Post by Goldeagle on Jan 13, 2006 11:21:09 GMT -5
All bubbles eventually burst (or loose air). I think the main issue here is saturation. Once a hard-core player has $2-5000 dollars worth of GW products, how much more are they likey to spend (based on need/want)? I would argue that most potential hard-core players of this type of game already play and that they eventually hit a coasting phase (with occassional splurges for a new army, updated codex, or add-on/updated squad). Expensive new plastic termies simply maximize splurge dollars.
I would also argue that the loss of GTs is related to the same saturation phenom. Say GW makes $50 a head at a big GT from registration (the rest of the entry fee goes to renting the event venue); maybe 20% of of the $50 is left over as profit after paying your workers. This creates a profit of about $4000 from an event of 400 players (which is a big event as you all know). All other money that is spent is generated for the local economy hosting the event. If almost all of the entrants spend little on products to attend this event (because they are playing with already purchased armies), the $4000 profit from the event is hardly worth the time and effort. GW used to make a nice profit from the discount stores at the GTs, but even this must suffer from saturation (or worse, the splurge dollars are now discounted).
Evolutionary theory provides the final answer. Adapt (i.e. change) or go extinct. Sadly, it also tells us that many species are first marginalized (because the environment that they adapted to changed) as they begin the path to extinction.
I would also argue that the loss of GTs is related to the same saturation phenom. Say GW makes $50 a head at a big GT from registration (the rest of the entry fee goes to renting the event venue); maybe 20% of of the $50 is left over as profit after paying your workers. This creates a profit of about $4000 from an event of 400 players (which is a big event as you all know). All other money that is spent is generated for the local economy hosting the event. If almost all of the entrants spend little on products to attend this event (because they are playing with already purchased armies), the $4000 profit from the event is hardly worth the time and effort. GW used to make a nice profit from the discount stores at the GTs, but even this must suffer from saturation (or worse, the splurge dollars are now discounted).
Evolutionary theory provides the final answer. Adapt (i.e. change) or go extinct. Sadly, it also tells us that many species are first marginalized (because the environment that they adapted to changed) as they begin the path to extinction.