Hi painters,
recently there has been much talk about one topic: Games Workshop.
I just want to let you know my personal oppinion to it.
Call it from a painters view or some Kong Fu.
Recently I read the articles over on masterminis and different forums about what is going on... facts, rumors and a lot more "What happened if ...?"
I felt, while reading the well written articles, that this somehow does not bother me too much. My happy painting still works fine depending on my personal mood. The situation that GW is changing some things radical now and in the near future does not affect my way of figure painting. Sure I see GW as something very important in our hobby due three big reasons:
1. Games Workshop is getting the youth to our hobby as the stores are main access to the hobby newbies. I also started my miniature love with Heroquest, WHF and WH40k.
2. Games Workhop has a great universe to call their own. Great stories behind their armies and such a tense athmosphere to make easily addicted. To help people create wonders in their little figures due the great written universe Warhammer and Warhammer 40k presents.
3. Games Workshop did/does/maybe still will do one of the most important painting competitions: the Golden Demon.
Maybe at this point it is important to dissect the meaning of "hobby" in this context.
From what I have learned in the past I know that our "hobby" offers many different aspects and every indivual who follows this "hobby" with joy sets his own core area or focal point. Some are straight gamers who just enjoy the gaming aspect. Some are builders who enjoy building up scenery and dioramas. Some are just painting the figures. In between black and white there is a lot of grey remaining. Some do enjoy painting a lot and still play tabletop, some are enjoying gaming a lot but use their hobby time for painting more recently. Sometimes this goes up and down. Some don't even paint nor game. Everybody sets his own focus. And that is good. That makes our "hobby" so vibrant.
From my point of view I am a painter. I sometimes try to paint a small skirmish army up to gaming standards, but always fail in motivation of really sitting down to paint, I rather prefer painting cool single models and find my visions on different themed settings. I am fine with that. My focus. When I look back to find the last GW figure I have bought for my own I mainly come to a mass of demonette boxes as I use them on my beginner's painting class. I remember once last year, 2013, when I was looking at one of the new WHF Chaos lords - I really wanted to get that one as I enjoy the sculpt a lot, but when I saw that about four plastic pieces should cost me 20 € + I cancelled that idea and did not buy it. I decided so because I am a painter and I know many other figures from different brands I would enjoy to bring some paint on. I can understand that from a gamers perspective these changes by GW really suck money if you want to build up an army for your own. I was happy not to game, just painting, but that definatly not makes me interesting as a customer group of GW. I also know that a lot of gamers switched to different systems as GW's were not affordable anymore.
Even from this point of view I can say I do like Games Workshop. I would even call it love. Why? Because I do like their background so much. I do love Space Marines and even I painted way too many until this day I don't get bored of them. Space Marines stay Space Marines and even Games Workshop changes things in the future they still will rely on Space Marines, that I am pretty sure of.
Things might change, but it is not me who judges decisions made by Games Workshop HQ. If people are directly involved with GW, working at GW and have to suffer due actual or future decisions, I feel really sorry. I could see this coming if GW closes Stores or other country HQs and I really think this might get some good "hobby" people into big trouble if life brings such a rapid change in a blink of an eye. I also feel sorry for the future of our "hobby". As I said in the beginning GW provides recruitment of youngsters who really learn to enjoy the "hobby" and maybe might keep it for a lifetime. I also feel sorry about Games Days getting rare, even I have not been to many of them and never was the biggest fan of masturbating on throphies they still have been great events to meet up with hobby friends and alike thinkers. I also have made many good friends via the hobby and I am able to keep the friendship alive via meeting on such events like the Games Day. As there are many other events I can meet my hobby friends at and due the fact that I only was able to go to german Games Day so far I am not to worried about to not see my friends anymore. There still will be many occassions where we will meet and enjoy the love for the hobby.
From the rumors, facts and blabla I have heard in the last couple of months I can say: Well, things might change, yes, but who is able to tell in which direction it changes. Everybody seems upset and says: "Man, I told 'em... if they would not take care this would happen ... and if they would have done this and that different things might be different today!" ... Well, right ...
If the Empire of Rome did not fall apart in history things might be a lot different today too. We still might have slavery, cruel gladiator fights, cruxification and teenage slave girls and boys sold to prostitution. Things changed since the fall of Rome and I would say to the better. Who knows what the changes GW HQ is doing might bring in the future to our hobby? Who dares to say what the future brings? I know people paid money to Soothsayers back in ancient Rome to have a glimpse into future happenings, but most of them were charlatans ... things also changed in this point. So, I from my point of view am not able to tell actual decisions in our hobby world are bad or good. Ancient Rome died away, but left great things to learn from, other empires arose from dust and everything that happened, good or bad things made us all end up here: at this moment. And believe me no ancient soothsayer saw what was coming in the year 2014.
Well, I am loosing point. Why am I writing this from a painter's perspective?
Well easy to answer. My brain works like Tetris, I put some information in like a Tetris brick and it is placed. Sometimes it makes "bling!" and I learned something from the information (forming a straight horizontal line in Tetris did the same), if too much silly information enters my brain I am loosing the game and I got to start a new one. That is how my brain works. Saying so, maybe you are already feeling where I am heading. To be a happy painter my Tetris needs to stay put, even it is already at a high level and going fast with todays information (bricks).
I asked myself a lot recently while reading forum posts and articles about the future of Games Workshop:
Is this information useful to my game of happy painting? No.
Does my oppinion change something in the decisions GW HQ makes for the greater good? No. Would something be different at the way GW works and plans if I supposed that to them? No.
Can I forsee the future of the hobby? No.
Can I be a happy painter against all odds? Yes, with just painting and by accepting the information my brain really can work with while painting. With my friends, my projects, other hobby people I still stay a hobby nerd who loves what he is doing: painting. Even if GW might completly dissapear and I am sure they won't in the near future.
Well, for me the informations and discussions running mad in forums and blogs about the future of GW are not important. I am just filling up my brain Tetris-game with bricks I can not work with, which brings me nothing and is also nothing I can change from my position. From my point of view I stop reading about it. Maybe this is wrong, I do not know, but I feel better. Maybe if all is going wrong with GW something new arises, makes the hobby even greater than before, maybe not. What I am sure of is the fact that as long as there are people outthere who enjoy and love their hobby, it will live on and will grow. No matter which company is on top of the selling ladder, the hobby only lives with people who put their hearts in it and if future changes at GW HQ will have hard impact on some who work at GW I feel really sorry. I really do. I can understand that gamers and fanboys are upset with what is going on and how things are going, but keep in mind that some changes might look bad in the beginning, but maybe bring out something good in the long run.
From my point of view I don't fight too much with the future and its worries as I never know what will happen. Everything happens for a reason, ey? So let's wait until the point when we see the reason behind changes and all the universe has to offer. I personally don't like to make my heart and brain heavy by reading walls of texts on things that might have been different if things would have been done different. What positive Tetris brick to I get out of that? None. I just keep my mind busy with an information I can not work with or change something with. I save this space up for positive Tetris bricks on what to remember while painting, on what I am learning everyday by nature and how I find my joy in the hobby.
So in the end of this part one I can say I am not even sure if there will be a part two, but you never know what the future brings. I hope this wall of text (really there is no picture in here) was not too much and it was ok to understand what I am trying to tell. For sure this is open for discussion. So let me know what you think about it via comment. I am eager to read your thoughts.
Remember these are my personal thoughts and don't stand for everybody involved with Massive Voodoo. Just my personal statement about the madness that is spreading like wildfire through the hobby community. Maybe they show that you are still the master of your own mind, the master of the Tetris game you play, the master of your happy painting mood.
I rather paint than going mad and worry too much. Thoughts from a painter.
Keep on happy painting!
Best Wishes
Roman
recently there has been much talk about one topic: Games Workshop.
I just want to let you know my personal oppinion to it.
Call it from a painters view or some Kong Fu.
Recently I read the articles over on masterminis and different forums about what is going on... facts, rumors and a lot more "What happened if ...?"
I felt, while reading the well written articles, that this somehow does not bother me too much. My happy painting still works fine depending on my personal mood. The situation that GW is changing some things radical now and in the near future does not affect my way of figure painting. Sure I see GW as something very important in our hobby due three big reasons:
1. Games Workshop is getting the youth to our hobby as the stores are main access to the hobby newbies. I also started my miniature love with Heroquest, WHF and WH40k.
2. Games Workhop has a great universe to call their own. Great stories behind their armies and such a tense athmosphere to make easily addicted. To help people create wonders in their little figures due the great written universe Warhammer and Warhammer 40k presents.
3. Games Workshop did/does/maybe still will do one of the most important painting competitions: the Golden Demon.
Maybe at this point it is important to dissect the meaning of "hobby" in this context.
From what I have learned in the past I know that our "hobby" offers many different aspects and every indivual who follows this "hobby" with joy sets his own core area or focal point. Some are straight gamers who just enjoy the gaming aspect. Some are builders who enjoy building up scenery and dioramas. Some are just painting the figures. In between black and white there is a lot of grey remaining. Some do enjoy painting a lot and still play tabletop, some are enjoying gaming a lot but use their hobby time for painting more recently. Sometimes this goes up and down. Some don't even paint nor game. Everybody sets his own focus. And that is good. That makes our "hobby" so vibrant.
From my point of view I am a painter. I sometimes try to paint a small skirmish army up to gaming standards, but always fail in motivation of really sitting down to paint, I rather prefer painting cool single models and find my visions on different themed settings. I am fine with that. My focus. When I look back to find the last GW figure I have bought for my own I mainly come to a mass of demonette boxes as I use them on my beginner's painting class. I remember once last year, 2013, when I was looking at one of the new WHF Chaos lords - I really wanted to get that one as I enjoy the sculpt a lot, but when I saw that about four plastic pieces should cost me 20 € + I cancelled that idea and did not buy it. I decided so because I am a painter and I know many other figures from different brands I would enjoy to bring some paint on. I can understand that from a gamers perspective these changes by GW really suck money if you want to build up an army for your own. I was happy not to game, just painting, but that definatly not makes me interesting as a customer group of GW. I also know that a lot of gamers switched to different systems as GW's were not affordable anymore.
Even from this point of view I can say I do like Games Workshop. I would even call it love. Why? Because I do like their background so much. I do love Space Marines and even I painted way too many until this day I don't get bored of them. Space Marines stay Space Marines and even Games Workshop changes things in the future they still will rely on Space Marines, that I am pretty sure of.
Things might change, but it is not me who judges decisions made by Games Workshop HQ. If people are directly involved with GW, working at GW and have to suffer due actual or future decisions, I feel really sorry. I could see this coming if GW closes Stores or other country HQs and I really think this might get some good "hobby" people into big trouble if life brings such a rapid change in a blink of an eye. I also feel sorry for the future of our "hobby". As I said in the beginning GW provides recruitment of youngsters who really learn to enjoy the "hobby" and maybe might keep it for a lifetime. I also feel sorry about Games Days getting rare, even I have not been to many of them and never was the biggest fan of masturbating on throphies they still have been great events to meet up with hobby friends and alike thinkers. I also have made many good friends via the hobby and I am able to keep the friendship alive via meeting on such events like the Games Day. As there are many other events I can meet my hobby friends at and due the fact that I only was able to go to german Games Day so far I am not to worried about to not see my friends anymore. There still will be many occassions where we will meet and enjoy the love for the hobby.
From the rumors, facts and blabla I have heard in the last couple of months I can say: Well, things might change, yes, but who is able to tell in which direction it changes. Everybody seems upset and says: "Man, I told 'em... if they would not take care this would happen ... and if they would have done this and that different things might be different today!" ... Well, right ...
If the Empire of Rome did not fall apart in history things might be a lot different today too. We still might have slavery, cruel gladiator fights, cruxification and teenage slave girls and boys sold to prostitution. Things changed since the fall of Rome and I would say to the better. Who knows what the changes GW HQ is doing might bring in the future to our hobby? Who dares to say what the future brings? I know people paid money to Soothsayers back in ancient Rome to have a glimpse into future happenings, but most of them were charlatans ... things also changed in this point. So, I from my point of view am not able to tell actual decisions in our hobby world are bad or good. Ancient Rome died away, but left great things to learn from, other empires arose from dust and everything that happened, good or bad things made us all end up here: at this moment. And believe me no ancient soothsayer saw what was coming in the year 2014.
Well, I am loosing point. Why am I writing this from a painter's perspective?
Well easy to answer. My brain works like Tetris, I put some information in like a Tetris brick and it is placed. Sometimes it makes "bling!" and I learned something from the information (forming a straight horizontal line in Tetris did the same), if too much silly information enters my brain I am loosing the game and I got to start a new one. That is how my brain works. Saying so, maybe you are already feeling where I am heading. To be a happy painter my Tetris needs to stay put, even it is already at a high level and going fast with todays information (bricks).
I asked myself a lot recently while reading forum posts and articles about the future of Games Workshop:
Is this information useful to my game of happy painting? No.
Does my oppinion change something in the decisions GW HQ makes for the greater good? No. Would something be different at the way GW works and plans if I supposed that to them? No.
Can I forsee the future of the hobby? No.
Can I be a happy painter against all odds? Yes, with just painting and by accepting the information my brain really can work with while painting. With my friends, my projects, other hobby people I still stay a hobby nerd who loves what he is doing: painting. Even if GW might completly dissapear and I am sure they won't in the near future.
Well, for me the informations and discussions running mad in forums and blogs about the future of GW are not important. I am just filling up my brain Tetris-game with bricks I can not work with, which brings me nothing and is also nothing I can change from my position. From my point of view I stop reading about it. Maybe this is wrong, I do not know, but I feel better. Maybe if all is going wrong with GW something new arises, makes the hobby even greater than before, maybe not. What I am sure of is the fact that as long as there are people outthere who enjoy and love their hobby, it will live on and will grow. No matter which company is on top of the selling ladder, the hobby only lives with people who put their hearts in it and if future changes at GW HQ will have hard impact on some who work at GW I feel really sorry. I really do. I can understand that gamers and fanboys are upset with what is going on and how things are going, but keep in mind that some changes might look bad in the beginning, but maybe bring out something good in the long run.
From my point of view I don't fight too much with the future and its worries as I never know what will happen. Everything happens for a reason, ey? So let's wait until the point when we see the reason behind changes and all the universe has to offer. I personally don't like to make my heart and brain heavy by reading walls of texts on things that might have been different if things would have been done different. What positive Tetris brick to I get out of that? None. I just keep my mind busy with an information I can not work with or change something with. I save this space up for positive Tetris bricks on what to remember while painting, on what I am learning everyday by nature and how I find my joy in the hobby.
So in the end of this part one I can say I am not even sure if there will be a part two, but you never know what the future brings. I hope this wall of text (really there is no picture in here) was not too much and it was ok to understand what I am trying to tell. For sure this is open for discussion. So let me know what you think about it via comment. I am eager to read your thoughts.
Remember these are my personal thoughts and don't stand for everybody involved with Massive Voodoo. Just my personal statement about the madness that is spreading like wildfire through the hobby community. Maybe they show that you are still the master of your own mind, the master of the Tetris game you play, the master of your happy painting mood.
I rather paint than going mad and worry too much. Thoughts from a painter.
Keep on happy painting!
Best Wishes
Roman
Posts
You are so right. Except the Masturbation on golden deamons. Every painter does this arent they? ;-)
As an painter i could paint for several years,without buying any new miniture but i think Gw will survive.
I really don't ...
In sight of an Painter i only can agree with ur opinion. But what is with the many other 50/50 Painter and Gamer?
I would say i paint 70% and 30% gaming in my Hobby. But i cannot agree the decision of price increase.
Befor the Price was increased it was very expensive. But now its not sustainable for a normal people. And this forces me to come to an decision. And I decided to not buy any GW products anymore.
Other Systems are not so popular, that u finding a lot of gamers for a funny weekend. :)
Amen.
You know Roman, what I really like about your jungle here (and why I value you guys as friends), is that besides all that charming nerdiness there's always a philosophical core beneath it, and if you take the time and care to dig, you will come up with treasures to clear another packed line of bricks in your own tetris game. (i.e.: Raffa, remember, like last time when we started talking about reincarnation?)
Tabletop Games never were the game, they were always the company in which you play them. So it actually doesn't matter much if you play a game of chess or a fully packed WHFB with fully painted armies... as long as you got friends around you, who's company you cherish. That's hobby, that's time well-spent. For me. Cause like you said, this is just my two cents. And everybody has to decide for themselves anyway.
Thanks for the post.
Wolfgang aka Elric
@Anonymous
That is what I am saying too. I can totally understand the grief and anger of gamers. So depending on where your own focus balances in that shade of grey you feel more or less anger. You made your decision as I did mine, because the products just went unaffordable. This will definatly have some wider splashes in the hobby scene, like it already has since the last years. Things are changing. the ways of the hobby are changing, but beside all this anger and grief I recommend to everybody to stay calm and still enjoy his hobby with a pure heart and mind. That is what I am saying in my wall of text. And as said it is still from my point of view, I do not blaim anyone of having a different one ...
@Elric
Amen too, bro!
Nice to read this. What I really like is the non-committal nature of it. If you do not commit yourself 100% toward the products of a single company, then you really don't need to take the news with anything but "well, life goes on."
Personally I am 99% painter and 1% gamer if you look at the amount of time I spend on painting compared to gaming. So I'm with you in being more interested about the future, rather than worried about it.
I also was reminded of Gogol Bordello lyrics. "There were never any good old days, they are today, they are tomorrow, it's a stupid thing we do, cursing tomorrow with sorrow!"
I am a painter not a gamer. But I got into the hobby by Games Workshop (first wave of Lotr).
I really liked the story behind the miniatures, which gave me a lot of inspiration. I bought this and that figure and painted it for fun, not for gaming.
So far so good.
But there are some reasons I have not buyed a GW figure for a while:
1. Failcast. I don't have to say much more, do I?
2. The last releases of miniatures really let me down. The new SM figures sucked, the Hobbit minis sucked, wow - so fail - much ugly : (
The higher prices didnt struck me that hard, as I don not have to buy a whole army.
I really hope, that the fusion with Forgeworld will make a better GW.
I really fear, that the little stores die, as I enjoy walking through them and looking at stuff in my hand. I dont want an online only GW.
Just my two cents. I enjoyed you wall of text Roman, good thoughts. Much KungFu :)))
a hobby should be afordable for anyone, however GW went to commercial.
Prices keep on rising killing the sail department softly. Luckily for us there are many other brand who appreciate the handy work of our hobby and keep their prices democratic. In this digital era i think their should be more promotion for our hobby, we create, we do not destroy, and we respect our fellow hobbyists.
@Tim
"There were never any good old days, they are today, they are tomorrow, it's a stupid thing we do, cursing tomorrow with sorrow!"
:)
@Cyn
There is still hope for the better in your words. I do like that!
Happy that you understand what I mean with this text.
@Franky
Definatly, ah hobby such great as ours should be affordable for everyone and it yet is, if you like beside GW to other brands and companies. GW in my eyes made their problems by their own, gamers need to buy bigger and bigger armies to stay put to the new rules, but instead of making this idea affordable it all went more expensive. This is also a bad sign when it comes to the youth who start with this hobby and do not know many other brands ... let's see where this will lead. About the promotion: This is everyones task I would call it. Everyone who loves the hobby can spread the word.
It is hard to believe but there are people who started painting figures before GW even existed. Who remembers Battletech, Dungeon and Dragon etc.? There was painting before GW and there will be painting after GW. So easy.
I am willing to say that their pricing of their models will be undoing because I remember when US$30.00 when a lot far then it is today because that is the price of one 28mm figure .
Overall, that is all I'm reading:
http://www.presspartners.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/monkeys_22027_lg.gif
I just don't know if this is good or bad. In many forums the discussions are going wild, everyone "knows" what to do (or worse: what GW should have done). Captain Hindsight everywhere! Many of those comments aren't very smart or aiming at anything. You did a good thing saying that you are not involved and don't know about their buisness, some honest words.
On the other hand the community ist living, screaming and fighting. They try to change something to the better. And you are part of the community, if you like it or not. You guys got the 1st place Wamp award again, an insane amount of people are reading your blog, even if you don't want it to be you're still icons for some hobbyists out there. And all you do is typing something like "too bad, but actually I don't care. Ah yeah, and poor people who lost their job".
Actually, I think that you guys could change something. I know you got at least some connections to GW. But you are hiding in your jungle, I hope this pays out well for you in the long run. As the hobby will shrink with GW going down, your jungle might also shrink. Aren't your customers, readers and followers also GW hobbyists? I bet they are concerned about the hobby...
@Anonymous
Right, but GW really made this hobby accesable to a bigger audience, didn't they?
From Painters perspective I allow myself to say even Granddad painted tin metal soldiers and he never was aware of the future presence of GW ...
@Mcsnead17
Thanks for your comment. Let's see what happens then!
@Anonymous
Fair enough, we have same points on the view of things. I also don't know if its good or bad. What I said is just my oppinion, Romans, so saying the jungle is closing their eyes is wrong. It is me if you have the feeling that I do so.
And yes I am a part of the community, that is why I am not closing eyes, ears or proper word to all the screaming and fighting. I am doing so the hype that is produced around topics that are aiming at nothing, like you said.
It is interesting that you know more than I do when it comes to my connections to GW. My connection to GW is limited to 2~3 Emails a year when we organise the painting tables at the german Games Day. So maybe this connection will break when Games Days dissapear. I also wrote an email to GW HQ in the end of last year. The guys from White Dwarf asked me to sent over some WIPs of my Slayer Sword Entry and I never recieved an answer. So the connection you see so deeply from me to GW is rarely limited.
It is right to see that we all are concerned about what is going on with our hobby at the moment due the GW issue. This might influance everything like I said in my posting. Less youths joining the hobby, less people might be interested in the hobby or switch their hobby as it is getting unaffordable. Definatly I am concerned about that too as well, you are right again, many of our readers are GW hobbyists, but to say not all of them.
Show me a button on how I can change something without going frantic on the hype I am hiding myself from and I will press it. Please show me the good connections I have to GW, with whom I am able to change the world of the hobby. Hiding away in the jungle this post was definatly not about. It was opening my mouth to proper cause in my eyes, making my stand and staying put. Staying quiet would have been hiding ...
Anyway, many thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate those ... and always remember, the jungle is no place for hiding, as many people read here and enjoy what is written as most of the blog posts are aimed to the cause of happy painting!
You're a good guy, Roman. All the best for this year!
@Phiq
Thanks for the kind words. I wish you also the best for this year!