Rumormongering. GeeDub style.

 GW has a strange relationship with their fans especially regarding their release schedule. They do not tell their fans what they are working on until it is 2 weeks from hitting the shelves. given the short memory and attention span of the average gamer, who can blame them. Promoting something that is not available for months is a waste of money when they know we're gonna buy it anyway.


When they try to stir up excitement, it is pretty weak and flaccid attempts. There was this one a while back for the Necron release. We all knew it was coming and what ti was. The mystery was wasted on everyone but perhaps the very young or the very unplugged. It was nice to know what was coming, but at the same time, it gave us nothing useful. More excitement could have been drummed up by giving us a taste of what was to come rather than having someone tell us that they smelled something in the kitchen.

Old School because I am an old fool.

When they do give us a good hard look at what is to come before it is out, I find it hard to get excited. For the 25th anniversary model, they put out a video that tried to whip up a frenzy and establish its value, but this was completely lost on me. I started 40k at the tail end of 3rd Ed and never saw the marine on the cover of Rogue Trader. It means nothing to me and thus no nostalgia. I think the cover art is lackluster but on par with the art of the time. The model does not do much for me either. I mean, it is ok but nothing spectacular. It's just as fancy as a Sternguard or Vanguard vet. It got some other people excited but just for me I was unimpressed.

That brings up to GW's latest attempt at stirring up excitement while not really telling us what we are excited about.

"OMG 145! I don't know what it is but I want to preorder one now!"

I wonder how many people would preorder a 145 if you did put it up for preorder. GW should try that one day.

I went to GW site after a long time of being away and scrolled down the What's New blog. I saw this post. I see the 145 on the cover art and click it. Que the tension music and exciting reveal of the numbers. By the end all I could think was, "...so?" The big secret that they were building up to is just a number and even that was on the cover art. Why make a video if you are going to give away your ending before it even starts. Seems pointless.

And the big super secret is not hard to figure out. Citadel shield and a paint splatter? Warlord683 put it together pretty fast over on LJ. It's paint. Big buildup and all this fanfare for them putting out new paint. Big whoop. Do they think that this kind of rumormongering is going to up their sales? Do they think that telling us that they are going sell less old paint if they tell us that they are making new paint?

Heck, I'd go and buy up all the paints I like if I knew they were going away. I'd clean them out. That would help them clear out their backstock and generate revenue. Maybe I am missing something about their model that makes it in their best interest to act this way, but it is lost on me. I am not a businessman and have a hard time understanding the reasoning of them.