Rumour clampdown due to Hobbit

[eldargal]

From Warseer:

t the Las Vegas Throne of Skulls, staff and regional reps stated the lockdown is due to one thing.

The Hobbit

That was what was stated in a Q&A they had at the end of the tournament. When GW re-upped their license to cover the new movie, they were forced to accept a one week info window. The design studio has had full access to scenes and images from the new movie. MGM does not want any info released early on the movie and required GW to demonstrate they can keep a fairly tight lid on info and images coming out of the studio. No one at GW likes it, but given how much money LotR made for them, they decided it was worth it. Any money loss due to reduced subscriptions or sales would be more than made up for with the Hobbit license.

Expect this format to stay around for at least two more years. Once the second Hobbit movie comes out, hopefully this silliness will end.

So there we go.

[Bitrider]

Le'Sigh.... But then it gives us all sooo much more to talk about between releases. :cool:

[Dalleron]

So what does that make all the rumours in the rumour section? Do they still hold any weight, or have they become wishlisting?

[Bitrider]

So what does that make all the rumours in the rumour section? Do they still hold any weight, or have they become wishlisting?

It seems that even when the rumors, taken as an aggregate, over the last 6-9 months have not been 'spot-on', they did at the very least give a very convincing picture of the general flow of an army or the release date rumors were close enough to plan ahead for saving up, etc.

I find that when I look at several 40k sites and associated gab-fest about upcoming products, I get a good overview of what is coming and/or what is being planned. So I believe that overall, the Almighty Web that is our Sky-net early warning system et.al., e rumors may not be as bountiful, but they are still a good source to continue to fill our '' yeah, I still play with little plastic dolls, so shut the F%#^ up' wants/needs list.

[eldargal]

Sorry I should have been more specific, the reduced advance order time, no next month previews and clampdown on rumours are all part of this.


So what does that make all the rumours in the rumour section? Do they still hold any weight, or have they become wishlisting?

[Grailkeeper]

Does this apply to everything, or just to Hobbit related stuff?

[eldargal]

Everything, by the sound of it they implemented the new policy to show New Line or whoever it was that they can keep the information secret. Interesting, though, that leaks of high quality GW kits have made it out in time to hype up future releases but nothing relating to the Hobbit has.;)

[phoenix01]

I heard this too. Apparently, the rumor window will be reopened once the Hobbit part two is released.

And frankly, I don't know how LotR makes GW any money. Maybe as a tax write-off?

[eldargal]

It made them a fortune while the films were still being released, and without any data of sales by game system from GW we really have no idea how it is doing now.

[StraightSilver]

Well I have to say this is no big surprise, it was exactly the same when LOTR was in development.

Security has definitely upped significantly at GW HQ recently.

LOTR more than doubled GW's annual turnover whilst the movies were at the cinema. And when I say more than doubled, I mean way more than doubled, so expect the Hobbit to provide a welcome boost in sales. :)

[Lockark]

I heard this too. Apparently, the rumor window will be reopened once the Hobbit part two is released.

And frankly, I don't know how LotR makes GW any money. Maybe as a tax write-off?

From what I've heard, they still sell fairly well as collectables separate from the game. Probly why we still see larger plastic kits like the Nazgûl come out here and thier.

[snikrot]

LOTR was my first war game actually and I enjoyed it allot. I have since moved on to warhammer, 40K, and many others but I still pick a kit from time to time and I still play games every once and awhile.

[Wildeybeast]

That makes sense. And I have to say, GW has done a fairly good job of clamping down on the unofficial rumours. The really reliable stuff is only coming about a month in advance and some stuff it top secret right up until the last minute. Anyone remember how much rumour mill hype there was about SoM? That's beacuse there was absolutely nothing and most people were banging about 'summer of flyers'. Whether that was fanboy wishing or deliberate mis-info from GW, they kept their big summer release under absolute lockdown until very late in the day. Which is why I'm sceptical about 40 next ed this summer, particularly in light of this news.


LOTR was my first war game actually and I enjoyed it allot. I have since moved on to warhammer, 40K, and many others but I still pick a kit from time to time and I still play games every once and awhile.

Hence why GW were so keen to get the license to the Hobbit

[MarneusCalgar]

Well, it makes sense...

Here in Spain many people buy LoTR miniatures as they did with the old Mithril ones...

Only for painting and collect, not for playing.

So maybe it is not as top seller as 40K or FB, but it still makes money

[gendoikari87]

Well I have to say this is no big surprise, it was exactly the same when LOTR was in development.

Security has definitely upped significantly at GW HQ recently.

LOTR more than doubled GW's annual turnover whilst the movies were at the cinema. And when I say more than doubled, I mean way more than doubled, so expect the Hobbit to provide a welcome boost in sales. :)

I'd be willing to bet very few actually played the game, more than likely people did like me and a few others at the shop, used them for WFB

[HsojVvad]

I heard this too. Apparently, the rumor window will be reopened once the Hobbit part two is released.

And frankly, I don't know how LotR makes GW any money. Maybe as a tax write-off?

Put it this way. If there was no LotR game, there might not be no 40K or Fantasy. For a time LotR was the bread and butter for GW. It was said that it was the LotR money that kept 40K and Fantasy going. It even sold more money than SM for a time. So without LotR back in the early 2000s, there might not be 40K or Fantasy today, or it would be very different now.

As a side note, I do not know how this proves GW can keep a secret. Just look at how the Necrons were leaked out with pics and all before even the release. I can't see how MGM is assured that GW can keep it low. We have seen with Necrons we get to see the stuff early.

I think MGM will be PISSED if there was a week early release of pics and what not.

No I do not think you can blame LotR The Hobbit as to why. If it is true, MGM should be getting on GW case because it can't keep anything a secret. Espically with all the rumours coming out for 6th edition and BT, Tau and Eldar. I guess all these rumours are bunk then as was said before, if The Hobbit is the reason why to GW secrecy then.

[eldargal]

It is certainly true that for a while LOTR was GWs bread and butter, but I don't think it did them any favours in the long run. The influx of money masked a bloated and inefficient business structure that has had to be radically re-worked in the five years since the LOTR bubbled burst.

I think if they hadn't had the LOTR license they may not be in a very different position today, in the long run they didn't seem to gain much from all the money.

[LOUIE.ROCKETFINGERS]

love lotr lore.

[Wildcard]

So, how is it with LOTR and GW?
Has LOTR truly been that big hit for GW? I have always understood that it was in no way profitable miniature range.. This is however based on fully personal experience, and understanding from our local hobby centre where (again to my understanding) has almost nil LOTR stuff on the shelves due to poor sales..

[Wildeybeast]

So, how is it with LOTR and GW?
Has LOTR truly been that big hit for GW? I have always understood that it was in no way profitable miniature range.. This is however based on fully personal experience, and understanding from our local hobby centre where (again to my understanding) has almost nil LOTR stuff on the shelves due to poor sales..

Depends what you mean by a 'big hit'. They sold a bucket load of stuff when the movies were in the cinemas and coming out on DVD and they used it as a gateway drug for 40k and fantasy, so it proved quite popular then. But when the fuss over the movies died down, the volume of players taking it up waned. The problem they have is generating interest in it. 40k and fantasy are fine beacuse they can keep adding new stuff, but with LoTR they are working with someone else's IP and well defined universe. They can't just add in a new race or new troops and monsters. They tried re-doing the rules after the movies and releasing the War of the Ring to stimulate some interest, but I'm not sure how succesful it was. I think they gave up on doing anything new as soon as the Hobbit movie was definitely confirmed so they could focus on new games for that. My personal feeling is that for all the LoTR fanboys in GW, they only do it because it makes them a load of money and brings people into their core game systems, if they thought they could make a really good, profitable and sustainable game out of LoTR they would have tried to accquire the rights to the books long before the movies came out.