Message from GW CEO Mark Wells

[kojibear]

Hmm...still, I think it strange for any company to release a product without thoroughly testing and re-testing to ensure the end product reaches the quality expected by the customer. Unless, they thought 'Hmm...let's see if the gamers really care that much!', and then realised 'Opps! They actually DO want miniatures to be of a high standard, especially seeing as they are paying more for them!' Didn't they advertise them as being the 'finest' miniatures in the world or something to that effect?

I wonder why they didn't have a promotional sale? Or did they?

It was very poor planning and management on their part for the release of finecast.

[AndrewGPaul]

Off the top of my head, the Coca Cola corporation, Ford and Hoover have all managed worse cock-ups than finecast. It's not really unheard of.

[Primarch]

Off the top of my head, the Coca Cola corporation, Ford and Hoover have all managed worse cock-ups than finecast. It's not really unheard of.

Not at all. Corporations make massive cock-ups all the time. Mitsubishi Motors over here in Japan had some serious issues with safety on one of their models about 8 or so years ago and tried to recall all the defective cars in secret. The public got wind of it and their reputation was ruined. Even now, people dont really like Mitsubishi cars.
At the same time, people usually have a lot less interest in their brand of vacuum cleaner than they do their hobby. It's because we love this hobby so much that people gripe about it the way they do. If no-one had strong feelings about it, no-one would talk about it. GW has a lot to live up to primarily because they got us hooked on these awesome toys, fantastic worlds and fun games that they created. Because they have set such high standards, their consumers get upset if they dont live up to them, even if the product is still very good. Can you imagine the uproar from Apple users if the next iPhone wasn't up to scratch? Look at what happens when sports teams have a bad season. People love to moan about the things they love, honestly, I'd be more worried if no-one was picking faults.

[kojibear]

Good point gents!

And you are right, it is because we love the darn things so much that we care the way we do.

[kojibear]

Oh and that Mitsubishi screw-up, was that with the trucks? I remember someone died as a result of some problem with the axel or tyres?

[Spevna]

Off the top of my head, the Coca Cola corporation, Ford and Hoover have all managed worse cock-ups than finecast. It's not really unheard of.

Not at all. Corporations make massive cock-ups all the time. Mitsubishi Motors over here in Japan had some serious issues with safety on one of their models about 8 or so years ago and tried to recall all the defective cars in secret. The public got wind of it and their reputation was ruined. Even now, people dont really like Mitsubishi cars.
At the same time, people usually have a lot less interest in their brand of vacuum cleaner than they do their hobby. It's because we love this hobby so much that people gripe about it the way they do. If no-one had strong feelings about it, no-one would talk about it. GW has a lot to live up to primarily because they got us hooked on these awesome toys, fantastic worlds and fun games that they created. Because they have set such high standards, their consumers get upset if they dont live up to them, even if the product is still very good. Can you imagine the uproar from Apple users if the next iPhone wasn't up to scratch? Look at what happens when sports teams have a bad season. People love to moan about the things they love, honestly, I'd be more worried if no-one was picking faults.

^This

[AndrewGPaul]

It's not the ... discussion about the product that I find odd - it's the bizarre obsession the internet seems to have with GW's corporate behaviour. I don't recall ever seeing anything similar in regard to, say, Wizards of the Coast. Do videogamers get so obsessed with the minutiae of Sony or Nintendo as to discuss the corporate accounts on gaming forums? or is it just miniatures gamers and GW?

[Spevna]

It is not "the minutiae" that people get obsessed over. That is a gross oversimplification.

Constant price hikes, shoddy merchandise, and perceived mistreatment by GW on the other hand are hot topics of conversation.

If you find it "odd" that people get peeved when bad thing happen to a hobby they love, I really don't know what else to say to you.

[me_in_japan]

AGP is generally pretty chilled out about hobby stuff. Even more so than Spev or Badruck, actually. Many can talk the talk, but few can walk the walk of "It's just a game."

Yes, it can become a way of life for many, but there's nowt to stop people taking a spevna stance and just cutting off GW from their wallets.

I think AGP is right when he says that wargamers are particualarly pernickity about GWs behaviour. I mean, Magic players or video gamers dont get so engrossed in the doings of the companies that make their hobby products, and those activities engender just as an obsessive audience as wargaming does.

To be fair to Spev, "Constant price hikes, shoddy merchandise, and perceived mistreatment" are not minutiae. I think AGPs word choice was a bit off, there

[Primarch]

As a long term fan of Dungeons and Dragons, I can assure you that every edition change has been met with some.... resistance from the users. Though I had the original game, I really started with AD&D and I played it a lot. When 3rd Edition came out, everyone was very sceptical and half of our gaming group said they wouldn't touch it. They thought Wizards of the Coast (Or was it TSR back then) were loopy for throwing out the old system for this new fangled mumbo jumbo. No THAC0 rolls? No thank you!
However, our host ran a gaming shop so he got copies in to sell and a few of us started reading them. After that we all wound up playing it and it was a good game.
Then 3.5 came out. WTF!?!? Half an edition? What the jimminy jilickers did Wizards think they were trying to pull here? We had to buy ALL the core books again just for some minor amendments. Some folks got really steamed about it, but at this stage, there weren't that many dedicated forums around to go online and bitch about it.
Roll on a company buyout (Hasbro) and a good few years of playing a very nice system and 4th edition was announced. The D&D websites virtually imploded under the pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth. The company had changed the ENTIRE system. Hasbro had literally had the game rebuilt from the ground up to make it play like an MMORPG. Many people, myself included have never bought a D&D book again. I've been in the RPG equivilant of a Spevna Stance for years now.
And now, there is D&D Essentials.
http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/08/23