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Fanatic is evolving

TuffSkull

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 8:53 pm

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Joined: Tue Feb 25, 2003 11:49 am
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Location: South East UK

Well, as you know I'm usually well informed when it comes to fanatic news, but this has caught m by complete surprise - I'm wondering where it leaves me for painting commissions in the coming year, not to mention the proposed start of my sculpting career....

Fanatic is evolving - the word from JJ

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dafrca

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:42 pm

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Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 6:02 pm
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Location: Burbank, CA, USA

Interesting development. I wonder who the power behind that change was.

dafrca

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Jimbo

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 11:06 pm

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Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2003 11:01 pm
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Location: Wessex

This is not evolving, this is cutting back...

Maybe it is the cynic in me, but my business background tells me this all about cost cutting.

Reduce staff

Reduce production

Move support from paper to online and let people develop and plan the games for free.

As for
I'm wondering where it leaves me for painting commissions in the coming year, not to mention the proposed start of my sculpting career....

I thought that the announcement a few months back from Fanatic saying, "hey guys send us your photos, if you're up to it, we'll send you some miniatures to paint, and rather then pay you a decent commission, we'll give you the models!!!" would have implied that the commission market was drying up???

Fewer models mean less sculpts needed as well...

Basically I think I am too much of a cynic!

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stormseer

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 11:25 pm

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Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2003 9:52 pm
Posts: 4598
Location: Suffolk, UK.

Err.. yeah, that is one pretty major unheralded change...

and not one I like all that much from these first impressions~ however, it could be an excellent new direction for things to move in, I don't know....

Now this sounds bad.....

...and we will also continue to bring out new releases, though we do plan to reduce the sheer quantity of new models that we make so that we concentrate on improving the online support that we provide.

Less models?!
...I'd rather have more models and the same level of online support from GW/SG- fan publications like Incoming!, this website, Netepic.org and Dropship already provide superb online content, and Fanatic Mag provides a good fix of official stuff for me...

Will this also limit SG's freedom and cause the Specialist games range to be more strictly controlled and marketed like 40k and WHFB stuff? ..I sincerely hope not.

My 2 bits....

~Stormy

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netepic

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 11:43 pm

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Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 4:26 pm
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Location: Southfields, London, England

I echo Jimbo and Stormseers thoughts - I am not a happy bunny... dammit! They are proving Primarch right

! I was so optimistic

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CyberShadow

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 11:52 pm

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Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2003 6:22 pm
Posts: 9338
Location: Singapore

I just heard about this on the Gothic Group. My reply...

Really? Again? Sorry, but I am starting to become really blase about the number of 'redesigns' Fanatic/Specialist Games goes through. I am happy that there is attention on it, but it is becoming difficult to get excited. Still, I do hope that this does not mean that any non-web support will be withdrawn. I understand that the 'Living Rule Books' are taking off, and I completely support that, but I dont want only web support. I want to be able to buy books to keep,
so I hope that this is not going away. I am also a little sceptical about Fanatic coming back under GW's 'protective' wing. I guess that we should rejoice that Fanatic have proven that they can make a go of it, and that they have forced GW HQ to take them seriously (well done to all concerned at Fanatic for that, I didnt think that it was
possible), but we all know ow much support GW are inclined to offer.

It just seems that Fanatic are going round in circles a lot
recently. 'We have the Journal for players and non-core games... we have individual mags for the Specialist Games... we have Fanatic magazine...'. 'We have a branch of GW dedicated to non-core games... we have Fanatic... we have Specialist Games... we have one company again...'.

Dont get me wrong, I believe that these changes are made in the best interests, and that the Fanatic team would only do this if they thought that it was a good thing for the games, but I do worry that the new Fanatic magazine will be marginalised if web support steps forward even more.

I am very sceptical about this as well.

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Jimbo

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 12:14 am

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Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2003 11:01 pm
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Location: Wessex

Quote (stormseer @ 02 2004 Nov.,22:25)

totally agree with Stormy there

models make money (or lose money)

Online support is only a small cost (especially if you can get the players to write the stuff). If you think of the Epic community, we all do it in our spare time. Less than one person could run all the SG online support.

I don't see how making less models is an indication of "success" of SG.

I will echo Primarch from a few months ago, the main problem with Epic will be the marketing...

In the last year I have bought two (possible three) Epic blisters. If they have been in the shops I might have bought one every time I picked up WD or Fanatic mag.

Less models...

At least the Feral Orks may see the light of day.... as for the Necrons.... 2054 maybe?

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TuffSkull

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:32 am

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Joined: Tue Feb 25, 2003 11:49 am
Posts: 2830
Location: South East UK

Quote (Jimbo @ 02 2004 Nov.,22:06)

I'm wondering where it leaves me for painting commissions in the coming year, not to mention the proposed start of my sculpting career....

The painting scheme is actually an expansion & not the closing of commission work. The Painters for the painting scheme keep the final miniatures - Fanatic still commission pieces for display at shows & for their own private reference in the studio. However I do wonder if they'll now get all that covered in house by the heavy metal team.

I agree with your obvious expansion that fewer models = fewer sculpts, but this is what I find strange. Its only recently that they've been asking me about epic character pieces & I'd imagine they'd be the first off the list if they really are cutting back.

It tends to make me think (hope...) that this initial announcement sounds worse than its really going to be.

At the end of the day, speculating wont help us, only time will tell!

It has to be said that The above is more a selfish concern for future work rather than the hobby. I honestly believe that as long as JJ is at the Helm, we will get the best support he can give us. Its when he dissapears that I'll start to really worry. until then I'm prepared to generally sit back & see what hapens. :blues:

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MaksimSmelchak

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:43 am

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Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2003 4:43 pm
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Location: Sacramento, California, USA

I don't know what to think either.

Whatever is happening, it makes me nervous.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

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dafrca

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 2:30 am

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Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 6:02 pm
Posts: 10956
Location: Burbank, CA, USA

Guys, I have been through four lay-offs and lots of "restructures". If I have learned anything from them it is that those who are valued are kept, those who perform, remain.

You do not kill off a division that is making money. You do not reorganize unless something is wrong.

Thus my question, ?I wonder who the power behind that change was??. Knowing this will tell us a lot about what is happening.

I am an optimistic pessimist at heart. I want to believe, but I can?t. So I will just wait and see.

dafrca

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Cuban Commissar

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:25 am

Purestrain

Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 4:32 am
Posts: 2933
Location: Colorado, USA

So I just got a 1 yr subscription to fanatic what will happen to that?

I got a bad feeling about this...

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Legion 4

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:29 am

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Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 5:13 pm
Posts: 36947
Location: Ohio - USA

The whole thing is "questionable" IMO ... Hope Fanatic Mag does not go the way of Epic Mag ... I have a 1 year sub too !?

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Tas

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:08 am

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Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2003 10:01 am
Posts: 7823
Location: Sydney, NSW

I have a deeply ingrained cynacism which tells me this bodes ill....

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vanvlak

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:35 am

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Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:52 am
Posts: 10348
Location: Malta

We're doomed.

Well not Epicomms and us, just the rest of the SG Universe beyond places like this.

Doomed.

Sorry guys, but I'm a pro pessimist, and I HAD to sound worse than you lot. Only trouble is, I believe all this will come to no good. Jervis still at helm is ok - but I'd guess he'll have far less freedom now. This is a cost-cutting exercise all right, less crew, less figures... uh-uh. This is a bad one.
A year from now (at most) will probably be a good time to buy Primarchloads at good price. Hooray, but I'd rather have small armies and someone to play against. Not likely , the way things are going.

Doomed cheers.

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Mojarn Piett

Post subject: Fanatic is evolving

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:54 am

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Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2003 7:35 am
Posts: 5455
Location: Finland

"I have a bad feeling about this"

or

"There's a great disturbance in the force"

Has the "sheer amount of minis" really been that much? Or to rephrase: where have they hidden the rest from that huge amount?

I have to agree with the more pessimistic views no matter how much would I like to believe otherwise.

Let's see:

1)"Fanatic support for the Specialist Game Range will be moving primarily online in the New Year. "

Now WHAT support have they had previously other than the online support (website)? Or to rephrase: do they have other non-online support than the magazine...?

So the translation (to me) seems to be: we are cutting back on the fanatic magazine.

2)"I?ll be staying on as Head Fanatic along with some of the members of the existing Fanatic team. Other members of the team will be going off to join other departments and do new jobs."

So they are "improving support" by reducing personnel. Interesting.

3)"What won?t be changing is Games Workshop?s commitment to provide ongoing support for all seven Specialist Game systems."

Yes, GW certainly has been the paragon of support for the Fanatic games. So, in other words, there will NOT be more support than there has been (i.e. none, whatsoever...)

4)"though we do plan to reduce the sheer quantity of new models that we make so that we concentrate on improving the online support that we provide"

Reduction in personnel and reduction in releases. Yes, this definitely sounds BAD. No, it actually sounds even worse. Honestly, WHAT is wrong with the current online support so that it must be improved by cutting back in the releases? Combined with the reduction in personnel the obvious translation to me sounds to be:"We're doing some more online support because that's all we'll be able to do with the recent budget cuts."

5)"Even so we have some great new releases coming up over the next few months," = they have graciously allowed us to complete these before we are sunk to oblivion.

Yep, no reasons to be optimistic.

Of course, I hope I'll be surprised positively but given the history of the specialist game systems in GW that's about as fat a chance as a person dying in hunger...

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