How is it that with so many ventures into video games, that Games Workshop hasn't taken 40k itself digital...

How is it that with so many ventures into video games, that Games Workshop hasn't taken 40k itself digital? I understand that those overpriced pieces of plastic make up a large part of their revenue, but couldn't something similar be easily done with a free-to-play model?

Because they would lose all their money lmao

I don't see how charging the same price for digital armies as they do for plastic ones wouldn't work.

Because they have a virtual monopoly on not just the plastic, but the paint as well. Not to mention all the other little crafting bits (although you don't really need to use GW brand as far as I know, but then again I'm not actively engaged with any of their games)

Also some people just like collecting and building/painting models, it's not all about the game aspect.

this. why compete among the thousands of other vidya that exist when you have the MONOPOLY on table top and a guranteed revenue stream from life long loyalists?

Vidya is used as a recruitment tool to get normies to the table top

Who the fuck would pay the same price for a digital model you dumbass? The whole point of the miniatures is that you have a physical model. It's the same reason Bandai doesn't make a digital Gundam kit building program. You ever fucking think before you post?

You're paying hundreds of dollars for fucking plastic and some crafting supplies. Considering how much people pay for stupid shit on CS:GO or LoL I don't find it that absurd for people to invest so much into digital 40k goods.

>hurr let's do everything 110% retarded

why is it you venture from /v/ to Veeky Forums without any knowledge about this board then cry about muh 40k is Veeky Forums
you're not talking about traditional games you manchild

I already tried this when trying to make Virtual Wargames a thing a few days ago. Even with a completelu free option, It doesn't work. 40k players are in it for the miniatures hobby and the lore, and the game itself is pretty secondary. All that being said, we actually got in contact with the dev for the free software we're using for virtual wargaming. and he's coming to Veeky Forums for regular feedback, and we're working to make Veeky Forums virtual wargaming a thing, so there's hope, just not for the 40k crowd.

Repost that pic please,

Can confirm.

Played the games.
From there I read the books.
If I wasn't a tight ass I'd likely have bought the plastic by now, but I'm cheap.

GW sees their business model as a model company, as in, they sell models to hobbyists much like other companies sell scale models like tanks and airplanes and shit to hobbyists. The game itself, all they do is sell rulebooks. They see the gaming part of it as more of a side business.

Who can blame them? The majority of their products are models, and supplies to put them together and paint them. They are focused on this side of the business and I would imagine the team responsible for the game side of things is underfunded at best.

Because their franchise is so popular, licensing to make video games or books or whatever is pretty much just free money for them, looking at their business model. That's why there were a lot of shitty 40k games a while back, because game developers did market research and realized they could turn a profit with a 40k game. GW was happy to oblige them and take their money.

They won't go digital because the company itself is stuck in the age of the dinosaurs and they have even admitted they don't do market research. They look at what has made them money in the past and they will continue as they always have. If you expect GW to suddenly revolutionize you're in for a huge disappointment.

Oh yeah, all that money Wizards is making from Magic: The Gathering Online sure is retarded.

Seriously though, it's the same fucking situation with them. Players who prefer physical cards just keep buying physical, MTGO has only proved to be a boon for WoTC as it draws in players who otherwise wouldn't play without access to a local store or Magic group. There's no reason this model can't work out for GW.

Odds are what is true, they don't care about an expensive transition to digital and are content and comfy within their medium as it is now.

If their business model is so lazy and stagnant I'm surprised that other tabletop games haven't managed to overthrow them yet.

Then again it takes years to build up such a collection of lore and such a large base of loyal fans. The only way anyone could ever pull ahead or even compete with GW is by years of hard work. Or by finding some magic formula that broadens the appeal beyond normal tabletop, though such a thing would probably bring in throngs of outsiders that would be hated by the long-time players.

>years of hard work

That's exactly why no company has done so, and probably never will. Tabletop games are, let's get real, they're a niche market. You aren't going to create huge numbers of new customers by virtue of creating another tabletop game. No company is going to invest so much capital to make a competing product line, only to have the risk that nobody buys it because their consumer base is already invested in another product. It just doesn't make sense to risk that much money.

>I'm surprised that other tabletop games haven't managed to overthrow them yet
Tabletop companies are notoriously bad at business, and you only need to look at GW's competition to see why. There is no perfect method in a business this niche. The only thing that's really been able to beat them out is godamn Star Wars, which is popular for the exact same reason the GW LotR game was popular.

Inertia, global presence, plentiful licensing.. and most importantly being debt-free and running at a profit? You can hate on some practices, but it's easy to see WHY they're still around despite it all.

Is it possible for GW to make models like Gundam master grades?

It's not about the money.

Particularly when MTG and model games are completely opposite in terms of the enjoyment that comes from the physical aspect of the hobby.
Buying some slices of paper versus hours and hours of modelling and painting highly detailed plastic. No contest.

Have you been sleeping under a rock? GW has changed a lot lately, they even directly interact with their fans and use their input and i don't see how they could get more digital than digital products and online communities

People pay £30 for 10 dudes to sit on their desk to customize and maybe paint then sit on their shelf and be fiddled with as they walk past.

People wouldn't pay the price of a whole video game for 10 dudes in a video game.

And if it was cheaper, say £3-5 for 10 dudes (No one would may more and you wouldn't pay for tabletop if you paid less) then they would reduce the amount of people willing to pay £30 for 10 dudes because that's the only choice.

If virtual tabletop cost me £20 for 40 virtual dudes then I wouldn't have spent £120 on 40 plastic dudes.

I would have spent £20 on 40 virtual dudes and £15 on 5 plastic dudes to customize and sit on my shelf which is only £35 and they lose £85 off me.