I been trying to be a good boy and avoid giving Stelek attention, honest really I have. I do not know if it was being stuck home from work or what, but I think I have poked the hornets nest.
It all started with my comment to one of his posts…
Honestly I am kinda curious why do you even play 40k Stelek? You are not that into the painting. You do not like the price gouging of GW. You think the competitive scene is crap. You think GW is going to fail soon. You can beat every player in the world. You disagree with the majority of the community. What is the point?
I mean besides the large amount of attention you crave in order to live. Why do you continue to support something that has so many perceived problems?
PS: You are fooling yourself if you think your blog or any blog can change GW behavior nor can any blog convince enough people to force change on GW.
and now it has moved on to comments to this post. First is my comment.
Sorry not Trolling I wanted an honest answer and all I got was more delusional drivel(now that is trolling).The only trolling comment was the attention thing but that was more teasing then anything and you responded in the proper manner. I am sorry that asking questions I really do want to hear answers to counts as trolling.
Let me be more clear then, what do you love about 40k?
Your not a fluffy bunny unless I am wrong about that because your site does not demostrat that.
You could of fooled me about your love for painting with you negligible discussion of it on your site.
Where is your proof of market share lose?Besides stock is down like almost all retail stocks from the inflated highs of the early 2000s? Is everyone in your area playing FoW and Warmachine where in my area all those games are dying.
Who is actually driving the hobby into the dirt? Do you think you represent the majority? Once again not trolling I really want answers so I can better understand your motivations.
Reply:
My blog isn’t about the aspects of the hobby we all love, we all understand, and everyone talks about. This includes 99% of the blogs and websites out there, talking about the fun fluffy bunnies. The one thing I talk about is real competitive lists and tactics. Training people to stop sucking at pretty much any game I’m familiar with.
So, let’s see, the fluff pieces. Look at my armies:
My all-goblin army–literally considered one of the WORST armies out there.
My Ogre Kingdoms. Actually 2nd to worst (Dwarfs being worst, I gave that army away trying to get a friend to play Fantasy, fwiw.)
My Khorne Berserker army, led by Kharne.
FFS I have Necrons and I bought like 400 bucks worth of Lizardmen to make my Ork army.
Those aren’t fluff loving armies?My FoW American army, LW Russians, Tunisian Brits–they are all historically modeled.
These are power armies then? Is this the ‘majority’ you speak of, thinking this?
Note all the painted armies–all the traditional painting (well, most of it) is done by locals, I simply can’t afford to lose my hands over the hobby, but obviously I like well painted armies as that’s what I’ve got.
You think I don’t like converting?
My Demon Army, my SW army, my Legion of the Damned marine army, my Guard army, My Orks, I mean…come on–I’ve got more heavily converted armies than most people have armies. Hell I spent more time building one damn vehicle from scratch than most people spend assembling their whole army!
If you aren’t trolling given those armies and this information is posted everywhere here, what do you call it then? Willful ignorance? Or is this the majority speaking? Is this the Bols majority, or the GW majority, or the people who “really are” competitive but they just bring shitty lists because everyone else is? Which is it?
My proof of market share? Look at their sales figures. Now look at other companies sales figures. GW’s are steady or dropping (long before the recession hit). There are lots of other games out there to play that are superior to GW’s current offerings, and those games are selling (I judge this by noting the other companies are coming out with new models and rules at a faster clip than GW is–if they weren’t selling, why would they be doing this?). If the other companies are miniature companies, and there’s only so much money per player to go around, AND many potential players are just avoiding ALL gw minis due to their cost–the variables are endless really, but in the end…SOMEONE is buying Arcane Legions, Perry Brothers Minis, FoW, PP Stuff, even Rackham despite their recent missteps are reinvesting in the US market. What, you don’t think these companies are taking market share from GW? Entire armies for 200$ or less, as opposed to 1/4 of an army for that price? I point out cheap armies–but they are STILL more expensive than other companies armies.
Maybe you’d take stock of GW’s inability to keep large GW only stores open here in the US (and pretty much everywhere outside of the UK, where they ARE dominant). Maybe you noticed the closure of several entities, like say…GW Canada, or their continued failure in promoting their IP outside of the hobby (Warhammer, all their RPGs, etc)?
You think GW is doing good? Prices on plastic have fallen, man. So has Tin.
Oh right, I don’t know shit. Let’s see:
Tin prices in London:
Gee, they went up…
What, Canis Woflborn costs 42$ because you don’t know what you are talking about?
Maybe their prices would be lower if they weren’t cash buyers, but GW doesn’t seem to like buying Tin on contract. Who knows, maybe they did and they just chose the wrong time to do it–like in mid-Summer of 2008, when they swapped over to Plastic. Gee, I sure wish I had a 27 month contract at 25. Color me stupid if I did.
High density polyethelyne is going for 1/15 this price.
Things are going SO well, that with GW having a cost per fig of pennies…prices went up, and they still aren’t making a profit. How much profit does GW have? Most retailers get the figs from GW for 50% off (or better). Supermarkets would KILL for that kind of profit margin (10-20-even 30 bucks per item sold!?) but GW can’t figure out how to live on that?
I could go on all day, as I’ve done my research and you obviously haven’t, but I think that’s enough “real” facts.
Let’s talk about your motivations for asking these bullshit questions. You see me going to anyone else’s blog and posting bullshit like this? Why are you?
If you can’t figure out why I’m here doing this, read the mission or site primer I guess. Tell me where I went wrong in explaining myself, and I’ll fix it.
And then finally this gem of rage.
Let’s see…
I said I love both aspects of the game. The fact I don’t post about them endlessly means I do in fact have another point of view. Which I am obviously not entitled to.
Throw shit in peoples face? Did you hear me say I played the “best players” in the country and won? That wouldn’t be me saying that nonsense. I think very little of the “best players”. There is a reason they don’t like what I have to say–the truth really does hurt. Rubs their manginas the wrong way. Seems like yours has some sand in it today.
Most players would love to have someone show them how to not suck. I realize you (and so many other sites) are all about continuing the mediocrity that is your bread & butter, but I think I get enough visitors to say I have a strong case that my opinion is wanted. Who knows, maybe it’s just GBF clicking refresh constantly!
I’m not confused over GW’s behaviour. I’m well aware of it. It’s been a stellar success so far. Let’s talk about your stupidity now, shall we?
Did I mention anything “Best Players”? I mentioned something about casual players, which by his own mission statement does not sound very inviting. Unless you come from the Doctor Phil’s school of Psychology where being an egomaniac and telling people is the way to garner converts. Or rip people for taking such and such unit just because it is not OP enough for you. People do not like Stelek because the Truth Hurts, they do not like him because he is a Asshole.
I agree my mangina has been acting weird because I almost thought he might not blow up from me asking some pretty simple questions. I know many of my friends just visit his site because it is the closest thing to reality TV for 40k we got. Everyone loves a good train wreck.
Trading Spaces…I’m pretty sure that’s a show my wife watches. Are you retarded today?
Yes he got me I was retarded I meant Trading Places.
Do you know anything about commodities? Seems you do not, but you DO seem to know all about red herring arguments. There has not been a price drop in plastics, you nincompoop. Oil is too volatile for that. Guess where plastic comes from. Guess that whole taking advantage of price drop is bullshit you made up, and who the fuck raises prices in a depression? Take a business class, or actually READ Business Week, or hell go to Walmart. Price drops everywhere, as businesses are DESPERATE to get customers to spend money again. Halloween is taking a bath this year, Thanksgiving will too, and odds are Christmas is going to be flat–at best. How are you alive and don’t know this? Man, do you fucking live at home? Are you so insulated from reality you don’t know how hard things are right now for everyone?
Really your sure because I could of sworn that Oil was at all times high last summer and now selling at half that price. Oh look an actual graph to demonstrate the truth.
I did not know that GW was around during the 30s because I could of sworn we are in a recession not a depression. You raise prices because people buy games in lean times they go with what is reliable. People tend to buy what they know instead of trying something new. Wargaming is a niche that is targeted towards people with large amounts of disposable incomes or parents in the same category. A group that is more recession resilient then others.
Look at GW’s financial statements, and ASK A STOCK BROKER what GW’s real valuation is. Most rate it around 70-85. Gee, I wonder why that is. Maybe something to do with profits, or the lack thereof.
Do you even know how to look at stock purchases? Do you know who Kirby is? Comment when you figure it out, you moron.
No, I still see a profit I know numbers are hard to understand, when it has a + sign it usually means more money coming in then going out.
GW expanded the market and “allowed” FoW to gain traction? Are you fucking kidding me? That’s like saying Kmart backs Walmart! You’re a tool, a fucking idiot, a moronic example of humanity. No wonder John told me to take your links down. Good luck with this guy, Bols. Fucking piece of work.
Thanks for playing operation “Twist my words to fit round holes with square boxes” As more people played GW games and got introduced to wargaming it created a space in which other companies could move in. I am sorry he cannot grasp expanding markets. Here is an analogy he might understand. McDonald’s makes burgers then Burger King realizes that you can make money off Burgers so enters the market. Then he moves on to getting really personal; now why would anyone want to learn his great wargaming wisdom again?
No there was no successful video game IP from GW 10 years ago. Lots of fucking fail IP though. You think DoW has been a rousing success? NOT FOR GW. Where are the product tie ins? Where is the video game residuals? OH RIGHT THEY FUCKED THEMSELVES RIGHT OUT OF THAT SHIT. Look at their financials, you see TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in their fucking accounts from Video Game IP sales? No, you idiot. THQ and RELIC have it. DUMB ASS.
I suppose I could take his word for it that they got no money from THQ or Relic? I also missed the memo of Stelek becoming a GW board member. Since he is a board member he should be able to give me a complete financial history detailing exactly how THQ raped GW.
GW over extended themselves from 3.5 all the way to the last Chaos Codex. They’ve been fucking up that long. You don’t think so? Gee, Privateer Press, Battlefront, and a dozen other game makers are now solidly in the gaming industry–but I guess that’s just GW being nice. Why don’t you know shit about the history of GW? How they used to be a trade mag, and sold other peoples shit–and in the past decade and a half dumped that business model, only sell their own shit in their stores, fucked up internet sales so bad it’s disgusting to think about, and you come here telling me YOU know better? You don’t know shit.
GW shut down their best ‘fiction’ product line, did you miss that? They sold the IP to another company for pennies! They won’t make shit off of that. Fantasy Flight sure as fuck will though. It’s called retrenchment. BAD COMPANIES DO IT IN BAD ECONOMIC TIMES. GOOD COMPANIES DO NOT.
If you think GW’s books are awesome and not just bought by fanboi types, you need to pick one up off the bottom fucking shelf at the bookstore (aka the shit shelf) and read one. Horrible horrible writing. The next Isaac Asimov, they are fucking not. I can’t make myself that stupid to want to read that crap.
Why yes they did get rid of their Role-playing arm. Once again jumping to conclusions I meant Black Library
See if you look on the site down at the bottom it tells you who owns it.
You know what woman buy shitty romance novels, do you see that genre going away any time soon?
GW is closing stores. I’d call you a dumbass again, but I think everyone figured that part out already.
News flash: If you look through any recent White Dwarf it lists where NEW stores are opening. That is right new stores, as in ones that are not closing. Like the one that is now 40min away from me! I do remember the great purge when they closed down like half their stores, but slowly they are expanding again.
I don’t need validation to be correct.
By the way, how many shares of GW stock do you own? I own precisely one. Know why?
I bet you don’t. What a piece of work.
Scrub that sand out of your mangina.
Wow, I never knew this could create such nerd rage. I am now just thinking Stelek needs professional help or least a trip to the doctor’s office to clean out his mangina.
Questions for Comment:
- Who is right?
- Should I give Stelek anymore attention?
- Would my time had been better spent watching Mad Money on MSNBC?