So I found this in the 40k section, but it applies to all of us. I think everyone should read this, and share it around

http://natfka.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/deep...hobby.html#more

Excellent article.

I think he's understating how bad GW have gotten, though. Hopefully when their cycle of price rises becomes terminal and the dividends dry up the board will get cleaned out and be replaced by people who steer things back toward being a hobby company rather than a corporate business model.

The bit that highlighted it for me was that Jes himself doesn't want to get involved more, and I can understand why. It's easy for anonymous people on forums to continually bag out GW for price rises/bad models/no support etc but we have to remember that behind the corporate logo there are great people like Jes and all the others who actually love the hobby itself and work hard for it.

actually all the big names bar a few have jumped ship now and are working on other stuff, from dust warfare to fanticide, thats where all those great people have gone in the most part

Also Jes's attitude (if reported correctly) is a bit off.

Firstly, there may be pages of people complaining about corporate GW, but very rarely do I see complaints about the models. If Jes wanted to spend time on forums, it would be very easy for him to spend time in the hobby areas, rather than the out of topic or general chat areas.

Secondly, in order to grow and improve, you have to be able to take feedback. If the feedback is negative, then unless you change what you are doing, you will go backwards, or at best stand still. Having a viewpoint that you don't take feedback because sometimes it is negative is arrogant and will take you down the path of irrelevance.

To be fair there is always quite a bit of negativity around some models at each army release. Most likely just a taste thing. That sort of feedback is probably not very constructive for a designer, especially the way that it is often framed on the interwebs.

When was the last time anyone read any constructive feedback on a forum regarding GW or their releases though?

First, there is a difference between feedback and criticism and the vast majority of the time the comments directed towards GW and their writers, designers, management etc are criticisms (some justified, some not).

Second, the vocal critics consistently shout much louder, more frequently, and more fiercely than than those who do try to voice real feedback or even (heaven forbid...) praise.

GW's corporate policy on the internet can be traced back to the very original IGCOM 40K mailing list. Jervis Johnson and Andy Chambers joined the list and announced themselves. They lasted about three weeks with the crap that started flying their way before they withdrew.

Same happened when Paul Sawyer joined the Dakka Dakka forums except it was more like one week..

GW's policy is now essentially 'that way lies pain - don't go there'..



Possum hit the nail on the head. There is a difference between constructive criticism and complaints.

How are GW supposed to fix a miniature based on 'it looks stupid - like a marshmallow on legs' or 'that looks dumb'?

Have a close look on these forums and see how often people present their opinions (poorly) and act like they are presenting a fact? 'Those rules are stupid' as opposed to something like 'those rules don't work for me I prefer streamlined rules'..

R

interesting article, i myself got into the hobby through walking by my local GW but im confident to say that iv gotten people into the hobby. I'm a regular at games night when me and my friends after school chill out paint and play but as this rising conflict between the online community and the company goes on and how prices rise it makes it more difficult. Im starting to feel a little disappointed in GW. If we hade more collective power over GW when could do anythin as he said "move mountains". But GW is't really selling a Hobby its selling a craze of awsomness!