GW should release their own tablet

[DrLove42]

All this talk of a constantly evolving digital rulebook is all fine and awesome but comes wiræth one minor issue.

Lots of people dont want to fork out 300 of your regional currency on a tablet to buy the digitals on

So imagine if GW did their own tablet. Tescos and Aldi have both release tablets for under £75 in the last few weeks. Imagine if GW did. A cheap tablet that only links to a digital store through Wifi and had all digital books available. No money going to apple. It could even be a e reader for BL books.

If they could put out a 75 pound tablet that came preloaded with the core rules...

At tournies i already see people with iPads and the rest reading their codexes instead of hard copies. a complete push to digital could work if the base technology was available cheaper and more directly accessible

Thoughts?

[Katharon]

This is a rather foolish idea. GW is a model game company. They are not an electronics company and do not have any industrial infrastructure to build such an item even if they wanted to. Now if they were to sell iPad covers that have a 40K or WFB feel to them, then that isn't beyond possible. But no, they will never sell their own tablets because that is not their business. Selling you models and books are their business.

[Darren Richardson]

my god man, are you nuts, GW would put one out and charge £500 for it, after all the inflate all their other prices for everything else :)

But IF they did do a customised e-book reader for the price range you stated with full ability to create army lists straight from the codex/army book fully initrigated into it and being able to print said lists, perhaps I would buy one...

But the devolopment costs on the software side makes me think such a thing would make it too expensive.

[pgarfunkle]

I've been hoping that GW would release an app similar to ibooks on all platforms (ios, android and Windows) which would allow us to have the interactive army books they put out but not just if you have an ipad. It should log into your Black Library account and be able download your previous purchases.

[Denzark]

This is a rather foolish idea. GW is a model game company. They are not an electronics company and do not have any industrial infrastructure to build such an item even if they wanted to. Now if they were to sell iPad covers that have a 40K or WFB feel to them, then that isn't beyond possible. But no, they will never sell their own tablets because that is not their business. Selling you models and books are their business.

Don't overreact Katharon its not a foolish idea. Its sort of like GW taking someone else's superglue and putting a citadel badge on.

[Wildeybeast]

But it is well outside their field of expertise. They license out their IP for computer games because they don't have the staff or infrastructure necessary to make them and it's already a crowded market place, so there is little point in them doing so. The same would be true for tablets. The supermarket tablets are rather misleading. That is a case of a company with massive profits muscling their way into the tablet market with a budget offering. They will only succeed because they can chuck money at it to buy a stake in the market and they can offer them far cheaper than the existing tech companies can, because their food sales subsidise it (same as they do with petrol and alcohol and mobile phones and banking and video game and so on). That isn't really about them doing something new and filling a gap in the market, it's about them trying to take business of someone else and make sure people don't need to go to any other in the world than that one supermarket. GW simply does not have the sort of profits or customer base to try anything like that and the sales wouldn't be enough to justify. Why would you buy a tablet that only does GW stuf, when you can get one that does it and other things? As you yourself have said DrLove, you already see plenty of people with tablets and GW ebooks, so those people are not going to buy another one.
As for the app idea, why bother? All that would do is provide a service that ibooks and Googleplay already give them. What benefit do GW gain from creating that? And as the customer, I have to pay to buy an app so I can then pay to download the books I want when I was just paying for the books with Google or Apple. Sorry, that's a none starter.

[Deadlift]

It's not impossible to think they could do it though, many toys now have their own branded tablets. Monster High being one I looked at for my daughter as a Christmas present, but we ended up getting her a mini iPad. Sure it's just a rebranding of others technology and selling it at a premium but I'm sure that's not beyond GW. Another example is my wife's iPad. Colleen works for one of the bigger UK banks and they supplied her with a branded iPad. This also came with pre-loaded specific apps that are work specific to her role within the bank. It's not hard to think GW could just as easily do the same. If it were apple based I would likely look at one especially if I could choose specific, exclusive software to go with it. Hell who doesn't want a tablet with (insert army here) specific case too.

[Wildeybeast]

It's not impossible, no, but it is most unlikely. The best question to ask is why. Why would they do it? What is the incentive in it for them? Developing their own one becomes pretty much a no go as the margins will be so, well, marginal. A branded one from another company, possibly. But what do you load onto it? If they put all the codexes and army books, it jacks up the price. And most people don't want them all, they just want the ones for their army. Likewise with the novels. So then you are reduced to putting some sort of GW software on there, in which case, why bother with the tablet, just release the software. Then you come back to the fact that they are making software which is freely available from two other major competitors. GW can't afford to develop an app and then make it free, so that is a non-starter.

I don't want to sound like a negative Nigel, but I can't see any valid business reasons for GW releasing any sort of hardware or software. Now branded tablet covers, those would sell.

[Mr Mystery]

I'd buy one if it was 40k styled :)

Mainly because I don't currently have a tablet, but am in the market for one!

[Attaturk]

Selling you models and books are their business.

Actually I'd say that making money was their business. An app would be a really clever idea though. A tablet may be too big a step for them.

[Mr Mystery]

Actually I'd say that making money was their business. An app would be a really clever idea though. A tablet may be too big a step for them.

Not necessarily....

There is nothing to prevent them wholesaleing third party devices, whacking a bit of branding on them and selling them pre-loaded with software/rules.

[Arkhan Land]

I really hope at some point GW realizes their ability to provide crucial attention that comes from a very specific demographic and cashes in on the advertising pay-train right now to reduce our costs. Like lets say the next hobbit comes out and there's a non skippable 15 second trailer in front of every GW player who logs into their device/app for one day. $$$$$$$$$DOLLARS$$$$$$$$$ repeat process with future releases/books/dvds/t-shirts, other non miniature stuff thats marketable to wargamers. the question is whether they would pass on the savings or simply keep the loot

[Katharon]

Don't overreact Katharon its not a foolish idea. Its sort of like GW taking someone else's superglue and putting a citadel badge on.

It really is a foolish idea. Like I said, GW is in the business of making money and their current infrastructure works for their business model. They are not, as I said, an electronics company. They don't have a large enough market (about 10-15k dedicated gamers worldwide) to justify the creation of the necessary infrastructure to buy the materials necessary to build and then sell a product. It would be a giant (red) black hole in their profits. Not gonna happen. End of.

Not really overreacting either, just stating the obvious. It's a nice little wishful thinking but, just like sitting in a rocking chair -- you're doing something but you aren't going anywhere.

[Katharon]

Not necessarily....

There is nothing to prevent them wholesaleing third party devices, whacking a bit of branding on them and selling them pre-loaded with software/rules.

Again, this isn't beyond a possibility -- but their market is so small as to make this a really foolish idea. Current tablets already allow people to read their eBooks, so why bother?

[Wildeybeast]

I really hope at some point GW realizes their ability to provide crucial attention that comes from a very specific demographic and cashes in on the advertising pay-train right now to reduce our costs. Like lets say the next hobbit comes out and there's a non skippable 15 second trailer in front of every GW player who logs into their device/app for one day. $$$$$$$$$DOLLARS$$$$$$$$$ repeat process with future releases/books/dvds/t-shirts, other non miniature stuff thats marketable to wargamers. the question is whether they would pass on the savings or simply keep the loot

GW don't do advertising. They don't need to. Why on earth would you advertise your products to people who are already buying them?

[Mr Mystery]

Because PROFIT!

People need/want/desire tablets.

GW produces tablet stuff.

Third Parties produce tablets.

GW can procure tablets at source from Third Party, and sell them to us like any other distributor. The same distributors who would make a profit where GW could do the same.

They don't need to fund the development of such things. Just have a stock of already available model(s?).

Pretty basic business sense if even I can see that.

[SON OF ROMULOUS]

except that not everyone uses a tablet.... even on the digital some actually just download it and print out the rules as opposesd to investing in a tablet just to use for 40k... why buy a tablet when for that same price you could buy a small army? or a warhound titan or a fellbalde? me i know where my money would go.... i would not buy a tablet nor do i even own one i have a simple kindle it has books on it no Gw just books. me i like hardback copies of my GW rules i print out FAQ's and slide them into each codex or into a folder that comes along with my rule book. there is one guy with a tablet in my gaming group and thats choice. and at the local store... maybe2-3 total everyone else has a codex and rules not everyone like the idea of spending money on a product that you can't even acually keep a physical copy of.

[Mr Mystery]

Because people want tablets in general, as they do more than just hold e-publications?

[pgarfunkle]

The app that I envisage would function like a kindle app but with additional functionality of interactive books. The benefit to GW is that it would give them more control over their product and distribution as they would not have to pay apple or another provider a slice of the transaction.
I also don't picture GW being daft enough to try to sell what is effectively a storefront.

At the moment the costs of developing and implementing this may not outweigh the benefits but who knows in the future?

[Cactus]

I would like a table - either scroll like for WHFB or an imperial scribe version for 40k. However, I don't think it's likely. Their own "Army Builder" type software never really went anywhere.

[DarkLink]

Don't overreact Katharon its not a foolish idea. Its sort of like GW taking someone else's superglue and putting a citadel badge on.

It's more like Apple making an iCar, just so they can integrate an Iphone comparable charger in the dashboard. Completely outside of their realm of expertise.

[Sizzly]

+1 Darklink. *snicker

[Katharon]

It's more like Apple making an iCar, just so they can integrate an Iphone comparable charger in the dashboard. Completely outside of their realm of expertise.

Exactly.

[Wildeybeast]

The app that I envisage would function like a kindle app but with additional functionality of interactive books. The benefit to GW is that it would give them more control over their product and distribution as they would not have to pay apple or another provider a slice of the transaction.
I also don't picture GW being daft enough to try to sell what is effectively a storefront.

At the moment the costs of developing and implementing this may not outweigh the benefits but who knows in the future?

But they already have kindle and I books and googleplay. The interactive books work through those don't they? The thing is, all those are free and already available. As the customer, why am I going to pay money for an app which only uses GW stuff when I already have a free app which does GW stuff and lots of other books? GW aren't really paying that much to the likes of apple of google. Certainly not enough to warrant hiring someone to develop and maintain an app that no on wants. If we go down that road, then GW sets up its own computer games development studio as well.

Mystery, as for your idea, it doesn't work. If GW were in the habit of selling anything that people wanted and made a slight profit, they'd do toilet roll and food and god knows what else. But it doesn't fit their business model. The mark ups are not likely to be very much. GW makes all it's own products, it doesn't flog on other peoples. Most stores don't have the capacity to stock all the hobby products, much less a range of tablets. Why would you buy a more expensive tablet from GW when you can get exactly the same device but without the space marine branding for cheaper else where? Now if GW were to sell tablet covers, that would achieve exactly the same as what you are suggesting, but without all the drawbacks.

[Katharon]

Lean six-sigma. Like if you're a car company that has to buy tires for your cars: it's cheaper to just buy the tire from another company than to own that other company and all its requisite costs.

[Arkhan Land]

GW don't do advertising. They don't need to. Why on earth would you advertise your products to people who are already buying them?

Im not talking about their products im talking about movie trailers, energy drinks, Ide assume mostly non miniature stuff, things people think they can market to the few thousand peeps who would log in regularly.

keep in mind this is wild wild dystopian future conjecture

also want to add this is an idea associated with the APP concept, tablet concept ist le-crap

[Thaldin]

It's more like Apple making an iCar, just so they can integrate an Iphone comparable charger in the dashboard. Completely outside of their realm of expertise.

Except all the iFans would buy it because it is the latest thing from Apple and it would make money, but you would have to fill it with Apple iGas as unleaded wouldn't work.