No more GW bitz?

[robomummy]

www.belloflostsouls.net/2013/03/40k-news-cya-later-bits-says-games.html

read this on BoLS this morning. apparently GW is now telling independant sellers of their products that they can no longer sell bits from their kits. It doesnt look like GW themselves will be getting back into the bitz business so this means GW now want people to buy the whole kits instead of using bitz ordering services.

[hadriel]

Mar 16, 2013 15:09:04 GMT robomummy said:

www.belloflostsouls.net/2013/03/40k-news-cya-later-bits-says-games.html

read this on BoLS this morning. apparently GW is now telling independant sellers of their products that they can no longer sell bits from their kits. It doesnt look like GW themselves will be getting back into the bitz business so this means GW now want people to buy the whole kits instead of using bitz ordering services.

i don't think this will do anything people will still continue the sale of bits

[robomummy]

thats true however major places like bitzbox will not be able to legally sell bitz.

[andy089]

Well they might still be able to do so but not at the current price as they would essentially be an usual costumer with no reduction on price....

[robomummy]

Mar 16, 2013 17:11:49 GMT andy089 said:

Well they might still be able to do so but not at the current price as they would essentially be an usual costumer with no reduction on price....

From Faeit 212:

"GW partnership stores can no longer open products to sell bits. This means that any store with a GW account will not be able to do this. "

[swarm492]

If they take HordeOBitz from me on ebay i'll...i'll...

[drakiskier]

Mar 16, 2013 22:15:43 GMT swarm492 said:

If they take HordeOBitz from me on ebay i'll...i'll...

swap over to wbits or window-box?

those are my two favorite bits sellers on ebay.

[bigpig]

Mar 16, 2013 15:51:29 GMT robomummy said:

thats true however major places like bitzbox will not be able to legally sell bitz.

They can still "legally" do it. GW will supposedly just not sell to the large retailers of bitz. There is nothing they can do to stop the secondary market. There will be a shakeup and more smoke and mirrors to insulate those buying directly from GW from the sale of the bits. It will probably raise the price of bits some I suspect.

[Raven]

Only affects partner stores, so most bitz stores won't be affected.

[t⊗theark]

I could see why they'd want to do this, protecting their sales and all, but $10 say it's going to be received only slightly better than pictures of the Vietnam war.

I won't comment on the 'effect on the hobbyist environment and culture' because this doesn't really affect me much - I have enough friends to steal stuff off. It's only partner stores anyway, so bit sales will still be happening.

[maugrim]

Here's the agreement:

docs.google.com/file/d/0B2zne5ewd4fBemhzRE5KM3BlUGs/edit?pli=1

Basically - if you want to get stuff directly from GW or their distributors in North America (on discounted rates I assume), the big points would be:

1) A Brick-and-Mortar store presence, in a safe commercially zoned area, open 20h a week, nothing being sold that would be illegal/unsuitable for a consumer under 18 years old, plainly marked GW area seperate from all other product lines and with a minimum amount of stock ($500)
2) Can not have any kind of online sale of GW products (no shopping cart, nothing)
3) Must keep/sell all GW products in their original packaging (no breaking up of boxes)
4) Can not resell outside of their own respective country

They explain these restrictions that they want to support the hobby through consumer's interactions at stores; need to protect their IP/Trademarks; want to ensure that any online sales are done through the best conditions/website (they literally say theirs is the best/only way); and want to discourage "Free-riding" by strictly internet based "stores" who don't have to invest in "supporting the hobby" through actual storefronts.

All for the greater profit/glory of GW.

Taken on the face, especially if you are an uninterested non-consumer shareholder - all of this seems very reasonable and proper. And that is who this new mandate is written for - it isn't written for us, the educated hobbyist. We know what a load of (please do not swear) it is, and how it will stifle collectors and modellers who don't have deep pockets... and in the end make for LESS sales, not more. They are effectively eliminating, or at least seriously damaging, a portion of their retailers in an attempt to save/maximize their own sales.

I'm sure some lawyer and accountant somewhere got a bright idea that they did this, they could simply shift the sales of those boxes that are sold to these retailers and broken up into bits to themselves as full boxes. Not fully understanding that *many* of these bits sales simply would not occur if the purchaser had to buy the full box to get the bit. I can speak from experience in that I would not have at all a Grey Knight army (and the extra full boxes I bought for it) had I not been able to simply buy the arms/weapons/guns alone and use some of my old metal terminator and marine bodies instead of buying full kits.

They are also banking on winning the Chapterhouse lawsuit - because once they have done this, if they win they will eliminate anybody else making "add-on" or "copied" versions of bits. But if they lose, they've just eliminated any hope of regaining any kind of bits sales for themselves.

And really - one of the biggest things which is slipping by is the section D - You can no longer sell outside your own country. So us here in Canada won't be able to buy stuff from the US (and your cheaper prices).

I'd insert the Forrest Gump quote here, but I'm sure you're already thinking it.

[GestationPool]

Great marketing sense, horrible PR. Either GW is unaware that they already have a love/hate relationship with their fan base, or they just don't care. I'm thinking second one...

-GP

[fleetofclaw]

Just another stop on the GW Good Will Tour. Taking a leak on their customers and retailers since 2003.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using proboards

[brucelich]

I think this is the single most stupid decision GW could possibly make.

There are probably tons of sites like MWG, who have actively and freely advertised for GW through tutorials, tacticas, battle reports and contests. And now, GW turns around and tells them they can only sell through their "physical" stores. I'm not saying all those sites will go bankrupt but i'm pretty sure a good chunk of them will seriously think about it and most likely reduce their GW related content.

If i was one of their so called "partners", you can bet your butt i'd simply stop selling GW products even from the local stores as well... see how those R-tarded scrooges react after no independant retailer buys from them (coz seriously, local stores don't have the volume E-stores get).

IMO GW has always been known for making stupid decisions... But this takes the cake.

Im so glad i have all the models i need and that i don't use any of their accessories (paints, brushes, etc.) I know my friends will order online one last time before this stupid law goes live and then none of us will buy GW stuff until they change their policies. If they don't, maybe we'll swap game system altogether after we get fed up...

I'm not even sure i'd want them to backtrack at this point. For the community yes, but out of personnal grudge, i'd rather their sale crash and burn in order for GW to fire those dumbarse stakeholders of theirs...

This is marketing nonsense at its worse...

www.miniwargaming.com/content/games-workshop-prohibits-online-sales-sales-bitz-and-more?utm_source=newscontent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newscontent

[Lanesend]

^ fire stakeholders?