I feel like a slann waking up from a slumber, from the shock Paos caused to me. Let me share you my thoughts, while Im crying inside. On one hand, I totally understand what are the motives of GW. They have to produce profit, they have target numbers they have to achieve, so they try to maximize their sales, cut the expenses. They are a model manufacturer, thats what they say, their product is the models we buy, and the least shit they give what we do with their products after they are purchased. So, hm... In their perspective, WHFB didnt produce the numbers they targeted, so they had to change it. And, thats what they did: they lowered the entry fees to the whfb world with this system, both money and brain capacity, so they can target a larger population. Gooood job so far. On the other had, there are existing customers, but they spend less money, then newcomers. Here comes the why part. With this new 'thing' / abomination / whatever they slaped the existing customers in the face. Just a f***ing simple question, why? Why, when you can hold them, and lure in new ppl? There is the existing product (whfb), and the new aos. Hmmm... if I launch this aos thing, do I have to abolish the previous game? Why the fuck would you do that? Why, if you can have BOTH, both game played in the same universe, just a bit apart in time: WHFB before end times, aos after end times. From their perspective: do I care why they buy the product, wich game they are playing? Irrevelant, just fucking buy it, thats all. Then why the fuck did you have to kill WHFB?! Two games could have earn them more money, than... than this something they call game. Im just sitting here, holding my head, slowly dying inside. I dont understand them. I was thinking about starting 40k while I keep on playing my lizzards. But what if the same happens there? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Im done with GW, its ridicoulus what they do, what they did. Why?
Why not both games? : Support cost and production would double, and since the games somewhat overlap it would compete internal for a margin of players (Business dont like their products fighting with eachother unless part of an intentional strategy). "We are a miniature game": that is no excuse. If that is the case they should stop making rules and leave that to others.
You are selling the same product, they dont care if you buy the model wraped in blue box or the other one wraped in red. It has no effect on production, just on support. But guess how many old players would suggest newcomers to start the game at the moment?
by production I mean items needed to "support" the game. Like books and rules. I agree, I am in no way defending GW. It is atrocious and an all time low for them. Lets see if it is as it looks.
It's funny because it's true! (but it's sad at the same time). On second thought, it's sad... AoS makes me sad. But how much would that support actually cost them? They could have gone completely digital with the rules just as they did for AoS. The overhead costs of supporting the rules for WFB is pretty cheap. On the plus side, they would have two systems with which to sell the same set of models. Why take 2 steps forward and 1 step back when you can just take 3 steps forward? Veteran players may not buy as many models as young bloods, but they still provide solid revenue. Not only do veterans buy up the new stuff that is released, they also pick up hobby supplies and bring new players into the game. Now these veterans may switch to other non-GW game systems, and introduce players to those games. It all comes down to how many veterans are lost due to AoS. Maybe it will be drastic, or perhaps it will be an extremely miniscule number.
again, im only explaining what I believe could be their view on it. The production still costs a bit. - First you have to get writers which will take hours and hours of fees - Then you need rule writers and gametesters (hehe...funny) - Then you will need editors to look through the writers stuff. - The you need layouters to set up the stuff - But before that you will probably have to hire artists who will also take hours and hours of work to finish pieces for it. - Then - Then you need your webdevelopment and graphics department to work together, as graphics needs to present the new stuff in correct formats for the WEB_DEV to implement on the site or in ebooks/whatevs. THEN you can release it...for free!? At this time you have sunk TONS of resources into it, and the only reason businesses dó this kind of thing is: "return of investments", the idea that your product or a connected product will make more money than all of your past actions has cost you. If that product competes with another somewhat similar product, which you are by the way putting way MORE resources into than this one, then it doesn't take much analysis to take the estimated guess that you might NOT meet return of investement (or break even) with BOTH systems. GW chose to go full horses with AoS, and I bet you its because of this. That they chose the (for now) inferior game system is where the logic cracks.
Why would they need to do all that writing, art creation, sculpting, photography, web graphics twice? If the same models worked in both games.
All they needed to do for 8th is write a Lizardmen FAQ. Cap the army books. They could do an occasional improved army list as a bare bones WD supplement. They did that with Brets once and also with ChaosWarriors. 8th could carry-on with small life-support projects ... & ... Rules tweaks.
I agree with @pendrake . They wouldn't need most of the stuff you have listed. First off, the same fluff and artwork can be used for both systems. Secondly I don't think the web development would be that extensive. I'm not sure about the ebook format, but a pdf is simple to create. I'm thinking that the whole thing could be easily accomplished in a very bare-bones fashion. It's the same reason why I never understood why we didn't get FAQs more frequently when the work involved is very minimal.