The Rumour Thread

[AquaRegis]

Just now, Gareth 🍄 said:

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/warhammer-maker-games-workshop-shares-out-ps18m-among-staff-b1165361.html

 

"Games Workshop has revealed it dished out £18 million among its staff, after the Warhammer figurine maker reported a stronger year of sales and profits.

The Nottingham-based company said it handed out cash payments "on an equal basis to each member of staff" in recognition of their contribution to its financial performance.

The business has more than 1,500 staff working at its global headquarters in the UK, as well as workers based in offices and stores around the world.

Last year, it awarded "group profit share" cash payments totalling £11 million to its employees.

Games Workshop said it estimates its pre-tax profit for the year to June to be at least £200 million, up from £171 million the year prior.

It comes as its total sales are set to have jumped from £445 million to £490 million year on year."

Really great news for the Staff there, that works out to a pretty hefty bonus and considering how many teenagers work in GW stores, that's probably more money then they have ever seen in Thier life. 

 

However. 

"Times are tough and we have sadly had no choice but increase prices on our miniatures". 

Still haven't forgotten. 

[Flippy]

30 minutes ago, Hollow said:

The news that GamesWorkshop will pay out £18 MILLION in equal cash payments to all staff is fantastic news. For the first time in the company's history, it will break £200 million (An increase of nearly £30 million on the same period last year) in pre-tax profit over 2 quarters.  (2 Quarters that had Legion Imperialis and The Old World as its tentpole releases with pretty minimal 40k and AoS stuff) 

 

A corporation giving extra money to employees (other than executives) is always the reason to celebrate. Well done, GW!

[Hollow]

£2500 at Christmas and nearly £7000 in summer. Likely another bonus will come this Christmas as well. £10k+ in a year just on bonuses! Nice. 

[cyrus]

38 minutes ago, Hollow said:

The news that GamesWorkshop will pay out £18 MILLION in equal cash payments to all staff is fantastic news. For the first time in the company's history, it will break £200 million (An increase of nearly £30 million on the same period last year) in pre-tax profit over 2 quarters.  (2 Quarters that had Legion Imperialis and The Old World as its tentpole releases with pretty minimal 40k and AoS stuff) 

 

Come on Hollow , which are the pretty minimal 40K and AoS stuff of last semester ???

We don't really need fake news propaganda here please !

[Sahrial]

17 minutes ago, AquaRegis said:

 

However. 

"Times are tough and we have sadly had no choice but increase prices on our miniatures". 

Still haven't forgotten. 

“Times are tough, but profits are tougher.”

-some exec to the shareholders

[Hollow]

23 minutes ago, AquaRegis said:

However. 

"Times are tough and we have sadly had no choice but increase prices on our miniatures". 

Still haven't forgotten. 

Haven't GW announced price increases annually for the last 15 years? Nobody likes prices going up, but I'm a little confused as to why some are acting like this doesn't happen every year?

[Thalassic Monstrosity]

So correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't it look like Wyldwoods would be better implemented split up in order to spread out their effects? You can't summon more and it looks like other terrain won't be Overgrown like 3e.

You're just restricted to the 3 trees. Which is fine but limits the effectiveness and versatility of their mobility by a lot.

Thoughts? 

Edited June 20 by Thalassic Monstrosity

[Beliman]

5 minutes ago, Thalassic Monstrosity said:

You can't summon more and it looks like other terrain won't be Overgrown like 3e.

You can summon a new one with Treesong

[Dragon-knight77]

Painting the Ruination Chamber – How the ’Eavy Metal Team Brought the Stormcast Eternals of Skaventide to Life

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2024/06/20/painting-the-ruination-chamber-how-the-eavy-metal-team-brought-the-stormcast-eternals-of-skaventide-to-life/

 

[Snarff]

1 hour ago, Hollow said:

The news that GamesWorkshop will pay out £18 MILLION in equal cash payments to all staff is fantastic news. For the first time in the company's history, it will break £200 million (An increase of nearly £30 million on the same period last year) in pre-tax profit over 2 quarters.  (2 Quarters that had Legion Imperialis and The Old World as its tentpole releases with pretty minimal 40k and AoS stuff) 

 

If that's projected profit over the first 2 quarters, doesn't that include June? Skaventide is still going up for pre-order this month too. And between Darkoath, Second half of the FEC release (including Ushoran), Dawnbringers 4-6 and all the minis with them, first few Spearhead boxes, Kroot, Dark Angels (especially after the success of the Lion) and a lot of Killteam releases I don't consider that minimal 40K and AoS stuff. 30K also had a ton of releases this year including the Solar Auxilia.

[Hollow]

11 minutes ago, Snarff said:

If that's projected profit over the first 2 quarters, doesn't that include June? 

No. It is up to June 2nd 2024. 

When I say "minor" or "minimal" releases I mean relatively. A "major" release would be like a new edition. 40k had a "major" release with 10th edition. AoS will have its "major" release with 4th. GW kicks off each 6-month financial cycle with a "Major" release (or tent pole). The previous 6 months' tent-pole releases were ToW and Legions Imperialis. 

Edited June 20 by Hollow

[Sahrial]

9 minutes ago, Hollow said:

Haven't GW announced price increases annually for the last 15 years? Nobody likes prices going up, but I'm a little confused as to why some are acting like this doesn't happen every year?

-deep breath-

mods, I’m sorry, I know this needs to be a thread but it’s here and I’m responding and then I’m done.

TLDR- People are collectively more aware and tracking price increases across the board in a way we rarely ever have in modern history, and asking why did the price need to increase where they didn’t before.

Longer: inflation is rampant across the global economy, according to commentators, but as we are increasingly seeing, not to the degree prices are increasing.

Covid made things tight. Prices went up to match increased manufacturing and distribution complications, at the same time incomes were hurt.

Things have reached as close to normal pre covid as they probably ever will, and yet the Covid price spikes have not been rolled back and price increases have continued.

Companies are, across the globe, participating in blatant profiteering and price gouging wherever they can. Some companies are seeing it backfire, like Target in the US.

It only backfires when people voice their dissatisfaction and act on it but refusing to buy at the new price point.

in summation: they may have been doing it yearly for 15 years but people are really really tired of it.

[Ejecutor]

53 minutes ago, AquaRegis said:

Really great news for the Staff there, that works out to a pretty hefty bonus and considering how many teenagers work in GW stores, that's probably more money then they have ever seen in Thier life. 

 

However. 

"Times are tough and we have sadly had no choice but increase prices on our miniatures". 

Still haven't forgotten. 

Times are tough, but we get more money every year. Aham, tough for everyone apart from them...

[Ejecutor]

29 minutes ago, Hollow said:

Haven't GW announced price increases annually for the last 15 years? Nobody likes prices going up, but I'm a little confused as to why some are acting like this doesn't happen every year?

That's the problem. That they happen every year.

[Hollow]

Just now, Ejecutor said:

Times are tough,

This is completely off-topic, but this narrative is just a matter of perspective. In terms of humanity, this is the best, most peaceful, most prosperous time to be alive in history. But nvm. 

[Hollow]

Just now, Ejecutor said:

That's the problem. That they happen every year.

In some regards. Not all products increase every year. Many products have stayed the same price over many years. 

[Ejecutor]

15 minutes ago, Snarff said:

If that's projected profit over the first 2 quarters, doesn't that include June? Skaventide is still going up for pre-order this month too. And between Darkoath, Second half of the FEC release (including Ushoran), Dawnbringers 4-6 and all the minis with them, first few Spearhead boxes, Kroot, Dark Angels (especially after the success of the Lion) and a lot of Killteam releases I don't consider that minimal 40K and AoS stuff. 30K also had a ton of releases this year including the Solar Auxilia.

Clearly TOW carried the company.

[Ejecutor]

8 minutes ago, Hollow said:

No. It is up to June 2nd 2024. 

When I say "minor" or "minimal" releases I mean relatively. A "major" release would be like a new edition. 40k had a "major" release with 10th edition. AoS will have its "major" release with 4th. GW kicks off each 6-month financial cycle with a "Major" release (or tent pole). The previous 6 months' tent-pole releases were ToW and Legions Imperialis. 

I wouldn't consider a specialist game release a tent pole. I am pretty sure Dark Angels on its own have sold ages more than that.

[Snarff]

1 minute ago, Hollow said:

This is completely off-topic, but this narrative is just a matter of perspective. In terms of humanity, this is the best, most peaceful, most prosperous time to be alive in history. But nvm. 

Just because things have been worse in the past doesn't mean things cannot be tough now. I'm happy that it's relatively peaceful, but that won't help me find a house, pay off my student debts or change that climate change is not being tackled in the slightest.

[Hollow]

1 minute ago, Ejecutor said:

Clearly TOW carried the company.

I really do think that Dwarfs were pushed back into the next (Q3) because they had already smashed their financial targets for Q1 and Q2. 

[Ejecutor]

1 minute ago, Hollow said:

I really do think that Dwarfs were pushed back into the next (Q3) because they had already smashed their financial targets for Q1 and Q2. 

Very likely, yeah, but even with that I wouldn't call ToW one of their main releases. Maybe once it is well established and we get a scenario like the second edition from HH.

[Hollow]

6 minutes ago, Ejecutor said:

I wouldn't consider a specialist game release a tent pole. I am pretty sure Dark Angels on its own have sold ages more than that.

Ahhh... and that's the old mistaken approach the likes of Kirby would have applied in the past. "Well hey, nothing has sold as well as Marines, why make anything other than Marines?" It's contextual. GamesWorkshop has 4 Warhammer settings. 40k, HH, AoS, ToW and each of those settings sees "Tent-pole releases". The point of a "Tent-pole" release is that it acts as a tent-pole for further releases, holds up and expands the settings. etc. It's not just about raw profit. It's about profit in the context of the Warhammer Setting the product is for. 

Edited June 20 by Hollow

[Thalassic Monstrosity]

28 minutes ago, Beliman said:

You can summon a new one with Treesong

Only if one has been destroyed or if you choose not to deploy all 3 at the start of the game. Actually, that might be the play. Start with none on the table and summon them in as you need. 

[Snarff]

8 minutes ago, Hollow said:

Ahhh... and that's the old mistaken approach the likes of Kirby would have applied in the past. "Well hey, nothing has sold as well as Marines, why make anything other than Marines?" It's contextual. GamesWorkshop has 4 Warhammer settings. 40k, HH, AoS, ToW and each of those settings sees "Tent-pole releases". The point of a "Tent-pole" release is that it acts as a tent-pole for further releases, holds up and expands the settings. etc. It's not just about raw profit. It's about profit in the context of the Warhammer Setting the product is for. 

What you were strongly implying in your previous comments though, is that TOW and LI are directly responsible for the increase in profits. We don't and can't know that. We don't even know how well AoS sells relative to 40K

Edited June 20 by Snarff

[Chikout]

There was an interview with a major third party retailer in America a couple of months ago who said thier best selling product was the Kroot army box. It's evidence that selling out doesn't necessarily equate to pure sales numbers. 

That said, I'm quite sure the starter boxes for the old world have sold extremely well even if later kits didn't. The launch boxes have sold out globally, come back into stock and sold out again two or three times so far. The new resin kits sell out instantly. It's just the old plastics that, unsurprisingly, aren't particularly popular.