-centric, even to the point of pro-KoW blogs feeling the need to defend it from this accusation.

 

Ironically, one reason for why T9A is more popular on the whole in Europe is maybe that Warhammer Fantasy was more popular here, so when GW killed it people first tried to switch to something that ressemble it more.

But KoW is still growing, and here in France there is a decent community, so who knows how it will be in a few years ?

 

I think you nailed exactly the reason a lot of us picked up and loved AoS right away too. WFB just stopped being fun.

 

How come people like what I don't like I don't understand

 

See what I mean? Everytime there is a ruling question or difference of opinion a fight breaks out!

 

Yes, that is the question. I dont understand why people like flawed systems.